We are committed to providing our customers with the best service around at 2 Guys Plumbing and Heating Inc. We are locally owned and operated in Howard Lake, MN, and we serve homes throughout Wright County. We are registered, certified, licensed, bonded, and insured. We also offer guarantees with the services and products we offer.
Here at 2 Guys Plumbing and Heating, we have been serving the Wright County MN community since 2000. Our service professionals have over 20 years of experience and provide the best prices on quality plumbing and heating services. We can repair, install, and maintain almost any heating and cooling system.


The annual awards give over 100 fintech startups the opportunity to be recognised by their peers for their work and innovation.
A total of 19 awards will be on offer including with several key awards returning. These include: FinTech Organisation of the Year, Outstanding FinTech Leader of the Year, Female FinTech Leader of the Year, Emerging FinTech Leader of the Year and Emerging FinTech Organisation of the Year.
Several new awards are being introduced to highlight collaboration, including: Deal of the year, Partnership of the year and Biggest raise of the year.
The awards will also recognise achievements in blockchain, business lending, consumer lending, insuretech, crowdfunding, wealth management and payments.
"Our ethos towards collaboration is what makes the fintech community unique, so this year we want to celebrate it," FinTech Australia General Manager Rebecca Schot-Guppy said.
"With regards to moving the Finnies to Melbourne this year, we want to give members who couldn't make it to the previous awards in Sydney the opportunity to celebrate our community's success.
"No fintech can disrupt in isolation. Banks, government and other organisations play a key role in facilitating and contributing to the sector.
Brighte founder and CEO Katherine McConnell was named as 2018's outstanding FinTech leader of the year.
Commenting on the impact of the awards she said: "The awards legitimised our position both in the eyes of the Fintech world and in the lending space. It has helped put Brighte on the radar for great candidates, which has allowed us to grow and continue to build momentum as a young business.
"The Brighte team were thrilled to be recognised at the Finnies in 2018. It was a big win for us as a company, as all that hard work was being rewarded.
Last year, AfterPay was named Fintech Organisation of the Year for the second year in a row.


text:
Things We Should Know About Vintage Comics
Many people love comics, not to mention the potentially valuable vintage comics. Despite their age, comics can still be very valuable and attract the attention of fans. In fact, many people allocate a large sum of fund in their hunt for original, vintage comic books for their hobbies or business purposes. Very first vintage comics were created in the end of 19th century, such as the Hogan's Alley.
There are also many comics that appear as strips on newspapers in the last years of the 19th century. At the time, illustrators already added bubbles above the characters as a way to create conversations.
Platinum comics are those that are produced between 1895 and 1937 and they can be very expensive in mint conditions. The Golden Age of comics occurred between 1938 and 1955 and it is when modern superheroes started to make an appearance. The period between 1956 and 1969 is called the Silver Age of comics, while the Bronze Age of comics were between 1970 and 1970. The Modern Day comics continue to this day since 1980.
Vintage comics appeared initially as strips in newspapers and eventually the copyright holders collected them into small books and sold at various newsstands. The very first superhero that appeared on comics was Phantom and he was very popular before the World War 2. In general, the older the comics are, the more expensive their prices.
There are also different grades of comics and those with top condition can be worth a lot of money. Rare and vintage comics are among the best investment average consumers could make.
Since its first appearance, comics have become an important way to entertain the public. Unlike books, comics could arouse our visual imagination and writers don't need to explain about the appearance of the characters and details of the surrounding. In fact, it is possible for a page of comic to include very few text and readers could already grasp plenty of communication.
Emotion can be expressed clearly by characters through skilful illustration techniques. In general, comics are placed somewhere between books and movies. They don't only involve our mind, but also our visual responses.
It is a good idea for average comic fans to start collecting. It should be noted that it is generally unacceptable to open and read vintage comics at mint condition. They are purchased simply for their condition and not as reading material. Perfect comics should be protected by plastic seal to prevent exposure to moisture, dust and others. In fact, skin oil from our fingers could increase the rate of paper deterioration in specific period of time.
Vintage comic books can be valued more than their weight in gold, so it has attracted the interest of many people. We should consider adding these books into one of investment portfolio. Vintage and rare comic books can be found in large-scale conventions. These events are places where comic fans gather and share information.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


We are delighted to invite you to Europe's principal conference on rheumatic diseases, EULAR 2018 in Amsterdam. Download dedicated media materials here: Infographic and factsheet.
Oline registration for the press is now closed. Please register on-site from Tuesday, 12 June 2018.
The press conference programme for EULAR 2018 is now available. Download the document by clicking here.
The press area is located in rooms G102 – G111 on the first floor of the congress centre.


text:
Rebuilding Haiti Being Compared To Europe After World War II
Rebuilding Haiti after the earthquake is a task similar to rebuilding Europe after the World War Two, it involves complex decisions on how to house or resettle more than one million people left homeless by one of the world's worst disasters...
Haiti Earthquake Pictures
These words were uttered by senior World Bank official according to a recent article by Pascal Fletcher of Reuters.
Is the international community movie fast enough?
The international community is facing a lot of criticism because, nine months after the earthquake, there are still rubbles in the streets of Haiti, and most of the earthquake survivors are still waiting for a miracle in the streets of port-au-prince...
How long will it take to bring Haiti back to Normal?
Pamela Cox says...
"...Everyone wants a magic wand to be waved (in Haiti) and everything fixed by January, the first anniversary ... that ain't going to happen, it's impossible.."
The world needs to be aware of the scale and complexity of the goal to "build back better" in Haiti. "It is, I think, one of the worst situations that the world has faced"
Pamela is the vice president of World Bank for Latin America and the Caribbean and she compared rebuilding Haiti's teeming capital and reviving the crippled economy to reconstructing an area devastated by war, like Europe after the Second World War.
Do you believe the "International Community" is doing a good job in helping Haiti after the earthquake?
Are they moving fast enough?
Do we have any other choice but to WAIT?
Reply with your comments
Write a comment (2)
New Luxury Hotel In Haiti, Right By The Airport
Haiti Medical News - New Teaching Hospital To Be Built In Mirebalais Haiti
MTV Networks To Receive an Award in part for Haiti Relief Efforts
Rudy Etienne says...
Under the circumstances and past history in Haiti, I believe that the International Community is moving cautiously.
Our past government history with handling money received from abroad is probably the biggest road block to progress in Haiti.
To be direct, the Haitian government cannot be trusted with the millions of dollars that were promised for the various projects necessary to rebuild and move Haiti forward.
Reply ... More
List of Haitian NBA Players
Dominican Soldiers - the Armed Forces of Dominican Republic have about...
The people in Haiti calling "Justice for president Jovenel Moise," are...
Subject: Rebuilding Haiti Being Compared To Europe After World War II edit
The battle of Savannah: Haitians did not only come to the U.S....
Tourism : Haitian diaspora men and their girlfriends from...
Haiti Gang who kidnapped 17 American missionaries wants...
Journalist Bob C. advises Haitians in the diaspora to stay...
I feel like I am watching a Slave movie, actress Garcelle...


"Dedicate some significant funds to support the Iranian opposition, both inside the country and overseas. Establish powerful broadcasts in Farsi, Kurdish, Arabic, Azeri and in other ethnic languages directed at the Iranian population. That alone will open a Pandora's box inside Iran. Realists may find it hard to believe, but supporting the Iranian opposition (which is still to be identified) will pay off much better than AWACS flying over deserts."
A small portion of that 20 Billion dollars worth of arms deal, if gone to the genuine fight against the Iranian regime, could topple the mullahcracy faster than we imagine.
These are troubled waters, and the only soution is Iran must fall.
Interesting alternative, would work as well, unfortunately contemporary politicians lack courage.
سیاستمداران وینستون جان در فکر فروش سیاسیت هستند. اگر نه که برانداختن این رژیم پیزوری و توخالی و جنایتکار اینهمه کار نداشت!


Update your capsule wardrobe with a pair of trending denim jeans this season. The ultimate staple for your closet. These medium wash denim feature a front button enclosure, shredded texture, cropped hem, five pockets, and a skinny leg.
Inseam: 27" | Front Rise: 8.5"


These delicious dandelion cupcakes with sunflower seeds are simple to make. Decorated with a swirl of delicious lemon frosting they make for a beautiful decoration on your dining table.
I woke up the other day, the sun was up and I saw beautiful yellow cropping of dandelions in the back of my garden. They had sprouted overnight. Since I don't use any chemicals in my garden I had the idea of using their natural taste in the kitchen. I asked my daughter to help me collect the flowers and leaves, as they are the best for a salad when young. We ended up with a full basket after only about 10 minutes. We put to the side what we needed for the infused oil but there were still some flower petals left. So we said lets experiment and try something new.
As my daughter is hooked on sweet stuff, the idea of dandelion cupcakes popped up. I have to be honest this was the first time we tried something like this. But they turned out to be so delicious that I just had to share it with you. The dandelion blossoms taste mildly sweet and floral and it gives a unique taste to the cupcakes.
When writing this post I hesitated whether to call these cupcakes or muffins. While muffins are considered relatively healthy with healthier ingredients and rather to eat for breakfast, cupcakes are served more as a dessert. Well in our case we implemented sunflower seeds, dandelions, and coconut oil to make them tasty, light and full of nutrients. On the other hand, we decorated them with frostings that is actually the real defining feature of cupcakes. Once you put frosting on the top it distinguishes our dandelion cupcakes in the dessert category rather than an everyday breakfast item.
Sunflower seeds – High in proteins and low in carbohydrates, sunflower seeds are ideal to eat as often as you can. Immune system boosters, sunflower seeds are a rich source of Vitamin B complex ( helping to keep your stress under the control). They are also rich in magnesium, iron, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, selenium (the best ways to improve thyroid function naturally) and vitamin E (reduce chronic inflammation). According to the study published in ISRN Nutrition sunflower seeds lower your cholesterol levels and protects against heart disease.
These easy dandelion cupcakes with sunflower seeds are so simple to make. Decorated with a swirl of delicious lemon frosting they make beautiful decoration to your dinning table.
Stir all the ingredients together, adding the dandelion flowers last.
Mix quickly and lightly until moist, but do not beat or the batter will get lumpy.
What a marvelous idea! if my dad were still alive he would have gone nuts over these beautiful cupcakes they sure look fabulous I must make a tribute batch for him thank you for posting!
LOL, my husband hates the dandelions that spring up in our yard — I'll bet this would change his mind.
I had no idea dandelions were edible. This is so fun!
Those are almost too beautiful to eat! Great use of a readily available resource. I love it!
Wow, I never thought about baking with Dandelion flowers! This sounds like a great Spring dessert!
This recipe looks fantastic and what a wonderful way to use this plant! Gorgeous little gems.
Oh my goodness this is so clever, I make Dandelion salad, but have never thought of using Dandelions for a sweet treat. These cupcakes look delicious and I bet the lemon glaze goes perfectly with all the flavors.
How fun! I love using real ingredients and this is perfect!
Wow what beautiful colorful and refreshing cupcakes. I've had a few petals of dandelion on a salad but baking with them is awesome.
Those cupcakes are amazing! I've never made one with dandelion before, they sound so good and I'm sure they smell amazing as well. It's the perfect cupcakes for Spring!
Wow these sound really interesting and are so pretty! Almost too pretty to eat.
Wow! What a fun flavor combo in these cupcakes! I have actually never baked with dandelion before, but now I want to!
I don't think I've ever seen a recipe for dandelion anything! These certainly do look yummy!
These sound so darn good and unique. Totally summer cupcakes. I need to try this recipe!
I adore this recipe. I love cooking with flowers it's so fun. I love foraging for my own food.


text:
Tarkin may refer to:

Grand Moff Tarkin, a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise
Star Wars: Tarkin, a 2014 novel about the character
Tarkin, Scottish saint called also Talarican
Tarkin (codec), an Ogg video codec

See also
Takin
Tarin (disambiguation)
Tarquin (disambiguation)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


The rediscovery of a river that has been dry for most of recorded history has Bible scholars rechecking the second chapter of Genesis.
Former NASA scientist Farouk El-Baz was assessing environmental damage to the Kuwaiti desert after the Persian Gulf War when he first noticed smooth pebbles of basalt and granite that looked out of place amid the local limestone.
"We can find these rocks in abundance only in the western part of the Arabian peninsula," he said, "right on the east side of the Red Sea." El-Baz is now director of the Boston University Center for Remote Sensing. His satellite photo analysis revealed a dry channel connecting the western mountains with Kuwait, partially covered by sand dunes.
Genesis describes four rivers that water the Garden of Eden, two of which are the well-known Tigris and Euphrates. About the third, the Pishon, it says, "it winds through the land of Havilah, where there is gold."
The Hijaz Mountains, from which spring this "Arabian River," do produce gold, and the river passes a city called Hadiyah. The discovery makes it much harder for skeptics "to ignore the possibility that the biblical texts accurately preserve many earlier traditions," archaeologist James Sauer wrote in Biblical Archaeology Review.
El-Baz says the climate in the Arabian desert and other nearby areas was much wetter about 5,000 years ago. He believes some of the river's flow may still be in an underground aquifer and available for irrigation. The sand dunes covering the middle part of the river may also preserve intact riverside villages, which would interest archaeologists.


text:
7-Year-Old Boy Collapses at Highland School, Later Dies
by: Los Angeles Times
File photo.
A 7-year-old boy collapsed at an elementary school in Highland and later died, authorities said Friday.
The boy was identified as Andrew Bienstock, and he attended Arroyo Verde Elementary School.
An emergency crew responded to a call about a child who was not breathing shortly after 1:25 p.m. Thursday. He died at a hospital.
"The autopsy has not yet been completed and the cause and manner of death is pending," said Jodi Miller, public information officer for the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.
Click here to read the full story at LATimes.com.
Good news, rollercoaster riders.


text:
Q: multiplying 2D arrays in C# I am quite new to C# and I need some help with multiplying two numbers from a 2d array. I have this code:

int[,] myArray = { {50,74}, {9,88}, {75,53}, {46,98}, {100,99} };

I need to multiply each pair e.g. 50 * 0.4 and 74 * 0.6, then the two answers from each added together to get my total and the same with the others. Any help would be much appreciated, Thank you

A: Simply the following:
double[] result = new double[myArray.GetLength(0)];
for(int i = 0; i < myArray.GetLength(0); ++i)
    result[i] = myArray[i, 0] * 0.4 + myArray[i, 1] * 0.6;
// result now contains what you need

The first index of multidimensional "2D" arrays refers to row position (each constituent array) and the second index refers to the column position (position in each constituent array).
GetLength(0) means getting the 0th dimension length of your multidimensional array. In this case, it is 5 because there are five rows in your array. On the other hand GetLength(1) will return 2 because there are 2 columns.

A: First, to go through all pairs, we will need to know how long your array is. To achieve that, we can use myArray.GetLength(0). This will return the total number of elements in the first dimension. Using only Length would return the total number of elements, which is not what we want.
Once we have that, we can loop through all pairs with a classic for loop.
For each pair, we can multiply the first element, myArray[i,0] by 0.4d and the other one, myArray[i,1], by 0.6d. The d here indicate the double data type. int won't do it here, because we have a number with decimals.
We simply add up the result of those two operations and add it as a new entry in our final list.
Here's the code:
int[,] myArray = { { 50, 74 }, { 9, 88 }, { 75, 53 }, { 46, 98 }, { 100, 99 } };

var result = new List<double>();
for (int i = 0; i < myArray.GetLength(0); i++)
{
    result.Add(myArray[i,0] * 0.4d + myArray[i,1] * 0.6d);
}

If your final list explicitly needs to be an array, you can use this instead:
int arrayLength = myArray.GetLength(0);
double[] result = new double[arrayLength];
for (int i = 0; i < arrayLength; i++)
{
    result[i] = myArray[i, 0] * 0.4d + myArray[i, 1] * 0.6d;
}

It's pretty much the same thing, but we first need to define an array with the size of our collection.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


OKEECHOBEE — The Okeechobee community's oldest news source is also the most up-to-date resource for community information.
This week marks the launch of okeechobeenews.net. This new website is dedicated to stories and photos from Okeechobee County.
Navigation of the new web site is more straightforward, so when you visit www.okeechobeenews.net, it will be easier for you to find and share local stories.
The site remains affiliated with Newszap, our company's long-time syndicated brand, but www.okeechobeenews.net is now a stand-alone entity, that will focus on very local news and more in-depth coverage of your community.
Besides the obvious facelift, we have also added several interactive features to www.okeechobeenews.net. Among the most important additions is a new option to subscribe to an e-newsletter, which will be delivered every Friday morning to your e-mail inbox. A digest of headlines, with links to stories and photos, this newsletter will summarize the news of the week past, while also providing a useful reminder of upcoming events and meetings. You can even sign up for a breaking news edition, which will provide you timely, up-to-date alerts on important local stories as they happen.
Subscribing to the newsletter couldn't be simpler. It is a two-step process: Visit www.okeechobeenews.net, click the newsletter icon in the upper right-hand corner of the page, and enter your e-mail address. That's it. It only takes a couple of minutes.
Another important improvement to the web site is how well it will adapt to your mobile device. The site uses "responsive code," which automatically senses whether you are visiting from a desktop computer, a notebook or tablet or a smart phone. What you see will be adjusted to fit the screen of the device you are using.
These changes, and others to come, are evidence of the Okeechobee News' commitment to continuously improving the newspaper and our website. Our goal is to let our coverage of the community evolve as new technology becomes available and reliable. These changes are aimed at only one goal: To make it easier for you to read and access the local news.
We remain dedicated to serving the community with our print publication. For 100 years, the Okeechobee News has been this community's main source of local information. We kept printing despite floods and hurricanes. We kept printing when a fire consumed the newspaper building. The Okeechobee News weathered the Great Depression and many other recessions.
While maintaining the print product, we welcome the new technology that allows us to also share news on our website, on social media and through e-subscriptions of the newspaper.
In addition to those who enjoy the routine of reading the newsprint edition, community members now get their news on their computers, tablets and their phones. We embrace the challenges of the new technology, just as we have never shied away from other challenges for the past century.
The Okeechobee News is evolving, but the core values remain the same. We remain dedicated to bringing our readers the information they need to make the daily decisions so important to their lives. We celebrate the community's achievements. We share the pain of the tragedies. We provide an open forum for community discussion and debate.
The mission of the Okeechobee News is to serve, nurture and celebrate this community.
The Okeechobee News is published by Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA (INI), which in turn is owned by a non-profit journalistic trust that shares the commitment to the newspaper's mission. We think local communities are of the utmost importance, and that they must be preserved and strengthened.


The purpose of Our Lady's Guild is to promote devotion to the Blessed Mother, thus deepening our faith and drawing us closer to her Son.
Our spiritual life is enriched through recitation of the rosary after Masses, participation in Eucharistic Adoration, presentations by guest speakers. semi-annual days of recollection, pilgrimages and spiritual book discussions.
Our faith is put into action when we help others, including those outside the parish. We support the missions by making and donating rosaries throughout the year. In January, we help prepare and serve lunch to senior citizens at Lapham Community Center. At Christmas time our members collect and deliver gifts to a local nursing home. In addition, we visit and care for the homebound through various activities at Waveny Care Center, the New Canaan Inn and St. Camillus Health Center on an ongoing basis.
Members of Our Lady's Guild are very active in parish life, serving as Eucharistic Ministers, lectors, religious education teachers, and coordinators of various parish devotions. Our Lady's Guild is responsible for the Living Rosary in October, Mary's Way of the Cross in Lent, the Crowning of the Blessed Mother in May and the perpetual circulation of the Pilgrim Virgin statue. Every year we have some project that connects us with children in St. Aloysius School and the Religious Education Program to foster awareness and devotion to the Blessed Mother among our youth. Members are also responsible for all facets of our meetings, including hospitality, speaker coordination, scheduling, reporting, publicity, membership, remembrances, and reservations.


text:
Keeping pollution under control
Sophisticated statistical methods can detect ozone pollution hot spots and monitor instrument failure.
KAUST researchers Ying Sun and Fouzi Harrou.
© 2016 KAUST
Ozone is a troublesome pollutant at ground level and throughout the lower layer of the atmosphere. A statistical method developed by researchers at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi Arabia, can detect abnormal ozone levels within large bodies of monitored data.
"Our procedure could be used as an automatic tool," said Assistant Professor Ying Sun from the University's Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Science and Engineering Division. She noted that the method could act as an early warning system for dangerous pollution levels and potential technical problems.
Ozone is the reactive form of oxygen that contains three atoms per molecule (O3) rather than the normal two. Ground-level ozone is created by chemical reactions between other pollutants, especially oxides of nitrogen and carbon-based compounds released in vehicle exhausts and by many industrial processes. The reactions that create ozone are promoted by bright sunlight, often leading to the serious air quality problem called photochemical smog. Exposure to the ozone can cause breathing difficulties, eye irritation and other health problems, and may also harm crops and other vegetation.
Sun explained that the monitoring methods developed with colleague Fouzi Harrou can quickly and accurately detect ozone anomalies—localized spikes in ozone concentration indicated by sensor data.
"This will allow us to warn the public of harmful ozone levels, but also to check the sensors in case a technical problem is the reason for an anomaly," Sun said.
The new scheme can monitor multiple stations simultaneously by integrating a statistical technique known as principal component analysis into a traditional process control procedure.
To test the method in the field, the KAUST researchers collaborated with a French team with access to data from a network of air quality monitoring systems in Normandy [1].
"The French air quality monitoring system is very well established," said Sun. She explained that the French collaboration provided an ideal testing ground for the methods her team will next apply to Saudi Arabia and the Middle East.
The results in France confirmed that the new procedure can offer improvements on existing methods, but further work is needed to reduce the level of errors that might spark false alarms.
Sun and her colleagues also hope to apply their data analysis techniques to dust pollution, another major environmental issue in Saudi Arabia.
https://discovery.kaust.edu.sa/en/article/280/keeping-pollution-under-co... Original article from KAUST
[1] Harrou, F., Kadri, F., Khadraoui, S. & Sun, Y. Ozone measurements monitoring using data-based approach. Process Safety and Environmental Protection 100, 0957–5820 (2016).|
Creating a Reference Map to Explore the Electronic Device Mimicking Brain Activity
Show all Science Technology press releases


text:
Chairman's Profile
Company Vision & Mission
The Business & Brands
Eurokars Leasing
Eurokars Pre-owned
Eurokars Services
Leasing Homepage
Long Term Leasing
Pre-Owned Homepage
Porsche Approved Pre-Owned
Rolls-Royce Provenance
McLAREN QUALIFIED
thegroup_col1
Ferrari is among the world's leading luxury brands focused on the design, engineering, production and sale of the world's most recognisable luxury performance sports cars.
Ferrari brand symbolises exclusivity, innovation, state-of-the-art sporting performance and Italian design.
Its history and the image enjoyed by its cars are closely associated with its Formula 1 racing team, Scuderia Ferrari, the most successful team in Formula 1 history, having won 238 Grand Prix races, 16 Constructor World titles and 15 Drivers' World titles.
PT Eurokars Prima Utama, the newly-appointed Official Ferrari Service Partner in Indonesia, is the authorised provider of Ferrari aftersales services in Jakarta.
Located at Jl TB Simatupang No 19 in South Jakarta and spanning 963 sqm with spacious work bays spread across two levels, the Ferrari service center is equipped with a comprehensive range of special tools, workshop equipment, dedicated diagnostics and Genuine Ferrari Parts. In the hands of a highly-trained team of experienced Technicians and Master Technicians, every Ferrari that comes through the doors will always be maintained to the highest level for maximum performance, reliability and safety.
Ferrari owners and guests are always welcome to take a minute to enjoy the comforts of the modernist lounge with minimalist and refined Italian design that is a trademark of the brand. Influenced and inspired by sincere Indonesian hospitality from the heart, our aftersales team stands ready to offer their best services. Quest for excellence and customer satisfaction is at the core of our company philosophy.
With the best premises and the best people, our team looks forward to welcoming our customers.
Security Policy Statement
Occupational Health, Safety & Security Policy
Eurokars
2021 © EUROKARS GROUP.
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. By using our website, you agree to our Privacy Policy & Cookie Policy.CONTINUE


text:
"""
The ``pyro.contrib.named`` module is a thin syntactic layer on top of Pyro.  It
allows Pyro models to be written to look like programs with operating on Python
data structures like ``latent.x.sample_(...)``, rather than programs with
string-labeled statements like ``x = pyro.sample("x", ...)``.

This module provides three container data structures ``named.Object``,
``named.List``, and ``named.Dict``. These data structures are intended to be
nested in each other. Together they track the address of each piece of data
in each data structure, so that this address can be used as a Pyro site. For
example::

    >>> state = named.Object("state")
    >>> print(str(state))
    state

    >>> z = state.x.y.z  # z is just a placeholder.
    >>> print(str(z))
    state.x.y.z

    >>> state.xs = named.List()  # Create a contained list.
    >>> x0 = state.xs.add()
    >>> print(str(x0))
    state.xs[0]

    >>> state.ys = named.Dict()
    >>> foo = state.ys['foo']
    >>> print(str(foo))
    state.ys['foo']

These addresses can now be used inside ``sample``, ``observe`` and ``param``
statements. These named data structures even provide in-place methods that
alias Pyro statements. For example::

    >>> state = named.Object("state")
    >>> loc = state.loc.param_(torch.zeros(1, requires_grad=True))
    >>> scale = state.scale.param_(torch.ones(1, requires_grad=True))
    >>> z = state.z.sample_(dist.Normal(loc, scale))
    >>> obs = state.x.sample_(dist.Normal(loc, scale), obs=z)

For deeper examples of how these can be used in model code, see the
`Tree Data <https://github.com/pyro-ppl/pyro/blob/dev/examples/contrib/named/tree_data.py>`_
and
`Mixture <https://github.com/pyro-ppl/pyro/blob/dev/examples/contrib/named/mixture.py>`_
examples.

Authors: Fritz Obermeyer, Alexander Rush
"""
import functools

import pyro

class Object:
    """
    Object to hold immutable latent state.

    This object can serve either as a container for nested latent state
    or as a placeholder to be replaced by a tensor via a named.sample,
    named.observe, or named.param statement. When used as a placeholder,
    Object objects take the place of strings in normal pyro.sample statements.

    :param str name: The name of the object.

    Example::

        state = named.Object("state")
        state.x = 0
        state.ys = named.List()
        state.zs = named.Dict()
        state.a.b.c.d.e.f.g = 0  # Creates a chain of named.Objects.

    .. warning:: This data structure is write-once: data may be added but may
        not be mutated or removed. Trying to mutate this data structure may
        result in silent errors.
    """

    def __init__(self, name):
        super().__setattr__("_name", name)
        super().__setattr__("_is_placeholder", True)

    def __str__(self):
        return super().__getattribute__("_name")

    def __getattribute__(self, key):
        try:
            return super().__getattribute__(key)
        except AttributeError:
            name = "{}.{}".format(self, key)
            value = Object(name)
            super(Object, value).__setattr__(
                "_set_value", lambda value: super(Object, self).__setattr__(key, value)
            )
            super().__setattr__(key, value)
            super().__setattr__("_is_placeholder", False)
            return value

    def __setattr__(self, key, value):
        if isinstance(value, (List, Dict)):
            value._set_name("{}.{}".format(self, key))
        if hasattr(self, key):
            old = super().__getattribute__(key)
            if not isinstance(old, Object) or not old._is_placeholder:
                raise RuntimeError("Cannot overwrite {}.{}".format(self, key))
        super().__setattr__(key, value)

    @functools.wraps(pyro.sample)
    def sample_(self, fn, *args, **kwargs):
        if not self._is_placeholder:
            raise RuntimeError(
                "Cannot .sample_ an initialized named.Object {}".format(self)
            )
        value = pyro.sample(str(self), fn, *args, **kwargs)
        self._set_value(value)
        return value

    @functools.wraps(pyro.param)
    def param_(self, *args, **kwargs):
        if not self._is_placeholder:
            raise RuntimeError("Cannot .param_ an initialized named.Object")
        value = pyro.param(str(self), *args, **kwargs)
        self._set_value(value)
        return value

class List(list):
    """
    List-like object to hold immutable latent state.

    This must either be given a name when constructed::

        latent = named.List("root")

    or must be immediately stored in a ``named.Object``::

        latent = named.Object("root")
        latent.xs = named.List()  # Must be bound to a Object before use.

    .. warning:: This data structure is write-once: data may be added but may
        not be mutated or removed. Trying to mutate this data structure may
        result in silent errors.
    """

    def __init__(self, name=None):
        self._name = name

    def __str__(self):
        return self._name

    def _set_name(self, name):
        if self:
            raise RuntimeError("Cannot name a named.List after data has been added")
        if self._name is not None:
            raise RuntimeError("Cannot rename named.List: {}".format(self._name))
        self._name = name

    def add(self):
        """
        Append one new named.Object.

        :returns: a new latent object at the end
        :rtype: named.Object
        """
        if self._name is None:
            raise RuntimeError(
                "Cannot .add() to a named.List before storing it in a named.Object"
            )
        i = len(self)
        value = Object("{}[{}]".format(self._name, i))
        super(Object, value).__setattr__(
            "_set_value", lambda value, i=i: self.__setitem__(i, value)
        )
        self.append(value)
        return value

    def __setitem__(self, pos, value):
        name = "{}[{}]".format(self._name, pos)
        if isinstance(value, Object):
            raise RuntimeError(
                "Cannot store named.Object {} in named.Dict {}".format(
                    value, self._name
                )
            )
        elif isinstance(value, (List, Dict)):
            value._set_name(name)
        old = self[pos]
        if not isinstance(old, Object) or not old._is_placeholder:
            raise RuntimeError("Cannot overwrite {}".format(name))
        super().__setitem__(pos, value)

class Dict(dict):
    """
    Dict-like object to hold immutable latent state.

    This must either be given a name when constructed::

        latent = named.Dict("root")

    or must be immediately stored in a ``named.Object``::

        latent = named.Object("root")
        latent.xs = named.Dict()  # Must be bound to a Object before use.

    .. warning:: This data structure is write-once: data may be added but may
        not be mutated or removed. Trying to mutate this data structure may
        result in silent errors.
    """

    def __init__(self, name=None):
        self._name = name

    def __str__(self):
        return self._name

    def _set_name(self, name):
        if self:
            raise RuntimeError("Cannot name a named.Dict after data has been added")
        if self._name is not None:
            raise RuntimeError("Cannot rename named.Dict: {}".format(self._name))
        self._name = name

    def __getitem__(self, key):
        try:
            return super().__getitem__(key)
        except KeyError as e:
            if self._name is None:
                raise RuntimeError("Cannot access an unnamed named.Dict") from e
            value = Object("{}[{!r}]".format(self._name, key))
            super(Object, value).__setattr__(
                "_set_value", lambda value: self.__setitem__(key, value)
            )
            super().__setitem__(key, value)
            return value

    def __setitem__(self, key, value):
        name = "{}[{!r}]".format(self._name, key)
        if key in self:
            old = super().__getitem__(key)
            if not isinstance(old, Object) or not old._is_placeholder:
                raise RuntimeError("Cannot overwrite {}".format(name))
        if isinstance(value, Object):
            raise RuntimeError(
                "Cannot store named.Object {} in named.Dict {}".format(
                    value, self._name
                )
            )
        elif isinstance(value, (List, Dict)):
            value._set_name(name)
        super().__setitem__(key, value)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


It's not exactly da Vinci's The Last Supper, but one of Nashville's favorite honky-tonks recently unveiled a new mural depicting some of country music's biggest stars, both past and present.
The mural appears on one of the outside walls of Legends Corner on Lower Broadway.
Any country music fan worth his or her weight in salt should be able to rattle off the mural's cast of characters, which include Tim McGraw, Loretta Lynn, Blake Shelton, Dierks Bentley, Willie Nelson, Taylor Swift, Johnny Cash, Keith Urban, Merle Haggard, Reba McEntire, Alan Jackson, George Strait, Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks.
If naming the 14 characters didn't stump you, how about answering me these question three (answers are at the bottom of the page, so don't scroll too far).
How many Country Music Hall of Fame members are depicted?
According to the RIAA, who are the three best-selling artists depicted?
Can you put all of the living artists depicted in order from youngest to oldest?


We are very confident that our item will meet and surpass your expectations. However, if for any reason you are not completely satisfied with our product, please contact us to request for refund or exchange for return - no questions asked! This is a no risk return policy. simply return it within 14 days from the date of receipt. The item must be returned in its original condition, unworn and unaltered in any way. We appreciate your business, and thankful for your cooperation.


When it comes to the future of artificial intelligence "only a joint approach will make us strong" says Audi CEO Rupert Stadler, and this involves rewriting the Three Laws of Robotics.
Speaking to journalists ahead of the UN's AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva, Stadler said it's inevitable that artificial intelligence will become integrated into every aspect of our daily lives, but for it to be accepted the public must first trust it.
Audi has already demonstrated its Audi Q7 driverless technology, created with Nvidia, and Stadler plans to demo its all new 'level three' piloted driving with the new Audi A8 this summer. The goal is level five, where no driver is needed. In terms of technological advancement, Stadler believes we are not that far off and predicts prototypes will be demoed from 2020 onwards – if public trust is achieved.
Over the past two years, Audi has brought experts in philosophy, psychology, law, and computer science from MIT Media Lab, Oxford University, Singularity University, along with entrepreneurs, together to join its Beyond Initiative. The initiative's aim is to help develop a framework, debate ethical dilemmas that driverless cars necessitate and "make sure AI will share our values when making decisions". One of the most pressing of these problems, Stadler points out, is that we expect technology to always do the 'right' thing, even when it would be virtually impossible for a human to achieve that.
Talking about theoretical dilemmas, such as an autonomous vehicle being faced with the choice of harming an elderly person, a pregnant woman, or the passenger in the car, he said: "In such a situation, human beings like you and me have no time for thoughtful decisions. We simply react. Interestingly, we expect the autonomous car to make the right decision, and, quite understandably, people are emotionally touched when thinking of such a scenario. From a rational perspective, such a situation is very unlikely to happen. Of course we as car manufacturers do everything we can to avoid such a situation. Our cars are equipped with many many sensors to detect dangerous situations and to fully brake autonomously – if necessary.
"As soon as a car will make decisions by itself in a certain traffic scenario, such a situation can theoretically happen. How should the autonomous car decide when it is not fully clear what will happen in the direction it steers into? Is it ethically sound to choose for the unknown? As a society, we will have to find ways how to deal with these topics. We need an open discourse, in which the massive chances of automated and autonomous driving are considered in relation to the ethical challenges."
To meet these challenges, Stadler suggests we rewrite sci-fi author Isaac Asimov's infamous Three Laws of Robotics. These dictate that AI cannot harm a human, must obey humans unless it means causing harm, and must protect itself as long as that does not involve contradicting the other two laws. Instead, Stadler believes these laws should be: "Number one: we will always handle artificial intelligence based on our human intelligence. Number two: robots and human beings should not harm each other or allow harm by doing nothing. And number three: they should support each other according to their specific capabilities."
Part of Audi's sell for its own future line of driverless cars is providing people with the '25th hour' – giving them time they did not have before. Any driverless car should be able to do that. but he suggests that as the technology becomes commonplace, it will more likely see multiple people travelling together in cars for efficiency's sake. Audi will still differentiate itself as the luxury option.
"Maybe you want to take your car alone or do some business. It will be a premium user experience. Maybe it will have an excellent Bang and Olufsen sound system. You could take an hour for relaxation. We are able to hand back to our drivers the 25th hour. Time will be the most precious gift in the future."
Continuing about the future of driving, Stadler said: "The future car I dream of will be a chauffeur who drives me safely wherever I want to go to, a secretary who reminds me what I need to do – where and when – a butler who gets my groceries, a post box on wheels where couriers can deliver parcels, a private medical staff that keeps an eye on my vital functions and maybe it even becomes an empathetic companion throughout my day. Or in brief: a personal avatar.
"This companion can detect my mood and change the lighting and music – and conversation – to cheer me up! In a nutshell: AI will allow us to make our lives easier by collecting and interpreting huge amounts of data and by predicting situations of the future. You will be able to play with your children in the car, while the car pays attention to other children playing on the street."
The topic of the summit is AI for good, and, of course, there is plenty of good to be achieved through driverless vehicles beyond the time to relax. Stadler points out that 90 per cent of accidents are caused by human failure, which AI stands to dramatically reduce.
"AI will fundamentally change your mobility, and it's up to all of us to make sure AI is used for the benefit of society. We must set a mechanism for labour markets [to create the] perfect match of man and machine." That relationship between humans and machines needs to be fostered not just in the consumer markets when robot taxis hit the streets and put drivers out of a job, but in Audi's own factories, Stadler said.
"We should not just see the threat, but the opportunities. How the human-machine interface works in a smart factory is always to the benefit of the employee. There's lots of heavy stuff that has to be moved from a to b so why shouldn't technology safeguard employees. And enrichment of jobs will change - there will be different jobs available."
Software engineers and data analysts will be in high demand, and Stadler suggests a basic income could be "the right answer". Humans will still always be better at certain things than machines, such as creativity and empathy, for example.
Yet Audi is definitely not ready to welcome an AI onto its board, as a VC management firm in Hong Kong has already done. "We have the responsibility for 88,000 humans. Sometimes it is good not to be rational alone."
"We have to make sure technology serves society - and not the other way round. Then machines will follow the pace of people again. We want to use AI to secure jobs and to raise the standard of living. At Audi we know: robots won't buy our cars! We have to make sure that our economic system stays in balance. We need a good employment and wealth for our whole economy."


text:
Q: make array of computed properties from vuex state array for use in v-model I have the following setup in Vue 3.
A vuex store with an array as part of state:
const store = createStore({
  state: {
    questions: [
      { text: 'A', value: false },
      { text: 'B', value: false },
      { text: 'C', value: true },
    ],
  },
  mutations: {
    updateQuestionValue(state, { index, value }) {
      state.questions[index].value = value;
    },
  },
});

And a component which attempts to render a list of checkboxes that should correspond to the "questions" array in state.
<template>

        {{question.text}}
        <input :id="'q'+index" v-model="questionComputeds[index]" type="checkbox" />

</template>

As you can see I am hoping to use v-model to enact two way binding for each input element in the list, but because I am using vuex with an array, I want to use the get/set option on my computed properties and access the specific computed with an index in the template. However I am finding this does not work. It doesn't throw an error, but it also doesn't work to bind the value of the checkbox to the .value prop in my question objects. Am I completely offbase about the tactic here? Can you even make arrays of "computed"s, like I am with .map()? Any way to use v-model with this data structure?

A: first problem:
In the first line of the template

questions is not defined. It could be replaced by

or the questions passed to the store on creation could be extracted to a variable, exported and imported in your component
second problem:
Your second line is missing a .value
Should be
<input v-model="questionComputeds[index].value" type="checkbox" />
These two changes should fix it. Considering that you don't need the index in the v-for either you get the
complete solution:
<template>

    <input v-model="question.value" type="checkbox" />

</template>

Alternatives:
simple solution:
<template>

    <input :checked="questionComputeds[index]" type="checkbox" @input="handleChange(index, $event)" />

</template>

more complex (but more reusable) solution:
Extract your array of checkboxes to a separate component and define a custom v-model


As organisations are increasingly exploring the opportunities of digital learning, the transition process from face-to-face to online becomes an issue that needs to be managed. Thanks to increased efficiency and even efficacy, digital offers a lot that face-to-face. However, you should never blindly digitalise learning experiences without thinking it through. Online learning lends itself to some topics better than others. Furthermore, you should always try to augment learning experiences into workflow, and there's no one-size-fits-all solution to that. Thus, the digitalisation process should be about finding ways to find meaningful ways of using technology to support learning. That being said, if you've gone through the consideration and notice there are instructor-led training (ILT) activities that should be transformed from classroom based to digital, there are a few things to consider. Here are 3 often overlooked considerations when it comes to converting ILT to digital learning.
A major thing that most people don't seem to realise about converting ILT to digital learning is the social aspect. It's not just the content or instruction that defined a classroom experience, but it's the social interaction. People learn from each other, and there's a lot of value in facilitating discussions and sharing outside of the immediate corporate-defined scope of instruction.
Thus, you should really look into ways of integrating collaborative activities and peer interactions into the digital learning experience. Nowadays, there are a number of good social learning platforms out there that get you quite far. But it's also about building the content in a way that sparks spur-of-the-moment interactions, discussions and reflection.
The other element that many tend to cut right at the start of converting ILT to online learning is the instructor. While self-paced learning is on the rise, and much of workplace learning is experiential, everything shouldn't be. While you can use gamification to keep your learners engaged, the instructor can still play a big role in that. Even with fully online learning experiences, you can still retain the instructor as a facilitator. The facilitator doesn't necessarily deal with the content or "present" it in any way, but rather he's there to spark those discussions and encourage interactions. Furthermore, the facilitator can really focus on helping to solve the individual's learning challenges and provide learning support.
Finally, you shouldn't hope for quick wins by just uploading the existing materials to your online learning platform. When converting ILT to online learning, that simply doesn't work. ILT materials are often presentations and documents. It shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that both of these are terrible formats of learning in a digital environment. First of all, the user experience is simply horrible and neither of them work on the mobile. Both require pinching, zooming and often display text sizes that are simply not viable for anything less than a desktop computer. Secondly, these traditional ILT content pieces don't have any engagement once you remove the instructor. They are just words and pictures, and there's really nothing interactive about them.
So, instead of trying to reuse your old pieces, you should completely redo the components. Modalities like videos, animations, simulations, games and even simple native text work much better.
By avoiding all these practices and focusing on redefining the learning experience as a whole, you'll unlock the most value. If you want to deliver great learning experiences, there are no short-cuts or quick wins to be had when converting ILT to digital learning experiences. However, the time and resources will pay themselves back quickly!
If you feel you need help in managing your learning content transformation or creating a strategy for it, feel free to reach out to us. We're happy to help.
This article was first published on eLearning Industry, and we have modified it slightly since. You can access the original article here.
One of the main challenges in corporate L&D today is sustaining behavioural change and performance. Ultimately, most learning activities are done to facilitate some sort of change. Yet, when it comes to applying the knowledge and skills learned from a blend of learning activities, the learners often feel left alone. Thus, they haven't got enough practice, exposure or opportunities to actually start behaving in a new way. A lot of these are attributable to the tendency in the corporate L&D space to focus too heavily on knowledge delivery. When undergoing the paradigm shift from knowledge-focus to a performance-focus, adopting flipped learning in a corporate context is a good approach.
What Is Flipped Learning In A Nutshell?
Flipped learning is an approach that the education world has been adopting for the past 10+ years with great success. Initially, the approach was developed on the notion that direct instruction does not work terribly well in a group setting, while activities and 'homework' seemed to produce more results with the social group context. Therefore, educators started experimenting with bringing direct instruction ('lectures') into the individual learning space, whereas they brought practice, discussion and reflection ('homework') back to the classroom.
Fast forward to the corporate world in 2018, where learning has largely taken a blended and increasingly digital approach. Many organisations have all the latest tools when it comes to Learning and Development. Yet, almost equally many are struggling in translating the learning to actual changes in behaviour and improved performance. In most cases, the fundamental problem is the way companies structure learning experiences. Generally, companies choose an overly knowledge and content–focused approach over more learner-centered design. What could be a potential solution? Try flipping the learning paradigm.
How to design flipped learning experiences in a corporate context?
The overarching goal of flipped learning in a corporate context would be to deliver knowledge in a scalable way at the point of need while maximising the behavioural and performance impact through the efficient use of the "expensive resources" (face-to-face). And here's how you could get started with a flipped learning approach.
You should start by identifying what types of instructional, knowledge-focused content you have. These may include videos, presentations, storyboards, webinar recordings, manuals, documents, and handbooks. You should curate these types of content into a self-paced digital learning experience where learners can consume the knowledge at their own pace. Ultimately, you may consider using digital means for delivering all knowledge-based content and baseline subject matter.
Instead of delivering knowledge, face-to-face training activities should consist of deeper discussions, simulations, group activities and practice. Naturally, you should design the activities according to the behavioural goals you want to achieve with learning. If you're doing sales training, the behavioural objective might be to adopt a new selling approach in hopes of increasing sales by X%. In such an example, the activities might consist of sales meeting simulations, group practice pitching, workshops, and personalised coaching. Similarly, for technical training, you should use the face-to-face time to get the learners' hands dirty and let them experience tools and methods in practice.
Due to resource constraints and requirements for scalability and efficiency, this is where it often pays for corporates to move back to digital platforms. You can use different digital learning tools for feedback, as well as engaging in instructor-led facilitation, collaboration, and social learning. Ultimately, it's important to engage the learners over time to keep the learning on their minds, establishing that cognitive presence. Furthermore, you should also give the learners access to performance support; resources designed to help them succeed on their jobs.
Naturally, you can expand upon this cycle, depending on the training topics and success of the learning initiatives. The important thing is to create a risk-free environment for the learners to practice, engage and experience – especially during the face-to-face sessions.
What Are The Potential Benefits Of A Flipped Learning Approach In Corporate Context?
The face-to-face activities and post-session facilitation should be all about reinforcing behavioural change and providing tools for increasing performance, which is what ultimately matters. Thus, you're wasting less time on nice-to-know things and knowledge-not-being-applied.
By transitioning the knowledge delivery component into digital formats, you can do more with less. Learners can take the first steps of the learning journey at their convenience.
You're using the expensive face-to-face training hours to support real change through practical activities, not just delivering knowledge passively. You'll be able to deliver greater impact with potentially fewer resources.
In a flipped learning approach, learners are able to consume and digest knowledge at their own pace. Furthermore, the new activity-based, face-to-face sessions provide better opportunities for more personalised learning support, as trainers are not wasting their time lecturing.
A flipped learning approach generally encourages and facilitates a more active involvement and engagement of learners, which translates to improved learning results.
All in all, flipped learning is an approach that makes a lot of sense in today's corporate L&D. Increase in knowledge alone has little ROI if it doesn't translate into behaviour and performance. However, flipped learning provides a way of delivering activities to support the behavioural change while retaining efficiency thanks to the blended delivery.
Instructor-led training (ILT) has been a major medium of learning delivery in corporates for a long time. However, during its long history, instructor-led training and the methodologies used have not evolved all that much. As a result, ILT is struggling with problems of sustaining results, scalability and flexibility. Furthermore, ILT is having a hard time aligning with L&D trends such as personalisation and performance-centricity. Hence, we thought it might be useful to present some tips on leveraging technology to nurture a paradigm shift towards better ILT.
How can we produce better results with ILT?
The problem with ILT is that it tends to be rather transactional. Due to financial and time constraints, corporates cannot have trainers spend several sessions focusing on learners' individual problems. Furthermore, the learning experience is not spaced over time. Hence, new knowledge is easily forgotten, and results remain poor. To produce better results, training needs to adopt a more blended approach, which also helps with the scalability and flexibility.
A good blended learning approach can be a mix of digital learning activities and instructor-led training. Digital elements such as refreshers, discussions, microlearning and evaluations can be used to support the learning over time. With a careful structuring of learning journeys, employees come to ILT sessions already tuned in to the topic. Hence, it's much easier for the trainer to pick up the pace and create impact. Furthermore, trainer-led facilitation can continue even after the session.
To sustain a behavioural change in the learners – to produce real results – requires continuity. Behavioural change doesn't happen overnight or with a single training activity. Therefore, it's important that we keep the engagement going. Instructor-led facilitation is a natural way of doing this. Instead of losing more productivity to the classroom, trainers should equip themselves to meet the learners across platforms.
For instance, once the ILT session has gone by, trainers can move to social media tools. Ideally, your digital learning platform comes with a social learning feature of managing discussions. If not, don't you worry! You don't need expensive tools to facilitate. It's highly likely that a vast majority of your learners are already using social media and communication tools (e.g. WhatsApp, WeChat, Facebook). You should tap into that by having trainers facilitate further learning across those platforms – the employees are already there! Sure, it's not quite as sophisticated as integrated social learning tools with powerful analytics capabilities. Yet, even small things can have big impact. The important thing is that trainers are making themselves available for performance support, the 'Pull' type of learning.
Finally, the personalisation problem of ILT is an area in which you can go a long way with proper technological support. In learning, one size doesn't fit all, it never has. Yet, highly structured ILT activities are aiming to do just that. Personalised learning is all about understanding the learners' context: what is relevant? What helps them succeed in their daily jobs? What kind of experiences and backgrounds are the learners building on?
Advanced learning data capabilities and analytics help tremendously in this regard. Trainers can zoom in on each individuals' skills development in real-time, not forgetting non-learning experiences. This way, trainers are able to deliver learning catering to each individual's unique needs. This helps in sustaining the paradigm shift from knowledge to performance focused learning and ultimately, better results.
Are you using technology to support your organisation on its way to the future of instructor-led training? If you think you need help, you can always schedule a free consultation with us.
For the past ten years, the education world has undergone a shift away from traditional top-down approaches. One of the emerging methods of education delivery is flipped learning, also known as the flipped classroom. In the flipped learning approach, instructional content is delivered outside of the classroom, whereas activities shift to inside the classroom. Hence, whereas learners used to study theory at school and practice at home, they now do the opposite. They now consume digital resources, such as lectures, video and readings and participate in discussions on their own time. Thereafter, they come to the classroom session to collaborate, practice and apply the knowledge in a group setting.
How corporates can benefit from a flipped learning approach?
With a flipped learning approach, you're exposing your employees to the instructional content and activities over a longer period of time, similar to blended learning. Furthermore, by injecting them with the theoretical knowledge beforehand, they come into face-to-face sessions more prepared. This enables your trainers to shift from lectures to workshops. The employees can focus on collaborating, practising and applying the knowledge in a risk-free environment. The more application opportunities you give them, the more likely it is that you'll see behavioural change (Kirkpatrick level 3, anyone?). Furthermore, flipped learning automatically becomes more personalised, as trainers have more time to dedicate to individual employees.
Another great thing is that you're also getting more bang for your buck. You're saving real money by delivering the instructional content in digital formats. With flipped learning, you're also saving the time of both the trainers and employees. Trainers no longer need to waste their time on curating and delivering the low-value add instructional content. The employees can spend more time being productive at their jobs, instead of sitting in a classroom listening to a lecture which they could do more efficiently online. Furthermore, as you enable opportunities and activities to practice, make mistakes, fail and familiarise, you help to ensure that the learning carries forward to your employees' daily jobs. A greater impact with less resources – that's efficiency!
Perhaps the best thing about flipped learning is that it doesn't only work to boost corporate efficiency and effectiveness. In fact, the method also delivers value-add to your learners. Many employees value the face-to-face aspect of training, but not for the sake of training itself. Rather, they probably value the networking, discussion, experience sharing and collaboration opportunities that happen face-to-face. Nothing to do with the instructional content delivery! By enabling a flipped learning approach and consequently more workshop-like facilitative classroom activities, you're giving them just that. They can share best practices, learn from their peers and put things to practice. Your employees will also value the personalised attention that the trainer finally has time for. The trainer can provide performance support, coach and mentor them, instead of just instructing.
So, how should I get started with flipped learning?
To get started with flipped learning, a simple 3-step approach is a good first stepping stone.
Identify the instructional content that you can deliver more efficiently through online, mobile or other self-paced formats – digitalise that.
Still not quite sure? We can help you to design effective flipped learning journeys, leveraging technology to get the most value out of face-to-face. Start by contacting us!


Sean Gustaveson demonstrates the HoloLens, an augmented reality visual aid for plumbers, electricians and engineers.
Pacing in front of a row of urinals, Computer Aided Design detailer Sean Gustaveson looks through a pair of augmented reality glasses at a projected image that resembles the Windows 3D pipes screensaver. Life-sized green, red and blue pipes materialize in front of him, showing him exactly where to place each pipe in the building plan.
Gustaveson was among group of group of plumbers, steamfitters and HVAC technicians who gathered last week in a steel tower inside the 100,000 square foot state-of-the-art Tualatin training center run by Local 290, the regional chapter of an international plumbers and steamfitters union.
Dressed in flannels and baseball caps, the instructors were eager to demonstrate state-of-the-art plumbing technology.
"The way I learned to do it was basically how they did it 50 years ago," says Shane Ervin, a piping labor manager, referring to the plumbing industry's longstanding resistance to change. Technological advances like the "HoloLens" are changing the game. "The last five years have been huge," Ervin says.
Instructors at Local 290's training center demonstrate an emerging augmented reality technology.
These are boom times for the plumbing sector, as economic growth spawns hundreds of new office and residential projects and aging water and waste infrastructure get an overhaul. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment for plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters will grow 16% in the next 20 years, much faster than average.
Despite the rosy outlook, plumbers still struggle to overcome stereotypes associated with the profession. For generations, plumbing has been a gritty blue collar trade, and that image has persisted as knowledge economy jobs grab the headlines.
But as part of a broader effort to rebrand, a growing number of plumbers are embracing technological change.
It's not an easy task. Plumbers are risk-averse, and for good reason, they say. You don't want to experiment where toilets and wastewater are involved. Innovation for many longtime family-owned plumbing companies means texting and email.
Plumbers don't exactly fit today's innovation paradigm. But it wasn't always that way. In the late-nineteenth century, plumbers were considered the standard bearers of civilization, at least according to an 1898 essay by contemporary architecture theorist Adolf Loos.
Plumbers met basic needs for water and waste management, allowing cities to thrive and expand.
"There would be no nineteenth century without the plumber," Loos observed.
Since then, enthusiasm for the plumber has waned considerably. Jobs in healthcare, tech and finance have wrested the spotlight from manufacturing and the trades. Higher education has become the ticket to success.
The biggest problem is attracting and retaining talent. Millennials would rather code a webpage than fit a pipe.
Orbital Welding Instructor Glenn Monda teaches welding to plumbing and steamfitting apprentices.
At the Tualatin training center, the union plumbing instructors combat a few misconceptions about the trade. They say the satisfaction of working in the plumbers and steamfitters trade derives from its blend of the new and old: flashy software and hardware, as well as good old-fashioned grit.
"Maybe two and a half years ago," he responded.
The training center teaches advanced math, said Justin May, the center's plumber program coordinator, but only what you use in the real world. Plumbers have welding machines that make real-time computerized adjustments, and high-powered reciprocating saws that link to your iPhone.
Local 290 plumbers have gone one step further. They are among the first in the nation to use the Hololenses on real projects. Eight lenses have gone out on Portland-area jobs.
In the past, workers made small adjustments for inconsistencies on their two-dimensional plans only find out months later they had screwed up the whole system. Now, they can sync the glasses' view with the Computer Aided Design projection overseen by a remote operator. With a few clicks, a modified pipe or fitting gets beamed to the glasses, appearing right in front of the plumber's eyes.
Monda, May and HVAC Program Coordinator Justin Tiller talk new technology in the trades.
To draw young people into the profession, boosters should focus on the dual nature of the modern plumber's skill set, says Steve Kokes, president of Portland ad agency Coates Kokes.
"Kids hear about jobs in healthcare and other fields whose rate of change appears to be quicker and thus sets them in a 21st-century mindset," he wrote in an email.
Kokes' hypothetical ad campaign unfolds as a series of vignettes contrasting perceptions of plumbers with the realities.
"Perceptions of plumbing often involve very old-school classic tools," Kokes says. "In reality, plumbers working on the renovation of Grant High School here in Portland are using virtual reality to help avoid 'clash coordination' or points in the infrastructure pathways where the various utilities might run into each other or some other structural element of the building."
Kokes put together a two-page pitch for a rebranding plumbers campaign. Read it here.
You might call Josh Schoonmaker a desk jock. Over the past few years, the peripatetic software developer packed his tech resume with names like Hewlett Packard, Ebay, Paypal and Daimler's mobility services arm, moovel.
Now Schoonmaker sells toilets and fire hydrants.
He wouldn't have it any other way. As the recently appointed e-commerce manager at Consolidated Supply Co., a Portland-based plumbing supply company, Schoonmaker found his niche: the chance to revitalize an industry that struggled for years to embrace tech solutions: plumbing supply.
When Schoomaker started at Consolidated, he braced for culture shock. Before he toured the company's locations to explain the new e-commerce proposal, he prepped like a public relations manager would prep for a press conference.
He expected silence and blank stares at best, outright objections at worst.
But after just two or three minutes, most mangers couldn't wait to get started.
In the past five years, the technology used in plumbing has advanced exponentially.
The pace of change in plumbing and related trades has ramped up exponentially. Industry practices feature e-commerce, automated paperwork, sophisticated Building Information Modeling systems and augmented and virtual reality.
But the industry's branding vocabulary has yet to catch up with the times.
Basic infrastructure — toilets and fire hydrants — does not fall into that category.
Related Story: Can techno-optimism really save the world?
Justin Tiller, the training center's HVAC program coordinator, says the industry already has a surefire way of attracting new workers: wages.
He's got a point. Wages start at $17.53 an hour for a first-year apprentice, and progress to $43.82 for a journeyman plumber. An experienced plumbing or HVAC contractor, Tiller said, can make as much as $80,000 to $100,000 a year. That's about the same as median pay for a software developer ($102,280 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Plus, union workers, who pay a small percentage of their wages into funding the apprenticeship program, get excellent benefits packages, often a step up from those of non-union plumbers.
HoloLens technology allows plumbers to project building plans onto a job site in three dimensions.
The union is also among the first to experiment with virtual reality training. Apprentices can don a pair of goggles and enter a scenario where they're tasked with fixing an office building's air conditioning. They visit the virtual business, talk with the owner and fix the unit.
The project is in an early testing stage, Gormley says. "Right now, we're training the trainers."
A major hurdle to the widespread adoption of these innovations is the high price tag. A single pair of the HoloLens glasses run around $5,000. The small indepedent contractors that would most benefit from the technology in labor and cost savings, May says, can't afford it up front.
A dearth of career technical education programs is another obstacle to pushing the industry forward. During a hearing at the Oregon state legislature last month, plumbing and other trade industry representatives pleaded for more support.
Amid shrinking education budgets, change may come at the grassroots level. As college students struggle with crippling debt and uncertain job prospects, the union is seeing an increase in the number of apprentices entering the program with existing college degrees, running the gamut from sports marketing to statistics.
Other would-be plumbers come from community colleges and trade schools, after completing year-long certificate programs that prepare students to enter four- to five-year apprenticeships.
Those without a degree can participate in a new program allowing apprentices to earn an associate's degree while learning plumbing.
Plumber training today blends higher education and traditional trade skills, May says.
More than 700 students applied for the 106 apprentice spots this year at the training center.
That new generation of highly educated plumbers should see plenty of work coming down the pipeline. As construction booms, along with population, so has the job market for plumbers.
In a report published a few years ago, the Oregon Employment Department estimated plumber employment in the state would increase 13.1% from 2014 to 2024.
To be sure, all that philosophizing is a bit lofty for the plumbers themselves.
At the training center, as this millennial reporter shouldered his backpack and prepared to leave, they offered a simpler pitch.
Without another word, he handed over a training center brochure.
SIDEBAR: As automation progresses, could plumbing jobs go to pipefitting robots?
The plumbers at the Tualatin training center laugh at the thought. "They can't take our work," said Gustaveson.
Plumbing remains largely immune from the outsourcing and automation concerns that plague American manufacturing.
Every building has a unique layout. Plumbers must constantly adapt to what they see on the ground.
"Until a pill is invented that turns water into vapor or something like that, we'll still need plumbers," Gormley says.


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HomeRegional NewsMiddle EastHotel expert predicts a buoyant future for Abu Dhabi's hospitality sector
Hotel expert predicts a buoyant future for Abu Dhabi's hospitality sector
Returning to Abu Dhabi for his third stint in the hotel industry here, Francesco Borrello is optimistic that the UAE capital is well positioned to play…
Returning to Abu Dhabi for his third stint in the hotel industry here, Francesco Borrello is optimistic that the UAE capital is well positioned to play a major role in further developing commerce and tourism sectors as the city's infrastructure continues a rapid pace of development.
Newly appointed as general manager of the Abu Dhabi Grand hotel, recently taken under management contract by Le Meridien, he is overseeing a major expansion and refurbishment project there – following which the property will be relaunched as Le Royal Meridien Abu Dhabi next year.
And, having first worked in the emirate in 1983, he is confident that 21st century Abu Dhabi is set to establish a name on the world stage as a global city of renown.
The city progresses all the time and there has been unbelievable development since I left the last time in 1999, Borrello said. In terms of architecture, it has become a mini-Manhattan on the Gulf with stunning glass and steel towers contrasting vividly with the blue sea and silver sands of the breakwater.
Even more noteworthy, he said, is the green environment that would be an amazing sight anywhere, but particularly in Arabia: From the airport to the corniche, there are thousands of palm trees and flora, and projects such as the new gardens being developed on the Corniche make Abu Dhabi a model city and an oasis in this region.
Complementing the environment, Borrello noted the expansion of the hotel industry in the emirate, which has been accompanied and propelled by new properties coming in to the market.
The service offering here has totally changed in the past few years, increasing in variety and substance, and both business and leisure travellers can now be certain that their requirements will be met here in terms of hotel and restaurant facilities.
Naturally, Borrello is keen that his hotel should take top ranking in this sector, but is equally enthusiastic about competition from his neighbours in the city: It creates healthy marketplace if you have a number of different hotels offering quality services and facilities to attract guests, he said.
All hotels will promote Abu Dhabi as a destination in one way or another, and this is as important as competition between individual hotels for business in the city.
Faced with the ebullient growth of the neighbouring Dubai emirate, Abu Dhabi has been less flamboyant in its promotion but Borrello recognises the paced but sure approach as one that is entirely suited to the needs of the capital.
It's no secret that other destinations in the region have gone out and promoted themselves on the international stage before they were really ready to compete on an international scale – here the growth is studied in terms of airport development, road construction and landscaping, and now hotels, conference centres, malls and parks.
On the business front, Borrello has already witnessed the new mood of confidence in the UAE capital, with his hotel running 100 per cent occupancy during the recent ADIPEC exhibition.
As a government and diplomatic centre, there has always been pockets of good business here, but now we are seeing more commercial opportunities being created and a lengthening of the season from September to May, he said. Another thing is the increase in GCC traffic as our neighbours take note of the commercial scope of Abu Dhabi, as well the growth of leisure attractions here.
While emphasising that mass tourism is not an option for Abu Dhabi, Borrello is equally sure about the quality of the product for overseas and regional holidaymakers.
We have an elite city here – one that is top in terms of quality service and facilities and that will appeal to select audiences who appreciate its unique environment.
Among potential sectors, he highlights the 'silver' generation in Europe, retirees who have time to travel and the money to go farther afield in search of the new.
The mild winter climate, long clean beaches and green corniches, range of restaurant and entertainment options, the safe environment, plus the cultural offerings of Abu Dhabi are major selling points here, and ones we should all be emphasising in our sales drive overseas, stressed Borrello.
However, while leisure could be an important business segment in future, he acknowledges that executive travel is bread and butter for most hotels in the city, and here his task is to become the best of the best.
The requirements of the business traveller are growing all the time, for bigger rooms with office space, the latest IT, 24 hour service, pool and leisure facilities – and as a result the five-star market in Abu Dhabi is evolving in to a quality product that can meet all expectations.
For me, the new opportunity to transform the Abu Dhabi Grand in to a luxury product with state-of-the-art facilities and immaculate service comes just at the right time – Le Royal Meridien branding will establish us as a landmark hospitality provider in the city, and as the business travellers' choice.
Already, the hotel has more than doubled average room rate and Borrello has set targets to consistently boost annual occupancy and revenues, justified by the evolution of the hotel's intrinsic product.
Our location is superb, in the heart of the city but with sea-views on the Corniche facing the breakwater, and combined with large rooms, a varied menu of restaurants and bars, plus the additions to come, which will include new rooms, restaurants, pool, ballroom and lobby – this is the hotel to watch for the future, he said.
With a history of delivering what he promises, Borrello most recently revived the fortunes of Le Royal Meridien Bahrain, where he was responsible for a major overhaul of the hotel's systems, operations and procedures that resulted in a significant increase in market share.
Italian-born Borrello, who is fluent in English, Italian and French, graduated from university in England before gaining an MBA from Washington International University, and has since worked in the hotel industry in the Far East, Europe and the Middle East.
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Spécial Magazine | MASON DISICK UNCOMFORTABLE WITH CAITLYN JENNER'S TRANSITION?
We thought the whole Kardashian family was supportive of Caitlyn Jenner's gender transformation, but it seems we were wrong. Turns out that Kourtney's son, Mason Disick, had a rough time dealing with it.
The little one was totally uncomfortable with the transition of his grandfather Bruce Jenner into his grandmother Caitlyn.


Under the Presidency of Pauliina Haijanen (FIN/EPP), the "Baltic Sea" Interregional Group in the Committee of the Regions met on 1 December 2017 to discuss the Baltic 2030 Action Plan.
Krista Kampus, Head of the Baltic 2030 Unit at the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) Secretariat, presented the Baltic 2030 Action Plan and its role in translating the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into the Baltic Sea Region context. The Action Plan was endorsed by the CBSS Foreign Ministers in June 2017 and provides a common vision for sustainable development in the Baltic Sea Region. The Action Plan encompasses six focus areas, including climate change.
Krista provided the group with an update on the work of the CBSS Expert Group on Sustainable Development, in which the CPMR's Baltic Sea Commission is involved. The Baltic Sea Commission has identified the "role of Regions in implementing the SDGs" as one of its priority areas for 2017-2019.
Regarding the implementation of the SDGs, Krista said that countries in the Baltic Sea Region are performing well. The Baltic Sea Region has been a frontrunner in supporting the implementation of the SDGs since their launch in January 2016.
She emphasised the key role of Regional Authorities in the implementation of the SDGs. She also said that the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR) provides an important framework to support the implementation of the SDGs in the Baltic Sea Region.
Krista also informed participants about the Baltic Leadership Programme (BLP) on the 2030 Agenda which aims to increase the capacity of stakeholders in the Baltic Sea Region to implement the SDGs. The Baltic Sea Commission attended the first BLP modules, which took place on 12 October 2017. More information can be found here.
The CPMR Baltic Sea Commission is hosting the Secretariat of the Interregional Group "Baltic Sea". The next meeting will take place in early February. More information to follow.


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Mental health during pandemics: prevalence and risk factors
Laurie Saloman, MS
The stress of enduring an infectious disease pandemic expresses itself in a variety of mental health conditions, but the likelihood of experiencing particular symptoms depends on who you are.
While much attention is rightfully bestowed on the physiological toll of infectious disease epidemics and pandemics, mental health also can be significantly impacted. The current COVID-19 pandemic is the most recent public health threat; however, over the past 2 decades we experienced severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), influenza A H5N1 (bird flu), Zika, Ebola, and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). An international team of scientists conducted a meta-analysis of studies reporting on depression, anxiety, and insomnia as a result of these epidemics.
The scientists examined 283 different studies conducted during past epidemics and the current COVID-19 pandemic up until August 2020, encompassing data on nearly 950,000 individuals in 45 countries. Among the studies, 219 offered data on the prevalence of depression, 232 examined the prevalence of anxiety, and 46 delved into the prevalence of insomnia. The studies categorized the subjects as the general public, healthcare workers, university students, older adults, currently infected patients, people who had recovered from infection, and pregnant women.
The results from all of the studies were pooled. Overall, university students had the highest pooled prevalence of depression, with 43.3% affected (95% confidence interval [27.1-59.6]). This was followed by health care workers, who experienced depression at a rate of 37.7% (95% CI [33.5-41.8]), infected patients, whose pooled rate was 37.2% (95% CI [30.3-44.2]), and the general public, whose pooled rate was 34.9% (95% CI [31.7-38.0]). Somewhat lower were the pooled rates of depression for pregnant women (27.8%, 95 CI [22.8-32.8]) and older people (26.0%, 95% CI [18.5-33.4]).
When it came to anxiety, however, pregnant women scored highest, with a pooled rate of 43.3% (95% CI [23.3-63.3]). Health care workers came next, with a pooled rate of 35.9% (95% CI [31.5-40.3]). Following closely were the general public (35.1%, 95% CI [32.1-38.2]), university students (34.8%, 95% CI [23.5-46.1]), infected patients (34.3%, 95% CI [25.4-43.2]), and infection survivors (28.5%, 95% CI [13.0-44.0]). The lowest anxiety rates were seen in older people at 25% (95% CI [12.0-38.0]).
Sleep problems plagued university students at the highest rates, with a prevalence of 58.4% (95% CI [28.1-88.6]), followed by infected patients at 54.1% (95% CI [48.7-59.5]) and pregnant women at 53.3% (95% CI [38.7-67.9]). Survivors reported insomnia at a prevalence of 40.1% (95% CI [37.6-42.5]), while health care workers reported insomnia at a rate of 39.3% (95% CI [31.1-47.4] and the general public reported it a rate of 29.7% (95% CI [24.4-34.9]).
Although health care workers had the second highest rates of depression overall, the scientists discovered that they had the lowest rates of moderate to severe depression at 18.8% (95% CI [16.2-21.3]). The researchers attributed this to a solid base of knowledge and effective coping strategies despite their greater levels of stress. University students had the highest rate of moderate to severe depression at 24% (95% CI [17.6-30.6]), while the general public experienced the highest prevalence of moderate to severe anxiety at 25% [95% CI [23.0-28.0]).
Analyzing the results, the scientists found that different populations had different propensities toward specific mental health conditions during epidemics, such as university students scoring high in anxiety and depression, pregnant women tending toward anxiety, and university students and infected patients experiencing insomnia. They concluded that risk factors included being female, having physical or psychiatric disorders, being infected or having family or friends infected, having close contact with infected patients, and being highly concerned about epidemics in general.
On the flip side, the scientists found that participants who indicated they engaged in regular exercise and had a solid base of friendships and relationships tended to score lower on measures of depression and anxiety. "Frequent and high intensity exercise reduces inflammation, which may further help relieve mental health symptoms," they wrote. "Perceived support from the social environment may help [people] resist and effectively cope with the risk factors related to mental health."
Limitations of this study include a lack of data collected after August 2020; the exclusion of studies measuring outcomes more than 6 months after infection; the self-reported nature of the symptoms; and the absence of less common mental health conditions encompassing psychosis and cognitive impairments.
Mental health problems were more prevalent during the COVID-19 pandemic than during past epidemics, possibly due to more severe symptoms in those affected, faster spread of the virus, and a much higher level of information dissemination, the team said.
Originally published on our sister brand, ContagionLive.


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Film en televisie
 17 Again, Amerikaanse film uit 2009, geregisseerd door Burr Steers.
 Edge of Seventeen, Amerikaanse film uit 1998, geregisseerd door David Moreton.
 Number Seventeen, Britse film uit 1932, geregisseerd door Alfred Hitchcock.

Muziek
 Seventeen (band), Zuid-Koreaanse boyband
 Seventeen (Kayak), studioalbum van Kayak uit 2018
 Seventeen Seconds, studioalbum van de The Cure uit 1980.

Tijdschriften
 Seventeen (Amerikaans tijdschrift), tijdschrift voor tieners uit de Verenigde Staten.
 Seventeen (Nederlands tijdschrift), pornografisch tijdschrift uit Nederland.

Overig
 Seventeen or Bust, distributed computingproject, waarbij wordt gezocht naar het kleinst mogelijke Sierpińskigetal.

Zie ook
 17 (doorverwijspagina)