(HR. Muslim, Ahmad dan Hakim).

Kamis, 24 Desember 2009

Atrioventricular Dissociation

Atrioventricular (AV) dissociation is a condition in which the atria and ventricles do not activate in a synchronous fashion but beat independent of each other. AV dissociation usually refers to the situation in which the ventricular rate is the same or faster than the atrial rate. When the atrial rate is faster and the atria and ventricles are beating independently, complete heart block is present; this is distinct from AV dissociation. While complete heart block can be properly considered a form of AV dissociation, it is discussed in detail in Atrioventricular Block and is not considered further in this article. Also, in AV dissociation, no retrograde ventriculoatrial conduction occurs.

When the atrial rate is the same as the ventricular rate but the P wave is not conducting, the rhythm disturbance is known as isorhythmic AV dissociation. When the rates are similar but occasionally the atria conduct to the ventricles, the rhythm is known as interference AV dissociation.

AV dissociation can be a benign phenomenon and can be complete or incomplete. When incomplete, some of the P waves conduct and capture the ventricles (ie, interference AV dissociation), but if they do not, it is complete AV dissociation. Complete AV dissociation can mimic AV block, but the fact that none of the P waves conduct has more to do with timing of the P waves in relation to the QRS complex rather than the presence of AV block.

A normal cardiac impulse arises from the sinus node and is conducted through the AV junction, the bundle of His, and the bundle branches to the ventricles. The sinus node is the dominant pacemaker because its intrinsic rate is faster than subsidiary pacemakers in the AV junction or in the ventricle. AV dissociation can result from (1) slowing of the dominant pacemaker (sinus node), which allows an escape junctional or ventricular rhythm, or (2) acceleration of a normally slower (subsidiary) pacemaker, such as a junctional site or a ventricular site that activates the ventricles without retrograde atrial capture.

Conditions that can initiate AV dissociation include surgical and anesthesia interventions (including intubation), conditions that increase catecholamine levels (including infusions of inotropes) and drugs that block catecholamines, sinus node disease, digoxin toxicity, myocardial infarction and other structural heart disease, hyperkalemia, vagal activation (eg, neurocardiogenic syncope, vomiting), ventricular tachycardia, or ventricular pacing. AV dissociation can be seen after radiofrequency ablation of the slow pathway responsible for AV nodal reentry if some of the vagal fibers are damaged. After exertion, if AV dissociation is present from an escape pacer, it can be a normal phenomenon. Whatever the cause, AV dissociation usually is secondary to some other cause.

Little epidemiologic information is available regarding the frequency of AV dissociation.

AV dissociation by itself can be benign. Any adverse effects are related to ensuing bradycardia, AV dyssynchrony, or underlying conditions.

AV dissociation can be asymptomatic, but if symptoms related to AV dissociation are present, they are related to bradycardia, tachycardia, AV dyssynchrony, or loss of atrial "kick" and include the following:
Exertional dyspnea
Throbbing sensation in neck
Fatigue, malaise

Physical findings are related to bradycardia, tachycardia, AV dyssynchrony, and lack of an atrial kick at least intermittently.
General appearance - Variable pulse or blood pressure due to the changing relationship between atrial and ventricular contractions
Pulse - Pulse volume is variable, with fast or slow rates depending on the underlying cause
Blood pressure - Low in ventricular tachycardia
Jugular venous pulse - Intermittent cannon a waves are noted when atria and ventricles contract simultaneously; a waves vary as PR interval varies or if the P wave is immediately followed by a QRS
Heart sounds
Variable intensity of first heart sound
Cyclic increase in intensity of first heart sound as PR interval shortens, climaxed by a very loud sound (bruit de cannon); occurs when ventricular rate exceeds atrial rate and QRS occurs just after P wave
Beat-to-beat variation in systolic murmurs

Major causes of AV dissociation include ventricular tachycardia, nonparoxysmal junctional tachycardia, escape junctional rhythm, and accelerated idioventricular rhythm.
Ventricular tachycardia
Nonparoxysmal junctional tachycardia
Junctional rhythm/tachycardia occur at a rate faster than the sinus rate, without retrograde atrial capture.
This is observed in clinical situations such as digoxin toxicity; sinus bradycardia with escape junctional rhythm; and after cardiac surgery, particularly valve surgery or replacement.
Long postectopic cycle allowing escape junctional rhythm

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Jual Rumah Kontrakan 2 Pintu

Jual Rumah Kontrakan 2 Pintu


Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Software Architecture and Design in Agile World - Part 4

How can architects and designers add value in agile projects? Architects and designers can apply their experience to create an architectural vision and roadmap. Forward vision and roadmap will provide adequate clarity to team members. Architects can add value by contributing to architecture planning and sharing their ideas, suggestions and recommendations with team members. Their architecture-driven approach will help agile teams discover risks and problems early. Architects can create a learning environment and improve the productivity and job satisfaction of individuals. Above all, architects and designers can become a role model for the values in agile manifesto.

Architecture approach in software projects depends on four key factors. The first one is the architecture or design competency of the team members who perform the job. The second one is project complexity. The third factor is the familiarity of technology – the most likely technology to be used in the project, and the fourth one is the familiarity of problem domain. When your project has all these factors on the positive side, you can define and implement architecture with ease. You are going to deliver features early. Otherwise, it is wise to spend one or two iterations on architecture (architecture definition, architecture prototyping and creating the building blocks of the architecture). While doing this, it is important to keep in mind the ‘bare minimum’ or ‘just enough’ to avoid waste.

Let me give you two examples. When a corporate IT team wants to deliver an attendance management application on an existing technology platform (on which several other applications are functional) it is most likely that these factors are on the positive side. Why would a team on this project spend weeks or months in defining and constructing the architecture? I am sure you agree that a team on this project could start delivering features early as there must be adequate clarity on the architecture and there must be reusable architectural elements unless the CIO decides to revamp what is available. Later when the application is developed and delivered, they can write or specify the architecture and designs, if such artifacts are going to add value to downstream life cycle activities.

The next example is from the other extreme. It is a highly complex project. This is about developing a product that involves integration of multiple sources of intelligence to help commodity traders across countries. Let us assume that this project involves emerging technologies not known to team members and the problem domain is new to team members. Where do we start? What features do we deliver? Is it a good idea to follow pure agile? Or should we rely on BUFD? I don’t think pure agile or traditional approach (BUFD) will help. It is good to spend one or two or three iterations in defining the architecture and delivering the essential basic building blocks before we attempt to deliver user stories or features. Also, it is good to revisit the architecture at regular intervals and deliver technical stories.

<<<<<< Part 3                                     Software Architecture and Design in Agile World - Part 1

Software Architecture and Design in Agile World - Part 3

Part 3 – Let us inspect and adapt

Our expectations

What is the role of an architect? What do we expect from an architect? Obviously, technical skills and experience are the building blocks to become an architect because the primary role of an architect is to understand requirements, suggest architectural alternatives, analyze the pros and cons and arrive at an optimal or feasible architectural recommendation. To do this, architects need to be avid learners. They have to be hands-on in performing design activities. They have to be expert programmers and participating in coding. Architects have to have mentoring and coaching skills. They have to be great influencers and negotiators. They have to be great leaders.

What do architects deliver? Do they deliver a presentation or a document with block diagrams or guidelines or all these? Do they go beyond architecture definition and contribute to architecture implementation? Do they write code or deliver various components that constitute the architecture framework? These questions make us reflect on the ground realities on what is delivered by architects in projects that do not follow agile methods.

The impact

When a product or application is delivered to customer or rolled out in production, production support, sustenance, technical support and consulting teams play a significant role ensuring customer satisfaction. How do architects contribute to these teams? Do the activities or contributions of architects add value to the work life of someone who is involved in production support, sustenance or technical support or consulting? In order to debug or to understand the regression issues, do we get an up-to-date schematic or map that improves the efficiency of such activities? Or have we let these teams wade through thousands and thousands of lines of code and find a solution?

Agility and agile methods

Agility is about the ability to both create and respond to change in order to profit in a turbulent business environment. It means adaptability rather than predictability. Agile methods focus more on people rather than detailed development processes. They are based on collaborative values and principles. They are light-weight and barely sufficient methodologies. They adhere to Agile Manifesto and Agile Principles. Team members in agile teams believe and experience term such as, ‘deliver early’, ‘delivery in short intervals or time-boxes or iterations’, ‘work in sustainable pace’, ‘deliver business value’, ‘self-enabled or led teams’, ‘customer collaboration’, ‘responding to change’, ‘fail early, fail fast’, ‘inspect, learn, adapt’, etc. For them working code is the true measure of progress.

Two schools of thought

Architects from the traditional school of thought live in the world of ‘architecture thinking’. The script that plays in their mind is, “I am the expert. I will convene meeting with some of the senior members. I will decide and suggest the right things. I believe in Big-Up-Front-Design (BUFD). Architecture is a complex, esoteric entity. I am autonomous. I am up in the org hierarchy. Coding is what I used to do several years ago.”

Agile practitioners believe in ‘agile thinking’. The script that plays in their mind is, “We do ‘just enough’ architectural activities. We don’t do BUFD. Often, BUFD results in waste and rigidity. I am here to work with my team members. I am their mentor. We believe in emerging architecture and design. Our approach is to create systems that can accommodate changes in a cost effective manner. For this we will work as a team to evolve the right architecture or design. We will provide the right diagrams and documents as and when necessary to help our teams.”

Architects in agile teams are not confined to their office or cabin. They work in open space with team members throughout the project. They nurture young architects through mentoring and working together. In mature agile teams everyone plays the role of architect or designer. In agile world, architecture and design are not dead! Agile projects need architects and designers who follow agile principles. Architects and designers can add value in agile projects.

How can they add value? What are the key factors that influence the architecture approach? Let us discuss this in the next post.

<<<<< Part 2                                    Software Architecture and Design in Agile World - Part 4

Software Architecture and Design in Agile World - Part 2

Part 2 - The window seat

We come across the term ‘architecture’ in many situations. We have heard of application architecture, business architecture, cloud architecture, data architecture, enterprise architecture, fault tolerant architecture, hardware architecture, information architecture, knowledge architecture, network architecture, performance architecture, security architecture, software architecture, solution architecture, technical architecture, web architecture, and so on.

Software Architecture
Our focus is on software architecture. In order to maintain this focus let me share a definition of software architecture from the book ‘Software Architecture in Practice (2nd edition)’ by Bass, Clemens and Kazman.

Here is another definition by Grady Booch, Philippe Kruchten, Rich Reitman, and Kurt Bittner.

Software architecture encompasses the significant decisions about

  • the organization of a software system,

Which one have you worked with?

With this background, it worth discussing about software architects. Software architects come in different categories. There are software architects who limit their profession to architecture definition either by creating PowerPoint slide decks or short documents with block diagrams. There are software architects who leave the team before the development starts. They appear for a short duration, play their role with authority and move on to other projects. They belong to the second category and treat architecture as relay sport. The third category is architects who play part-time role in multiple projects. Architects in this category are not accessible to team members. Architects in the fourth category are the so called glorified coders - they get the title because of their perseverance on getting the title! They are passionate but lack necessary skills. The fifth category of architect consists of ‘tech savvy’ managers who are terrible in project management. Probably they were given this title because of their technical knowledge. Architects in this category no longer design or code - they live with the premise that they are too busy to code. However they know multiple technologies and solutions. They can talk in meetings and voice their opinion.

The next category is the ‘had been there and done that’ architects. They are experts. They nurture architecture and design competency in teams. They believe in empowerment. They stay with the team and participate in engineering activities such as coding, deployment, performance testing, etc. They are valuable and they are rare to find.

The window seat

The dream of tech savvy software engineers is to become an architect. They have seen architects with authority and power. They want to be one and perform that role in style. They are lost in this dream. They fantasize on occupying the ‘window seat’ and want to move very fast in each and every step of their career from getting on board to moving closer to that seat. In this rush they miss the opportunity to write beautiful code and appreciate good designs. They want to become architects. Is that going to work? Is this what we expect?

How do you connect with this discussion? What is your point of view?

<<<< Part 1                                   Software Architecture and Design in Agile World - Part 3

Software Architecture and Design in Agile World - Part 1

Part 1 - On a lighter note

You are an IT professional, more specifically, a software engineer. You and your teammates develop, test and maintain software products and applications. Iterative and incremental way of delivering software at a sustainable pace, collective decision making, , group learning through short feedback loops, daily standups, retrospectives are not new to you because you have practiced agile methods. Sometimes you feel that your team members rush to deliver features – as many features as possible. There is no software architect who proposes an optimal architecture. There is no designer who delivers design artifacts. All you have is an Agile team that delivers working software at regular intervals.  Think! What happens to software architecture and design in agile world? This blog post is to share my thoughts on this topic and answer your questions.

What is your view?

What comes to your mind when you stand in front of a monument like this and wonder its gigantic view? Terms such as ‘structure’, ‘architecture’, ‘design’, ‘aesthetics’, etc. come to your mind. I am sure you observe the thick walls and huge doors, their precision and aesthetics, etc. You want to know about the history. You go closer and look at the tall gates, and the iron spikes on the gates. You appreciate the designs of various parts of this monument. There is a place and purpose for every component. The entire structure has been architected and planned well.

Let us not ignore the takeaways!

It is not wise to compare civil engineering with software engineering. Taking a deep dive in such discussions has not been beneficial. However, it is wise to view such monuments and appreciate the takeaways from such alternate sources. There can be many takeaways. The number of takeaways is left to your imagination.

Obviously, I am not going to stretch this beyond limits. This is because our IT world is different. It is dynamic. There are moving parts. Products and applications witness many upgrades of operating systems and databases. Interoperability is essential in many cases. That is not it. Scalability, performance, security, fault tolerance and many such non-functional requirements cannot be given a slipshod attention.

Points to ponder

Do you think ‘Big Up Front Design’ (BUFD) done by architects or designers is set on stone and does not change? Is change cost-effective with BUFD?

Do you think the architects of this monument (see picture) handed over their specifications to the next rung of workers and moved on to other projects? Does the initial architecture of this monument emerged or underwent changes when the construction was in progress? Were new ideas and design elements accepted and put into practice?

                                          Software Architecture and Design in Agile World - Part 2  >>>>>>>>>>

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Methodologies, Standards, Models, and Project Success - Part 2

Methodologies, Standards, Models, and Project Success - Part 1

My invited talk at ICSEMA 2012 was on ‘Methodologies, Standards, Maturity Models, and Project Success’. In the complex and evolving world of information technology how can we ensure successful projects? This was the open ended question in the abstract of my session.

The weather in Chennai was pleasant during that week and the conference venue was very good. At the end of my session and discussions with the participants, I wanted to post this blog so that it can benefit the participants as well as other readers.  I have done it in two parts.

Enterprise systems cover key corporate functions, store data shared by corporate users in one or more data stores, integrate within as well as across (with external systems), and contain enriched multi-media. These systems are web-enabled and often provide mobile, wireless, disconnected access. Enterprise systems include entities such as ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), CRM (Customer Relationship Management), SCM (Supply Chain Management), HRMS (Human Resources Management System), DW/BI (Data warehousing/Business Intelligence), Email, IM (Messenger), B2B (Business to Business) applications, and B2C (Business to Customer) applications. All these are offered to end users through a corporate intranet preferably with an EAI (Enterprise Application Integration) backbone. All these are governed by the CIO organizations. Process compliance, regulatory compliance, licensing and upgrades, customer satisfaction etc., are critical to the success of such IT implementations. It is a complex world!

With more than three of four decades of computerization software systems are required to enable interaction at different levels - person-to-person, person-to-machine, and machine-to-machine. Integrated systems, interoperability and portability are crucial.

Proliferation of devices (smart phones, tablets, ..) and new paradigms (such as cloud enablement) are catching up in the corporate world. These emerging trends increase the complexity of IT systems.

With the global economic trends, CIOs and CTOs attempt to stretch the existing budget and infrastructure to do more. They have started exploring the benefits of open-source software. They want to reduce TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) and increase ROI (Return on Investment).

Fred Brooks, the author of the popular book ‘The Mythical Man Month’, wrote a paper titled ‘There is No Silver Bullet: Essence and Accidents of Software Engineering’. This paper was published in IEEE Computer in April 1987. In this paper he says, “There is no single development, in either technology or management technique, which by itself promises even one order-of-magnitude improvement within a decade in productivity, in reliability, in simplicity.”

This paper has been discussed and debated in various forums. Is there a silver bullet? If yes, what it is? If no, how can we ensure project success?

Part-2 of this post has answers to these questions.


Who is whoopi dating is toccara jones dating

Goldberg later took responsibility for the act and admitted that she had written Danson’s off-color material.Their relationship ended not long after the controversy subsided.If you're ever asked "how many kids does Whoopi Goldberg have?

Quitting it early, she adopted her stage name and her surname “Goldberg” was given to her by her mother.

Unique point of view: Whoopi Goldberg, who has been married three times, has a deal with Hachette Books for a 'provocative' take on the 'downsides' of marriage, which is set to hit shelves next September'I've realized there are certain things you have to come to terms with in life, like managing your own expectations, telling the truth, reconciling true love with other aspects of your life, including wealth or even celebrity.

“I was confused as to whether or not I was at a Friars event or at a rally for the KKK and Aryan Nation,” talk show host Montel Williams said at the time.

in 1996, Whoopi Goldberg and Frank Langella dated for over five years. Edward Bridge "Ted" Danson III is an American actor, author, and producer, well known for his role as lead character Sam Malone in the sitcom Cheers, and his role as Dr. He is currently starring in the CBS drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation as D. Dalton is known for portraying James Bond in The Living Daylights and Licence to Kill, as well as Rhett Butler in the television miniseries Scarlett, an original sequel to Gone with the Wind.

According to our records, Whoopi is possibly single. Login to add information, pictures and relationships, join in discussions and get credit for your contributions.

These men come in all shapes and sizes, but what they all have in common is that they're all men that Whoopi Goldberg has either dated or canoodled with.


Hyundai, Kia Recall 1.2M Vehicles Over Engine Failure

Image courtesy of Van Swearington / (Van Swearington)

Realizing that a non-moving car is a useless car, Kia and Hyundai have recalled nearly 1.2 million vehicles in the U.S. over concerns about engine failure.

The recall affects 572,000 Hyundai Sonata and Santa Fe Sport vehicles (model years 2013-14).

A total of 618,160 Kia vehicles are being recalled: the Kia Optima (2011-14); Sorento (2012-14); and Sportage (2011-13).

According to notices posted by Hyundai [PDF] and Kia [PDF], the affected vehicles contain Theta engines that may have been improperly manufactured.

The carmakers both agree that machining errors during the engine manufacturing process may have caused metal debris to form inside the engine. As a result, the debris and uneven surface could restrict oil flow to the bearings, causing premature wear.

If this occurs, the engine could seize while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of crash.

The recall is actually the second for Hyundai over the issue. The carmakers recalled 470,000 Sonata vehicles because of debris in the engine in Sept. 2015.

In a chronology [PDF] of the new recall, Kia notes that it began investigating the issue after Hyundai’s initial recall. The company says it noticed a slight increase in warranty claims for certain vehicles, it then extended the warranty coverage, but eventually determined a recall was necessary.

Both carmakers say they will begin notifying owners of the affected vehicles in May. Dealers will inspect the engine assembly, replacing it if necessary.


Sternal Angle

What Is Sternal Angle? The sternal angle or angle of Louis is the angulation of the transverse joint between the

What is Hemarthrosis? Hemarthrosis is a condition in which bleeding occurs in the joint spaces. This condition occurs when blood

Sprained Thumb

What Is a Sprained Thumb? Sprained Thumb occurs when the tissue supporting the joint bones at the base of the

What is Osteopetrosis? Osteopetrosis is a congenital condition that is characterized by weak bones, higher bone density and unusual skeletons.

Irregular Heartbeat

What Is Irregular Heartbeat? Irregular heartbeat is people may sometimes feel that their heart beats too fast or too hard.

What Is Asystole? Asystole refers to an abnormal cardiac rhythm as indicated by an electrocardiogram (ECG) machine. If this is

Wolf Skin Disease

What is Wolf Skin Disease? Wolf Skin Disease also referred to as Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome (WHS), wolf skin disease is a

Biliary Dyskinesia

What is Biliary Dyskinesia? Biliary Dyskinesia is a medical disorder that occurs when the normal peristaltic mechanism of the gallbladder,

Cholinergic Urticaria

What Is Cholinergic Urticaria? Cholinergic Urticaria is labeled because sweat glands are innervated by cholinergic nerve fibers and “urticaria” means

Nexplanon Implant

What is Nexplanon Implant? Nexplanon Implant Is Globally, birth control implants have been used for about 20 years to protect


Is it better to ignore a person or to be honest and discuss with the person your

  1. K9keystrokes profile image90
    K9keystrokesposted 7 years ago

    Is it better to ignore a person or to be honest and discuss with the person your trouble with...

    Ignoring someone can seem so harsh, and I want to know if you think it is better to talk about why you feel the need to ignore a person, with the person who causes the reaction?

  2. CheyenneAutumn profile image60
    CheyenneAutumnposted 7 years ago

    I think if you have any sort of relationship - working, friend, family or social and can communicate with them with out becoming hostile it is better to discuss things then to shove them under the rug to fester - to just ignore them does two things in my opinion... firstly it makes the ignored person often try harder to get your attention if ithat is their goal. Secondly it makes it harder on those around you if you are in the same area. Online I think it is pretty much the same..

  3. profile image50
    bbutterflyposted 7 years ago

    If the person is a friend, and you want to keep the friendship alive, then of course you should talk things over. If the person that you are having problems with is not a friend, then decide whether or not talking to them about the problem is really that important. Do you have to see the person every day at work or school? That too can make a difference. Sometimes it is important to get along.

  4. Shaan.S profile image72
    Shaan.Sposted 7 years ago

    I am publishing this hub as answer to the question asked by K9keystrokes. Suppose the situation arised due to some personal problem with your friend or relative. May be u trusted the so-called guy or gal but he/she cheated you ... or did something... read more

Closed to reply


So, today has been weird.

My first day at work, and thus back to the trivial level of human contact that it provides. The previous week, I had more (barely-)human interaction with 4chan /b/ than with anyone else, which put me in a very strange mood for work.

Now I’m back home, and pretty much straight into roleplaying online, at the expense of talking to Eric on the phone or being around my parents.

I feel horribly detached. This has historically meant that something really weird is about to happen. Or, it could be a result of my banality 1,000,000 office. Either way, feeling damn weird this evening =S


Live animal exporters grapple with lawsuits for breach of contract

14Jan 2018
Henry Mwangonde
Guardian On Sunday
Live animal exporters grapple with lawsuits for breach of contract

DESPITE hopes that the ban on the export of live wild animals may be lifted soon, traders in the sector still have to battle lawsuits in foreign courts from their clients who decided to go the legal way after an agreement between the two sides to deliver the animals in time was not honoured.

Deputy Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism Japhet Hasunga

This comes amid reports that the government lost Sh2.5trl in revenue over the past two years following its decision to ban the export of live wild animals.

In a meeting with Deputy Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism Japhet Hasunga on Tuesday in Dodoma, members of the Tanzania Wildlife Exporters Association (TWEA) expressed their concerns over the ban, saying a lot had happened since the ban came into effect.

Yesterday, TWEA Secretary General Adam Warioba told The Guardian in an interview that despite the chance to have an audience with the government since the ban was imposed, there were many issues that ought to be discussed including how those who were given advance payments by their clients will be compensated because some of them had gone to court demanding their money back.

“Some of the clients came all the way to Tanzania to question why we are not delivering as agreed, and there are some of our members who decided to sell their houses to pay back loans that they owed banks,” he said.

According to him, Tanzania had painted a bad image in a business that is full of competition and involves various countries including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Zambia and many others, saying it would take time to restore trust from customers.

Deputy Minister Hasunga, when contacted by The Guardian yesterday, said the government was aware of the concerns by the stakeholders and that they had directed them to put their grievances in writing before a decision on whether or not to lift the ban is taken.

“Upon receiving their concerns we will review them together with the main reasons for the ban because it came to the government notice that some of them were not registered and took advantage of the chance to export other animals such as giraffes,” he said.

The government banned the export of all live animals in March 2016 until proper procedures were put in place to ensure only approved animals were exported.

In the announcement the government cited irregularities in the way the business was conducted.

The decision sparked anger from exporters who complained that the ban was a surprise decision to them as it was made a month or so after they were handed licenses to operate.

The exporters said they were given a one-year licence to export live wild animals on January 1, 2016.

The animals are sold to zoos in the US, Europe and Asia.

Top Stories


Joint time invariant and time dependent brain connectivity network estimation

Inferring interactions between discrete brain regions has being increasingly recognized as important for studying brain in both normal and disease states. In addition to static brain network inference, the temporal dynamics of brain connectivity access the brain in the temporal dimension and provide a new perspective to the understanding of brain function… (More)
DOI: 10.1109/CCECE.2016.7726847

3 Figures and Tables

Slides referencing similar topics


Services, Not Software Tools

We don’t sell software tools, we manage your information flood by implementing your information philosophy in your processes. As a service, proudly made in Switzerland. We provide the following core services:

Content editing work is sweat and tears. A nice software facade with unstructured content doesn’t solve the information dilemma, and editing content without a reliable service partner means you are sweating and crying yourself. That’s where we come in with our Swiss quality service based on experience.

Documentation-as-a-Service (DaaS)

Besides our core services, we host all the necessary software tools for you on our servers located in Switzerland. So we take complete care of your documentation. Nonetheless, you stay in control: nothing gets published before you approve any changes in our workflow-based approval tools.

Your Results in the Back Office

Suddenly, your expensive experts have time for more meaningful work than administering books and documents. Also, their efforts for revisions are now limited to approving the changes we made for you.

Your Results on the Flight Line

Because your crews can learn and retain their knowledge anywhere, anywhen, on any device, your classroom training costs will decrease. Theme-based documentation and role-based information distribution further help your crews to stay on top of the information flood. So does the revision inbox, which helps your crews to revise important information first and hides irrelevant information based on a customer-specific role concept.


The Forbidden Kingdom

Surprisingly, neither Chan nor Li is the main character here; Instead, the film’s protagonist is Jason (Michael Angarano), an American kid living in contemporary Boston.

During the opening few minutes, one learns that Jason’s a Hong Kong martial arts film buff who spends his days in Chinatown renting Hong Kong films from a mysterious old man.

One night he gets into a scrap with the local bullies at the old man’s place, and thanks to a magic staff, is teleported through space and time to ancient China.

Once there, he learns the staff belongs to the Monkey King, and with the help of a silent monk (Li), a drunken beggar (Chan), and a mysterious girl (Liu Yifei), they embark on a journey to return the staff.

The over-convoluted plot combines elements of Spielberg-like fantasy, ancient Chinese ancient mythologies (Monkey King) with nods to classic local martial arts films (Drunken Master,alt The Bride With White Hair,alt etc). It’s all over the top and silly but tolerable as long as it’s not take it seriously.

The selling point of the film is Jackie Chan vs. Jet Li, and the first meeting between the two icons results in a fight scene that’s great by Hollywood standards, but pales in comparison to Li and Chan’s Hong Kong work during the 80s and 90s.

Let it be known that this review was of the Cantonese dubbed version, which accounted for absurd scenarios where the main character spoke fluent Cantonese in ancient China.

Also, neither Chan nor Li did their own dubbing, yet another blow to local audiences used to hearing Chan’s voice. Then again, the concept of everyone speaking English in ancient China is just as ludicrous.

The single best element of the Forbidden Kingdom are the opening credits – a colorful, throwback-to-the-70s featuring still images of Bruce Lee, Gordon Liu and other local martial arts icons from the era. Once that’s over, much of this has been seen before.


If the source of the solar system was also uniformly distributed with respect to uranium isotope ratios, then the data points will always fall on a single line.

The most direct means for calculating the Earth's age is a Pb/Pb isochron age, derived from samples of the Earth and meteorites.

This involves measurement of three isotopes of lead (Pb-206, Pb-207, and either Pb-208 or Pb-204).

This value is derived from several different lines of evidence.

(I believe this argument was originally put forth by Mormon young-Earther Melvin Cook, in a letter to the editor which was published in .) But helium can and does escape from the atmosphere, at rates calculated to be nearly identical to rates of production.

In order to obtain a young age from their calculations, young-Earthers handwave away mechanisms by which helium can escape.

The actual underlying assumption is that, if those requirements have not been met, there is no reason for the data points to fall on a line.


How to treat bacterial vaginosis (gardnerellosis) in the home folk remedies
Symptoms of bacterial vaginosis so unpleasant that the woman immediately turns to the doctor. However, not always medical prescription help to cope with symptoms of the disease. Often folk remedies…

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Atherosclerosis General - Official and folk medicine
Most commonly the disease is prevalent in highly developed countries such as USA, Russia, France, Germany, Italy. In Africa and South America atherosclerosis occurs much less frequently. In addition, in…

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Medicinal herbs and plants

Active development of classical scientific medicine does not diminish the value of medicinal plants, which are essential. Technology of assembling, storing, growing and use for many centuries have been passed from generation to generation.

Medicinal herbs are a large group of plants, parts of which are used to obtain substances, which are used in classical, folk and veterinary medicine for prophylactic and therapeutic purposes.

The value

In the modern world, due to the fact that medicinal plants have been studied intensively by scientists. Created whole directories, which contain information on herbal medicine. Medicinal herbs are applied in our days everywhere. It often happens that a Cup of herbal tea replaces medicines and essential oils are used for the treatment of various diseases. That only is known Vishnevsky ointment, which is made on the basis of natural raw materials and has wound-healing and antiseptic properties.

Each region has certain medicinal plants. Nature would take care of that in any part of the world people could benefit from the medicinal power of herbs. When walking in summer meadows wants to collect buckets herbs and make tea. But do not forget that herbal treatments and also their use require necessary basic knowledge. Also in the treatment of various diseases through herbs and fees, be sure to consult with your doctor.

Collection rules

It is extremely important to follow the rules of harvesting medicinal plants. All the herbs have their period for the collection, which correspond to the period when plants are saturated with beneficial and therapeutic substances. If the necessary knowledge to collect are not available, herbs are best purchased at specialty outlets and pharmacies. You can also use herbal mixtures, essential oils, and herbal teas, which are prepared by specialists, for home aromatherapy and herbal medicine.

Very important is strict adherence to the recipe at independent preparation of tinctures, decoctions and ointments. Overdose of various drugs from herbs may be dangerous for the health.

Healing herbs the use of its not only restrict, as by means of classical medicine. Ancient healers in the absence of pharmacology used natural cures for the treatment of all diseases and has achieved great success. For example, Avicenna called medicinal plants “the gun doctor”. About herbal medicine and its effectiveness demonstrated by the fact that plants are actively studied by modern science and pharmacology, as well as experts in the field of medicine. Components include them to the drugs of classical medicine. Just many pills almost inaudible aroma that exude medicinal herbs and plants.

Even the aroma of regular tea with oregano and St. John’s wort can dramatically lift the mood and give the person strength. Many plants have found their application not only in medicine but also used in cosmetic purposes. From them prepare balms, lotions, creams, shampoos and cosmetics. Many plants are also used as seasonings. Dishes flavored with aromatic herbs, are a classic in modern cooking.3

Healing herbs used since ancient times, however modern medicine the most widely used aloe, calamus, elecampane, licorice, chamomile, yarrow, rose hips, sage, and many others. According to the international conservation Union, today classified and described 320 thousand herbs and plants. However, only 10% of them are used for medical purposes.

Herbs have been used from the earliest stages of human development. They were not only a source of food, but also helped to cure various diseases. The earliest recipes that have reached us were Sumerian. From them we can conclude that ancient physicians primarily used plants: fir, mustard, thyme, pine, pear and others.

Sources indicate that the useful herb has also been used in Rome, Greece, Egypt, India, Assyria, China and Persia. In the middle ages the use of medicinal plants was also circulated in the Arab countries and Europe.

Ancient Indian medical teachings, which were based on the use of herbs, were described in “Ayurveda”. The use and cultivation of medicinal plants began in India a very long time.

Tibetan medicine is very much knowledge is taken from Hindu teachings. In the ancient Tibetan book of knowledge in the field of medicine has a large section devoted to the use of medicinal herbs. The Tibetans used about 400 species of plants. However, in the work of Avicenna described about 900 medicinal herbs with detailed interpretation of their application. After the appearance of pharmacists and physicians, knowledge about medicinal herbs began to be classified and unofficious in pharmacopoeias.

Medicinal plants are a useful and accessible source of valuable substances that help to cure various diseases, without harming the various organs and systems of the human body.


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I'll take one of Zuckerbergs Virtual Assistants

If i was him and had the time and money i too would build out my own virtual assistant but i don't so ill just take the one he has created thanks.

There are some really nice examples of how and where virtual assistants and AI will help us in our day to day lives in the future. Lets take the idea of security and how he has built a face recognition tool to allow visitors to enter his home, very cool and could change the world of home security on many levels.

What is really interesting here is the use case of interacting with your assistant/bot. Mark has stated that he found it more natural and surprisingly so  texting commands became his favourite use of communication all because it was less intrusive and distrurbing to those around him. This is quite significant and talks to a simple use case for AI and assistants, as much as it seems simple and intuitive to voice your commands it might not always make sense or be right.

One of the most important things i find from this is the introduction of human centric thinking here is really strong, he has thought about what and how humans need to interact with these tools and how important it is to the UX of the family, this is really important on all fronts as even though the tech might make sense it still needs to integrate into the human way of life. What is great to see is the use of humour and personality which can be lacking in UX and is critical to the success of any successful uptake.

In a lengthy Facebook post on Monday, Zuckerberg describes how he went about creating his digital butler for his home in San Francisco. He spent a total of 100 hours building the assistant, which can control his lights, music, and even make toast with a retrofitted toaster from the 1950s. "In some ways, this challenge was easier than I expected," according to Zuckerberg. "In fact, my running challenge (I also set out to run 365 miles in 2016) took more total time. But one aspect that was much more complicated than I expected was simply connecting and communicating with all of the different systems in my home."

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Viewing Alzheimer’s Differently – And How It May Lead to a Cure

by JFS Care

Neurology QuestionsThose of us who follow the latest research in Alzheimer’s disease are all too familiar with the troublesome amyloid plaques thought to be linked to Alzheimer’s. But could it conceivably be that amyloid plaques are actually helpful?

Neuroscientists Rudolph Tanzi and Robert Moir, of Harvard’s largest teaching hospital, Massachusetts General, are turning research upside down with their latest findings. Whereas most research suggests amyloid-beta is problematic, these researchers are setting forth the idea that amyloid-beta is beneficial to our immunity, protecting the brain from foreign cells; much in the way an oyster develops a pearl. Moir explains, “Maybe amyloid plaques are a brain pearl, a way for our body to trap and permanently sequester these invading pathogens.”

It is a major shift in thinking. Amyloid-beta transitions from being our enemy to becoming a necessary component of our immune system. Overproduction of the plaques impacts healthy brain cells and may contribute to the development of Alzheimer’s disease.

Although it took years to achieve results, they were well worth the wait. Not only were researchers able to demonstrate the virus and bacteria killing ability of amyloids in a test tube, but the same results were realized when tested in animal models. In fact, mice with infections such as encephalitis or meningitis were protected against the disease when producing amyloids, while those lacking amyloids died within a short period of time.

There are several theories yet to be explored to explain what’s causing overproduction of the amyloid plaques; the immune system could be attacking healthy cells in the brain, similar to other autoimmune disorders. Another theory suggests that it is a sensitivity to a virus or bacteria resulting in an overreaction. Once the cause is isolated, it could potentially provide medical professionals with the answers as to how to halt the process in the early stages and prevent the resulting Alzheimer’s.

JFS Care will continue to follow the latest developments in Alzheimer’s disease, while providing specialized dementia care from our highly skilled senior caregivers as we await a cure. Whether the need is for short-term respite care or more in-depth care, our care team is available to provide care whenever you or your loved one needs it. Contact us online or at (213) 383-2273 to learn more.


Meditate in Canterbury, meditate anywhere!

News this morning that Canterbury was successful in its bid to bring a medical school to the city has been widely acclaimed. For those that don’t know, the city is an important global centre of education. It boasts three universities, a regional further education college and a wealth of private educational institutions along with some excellent primary and secondary schools. This latest announcement underlines what a great place the city is to live and work in. Teaching meditation here feels like a privilege, there’s always new meditation students, as well as interaction with scholarly Buddhist academics and advanced practitioners.

And yet the numbers of homeless people in Canterbury has never been higher (in living memory), the inequality in living standards is shocking and there are a number of areas described as economically deprived nearby.  The local NHS trust is also one of the most lowly ranked in the UK. So what is the real picture? There are opportunities and challenges everywhere, how you view where you live and the people you live with is central to your happiness and wellbeing. If you are not happy with your conditions you need to try and improve them… but the worst option is to be unhappy and not do anything about it.

This is not about blind optimism, don’t ignore the problems and issues in your community, try to contribute to the improvement of your environment. But to denigrate your conditions and to imagine the grass is always greener somewhere else won’t make you feel great with life. You need to find real positives and build upon them. One of the root causes of unhappiness that I encounter in my day to day life is the idea that the conditions aren’t right for development and progress. In reality the conditions to improve things are never perfect, it’s much more a question of making a choice rather than waiting for your problems to resolve themselves.

“find real positives and build upon them”

choose happiness
Happiness !

From the nondual perspective thinking of things constantly as better or worse builds  limitations, particularly if you apply this thinking to yourself. Relatively there is no perfect time to meditate, no perfect place to meditate and no perfect meditation practice. You have to work with what you have and progress to where you want to be. If happiness is your goal, start to think about your own happiness and the happiness of others, work towards greater happiness generally and disengage with things that you know create unhappiness or harm.

Meditation for better health: you are the answer

Meditation for better health, how to build a successful meditation practice.

The evidence we highlight on these pages is generally of the empirical kind, contemporary scientific investigations, surveys and experimental research projects. This isn’t the only ‘proof’ to which we have access, but it is often what a significant part of our audience finds most compelling. Not that I see my role as to ‘compel’ or convince anyone to meditate, however discussions about the benefits of meditation or mindfulness can be supported by hard data. But over time personal experience has been more influential than sensationalized news headlines.

Meditation is one of the great human resources, it’s able to transcend a wide range of health and well-being problems, most people can engage with it, it’s easy to start, exists in multiple formats, crosses most cultural boundaries and once learned is a lifelong tool and support.

Stephen Gene Morris

Credible first hand accounts, traditional explanations and contemporary science have all been useful guides on my own path. Unfortunately they don’t deliver the motivation to carry on, this generally comes from within. In the early stages of my meditation development there were difficulties, the first few sessions felt OK but there was no real indication of the benefits that were going to unfold. Looking back I felt somewhat ambivalent, I was starting to get a sense of proportion but there was no sign of the great and positive changes to come. The support of my fellow meditators and meditation teacher were helpful at these early stages, but the commitment to practice had to come from me.

Building a long term meditation practice is filled with many obstacles, there are reasons why they occur and strategies to overcome them (these depend on what your practice is). But progress is always marked by your own determination to continue. The most important obstacles tend to be the first you encounter, typically when you start. Most beginners will have little to compare the experience of ‘sitting’ with. And so the initial discomforts and struggles with discursiveness tend to put many students off before they ever get going.

Unfortunately several of the people that I have taught to meditate didn’t persevere to the point where their health and wellbeing improved. I don’t have reliable records but I’d estimate the majority of people that meditate for ten consecutive weeks go on to develop a practice. They may not maintain it, but they have started on the path to meditation. Given that the evidence for the health benefits of meditation with,  anxiety, depression, and stress are now overwhelming, there’s little logical excuse not to start, and even less not to persevere. But scientific evidence doesn’t amount to much when pitted against the human ego. Traditional Buddhist meditation rests on the idea of avoiding the extremes and to not follow the whim of every transient thought. Without being able to push through the basic resistance1 and to discipline your mind, meditation cannot be successful.

Meditation is a method for self-transformation, the direction and depth of that transformation depends on the meditator. Overcoming obstacles is a natural part of the dynamic nature of self-transformation. If you decide you’d like to meditate consider that you are the solution to your own problems, the meditation method simply offers a context within which you make it happen.

1 While most reliable forms of meditation are unlikely to create serious physical or psychological discomfort. If you experience any significant problems consult a qualified and experienced teacher. The resistance referred to in this article are issues linked to distraction, poor concentration and an unwillingness to ‘sit’.

Can mindfulness increase selfishness?

Is there a relationship between selfishness and mindfulness?

A warning from the Royal College of Psychiatrists appeared in the  media over the last two weeks.  The College’s spirituality special interest group chair, Dr Alison Gray, has suggested that solitary mindfulness practice could lead to a tendency towards selfishness.

The idea that mindfulness or meditation could support the creation of negative emotions or increasing instability is a perfectly sensible observation to make. However it perhaps reveals how little western science really known about meditation. Two of the most important safeguards for traditional meditators are:

  1. Beginners are typically taught by a knowledgeable teacher
  2. Learning meditation usually takes place in an ethical framework

At one extreme, a knowledgeable teacher is someone who has meditated for thousands of hours, has accomplished the practice they teach and have many years of experience of teaching. As a starting point the student will be taught, for at least part of the time by the teacher able to offer guidance and training. If the student demonstrates a tendency to selfishness, or sentimentality the teacher will offer appropriate advice.

Secondly by meditating within an ethical framework students are given protection from a range of potential adverse reactions to working with mind, such as selfishness. Whilst traditional meditators are associated with compassion, this isn’t simply an aspirational aspect of practice, it’s also to keep the student rooted on a meaningful path. In fact there are some traditional methods for which a compassionate view is an essential per-requisite.

The idea that meditation is beneficial per se’ is at best naive’. There are accounts of mindfulness being taught to combat troops and executives working in banking and finance.  What is the likely effect of mindfulness in these situations?

However there is also a technical aspect to consider. I would expect that an excessive internal or external focus to lead to the development of neural networks to reflect this focus. I have known many selfless meditators who retained very high levels of compassion after extended periods meditating alone. I am satisfied that meditating alone in itself does not create selfishness.  I am minded to think that they key is in the motivation of the meditator. In a healthy adult meditator, the motivation behind the meditation practice is likely to be strengthened by the process of meditation. It is perhaps in this regard that experienced teachers  refer to compassion as a ‘protection’ to the meditator.

The only bad meditation is…

good meditation
Sleeping meditation?

“The only bad meditation is the one you don’t do”

May all the beings have happiness and the causes of happiness.

How much does science know about meditation?

Meditators must engage more with science

Are meditators contributing to confusion and uncertain about meditation in contemporary society?

Meditate for improved health and well being
What do meditators know about meditation?

A significant amount of media coverage is dedicated to the benefits (or not) of working with mind. Frequently scientific studies are cited to support a particular position or opinions about aspects of meditation. However there is little public engagement with the science of meditation more generally. The last 30 years has seen an increasing interest in both traditional and contemporary forms of meditation and mindfulness. As someone who has received great benefits from ‘practice’, I welcome wider discussion on the subject. Regrettably the voices of practitioners are rarely heard in the empirical debate, even though they hold a significant body of knowledge not necessarily accessible to the scientists. It is true that many meditation scientists are in fact practitioners, I am a case in point. But I’m not sure that I can be a representative for, or of the wider meditation community with regards to my own research.

In every instance there are significant differences in the roles of subjective observer (practitioner) and objective observer (scientist). Within contemporary experimental psychology the quantitative, objective approach is generally kept distant from issues connected to actual real world experience. This makes the input of a large and influential meditation community essential to a balanced understanding of meditation. For example for a considerable time nondual forms of meditation were not being recognized by most researchers, despite the fact that duality is a central pillar of Buddhist teaching and a context for all related practices.

Traditionally scientific research is evaluated by other scientists through a peer review system. Influential research can remain within the maze of academic publications and scientific reviews for years. If a paper is regarded as being of particular interest it can be brought into the mainstream by journalists or other commentators. But it is also possible for research to influence public policy without a conversation with the wider community. In general terms I think people should be free to develop their own ideas about meditation. But it’s probably not useful for scientists to be evaluating what a practice is, without a clear understanding of how it is undertaken and what the meditator is doing with their mind. Published meditation and mindfulness studies can now be measured in tens of thousands (just check on Google Scholar). But the contribution of many of these papers is uncertain. Most studies report some ‘effect’ from a training in meditation, but when a range of studies are compared (meta reviewed), patterns are less than clear. In fact the methodological and theoretical basis of many meditation studies does not stand up to close scientific scrutiny. The relationship between traditional meditation and contemporary mindfulness practices is also somewhat confused.

As a Buddhist meditator (rather than a dharma scholar) my training has largely been based on challenging self rather than other. However as a meditation scientist a critical perspective is essential to both understand and engage with meditation studies. Many practitioners may feel that the scientific community are in a good position to inform society about the value of meditation and mindfulness. It is perhaps this view that has allowed meditation to be a partner in an appropriation process, both directly and by association. From my current vantage point, as a long standing meditator and post grad researcher, I can see a need for greater interaction between the meditation and scientific communities.

Meditation is by its very nature an experiential  practice, what happens to the meditator is of crucial importance in the process. And yet meditation research has been dominated by ‘objective’ scientific measurement. Broad acceptance of the need to better understand the experience of the meditator (e.g. the phenomenological matrix) has only been around for a few years.  There are almost no authoritative surveys focusing specifically on either meditators, meditation practice or the meditation communities at large. Even in strictly secular forms of meditation such as MBIs there is a need for a wider discussion about the processes involved and the relationship with traditional approaches. Mindfulness has existed for centuries in Buddhist practices but the terminology is evolving into new areas in a contemporary setting. Some teachers of traditional meditation now draw a distinction between MBIs as ‘bare attention’ and Buddhist understandings of mindfulness. Does this mean we now need to distinguish between different forms of mindfulness? Recent investigations has suggested that mindfulness research can be based on one of dozens of operational definitions. This confusion has in part been caused because the field of contemplative science has little input from contemplatives.

There are I think, three things that could be done immediately.

  • If as a meditator you encounter unclear information about meditation in your sphere of activity you may wish to attempt to discuss it.  A polite engagement is likely to be enriching even if your original thoughts prove to be wrong.
  • Those individuals and organisation regarded as stakeholders in meditation (traditional and secular), should offer greater public comment regarding scientific matters linked to meditation.
  • Finally a forum should be created where meditators and meditation scientists can come together to discuss the science of meditation. Not a limited contact between senior Buddhist figures and leading neuroscientist, but a dialogue in every community where meditators and scientists share this common interest.

Many traditional practitioners are taught  not accept teachings just because they come from someone who seems knowledgeable, like a monk for example. Rather to test the teachings for themselves. Given the known and demonstrated problems in the research of meditation perhaps the same logic should be applied to statements from scientists?

Beginners mindfulness weekend retreat

Beginners mindfulness and compassion retreat in Eastbourne, East Sussex

Mindfulness retreat for beginners

I’d like to highlight two projects being run by the experienced and qualified meditation teacher Cesare Saguato.

There is a beginners weekend retreat in mindfulness and compassion based in Eastbourne from Friday 9th to Sunday 11th of February 2018. Secondly a public eight week mindfulness course that begins in Rochester on January 12th 2018.

Full information including prices and booking details can be obtained from Cesare’s own website.