Well, I survived the beach. And yeah! I actually got around to finally going! It was rainy and kinda crap, so I'll probably try to find a prettier time to try again. On the plus side, I stopped on the way back and ate delicious Cuban food! On the down side, I didn't get nearly as much done on Super Hockey Ball as I would've liked. You'll just have to deal with it.
Even though this is a smaller update, I'm sure you'll dig it! The neighborhood environment has gotten a bit of an overhaul. It's been optimized for performance a bit, which is especially welcome considering it got busier! Now, you'll find sidewalks, fences (again, but better this time), and bushes. The street and grass are more appropriately separated. AND this marks the first time we'll see terrain outside of the testing environments.
So, all that is great. But what about the gameplay? I'm glad you asked! The level progression system is more robust now, and works with the "Find the Targets" game mode. You'll find an extra level in there, just for you. "Through the Gates" has gotten a bit of a facelift. It integrates better with the environment, offers some unique messages, and should work much better in general.
There are the usual slew of minor bug-fixes and gameplay tweaks. For example, Targeting now works in later stages of "Through the Gates" and "Find the Targets". And the attack curve on the stick scrape sound has been increased (so you'll hear the scrapes sooner). Cone triggers got an update. And I even managed to reduce occurrences of erratic Ball behavior.
So, yeah. That's a decent bit of work for a week where I was actually on vacation, don't you think?
Have a good one, kiddos! Catch you next time.
Edit: Oh, yeah. You want a change-log, don't you? Have a special lazy-vacation version! Just an unorganized list of junk!


text:
\section{Introduction}

Phosphorene is a two-dimensional (2D) material,  consisting of a single-layer of
the black phosphorus allotrope that, currently,  has received tremendous
attention. It presents unique properties, such as layer-controlled direct
bandgap\,\cite{zhang2014extraordinary,tran2014layer},
high-mobility\,\cite{qiao2014high}, and \textit{p}-type semiconductor
properties\,\cite{liu2014phosphorene}. These  properties make  phosphorene a quite
interesting 2D material  for electronic
applications\,\cite{li2014black,das2014ambipolar,zhu2015flexible,du2014device,
du2015recent}.

There are two main methods  to produce phosphorene, both based on the
exfoliation processes down to a monolayer thickness,  {\it viz.}:
mechanical exfoliation\,\cite{verzhbitskiy2015colossal,favron2015photooxidation,
lu2014plasma} and liquid exfoliation\,\cite{guo2015black,
brent2014production,kang2015solvent}. However, exfoliated phosphorus degrades
when exposed in ambient
conditions\,\cite{koenig2014electric,woomer2015phosphorene}. Such a phosphorene
degradation\,\cite{favron2015photooxidation,island2015environmental} is an
irreversible process,  ascribed to the presence of oxygen atoms, and water
molecules. Indeed, phosphorene presents lower chemical
stability due to the lone pairs of the surface P atoms, which leads it to be
very reactive when exposed to air. In Ref.\,\cite{ziletti2015oxygen} the authors
have been shown that oxygen
interstitial defect on phosphorene lead to increasing of hydrophilicity of the
surface, which may  play an important role in the surface degradation. Further
studies have been done in an  effort to understand the degradation of
phosphorene upon the presence of O$_2$ and/or H$_2$O
molecules\,\cite{cai2015energetics,favron2015photooxidation,wang2016degradation,
wood2014effective}, as well as some proposals to avoid it. For instance,
phosphorene surface passivation through Al$_2$O$_3$
coating\,\cite{na2014few,kim2014toward,pei2016producing}.

The degradation process of phosphorene is strongly correlated with its boundary
conditions. In a recent experimental study, Wood {\it et
al.}\,\cite{wood2014effective} verified that the degradation of transistors,
composed by few layers of phosphorene,  can be suppressed upon the presence of a
hydrophilic substrate (SiO$_2$) and a coating layer of AlO$_x$. Since SiO$_2$\ surface
is by far the most common substrate to buildup transistors, it is quite
important to get a clear  picture of the electronic interactions and the
structural properties of (i) phosphorene adsorbed on the SiO$_2$\ surface, as well
as (ii) the role played the SiO$_2$\ surface in the phosphorene degradation
mediated by the presence of H$_2$O\ molecules.

In this work, we performed an atomistic study, based on first-principles
calculations of  (i) and (ii) described above. We have considered a single
layer phosphorene (SLP) adsorbed on the amorphous SiO$_2$\ surface (SLP/a-SiO$_2$).
In (i), we found that the SLP\ bonds to the a-SiO$_2$\ surface mediated by van
der Walls (vdW) interactions, even upon the presence of oxygen vacancies ($\rm
V_O$), which is the most common intrinsic defect in SiO$_2$. The structural, and
the surface-potential corrugations promote  the formation of electron-rich and
-poor regions on the phosphorene sheet, and at the phosphorene/a-SiO$_2$\
interface. Such charge density puddles are strengthened by the presence of
oxygen vacancies  in a-SiO$_2$. In (ii), we have considered a number of plausible
configurations for the H$_2$O\ molecules embedded in the SLP/a-SiO$_2$\ interface.
We find an energetic preference for the formation of hydroxyl (OH) groups bonded
to the a-SiO$_2$\ surface, when compared with the SLP,  even upon the presence of
the interstitial oxygen adatoms in the SLP\ sheet. However, due to the
amorphous character of the a-SiO$_2$\ surface, depending on the local geometry at
the SLP/a-SiO$_2$\ interface region, we verified the formation of energetically
stable  P--O--Si structure bridging the SLP\ sheet and the a-SiO$_2$\ surface.
Finally,  x-ray absorption spectra (XAS)
simulations have been done, aiming to provide additional structural/electronic
informations of the  oxygen atoms forming hydroxyl groups or P--O--Si chemical
bonds at the interface region.

\section{Methodology}

The amorphous structure was generated through \textit{ab initio} molecular
dynamics (MD) simulations based on the density functional theory (DFT) approach,
as implemented in the VASP code\cite{kresse1,kresse2,kresse3}. In Ref.
\cite{scopelPRB2008}, we present details on the generation procedure of
amorphous SiO$_2$ bulk structure. For DFT calculatons, the generalized gradient
approximation (GGA) for the exchange-correlation potential is used. The
ion-electron interaction is treated with the projected augmented wave
(PAW)\cite{bl1994p,kresse1999ultrasoft} method. The plane-wave cutoff energy for
wave function is set to 500 eV and the brillouin zone was sampled at the
$\Gamma$ point. All atoms were allowed to relax until the atomic forces were
smaller than 0.025 eV/\AA. In addition, a combination of optB88vdW
\cite{dion2004van,klimevs2011van} for geometry optimization and HSE06
\cite{ernzerbhof2006} for density of state (based on the optB88-vdW optimized
structure) is used, which has been shown very reliable for single-layer
phosphorene (SLP). The slab model contains three different atomic species with
vacuum region of ca. 15 \AA~, so that the interaction between successive
periodic images along to z-direction can be neglected. The optimized lattice
parameter for single-layer phosphorene (SLP) was a = 4.38 \AA~ and b = 3.31 \AA,
in good agreement with previous theoretical and experimental
results\cite{liu2014phosphorene,brown1965refinement}. In our calculations we
used a 3$\times$4 supercell size.

\section{Results and Discussions}

\subsection{SLP/a-SiO$_2$ interface}

Initially we examine the  energetic stability of a SLP\ adsorbed on the
defect-free amorphous SiO$_2$\ surface (SLP/a-SiO$_2$). In Fig.\,\ref{structure}(a1)
we present the structural model and the electronic charge transfers (which will
be discussed below) of SLP/a-SiO$_2$. The energetic stability of the SLP adsorbed
on the SiO$_2$ surface was examined by the calculation of the adsorption energy
($E^{\rm a}$), which can be written as,

$$
E^{\rm a} =  E[{\rm a\textendash SiO_2}] + E[{\rm SLP}] - E[{\rm SLP/a
\textendash SiO_2}].
$$

Where $E[{\rm SLP}]$ and $E[{\rm a\textendash SiO_2}]$ are  the total energies
of the separated components, an isolated SLP, and the a-SiO$_2$\ surface,
respectively; $E[{\rm SLP/a\textendash SiO_2}]$  is the total energy of the
fully relaxed SLP/a-SiO$_2$ system. It was considered the adsorption of SLP on
two different (amorphous) SiO$_2$\ surfaces, where we found adsorption energies of
13.9 and 11.3\,eV/\AA$^2$, and (averaged) vertical distances between the SLP\
and the a-SiO$_2$\ surface of 2.80 and 2.75\,\AA. Thus, suggesting the absence of
chemical bonds at the SLP--surface region. The SLP\ sheet is attached to
the a-SiO$_2$\ surface mediated by  vdW interactions. Somewhat similar picture has
been verified for other 2D systems adsorbed on a-SiO$_2$. For instance, we obtained
$E^{\rm a}$ of 6.3 and 15\,meV/\AA$^2$ for graphene and MoS$_2$ on the a-SiO$_2$\
surface,\,\cite{miwaAPL2011,scopel2015mos2}.

Due to the surface corrugation, SLP\ on a-SiO$_2$\ may also present structural
deformations, as observed  for graphene on
a-SiO$_2$\,\cite{ishigamiNanoLett2007,sinitskiiACSNano2010}; giving rise to
electron-rich and -poor regions (so called electron-hole puddles) on the
graphene surface\,\cite{martinNatPhys2008}. Indeed, due to corrugation of the
(amorphous) surface potential, and the vertical distortion of $\sim$0.08\,\AA\
of the SLP\ adsorbed on a-SiO$_2$, we also verify the formation of electron-hole
puddles on the SLP\ surface, as well as electronic charge transfers at the
SLP$-$a-SiO$_2$\ interface region. Here, we map  the total charge transfers
($\Delta\rho$) by comparing total charge density of the final system,
SLP/a-SiO$_2$\ ($\rm\rho$[SLP/a\hbox{-}SiO$_2$]) with the ones of the isolated
components,  SLP ($\rm\rho[SLP]$) and a-SiO$_2$\ ($\rm\rho[a\hbox{-}SiO_2]$),

$$
\rm
\Delta\rho= \rho[SLP/a\hbox{-}SiO_2]-\rho[SLP]-\rho[a\hbox{-}SiO_2].
$$

Our result of $\Delta\rho$ for a SLP\ on the pristine a-SiO$_2$\ surface is
presented in Fig.\,\ref{structure}(a1). In Fig.\,\ref{structure}(a2) we present
the planar average of $\Delta\rho$ perpendicularly to the surface plane,
$\Delta\rho(z)$. The electronic charge transfer is (i) not uniform on the
surface plane, and (ii) mostly localized at the interface region, where we have
both positive as negative values of $\Delta\rho$. In order to quantify the total
charge transfers, we have used the  Bader charge density
analysis\,\cite{bader1,bader2}; where we found that the total charge density of
the SLP\ reduces by $6.70\times 10^{12} e/{\rm cm^2}$.

\begin{figure}[!ht]
\begin{center}
\includegraphics[width = 8.5 cm]{fig1.jpeg}
\caption{(a1) Structural model and the electronic charge transfers
($\Delta\rho$) of a single layer phosphorene adsorbed on the a-SiO$_2$\ surface
(SLP/a-SiO$_2$); (a2) planar average of the net charge transfer perpendicularly to
the SLP/a-SiO$_2$\ interface. (b1) Structural model and the electronic charge
tranfers of SLP/a-SiO$_2$\ upon the presence of an intrinsic defect on the
surface, oxygen vacancy; (b2)   planar average of the net charge transfer
perpendicularly to the SLP/a-SiO$_2$\ interface. Green regions indicate an
increase of total charge density, $\Delta \rho >$ 0, while blue regions indicate
a decrease ($\Delta \rho <$ 0). The P, O, Si and H atoms are represented by
light purple, red and gray color spheres. }
\label{structure}
\end{center}
\end{figure}

The SLP$-$SiO$_2$\ interaction has been strengthened upon the presence of  oxygen
vacancies. We found that the adsorption energy increases to 16.6 meV/\AA${^2}$,
and there is a  net charge transfer  of $1.06\times 10^{13}e/{\rm cm^2}$
(0.19\,$e$/$\rm V_O$ defect), from the surface to the SLP. In
Figs.\,\ref{structure}(b1) and \ref{structure}(b2), we present our results of
$\Delta\rho$ and $\Delta\rho(z)$, respectively. It noticeable that the most of
the charge density gain is localized on the lower zigzag chains of the
phosphorene; somewhat similar picture has been verified for the the n-type doped
graphene bilayers on the Cu(111) surface\,\cite{souza2016switchable}. It is
worth noting the formation electron-rich ($\Delta\rho>0$, green regions) and
electron-poor ($\Delta\rho<0$, blue regions) embedded in the phosphorene layer,
Fig.\,\ref{structure}(b1), while $\Delta\rho\approx 0$ in the SiO$_2$\ surface. As
verified for graphene on SiO$_2$\,\cite{martinNatPhys2008,miwaAPL2011},  those
electron-rich and -poor regions, randomly distributed on the phosphorene layer,
are ruled by the structural deformation of the adsorbed SLP, and the
corrugation of the a-SiO$_2$\ surface potential.

Focusing on the electronic properties,  we calculate the energy positions of the
valence band maximum  (VBM), and conduction band minimum (CBM) of the isolated
components, and the ones of the final system, SLP/a-SiO$_2$,
Fig.\,\ref{energies_level}. The energy positions were aligned with respect to
the vacuum level\,\cite{vacuum-level}. For the SLP\ we find an ionization
potential of 5.3\,eV, and an energy gap of 1.55\,eV, which are in good agreement
with recent theoretical
studies\,\cite{cai2014layer,srivastava2015tuning,tran2014layer}. Meanwhile, for
the a-SiO$_2$\ we find an energy gap of 6.15\,eV, and an ionization potential of
8.4\,eV. In Fig.\,\ref{energies_level}(a2) we present the density of states
(DOS) (shaded region) and the projected density of states (PDOS) on the SLP\
(dashed lines) and SiO$_2$\ (solid lines). The VBM and the CBM of the SLP\ are
slightly perturbed (by about 0.1\,meV) upon its interaction with the a-SiO$_2$\
surface, being both localized within the energy gap of the a-SiO$_2$. In this case,
 the SLP$-$a-SiO$_2$\ interface presents a type-I band alignment, with  valence
band offset (VBO) and conduction band offset (CBO) of about 3.11 and 1.47\,eV,
respectively. Here we are not considering the contribution of the dipole
effects, at the SLP$-$a-SiO$_2$\ interface region, on the band VBM and CBM band
alignment\,\cite{dipole}.

A single oxygen vacancy on the a-SiO$_2$\ surface gives rise to  an occupied
defect level within the energy gap of a-SiO$_2$. Here, we find the an occupied
defect level lying at VBM+1.60\,eV [Fig.\,\ref{energies_level}(b1)], in good
agreement  with  previous theoretical work\,\cite{sushko2005oxygen}. Upon the
formation of SLP/a-SiO$_2$, the defect level is resonant with  the VBM of the adsorbed SLP\ sheet,
Figs.\,\ref{energies_level}(b1) and \ref{energies_level}(b2); meanwhile the
energy positions of the VBM and CBM of SLP\ are weakly perturbed by the
presence of the $\rm V_O$ defect.

\begin{figure}[!ht]
\begin{center}
\includegraphics[width = 8.5 cm]{fig2.jpeg}
\caption{Electronic energy levels of the valence band maximum (VBM) and the
conduction band minimum (CBM) of the isolated components, SLP\ and a-SiO$_2$, and
the ones of the final system, SLP/a-SiO$_2$, and the projected density of states
(PDOS), of the pristine surface (a1-a2), and  upon the presence of an oxygen
vacancy (b1-b2).  $\varepsilon_0$ indicate the energy position of the (oxygen
vacacy) defect level.}
\label{energies_level}
\end{center}
\end{figure}

\subsection{H$_2$O at SLP/SiO$_2$ interface}

Here, initially we examine the energetic stability of water molecules adsorbed
on the  separated components, {\it viz.}: water on SLP\ (H$_2$O/SLP), and  on
the amorphous a-SiO$_2$\ surface (H$_2$O/a-SiO$_2$). For the former system, we have
considered two (energetically stable) H$_2$O/SLP\ configurations,
Figs.\,\ref{water_surface}(a) and \ref{water_surface}(b); both recently proposed
in the literature\,\cite{cai2015energetics,wang2016degradation}. We found that
those two structures  are very close in energy, where we obtained H$_2$O\
adsorption energies of 0.18 and 0.21\,eV/molecule, respectively. Our total
energy results  support the ``two leg'' geometry recently proposed by Wang {\it
et al.}\,\cite{wang2016degradation}. At the equilibrium geometry, the molecular
structure of  H$_2$O\  has been preserved, lying at 2.50~\AA\ from
the SLP\ surface.

There are several studies addressing the adsorption of water molecules on silica
surfaces. The subject becomes more complicated and interesting for amorphous
surfaces, since we have a very large number of energetically metastable
configurations of H$_2$O\  on a-SiO$_2$. Here we have considered two  different
geometries, {\it viz.}: (i) a H$_2$O\ molecule attached to the four-fold
coordinated surface Si atom [H$_2$O/a-SiO$_2$\ in Fig.\ref{water_surface}(c)], and
(ii)  H$_2$O\ dissociated geometry, giving rise to two  hydroxyls,  one composed
by the oxygen and hydrogen atoms remnant from the adsorbed H$_2$O\ molecule, and
another composed by a H atom, dissociated from the original H$_2$O\ molecule,
bonded to the two-fold coordinate oxygen  atom of the a-SiO$_2$\ surface
[OH/(OH)a-SiO$_2$\ in Fig.\,\ref{water_surface}(d)]. In (i) we find an adsorption
energy of 1.19\,eV/molecule, with Si--O equilibrium bond length of 1.82\,\AA\
(close to the sum of the covalent radii of Si and O, 1.83\,\AA), indicating the
formation of chemical bond between the H$_2$O\ molecule and the a-SiO$_2$\ surface.
Our adsorption energy, and Si--O bond length results are in good agreement with
the ones obtained by Zhao and Jing\,\cite{zhi2008structural}, for H$_2$O\
adsorbed on SiO$_2$\ clusters. On the other hand, we find that once the H$_2$O\
molecule is adsorbed on the a-SiO$_2$\ surface,  the formation of  hydroxyl groups
[(ii)], H$_2$O/a-SiO$_2$$\rightarrow$OH/(OH)a-SiO$_2$, is an exothermic process by
1.45\,eV. Indeed, the formation of OH groups on a-SiO$_2$\ has been supported by
other theoretical studies
\cite{walsh2000hydrolysis,mahadevan2008dissociative,lockwood2014proton}, and it
is in  agreement with the experimental observation\,\cite{kim2003dissociation}.
Those adsorption energy results  allow us to confirm the hydrophilic character
of the a-SiO$_2$\ surface with respect to the SLP. In a recent experimental study,
performed by Wood {\it et al.}\,\cite{wood2014effective}, the authors verified
that the oxidation rate, of exfoliated black phosphorous, has been reduced by
the presence of the (hydrophilic)  SiO$_2$\ surface.

\begin{figure}[!ht]
\begin{center}
\includegraphics[width = 8.5 cm]{fig3.jpeg}
\caption{Equilibrium  geometries of the H$_2$O molecule adsorbed on the
single layer phosphorene (a) and (c); and on the a-SiO$_2$\ surface (b) and (d).
The P, O, Si and H atoms are represented by light purple, red, gray and white
color spheres.}
\label{water_surface}
\end{center}
\end{figure}

Next we examine the presence of H$_2$O\ at the SLP$-$a-SiO$_2$\ interface region.
Within our calculation approach, the  interactions between the H$_2$O\ molecules
are negligible; we are considering  lateral distances of about 13\,\AA\ between
the molecules, which corresponds to a planar concentration of
$5.6\times10^{13}$/cm$^2$. At such a low coverage regime, the adsorption energy
of SLP\ on the H$_2$O/a-SiO$_2$\ surface [SLP/H$_2$O/a-SiO$_2$\ in
Fig.\,\ref{OH}(a)] is practically the same as that obtained without H$_2$O\
molecules. We have considered two SLP/H$_2$O/a-SiO$_2$\ configurations, where we
found $E^{\rm a}$ of 13.2 and 15.8\,meV/\AA$^2$, and the vertical distance
between the SLP\ and the a-SiO$_2$\ surface increases to 3.47\,\AA\ (averaged
value).

Similarly to the H$_2$O/a-SiO$_2$\ systems discussed above, the formation of
hydroxyl groups even at the presence of the SLP\ layer,
SLP/H$_2$O/a-SiO$_2$$\rightarrow$SLP/OH/(OH)a-SiO$_2$\ [Fig.\,\ref{OH}(b)], is an
exothermic process;  the total energy reduces by 1.23\,eV. The presence of
hydroxyl groups at the SLP$-$a-SiO$_2$\ interface increases the  corrugation of
the SLP\ by 0.14\,\AA, in comparison with the SLP/a-SiO$_2$\ system,
0.08$\rightarrow$0.22\,\AA, where the SLP\ lies at 2.50\,\AA\ from the
(OH)/(OH)a-SiO$_2$\ substrate (averaged values). Indeed, similar equilibrium
geometry picture has been verified for graphene adsorbed on
a-HfO$_2$, intercalated by H$_2$O\ molecules\,\cite{olson2015capacitive}.

\begin{figure}[!ht]
\begin{center}
\includegraphics[width=8.5cm]{fig4.jpeg}
\caption{Equilibrium geometries of H$_2$O\ molecules embedded in the
SLP/a-SiO$_2$\ interface, undissociated (a), and dissociated formig OH groups (b).
Esquibrium geometries of H$_2$O\ molecules intercalated between the oxidized
SLP\ and the a-SiO$_2$\ surface, undissociated (c), dissociate forming an OH
group bonded to the SLP\ and another bonded to the a-SiO$_2$\ surface (d),  and
forming  two OH groups bonded to the a-SiO$_2$\ surface (e).  Equilibrium geometry
of an OH group bonded to the SLP\ (f), an OH group bonded to the a-SiO$_2$\ (g),
and an oxygen atoms forming a P--O--Si bridge structure (h). The P, O, Si and H
atoms are represented by light purple, red and gray color spheres.}
\label{OH}
\end{center}
\end{figure}

In order to provide  a more complete picture of water in SLP/a-SiO$_2$,  we have
also considered the presence of oxygen, (i) as a interstitial defect attached to
the SLP, and (ii) forming  oxygenated H$_2$O, embedded between the phosphorene
sheet and the a-SiO$_2$\ substrate\,\cite{wood2014effective}. For the interstitial
oxygen, our binding energy, and equilibrium geometry results are in agreement
with the ones of the most stable configuration predicted by Ziletti {\it et
al.}\,\cite{ziletti2015oxygen}.

\begin{figure}[!ht]
\begin{center}
\includegraphics[width=8.5cm]{fig5.jpeg}
\caption{Oxygen K-edge XANES spectrum obtained for the $\alpha$-quartz
geometry comparing with experimental and theoretical
data\cite{taillefumier2002}.}
\label{quartz}
\end{center}
\end{figure}

The structural model, and the total energy differences in (i) are depicted in
Figs.\,\ref{OH}(c)--\ref{OH}(e); by comparing the total energies, we found the
latter (former) configuration as the most (less) stable one. Thus, indicating
that, even at the presence of interstitial oxygen attached to  the SLP,  the
remnant H atom from the H$_2$O\ molecule promotes the formation hydroxyls on the
a-SiO$_2$\ surface, Fig.\,\ref{OH}(e), as we verified on the a-SiO$_2$\ pristine
surface. In this case, there is an atomic rearrangement on the a-SiO$_2$\ surface,
in order to keep the two-fold (four-fold) coordination of the surface O (Si)
atoms. However, it is worth noting that due to the amorphous character of the
surface, the formation of hydroxyl groups on  a-SiO$_2$\ will depend on the local
geometry, and thus, although energetically less stable, we may find the
formation of hydroxyl groups on the SLP, as shown in  Fig.\,\ref{OH}(d).

In (ii),  we find that dissociation of H$_2$O$_2$, giving rise to hydroxyl groups
attached to the SLP\ or a-SiO$_2$\ surface, is an exothermic process. Here we have
considered a number of plausible configurations of OH at the SLP$-$a-SiO$_2$\
interface. For an OH  group attached to the SLP\ sheet, Fig.\,\ref{OH}(f), we
find a total energy release of 0.99\,eV/OH, when compared with the separated
components, namely, pristine SLP/a-SiO$_2$\ and a H$_2$O$_2$\ molecule. Further total
energy comparisons indicate that the SLP/(OH)a-SiO$_2$\ configuration
[Fig.\,\ref{OH}(g)] is more stable by 1.13\,eV. Whereas, again due to the
amorphous character of the surface, we may find an energetically quite stable
configuration composed by an oxygen atom (two fold coordinated) forming a
P--O--Si bridge structure between the SLP\ and the a-SiO$_2$\ surface; while the
remnant hydrogen atom forms an OH group with the a-SiO$_2$\ surface,
Fig.\,\ref{OH}(h).

\begin{figure}[!ht]
\begin{center}
\includegraphics[width=7cm]{fig6.jpeg}
\caption{Simulated oxygen K-edge XAS spectrum of the OH group for structural
models depicted in Figs.\,\ref{OH}(f), \ref{OH}(g), and \ref{OH}(h) (a).
O K-edge spectrum of the OH group of the structural models
shown in Fig.\,\ref{OH}(f) and \ref{OH}(g). (b) at the equilibrium geometry
(h=2.00\,\AA, solid-line) and increasing the vertical distance (h=4.00\,\AA,
dashed-line), and (c) at the equilibrium geometry (h=2.82\,\AA, solid-line) and
increasing the vertical distance (h=6.82\,\AA, dashed-line).}
\label{x-new}
\end{center}
\end{figure}

X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) has been considered a quite suitable
technique to provide informations about atomic and electronic structure near
the probed element. Here, we  characterize the presence of OH groups  by
performing a set of XAS simulations of the oxygen K-edge spectrum in
SLP/a-SiO$_2$.

Initially, in order to verify the adequacy of our calculation procedure, we
calculated the oxygen K-edge spectrum of   $\alpha$-quartz (SiO$_{2}$). Where,
as shown in Fig.\,\ref{quartz} (solid lines), we find a good agreement with the
previous theoretical/experimental findings\,\cite{taillefumier2002}. For the
SLP/a-SiO$_2$, we examine   the K-edge spectrum of the oxygen atom of the OH
group, as shown in Figs.\,\ref{OH}(f) and \ref{OH}(g), as well as the one
forming the P-O-Si bridge structure presented in Fig.\,\ref{OH}(h).
Based on the PDOS
results, shown in Fig.\,\ref{energies_level}(a), the final state in the
O-1$s\rightarrow p$ transition should present a dominant contribution from the
P-3$p$  orbitals of the  SLP; even upon the presence of a core hole in the
(probed) oxygen atom. Thus, suggesting  a weak dependence between the O K-edge
energy position and the configuration  of the oxygen atom in SLP/a-SiO$_2$.
Indeed, for the three structural models, the XAS spectra present somewhat the
same feature, with the O-1$s$ peak lying within the shaded region in
Fig.\ref{x-new}(a). Indicated by arrows in Fig.\,\ref{x-new}(a), we verify that
the O-1$s$ peak  is   more intense  for OH group bonded to the SLP [structural
model shown in Fig.\,\ref{OH}(f)], and less intense for OH bonded to the SiO$_2$\
surface [Fig.\,\ref{OH}(g)]. Meanwhile, for O atom forming the P-O-Si bridge
structure, Fig.\,\ref{OH}(h), we have an intermediate intensity.

Computational simulations can be a quite useful tool to help the interpretation
of XAS spectra. For instance, we can simulate a set of configurations, which are
experimentally non-accessible,  aiming to provide additional informations of  a
given spectrum. In  Fig.\,\ref{x-new}(b), the solid line indicate  the original
O K-edge spectrum of OH bonded to the SLP [Fig.\,\ref{OH}(f)]; while the dashed
line corresponds to the O K-edge spectrum of the same OH configuration, but
increasing the vertical distance (h) from 2.00\,\AA\ (equilibrium geometry) to
4.00\,\AA. In this case, the role played by the a-SiO$_2$\ surface, to the XAS
spectrum, has been reduced. We find that the two (original) O-1$s$ peaks reduce
to a single one with higher intensity. Thus, indicating that (i) the a-SiO$_2$\
surface orbitals contribute to the final state of O K-edge spectrum of OH bonded
to the SLP, and (ii) the interaction with the a-SiO$_{2}$\ surface  reduces the
O-1$s$ binding energy. On the other hand, for OH group bonded to the a-SiO$_2$\
surface [Fig.\,\ref{OH}(g)], (i) the feature indicated by an arrow in
Fig.\,\ref{x-new}(c) has been suppressed by increasing the vertical distance, h
= 2.82 (equilibrium position) $\rightarrow$ 6.82\,\AA, and (ii) there is an
increase on the O-1$s$ binding energy. Those results  can be attributed to the
reduction of electronic contributions from the phosphorene to the final state of
O K-edge spectrum.

\section{Summary}

In summary, based on first-principles calculations we investigate (i) the
electronic and structural properties of a single layer phosphorene (SLP)
adsorbed on the amorphous silicon oxide surface (SLP/a-SiO$_2$), and (ii) the
incorporation of H$_2$O\ molecules in the SLP$-$a-SiO$_2$\ interface. In (i), we
find that single layer phosphorene bonds to the amorphous SiO$_2$\ surface
(SLP/a-SiO$_2$) mediated by vdW interactions. There are no chemical bonds between
the SLP and the surface, even at the presence of oxygen vacancies ($\rm V_O$),
which is a common intrinsic defect in a-SiO$_2$. The (amorphous) surface
corrugation promotes a non-uniform charge density distribution, giving rise to
electron-hole puddles in  SLP/a-SiO$_2$. Such  charge density puddles are
strengthened upon the presence of $\rm V_O$, which may reduce the carrier
mobility in the phosphorene layer. The $\rm V_O$ defect gives rise to an
occupied level in the band gap of a-SiO$_2$; upon the formation of SLP/a-SiO$_2$, the
defect level lies near the valence band maximum of the SLP. We estimate the
band alignment of SLP/a-SiO$_2$, where we find a type-I band offset.  In (ii), we
find an energetic preference for the formation of hydroxyl (OH) groups bonded to
the pristine a-SiO$_2$\ surface, as well as upon the presence of the SLP,
SLP/a-SiO$_2$.  However, due to the  amorphous structure of the surface, depending
on the local geometry, we may find other energetically stable configurations.
Indeed, we found  one  composed by an hydrogen atom bonded to the a-SiO$_2$\
surface and the  oxygen atom forming a P--O--Si bridge structure. Further x-ray
absorption spectroscopy (XAS) simulations, of oxygen atom forming OH or P--O--Si
bridge structure, reveal that the K-edge spectra present different features
for each configuration.

\section*{Acknowledgments}

The authors acknowledge the support from Brazilian
 agencies CNPq, FAPES, FAPEMIG and CAPES; we thank also to CENAPAD-SP for
computer time.
\section*{References}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv


Research by top Gallup experts shows that people who feel valuable are 40 times more likely to recommend their company as a great place to work, 15.5 times more likely to spend their career with the organization, and 4.5 times more likely to recommend the company's products and services.
"When people are praised by the boss for their strengths, they work better with others and are more willing to work on there weaknesses"
"Amazing! Perfect! You received a standing ovation and it was a Huge Success!"
This entertaining session (heavily supported by research from Gallup, MIT and Rutgers) shows that tolerance leads to awareness and understanding that creates long-term value. From attracting top young talent with a culture they'll support to fostering the diversity of thought that is the foundation of creativity, this high-energy program is a great kickoff keynote or closing session for your Inclusion and Diversity Conference.
"It's important that we do our job well, but we may not get the opportunity if we can't learn to benefit from each other."
"When we look for differences instead of similarities, we create barriers for trust."
In a series of recent studies conducted at prestigious research institutions ranging from Rutgers University to MIT's Sloan School of Management, the tangible outcomes of diverse workplaces have been subjected to rigorous analysis. On almost every measure, workplace teams that are comprised of staff members from a variety of different racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds function more effectively than work groups that are homogenous, or comprised mostly of staff members with similar backgrounds. … Some of the most striking divergences can be seen in the areas of problem-solving, conflict resolution, and creativity. In these three crucial skill sets, diverse groups have been shown consistently to outperform their homogenous counterparts.
Employee engagement surveys that Evolve Performance Group conducted across 46 countries and 27 languages show that the No. 1 thing that people value is feeling valuable. We need to make sure we have a culture that is open to everyone and therefore positioned for success.
When it comes to employees, feeling are facts; What we know – People want to be a valued member of a winning team, on an inspiring mission. Employee Engagement helps managers understand how to connect workers to the job that they do. By building that connection for their team members, managers are able to clear the runway for higher levels of performance – helping the team win.
Another key element of engagement is to make certain that the team member not only connects to the success of their team, but also to understand how their role connects to the company overall. Establishing those connections empowers and ignites the individual team member to the highest level of personal performance that translates to financial performance for the organization.


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Aladdin's Quest is a online hidden characters game by Disney. Jasmine has been kidnapped by Jafar. Battle your way up the tower of Jafar's Castle to save princess. Do you have what it takes to clear the games along the way and rescue Jasmine from her prison on the top floor? Good luck and have fun.


text:
Biofuels Combustion
Virginia Tech unveils portable biomass power plant
By Virginia Tech News
April 3, 2013, Blacksburg, VA – Thirty visitors from as far away as New York and Guatemala recently journeyed to Virginia Tech to see demonstrations of the Department of Sustainable Biomaterials' new portable biomass power plant.
About the size of a Mini Cooper turned upright, the biomass power system generates electricity by burning wood chips, corncobs, manure, and other agricultural wastes. In demonstrations, Henry Quesada-Pineda, assistant professor of sustainable biomaterials in the College of Natural Resources and Environment, powered shop tools with the unit.
"There is increasing interest in the community and around the world, especially in off-grid situations, to learn more about how biomass energy production can be integrated into small-scale systems," said Quesada-Pineda, a Virginia Cooperative Extension specialist who is also assistant director of Virginia Tech's Center for Forest Products Business, as he fielded questions from international development consultants and forest-products industry managers during the demonstration.
Henry Quesada-Pineda conducts a demonstration of the portable biomass power unit. (Virginia Tech photo)
The unit's generator is powered by a three-cylinder combustion engine using syngas — a combination of nitrogen, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen produced by biomass reacting with steam at temperatures over 750 C. Virginia Tech's unit, which produces 1 kilowatt hour for every 1.2 kilograms of biomass, is capable of generating 10 kilowatts, enough to power 100 100-watt light bulbs.
With a price tag of $18,000, the unit is not a cost-effective investment for most U.S. companies with access to electricity, Quesada-Pineda says, but his department's research will seek to determine the optimal use for this renewable energy source.
This gasification process itself has been in use for years, Quesada-Pineda says. It was used in the mid-1800s to produce gas for streetlights and cooking, before being replaced by natural gas. Wood gasifiers powered thousands of European motor vehicles during World War II fuel shortages. Today, biomass power plants represent the nation's second largest source of renewable energy in terms of capacity, after hydroelectric.
The term "biomass" encompasses diverse fuels derived from timber, agricultural, and food processing wastes as well as fuel crops grown for electricity generation and can even include manure. Future department research will analyze the effectiveness and emissions output of the many different types of biomass feedstocks available, including sugar cane and coconut shells.
In addition to research, the biomass power unit will be used to support teaching efforts, giving students the opportunity to familiarize themselves with this emerging technology, and to power entrepreneurial projects of the department's student-run Wood Enterprise Institute.
Biochar slashes bioenergy soil emissions
Discovery may allow fuel to be made from C02

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


RR mAX is an integrated solution developed by Retail Realm that enhances and extends the out-of-the-box Retail functionality of Microsoft Dynamics AX™. It not only meets more functional requirements of existing AX customers but it also provides additional built-in features and functionality, giving you more visibility, scalability and options for both the Enterprise POS and Modern POS – wherever, whenever – across the globe.
Microsoft Dynamics AX for Retail Enterprise is a comprehensive business software solution designed for global enterprises, fully supporting their retail-specific and operational business processes, as well as providing comprehensive, core ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) functionality for financial management. "Dynamics for Retail" replaces disparate systems and gives businesses—from the midsize retailer to the conglomerate—in many different industries a unified view of the organization.
Retail Realm Essentials™ is a retail management system for the small and medium business (SMB) that manages both store and head office functionalities. The solution is based on the Microsoft Dynamics AX platform that supports multiple businesses and geographies. The solution can scale up and become full Microsoft Dynamics AX as the organizational requirement becomes more sophisticated.


Watercolor website of Joke Klootwijk from Middelburg- Zeeland, the Netherlands. I was a Member of the European Watercolour Institute and representative for the Netherlands from 2005 to 2008.
I am also a selected participant of the Art-Route Barendrecht since 2000. Member of the Koninklijke Vereniging Kunstenaars van Belgium. My watercolours have their own style, moody with lots of layers thin paint. I am also available for private commissions. Since 2007 I paint in oil, acryllic and pastel, therefore I created my own websites for each specific medium.


text:
Retour à la liste des archives
Fonds A.D. Thacker
↧
Sauter à
Série(s): Architectural projects, 1913-1944
AP004.S1
Projet: Hampstead United Church, Hampstead, Québec, 1930-1931
AP004.S1.D1
Projet: Elevation of a church
Projet: Rosemont Central United Church, Montréal, Québec, circa 1926
Projet: Caughnawaga United Church, Caughnawaga, Québec, circa 1930
Projet: Dundee United Church, Dundee, Québec, 1932
Projet: Proposed United Church, Rockfield, 1928
Projet: Valois United Church, Pointe-Claire, Québec, 1929
Projet: Unidentified church, 1931
Projet: Proposed church and presbytary, Queen Mary Road United Church, Montréal, Québec, 1930
Projet: Proposed unidentified church, 1931
AP004.S1.D10
Projet: United Church Morin-Heights, Morin Heights, Québec, 1931
Projet: Elevation of an unidentified church portal
Projet: Furnishings for All Saints Cathedral, Halifax, Nova Scotia, circa 1920-1930
Projet: Altar for St. Matthias Church, Westmount, Québec, 1930
Projet: Bungalow for A. T. Alexander, Esq., 1927
Projet: Rev. A. McTaggart Residence, Mount-Royal, Québec, 1936
Projet: Unidentified House, Hampstead, Québec, circa 1920-1935
Projet: Unidentified Residence, Hampstead, Québec, circa 1920-1930
Projet: Row houses, circa 1920-1930
Projet: Twin houses I, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Québec, 1913
Projet: Unidentified House, Chambly, Québec, circa 1920-1930
Projet: Percy Warrington House, Chambly, Québec, circa 1920-1930
Projet: Twin houses II, circa 1920-1930
Projet: Twin houses III, circa 1920-1930
Projet: Twin houses IV, Montréal, Québec, 1930
Projet: Proposed apartments, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, Québec, 1928
Projet: Country house, circa 1920-1930
Projet: Tyre & gas service station, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, Québec, 1928
Projet: Rice studio, circa 1920-1930
Projet: Armoury for the 1st Regiment Grenadier Guards of Canada, Montréal, Québec, 1913
Projet: Laurentian cottage, Québec, circa 1920-1930
Projet: Mr. and Mrs. W.G. Blennerhasset Residence, Hampstead, Québec, 1944
Projet: First Church of Christ Scientist, Montréal, Québec, 1926-1938
Inclus dans
Fonds: Fonds A.D. Thacker, 1913-1944
Personnes et institutions
Alfred Dennis Thacker (archive creator)
Dates de création
Niveau de description archivistique
34 drawings
16 reprographic copies
12 photographic materials
0.08 l.m. of textual records
The fonds illustrates A.D. Thacker's work as an architect and primarily consists of drawings depicting structures that Thacker designed after beginning his own practice in 1926 until his death in 1938, but also includes work from 1913. The drawings depict structures located in Quebec as well as Halifax, Nova Scotia. The fonds also contains documentation of the drawings, including reprographic copies, photographs, and some textual material.
Numéro de réference
The fonds consists of one series, Project and proposal documentation 1913-1938, which is arranged according to project.
Note biographique
On January 12th, 1879, Alfred Dennis (A.D.) Thacker was born in Walsall, a county of Staffordshire, England, to father Richard Edgar Thacker and mother Emma (née Fox) Thacker. He immigrated to Canada in 1910, after receiving his initial training as an architect in Birmingham.
Thacker was married to Constance Margaret Ritchie two years after he arrived in Canada, on June 5th, 1912. They had one son and two daughters.
While living in Canada, Thacker worked with many firms in Montreal and Toronto. He was first employed with Ross and Macfarlane (now Ross and MacDonald) in Montreal before moving on to Chapman and McGiffen in Toronto, and then returning to Montreal to work with McVicar and Heriot, Brown and Vallance, and David R. Brown. Thacker began his own practice in 1926 and subsequently designed many churches and private homes.
The Christian Science Church is one of his most famous works, along with churches completed for the United Church of Canada at Hampstead, Chaughnawaga and Dundee.
His designs for the new choir stalls and chancel furniture in the All Saints Cathedral in Halifax were awarded an Honorary Mention from the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada.
Alfred Dennis Thacker passed away on September 26th, 1938 and was buried in Chambly Quebec.
Access by appointment only.
Conditions de réproduction
Contact the CCA for copyright information and permission to reproduce (reproductions@cca.qc.ca).
Modalités d'entrée
Gift of Naomi Morehouse on March 1, 1983.
Historique de la conservation
The CCA acquired the A.D. Thacker fonds in 1983.
Notes de l'archiviste
Arrangement of the fonds was completed by Bérengere Gagné in 1986. The paper finding aid was completed by Bérengere Gagné in 1986. Records were created by Kelli Babcock and Jennifer Préfontaine based on information within the paper finding aid and were completed in April 2011.
Mention de crédit
When citing the collection as a whole, use the citation: A.D. Thacker fonds, Collection Centre Canadien d'Architecture/Canadian Centre for Architecture, Montréal. When citing specific collection material, please refer to the object's specific credit line.
Langue et écriture des documents
The publication The Studio: an illustrated magazine of Fine & Applied Arts. Vol. 40, no. 168, Mar. 15, 1907 has an article on pg. 125-126 on one of Thacker's projects "prize design for cottage at Bredons Norton."
Série(s): Architectural projects


text:
Q: Surface integral and what it computes Can anyone tell me what the surface integral of $f(x,y,z)$ actually calculates in  a physical sense in three dimensions?
I know that the surface integral computes the surface area of some given surface:
$$\iint_D ||r_u\times r_v||dA$$
However what does the surface integral below calculate ($f(x,y,z)$ is a continuous function defined on the surface $S$):
$$\iint_S f(x,y,z)dS=\iint_D f(r(u,v))||r_u\times r_v||dA$$
Does it calculate volume? Can anyone explain to me what it computes?
Edit: If a smooth parametric surface is given by the parametrization: $$r(u, v) = <x(u, v), y(u, v), z(u, v)>, (u,v)\in D$$
and $r$ is possibly injective on $D$ except possibly on the boundary of $D$, then the surface area of $S$ over $D$ is given by:
$$\iint_D ||r_u\times r_v||dA$$

A: Let the domains of integration $B,S,L,C$ and $SW$ be a body, surface, lamina, curve, and a straight wire, respectively, and $x,y,z$ be Cartesian variables.

*

*The following integrals give the integration domain's
length/area/volume: \begin{align}\int_{SW} &\:\mathrm dx \\\int_C
&\:\mathrm ds \\\iint_L &\:\mathrm dx\,\mathrm dy \\\int_S
&\:\mathrm dS \\\iiint_B &\:\mathrm dx\,\mathrm dy\,\mathrm
dz\end{align}

*If the integration domain's (mass) density function is $f,$ then
the following integrals give its mass: \begin{align}\int_{SW} f(x)
&\:\mathrm dx \\\int_C f(x,y,z) &\:\mathrm ds \\\iint_L
f(x,y) &\:\mathrm dx\,\mathrm dy \\\int_S f(x,y,z)
&\:\mathrm dS \\\iiint_B f(x,y,z) &\:\mathrm dx\,\mathrm
dy\,\mathrm dz\end{align}

*The following integrals give the signed area/volume between the integration domain and the curve $y=f(x)$ or surface $z=f(x,y)$:
\begin{align}\int_{SW} f(x) &\:\mathrm dx  \\\int_C f(x,y)
&\:\mathrm ds \\\iint_L f(x,y) &\:\mathrm dx\,\mathrm
dy\end{align}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Senate panel delayed a vote on Thursday on President Barack Obama's pick for his next attorney general as Republicans demanded more answers to their questions from career prosecutor Loretta Lynch.
Several Republicans have voiced support for Lynch, who is now the U.S. attorney in Brooklyn, and she is expected to ultimately win confirmation, but it is unclear how long that will take.
Senate Judiciary Committee chair Chuck Grassley said he would honor several requests to hold the nomination until the next committee meeting.
At a Jan. 28 hearing, Lynch sought to make a clean break from the testy relationship her predecessor had with Congress, while supporting the legality of the administration's controversial actions to ease the threat of deportation for millions of undocumented immigrants.
Lawmakers face a Feb. 27 deadline to fund the Department of Homeland Security, and Republicans have sought to fund the agency without providing money to implement the new immigration order. But Democrats have resisted such efforts.
Senators submitted dozens of additional questions to Lynch in writing about her differences with Attorney General Eric Holder, the immigration order, and a range of granular topics related to the Justice Department, which she responded to in a 220-page document earlier this week.
Grassley said on Thursday he was unhappy with some of those responses, and wanted time to press her further.
"I know that there's a lot of pressure to answer these questions quickly but that doesn't excuse the incomplete answers," he said.
Louisiana Republican David Vitter said he had asked for Lynch's nomination to be held while he examined a 2012 agreement her office entered into with HSBC Holdings Plc. The agreement required the bank to pay more than $1 billion, but allowed it to avoid charges it failed to stop hundreds of millions of dollars in illegal drug money from flowing through the bank and the U.S. financial system.
That settlement has received renewed attention after media reports of a second investigation into the bank's Swiss unit, which allegedly helped wealthy clients evade taxes in their home countries by hiding money in Switzerland.
The committee is expected to take up Lynch's nomination again at its next business meeting later this month.


Over the past 12 years, the band has played over 160 unique compositions during their Spring and Winter Concerts. Here is a list of pieces we played between 2004 and 2008. Click on the icon to see an image of the concert's program.
Highlights from "The Lion King"
Finale from the "New World Symphony"
Themes from "Thus Spake Zarathustra"


text:
Q: External cache for WebView to load? I'm using WebView in my application and I need to pre-cache some webpages for later use. Since   I want the caching process be less obnoxious, it have to be unnoticeable. So it's better to be implemented in a Service.
I don't know how to achieve this because WebView can only exist in an activity. Is there any method to cache webpages to local storage, and let WebView load it later? Or how can I realize the features with another approach?

A: Please, read this topic, you should find the answer there, it's explained in details:
http://alex.tapmania.org/2010/11/html5-cache-android-webview.html

A: As long as the Web pages don't call LocalStorage.clear before they exit the data should be available in a SQLite database.
If my memory is correct is under 4.03 the path is something like /data/data//app_database/localstorage/file__0.localstorage
As the local storage data is saved in a SQLite table called ItemTable you can read this data using the SQLite APIs (when in the same context).
So you could pre-populate the table from your service by inserts into this table.
Sorry to not paste any code - I dont have it with me but this will work - I have done it


Every electric switch onboard has to meet the highest demands.
Mastervolt offers a wide choice of stylish, waterproof switches for a range of onboard functions. All fully waterproof switches (IP66) supplied by Mastervolt are tested for frequent use at -40 °C to 85 °C, and designed to last more than 150,000 cycles. They are available in single or double pole versions and in various configurations.
Brackets around ON and OFF in product name denote momentary connection only.


Join former Army Ranger Instructor SFC Mike McKinney and FCA Hockey Director Rick Randazzo as they lead the 3nd annual Warrior Fellowship Survival training in Southern Utah. Training will include day and night land navigation, individual and team tactics, force on force simunitions and long distance team stress event. Training will be physically and mentally challenging for all athletes as you will be pushed beyond your limits.
While challenged both physically and mentally, each athlete will grow spiritually as we discuss what it means to "Be a Warrior for Christ". Daily devotions, quiet time reflection and group worship will strengthen each athletes relationship to our Creator.
Please plan to arrive in Utah (Salt Lake City Airport) by Tuesday June 5th (between 5:00 pm and 8:00 pm) or by Wed June 6th (before 11:00 am). We will make 2 airport pick ups, the one Tuesday night will bring players back to Eden, Utah for the night before heading back to the airport for the 11:00 pick up on Wed.
Depart – Flights out on Sunday after 4:00 pm on June 10.
Warrior Fellowship is a ministry outreach to grow our athletes in Biblical manhood through fellowship and adventure - allowing men who love God to break their routine, to challenge themselves physically and mentally while being renewed spiritually by their brothers in Christ.
This year's event will challenge each athlete as we replicate training given to our nations top soldiers, in a safe environment, by trained and qualified instructors. Our idea is to push our minds, bodies and spirits and learn how to become true Warriors for Christ, arming ourselves with military tactics while growing stronger in God's word.
It's our prayer that you will join us and become a "Radical Man of God" - not forsaking meeting together, but encouraging each other all the more as time draws closer to our Lord returning.
Below is a snapshot of the tentative schedule we will be following as well as some of the activities we will be completing during the time together.
4. Military Gear like weapons, sim rounds, camo stick, sand bags, etc.


Austin, TX – May 5, 2014 – TMF Health Quality Institute announced today that 135 Texas hospitals have won a 2014 Texas Hospital Quality Improvement Award by achieving gains in key clinical areas designated as national health care priorities. The award recognizes hospitals that undertake efforts to advance the quality of care in their facilities. Leaders from each hospital will meet in Austin on June 11 at the Hilton Austin Airport Hotel to receive their awards.
TMF Health Quality Institute, the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization for Texas, manages the award program in association with the Texas Hospital Association and the Texas Organization of Rural & Community Hospitals. The award program was established in 2004, and awards are presented every two years.
At the June 11 ceremony, TMF will honor leadership teams from the 135 award-winning hospitals. The event will feature a keynote address from Ron Culberson, MSW, CSP, author, speaker and humorist.
The award program recognizes three tiers of winners for their performance: Gold, Silver and Bronze. The criteria include quality data reporting measures as well as readmissions measures. All Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS or Acute Care) Hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAH) across the state were automatically included as participants in the non-competitive 2012-2013 program. Out of all 313 IPPS or Acute Care Hospitals and 80 CAHs statewide, 33 earned the Texas Hospital Quality Improvement Gold Award. The Silver Award went to 45 hospitals, and 57 hospitals earned the Bronze Award.
During the program year, hospitals focused on making improvements in clinical areas that have been designated a priority for U.S. health care by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and The Joint Commission, an independent, non-profit, standards-setting and accrediting body in health care. These measures use data associated with providers' ability to deliver high-quality care or relate to long term goals for quality health care.
Hospitals were evaluated on specific criteria based on their designation as an IPPS/Acute Care Hospital or CAH. For further detail on award criteria, visit the IPPS Criteria page or the CAH Criteria page. The list of the honored hospitals is provided below.


Using 1-10V protocol this Dimmable PLL High Frequency Ballast will control single 40W compact PLL fluorescent lamps, optimising light quality and extending lamp life compared to a conventional ballast. Reducing energy consumption by 60% it also features analogue 1-100% dimming, automatic restart after lamp replacement and flicker free, programmed start. Suitable for many commercial, retail and hospitality applications this control gear is also suitable for movement detection and daylight linking systems.


text:
Home › Gretzky Hockey School Contest
Gretzky Hockey School Contest
SAUCE HOCKEY | GRETZKY HOCKEY SCHOOL CONTEST:
Do you have a son or daughter who is between the age of 9-14 years old and want to win a once in a lifetime experience of learning hockey from Wayne Gretzky and friends!? Here's your chance. We've teamed up with the Gretzky Hockey School to offer one lucky winner a chance to learn from current and former NHL'ers Wayne Gretzky, Brett Hull, Russ Courtnall, Paul Bissonnette, Tyler Johnson and some surprise guests. What are you waiting for!? See below contest rules and enter today!
1. Make a purchase of $50 or more on www.saucehockey.com between 7/9/14 and 7/14/14
2. Must follow us and Gretzky Hockey School on twitter @saucehockey | @GretzkySchool
3. Must like us and Gretzky Hockey School on Sauce Facebook | Gretzky Hockey School Facebook
4. Must follow us and Gretzky Hockey School on Instagram @saucelife | @gretzkyhockeyschool
5. Must post on your social media "I just entered my kid in the @saucehockey @gretzkyschool contest to learn from Wayne Gretzky. Enter here: http://bit.ly/U1SRjD "
1. 1st Star & Grand Prize Winner will be selected and win FREE entry to the Gretzky Hockey School July 27th thru August 1st, 2014 in Coeur d'Alene Idaho ($999.99 value)
2. 2nd Star will selected to win a $250 Sauce Prize Pack
3. 3rd star will be selected to win a free Sauce Crank Prank Watch
Not So Fine Print:
- Customers are responsible for their own hotel and travel accommodations to and from the school, this is not provided to contest winners
- A parent or legal guardian must be present for the duration of the school with camper
- Visit www.gretzkyhockeyschool.com for more information on the school


Our goal is to improve the dental health of the patients we serve by providing high quality care at a reasonable cost. Our core competencies include: comprehensive care at one location, extensive in-house support systems, clinical excellence, experienced administrative staff, and effective Quality Improvement programs.
Our dental center currently provides services to more than 19,000 patients and is located in a 45,000 square foot, three-story facility in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The dental practice is represented by a staff of 129 employees who handle the diverse scope of administrative and clinical functions in our dentist office. Previously accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) since 1994.
Our in network plans include: BLUE CROSS/BLUE SHIELD, ASSURANT, METLIFE, CIGNA AND AETNA. We do not currently accept HMO Policies or Medicaid.
Our dentists have an average of twenty years experience and routinely provide exams, fillings, crowns and dentures.
Cosmetic dentistry includes procedures such as teeth whitening, porcelain veneers and tooth colored fillings, bonding teeth to crown (cap) or cover other imperfections, and dental crowns (caps).
An orthodontist is a dental specialist whose practice focuses on the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of dental and facial irregularities.
A periodontist is a dental specialist whose practice focuses on the treatment of diseases of the supporting and surrounding tissues of the teeth (primarily the gums).
Sedation dentistry has become very popular because it offers several benefits for both the patient and the dentist.
Dental Implants have a very high rate of success. They have become the chosen procedure to replace a lost tooth, several teeth or to provide a secure foundation for dentures.


One of our volunteers from the India Team 2017 is currently cycling from his home in Wales, as far as he can towards India – that is, the Turkey/Iran border, it currently being inadvisable to cross Iran solo, on a bike….or any other form, I imagine.
Daniel left Wales on the 22nd September – he is currently on his way from Leipzig to Prague. He has had many adventures already, including getting lost in the woods trying to find a cycle path and his phone dying, having to abandon his bike to find shelter from the rain, being woken by the police and eventually finding a lovely Indian kebab shop owner who charged his phone which meant he could re-find his bike, retrace his steps and finally get on the right road again!
If you like apples between here and the last GPS point there are loads. Hundreds of apple trees, of all varieties and unfortunately not enough of them being eaten. They need to make some cider. Saw one fall off which I ate….
Met a guy who was walking his pet goat and wanted it to be less scared of people but he didn't speak much english. Was his pet though, he didn't want to eat it.
Woke up and at 8 am was trying to have a (online) group (skype) chat about India fundraising ideas/logistics with very little success. Other people and me were having connection issues. Sometimes I could hear what was happening but not see others and sometimes vice versa. It was like tuning in and out of a radio station. There was no Wi-Fi in the farmhouse and farms don't normally have the best mobile signal coupled together with data roaming, but it was nice to see those who I'd be working with in January. Got a shower when cleaning my teeth noticed that they have got some soap with a welsh dragon on it!
………It had just started to get dark and saw an o.k. place to stop and wanted to test out the pocket rocket gas cooking tool that Matthew Price a friend who's a marine, had recommended getting. Just as a proof of concept for cooking in more isolated areas as I wasn't that hungry. It was excellent, took about 60 seconds to read the instructions (which was mostly safety information) around 30 seconds to light as I was being really cautious. I was leaning away from it just in case. It was very simple, excellently designed tool that you could use in an instant. I would thoroughly recommend one.
……..Woke up around 11 had some breakfast chilling in my tent till around 11.40 when I hear some german spoken with the word policia …… in my tent I say 'I understand police but I don't speak german' without seeing them. Open up the tent to find two police officers. What are you doing here? I explain. Do you have any forms of I.D.? show them passport. Hang around for 5 mins while their on their walkie talkies. Think they're not going to do me for ripping up a load of brambles surely? They say they came down as the farmer said he was scared! I don't wanna scare anyone I said….
Got to Asten, bumped into a guy who I chatted about what I was doing. after finding out, asked me if I wanted to crash in his warehouse..his mum said he shouldn't let people stay in his warehouse as they may rob the place. But he said it would be warmer than outside and it's supposed to be a cold night. Not sure whether I should put the tent up in here just for extra insulation. No shower but running water (sink), waterproof and a flush toilet. Plug sockets to charge stuff. Offered to pay him but he said don't be silly your cycling for charity.
Slept in a warehouse last night owned by a cool dutch guy (him and his daughter). Had 2 beers, charged my phone (even though it's already almost dead now), charged up my external batteries which are full. took a look around the warehouse, it was huge and then chucked on some tunes. There was no one else about so turned it up loud, my phone was charging and I haven't listened to music in ages in order to save power for maps and gps. Hit the road and cycled to Germany. Lots of cows and one of the cycle tracks just turned to sand and so was impossible would've been ages to go round. Walked the bike for a lot of that section. Lots of pretty flowers about. One of the ferry crossings stopped running half hour before I got there so had to cycle a bit out of my way to get across the river. Cost a whole 70 cents. Happened to get my phone out 10 meters from the border. Last picture is the border on gps…they don't make a big thing about it. Found a field, tent up, job done.
So was woken up at 6.30 by a farmer who asked what I was doing in his field said I was doing a charity cycle and he said cool, get some sleep then. Woke up again at around 9.30 was up and ready to go by just gone 10 but then bumped into the same farmer, who was wearing colourful clogs and looked like a bit of a character. He asked me if I slept well and I said yes and then proceeded to ask about what I was doing, where I was going and a bit about the charities. We got into an in-depth discussion as he was very interested in the politics, religion, healthcare system and how the UK government sector worked. He very much liked the idea of the NHS. Talked about the EU referendum, Religious demographics of the UK etc. initially I thought I should get going, but after 10 minutes I thought, actually I am really interested in these topics myself, so I don't mind discussing them in detail.
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Hey guys,Ive just recently put an Soundblaster sb in my pc, which i got of a im having problems findingwindows 7 drivers for it. can anyone help me out? catID=1⊂CatID=∏ID=∏Name=Audigy%. From Creative Technology: The driver contains optimized support for Windows /XP operating systems and is designed for use with all current models of Sound Blaster Audigy audio cards (all existing Sound Blaster Audigy Card to SBx models). 25 Apr Hi Robert. I do not speak English, I use a translator. Please forgive me my mistakes. I have a sound card Audigy ES (SB) and drivers.
6 Nov You can download and install the Audigy Driver (AUD_EAX4DRV_exe) on your system even if you have not installed any Audigy. 29 Aug This download is a driver providing Microsoft Windows 7 and Windows Vista support for Creative Sound Blaster Live! and Audigy. There was a problem previewing this document. Retrying Download. Connect more apps Try one of the apps below to open or edit this item. Creative sound.
6 Nov Fixes: Removes noise from analog speakers after switching to VXD drivers using Driver Utility. - Allows compressed and uncompressed AC 24 Jan This is the latest driver update for the Sound Blaster Audigy series of audio cards for users running Windows 98/98SE/Me. Creative sound blaster audigy es sb drivers. C is FIXED NTFS - GiB total, Creative sound blaster audigy es sb drivers. Download file. Find great deals for Creative Sound Blaster Audigy ES SB PCI Sound Card. bags, 2 of them have opened bags, no manuals or cds or drivers included.


text:
Taxi drivers fear Inverness rank becoming 'volatile' as closure of Castle Wynd rank is implemented
by Chris MacLennan
January 8, 2020, 6:28 am Updated: February 16, 2020, 11:51 am
Duncan Fraser of Inverness Taxi Alliance fears other ranks will become "volatile" following the relocation from the Castle Wynd rank. Picture by Sandy McCook
Taxi drivers in Inverness fear the closure of one of the main ranks in the city will make the other prominent stop "volatile".
Taxis have been relocated from Castle Wynd this week for works to renovate the tourist hotspot in the shadow of the city's famous castle.
Works worth £373,515 are currently being undertaken by Wills Bros Civil Engineering Ltd and are anticipated to last 16 weeks.
Improvements to the roads and current pavements, along with the installation of new granite steps and hand rails on the approach to the castle, will be implemented by workers.
However, Inverness Taxi Alliance (ITA) has spoken out after drivers have been relocated from their usual stop to a rank they claim has already been deemed "unsafe" nearby on Bridge Street.
ITA member Duncan Fraser has raised concerns for public safety and has said that despite positive initial talks, he has been left aggrieved at local drivers concerns being "completely ignored".
Mr Fraser said: "The plans have been bulldozed through by the council.
"All that has happened is the public are now deciding to park up there.
"There are simply not enough spaces now for taxi drivers to get a spot in town at all.
"Drivers are now driving round and round due to over ranking until they can get a spot and that is not helping matters at all. They are emitting additional CO2 emissions, which does not fit with the council's green policy.
"By shifting most drivers to the other end of town by Academy Street all that is going to happen is that rank will become volatile."
He added: "Taxi ranks are seen as safe places to assist in public safety. We raised concerns for people with mobility difficulties under the Equality Act 2010 but that was ignored.
"The Highland Council have no interest in public safety whatsoever and they had no intention to come to a compromise with us in the interests of the public and tourism."
Andrew MacDonald, chairman of ITA, added: "It beggars belief what they are doing by relegating drivers to a rank that has already been deemed unsafe.
"The only conclusion the trade can make is that they are trying to do away with spaces altogether.
"We have seen this in the past through the closure of rank spaces, such as outside Marks and Spencer, which we were told would be temporary and they have never been replaced and we were never consulted.
"It seems to us that they simply don't want us to have ranks anymore."
The ITA has also issued notices of complaints to the ombudsman over the handling of the relocation by Highland Council.
A council spokesman said the authority has consulted taxi operators relating to changes to ranks on numerous occasions, with city manager David Haas previously stating: "We are committed to expanding long term sustainable taxi rank provision as city redevelopment takes place and we will ensure that taxi provision is included in any future public transport considerations."
The local authority has placed traffic cones on Castle Wynd to prevent vehicles as parking is prohibited during works.
The issue relating to the relocation of the taxi rank from Castle Wynd dates back to March 2018 when Highland Council and police representatives met with taxi drivers to discuss the proposed relocation of the taxi rank during the redevelopment of the area.
As objections had been lodged by taxi drivers opposed to the relocation, the matter remained unresolved and was referred to councillors of the City of Inverness Area Committee on May 31.
Councillors decided to re-designate Castle Wynd as a restricted zone with no waiting or loading at any time and instead opted to maintain a 24-hour rank heading westbound on Bridge Street in the city, with the rank extending into the nearby loading bay after 6pm.
Councillors opted to abandon proposals to amend permit parking hours at Broadstone Park along with the suggestion of providing an eastbound daytime taxi rank on Bridge Street.
In December 2019, taxi drivers spoke out in a last ditch bid to have changes implemented prior to the closure of the Castle Wynd rank, but their efforts proved fruitless.
Andrew MacDonald
Castle Wynd
Duncan Fraser
Inverness Castle
Inverness Taxi Alliance
Wills Bros Civil Engineering


Location: Northwestern Tompkins County, Route 89, eight miles north of Ithaca.
Taughannock Falls State Park contains an outstanding waterfall that is 32 feet higher than Niagara Falls. This is a must see for all waterfall lovers.
Starting from the Gorge Parking Area, located next to Route 89, follow the Gorge Trail westwards, along the bank of Taughannock Creek. You will quickly come to Lower Taughannock Falls, which faces to the northeast. The falls is 20 feet high, has a crest that is roughly 70 feet wide, and is capped by Tully Limestone.
Continue hiking upstream along the easy and very scenic Gorge Trail. In roughly 0.7 of a mile you will come to a bridge that crosses the creek. From the bridge you will get your first view of Taughannock Falls. Once across the creek it is a short distance to a lookout near the base of the falls.
This inspiring waterfall, which faces to the northeast, is 215 feet in height, and has a crest that is roughly 35 feet wide. Taughannock Creek makes this dramatic plunge in one glorious leap, making it the highest single vertical drop waterfall in New York State and the Northeastern United States. The view of the falls and surrounding amphitheater is stunning, with the encircling cliffs attaining a height of roughly 400 feet. Look closely at the cliff face beside the falls and you will notice two major rock formations. Starting near the base of the falls is the black colored Geneseo Shale, which is about 90 feet thick. Above this is the tan colored Sherburne Siltstone. The natural joint and bedding plane structure of the siltstone causes it to break off in rectangular blocks, giving the cliff a somewhat artificial appearance.
For another outstanding view of Taughannock Falls return to the Gorge Parking Area and turn left (northeast) onto Route 89. In 0.3 of a mile turn left (southeast) onto Taughannock Park Road. In about 0.8 of a mile you will come to the large Falls Overlook Parking Area on your left (southeast). Look for a large sign along the southeastern edge of the parking area. This sign explains how the falls was formed. A short distance to the right of the sign is a stairway that leads down to the overlook, which offers a spectacular view of the falls and its amphitheater.
From the Falls Overlook Parking Area continue along the park road for roughly 0.5 of a mile and turn left (south) onto Jacksonville Road. Immediately after crossing Taughannock Creek turn left (east) into a small parking area. Follow the Rim Trail a short distance to an embankment for an abandoned railroad. Follow the trail to the top of the embankment and turn left (northwest) to the bridge that crosses the creek. From the bridge you will be able to view Upper Taughannock Falls. In the past this waterfall was known as First Fall or Summit Falls (see photos below). This extremely steep curving cascade faces to the east, has a total drop of roughly 80 feet, and a crest that is about 35 feet wide. Look upstream of the falls, along the southern side of the creek, for a tributary stream that falls 20 feet to join Taughannock Creek. Go back down the embankment, passing under the railroad bridge, and follow the Rim Trail to the northeast for some great views of the Upper Taughannock Gorge.
A major rock fall occurred at the crest of Taughannock Falls sometime between 1888 and 1892. Before then the crest of the falls was convex and overhanging. The photo below and to the left is from a postcard postmarked 1911. The photo of a man standing near the crest of the falls is from an old sterio card.
Photos of First Fall or Summit Falls from old sterio cards.
It is now known as Upper Taughannock Falls.
Aerial views of Taughannock Falls from a custom built quad copter.


Over 100 environmental groups from New York, New Jersey and other states are seeking to extend the public comment period for a proposed deepwater liquefied natural gas port off the New York coast.
The port will increase the supply of natural gas in the New York City-metro area.
The port "could pose a major security threat to a densely populated area, risks burdening the region's ecosystems with air and water pollution, and will tend to discourage investment in renewable energy supplies," the groups said in a letter sent to federal authorities today.
In their letter to the Maritime Administration and the U.S. Coast Guard, the coalition, led by Catskill Citizens for Safe Energy and Clean Ocean Action, charged that the time allotted — 30 days — for public comment on the project's scoping documents was insufficient.


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The experts of "Gestoria Ukraine-Plus" have many years of experience in working in the food industry and their knowledge in this area is helpful for developing the effective strategies for your company.


Mr. Standfast is the third of five Richard Hannay novels by John Buchan, first published in 1919. It is one of two Hannay novels set during the First World War, the other being Greenmantle (1916). The title is taken from John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress, which is referenced throughout the novel.— Excerpted from Mr Standfast on Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
The earlier adventures of Richard Hannay, to which occasional reference is made in this narrative, are recounted in The Thirty-Nine Steps and Greenmantle.
This page was last edited on 26 June 2018, at 11:58.