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US7647848B2 - Integrated system for simultaneous inspection and manipulation - Google Patents
Integrated system for simultaneous inspection and manipulation Download PDF
Bradley E. Layton
Gregory Buzby
2006-11-29 Application filed by Drexel University filed Critical Drexel University
2006-12-08 Assigned to DREXEL UNIVERSITY reassignment DREXEL UNIVERSITY ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: BUZBY, GREGORY, LAYTON, BRADLEY E.
2010-05-17 Assigned to NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION reassignment NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION CONFIRMATORY LICENSE (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: DREXEL UNIVERSITY
G01Q—SCANNING-PROBE TECHNIQUES OR APPARATUS; APPLICATIONS OF SCANNING-PROBE TECHNIQUES, e.g. SCANNING PROBE MICROSCOPY [SPM]
G01Q30/00—Auxiliary means serving to assist or improve the scanning probe techniques or apparatus, e.g. display or data processing devices
G01Q30/20—Sample handling devices or methods
G01Q60/00—Particular types of SPM [Scanning Probe Microscopy] or microscopes; Essential components thereof
G01Q60/24—AFM [Atomic Force Microscopy] or apparatus therefor, e.g. AFM probes
G01Q60/38—Probes, their manufacture, or their related instrumentation, e.g. holders
A base unit for integrating an imaging device, such as an atomic force microscope, and a manipulation device, such as a nano-manipulator. The integration of the two devices permits one device to perform both imaging and manipulation simultaneously. The simultaneous execution of these two tasks increases the rate at which experiments can be conducted, thereby improving the throughput of the device. Also, the simultaneous execution of these two tasks allows imaging during manipulation, which may be desirable or beneficial in some circumstances.
STATEMENT OF GOVERNMENT INTEREST
This invention was reduced to practice with Government support under Grant No. 0421033 awarded by the National Science Foundation ("NSF"); the Government is therefore entitled to certain rights to this invention.
The invention relates to the field of inspection. In particular the invention relates to a device and method for the provision of simultaneous inspection and manipulation of a sample.
2. Description of the Related Technology
All biological materials have mechanical properties that make them suitable for their purposes in their respective environments. Understanding these mechanical properties and how to alter them is a major goal of biomedical and materials engineering. Before applications of new technology can be achieved, a fundamental understanding of the materials is necessary.
Fundamental to almost all biological systems is the protein collagen. So fundamental is it in humans that it is the most abundant protein, with twenty nine genetically distinct types.
Basic to the collagen molecule is a triple helix structure made of three monomeric units. These three monomeric units, made of two alpha sub 1-chains and one alpha sub 2 chain, form a triple helical structure. This triple helix structure is called a tropocollagen. The biological systems incorporating collagen make appropriate use of its simultaneous strength, elasticity and flexibility. This also implies that the structural hierarchy of collagen is complementary to its mechanical properties.
Applications which could be based on an understanding these mechanical properties include the engineering of improved sponge-like scaffolds for tissue implants as for nerves, bones, and skin. It may also be possible to assess creep behavior for long-term delivery of collagen into the body for tissue engineering applications. Specifically, for cornea replacement surgeries, blood clotting prevention, and drug delivery discs, films and sheets.
The main constituent of the central and peripheral nervous systems are neurons. Neurons differ in their size, location and overall structure. Depending on where they are in the body and the type of information they process, they will take on different properties. Understanding how these neurons behave under mechanical stresses can provide insight into the mechanisms behind neuronal repair that would provide much needed information for those investigating paralysis, or neuronal death. Understanding how different neurons respond to mechanical stresses will provide insight to understanding their relative positions in the body and the extent of their abilities. Relating mechanical stresses to electrical activity of these neurons will provide much information for mimicking, replicating, regenerating, manipulating or replacing these electrical units of the body.
Flagella are a class of projections concerning eukaryotes and prokaryotes. Understanding the mechanical properties of bacterial flagella would allow for relating structure to motor properties. These include both intracellular and extracellular motor properties. By understanding how these cellular motors work, it would be a possible to create a first step toward mimicking cellular motors with the optimization that evolution has granted to biological systems. This could allow for drug delivery systems that could actually be propelled through the body with biological materials rather than foreign agents that the body might reject. Also, mechanical characterization could allow for better understanding of bacterial mobility and nutrient uptake since flagella accomplish both of these undertakings.
Though not a direct aspect of biological systems, carbon nanotubes are potentially beneficial to biological systems because of their carbon makeup which is common to organic systems. Carbon nanotubes can be either single-wall or multi-walled tubes, all of which have very high strength, flexibility and resilience.
Understanding the mechanical properties of carbon nanotubes is useful in a biological context because they may be incorporated into bone grafts and tissue scaffolds. Understanding the appropriate ratios, compositions and alignments of these tubes in these biological systems could optimize protocols in carbon nanotube-based composites for tissue engineering. In addition, the electrical properties of carbon nanotubes can be altered with applied stresses, which could have useful implications in neuronal networks.
Simultaneous nanomanipulation and atomic force microscopy would therefore be useful in many contexts to study the properties of various materials. However, it does not appear to be possible to effectively perform nanomanipulation and atomic force microscopy using the same tool. While nano-manipulators and atomic force microscopes are commercially available, there are no existing devices that permit simultaneous nano-manipulation and atomic force microscopy. Therefore in order to perform an experiment involving these tools it is sometimes necessary to transport samples to various different locations and utilize more than one device. This increases the risk of sample loss or contamination, and also increases the time that it takes to accomplish an experiment or complete a task.
Currently there are some atomic force microscopes that have the ability to do nanomanipulation and nano-scribing, however they are limited by having a single probe tip that must run in either a manipulation mode or an imaging mode. Being able to conduct manipulation simultaneously and independently from imaging allows the improvement of experimental throughput for nanomanipulation, mechanical characterization and bio-sensing.
Therefore, there exists a need for providing an effective means for combining both atomic force microscopy and nanomanipulation into an integrated device that permits simultaneous nanomanipulation and atomic force microscopy.
Accordingly, it is an object of certain embodiments of the invention to provide a base unit for integrating an inspection device and a manipulating device. The integration of the two devices permits the integrated device to simultaneously perform both inspection and manipulation. The combination of these two tasks increases the rate at which experiments can be conducted and allows samples to be inspected while being deformed, immediately prior to deformation, or subsequent to deformation by manipulation.
These and various other advantages and features of novelty that characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and forming a part hereof. However, for a better understanding of the invention, its advantages, and the objects obtained by its use, reference should be made to the drawings which form a further part hereof, and to the accompanying descriptive matter, in which there is illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a base unit used in conjunction with an atomic force microscope and a nanomanipulator.
FIG. 2 shows a top view of the base unit used in an integrated device.
FIG. 3 shows a front view of the base unit used in an integrated device.
FIGS. 4 a-4 c show a top view, a front view and a side view, respectively, of a side rear support of the base unit.
FIGS. 5 a-5 c show a top view, a front view and side view, respectively, of a side front support of the base unit.
FIG. 6 shows an isometric top down view of a sample stage for use with the base unit.
FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of another embodiment of a base unit fitted with linear encoders, a nano-positioner for use with an atomic force microscope.
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the device of FIG. 7 along line VII-VII.
FIG. 9 is an exploded view of the device of FIG. 7.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)
The instant invention relates to a base unit the permits the integration of an imaging device such as an atomic force microscope (AFM) and a manipulation device, such as a nano-manipulator. The integrated device is useful as a high-throughput manipulation platform for, for example, cells, microscopic specimens, and nanoscopic specimens. The integrated device is also useful for strain gradient imaging of materials such as metals, polymers, proteins, living cells, and fixed cells. It can also be used for electric field potential imaging and magnetic field imaging of metals, polymers, proteins, and living or fixed cells.
The device of the present invention provides the ability to image a sample being mechanically strained allowing of topographical imaging of the material. This permits real-time viewing of the visual behavior of biological specimens or other materials. In addition, the ability of an AFM to probe biological specimens with a tip specifically fitted for such applications will potentially provide information about specific antigens along the surface of the tested biological specimens. While the nano-manipulator is performing series of mechanical stresses, the other capabilities of AFM such as force/displacement measurements in several modes would allow for determination of properties like elastic modulus or relative hardness of the material. It would also be possible to use phase imaging techniques to assess the viscoelastic properties along the length of the biological specimens.
FIG. 1 shows integrated device 25. Base unit 10 integrates AFM 30 and nanomanipulator 20 by enabling the two devices to be used in conjunction. Preferably base unit 10 is constructed of material with a sufficiently high mass in order to reduce vibration that may interfere with experiments. In the instant embodiment base unit 10 is constructed of stainless steel. Also provided in the depicted embodiment is an inverted light microscope 32. Inverted light microscope 32 is useful for conducting sub-cellular experiments.
In FIG. 1, sample 15 is placed at a location where it is accessible to both AFM 30 and nanomanipulator 20. Base unit 10 allows the AFM tip of AFM 30 to be devoted to imaging, while a nanomanipulator 20 can apply forces or displacements to sample 15. This reduces the need for a single sample to be moved among various devices for a single experiment. This permits greater throughput in a series of nanoscale experiments. Integrated device 25 allows samples 15 to be imaged while being manipulated, or alternatively immediately before or after being manipulated.
Nanomanipulator 20 shown in FIG. 1 is a Zyvex L100™ nanomanipulator. Its future complementary scanning probe microscopy system is the Nanoscope IIIa™ from Digital Instruments.
Nanomanipulator 20 has three robotic arms 21. Two of the opposing robotic arms 21 have full continuous 360° degree rotation. One of the robotic arms 21 has three coarse axes and three fine axes controlled by an actuation mechanism similar to that of the AFM piezoelectric actuator 4. Although a Zyvex L100™ nano-manipulator is used in the depicted embodiment, it is possible to modify base unit 10 to accommodate other nano-manipulators. Alternatively, the base unit 10 can be used to accommodate other types of conventional manipulation devices, and particularly, conventional manipulation devices capable of multi-axis manipulation, including manipulation in three dimensions.
AFM 30 shown in FIG. 1 is a Digital Instruments Dimension 3000™ atomic force microscope. Both nanomanipulator 20 and atomic force microscope 30 have piezoelectric actuators. The piezoelectric actuators operate by supplying an oscillating electric waveform to a confined piezoelectric crystal that bends and straightens itself against a ceramic bearing surface. Although a Digital Instruments Dimension 3000™ atomic force microscope is used in the depicted embodiment, it is possible for one to modify base unit 10 to accommodate other conventional imaging devices for which sample manipulation during imaging may be desirable. Also, other types of atomic force microscopes can also be accommodated.
FIG. 2 shows a top view of base unit 10. Positioning pins 1 are used to position base unit 10 to permit integration of AFM 30 and nanomanipulator 20. Positioning pins 1 are placed within pin channels 8, shown in FIGS. 4 b and 5 b. Nano-positioner barrels 2 are part of nanomanipulator 20 and are used to manipulate a sample. Nanostage 3, shown in detail in FIG. 6 below, is used for holding a sample. AFM piezoelectric actuator 4 is also shown with respect to base unit 10. AFM tip 5 is also shown and is part of AFM 30. FIG. 3 shows a front view of the base unit 10 and shows the positions of AFM piezoelectric actuator 4, AFM tip 5, nanopositioner barrels 2, and objective 6 of inverted light microscope 32.
FIGS. 4 a-4 c show a top view, a front view and a side view of the base unit side rear support 18. FIGS. 5 a-5 c show a top view, a front view and side view of the base unit side front support 19. Mounting holes 7 are used to mount inverted microscope 32. Pin channels 8 are used for moving base unit 10 to objective change position 9 and to nanomanipulation position 11. Base unit 10 may be moved manually or alternatively may be moved via mechanical means. This permits dual positioning for changing functional objectives depending on the needs required by the experiment.
FIG. 6 shows an isometric top down view of sample stage 3 used with base unit 10. Holding portion 13 holds samples used in experiments. Sample stage 3 has controlled x-y motion with nano-motion actuated motors. An embodiment of sample stage 3 has a vacuum chuck, a recess for a standard coverslip, and a heating control and is usable in a wet mode.
The above-disclosed base unit 10 and integrated device 25 allows for multi-axis nanomanipulation with atomic force microscopy. Currently atomic force microscopy of scanning probe microscopes must be in either imaging mode or manipulation mode and thus do not permit simultaneous imaging and manipulation. Integrated device 25 allows manipulation to be carried out during imaging. This permits high-throughput screening and testing for a variety of applications, which include, but are not limited to, the detection of compounds such as biological warfare agents, neurotoxins, neuropharmaceuticals, and nanomedical devices. Base unit 10 and integrated device 25 will also have a broad impact in the fields of nano-manufacturing, small-scale design, tissue engineering, mechatronics, biosensing, pharmaceutical testing, micro- and nanoscale control, self-assembly, nanoscale imaging, technology-based education and design-based education.
FIG. 7 shows another embodiment of a base unit adapted for use with a nano-positioner and an atomic force microscope. The device 40 includes an integrative base 42, fitted with a front rail 44 and a rear rail 46. The integrative base 42 is provided with a specimen stage 48 upon which one or more specimens may be located for viewing, positioning and manipulation. Also shown is the head 50 of an atomic force microscope which may be used for detection of various properties of the specimen. Device 40 may also include a microscope objective 60.
Device 40 is provided with lateral linear encoders 52, 54 for positioning the specimen stage 48 and reporting information on the position of the specimen stage 48 to a control system, not shown. Linear encoders 52, 54 are operatively connected to a control system to indicate the horizontal position of the specimen stage 48 in two dimensions to thereby allow use of the control system to control linear encoders 52, 54 for positioning of the specimen stage 48 based on information about the actual position of specimen stage 48 provided by linear encoders 52, 54. In this manner, control of the positioning of the specimen stage 48 can be automated and dictated by user input to, for example, a software-based user interface.
Device 40 is also provided with a nano-manipulator, such as a Zyvex L100™, which may include an x-nano-positioner 56 and a y-nano-positioner 58 for nano-positioning of a specimen located on specimen stage 48 in the x and y directions. The nano-manipulator may also be used for manipulation of the specimen rather than positioning of the specimen. For example, the nano-manipulator may be used to exert tensile forces on the specimen for the purpose of carrying out tensile testing. The nano-manipulator may also be provided with various feedback mechanisms to provide information to a control system thereby allowing automation of some or all of the functions of the nano-manipulator. For example, the nano-manipulator may provide feedback information to a control system on the position of the nano-manipulators, and/or forces exerted on or by the nano-manipulators. Alternatively, conventional optical systems may be employed to provide feedback on the position of one or both of the nano-manipulators.
Specimen stage 48 is movably mounted on a mounting platform 62 for movement in the x and y directions by x- and y-nano-positioners 56, 58. X- and y-nano-positioners 56, 58 are also mounted on mounting platform 62, as are linear encoders 52, 54. Mounting of the various components of device 40 on mounting platform 62 may be via any conventional, suitable mechanical means. Mounting platform 62 includes an opening 64 to permit access to microscope objective 60. Mounting platform 62 may be mounted to integrative base 42 via any conventional, suitable mechanical means.
The particular arrangement of the various components of device 40 provides the ability to simultaneously examine a specimen, position the specimen stage and manipulate the specimen on a nano-scale. This permits a variety of information to be gathered about the specimen. For example, the specimen can be accurately mapped using positioning and an atomic force microscope. The impact of various forces on the specimen can be measured in real-time by exerting such forces on the specimen using the nano-manipulator. This allows, for example, tensile testing, determination of material hardness and deformation characteristics.
Currently, the commercially available Zyvex L100™ runs in an open loop, with a user controlling the three positioners with a joystick. The present invention may optionally be implemented with hardware and software for closing this control loop. The control system of the present invention uses the positions reported by the linear encoders to close the control loop and allow for automatic positioning of the AFM stage. This enables the AFM operator to specify a stage position using software and have the stage move to the specified position under control of the machine based on the positions reported by the linear encoders, instead of having to manually position the stage by hand for every sample. Two immediate benefits of the addition of this technology to the stage are a savings in time for the operator, and a more precise and repeatable stage position for every experiment. The control system may also be extended to control the nano-positioners in which case the feedback device may provide information to the control system regarding one or more of a position or force in relation to said nano-positioners. A user may input control information for controlling one or both of the linear encoders and nano-positioners in an embodiment of a user interface associated with this control system.
The Renishaw™ Optical Linear Encoder is one example of a suitable encoder that may be used with the system of the present invention. The encoder allows for tracking of the stage in both of the horizontal directions. The encoder may be selected so as to perform these measurements to a resolution of 50 nm and a maximum speed of 10 m/s. Similar encoders have been previously used to accurately build stents for arteries. In addition, the encoder is highly accurate and compact. In terms of accuracy, the system has high linearity and reproducibility of data, high signal stability that minimizes cyclic error and incorporates industry standard digital and analog outputs for easy integration across various interfaces.
In an optional embodiment, a temperature control system is provided for regulating the temperature in the vicinity of specimen stage 48. Temperature control may be important in certain measurements since the effects of temperature and thermal noise can be significant when considered on a nano-scale. Temperature control may also be used to permit investigation of the properties of specimens when subjected to temperature changes and/or thermal stress. For example, sample deformation as a function of temperature can be investigated in this manner.
The mechanical properties of nerve cells are to be determined by applying forces on the order of piconewtons to the nerve cells. This will be done by a highly parallel microbeam array. By knowing the stiffness of each beam and the distance of displacement, the force applied to the cells can be calculated. This array, when attached to the nanomanipulator, provides a much finer data resolution. To achieve this, a fixture must hold the microbeam array in such a manner that it can be attached to the nanomanipulator. This fixture must also align the beams over a sample of patterned cells.
It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.
1. A device for simultaneous inspection and manipulation of a sample, said device comprising:
a base unit;
a sample holder mounted on said base unit;
an inspection device operatively associated with said base unit for inspecting a sample on said sample holder; and
at least one nano-manipulator mounted in an operative position on said base unit to permit manipulation of the sample on said sample holder to deform said sample by exerting a force on said sample using said at least one nano-manipulator; wherein said at least one nano-manipulator is mounted such that manipulation of the sample does not prevent operative inspection of said sample by said inspection device during or after manipulation of the sample.
2. A device as claimed in claim 1, comprising at least two said at least one nano-manipulators.
3. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said inspection device is a microscope.
4. A device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said inspection device is an atomic force microscope.
5. A device as claimed in claim 2, further comprising at least one linear encoder mounted on said base unit in operative association with said sample holder for positioning said sample holder.
6. A device as claimed in claim 5, comprising at least two said linear encoders positioned substantially perpendicular to one another to permit positioning said sample holder in two-dimensional space.
7. A device as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a control system operatively associated with said at least two nano-manipulator for controlling said nano-manipulators.
8. A device as claimed in claim 7, further comprising a feedback mechanism for providing information to said control system about said nano-manipulators.
9. A device as claimed in claim 8, wherein said feedback mechanism provides information to said control system about one or more of a position, or a force in relation to said nano-manipulators.
10. A device as claimed in claim 9, further comprising a user interface to permit a user to input control information to said control system.
11. A device as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a control system operatively associated with said at least two linear encoders for controlling said linear encoders.
12. A device as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a feedback mechanism for providing information to said control system about said linear encoders.
13. A device as claimed in claim 12, wherein said feedback mechanism provides information to said control system about a position of said linear encoders.
14. A device as claimed in claim 13, further comprising a user interface to permit a user to input control information to said control system.
15. A device for simultaneous inspection and manipulation of a sample, said device comprising:
an inspection device operatively associated with said base unit for inspecting a sample on said sample holder;
at least one manipulator mounted in an operative position on said base unit to permit manipulation of the sample on said sample holder to deform said sample by exerting a force on said sample using said at least one manipulator; wherein said at least one manipulator is mounted such that manipulation of the sample does not prevent operative inspection of said sample by said inspection device during or after manipulation of the sample; and
a temperature control mechanism for controlling a temperature of said sample when said sample is on said sample holder.
at least two nano-manipulators mounted in an operative position on said base unit to permit nano-manipulation of the sample on said sample holder to deform said sample by exerting a force on said sample using said at least one manipulator; wherein said at least one nano-manipulator is mounted such that nano-manipulation of the sample does not prevent operative inspection of said sample by said inspection device during or after manipulation of the sample; and
at least two linear encoders mounted on said base unit in operative association with said sample holder for positioning said sample holder.
17. A device as claimed in claim 16, further comprising:
a control system operatively associated with said at least two linear encoders for controlling said linear encoders;
a feedback mechanism for providing information to said control system about said linear encoders, wherein said feedback mechanism provides information to said control system about a position of said linear encoders; and
a user interface to permit a user to input control information to said control system.
18. A device as claimed in claim 17, wherein said control system is also operatively associated with said nano-manipulators for control of said nano-manipulators, said feedback device provides information to said control system about at least one of a position or force in relation to said nano-manipulators and said user interface permits input of control information by a user to said control system for control of said linear encoders and said nano-manipulators.
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US6967335B1 (en) 2005-11-22 Manipulation system for manipulating a sample under study with a microscope
WO2003050890A3 (en) 2003-11-20 Parallel kinematic micromanipulator with piezoelectric linear actuators
Henderson 1994 Imaging of living cells by atomic force microscopy
Carrozza et al. 1998 Manipulating biological and mechanical micro-objects using LIGA-microfabricated end-effectors
DE10297522T5 (en) 2004-11-04 Atomic force microscope probe
Gadegaard 2006 Atomic force microscopy in biology: technology and techniques
CN101876609B (en) 2013-05-08 Micron-nano scale in-situ nano indentation and scratching test system
US4866271A (en) 1989-09-12 Relative displacement control apparatus
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Home > News > Compliance > Supreme Court Urged to Drop Review in Tibble Case
Compliance January 21, 2015
Supreme Court Urged to Drop Review in Tibble Case
Edison International has petitioned the U.S. Supreme court to drop its review of Tibble vs. Edison International, a closely watched retirement plan fee litigation case involving the company's 401(k) plan.
A petition submitted by Edison International asks the Supreme Court to reverse its decision to review key parts of Tibble vs. Edison International, a potential precedent-setting case related to ERISA's limitations period and whether retirement plan fiduciaries have an ongoing duty to monitor plan investment options that is distinct from the initial duty to select.
The case is currently set for oral arguments before the Supreme Court on February 25, following a successful appeal by plaintiff Glenn Tibble and counsel. The case reached the Supreme Court following an initial bench trial in which a district court held that utility company Edison International had breached its duty of prudence by offering retail-class mutual funds as plan investments when identical lower-cost institutional funds were available. But the court subsequently limited that holding to three mutual funds that had first been offered to plan participants within the six-year limitations period expressly programmed into the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA)—meaning mutual funds placed on the plan menu more than six years before the date of the ERISA-based complaint were excluded from the decision.
Tibble and counsel appealed that ruling to the 9th Circuit, but the appeals court upheld the district court's decision to limit the settlement to the three mutual funds adopted within the ERISA limitations period. This led to a final (and successful) appeal attempt from Tibble, endorsed by the U.S. Solicitor General, asking the Supreme Court to weigh in on whether such claims should be time-barred.
The new filing from Edison International claims Tibble's central legal argument is that under ERISA, fiduciaries responsible for selecting investment options in a 401(k) plan lineup have an ongoing duty to monitor the options to ensure that they remain prudent choices for the plan. "Accordingly, petitioners contend, they should have been allowed a trial on their claim that respondents breached their duty of prudence within ERISA's six-year period of repose by failing to adequately monitor and remove three mutual funds added before that period, because less expensive share classes were available in the same funds," the petition reads.
Tibble's position has a problem, the petition continues, in that the district court did not actually bar him from pursuing that claim.
"To the contrary, petitioners tried exactly that claim, after the court explicitly held that ERISA's statute of repose did not bar claims that accrued during the repose period," the petition claims. "Accordingly, petitioners at trial sought to prove that respondents breached their fiduciary duties by imprudently monitoring and retaining the challenged funds. Specifically, they argued that, while respondents monitored all investment options according to specific investment criteria with periodic (quarterly) reviews, there were 'significant changes' within the three challenged funds that should have triggered a much deeper, 'full due diligence review' of those funds, which would have identified the availability of less expensive share classes. The district court rejected that theory of imprudence, not on limitations grounds, but solely because petitioners' evidence was insufficient to support their own changed circumstances theory."
Edison goes on to cite the district court decision in the case, which determined plaintiffs could not "meet their burden of showing that a prudent fiduciary would have reviewed the available share classes and associated fees" for the three challenged funds.
"Petitioners have never raised any substantive challenge to that factual finding," the petition concludes. "This case, in short, does not present the limitations issue on which the Court granted certiorari, as evidenced by the fact that petitioners and respondents agree on its answer: No, ERISA's statute of repose does not bar a claim that a fiduciary breached its fiduciary duty by imprudently monitoring and retaining a given fund during the repose period, even if that fund was added before the repose period, so long as the plaintiff proves a new breach in the course of monitoring that fund. Put differently, no matter how the Court answers the Question Presented, the judgment … must be affirmed, because petitioners cannot establish—and do not even argue—clear error in the district court's factual finding that petitioners proved no new breach during the repose period as to the three challenged funds here."
The full text of Edison International's most recent filing in the case is here.
Tagged: 401k, Defined contribution, Fees, Fiduciary
« Mercer Names Two South Market Leaders

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


When most guys think meditation, they think monks clad in dark red robes, perched crosslegged in a mountainous pagoda.
The benefits of a meditative mind and staying in the moment don't have to be relegated to those seeking enlightenment. Meditating for as little as 5 minutes a day can have a profound impact on your life.
Particularly, if you're coming off of a breakup, it pays to keep a clear, focused, and present mind. After my divorce, there were a plethora of thoughts rapidly flowing through my head at any given time.
When getting over your ex, any small trigger the reminds you of them can send you down a path of extreme sadness or anger. Before you can start fresh on your new path, you must first wipe the slate clean, purging any existing of your relationship.
From here, it's all about rediscovering yourself and detaching any identification you had as a couple. Who you were together can no longer define you.
I've never been a regular drinker throughout the week. Most weekday nights, I imbibe purely on water, but come the weekend I typically go pretty big.
When you're a newly single guy, getting over your ex and meeting new people, it almost seems like a prerequisite to have a cocktail in hand. Scotch on the rocks at happy hour on Friday. Bacon-infused brunch blood mary's. Pitchers of beer at the sports bar on Sundays.
When you're having a good time, why stop with just a few beverages? Without a significant other to come home to, there's little holding you back from seeing if that night is going to be an epic one.
One way to get over your ex is to stick to a schedule. Routines are a powerful beast. You don't even realize the effect that it has on your life until they are disrupted and even destroyed.
Take your routine with a significant other. Waking up in the morning before work, taking the dogs for a walk, going to the park on Saturdays, a glass of wine while catching up with the latest installments from HBO on Sundays.
When that all comes crashing down after a break up or divorce, it completely shocks your system in more ways than one, but in particular it breaks a routine that you have found comfort in.
After a breakup, you feel like you may never find another person to "complete you" in the Jerry McGuire sense of the phrase. You yearn for the next companion to lay by your side.
You fear being that single guy at the group dinner. The third, fifth, or even 7th wheel. Not having someone to come back home to at the end of the day.
But, what if you didn't feel compelled to seek that companionship right away? Life as a single person has some pretty awesome benefits that are often overlooked.
As you start renewing your own unique identity independent of your ex, it's critical to spend some time single, rediscovering yourself and having some fun with your newly found liberty.
Google and the respective content sources are remarkably biased towards a fairytale ending aiding you along the path towards winning back the girl and living happily ever after.


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Q: Assign static outbound ip address to azure container instance I need to make a setup where I can read and write to an external sql db from a python script residing in a azure container instance. I order to make this work I need to assign a static ip to the container.
As I cannot associate a container instance with a dedicated ip I have had to make a setup that use the following resources: a vnet, a gateway and a public IP.
I have partially borrowed the setup from https://godatadriven.com/blog/azure-container-instance-example/ where the setup is drawn as follows:

I have made a dev-ops build and release pipeline. I use an ARM template to create the release (the resources of the template are below):
  "resources": [
    {
      "type": "Microsoft.Network/virtualNetworks",
      "name": "[parameters('vnetName')]",
      "apiVersion": "2019-07-01",
      "location": "[parameters('location')]",
      "properties": {
        "addressSpace": {
          "addressPrefixes": [
            "[parameters('vnetAddressPrefix')]"
          ]
        },
        "subnets": [
          {
            "name": "[parameters('subnet2Name')]",
            "properties": {
              "addressPrefix": "[parameters('subnet2AddressPrefix')]",
              "privateEndpointNetworkPolicies": "Enabled",
              "privateLinkServiceNetworkPolicies": "Enabled"
            }
          },
          {
            "name": "[parameters('subnetName')]",
            "properties": {
              "addressPrefix": "[parameters('subnetAddressPrefix')]",
              "delegations": [
                {
                  "name": "DelegationService",
                  "properties": {
                    "serviceName": "Microsoft.ContainerInstance/containerGroups"
                  }
                }
              ],
              "privateEndpointNetworkPolicies": "Enabled",
              "privateLinkServiceNetworkPolicies": "Enabled"
            }
          }
        ]
      }
    },
    {
      "apiVersion": "2018-07-01",
      "type": "Microsoft.Network/publicIPAddresses",
      "name": "[variables('publicIPAddressName')]",
      "location": "[parameters('location')]",
      "sku": {
        "name": "Standard",
        "tier": "Regional"
      },
      "properties": {
        "publicIPAddressVersion": "IPv4",
        "publicIPAllocationMethod": "Static",
        "idleTimeoutInMinutes": 4,
         "dnsSettings": {
          "domainNameLabel": "[parameters('dnsName')]"
        }
      }
    },
    {
      "apiVersion": "2019-08-01",
      "name": "[variables('applicationGatewayName')]",
      "type": "Microsoft.Network/applicationGateways",
      "location": "[parameters('location')]",
      "dependsOn": [
        "[resourceId('Microsoft.Network/virtualNetworks/', parameters('vnetName'))]",
        "[resourceId('Microsoft.Network/publicIPAddresses/', variables('publicIPAddressName'))]",
        "[resourceId('Microsoft.ContainerInstance/containerGroups/', parameters('containerInstanceName'))]"
      ],
      "properties": {
        "sku": {
          "name": "[parameters('skuName')]",
          "tier": "Standard_v2",
          "capacity": "[variables('capacity')]"
        },
        "gatewayIPConfigurations": [
          {
            "name": "appGatewayIpConfig",
            "properties": {
              "subnet": {
                "id": "[variables('subnetRef')]"
              }
            }
          }
        ],
        "frontendIPConfigurations": [
          {
            "name": "appGatewayFrontendIP",
            "properties": {
              "privateIPAllocationMethod": "Dynamic",
              "PublicIPAddress": {
                "id": "[variables('publicIPRef')]"
              }
            }
          }
        ],
        "frontendPorts": [
          {
            "name": "appGatewayFrontendPort",
            "properties": {
              "Port": 80
            }
          }
        ],
        "backendAddressPools": [
          {
            "name": "appGatewayBackendPool",
            "properties": {
              "backendAddresses": [
                {
                  "IpAddress": "[parameters('backendIP')]"
                }
              ]
            }
          }
        ],
        "backendHttpSettingsCollection": [
          {
            "name": "appGatewayBackendHttpSettings",
            "properties": {
              "Port": 80,
              "Protocol": "Http",
              "CookieBasedAffinity": "Disabled"
            }
          }
        ],
        "httpListeners": [
          {
            "name": "appGatewayHttpListener",
            "properties": {
              "FrontendIPConfiguration": {
                "Id": "[resourceId('Microsoft.Network/applicationGateways/frontendIPConfigurations', variables('applicationGatewayName'), 'appGatewayFrontendIP')]"
              },
              "FrontendPort": {
                "Id": "[resourceId('Microsoft.Network/applicationGateways/frontendPorts', variables('applicationGatewayName'), 'appGatewayFrontendPort')]"
              },
              "Protocol": "Http",
              "SslCertificate": null
            }
          }
        ],
        "requestRoutingRules": [
          {
            "Name": "rule1",
            "properties": {
              "RuleType": "Basic",
              "httpListener": {
                "id": "[resourceId('Microsoft.Network/applicationGateways/httpListeners', variables('applicationGatewayName'), 'appGatewayHttpListener')]"
              },
              "backendAddressPool": {
                "id": "[resourceId('Microsoft.Network/applicationGateways/backendAddressPools', variables('applicationGatewayName'), 'appGatewayBackendPool')]"
              },
              "backendHttpSettings": {
                "id": "[resourceId('Microsoft.Network/applicationGateways/backendHttpSettingsCollection', variables('applicationGatewayName'), 'appGatewayBackendHttpSettings')]"
              }
            }
          }
        ]
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "[parameters('networkProfileName')]",
      "type": "Microsoft.Network/networkProfiles",
      "apiVersion": "2018-07-01",
      "location": "[parameters('location')]",
      "dependsOn": [
        "[resourceId('Microsoft.Network/virtualNetworks', parameters('vnetName'))]"
      ],
      "properties": {
        "containerNetworkInterfaceConfigurations": [
          {
            "name": "[variables('interfaceConfigName')]",
            "properties": {
              "ipConfigurations": [
                {
                  "name": "[variables('interfaceIpConfig')]",
                  "properties": {
                    "subnet": {
                      "id": "[resourceId('Microsoft.Network/virtualNetworks/subnets', parameters('vnetName'), parameters('subnetName'))]"
                    }
                  }
                }
              ]
            }
          }
        ]
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "[parameters('containerInstanceName')]",
      "type": "Microsoft.ContainerInstance/containerGroups",
      "apiVersion": "2018-10-01",
      "location": "[parameters('location')]",
      "dependsOn": [
        "[resourceId('Microsoft.Network/networkProfiles', parameters('networkProfileName'))]"
      ],
      "properties": {
        "containers": [
          {
            "name": "[parameters('containerName')]",
            "properties": {
              "image": "[parameters('registryImageUri')]",
              "ports": [{
                "port": "[variables('port')]"
              }],
              "resources": {
                "requests": {
                  "cpu": "[variables('cpuCores')]",
                  "memoryInGb": "[variables('memoryInGb')]"
                }
              }
            }
          }
        ],
        "imageRegistryCredentials": [
          {
            "server": "[parameters('registryLoginServer')]",
            "username": "[parameters('registryUserName')]",
            "password": "[parameters('registryPassword')]"
          }
        ],
        "diagnostics": {
          "logAnalytics": {
          "workspaceId": "[parameters('LogAnalyticsID')]",
          "workspaceKey": "[parameters('LogAnalyticsKEY')]"
         }
        },
        "networkProfile": {
          "Id": "[resourceId('Microsoft.Network/networkProfiles', parameters('networkProfileName'))]"
        },
        "osType": "Linux",
        "ipAddress": {
            "ports": [{
                "protocol": "tcp",
                "port": 80
            }],
            "type": "private",
            "ip": "[parameters('backendIP')]"
        },
        "restartPolicy": "[parameters('restartPolicy')]"
      }
    }
  ]

The release works, but when I run I try to run the container instance, it use a different ip each time.
What am I doing wrong?

A: From the things you did, I think you misunderstanding the network of the Azure Container Instance. The Public or the Private type for the ACI is only available for the inbound traffic, not for the outbound. Even when you use the private type, the instance also can access the Internet without any other resource, but in this type, you cannot access it from the Internet.
Unfortunately, when you use the public type, the public IP address for the inbound and outbound may be even no the same. And for Azure Container Instance, we cannot control the IP address which we can use. So when you want to use a static public IP address to access the SQL DB, the Azure Container Instance is not suitable, I would recommend the VM, it's more controllable and appropriate.

A: Since you are using an Azure provided SQL, I would recommend to leverage the private VNET offering that Azure provides.
you should look at configuring your ACI with a private subnet
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-instances/container-instances-vnet
and also setup a vnet rule for your SQL server
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/sql-database/sql-database-vnet-service-endpoint-rule-overview
Virtual network rules are one firewall security feature that controls whether the database server for your single databases and elastic pool in Azure SQL Database or for your databases in Azure Synapse Analytics accepts communications that are sent from particular subnets in virtual networks.

it's important that you enable the SQL service endpoint for SQL on the ACI subnet as well.
This will avoid you having to manage outbound IP whitelisting in your SQL firewall.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


As emerging technologies continue to impact the workplace, leaders are divided over how this will change training, skills, and the transformation of the workplace.
In Dell Technologies' new research, Realising 2030: A Divided Vision of the Future, a majority (58%) of the 3,800 leaders surveyed believe that automated systems will free-up time for them, while 42% disagree with the thought.
Including views from across 17 countries, including Singapore, Japan, India, ANZ and China, the research found close to half (48%) believe they'll have more job satisfaction by offloading the tasks they do not like to machines, while 56% believe technology will enable more collaboration and productivity.
On the flipside, more than half (52%) of leaders opine that job satisfaction will not increase upon offloading certain tasks to intelligent machines. Further, only one in four currently believe that they are leading the way by ingraining digital in everything they do.
The quantitative research conducted by Vanson Bourne forecasted that by 2030, emerging technologies will forge human partnerships with machines that are richer and more immersive than ever before – a thought agreed upon by most of the leaders in the region, wherein 80% of respondents expect humans and machines will work as integrated teams within their organisation inside of five years.
However, before this can happen, most (90%) decision makers agree that gaining employee buy-in is vital; 88% also believe accelerating transformation involves aligning compensation, training, and KPIs to the digital goals.
Jeremy Burton, chief marketing officer, Dell Technologies, commented: "There tends to be two extreme perspectives about the future: the anxiety-driven issue of human obsolescence or the optimistic view that technology will solve our greatest social problems.


text:
Another win for Korea's banhammer
On the one hand, at least X-5's getting some attention.
On the other hand, is this for real?!
Then again, what decision to ban a song from the Korean airwaves hasn't been ridiculous? Korea's Ministry of Gender Equality and Family recently made the decision to declare "Fantasy," a track off of rookie group X-5's debut album, as 'unsuitable to minors' due to objectionable content in the song's lyrics.
The lyrics in question were, "HEY TURN IT UP DANCE DANCE DANCE during this fantasy-like night PARTY IN THE CLUB" (lyrics originally in English capitalized). The line "party in the club" was, apparently, an issue. Thus, banhammer.
Banhammer means no selling the song to youths under the age of 19, and no airing the song on television before 10pm. But wait – isn't the maknae of the group a '95-er? Oh, the ever-persistant problems brought upon by the banhammer.
X-5's management has responded with incredulity, saying that the lyrics aren't even sexually suggestive and that the song was only banned due to its mention of a club. Which is, of course, where people have sex, and get syphilis, and die.
So if a song like "Fantasy" was banned for its obviously heinous mention of a club, then what other K-pop songs should have also gotten the banhammer, and on what grounds? Leave your suggestions in the comments below.
(sportschosun)
Tags: X-5
Swincle's First MV Debuts
Music Bank: 5/20/11
Real Life: I'm Avoiding K-Pop And Didn't Even Know It
Music Bank: 4/22/11 – 600th Episode Special


Rosie O'Donnell also stars in the Showtime series.
But Sean and Beverly probably have it the worst. Not only has insufferable Tim hijacked their series, but he also regales the writing staff with stories about his rescue cat and makes them eat his home cooking. (Fun fact: He's based on an actual showrunner. Even the recipes are real.) The couple's only possible salvation lies with unreliable Matt, who asks them to pen his next series.


text:
CoWrks Foundry grooms five startups
Out of the over 350 startups that applied, the final five that were selected to be a part of the accelerator were Wagonfly, Understand Better, Ayasta, Betterly and T-Scale Hub.
Image source: Facebook
Atom Tech Shorts Thursday, November 15, 2018 - 12:43
IANS Follow @
Five start-ups have successfully completed a 24-week programme by the CoWrks Foundry aimed at helping the companies lay the foundation for their success.
The CoWrks Foundry is an acceleration programme driven by Bengaluru-headquartered shared office space provider CoWrks.
The Foundry's framework nurtures durable and scalable businesses by investing in the ideas and the minds behind them.
Out of the over 350 start-ups that applied for the programme, the final five that were selected to be a part of the accelerator were Wagonfly, Understand Better, Ayasta, Betterly and T-Scale Hub.
These companies were assisted with everything from initial seed capital and client acquisition to the art of crafting a stellar pitch, CoWrks Foundry said in a statement.
"We have spent around $80,000 on the programme. This is excluding the co-working space cost that we provide our founders at no cost," Nruthya Madappa, Managing Partner, The Cowrks Foundry, told IANS.
Each of the five startups were assigned dedicated mentors and experts from relevant industries, to provide targeted coaching and guidance.
The Foundry said it would continue to aid these start-ups in terms of mentorship and guidance as a part of its post-programme support.
By participating in the programme, the five startups got the opportunity to pitch their products, ideas and business models to venture capitalists, and prominent industry leaders.
The programme for the first cohort concluded on Wednesday with a "Demo Day" that allowed selected start-ups housed within the CoWrks community to pitch their products.
"What drew us to the Foundry was the team behind it. They have an inherent understanding of what start-ups need in order to succeed and what sort of help is required at various stages," said Ravi Teja Avasarala, Co-Founder of Ayasta, a company that uses data to track anomalies in the electrical grid.
"The Foundry programme made us better founders which would eventually lead us to become successful entrepreneurs," Avasarala said.
The CoWrks Foundry said it is now inviting applications for the second programme by the end of this month.
The 24 week-long programme aimed at nurturing 10 start-ups will commence in January 2019, it said.
"The investment will be 10 times higher than what we did on the first cohort," Madappa said.


Ashton Gardens is one of AAW's favorite wedding venues to photograph. The gorgeous chapel on property has ivory pews and multiple wrap-around, floor-to-ceiling windows, which provide a scenic woodland backdrop. The venue also has a large fully furnished bridal suite, a separate groom's lounge and a grand ballroom with Austrian crystal chandeliers, more floor-to-ceiling windows and a grand staircase. Though this Atlanta wedding locale's beauty speaks for itself, what's unique about Ashton Gardens is the featured amenities available for couples, including experienced event and wedding coordinators. Celita Fritch, director of sales and planning, and Jazzmyne Wages, sales and event coordinator, made Liz and Jeff's perfect wedding possible. Their hospitality and expertise allowed for a smooth and stress-free day despite chilly temperatures and persistent rain.
For their first look, Liz and Jeff chose to write and read heartfelt letters to one another before the big reveal. It was a private tender moment AAW was thrilled to capture. Some other adorable shots AAW photographed were of Liz and her father, the flower girl and ring bearer—Esther and Charlie—the classic Packard automobile groom's cake and of course, the enchanted bubble send-off to an old Cadillac car.
AAW would like to congratulate Liz and Jeff and wish them a lifetime of happiness and love.


text:
Cabinet hails Saima on being WHO champion for autism
Tuesday, 04 April 2017 , 1:48 pm
DHAKA : The cabinet yesterday adopted a thanksgiving motion congratulating Saima Wazed Hossain, a strong advocate for autism, as she has been designated as "WHO Champion for Autism" in South-East Asia Region.
"At the outset of yesterday's meeting, the cabinet congratulated Ms Saima Wazed Hossain as World Health Organization (WHO) designated her as WHO Champion for Autism in South-East Asia Region," Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam told reporters after the cabinet meeting.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina presided over the meeting held at Bangladesh Secretariat here this morning.
On Saturday, WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia, located in New Delhi, made the announcement of Saima Wazed's designation as "WHO Champion for Autism" in South-East Asia Region ahead of the World Autism Awareness Day on April 2.
Announcing her name, the UN health agency introduced Saima Wazed, daughter of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, as a "strong advocate" for autism.
"(Saima Wazed) Hossain's dedicated and unprecedented efforts have put autism high on the health agenda in her country Bangladesh, and helped get substantial regional and global attention to autism spectrum disorder and other mental and neurodevelopmental disorders," WHO Regional Director for Southeast Asia Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh said.
She said Hossain's support as Regional Champion is expected to garner momentum for awareness and action in member countries, as much remains to be done for autism in across the region.
Dr Poonam hoped that Saima Wazed will play a vital role as a regional champion to garner momentum for awareness and action for autism across the region.
As WHO Champion, Saima Wazed will be supporting its "advocacy" with 11 member- countries of the region for inclusion of the issue in national policies and strategies, the UN health agency said.
Among the region's 11 countries, Bangladesh has made focused interventions for autism, and much of the pioneering work has been initiated by Saima Wazed.
In recognition to her work in advancing the cause of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), Saima Wazed, a US-licensed school psychologist, was honored by WHO South-East Asia Regional Office with Excellence in Public Health Award in September 2014.
Saima Wazed, a member of WHO's global Expert Advisory Panel on Mental Health, has made important contributions to the regional and global efforts on ASD in her various roles and capacities. She launched the South-East Asia Autism Network in July 2011.
Better known by her nickname Putul, Saima Wazed is the chairperson of Shuchona Foundation that works on mental health issues.
She brought the neglected issue to the fore by organising a regional conference in 2011 where regional leaders, including India's then ruling Congress Party chief Sonia Gandhi participated.
As a result of her efforts, the Neurodevelopmental Disability Protection Trust Act 2013 has been passed in Bangladesh. The United Nations adopted several resolutions based on her proposals.
Among many new faces Abul Hossain becomes minister again
AL Government is Agriculture best Government
Padma river water under 3.72 meters of danger - water is increasing
PM seeks another term to finish mega projects
'Zero Tolerance' policy against drugs, militancy: IGP


Think about downtown Sumter. Have you lived here your whole life or at least for a while? Are you returning to Main Street for dining and entertainment?
Danielle Thompson stands by the bar at La Piazza, one of Sumter's newest event venues that is located downtown adjoining Hamptons and Rafters, which Thompson also runs.
Are you new to the area? Have you been told about all the new restaurants and revitalization downtown has undergone in recent years? Or have you simply wandered Main Street to explore for yourself?
Whether you're a lifelong Sumterite or a recent transplant, whether you moved your family or yourself here for a manufacturing job or were stationed at Shaw Air Force Base, there is one name most often associated with downtown. You may have already heard Danielle Thompson's name in connection to redevelopment, to the opening of first Hamptons, then Sidebar, then the moving of Hamptons and the opening of Rafters, an upscale cocktail bar with gourmet appetizers (and pizza on Wednesdays and Thursdays) and La Piazza, an event rental space adjoining Hamptons and Rafters. Soon, the opening of a Tex-Mex restaurant where Hamptons used to be.
Thompson was named the 2018 Business Person of the Year by the Greater Sumter Chamber of Commerce at its annual gala.
She's not the only one who has opened new businesses and put time, effort and investment into downtown Sumter, but someone had to start, and someone had to lead.
Thompson's first venture downtown was Hamptons, a fine-dining restaurant that spurred more growth and development in other business and restaurant owners.
"All of our past, and I know our future, recipients were and will be extremely deserving of the award, but with what Danielle has been able to accomplish in just a relatively short period of time is simply amazing," Hardy said. "If you look at many other successful and thriving downtowns across our state and even our nation, you will always see a Danielle Thompson. We are just glad we have the real one.


text:
1. Dominion of Pakistan created on 14 August 1947. Became world's first Islamic Republic in 1956. New city of Islamabad replaced Karachi as capital in the mid 1960s
2. British India was made up of provinces, princely states and state agencies. An independent Union of India was created on 15 August 1947 and renamed the Republic of India in 1950
3. Punjab was split in two. Majority Muslim western part became Pakistan's Punjab province; majority Sikh and Hindu eastern part became India's Punjab state
4. Bengal divided into Indian state of West Bengal and East Pakistan, which became East Bengal in 1956 and Bangladesh achieved independence after a civil war in 1971
In 1947, the jewel of the British Empire, India, was granted independence, divided along religious lines and two nations were born - India and Pakistan.
Partition left 10 million people uprooted and more than half a million Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus dead in riots and massacres. Sixty years on, the status of Kashmir remains unresolved despite a tenuous peace process between India and Pakistan, following three wars. Communal unrest continues to surface from time to time in both countries. The good news is that the economies are growing, especially in India.


text:
package org.chocosolver.solver.variables.events;

import org.chocosolver.solver.ICause;

/**
 * An enum defining the integer variable event types:
 *

 *
{@link #REMOVE}: value removal event,

 *
{@link #INCLOW}: lower bound increase event,

 *
{@link #DECUPP}: upper bound decrease event,

 *
{@link #BOUND}: lower bound increase and/or upper bound decrease event,

 *
{@link #INSTANTIATE}: variable instantiation event

 *

 * Int event types are used with four different purposes.
 * But first of all, there is a hierarchy between events REMOVE is the smallest one,
 * INCLOW and DECUPP are equivalent and induce REMOVE
 * and INSTANTIATE is the greatest and induced the three lower ones.
 * Those four events aim at reducing the event footprint:
 * for example if one propagator removes values 1,2 and 3 from V={1, 2, 3, 4, 5},
 * it can be seen either by a sequence of 3 REMOVE OR one INCLOW.
 * Both express the same operations, one with 3 items the second with only one
 *
 * Now, the purposes:
 *

 *

 *         in {@link org.chocosolver.solver.constraints.Propagator#getPropagationConditions(int i)}.
 *         It helps sorting the propagator of the variable <tt>i</tt> wrt the types of event they can deal with.
 *         Propagators which react to the same type of events are placed in the same "bucket".
 *         Thus, when the variable <tt>i</tt> is modified, only propagators which are able to deduce something from that event are called.
 *         In that case, combinations of events are allowed, such as {{@link #REMOVE}, {@link #INCLOW}}
 *         or {{@link #REMOVE}, {@link #INCLOW}, {@link #DECUPP}, {@link #INSTANTIATE}},
 *         and are stored, for each variable, with the help of bit mask.
 *

 *

 *          when the variable is actually modified.
 *          Any propagators can modify its variable, always through one of the provided methods, such as
 *          {@link org.chocosolver.solver.variables.IntVar#instantiateTo(int, ICause)}
 *          or {@link org.chocosolver.solver.variables.IntVar#updateLowerBound(int, ICause)}.
 *          In that case, when the propagation engine is triggered, with only single one event as input: {@link #INSTANTIATE}
 *          or {@link #INCLOW}.
 *          Then, in the propagation engine, the event is stored, possibly merged with not propagates ones, for future execution.
 *

 *

 *          when a propagator is selected for propagation, the events its variables have registered are treated sequentially.
 *          Here, if a variable has registered multiple events, the union is given as input to the propagator through
 *          {@link org.chocosolver.solver.constraints.Propagator#propagate(int, int)}.
 *          In this method, it may happen that the events registered are filtered,
 *          calling {@link #isRemove(int)} or {@link #isBound(int)}, to adapt the filtering to the type of events registered.
 *          Note that the conditional tests should consider that events can be merged.
 *

 *

 *         for explanation purpose, to adapt the explanation schema to the type of event received.
 *

 *

 * If a propagator reacts on value removals, it is executed on any events occurring on the variable(s), since {@link #REMOVE} is the smallest event.
 * Then, if other type of event occurs, it is greater and maybe a specific and/or more efficient algorithm can be used instead.
 * So, we prefer testing whether an event is greater than smaller.
 * More over, using deltas, we can iterate over newly removed values, without paying interest to the type of events registered.
 *
 *

 * When, in your propagator, you declare {@link org.chocosolver.solver.constraints.Propagator#getPropagationConditions(int i)}
 * like this:
 *
 *

 *      public int getPropagationConditions(int vIdx) {
 *          return IntEventType.boundAndInst();
 *      }
 *
 *

 * your propagator will be informed anytime one if its variables is modified by any events but {@link #REMOVE}
 * (that is {@link #INCLOW} and/or {@link #DECUPP} and/or {@link #INSTANTIATE}).
 * On the contrary, if you defined something like:
 *
 *

 *
 *      public int getPropagationConditions(int vIdx) {
 *          return IntEventType.all();
 *      }
 *
 *

 * your propagator will be informed anytime one of its variable is modified by any events.
 * Later, when your propagator is actually executed, the aggregated events mask is given as input
 * (2nd parameter of {@link org.chocosolver.solver.constraints.Propagator#propagate(int i,int m)}),
 * and here you can adapt the algorithm to the events got.
 *
 * Indeed, you can have a merge event made of {@link #DECUPP} and {@link #INCLOW} and {@link #REMOVE} which indicates that:
 *

 *
the upper bound of the variable i has decreased,

 *
its upper bound has increased and

 *
some values has been removed between old LB and old UB.

 *

 *
 * IMPORTANT: note that, if a variablev={1,2,3,4,5,6} is chronologically modified like this:
 *

 *
v \ {2}

 *
v < 6

 *
v > 3

 *

 * then the first event ( v \ {2}) is subsumed by the third one (v > 3).
 * There is no efficient way to consider the subsumption by the propagation engine.
 *
 * @author Charles Prud'homme, Jean-Guillaume Fages
 */
public enum IntEventType implements IEventType {

    /**
     * No event
     */
    VOID(0),
    /**
     * Value removal event
     */
    REMOVE(1),
    /**
     * Increasing lower bound event
     */
    INCLOW(2),
    /**
     * Decreasing upper bound event
     */
    DECUPP(4),

    /**
     * Increasing lower bound and decreasing upper bound event
     */
    BOUND(6),

    /**
     * Instantiation event
     */
    INSTANTIATE(8);

    /**
     * mask of an event
     */
    private final int mask;

    IntEventType(int mask) {
        this.mask = mask;
    }

    @Override
    public int getMask() {
        return mask;
    }

    //******************************************************************************************************************
    //******************************************************************************************************************

    /**
     * Combination of masks for all events.
     */
    private static final int RIDI = combine(REMOVE, BOUND, INSTANTIATE);

    /**
     * Combination of masks for bound + instantiate events
     */
    private static final int IDI = combine(BOUND, INSTANTIATE);

    /**
     * Combines into a single mask some evts.
     * @param evts list of events to combine
     * @return mask expressing the combination of evts
     */
    public static int combine(IntEventType... evts) {
        int mask = 0;
        for (int i = 0; i < evts.length; i++) {
            mask |= evts[i].mask;
        }
        return mask;
    }

    /**
     * @return the remove, bounds and instantiation events' mask
     */
    public static int all() {
        return RIDI;
    }

    /**
     * @return the bound and instantiation events' mask
     */
    public static int boundAndInst() {
        return IDI;
    }

    /**
     * @return the instantiation event's mask
     */
    public static int instantiation() {
        return INSTANTIATE.mask;
    }

    //******************************************************************************************************************
    //******************************************************************************************************************

    /**
     * @param mask the mask to check
     * @return <tt>true</tt> if mask contains an {@link #INSTANTIATE} event mask.
     */
    public static boolean isInstantiate(int mask) {
        return (mask & INSTANTIATE.mask) != 0;
    }

    /**
     * @param mask the mask to check
     * @return <tt>true</tt> if mask contains an {@link #REMOVE} event mask.
     * Note that it does not test event hierarchy: even if {@link #INCLOW} is a sequence of {@link #REMOVE} this method
     * will return <tt>false</tt> when '2' is given as input.
     */
    public static boolean isRemove(int mask) {
        return (mask & REMOVE.mask) != 0;
    }

    /**
     * @param mask the mask to check
     * @return <tt>true</tt> if mask contains an {@link #BOUND} event mask.
     */
    public static boolean isBound(int mask) {
        return (mask & BOUND.mask) != 0;
    }

    /**
     * @param mask the mask to check
     * @return <tt>true</tt> if mask contains an {@link #INCLOW} event mask.
     */
    public static boolean isInclow(int mask) {
        return (mask & INCLOW.mask) != 0;
    }

    /**
     * @param mask the mask to check
     * @return <tt>true</tt> if mask contains an {@link #DECUPP} event mask.
     */
    public static boolean isDecupp(int mask) {
        return (mask & DECUPP.mask) != 0;
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
News | Comment
Mallorca's person of the week: ministry flats and jellyfish
Vice-president of the Balearic government, Juan Pedro Yllanes got vaccinated. | P. PELLICER
... was the vice-president of the Balearic government, Juan Pedro Yllanes, who did nothing more remarkable than get vaccinated - legitimately so. It is quite possible that two other members of the government who are older than 61-year-old Yllanes (the agriculture and education ministers) have also been done but haven't bothered taking to Twitter in telling everyone. The vice-president announced his vaccination on his Twitter account: he'd received the call, and so off he went. A senior judge on lengthy sabbatical, wholly incorruptible, a member of Podemos, the VP will not attract the attention of the anti-corruption office. But might there be some? The vaccination "irregularities" affair was rife with rumour.
Three cheers ...
For the Council of Majorca and the Balearic housing ministry having come up with an arrangement whereby ministry flats (empty ones acquired from large property owners) can be used by the Council as temporary accommodation for those in urgent need, e.g. because of eviction. The cheers were perhaps somewhat muted because there were just the nine of these flats. How many more must be needed? The pandemic has worsened what was already a necessity, a point reinforced by the fact that, at one stage last year, Palma town hall's social welfare department was having to help twice as many families as it would have expected to.
A big boo ...
For jellyfish in great abundance and, in some instances, of great size. Pelagia noctiluca appearing by the coasts and on the beaches in the spring is quite normal, but less normal is the size of some of them. In Can Picafort, for example, a load of these giant pelagias were washed up on the beach. Meteorological phenomena are to blame for the sheer number of jellyfish. Great storms in the north had apparently brought them to Majorca's shores, and they will hang around for some time until they die off. Meanwhile, there was also the sighting of something bigger still - a Portuguese man o'war was washed up on a Pollensa beach.
Jellyfish in Mallorca
Ministry flats in Mallorca
Vice-president of the Balearic Government


text:
News Sports Biz VT Life Opinion Obituaries E-Edition Legals
Burlington's new YMCA building has reached its final height
Joel Banner Baird
A year's worth of construction work remains before the new Burlington YMCA opens on College Street, but a throng gathered Friday morning to celebrate the "topping off" of the structure with its highest steel beam.
"It is incredibly heartening to see the Y's vision literally rising out of the ground," Kyle Dodson, the Y's president and CEO, told a crowd of about 70.
The Y's new, larger building is taking shape a half-block east from the old building. It will expand upon the footprint of the former Ethan Allen Club, which was built in 1972 and demolished at the end of last summer.
More than 400 donors have contributed to the $17 million project, according to the Y. The City of Burlington is among the benefactors, noted Mayor Miro Weinberger.
The new facility will help Burlington reach goals for high-quality childcare as well as providing another vibrant gathering place downtown, Weinberger told the crowd.
"As a YMCA member myself, I can't wait to start working out at this modern, bright new space in early 2020," he added.
The long, narrow building will nearly double the Y's present capacity for infant-and-toddler daycare, to 95. It is also designed to be fully accessible, with two pools, a running/walking track, fitness studios and a workout space lit with natural light.
Champlain College bought the former Ethan Allen Club building for $2.6 million in 2008, but complications in converting it into student dorms prompted it to sell to the YMCA for $2.5 million in 2015.
Scott Silver and Thomas Prins bought the 84-year-old building from the YMCA in early October for $3 million, and are exploring the idea of a boutique hotel on the site, Bishop added.
That historic, brick building was erected in the depths of the Great Depression to replace an earlier YMCA that had been destroyed by fire.
VT commander: There was no pressure to 'white wash' the Afghanistan war Why students of color are calling out Champlain College Surgery Center cries foul on decision to limit practice; files appeal Fatal fire caused by cigarettes & medical oxygen. Why that's dangerous. Chill out at these ice castles within driving distance of Burlington
Contact Joel Banner Baird at 802-660-1843 or joelbaird@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @VTgoingUp.


text:
Normandy's top medieval fairs
© S. Maurice
Home / Magazine / Normandy's top medieval fairs
Updated on 16 October 2020
Experienced by Eva Tessier
With the coming of fine weather, a number of medieval fairs take place in Normandy, the birthplace of William the Conqueror. We have taken a selection of the main dancing, jousting, theatrical and 'fantasy' festivals that are being held throughout the season across the Duchy.
The Medieval Pageant at the Château d'Harcourt (Calvados)
This beautiful site is set within an arboretum. The programme features jousts, falconry displays and a medieval market.
© P. Jeanson
Initially scheduled on the 1st to 3rd May 2020, postponed to 2021 due to the global pandemic.
The Medieval Fair in Bayeux (Calvados)
Now the third largest medieval festival in France! With its medieval market stalls clustering around the cathedral, there are street pageants, a medieval mass an a grand parade.
Initially scheduled on the 3rd to the 5th of July 2020, postponed to 2021 due to the global pandemic.
The Ornavik Fair (Calvados)
The programme features re-enactors in a Carolingian, Viking and Norman setting. Meet the keen men and long-suffering partners who set out to bring to life Ornavik, an experimental archaeological site near Caen.
From Friday 17 to Sunday 19 July 2020
A "Fantasy Banquet" in the grounds of the Conqueror's Castle at Caen (Calvados)
Meet up within the curtain walls of the ducal castle, whose history dates back to William the Conqueror. The displays and performances are free, while the stalls include medieval cooking to mark your fun day out.
The Medieval Pageant in Crevecoeur Castle (Calvados)
Step back in time, and take a day out in the Middle Ages, when the young and not-so-young can pit their wits against the inhabitants of the seigneurie in period costume, all in an attempt to Solve the Enigma! There is no other historical reenactment quite like it in the whole of France!
Initially scheduled on the 2nd to the 9th of August 2020, postponed to 2021 due to the global Covid-19 crisis.
The Medieval Fair of Falaise (Calvados)
Bring back to life the Middle Ages within the fiefdom of William the Conqueror. Knights on horseback jousting, medieval encampments, stalls ("échoppes" in old French) are all on the fun-loving menu!
Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 August 2020
The Medieval Fair of Mortemer (Eure)
Tournaments, jousts, re-enacted combat, all this and more awaits the visitor to this twelfth century Abbey deep in the demesne forest of Lyons.
Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 August 2020
The Medieval Pageant of 'Cider and Dragons' (Calvados)
Trollball, rôle-play, concerts, etc. Some of the spectacles are performed at night, and the activities centre on Fantasy and Steampunk. Not to be missed – and all beside the seaside!
Initially scheduled on Saturday September 19th - Sunday September 20th 2020, postponed to 2021 due to the global Covid-19 crisis.
Sea and Fantasy world in Dieppe (Seine-Maritime)
With the Dieppe castle in the background, this newcomer in the festival world mixes medieval and marine fantasy …
Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 September 2020
The medieval fair of Domfront
In this medieval town full of character, street plays, medieval markets, processions, banquets and jousts await!
Biennial fair. Next edition on 7 and 8 August 2021.
Display map
Medieval myths and legends in Normandy
The Middle Ages with a modern twist: Five ideas for outings
Fun for all the family in feudal Normandy
Updated on 18 December 2020
The leading figures of Medieval Normandy


text:
Home CTN World News
Joshua Boyle verdict: Charges dropped against freed Taliban hostage
in CTN World News
Joshua Boyle, who returned to Canada with his American wife and three children following their release, faced 19 charges in connection with incidents alleged to have happened since the family's return in 2017, including charges of assault, sexual assault, uttering a death threat, and criminal harassment brought by his wife, Caitlan Coleman.
Lebanon: Anti-government protests turn violent in Beirut
Cambridge Analytica and the end of elections
Iran agrees to send black boxes of shot down plane to Ukraine
He has denied the allegations.
Boyle and Coleman were kidnapped in 2012 in Afghanistan by terrorists from the Taliban-affiliated Haqqani network. Coleman was pregnant, and the couple had two more children during their five years in captivity. The couple and their children were freed in a mission carried out by Pakistani security forces based on intelligence from US authorities.
When Boyle arrived back in Toronto in 2017, he told reporters his captors authorized the killing of one of his children and raped his wife. He did not say whether the militants killed a child, only that his captors were responsible for "authorizing the murder" of his infant daughter. At that time, sources close to the family said that Boyle alluded to at least one forced abortion while in captivity.
The couple also had a child after Boyle was arrested in Canada, Boyle's attorney Lawrence Greenspon told CNN.
Baca Juga Syria's war: More than 20 killed in air raids on rebel-held Idlib
In the court ruling to dismiss the charges against Boyle, Judge Peter Doody of the Ontario Court of Justice, said that there were credibility problems in the case, including evidence from Boyle and Coleman. No further details will be revealed since the court has issued an order that prevents media from reporting information that would identify some potential victims or witnesses.
Greenspon said Doody spent three and a half hours reading his decision to the court.
"He went through all the evidence of both Joshua and Caitlan, and reached a decision with which Joshua and his family, and we are very pleased," Greenspon said. "For them, this is really the first step to obtaining their main priority, which is access and eventually hopefully custody of the four children."
"Since Josh's arrest on December 31, 2017, he has not seen any of the children. And given that the date of birth of the fourth child was some time after that, he has never, ever seen his fourth child," Greenspon added.
Baca Juga In Pictures: Australia's bushfires force mass exodus of people
Coleman's lawyer said he spoke to his client and she needs some time to digest the judge's decision and try to move on with her life.
"She's devastated by the verdict," attorney Ian Carter told CNN. "I believe this case is an example of the challenges a complainant faces coming forward with allegations of sexual assault or domestic violence, at least in the criminal courts."
Boyle and Coleman are still married but divorce proceedings are underway, Greenspon told CNN.
Gap dan Victoria's Secret Jadi Saham Ritel Terburuk di 2019
Anggota DPR apresiasi langkah pemerintah bebaskan WNI
Cuba appoints a prime minister for the first time in 43 years
Timnya Diragukan, Vardy Siap Buktikan di Laga Leicester Vs Liverpool


text:
Largest Glowing Heart
Completed in May 2018, the heart is 26 feet tall, 20 feet wide, and is designed to withstand desert winds up to 114 mph. The pistachio farm that commissioned it calls it "the largest known heart structure in the world," and has submitted it to Guinness World Records for official certification. The farm also claims that the heart's illuminated outline can be seen for miles down the desert highway at night.
According to the Alamogordo Daily News, the glowing heart quickly became a popular spot for marriage proposals.
Roadside America pundits may ponder why this isn't an outline of an anatomically accurate human heart -- spurting neon -- which would be way cooler. However, that's just not the world we live in.
7288 US-54, Alamogordo, NM
On the west side of US Hwy 54/70 about six miles north of downtown Alamogordo.
Best at night. Local health policies may affect hours and access.
World's Largest Pistachio, Alamogordo, NM - < 1 mi.
Scrap Metal Roadrunner, Alamogordo, NM - 3 mi.
Air Duct Man, Alamogordo, NM - 7 mi.
National Solar Observatory, Sunspot, NM - 17 mi.
More Quirky Attractions in New Mexico
Stories, reports and tips on tourist attractions and odd sights in New Mexico.
Explore Thousands of Unique Roadside Landmarks!
Strange and amusing destinations in the US and Canada are our specialty. Start here.
Use RoadsideAmerica.com's Attraction Maps to plan your next road trip.
S.S. Minnow, Tehachapi, California


text:
Shop Talk | June 05, 2012
Book of the Week: The Green Shore, by Natalie Bakopoulos
This week's feature is Contributing Editor Natalie Bakopoulos's debut novel, The Green Shore (Simon & Schuster), which releases today. Set in Athens and Paris during the military dictatorship of Greece (1967-1974), the book traces one family's experience of love and resistance as they negotiate the rule of the Colonels and the fallout from the junta. Bakopoulos holds an MFA in Fiction from the University of Michigan, where she now teaches. Her work has appeared in Tin House, Ninth Letter, Salon, The New York Times, and Granta Online, and received a 2010 O. Henry Award, a Hopwood Award, and a Platsis Prize for Work in the Greek Legacy.
In a recent interview, the author talked with Stacie Williams about finding part of herself as a Greek-American when writing the book, the intersection of imagination and history, and longing for a place. When asked about the everyday experience of Greeks during the dictatorship, she replies:
The truth is that under any regime people still have to live, to go about their business. They fall in love and go to school and work and make dinner and experience jealousy and rage and sadness. Anna says in the book that she knew what drove the dictators mad was that no matter what they tried, they couldn't control what went on in private. And this is where people might have found their freedom.
We're giving away a copy of The Green Shore in two weeks to three of our Twitter followers. To be eligible for this giveaway (and all future ones), simply click over to Twitter and "follow" us (@fictionwriters).
To all of you who are already fans, thank you!
Read the rest of Williams's interview.
You can also read Bakopoulos's most recent story, "Megaphone," which appeared last month on Salon.
Mark Athitakis has an insightful review of The Green Shore for The Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Book of the Week, Greece, international lit, Simon & Schuster, The Green Shore	Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Save Instapaper Pocket
Jeremiah Chamberlin teaches courses on Contemporary American Literature, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, and Literary Journalism at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He is also a Contributing Editor for Poets & Writers Magazine. His fiction, criticism, literary interviews, and essays have appeared in such places as Absinthe, Flyway, Glimmer Train, Granta, The New York Times Book Review, The Michigan Quarterly Review, Vagabond, and The Virginia Quarterly Review. He is the co-author with Eileen Pollack and Natalie Bakopoulos of Creative Composition. Most recently, he is the recipient of a 2016-2017 Fulbright Research Scholarship.
Also from Jeremiah Chamberlin
Who We Are Now: A Conversation with Colson Whitehead Accepting Indeterminacy: Part II of an Interview with Jacob Paul Accepting Indeterminacy: Part I of an Interview with Jacob Paul
The In-Between: An Interview with Natalie Bakopoulos
Hurts and Old Feelings: An Interview with David James Poissant
The Salvage Detective: Roberto Bolaño's Guide to Saving the Novel In Your Drawer
Forrest Anderson


Redspottedhanky are closing their loyalty/points scheme at the end of this year.
Probably worth checking if you've any points left in there.
Feeling a bit maverick? Well, we're making Mondays the new Sundays with tickets for just £10 between Birmingham and London.
To make Mother's Day even more special for the first woman in your life, mums also travel for free on c2c as an extra way for us to say Happy Mother's Day! All you need is a fare p*ying child or adult to accompany mum and our free travel voucher and away you go.
London and Essex areas only.
Why not treat that special someone this Mothers Day, Sunday 31 March 2019?!
We have teamed up with some great attractions to offer the ultimate treat day for all mums, and you can experience it all for FREE!
Mums travel free this Mother's Day!
Valid on any West Midlands Railway or London Northwestern Railway Service within the West Midlands area, make sure you don't miss out on treating your special lady to a fab free day.
Get your FREE tickets at a station near you.