Glossary & Acronyms

The term e-accessibility refers to the user-friendliness of information and communication technologies (ICTs), such as the Internet, by people with disabilities. Websites need to be developed so that everyone, whatever his/her age and capacities, can access the information.

EAPN = European Anti-Poverty Network

AGE Platform Europe is a member of EAPN.

EC = European Commission

ECHR = European Convention on Human Rights

ECJ = Court of Justice of the European Union

The terms eHealth and mHealth (mobile health) refer to the use of new technology in health. Work in this area covers many different issues such as transfer of information between healthcare professionals and institutions, and the use of digital solutions by patients to monitor their health condition either through a computer, tablet or their smartphone.

The European Innovation Partnerships (EIP) is an EU iniative introduced by the ‘Innovation Union’ - one of the 7 flagship initiatives in the framework of the EU 2020 Strategy - to address major societal challenges. The overarching goal of the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing (EIP AHA) is, by 2020, to enable citizens to live longer independently in good health by increasing the average number of healthy life years by two. It seeks to foster EU citizens’ healthy, active and independent living and improve the sustainability and efficiency of social and health care systems, while creating new opportunities for businesses.

Elder abuse is used to describe a single or repeated act or lack of appropriate action which causes harm or distress to an older person or violates their human rights. It may include physical abuse, psychological abuse, sexual abuse, financial exploitation and neglect. Elder abuse happens everywhere, including at home within the family, at home with health and social care services, or in care institutions. It can be intentional or unintentional (‘bad care’).

EP = European Parliament

EPHA = European Public Health Alliance

AGE Platform Europe is a member of EPHA.

EPP = European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (European Parliament)

EPSCO (Council) = Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumers Affairs (Council of the European Union)

EU = European Union

Eurobarometer is a series of public opinion surveys conducted within the European Union on a wide range of major topics concerning European citizenship: enlargement, social situation, health, culture, information technology, environment, the Euro, defense, etc. The objective of those surveys is to monitor the evolution of the public opinion in the Member States so as to support decision-making and help assess work at EU level.

Eurofound is the European Foundation for the improvement of living and working conditions. This EU agency provides knowledge to assist in the development of better social, employment and work-related policies.

Europe 2020 is the EU's growth strategy for the current decade, which succeeds the Lisbon Strategy (2000-2010). Its goal is to establish a social market economy that is “competitive, innovative, sustainable and inclusive” in promoting the economic, social and environmental sustainability of the European economic model. Among the Europe 2020’s five main targets are the rise in the employment rates of the 20-64 year-olds to 75%, the rise in investment in research & development/innovation to 3% of the EU's GDP and the lifting of at least 20 million people out of poverty and social exclusion from the baseline of 2008.

Other targets concern climate and energy efficiency and educational performance. The mid-term assessment carried out in 2014/2015 showed that while targets on education and climate are broadly on track, there remains underinvestment. Employment rates have been stagnating and poverty rates worsening. In the 2016 Annual Growth Survey, the Commission highlights though that the rise in poverty rates has been stopped and that employment rates are rising again, bringing the employment target again into reach

The European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) allows one million citizens who are nationals of a significant number of Member States to call directly on the European Commission to bring forward an initiative of interest to them in an area of EU competence, for example environment, consumer protection, transport or public health. The objective of this initiative (introduced by the Lisbon Treaty) is to strengthen the EU participatory democracy in enabling European citizens and civil society organisations to directly influence the political agenda of the EU.

The Committees of the European Parliament aimed to support the European Commission in initiating legislation. These committees - working on different specific areas - will advise the Commission by producing reports, proposing amendments to the draft legislation, and providing, if necessary, a drafted legislative resolution

List of EP Standing Committees:

The European Semester is a comprehensive policy coordination process, which consists in an annual cycle of economic and fiscal policy coordination supposed to deliver smart, sustainable and inclusive growth by the end of the decade. Through this process, the European Commission evaluates whether and to what extent the commitments undertaken by the Member States allow the EU to meet headline targets of the Europe 2020 strategy in essential areas such as employment rates, research and development, education - and the fight against poverty.

The Semester is also a tool in macro-economic surveillance in the framework of the Stability and Growth Pact: governments submit their national budgets to the Commission in autumn, which approves or requires amendments to the budgets before their debates in national parliaments. The recommendations stemming from the Semester, proposed by the Commission and always adopted by the Council of economic and finance ministers, therefore also concern the targets for new debts (3% of GDP) and total debt (60% of GDP) introduced in the Maastricht treaty.

EY2012 = European Year 2012 (for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations)


Articles Posted in Regulation Of Body Temperature

Published on:

The skin plays an important role in the regulation of body temperature and protecting it from sudden temperature changes. Our body needs to be kept at an optimum operating temperature in order for our cells to perform properly. Temperature affects the rate of chemical reactions inside the body. The average body temperature is 98.6F or 37 degree centigrade. The body temperature is kept constant by physiological adjustments controlled by the hypothalamus which acts as a thermostat. The hypothalamus receives nerve impulses from the heat and cold thermoreceptors in the skin called the peripheral thermoreceptors as well as from central thermoreceptors located in the hypothalamus itself.

Our body uses energy to generate heat through the vital actions of the body. This heat production rises with muscle activity like exercise and shivering. Heat is lost and gained through radiation, conduction and conviction while evaporation contributes only to heat loss which occurs through sweating.

When someone has a fever the body thermostat will be set at a higher level, therefore the person first shivers leading to heat release which will lead to the rise of temperature to the new setting, and when the fever subsides the setting of the thermostat will drop back to normal and the person sweats to dispose the excess heat.


Innovation: The Key to the Nation’s Most Rapidly Improving Schools

The following excerpt is taken from Dr. Bill Daggett’s white paper series, Innovating for Impact, which discusses effective innovation in education.

Let me illustrate the answer to this question with two more questions:

Q: What skills will be most important for today’s students to master in order to succeed in the workplace they’ll encounter?

  1. A.) Reading
    B.) Statistics
    C.) Logic
    D.) Probability
    E.) Data analytics
    F.) Social media skills
    G.) Writing
    H.) All of the above

A: If you answered “all of the above,” you are correct.

Big data is changing how we work and live, and the kinds of technologies transforming our worlds are many. But their impact on schools is consistent and clear. Students today need specific skills for success tomorrow… Employees in today’s workplace take action with data. Doing so is collaborative and interdisciplinary. They need to analyze the findings; discuss the analysis with colleagues from other departments, sometimes across the globe; consider the findings relative to other information, research, constraints, or needs; and determine a path forward that meets all company priorities and goals. Put another way, employees need to work together and smartly share and use resources.

Q: If your students were to use their cell phones while taking a test, would they be “cheating” if they looked up answers or texted friends to compare information?

A: Rather than cheating, could it be considered sharing and using resources? In the workplace, it’s called collaborating and being efficient—two characteristics that employers look for when hiring. The fact is that most of our schools have not caught up to the world around them. There is a major disconnect between what we are teaching and what our students need to know and do to be successful in their lives beyond school.

The point I’m making with these examples is that in order to prepare students for 21st-century careers, we must strive for the kind of innovation that moves everyone in education—from administrators to students to the community—out of the 20th-century paradigm of instruction and learning.

How do we achieve such innovation?

My colleagues and I at ICLE have the privilege of working with and analyzing the practices in our nation’s most rapidly improving schools. Here are a couple of key takeaways these schools have taught us:

  • Culture trumps strategy. If innovation is going to work, everyone on your campus or in your district must feel empowered. Everyone. This is only possible through a culture of empowerment.
  • Successful schools are future-focused. Begin with the end in mind: The end goal gives clear purpose to all decisions you will make and actions you will take to innovate for impact. It creates a vision. What’s the end goal? Arming graduates with skills relevant to tomorrow’s career landscape. Every facet of your district or school must then be built to meet that end.

From our decades of collaboration with rapidly improving schools and our own research on innovation in education, we at ICLE have pinpointed nine interrelated areas that must evolve to make room for future-focused innovation.

Interrelated Areas for Future-Focused Innovation

Read more on Dr. Daggett’s case for innovation and evolution in these nine key areas.Download the complete white paper, “Innovation: The Key to the Nation’s Most Rapidly Improving Schools.”

Each June, 5000+ educators come together at the Model Schools Conference to learn about these effective strategies and develop an action plan for change. The participants come with different challenges, but focus on the same future-focused question: What do our children need to know and accomplish to be successful in the 21st century?

I invite you to explore your answers to this question at the 25th Annual Model Schools Conference on June 25, 2017!


This image shows an aerial view of Rome, Italy.

Winfield Parks

Download this file

  • Overview: This lesson outline provides suggestions for how to use existing National Geographic resources about ancient Rome in the classroom.

    Resources range from maps, articles, images of ruins and artifacts, and activities that illustrate how the ancient Romans influenced modern society. An interactive online quiz called a Kahoot! accompanies this teaching idea. The Kahoot! can be used as a formative assessment or to assess prior knowledge. Resources referenced throughout this lesson can all be found on the Ancient Rome collection page.

    Select the resources that are most applicable to your classroom and students’ needs to build your own lesson on ancient Rome.

    Grade Level: Grades 6–8

    Topics Covered:

    • Economy
    • Geography
    • Government
    • Religion and Mythology
    • Social structure

    Students will be able to…

    • identify characteristic elements of ancient Roman society;
    • explain how the government of ancient Rome worked; and
    • analyze the economic and religious aspects of ancient Rome.

    Lesson Resources:

    Choose a Hook:

    • [10 minutes] Display the visual of the Roman forum. Students can discuss the visual by sharing what they know about ancient Rome and daily life for its people. Then share the other visuals in the image gallery and let students discuss them as it relates to the previous discussion of daily Roman life.
    • [5 minutes] Kickoff with the Kahoot!  – what do your students already know about ancient Rome?

    Choose an activity or two to explore aspects of ancient Rome:

    • [50 minutes] Mythology and Culture in Ancient Rome. Discover the daily life and the beliefs of ancient Romans as students explore different myths and analyze their purpose. The activity will culminate with students writing their own myths about ancient Rome.
    • [50 minutes] Republic to Empire: Government in Ancient Rome. Explore the different forms of government in ancient Rome (Republican system and Imperial system) and learn how they were similar and different, as well as what impact the governments had on life for the Roman people.
    • [50 minutes] Rome’s Transition from Republic to Empire. Examine the different driving factors that began to erode Rome’s republican system and allow it to transform into an empire.
    • [50 minutes] The Power of Latin in Ancient Rome. See how the power of language influenced ancient Rome and affected its people.
    • [50 minutes] The Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Rome. Explore the deities that the Romans worshipped. Examine how the Romans understood the nature of these deities, their presence in the physical Roman world, and how other cultures greatly influenced Roman mythology.
    • [35 minutes] How Rome Inspires Us Today. Even today, so much of our world can be traced back to the legacy of the ancient Romans. Explore this infographic that shows us how the features of buildings and spaces in our modern society were inspired by the Roman world.

    Choose a map and lesson to explore the geography of ancient Rome:

    • [50 minutes] Physical Geography and Power in Ancient Rome. Explore how geography helped to increase the power and growth of ancient Rome through its influence on the road system to where Rome chose to establish new colonies.
    • [20 minutes] The Battle of Alexandria. Examine the battle of Alexandria and its impact on ancient Rome and its rulers.
    • [20 minutes] Roman Empire: Road and Trade Network. Review the extensive Roman road system and how it connected settlements across the empire to each other and to the imperial capital. Also, identify how Rome mastered trade on the Mediterranean Sea.

    Read about Julius Caesar and his influence on ancient Rome:

    • [20 minutes] Caesar Crosses the Rubicon. Learn what happened when Caesar crossed the Rubicon, the civil war that ensued, and how he became “dictator for life,” signaling the beginning of the end of the Roman Republic.
    • [20 minutes] Julius Caesar Assassinated. Discover why Caesar’s fellow politicians feared him and his power and how his assassination led to the formation of the Roman Empire.
    • [10 minutes] Julius Caesar Takes a Leap. Explore why Julius Caesar added “leap day” to the calendar and its effect on Roman agriculture.

    Read about daily Roman life with these fiction articles:

    • [20 minutes] Word on the Via: Quintus Valerius Secundus. Rome had the most powerful army in the world, but what was life like for its soldiers? Meet Quintus Valerius Secundus and find out.
    • [20 minutes] Word on the Via: Gaius Valerius Silvanus. One of Rome’s most plentiful resources was wood. Thus, many Romans worked as carpenters. Meet Gaius Valerius Silvanus and find out what it was like to be a carpenter in ancient Rome.
    • [20 minutes] Word on the Via: Tryphosa. One job of a house slave in ancient Rome was that of a hairdresser. Meet Tryphosa and find out what her job as a hairdresser in ancient Rome was like and what her duties were.

    One way we learn about ancient Rome is through archaeology. Conduct an exploration of archaeology by utilizing the following resource:

    • Article: Emerging Explorer: Sarah Parcak. Meet Sarah Parcak and see how she explores and uses archaeology to discover details and information about the ancient world.

    Ask students to respond to what role they think archaeology plays in our modern knowledge of ancient Rome.

    Choose an assessment:

    • [5 minutes] 5 question Kahoot! on ancient Rome. If you used the Kahoot! as a hook with your class, debrief by asking if their scores improved and why.

    Associated Standards:

    NSS-WH.5-12.3 ERA 3: Classical Traditions, Major Religions, and Giant Empires, 1000 BCE-300 CE: The student in grades 5-12 should understand how major religions and large-scale empires arose in the Mediterranean basin, China, and India, 500 BCE-300 CE.

    CA.6.7. World History and Geography: Ancient Civilizations: Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social structures during the development of Rome.

    FL SS.6.E.3.3 Describe traditional economies (Egypt, Greece, ROME, Kush) and elements of those economies that led to the rise of a merchant class and trading partners.

    FL SS.6.W.3.11 Explain the transition from the Roman Republic to empire and Imperial Rome, and compare Roman life and culture under each one.

    FL SS.6.W.3.8 Determine the impact of significant figures associated with ancient Rome.


Case Study

Magna Donnelly Case Study

Source: X-Rite, Inc.

As the world's leading producer of automotive mirrors, Magna Donnelly understands the importance of delivering the highest quality and value to major automakers worldwide. Their customers count on Magna Donnelly to be flexible enough in their manufacturing process to produce hundreds of different mirror designs flawlessly. The same can be said about their color. Every mirror color must be a perfect match to the vehicle. To verify color with precision, Magna Donnelly relies on X-Rite's VeriColor system. The VeriColor system is the first industrial-grade color sensor to affordably bring a very high level of color resolution to the production floor. The VeriColor system accurately detects the most subtle color differences, regardless of ambient light conditions and manufacturing environment. It protects against the metameric "mismatches" that fool traditional sensors and result in mistaken color identity. For Magna Donnelly, production downtime is an unacceptable option to meet customer deadlines for finished product. With over 25,000 mirrors produced daily (one every second), just minutes of downtime due to inaccurate color verification can cost the company precious time and money. According to Steve Gidaro, Equipment Engineer for Magna Donnelly's Alto, Michigan Plant, most production downtime was attributed to color verification. "Before VeriColor, we used a complex camera-based color verification system on our production lines,"said Gidaro. "It was not designed for the industrial environment and had trouble telling the difference between subtle color shifts. This forced us to shut down production lines when an inaccuracy was discovered during final quality assurance."


You Gotta Want It - Jake Paul

You Gotta Want It

You Gotta Want It

0.0 0 5 Autor: Jake Paul
In this extremely positive, motivational, and often laugh-out-loud memoir, Jake Paul pauses long enough from his supercharged day-to-day as a nineteen year old social media heartthrob and costar on the Disney Channel series Bizaardvark to share his takes on life, love, fame, and shooting for the moon. Growing up as a regular kid in Ohio, Jake Paul always knew he wanted to do something big, but he wasn’t sure what that thing was—that is, until he found his calling as one of Vine’s most famous comedians. As a high school sophomore, Jake began making comedy videos with his older brother, Logan, and posting them online. With every carefully staged prank, Jake and Logan’s following grew—and after a few stumbling blocks, Jake finally forged his own way. Eventually, he traded his childhood home in Cleveland for sunny, sparkling Hollywood. In You Gotta Want It, Jake reflects on the path that led him to stardom. From learning the value of a disciplined work ethic, to achieving his goals and aspirations along the way to digital celebrity, to the crazy behind-the-scenes details of his journey as a creator and actor, Jake relates the most hysterical and intimate details of his life thus far—all with the signature humor, honesty, and unstoppable attitude that have won him millions of devoted followers.
Język: Angielski Kategoria: Biografia Tłumaczenie:

Wydawca: Gallery Books
Data wydania: 2016-10-11
ISBN: 9781501139499

Miej zawsze dobrą książkę pod ręką - słuchaj i czytaj bez ograniczeń


What Products and Services are Subject to Sales Tax?

Sales Tax on Products and Services
••• Talaj/Getty Images

What States Collect Sales Taxes?

Sales taxes are state-driven. That is, sales taxes are imposed by states on transactions involving products and services sold by businesses who have a sales tax presence (called a nexus) in that state.

Most states collect sales taxes on products on services. Five states - Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon - do not collect statewide sales taxes. Of these, Alaska and Montana allow localities to charge sales taxes. (From the Tax Foundation)

The laws on what products and services are constantly changing; this article gives you an overview and some general information about sales taxes on services and new technology, like digital downloads.

When Must I Charge Sales Taxes?

One of the elements in determining whether you must charge sales taxes is whether your state is an origin-based or destination-based state. Most states have destination-based sales taxes, meaning that the sales tax is applicable when the product is picked up or used. States that have origin-based sales taxes, require merchants to charge sales tax at the point where the sale is completed (usually the merchant's location. Learn more about whether your state is origin-based or destination-based.

A Short History of Sales Taxes on Products and Services

Since the 1930s, U.S. states have been collecting sales taxes. In the beginning, sales taxes were only collected on products (tangible personal property). Two major factors have driven the inclusion of services in state sales taxes:

  •  More and more businesses are service-oriented, and
  • States have begun to realize they could capitalize on what was previously lost revenue by taxing services.

States started putting sales taxes on services in 2007, but these were business-to-business sales taxes and were usually repealed. States keep adding more services all the time, and some argue that all services should be taxed. Services of professionals (accounting, lawyers, medical professions) construction are usually not taxed, but personal services (like hair salons, barbers, lawn care, cleaning services) are often taxed.

To make it easy, those of you doing business in Hawaii, New Mexico, and South Dakota, note that ALL services are subject to sales tax.

Product or Service and The "True Objects Test"

As the distinction between products and services blurs, it's more and more difficult to determine which is which for sales tax purposes. And states are all over the place, each enacting laws that seem logical but might be different from other states.

One test that some states are using is called the "True Objects Test." This test, as BizFilings notes, depends on the purpose of a service. For example, if your CPA prepares your income tax return, is that a service or a product? What's the true or basic purpose of the service? In another example, if you pay for a company to install a computer system in your office, with thousands of dollars of computers, connectors, routers, etc., that sounds like a product.

Just to show you an example of how complex this product/service thing is, see this page from the state of Connecticut's website about sales taxes on computer equipment and tangible personal property. Connecticut charges sales tax on computer and data processing related personal services performed by employees, differentiating between employees and independent contractors

What Products and Services are Subject to Sales Tax?

States vary greatly on the products and services they tax. For example, most states do not charge sales tax on food sales, but a few (Arkansas, Virginia, West Virginia, and Tennessee) do charge sales tax on food.

Prescription drugs are exempt from sales taxes in almost every state, while most states charge sales tax on non-prescription drugs, and Illinois levies a 1% tax on non-prescription drugs. Most states charge sales tax on most products sold in the state, but sales taxes on services vary widely. Use this PDF file to see sales tax rates for each state.

Are Sales Taxes Charged on Digital Products?

The world is going digital, and the discussion about taxing digital products is getting more complicated. Digital products include downloaded products like "movies, books and eBooks, music, ringtones, photographs and magazine and newspaper subscriptions" For example, a subscription to your favorite music service is a digital product.

Many states now tax digital downloads. Tonya Moreno at The Balance says, "Several states have adopted the Streamlined Sales Tax Governing Board definition, providing some uniformity to this complex issue. Tonya's article about state taxes and digital downloads lists each state and how it handles these digital products. The article was updated in late 2016; check with your state about whether its sales tax laws have changed since then.

Is Sales Tax Charged on Products for Resale?

The U.S. doesn't have an indirect tax (like a VAT tax) on which taxes are imposed at all stages of the production process. If your business produces products, component parts for resale, or if you buy materials that you make into products for resale, you may not have to pay sales tax on these purchases.

You may be able to get a sales tax certificate or a seller's certificate (same thing) which exempts your business from sales tax for purchases that will be turned into products for resale. The sales tax certificate doesn't apply to products that you buy for use within your company, like copy paper and office equipment. It also has nothing to do with sales taxes you collect from customers. You can apply for this sales tax certificate through your state taxing authority.

How Do I Find Out What's Taxable in My State?

You can try to guess, and you can search your state's department of revenue to see if you can find specifics. But laws change and websites might not be updated frequently. If you are registered to collect sales tax in your state, you should be able to receive updates. Or, better yet, make a phone call. The Federation of Tax Authorities (FTA) has a list of all state revenue departments and state taxing authorities.


Weasel by keida

12 January 2018 at 11:01:54 MST

Totem of the day is Weasel! Trust your senses on your perception of others and be careful of any interactions or business deals you may be thinking about. Make sure to gather all the information including what may be hidden beneath the surface. Take some time to simply observe your surroundings for a few days, spending the time in silence. You may want to think about adjusting your diet into eating small meals throughout the day rather than three large meals. The Weasel totem is known for it's connection to secret pursuit and slyness. This totem is good for helping you find your way out of a bad situation or how to find a reasonable approach for a positive one. You will be given aid in being able to squeeze into better situations you may not have been able to previously. Weasel can help you learn to use silent observation in order to gain knowledge. In Native American tradition, the weasel searches out secrets. This will help you learn how to avoid trouble and pursue your goals to the best success possible. People who connect with Weasel are not easily angered but will lash out if pushed to protect those they love. These individuals are generally solitary and possess the ability to often go unnoticed by those around them. This means they are often in possession of knowledge that may not have been directly for them. Quite analytical, weasel types look for reason behind everything.

Weasel, Mustela Nivalis, are carnivorous mammals that can live up to 3 years in the wild. They belong to the Mustelid family and are related to stoats and ferrets. These solitary animals are the smallest carnivores in the world and can be found on every continent except for Australia and the more hostile polar regions. Weasels come in a range of colors from tan, browns, white, and black depending on their habitat. These animals grow to approximately 15 inches long with tail and weigh only around 7 oz. The most widespread Weasel is the Common Weasel also known as the Least Weasel or the European Weasel. These carnivores are perfectly adapted for hunting small prey such as mice, voles, and the occasional bird and eggs. Their long bodies, flexible spines, and small, narrow heads enable them to easily climb into and move around in the burrows of their prey. Their short legs help to move them quickly through the confined spaces. The fur of a weasel will shed twice a year between a darker winter coat and a lighter, flatter summer coat which enables them to stay as warm as possible throughout the seasons. Some species of Weasel even turn from brown to white in order to hide against the winter snow. Their sharp, pointed teeth are perfect for biting and shearing flesh. They are known to hang on to the throat of prey until they are subdued, able to take on animals double their size. Weasels prefer a range of different habitats such as coniferous forest, grassy plains, and woodlands. Being opportunistic hunters, they will sometimes be found in urban areas or farmland in search of food. Hunting is undertaken both during the day and at night. These solitary animals are territorial and will avoid others even with overlapping territories unless mating. They will make nests in tree roots, crevices, or abandoned burrows and line them with soft fur and grasses. They have been known to make all of their kills for food first and take them back into their den before starting to eat. Weasel females will birth a litter of between one and seven young called kittens. These kittens grow quickly, weaned by two months old and able to hunt and leave their mother within the third month of age.

Submission Information

Visual / Traditional


The WIPs

The crochet hook case, booties and hat will be frogged at some point, as I don't need them any more. I will try and finish the baby blankets before the end of the year. I only made one foot of the slipper, which I will keep intact as a sample. The cardigan and lap blanket will remain in their current state until I decide whether or not to complete them.

With regards to the accessories case, I have given it a new purpose. It was originally going to house all the bits and bobs I use for my knitting/crochet, but these now have a home in an accessories carrier that I store in my wardrobe.

I didn't want to frog this project as the yarn is fluffy and would constantly tangle and eventually break. The easiest thing would be to make a blanket or scarf, but that would just bore me, I have no need for cushions and there isn't enough yarn to make it into a garment. The best option I came up with was a bag, and when it's finished I'll write up a pattern. The yarn I'm using is King Cole Haze DK, it's worked in an Up and Down stitch, which gives a sort of closed shell/cluster textured effect. I also have another skein in purple, if all goes well I'll make one in this shade too.

Here's what it looks like, plus a close up.


Talk - Anthony Hartin: "Strong field quantum electrodynamics in experiment and theory"

08.10.2018 | Karin Vittrup

Dato tor 11 okt
Tid 11:15 12:00
Sted 1520-732

Anthony Hartin

University College London

Strong field quantum electrodynamics in experiment and theory

Physical interactions that take place in the midst of an intense electromagnetic field display unusual features. Pair production can occur from a single high energy photon, Compton scattering of electrons shows an intensity dependent shift in the Compton edge spectrum, and the anomalous magnetic moment decreases in magnitude. These features can be accounted for by changes induced to the quantum vacuum by the intense field. I review the different arenas where strong field physics can take place. In order to perform simulations to design experiments to test strong field QED predictions, the basics of the underlying stong field theory is needed. The intense laser field can be taken into account exactly in the exact Dirac equation solutions in intense fields of different form. The simulations can be performed using a custom build code which consists of a PIC code combined with a monte-carlo of the quantum interactions. I review also a new experiment being planned at the XFEL that will search specifically for strong field effects, including a laboratory measurement of the Schwinger critical field.

Institut for Fysik og Astronomi, Medarbejdere, Offentligheden / Pressen
Talk_-_Anthony_Hartin.ics (39 Kb)


Healthcare and Medicine Reference
In-Depth Information
extracts. To obtain more tissue to work with, several
investigators screened a variety of adult tissues for
similar inducing activities. Although some found a
certain degree of specificity, liver and kidney being the
most potent neural inducers, others found that “frag-
ments from practically every organ or tissue from
various amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals,
including man, were inductive” (Holtfreter, 1955).
Perhaps most disconcerting to the investigators at the
time were the results from the candidate molecule
approach. Some of the factors found to have neuraliz-
ing activity made some sense: polycyclic hydrocarbon
steroids, for example. However, other putative induc-
ers, such as methylene blue and thiocyanate, most
likely had their effects through some toxicity or
In the early 1980s, a number of investigators began
to apply molecular biological techniques to study
embryonic inductions. The first of these studies
attempted to test for factors that would trigger the
process of mesoderm induction in the frog. As
described above, the frog embryo is divided into an
animal half and a vegetal half; the animal half will ulti-
mately give rise to neural tissue and ectodermal tissue,
while the vegetal half will give rise primarily to endo-
derm. The mesoderm, which will ultimately go on to
make muscle and bone and blood, arises in between
these two tissues, from the cells around the embryo's
equator (see Figure 1.16). It has been known for many
years, based on the work of Peter Nieuwkoop, that the
formation of the mesodermal cells in the equatorial
region requires some type of interaction between the
animal and vegetal halves of the embryo. If this animal
half or “cap” is isolated from the vegetal half of the
embryo, no mesodermal cells develop. However,
when Nieuwkoop (1973, 1985) recombined the animal
cap with the vegetal half, mesodermal derivatives
developed in the resulting embryos (Figure 1.16). He
postulated that a signal from the vegetal half of the
embryo induced the formation of mesoderm at the
junction with the animal half of the embryo. The iden-
tification of the molecular basis for this induction
has been the subject of intense investigation, and
the reader is referred to more general textbooks on
developmental biology for the current model of this
At the same time these studies of mesodermal
inducing factors were taking place, a number of inves-
tigators realized that the animal cap assay might also
be a very good way to identify neural inducers. Not
only do isolated animal caps fail to generate mesoder-
mal cells, but they also fail to develop into neuronal
tissue. Several factors added to animal caps caused the
cells to develop into neural cells as well as mesoder-
Neural tissue
Keller Sandwich
FIGURE 1.15 Planar neural induction can be contrasted from
vertical neural induction by Keller sandwiches. The organizer
region, including the IMZ cells, along with some of the surrounding
ectodermal tissue, can be cultured in isolation and will not involute
when two IMZ regions are placed back-to-back. The tissue under-
goes morphological changes similar to those that occur during
gastrulation, except the tissue extends rather than involutes. Never-
theless, neural tissue (red) is induced in the attached ectoderm, indi-
cating that the signals for neural induction can be passed through
the small region that connects the mesodermal cells and the ecto-
dermal cells.
Early efforts to define the chemical nature of the
neural inducer were unsuccessful. In the initial
attempts at characterization, Bautzman, Holtfreter,
Spemann, and Mangold showed that the organizer
tissue retained its inductive activity even after the cells
had been killed by heat, cold, or alcohol. Holtfreter
subsequently reported that the neuralizing activity
survived freezing, boiling, and acid treatment; how-
ever, the activity was lost at temperatures of 150°C.
Several embryologists then set out to isolate the active
principle(s) in the dorsal lip of the blastopore using the
following three approaches: (1) extracting the active
factor from the dorsal blastopore cells; (2) trying out
candidate molecules to look for similar inductive
activities; and (3) testing other tissues for inductive
The initial attempts at direct isolation of the induc-
ing activity from the blastopore lip cells resulted in
failure, largely because of the small amounts of tissue
that could be obtained and the limited types of
chemical analyses available at the time. From the initial
report in 1932 to the late 1950s, over one hundred
studies tried to characterize the neural inducing activ-
ity. The search for the neural inducer was one of the
major preoccupations of developmental biologists
in this period. Whereas one group reported that the
active principle was lipid extractable, another would
report that the residues were more active than the
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Ups fedex package wars

Fedex and other term papers or research documents. While competition has affected many areas of the banking industry, there are two areas that illustrate this change more than others: Jamaica commenced moving from a regulated banking system to a more open competitive sector in the s.

Ups Vs. Fedex

If this happens, neither company will gain a competitive advantage. If they could club together and act as if they were a monopoly, they could jointly maximise industry profits. UPS is a year-old parcel delivery company, while FedEx was founded in The struggle centers on several sentences that would amend the arcanely named Railway Labor Act RLAwhich governs labor relations for airlines.

In other words, if one bank lowers its lending rate, the other banks in this industry will be affected, and they most likely will lower their rate, too. Non-Price Competition Non-price competition is a marketing strategy in which one firm tries to distinguish its product or service from competing products because of attributes like design and workmanship.

Bibliography 12 Introduction Since the early s, the Jamaican banking sector has experienced significant structural changes stemming from a disorderly financial liberalization process, which preceded a severely disruptive financial crisis.

The banks use non-price competition to compete against each other not necessarily with price but mainly through promotional strategies. Under oligopoly, the interdependence of banks may make them wish to collude with each other.

It will reduce the Ups fedex package wars of engaging in competitive price-cutting or retaliatory advertising, both of which could reduce total industry profits. If one firm changes its product price or alters another part Ups fedex package wars its marketing strategy, it will have significantly impact in the rival firms.

Both transport packages by air, but final deliveries are handled by a truck driver. To be contrasted with price competition, which is where a company tries to distinguish its product or service from competing products based on low price?

Therefore, no bank can afford to ignore the actions and reactions of other banks in the industry. These changes were designed to address safety issues that led to the crash of a Colgan Air flight near Buffalo, N.

In other words, it would make it easier for employees of FedEx to unionize. This competition however, has not brought about significant savings for customers due to the Oligopoly market conditions that exists, thus a much narrower choice of commercial banks are now available to the Jamaicans.

However, the bill that passed was significantly pared down from a larger overhaul that had been stalemated in part by a controversial word provision which has erupted into a confusing public spat between shipping giants UPS and FedEx.

But instead of having a civil and constructive debate in Congress when was the last time that happened? This would allow them to organize locally instead of nationally, as they can under the RLA. Not surprisingly, FedEx is not pleased with this section of the legislation, while UPS is supportive.

The firm can also distinguish its product offering through quality of service, extensive distribution, customer focus, or any other sustainable competitive advantage other than price. Because of the small numbers of firms under oligopoly, each firm will have to take account of the others action, they are interdependent.

On the other hand, they will be tempted to compete with their rivals to gain a bigger share of industry profits for themselves. Over the last few months commercial banks have been under fire for their high-loan interest rates and wide spread between their fixed deposits savings accounts and lending rates.

In an Oligopoly industry, there are only a few firms between them share a large proportion of the industry. Commercial banks within Jamaica operated under an Oligopoly market structure because there are not many commercial banks and the decision of one affects all the others.

Commercial banks in Jamaica under oligopoly engage in collusion, they agree on a base minimum lending rate among themselves, market share, advertising expenditure and so on. As such, the last decade has important lessons about factors influencing the relationship between competition and concentration, which has been unexplored.

The simmering conflict will now be postponed until after the August congressional recess. Unlike firms under Monopolistic competition, there are various barriers to the entry of new firms, the size of the barriers, however, will vary from industry to industry. The dilemma is that we only get benefits from non-price competition while the real benefits of lower lending rates and higher deposit rates are nothing but a fleecing illusion to be pursued but never attained.May 20,  · Corrections and Clarifications "Ground wars" (Industries, May 21), about UPS vs.

FedEx, requires clarification. The story gave the market-share numbers for. Find showtimes, watch trailers, browse photos, track your Watchlist and rate your favorite movies and TV shows on your phone or tablet!

IMDb Mobile site. Watch video · If you are the original creator of material featured on this website and want it removed, please contact the webmaster. The second package prices for quickest delivery were identical for FedEx and UPS at $ and for other options too.

The only differences were for delivery end of working day next day, where.

Package Wars: UPS Vs. FedEx, Part Two

A security code is added protection against credit card fraud. It is a 3 or 4 digit number appearing on the front or back of your credit card.

Ups fedex package wars
Rated 4/5 based on 90 review


"Of the new works presented Thursday evening, Deon Nielsen Price's engaging L'Alma Jubilo shone above the others in its sophistication and innovation. Borrowing repetitive, tonal ideas from the Minimalist school, the ambitious concoction uses pitch materials from the overtone series in combination with simpler rhythms." Gregg Wager, Los Angeles Time (September 23, 1989)

"Miss Price's compelling Hexachord for solo clarinet make kaleidoscopic use of the instrument and its colors." Daniel Cariaga, Los Angeles Times (May 25, 1979)

"Augury is a single-movement work which combines dissonant chromaticism, some microtonal treatment, and multiple sonorities with occasional passages of more lyric nature. The stormy opening includes multiphonics from the saxophone and some double-stopped violin effects played over a rumbling low register piano figure. The saxophone multiphonic, heard at various points throughout the work, helps provide some formal landmark as the work develops. There are some quieter sections, as well as a few more linear, contrapuntally oriented moments, though the composer's free dissonant style colors the music even in its more ethereal moments." The Saxophone Symposium (Spring 1984)

"The three-movement piece featured harpsichord, played buoyantly by keyboardist Deon Nielsen Price. (Saxophone Paul) Stewart's flowing lines on the soprano sax could be particularly appreciated in the piece; elsewhere, such as in Big Sur Triptych, his part called for a more detached style. The work, composed by keyboardist Price, evoked an abstract yet bouncy mood in Sea Otters, capturing the humorous undertone of the lighthearted aquatic mammals; moved to more lyrical territory in Redwoods, which uncovered a sensitivity not usually related to the majestic trees; and concluded with another free-form movement in the aptly-titled Crags, with its jagged and abrupt phrasings." Steve Morley, The Muncie Star (March 23, 1986)

"...Local composer Deon Price's pops-flavored Big Sur Triptych and Alley Trio made a strong impression." John Henken, Los Angeles Time (January 27, 1986)

"Three Faces of Kim, The Napalm Girl by Deon Nielsen Price, a paean to the subject of the Pulitzer photograph which epitomized the Vietnam War era. Three emotions, soulfulness, playfulness and fear were portrayed in three succinct movements." Composer/USA (Spring 1980)

"...An artist whose performance is subtle, cultivated, and heartwarming...with propitious intellectual discipline and powerfully effective shaping of line." (Heidelberg Tageblatt) Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung

"Your pieces for cello, Stile Antico, are fine. We (Masterclass) had a good time with them." Gregor Piatigorsky (1977)

"Cartoons 1980 are not only a fine set of very good songs; they are also clever." Gwendolyn Koldofsky, Chair, Piano Accompanying, University of Southern California (1980)


BIM Construction

4D Simulation

In every project a time frame for phases and tasks is structured in scheduling a software such as MS project or primavera. Navis Works links this schedule to the 3D model. Kemet creates a simulation for the project construction phases, providing the ability to visualize how the progress of the project is going at certain dates  as well as the movement of the cranes in site. Kemet can also provide you with cost estimation presentation on the simulation related to project tasks and progress.


AstraZeneca and Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corp are linking up to find treatments for diabetic nephropathy.

The companies have signed an early-stage three-year research collaboration to develop small molecule candidates from their respective portfolios that have been identified as treatments for the disease which involves kidney failure due to diabetes. Diabetic nephropathy occurs in as many as 50% of patients who have diabetes for 20 years or more.

The research will be performed at MTPC’s facilities in Japan and at AstraZeneca’s cardiovascular and metabolic disease innovative medicines unit in Molndal, Sweden. There is no financial commitment for the research involved and each firm will contribute equal resources at their own cost.

Marcus Schindler, head of the CVMD iMed, said diabetes is a key growth platform for AstraZeneca, noting that “with current approaches to diabetic nephropathy resulting in patients needing expensive and limited treatment options, such as dialysis or kidney transplantation, there’s a significant unmet clinical need”.

He added that the MTPC pact “will allow us to focus on early-stage programmes and generate decision-making data faster than working alone”.


Ágnes Babos FAQs: Facts, Rumors, Birthdate, Net Worth, Sexual Orientation and much more!

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Who is Ágnes Babos? Biography, gossip, facts?

Ágnes Babos (born 12 May 1944 in Kecskemét) is a former Hungarian handball player and World champion.

When is Ágnes Babos's birthday?

Ágnes Babos was born on the , which was a Friday. Ágnes Babos will be turning 75 in only 206 days from today.

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Are there any books, DVDs or other memorabilia of Ágnes Babos? Is there a Ágnes Babos action figure?

We would think so. You can find a collection of items related to Ágnes Babos right here.

What is Ágnes Babos's zodiac sign and horoscope?

Ágnes Babos's zodiac sign is Taurus.
The ruling planet of Taurus is Venus. Therefore, lucky days are Fridays and Mondays and lucky numbers are: 6, 15, 24, 33, 42 and 51. Blue and Blue-Green are Ágnes Babos's lucky colors. Typical positive character traits of Taurus include: Practicality, Artistic bent of mind, Stability and Trustworthiness. Negative character traits could be: Laziness, Stubbornness, Prejudice and Possessiveness.

Is Ágnes Babos gay or straight?

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Yes, according to our best knowledge, Ágnes Babos is still alive. And no, we are not aware of any death rumors. However, we don't know much about Ágnes Babos's health situation.

Where was Ágnes Babos born?

Ágnes Babos was born in Hungary, Kecskemét.

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Which club(s) did Ágnes Babos play for?

Ágnes Babos has played for multiple clubs, the most important are: Budapesti Spartacus SC (women's handball), Testenevl%C3%A9si F%C5%91sikola SE (Women's handball) and Vasas SC (women's handball).

What is Ágnes Babos doing now?

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doggie dna analysis: Ava's story

I've been taking care of Ava almost every weekday for the past two years. Her family adopted her from a local poodle rescue. Huh? Does this look like a poodle? Ava

Since Ava's ancestry was a complete mystery, her family decided to have a DNA analysis done. Their veterinarian offered the convenience of doing the blood draw for the test during her regular appointment and sent it to Wisdom Panel for analysis. Though there are less expensive options, Ava's mom, Maura, liked the convenience of doing it right there at the vet. She paid $125.00. Maura explained that there are at-home testing options that use saliva that some people may prefer.

Though DNA testing is not medically necessary, it sure is fun! Ava's family was simply curious of their rescue dog's origins so they decided to proceed with the analysis.

Wisdom Panel's report was nine pages of detailed information about Ava, including "Breed Detection," "Breed Appearance & Behavior," "Appearance, Behavior & History," and "Sharing Your Dog's Story."

Ava's mix was declared to be an "American Eskimo Dog Mix crossed with Yorkshire Terrier/Chihuahua cross." Huh? The only thing I see in her is possible Chihuahua. Good thing the report goes into detail.

Picture 1

The next page went on to detail what "Mixed Breed" means for Ava:

Picture 2

And there we see the poodle in her! It makes me think that maybe I might have a bit of poodle in me, too! It's pretty cool to be able to see in such detail what Ava's background is.

I asked Maura what she thought of the results. She said, "I was surprised that her great grandparents and grandparents could be American Eskimo Dogs. I was not surprised to see Terrier, Chihuahua, or Dachshund in her history."

I would have to agree with Maura. I was pretty shocked to see the American Eskimo Dog make an appearance.

Ava's report went on to explain the Chihuahua, Yorkshire Terrier, and American Eskimo Dog breeds in detail and suggested possible traits of these breeds that her family might see in her.

Picture 3

Picture 4

Picture 5

So how does this all work? Wisdom Panel said,

The process started when you sent a sample to our laboratory, where the DNA was extracted from the cells and examined for the 321 markers that are used in the test. The results for these markers were sent to a computer that evaluated them using a program designed to consider all of the pedigree trees that are possible in the last three generations. The trees considered include a simple pedigree with a single breed (a likely pure-bred dog), two different breeds at the parental level (a first-generation cross), all the way up to a complex tree with eight different great-grandparent breeds allowed.

Our computer used information for over 225 breeds, varieties, and types from our breed database to fill these potential pedigrees. For each of the millions of combinations of ancestry trees built and considered, the computer gave each a score representing how well that selected combination of breeds matched to your dog's data. The pedigree with the overall best score is the one that is shown on the ancestry chart. Only breeds that reached our set confidence threshold for reporting are reported in the ancestry chart.

Maura was really happy that she satisfied her curiosity in having the DNA analysis done. Some may argue "I love my dog. Who cares what she is?" Well, of course we love our dogs no matter what, but knowing what is in their background may give us the opportunity to better care for our pets. And despite even that, it sure is fun!

Report provided by Ava's family.


Bài mẫu IELTS Writing Band 8 và Từ vựng chủ đề Science

luyen thi ielts

Bài mẫu IELTS Writing Band 8 và Từ vựng Ghi điểm theo chủ đề Science

Do you agree or disagree?

Band 8 Sample

It is said that government funding for education should give preference to science-based subjects over others, in an attempt to help boost a country’s future development and progress. Although an increase in scientific developments can have many benefits to national progress, this essay disagrees that science is the primary contributor.

There is no question that the advent of modern science has brought with it a number of improvements to the way that countries and societies function. For example, increases in electrical and computer based technologies have led to much more streamlined and efficient workplaces. Computers and computerized machinery can now do the work of what would have previously been carried out by humans, allowing greater efficiency and higher productivity output. Another benefit that modern science has granted is the development of renewable energy. Sources of renewable energy, such as solar and wind generated power, are beginning to help ease the planet’s reliance on fossil fuels.

That being said, an increase in scientific education and development must not be the main measure of a country’s progress. It can be seen that the study of many other disciplines of education can also attribute to a countries progress. Take, for example, the Arts and Humanities. Subjects such as History and Philosophy have allowed us to gain a better understanding of humanity and can help to gain more insight into how we can move forward as a race. Other subjects such as the Arts, allow societies and individuals to express themselves creatively through mediums such as music, film and other art forms. It can be argued that this can also help to improve the quality of people’s lives and therefore help towards a countries overall development.

In conclusion, although developments in science have led to many beneficial advantages for most countries, science alone is not the key contributor to a country’s progress. In my opinion, most countries would benefit greater from a more well-rounded education, with emphasis on all disciplines, not only that of science.

By ZIM Academic English School

Vocabulary highlights:

  1. Boost a country’s future development and progress: Đẩy mạnh sự phát triển trong tương lại của một quốc gia
  2. The advent of modern science: Sự xuất hiện của khoa học hiện đại
  3. Electrical and computer-based technology: Công nghệ điện tử máy tính
  4. More streamlined and efficient workplaces: Nơi làm việc hiệu quả và tiết kiệm hơn
  5. Greater efficiency and higher productivity output: Hiệu suất công việc tốt hơn và năng suất đầu ra cao hơn
  6. Ease the planet’s reliance on fossil fuels: Giảm dần sự phụ thuộc vào năng lượng hóa thạch
  7. The main measure of a country’s progress: Thước đo chính cho sự phát triển của một quốc gia
  8. Gain more insight into: Hiểu hơn về điều gì
  9. Well-rounded education: Một nền giáo dụng toàn diện.


Opposition parties say LDP election mirrors discontent within party

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The leaders of Japan's opposition parties said Thursday the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership race mirrored growing discontent within the ruling party over Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's firm grip on power despite him securing another three-year term.

The victory over former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba put Abe on course to becoming the country's longest-serving prime minister, but some opposition party leaders said Ishiba garnered rather strong support from LDP lawmakers and rank-and-file members.

"My impression is Mr. Ishiba did quite well," Yuichiro Tamaki, who heads the Democratic Party for the People, told reporters.

Yukio Edano, leader of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, called on the LDP to prioritize post-disaster reconstruction measures.

The LDP's presidential race came after typhoons and earthquakes hit various regions of Japan, causing significant fatalities and damage.

"The LDP's inward-looking event is now over. I hope an extraordinary Diet session focusing on disaster response will be convened as soon as possible and a supplementary budget will be compiled soon," Edano said.

Of the 807 valid votes cast by Diet members and rank-and-file members of the LDP, Abe secured 553 votes while Ishiba got 254 in Thursday's election.

As Abe aims to amend the pacifist Constitution for the first time since it was promulgated after the war, Tamaki called for thorough discussions first within the ruling party.

Abe plans to submit his party's proposals for a constitutional revision to the next Diet session, but many opposition parties argue the LDP should not hastily start a Diet debate.

Japanese Communist Party chief Kazuo Shii said the outcome of the LDP election is testimony to growing criticism against the Abe administration.

"Many people are opposed to pushing it in a hurry. It won't go easily and we will not allow it to happen," Shii said, referring to Abe's wish to explicitly mention the Self-Defense Forces in a revised Constitution.

But Japan Innovation Party's Toranosuke Katayama expressed hope the LDP will take the lead in parliamentary debate over the Constitution, saying the prime minister enjoyed solid support based on the vote counts.

Abe, who returned to power in 2012, secured another three-year term but it will be his last under existing LDP rules.

"The prime minister should take the outcome humbly," said Social Democratic Party Secretary General Seiji Mataichi. "We need to make sure today will be the beginning of the end for his administration."

Also in The Mainichi

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5506222889_f9d1f266b6_o Heath Alseke/Flickr

Whether organising your iTunes library, receiving music recommendations from apps like Spotify, or buying CDs at a record store, genre is the first way in which we navigate the music we like.

However, technological advances have now put millions of songs at our fingertips through mobile devices.

Not only do we have access to more music than ever before, but more music is being produced. Places like SoundCloud have made it possible for anyone to record and publish music for others to hear.

With this increased diversity in music that we are exposed to, the lines separating genres have become even more blurred than they were previously.

Genre labels are problematic for several reasons. First, they are broad umbrella terms that are used to describe music that vary greatly in their characteristics. If a person says they are a fan of "rock" music, there is no way of knowing whether they are referring to The Beatles, Bob Dylan, or Jimi Hendrix — but all three vary greatly in style. Or if a person tells you that they are a fan of pop music, how do you know if they are referring to Michael Jackson or Justin Bieber?

Genre labels are also often socially driven with little to do with the actual characteristics of the music. They are labels stamped onto artists and albums by record companies with the intent of targeting a particularly type of audience or age group.

Beyond genre

Tricia Seibold/Stanford Business

The fundamental problem is that genre labels often do not accurately describe artists and their music - they simply do not do them justice. A more accurate way to label music would be based solely on their actual musical characteristics (or attributes). Such a labelling system would also likely better account for diversity in a person's music taste.

Recently, my team of music psychologists addressed this problem by developing a scientific way to create a basic classification system of music that is based on its attributes and not social connotations.

The team included expert in musical preferences, Jason Rentfrow (Cambridge), best-selling author and neuroscientist Daniel Levitin (McGill), big data scientists David Stillwell (Cambridge) and Michal Kosinski (Stanford), and music researcher Brian Monteiro. Our research was published this month.

We had more than 100 musical excerpts spanning over 20 genres and subgenres rated on 38 different musical attributes.

We then applied a statistical procedure to categorise these musical attributes and discovered that they clustered into three basic categories: "Arousal" (the energy level of the music); "Valence" (the spectrum from sad to happy emotions in the music); and "Depth" (the amount of sophistication and emotional depth in the music).

The statistical procedure mapped each song on each these three basic categories. For example, Joni Mitchell's "Blue" is low on arousal (because of the slow tempo and soft vocals), low on valence (because of the expressed nostalgia and sadness), and high on depth (because of the emotional and sonic complexity expressed through the lyrics and sonic texture).

Arousal, valence, depth

US researchers found that babies who practiced banging out a rhythm showed more brain activity in regions involved with detecting patterns and learning language
AFP/File Emmanuel Dunand

Will people start walking around wearing T-shirts that say "I love Depth in music", or list themselves as fans of positive valence on their Twitter profiles? I doubt it.

But it might be useful if people began to use attributes to describe the music that they like (aggressive or soft; happy or nostalgic).

People's music libraries today are incredibly diverse, typically containing music from a variety of genres. My hypothesis is that if people like arousal in one musical genre, they are likely to like it in another.

Even though these basic three dimensions probably won't become a part of culture, recommendation platforms, like Spotify, Pandora, Apple Music, and YouTube should find these dimensions useful when coding and trying to accurately recommend music for their users to listen to.

Further, it is also useful for scientists, psychologists, and neuroscientists who are studying the effect of music and want an accurate method to measure it.

Our team next sought to see how preferences for these three dimensions were linked to the Big Five. Personality traits (openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism). Nearly 10,000 people indicated their preferences for 50 musical excerpts and completed a personality measure.

People who scored high on "openness to experience" preferred depth in music, while extroverted excitement-seekers preferred high arousal in music. Those who were relatively neurotic preferred negative emotions in music, while those who were self-assured preferred positive emotions in music.

So, just as the old Kern and Hammerstein song suggests, "The Song is You". That is, the musical attributes that you like most reflect your personality. It also provides scientific support for what Joni Mitchell said in a 2013 interview with CBC:

The trick is if you listen to that music and you see me, you're not getting anything out of it. If you listen to that music and you see yourself, it will probably make you cry and you'll learn something about yourself and now you're getting something out of it.

Find out how you score on the music and personality quizzes at www.musicaluniverse.org.

David M. Greenberg, Music psychologist, University of Cambridge


Sharpening Stones

Sharpening Stones

This week’s article is about sharpening stones. We’ll talk a bit about the different types of stones and how to choose one for your work. Our focus will be on the Japanese style stones and diamond plate stones such as those made by DMT.

First things first - what is sharp? From a technical definition point, sharp is the intersection of two highly polished surfaces. The angle of this intersection affects how much metal you need to remove to create the edge and how durable the edge is. A fillet knife can be as thin as 20 degrees (10 degrees on both sides), extremely sharp but not durable. Chisels on the other hand are usually at 30 degrees - sharp but longer lasting for woodworking. As you move from lower grits (shaping stones) all the way up to very fine grits, the polish on the surface increases.

The next question is how sharp is sharp enough for woodworkers? The majority of experienced people I’ve talked to feel that 8000 grit is a good stopping point. This is what I use and have been happy with the results. But I do know several very respectable industry professionals that quite passionate about going to up to 16000 for final stage. A typical set that I would recommend would include a coarse, fine and extra fine stone. I use a 1000, 4000, 8000 grit set for my plane blades and chisels. Another good choice would be the 1000, 4000, and 16000 grit glassstone set. The sharpening techniques used are more important than the final choice grits. Sharpening techniques is whole subject for another article, but a great resource is David Charlesworth’s DVD on sharpening. He does a great job of simplifying the process and it’s how I go about sharpening.

Sharpening is done by the removal of metal using abrasives that are harder than the metal. For man-made and natural stones this accomplished with abrasive particles embedded within the stone. A diamond plate is typically a steel plate coated with a diamond grit abrasive. In both cases, stones are classified by the grit of the stone – lower the number finer the grit. For most stones the grits are an approximation and not exact. Grits and definition of coarse and fine are not universally standard and usually represent a range or an average for that sharpening stone. An exception to that rule are the Shapton sharpening stones which are highly precise. Regardless of what technology you choose, make sure you choose a good quality stone. Today’s A2 Steel needs stones that up to cutting something that hard. Many of the cheaper stones have abrasives that are not up to the job.

Japanese Stones

Japanese stones are usually classified as natural and artificial stones. Because of the advent of high quality consistent particles and manufacturing processes, artificial stones have supplanted the natural stones in most cases. Japanese Waterstones cut fast due the way abrasive particles are released from the stone. As you sharpen worn, particles are constantly released, continually exposing new abrasives. This is what causes your stones to wear and to require regular flattening.

Craftsman Studio carries two types of Japanese sharpening stones: the Shapton Traditional Stone and the Shapton Glassstone. The traditional series, as the name implies, is a traditional style ceramic water stone. As opposed to an older style natural stone, it does not need to be soaked prior to using. This stone uses accurately graded ceramics as the abrasive. The Shapton HR Series Glass Stones are Shapton’s most advanced stone. This stone also uses extremely high quality ceramic abrasives with exacting standards. The name glass stone comes from the fact that it has glass backing to provide an exceptionally flat back. These stones are great for working with A2 steel.

Flattening your Japanese Waterstones is essential no matter the brand or style. I recommend flattening your stone each time you use it. It is extremely quick and will allow you to get great results. You flatten your stones by running the stone across a flat surface that is somewhere around 100 or 200 grit. You can use wet sandpaper, a diamond lapping plate, or a diamond glass lapping plate. While using sandpaper is economical, in the long run investing in a lapping plate will speed the process and is generally less mess. An easy technique is to use a pencil to put a grid on the stone. Then run your stone across the lapping plate until the lines are gone.

Diamond Sharpening Stones

I will focus this discussion on the DMT line of stones (Diamond Machine Technology) since they are well known and what we carry. The principles are the same across different manufacturers of these types of stones. Diamond sharpening stones use small diamonds (as the name suggest) as the abrasive. There are two primary types of diamonds used – monocrystalline and polycrystalline diamonds. DMT uses the Monocrystalline diamonds which are non-fractured and very uniform. These last longer and cut better than the less expensive polycrystalline diamonds. DMT makes two different styles of stones, continuous (Dia-Sharp Line) and interrupted surface (Duo-Sharp lines). The continuous surface stones are what you would choose if you are working pointed tools. These stones are heavier (think steel plate) than the interrupted surface types. The interrupted surface stones are backed by plastic base and are much lighter and more portable. The interrupted surface has recesses for the metal filings from sharpening allowing it to cut very quickly. For general tool sharpening (planes and chisels), I prefer the DMT Duo-sharp to the DMT Dia-Sharp. Primarily because of the weight and portability.

An advantage of the diamond technologies is it opens up a wide range of shapes and sharpening gadgets. If you are working with gouges and other carving tools there is a wide range of different sharpeners. The Diamond Wave sharpener makes sharpening gouges much easier. They also have honing cones for gouges and other curved tools.

That is our overview of Sharpening stones. As always feel free to shoot me off an e-mail at if you have questions or corrections to any of the above. And as always, feel free to link this material.


Portsmouth residents could face penalty for not declaring they fall under higher council tax band

Have your say

PORTSMOUTH residents who fail to tell the council they’ve moved and are in a higher tax band could face a fine.

It follows a consultation where people were asked to score from 1 to 10, with 10 being strongly in favour, whether they supported the move. A decision will be made at a meeting on Thursday.


What is Biodiversity?

Did you know that scientists have identified more than 1.7
million species living on Earth? There are insects, plants, fish, reptiles,
amphibians, birds, and mammals living on land, in the air, and in the
water. There are also millions of microorganisms that live all around us
that you can’t see. Scientists believe that there are millions more living
on Earth that have not been discovered yet. Biodiversity is a simple
idea. It is the enormous variety of life on Earth, which includes all of
the plants, animals, fungi, and other living things in an area.
Biodiversity can also be the variety of ecosystems where
organisms live. An ecosystem is a community of living things and their
physical environment. Examples are coral reefs, wetlands, deserts and
forests. Animals, plants and other living things live in different
ecosystems. Each place has its own characteristics and climate. The
climate affects its biodiversity and the variety of species, genes and
ecosystems make up Earth’s biodiversity.
Scientists classify
Examples are horses,
organisms have genes.
the organism looks like

similar living things in groups called species.
ladybugs and roses. The cells of all living
Genes hold the instructions that decide what
and how it works. Every species has different

Threats to Biodiversity
Over the past 100 years, biodiversity has decreased significantly.
Many plants and animals have become extinct. A species dies out
while a new species develops to take it’s place. Scientists say that
plant and animal species are becoming extinct at 1,000 times the
natural rate. Many believe that the actions of humans have changed
the natural process of extinction.
Today, plants and animals face many threats, including habitat
loss, introduced species, climate change and pollution. Introduced
species are plants and animals brought from their natural habitat to
live in a new habitat. Examples of introduces species are rabbits in
Australia and the European starling in North America. If an introduced
species survives, it can become a serious threat to biodiversity. They
may overgrow and prevents other plants from growing.

Overconsumption of Resources happen when people use animals
or plants faster than they can reproduce naturally. Ocean habitats are
especially at risk from over consumption. As fish species are lost, it
affects the entire ocean ecosystem. Pollution is also a threat to
biodiversity. Bug spray, lawn fertilizers and other chemicals make our
lives easier but when toxic chemicals from industry, farming or
neighborhoods leak into the environment, they can kill of damage
plants and animals.
Throughout history, the Earth’s climate has
When climate changes rapidly, plants and animals
adapt. Today, warmer ocean temperatures threaten
reefs. When water temperature rises, the algae living
This creates an area of dead, bleached coral reefs.

slowly changed.
are less able to
the world’s coral
in coral reefs die.

There are many species around the world that are at risk for


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10 Lines on Importance of Independence Day

A Nation’s history reminds its citizens of their cultural and spiritual heritages. In the same way we are reminded of the struggle and sacrifices of our freedom fighters when the Nation celebrates its Independence Day on 15th August each year. The day holds much importance and value for the people of India.

Ten Lines on Importance of Independence Day of India in English

Below we have given 10 lines on the importance of Independence Day. You can us these lines to enhance your creativity in your writing. Incorporating these lines will help you to make your essays, paragraphs and speeches more attractive and inspiring. You can use these lines on Independence Day celebrations in various ways. So go through the below lines and earn appreciations:

10 Lines on Importance of Independence Day - 1

1) Independence Day commemorates the sacrifices made by freedom fighters and political visionaries.

2) It makes people reminded of their roots.

3) People get reminded of the benefits of self-governance and Parliamentary Sovereignty and to value the freedom more.

4) People are reminded of the Nation’s rich cultural and religious diversity.

5) Independence Day reminds us of our Parliamentary Sovereignty.

6) It Unites people from different cultures and religions to celebrate their freedom.

7) On Independence Day rest of the world is informed about our achievements and goals.

8) Independence Day keeps world informed about our rich history and heritages.

9) People take to streets and rejoice in adorning replicas of National Flag.

10) Children are reminded of the struggle for Independence and to value it more.

We have also given an additional set on 10 lines on the topic so that it amplifies your knowledge and you can enhance your essays and speeches by incorporating these lines. Please go through the below lines which are in easy to understand language:

10 Lines on Importance of Independence Day - 2

1) The Independence Day celebration marks the freedom of India from the British rule and exhibits the power of nationalism and unity.

2) It marks the remembrance of our great leaders and their sacrifice to build the nation.

3) Independence Day celebration helps to plant the seeds of nationalism in the younger generation.

4) Independence Day is the day when we remember our great leaders and get inspired by their deeds.

5) It helps to unite people from different caste and communities under the roof of patriotism.

6) It is the day when the whole nation pays tribute and honour to the known and unknown soldiers who sacrificed their life for the country.

7) The Independence Day motivates the younger generation to come forward and contribute their bit to the nation.

8) It is the day when the world looks at us with a respect and honour.

9) It is the day which shows that if we unite together we can achieve anything we dreamt of.

10) The unity and patriotism at the time of Independence Day celebration showcases the unity in diversity.

Independence Day is the day which reminds us of what we have been given by our freedom fighters and the pain that they have gone through to handover this cultural heritage to us and it only reminds us to value our freedom more with each passing year.


References in classic literature ?
In November 2016 the curators at the Holburne Museum in Bath announced they had found a forgotten Brueghel painting hidden in the museum's vaults.
With a wide range of masters, styles, and mediums, Masterworks' exceptional gallery of international artists includes Agam, Appel, Braque, Brueghel the Elder, Chagall, Degas, Durer.
O artigo propoe analisar o filme O Moinho e a Cruz como leitura da tela Procissao para o Calvario, do pintor Peter Brueghel, colocada a luz por meio da propria linguagem do cinema, das producoes cenograficas e da utilizacao de camadas digitais cromaticas, luminosas e espaciais para configurar-se como obra proxima a pintura, remetendo-nos ainda aos seus detalhes e a outras telas de Brueghel como interpretacoes possiveis de suas concepcoes.
Titled "Princely Treasures from the House of Liechtenstein," the exhibit displays works by such renowned Western master-painters as Raphael, Rembrandt, Brueghel, Frans Hals the Elder, Peter Paul Rubens and Anthony van Dyck.
Los elegidos para darle nombre a la exhibicion comparten el espacio con Martin de Vos, Jan de Beer, Jan Brueghel el Viejo y Hendrik Goltzius, entre otros.
Its most famous names include Rubens, Van Dyck and Brueghel.
Using writings on sacred images by the Jesuit Cardinal and art patron Federico Borromeo, as well as other writings, Merriam describes the origins and symbolism of a large selection of paintings by Jan Brueghel, Daniel Seghers, and Jan Davidsz.
Brueghel is going to synthesize the representations of winter in the medieval calendars and the representations of landscape in the Renaissance's paintings.
Alternatively try the Htel Brueghel overlooking the Gothic St-Maurice church at 5 Parvis St-Maurice (00 33 3 20 06 06 69; hotel-brueghel.
Inspired by Georges Rouault and Pieter Brueghel the Elder, the exhibition responds to the idea of Christianity being sidelined by society.