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New York mayor unveils plans for £1.7 billion tram system
The mayor of New York has unveiled plans for a £1.7 billion tram system as the city embraces streetcars for the first time since the Fifties.
Bill de Blasio said the Brooklyn Queens Connector would run for 16 miles and "change the lives" of 400,000 people in the boroughs.
Speaking at his third State of the City address, the mayor said the tram would generate £17 billion in revenue from extra business and tourism.
Mr de Blasio has not made transport a focus since taking office in 2014 but faces an election next year and is looking towards his legacy.
New York had a wide range of trams in the 19th century. But car manufacturers are said to have conspired to buy the lines and shut them down. By the Fifties they were all gone.
The new tram will travel at about 12mph, north to south between Astoria in Queens to Sunset Park in Brooklyn, separated from traffic by a barrier.
New York mayor Bill de Blasio
Journey times between Greenpoint and Dumbo in north and south Brooklyn would be cut to half an hour. If the city grants approval, work will start in 2019 and be completed in 2024.
Critics, however, said specialised buses and more cycle lanes are cheaper and just as effective.
Veronica Vanterpool, director of the Tri-State Transportation Campaign said: "The glitzy and the flashy are inspirational, but often they are not practical."
Recent tram projects have not always run smoothly. By the time it opened three years late in 2014, Edinburgh's was double its budget and covered less than half the planned network.
21 VDL Futuras for Starshipper
The liberalization of French long distance transport is offering new opportunities for coach operators. At the end of 2015 10 VDL Futuras were delivered to the French passenger transport companies that operate under the Starshipper brand. In the first four months of 2016 VDL Bus & Coach will deliver an additional 11 Futuras for use with Starshipper. All the coaches are branded in the Starshipper house style colours.
The 21 VDL coaches currently or soon to be in service for Starshipper are Futura FHD2-129/440's. At the end of 2015 VDL Bus & Coach delivered three Futuras to Le Groupe ASTT (Aquitaine Service Transport Tourism), two to Autocars Jollivet and five more for companies Cars de l'Élorn, Autocars Le Meur, Autocars Le Roux, L'Été Évasion and Autocars Jézéquel. These ten Futuras with a length of 12.9 metres have a 48+1+1 seating plan and are luxuriously appointed with features that include comfortable seats, Wi-Fi, 220 volt socket at all seats, a defibrillator and/or a wheelchair lift. By the end of April 2016 eleven more deluxe Futuras will have been shipped to various customers, including two for Autocars Nombalais, one for Autocars Jollivet and one for Hervé.
VDL also welcomes 6 new customers, who will receive one Futura each. These six vehicles are going to Autocars Rouillard, Farouault, Bellier, Robert, Bihan and Cars des Abers. The 21st Futura will be delivered to Pullman D'Aquitaine in April.
Starshipper is one of the five players involved in the opening-up of the market for long-distance coaches. The marque is operated by independent SMEs active in passenger transport in France.
Smart Ticketing for Scotland
Bus operators across Scotland have outlined their commitment to deliver multi-operator smart ticketing for millions of Scottish bus customers, paving the way for seamless travel between bus, rail, ferry and subway.
The pledge by the country's major bus companies – First, Stagecoach, Lothian Buses, McGill's and XPlore Dundee – will deliver smart ticketing on buses across the country during 2016-17.
The operators involved also confirmed that the project is expected to extend to rail, ferries and the subway in the near future. Technical work on the scheme has already begun, building upon existing smart platforms already used by operators which conform to the UK-wide Government ITSO standard.
Successful delivery of the first phase of the project will see smart ticketing made available to around three quarters of the Scottish population over the course of 2017. This will be done through the launch of interoperable, bus-to-bus, smart ticketing across Scotland's largest cities (Aberdeen, Dundee, Glasgow and Edinburgh) and the surrounding areas, with delivery of these schemes already under way.
Once in place, customers will be able to store multi-operator tickets electronically on a smartcard rather than using paper tickets and will be able to travel on different buses using one smartcard.
As well as these city schemes, Scotland's major bus operators will also support the introduction of a single standard e-purse, a Scotland-wide saltirecard scheme that will be developed and delivered by Transport Scotland, and which will enable customers to top up their smartcards with funds – similar to the way an Oyster card works in London.
NOW SEE THE LATEST ON THE FOCUS FEATURES SITE:
After a break of quite some time there is a new item on the Features site, in respect of the Pacer trains that have proved their worth long past their original date of withdrawal.
With text from a BBC report and images provided by the Focus transport team, this can now be viewed by clicking here
£800m Investment in London Waterloo
A programme of investment worth more than £800million over the next three years, which will increase capacity and improve over half-a-million daily journeys, has been officially launched today (23 March 2016) at London Waterloo.
London Waterloo is Britain's busiest railway station and the main station for one of the busiest railways in the country. The number of passenger journeys has more than doubled in the last 20 years to 234 million per year, and further growth of 40% by 2043 is forecast.
This is the biggest investment for decades and will provide a 30% increase in peak time capacity by 2019. It includes:
A bigger and better London Waterloo station
New fleet of Siemens built Class 707 trains
Longer platforms at ten stations for longer trains on the Reading line
Improvements to depots and maintenance facilities to look after the network's biggest ever fleet of trains
New technology to make trains more efficient and help improve punctuality
The majority of the station and infrastructure improvements are funded by the Department for Transport as part of Network Rail's £40 billion Railway Upgrade Plan to deliver a bigger, better, more reliable railway for passengers. Investment is also being made in a fleet of 150 new train carriages to create extra capacity for South West Trains passengers.
When these improvements are complete, more trains than ever will arrive and leave London Waterloo every hour during the busiest times of the day – providing more space and better journeys for hundreds of thousands of passengers every day.
These works will pave the way for improvements to longer distance routes into London Waterloo and long term digital railway systems required to meet the increasing demand for rail services projected.
The improvements at London Waterloo will be complemented by enhancements at Vauxhall and Surbiton stations to increase capacity and improve passenger journeys.
London Waterloo is Britain's busiest railway station and was used by over 99 million passengers last year. The investment between now and 2019 will:
Rebuild the former Waterloo International Terminal, allowing platforms 20-24 to be brought back into use with modern facilities, new track and signalling and a layout suitable for thousands of domestic passengers.
Extend platforms 1-4 to allow longer ten-car trains to run to London suburban stations. This work will take place during August 2017 and requires significant changes to the usual passenger timetable.
Create a spacious, modern and accessible station concourse near platforms 20-24.
Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said:
"We are investing £40 billion in our nation's railway infrastructure – the biggest upgrade since the Victorian times.
"From 2017, passengers will benefit from a bigger and better London Waterloo station and 150 new train carriages providing more space for passengers arriving at London Waterloo over the three-hour morning peak – this is in addition to the 108 extra carriages that have already been added since 2013. These improvements will make journeys better for hard working commuters, in the capital and across Britain."
Sir Peter Hendy, Chairman, Network Rail said:
"This is the biggest package of improvements for passengers travelling to and from Waterloo for decades. It will provide passengers with a better station, extra seats and new trains.
"And let's face it, this is not before time. Since 1996, the numbers of passengers on routes into Waterloo have more than doubled - rising from 108 million passenger journeys a year to over 230 million. And this increase is showing no sign of slowing down.
"As part of our Railway Upgrade Plan, Network Rail is investing £40 billion to provide a bigger, better, more reliable railway for passengers across Britain. The plans announced today will create a bigger, better Waterloo and improve passengers' journeys on our most congested part of Britain's railway. They are a long way from being the complete answer to the peak time congestion on this packed commuter route, but they will make a big difference."
Tim Shoveller, Managing Director, Stagecoach Rail, said:
"We are proud to run one of the country's busiest railways - providing half a million journeys every day - helping to support businesses, communities, families and friends travel across the south west of England.
"Since 1996 we have added more than 100 extra train services and 500 extra and vastly improved carriages for journeys to and from Britain's busiest station, London Waterloo, but we know we need to do even more to provide more capacity and better facilities for our passengers.
"That's why we're so pleased to be working with our partners to introduce this package of investments and improvements. This is the biggest programme of improvements for decades and will boost capacity by 30% during the busiest times of the day by 2019. It will also create the extra space and upgraded infrastructure needed to increase capacity for our longer distance mainline services in the near future too.
"We're looking forward to introducing these improvements and we will keep our passengers up to speed with everything happening on the network in the coming months and years."
Steve Scrimshaw, Managing Director of Siemens Rail Systems, said:
"We are delighted to be part of the continued investment in the UK's rail network and to be introducing a new fleet of 30, five car Siemens Desiro City Class 707 trains. The new trains are lighter, more energy efficient and will significantly increase the amount of available seats for passengers. The Class 707 will also improve the overall passenger experience offering free Wi-Fi, air conditioned coaches, full width gangways and wider doors to make it easier and quicker to get on and off the trains."
Malcolm Brown, Chief Executive Officer for Angel Trains, said:
"As London's population continues to grow, so do the travelling needs of passengers moving to, from and within the capital. Angel Trains is committed to investment in London's rail network and providing value to customers. We are delighted to procure and lease a new fleet of Siemens-built Class 707s, offering increased capacity, air-conditioning, easier passenger access and on-board Wi-Fi."
Glasgow to Liverpool by megabus
megabus.com has commenced a new route linking Liverpool and Glasgow - the first direct public transport link service between the two locations.
There will be one service a day in each direction between the two cities,
The new service departs Glasgow Buchanan Street at 1130hrs and arrives in to Liverpool's Liverpool One bus station at 1540hrs. The return service departs Liverpool at 1530hrs and arrives in Glasgow at 1950hrs.
The service is part of a wider route that also serves London and Birmingham. The journey time between Glasgow and Liverpool will take about four hours and 10 minutes and is direct, with no stops on the route. .
Fares are on offer on every megabus.com journey from just £1. All services will operate using vehicles with free Wifi, power sockets, air conditioning and a toilet.
megabus.com Managing Director Edward Hodgson said: "This new route is great news for our customers who want to travel between these two magnificent cities. Liverpool and Glasgow have always had a close affinity and we're delighted to be able to announce the first direct link between them.
"By offering great value fares, passengers will be able to spend their money on taking in some of the great sights and sounds of these two cultural cities and will boost tourism by making it even easier and more affordable for people who may previously have been prohibited by the cost of travel."
Both Liverpool and Glasgow have previously been crowned European Capital of Culture in 2008 and 1990 respectively.
While the vehicles used will branded as megabus.com, the new service is being delivered by the Scottish Citylink joint venture involving Stagecoach and ComfortDelGro.
To mark the new route, megabus.com have hosted road shows in each city where the team gave away goody bags and information about the new route.
First Hull Trains Franchise to Continue Until 2029
FirstGroup has welcomed the news that the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has approved the application by the Group's open access operator First Hull Trains for a further ten year track access from 2019, giving the business and its customers certainty of services until December 2029.
The award-winning First Hull Trains recently scored the highest customer satisfaction levels of any operator in the country and, as part of the agreement, the successful application also enables the company to purchase new bi-mode trains that can take full advantage of the benefits of the electrified East Coast Mainline. First Hull Trains has also pledged an additional half a million pound investment to enhance its current fleet.
Commenting, Steve Montgomery, FirstGroup's Rail Division Managing Director, said: "First Hull Trains is a great success story and its enduring high customer satisfaction scores really demonstrate how open access can deliver for passengers in certain markets. We're pleased that the ORR has granted us a further ten year period of operation as it allows us to progress the plans that we have for new rolling stock and investment in the line, allowing Hull to play its part as a key region in the Government's Northern Powerhouse proposals."
Will Dunnett, Managing Director of First Hull Trains, said: "The approval of a ten year track access enables us to deliver our longer term plans, including new bi-mode trains that will be faster than those we operate today. We will also be able to increase our fleet to five units with more seats on each, meaning a 50% increase in the number of seats for passengers. The ORR's approval of our track access until 2029 secures the long term future of First Hull Trains, whilst at the same time safeguards and enhances the region's rail connectivity to the capital.
"These are exciting times for our business and our region as we move towards UK City of Culture status in 2017. Our current trains have served us well and we intend to continue to invest in these units for the next three years. We have just commissioned a project to refurbish our on-board service facilities for the enhanced comfort of our passengers as well as looking at ways to increase the capacity of our current services. We will also be rolling out Passenger Information Screens on all services as well as on-board CCTV to enhance security and peace of mind for our customers."
Last year, First Hull Trains became the first operator in the UK to install Passenger Information Screens fed by live real-time train running information, as part of an industry trial to improve on-board passenger information services. The screens on selected carriages give passengers up-to-the-minute information on connecting services and stations.
Full details of the new bi-mode trains will be available later in the year and it is anticipated that they will enter service in 2020.
FirstGroup is also involved in a separate application to the ORR on new open access plans to operate five trains throughout the day each way between London King's Cross and Edinburgh, designed to compete with low-cost airlines and open up rail travel between the two capitals to thousands of new passengers. The outcome of the application is due later this year.
Another new Routemaster variant?
This vehicle was on show at Covent Garden on Wednesday 16th March.
Dave Stewart writes:-
It has a 10.6m Volvo B5LH chassis with a Wrightbus 'SRM' H45/21D body, described as "inspired by the New Routemaster" but with standard London layout of two doors and one staircase. Inside, the side walls and stair panels are in bergundy (just like on the LT), the seats are identical to the LT and with the same moquette; gold handrails and with bell pushes like the LT; same 'air cooling vents' in the ceiling as on an LT. However the front dome is a separate bolt-on and fibreglass – the dome on the LT is all part of the overall structural integrity of the body . It has a rear window upstairs (unlike the LT) but doesn't have one downstairs – and no opening windows (yet). The bus at Covent Garden had London United fleetnames although the first order is for six (to be VHR class) for sister RATP company London Sovereign route 13 by September
A fuller report is available from the Transport Engineer website at the following link:-
http://www.transportengineer.org.uk/transport-engineer-news/wrightbus-and-volvo-launch-srm-hybrid-bus/116868/
Stagecoach Rated Best Value Bus Operator in Britain for Third Consecutive Year
Bus passengers have rated Stagecoach as the best value major bus operator in Britain for the third consecutive year, according to new independent research.
Consumer watchdog Transport Focus found that customers across the UK ranked Stagecoach higher than any other national bus operator on value for money in its latest UK Bus Passenger Satisfaction Survey.
67% of Stagecoach customers in England said they were satisfied with value for money, significantly above the industry average of 62%
Within specific local areas, a number of Stagecoach companies were also found to be rated highly for value for money including Merseyside (81%), South Yorkshire (71%), Tees Valley (77%) and North East Lincolnshire (72%).
In Manchester 69% of Stagecoach customers were satisfied with value for money, compared to an average score of 66% for the Greater Manchester area as a whole. In addition, value for money scores across Tyne and Wear rose from 63% in 2014 to 68% in 2015.
Stagecoach has also previously been found to offer the lowest bus fares in Britain in all three of the most recent surveys carried out by independent transport specialists the TAS Partnership.
The results of the most recent Transport Focus research showed that 86% of Stagecoach customers in England were found to be satisfied with their bus services overall, in line with the UK average. Just 5% of Stagecoach passengers surveyed said they were dissatisfied overall.
However, the research also demonstrated the growing challenges that bus operators face around the availability of road space.
There was no improvement in the average customer ratings for any of the major bus operators on punctuality and on-bus journey time between 2014 and 2015, with some scores dropping.
In Greater Manchester, where Stagecoach has said traffic congestion costs an addition £7million per year, the number of passengers saying they were satisfied with punctuality has dropped from 76% in 2014 to 71% in 2015. The number of bus customers in Manchester who said they were satisfied with on-bus journey time has also dropped from 85% in 2014 to 81% in 2015.
In addition, the results showed that in the majority of areas in which Stagecoach operates, an increased number of customers rated congestion/traffic jams as the main factor affecting journey length.
The Transport Focus survey showed that Merseyside had the most satisfied customers of any metropolitan area in England as 89% of customers said they were satisfied with services overall.
The research found that in the areas of Gloucester and Oxfordshire, where Stagecoach is a main operator, the number of customers who said they were satisfied had risen.
Passenger Focus surveyed around 40,000 passengers across 51 areas and operations in England, outside of London.
The results also showed that:
• 74% of customers said they were satisfied with the punctuality of Stagecoach services
• 84% of Stagecoach passengers said they were satisfied with on-bus journey time
• 9 out of 10 Stagecoach customers in Merseyside, East Sussex, Gloucester, North East Lincolnshire and Tees Valley said they were satisfied with services overall.
Robert Montgomery, Managing Director of Stagecoach UK Bus, said: "This is further verification, from the customers who use buses, that we offer the best value bus travel in Britain, but we know running bus services that people want to use is about more than just the cost of travel.
"Customers want high quality customer service and confidence that buses will run on time. Our employees have done a fantastic job in delivering good services for our passengers but we are concerned about the impact of road congestion on the punctuality of our services. Today's research shows it's high time something was done to tackle the problem of congestion in our towns and cities.
"Operators need support and action from local authorities to free up road space for buses. By making bus services even more reliable, we can attract more people out of their cars, improve journey times and deliver a positive environmental impact."
Stagecoach Chief Executive Martin Griffiths recently warned that congestion – particularly at peak times - is strangling the UK's towns and cities. The cost to the UK economy from congestion is estimated to be £11 billion every year. At current rates between now and March 2020, congestion will have wasted around £50b - enough to fund the entire cost of the HS2 high speed rail project. Department for Transport statistics show that traffic on Britain's roads reached its highest ever level last year and congestion has continued to rise. Separate DfT congestion figures show that average speeds on A roads during the morning peak have fallen for almost four years.
Stagecoach continues to invest in customer improvements. In December, the company launched a new responsive website for its UK Bus division. The site features a nationwide online bus planning service, lets passengers check live running times for their services and enables travel to be bought direct from smartphones. The website is part of a three-year, £11million digital investment strategy.
Stagecoach has spent around £650million in new buses and coaches for the UK in the last eight years. Smart ticketing is now available at all Stagecoach regional companies and, along with the UK's other major operators, Stagecoach has helped deliver multi-operator smart ticketing in all of England's city regions, benefitting around 15million people. Work is also underway on a similar scheme in Scotland.
The country's major bus operators are also working on an ambitious scheme that could see contactless travel introduced on every one of the UK's 32,000-plus buses outside London by 2022.
Something for the Easter weekend
Order For Electric Bus System in Belgian City of Namur
Volvo has received the largest order to date for the company's electric bus system. The order is for eleven electric hybrid buses and two electric bus chargers in the city of Namur in Belgium. The chargers will be supplied by ABB.
Local operator TEC will purchase the bus system as a turn-key operation. This means that Volvo takes full responsibility for vehicle servicing, battery maintenance as well as maintenance of the standard-based charging stations for a fixed monthly cost. The buses are expected to enter service towards the end of 2016.
Håkan Agnevall, President of Volvo Buses said "Electric bus systems are a cost-efficient solution for cities to reduce the problems of poor air quality and noise. Together with ABB, Volvo has a complete and competitive offer for cities around the world that want to switch to a sustainable public transport system,"
Volvo's 7900 Electric Hybrid operate quietly and free of emissions on renewable electricity for approximately seven kilometers. The batteries are fast-charged in just a few minutes at the end of each route and also by the energy generated whenever the vehicle brakes. The buses also have a small diesel engine, which increases reach and flexibility.
The ABB bus chargers are easy to integrate into existing bus routes. The vehicle pantograph makes use of low-cost and low weight materials on roof of the bus. The modular design offers charging power of 150 kW, 300 kW or 450 kW. ABB's proven suite of connectivity features enables maximum availability and fast service response.
Volvo claims.The bus can be powered by electricity for up to 70 % of operating time, running quiet and exhaust-free in this mode. The CO2 emission is 75–90 % lower compared with a conventional diesel bus, and depending on the fuel used. The vehicle is equipped with an electric motor, batteries and a small diesel engine. The batteries are recharged at the end terminals in a few minutes.
Based on IEC 61851-23, the international standard for fast charging of electric vehicles ensuring the appropriate safety systems are in place, the electrical design is in accordance with regulations, and the systems architecture and working principle are supported by wider automotive community in future.
Main manufacturers of electric vehicles, Irizar, Solaris, VDL and Volvo have all agreed to a common operating system to ensure the interoperability of electric buses with charging infrastructure provided by ABB, Heliox and Siemens.
Arriva Awarded TfL Overground Contract
Transport for London (TfL) has announced that it intends to award the new London Overground operator contract to Arriva Rail London Limited. The £1.5 billion contract will cover seven and a half years with an option to extend for up to two additional years.
Arriva will take over from existing operator LOROL in November 2016, and will support TfL in delivering further improvements for customers on the already hugely popular network. These will include modernised stations and more frequent services, the first of which will be on the North London line. New trains will also be introduced in 2018, transforming journeys on London Overground routes out of Liverpool Street and on the Gospel Oak to Barking line.
Under the new concession, customers on some routes will benefit from extended operating hours, and new services will be introduced on some routes on Boxing Day. Arriva will also be expected to deliver sustained improvements in performance levels, which have improved hugely since TfL took responsibility for London Overground routes in 2007.
To support this, new incentives have been incorporated into the new contract including financially penalising Arriva should incidents caused by Network Rail, train and freight operators impact on London Overground services. Along with the tightening of the rail industry standard measurement for punctuality for commuter services to three minutes within the scheduled arrival time. These measures are being implemented to encourage closer working with Network Rail and Bombardier to continue to improve reliability and provide high quality services for customers.
Gareth Powell, TfL's Chief Operating Officer, London Rail, said:
'We have worked hard to deliver major improvements for our customers, taking a neglected part of the transport network and transforming it to support new homes, jobs and economic growth across the Capital. Arriva will build on this by extending operating hours, improving frequencies and introducing new trains. I would also like to thank the existing operator LOROL for their work that has helped make London Overground the huge success story it is today.'
New electric trains are on order for the Gospel Oak to Barking line replacing the
current diesel powered class 172's
Arriva will operate all London Overground routes, including those that TfL took over last year from Liverpool Street station to Enfield Town, Cheshunt (via Seven Sisters) and Chingford, as well as services between Romford and Upminster.
TfL is proposing to extend the London Overground to Barking Riverside as part of its work to create better rail services to accommodate a rapidly growing population and to support new jobs, homes and economic growth. The transformation of London Overground has seen passenger numbers rise by 400 per cent since 2007 and the network has become one of the most reliable in the UK.
Virgin Unveils the Virgin Azuma
Virgin Trains has unveiled the first of its new fleet of trains in a ceremony at King's Cross attended by Sir Richard Branson. Set to revolutionise travel on the East Coast from 2018, the Virgin Azuma will be one of the most advanced trains on the UK's rail network.
Literally translated as "East" in Japanese, the Virgin Azuma pays homage to the new train's lineage and to the East Coast route. With 65 trains providing an extra 12,200 seats for a new and expanded timetable, the fleet of Virgin Azumas will increase capacity into King's Cross by 28 per cent during peak time.
Whilst the trains will initially reach speeds of up to 125mph, Virgin Trains has today announced the creation of a cross-industry working group, including Network Rail, to investigate the potential for the East Coast route to enable their operation at 140mph.
Secretary of State for Transport, Patrick McLoughlin, said: "The state-of-the-art Intercity Express trains heading to Virgin will transform rail travel for passengers between London, the north east and Scotland. These new trains, combined with Virgin's exciting plans for the franchise, will provide more services, more seats, and faster journeys, helping to place passengers at the heart of the railway."
Sir Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, said, "This is a hugely important moment for passengers on the East Coast. A line which has witnessed the historic Flying Scotsman and Mallard will now see passenger services transformed with the UK's most advanced long distance trains. Our customers on the West Coast have already seen what Virgin can bring to train travel and how the Pendolinos have made a huge difference to speed and comfort. Our new fleet of Azumas will bring a similar transformation to the East Coast, and propel one of the UK's most prestigious lines into the 21st century."
The new trains will also have:
Faster acceleration: The Azumas will accelerate more quickly, slicing up to 22 minutes off East Coast journeys and making 4hr London-Edinburgh journeys, and 2hr London-Leeds journeys, the norm. They will accelerate from 0-125mph around a minute quicker than the current fleet1
New direct services: The faster journeys will make direct routes to new destinations such as Middlesbrough and Huddersfield possible, as well as a big increase in through services to places such as Harrogate and Lincoln
Greater comfort: The trains will have some of the best leg-room on the rail network, as well as ergonomically designed seats in both first and standard
Virgin's unique feel: Both the interior and the exterior of the new fleet with have that distinctive Virgin atmosphere
Lower emissions: The trains will be lighter and more energy efficient, making them some of the most environmentally friendly in the UK
Improved facilities: The trains will have faster and free Wi-Fi, an improved traffic-light reservation system2, power sockets for every seat and more overhead luggage space
power sockets for every seat and more overhead luggage space
Buffet cars: An onboard shop is a key part of the experience for passengers
Uber BUS?
Uber has announced its latest innovation -- a multi-person, ride-sharing scheme that picks up and drops off passengers along a pre-determined route. It sounds like a bus – and it is a bus. Right now limited to a maximum of 5 riders, but what will the future bring?
Known officially as UberHOP, the idea supposedly blends a traditional wait-and-ride bus service with some of the on-demand convenience of Uber. Users will be paired with a driver and other commuters going in the same direction, and then be directed to a pick-up location. Once there the driver will load up with the commuters, and drop them off at a "pre-destined" stop, "so you can walk the last few blocks to work".
The de facto busses run "during commuting hours" as part of a pilot scheme. Uber says the service is designed not to replace mass transit, but to augment it "at no extra cost".
"Investment in mass transit is an important part of the solution. But it's expensive and not everyone lives within walking distance of the subway or a bus stop. Uber helps use today's existing infrastructure more efficiently at no extra cost," the company wrote in a blog post.
"Today, 76 percent of commuters in the US drive to work by themselves. If they could easily share the trip (and the cost) with one or more fellow commuters that would dramatically cut congestion, improving everyone's quality of life."
Uber already has several other ride-sharing services, including UberPOOL, launched in London, which allows users to share rides with each other.
The company also announced a second pilot scheme, this time in Chicago, for "uberCOMMUTE", a program for drivers who want to recoup the cost of their commute by sharing the trip. Available between 6am and 10pm in Chicago, anyone with a car will be able to take part if they give Uber access to their driving record and identity.
Uber said it had been inspired by the success of BlaBlaCar in Europe (named one of the continent's hottest startups by WIRED) but claimed it could make the process "more convenient, more reliable and safer" than competitors. "By making it easy and affordable for people to share rides, we can get more people into fewer cars," the company explained.
Battery Powered Midland Metro Trams - Will be First in the UK
Birmingham is to be the first city in the UK to use cutting edge battery technology that removes the need to attach overhead power lines to its historic buildings for trams.
The fleet of Midland Metro Urbos 3 trams are to be fitted with hi-tech batteries to power the vehicles through architecturally sensitive areas.
Known as catenary-free running, the go-ahead has been given by the West Midlands Integrated Transport Authority (ITA) to the plan by Centro, its delivery body.
It means there will be no need for overhead cables around the 182-year-old Town Hall in Victoria Square when the city centre Metro line is extended through from New Street station to Centenary Square.
It also means the planned Birmingham Eastside extension running under the proposed HS2 station at Curzon Street will not need expensive infrastructure works to accommodate overhead lines.
Cllr John McNicholas, chairman of the ITA's delivery committee, said: "When we placed the order in 2012 for our new fleet of trams the ITA had the vision for them being capable of running without overhead wires.
How catenary-free trams would look running through
Birmingham's Victoria Square
"The technology then was not sufficiently developed to incorporate into the Birmingham city centre extension, but provision was made within the contract that should technology catch up the new trams could be retro-fitted with batteries.
"That is now the case and the application of battery technology on this scale in the West Midlands will be a historic first for the UK light rail industry and the modern era of British tramways."
The current 21 tram fleet was made in Spain by CAF.
Urbos 3 trams already run catenary-free in sections of the tram networks in Zaragoza, Seville and Cadiz in Spain but use supercapacitors to provide on-board energy storage.
However these would be unsuitable for trams negotiating the steep hill in Pinfold Street from New Street station into Victoria Square.
Overhead lines and equipment would have been needed, marring the architecturally sensitive environment of Victoria Square.
However CAF now says newly available lithium ion batteries are robust enough to handle the gradients and can be fitted so trams are ready to run when the extension to Centenary Square opens in 2019.
The batteries will be fitted on the tram roof and will be recharged by the overhead lines along other parts of the route.
They are expected to require replacement at approximately seven-year intervals.
Four new trams to allow the fleet to keep the current level of service once the Centenary Square extension opens have already been ordered and will come with batteries fitted.
There are four sections identified in future network extensions for catenary-free running:
The whole of the Birmingham Centenary Square extension, including through Victoria Square, where the Town Hall and Council House are situated
The Birmingham-Edgbaston extension from Centenary Square to the Brindleyplace tram stop, and through the underpass at Five Ways
Birmingham Eastside extension between Moor Street Queensway and Digbeth High Street stop, including under the proposed HS2 station at Curzon Street
Wolverhampton city centre extension between the bus station and the railway station tram stops, encompassing the main pedestrian approach to Wolverhampton Interchange
The proposed Wednesbury to Brierley Hill extension is also being evaluated to identify catenary-free sections.
The saving just from catenary-free operation on these four sections is £650,000, but longer term there will be greater savings as there is now no longer any need to prepare roads or buildings for overhead lines.
This includes the Birmingham Eastside section where the extension runs under the proposed Curzon Street station along New Canal Street.
The lack of headroom under the new station and the existing West Coast Main Line bridge would have meant major works to lower the road to install overhead lines - work which will now not be needed thanks to catenary-free running.
Negotiations have begun with battery suppliers but the final cost is not yet available.
However a £3.15m contribution will be made by the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership and £1m will come from industry association UKTram.
Vivarail 'D Train' Update
According to the Vivarail website the company have been hard at work behind the scenes getting the new Class 230 ready for action. The train is now in the last stage of preparation before submission of all the approval paperwork.
Vivarail have continued to encourage visits by interested parties to see how the ex London Transport trains are converted and have welcomed distinguished officials from the Dept of Transport, including Claire Perry, to see the train this year.
Matt Warman MP (Boston and Skegness) also paid a visit and was impressed enough by what he saw to speak about us in the House of Commons …
I recently visited Vivarail, which is refurbishing tube trains for main line use. Does my hon. Friend agree that those trains could make an excellent replacement for the decrepit rolling stock on the line from Boston to Skegness?
Hansard records the response from Claire Perry as follows …
Like my hon. Friend I have also visited the Vivarail facility, and there are fantastic innovations with rolling stock that is made of aluminium, is rust free, and could run for many more years. The East Midland franchise competition is coming up this summer, and the successful bidder will be required to bid based on the rolling stock they will provide. We expect them to be innovative and to consider each and every opportunity for rolling stock. We want to improve the rolling stock in my hon. Friend's region.
Clearly there is great interest in the scheme and this can only increase when the demonstration train appears on the UK network.
D-trains can be configured for a variety of applications. The 'City Rail' layout is suited to busy lines with frequent stations, whereas the 'Commuter Rail' and "Country Rail" variants factor in longer journey times where more passenger amenities are required.
Focus Transport will keep you updated on the scheme.
D Train Interior
AND FINALLY STAYING WITH THE GREEN THEME.....................↓↓↓
La fheile Padraig sona dhuit - Happy St.Patrick's Day
Something for our Irish readers
Metroline named TfL bus company of the year
The prestigious London Transport Awards ceremony supported by Transport for London, Local Councils and London Travel Watch were held at the Lancaster London Hotel on 3rd March 2016. Metroline won the Bus Operator of the Year Award.
Chief Executive Officer Mr.Jaspal Singh said "We are absolutely delighted, very honoured and exteremely humbled to be award Bus Operator of the Year and I would like to thank all of the more than 5,500 men and women, who work extremely hard in our garages and on the roads all year round to keep London moving"
Metroline who as a wholly owned subsidiary of the ComfortDelgro Group, operate almost 1500 buses on a whole host of Transport for London contracted routes from garages within Metroline Travel (Brentford, Cricklewood, Edgware, Harrow Weald, Holloway, King's Cross, Perivale, Potters Bar and Willesden) and Metroline West (Alperton, Greenford, Hayes, Uxbridge and Willesden Junction).
New York mayor unveils plans for £1.7 billion tram...
Stagecoach Rated Best Value Bus Operator in Britai...
Order For Electric Bus System in Belgian City of N...
Battery Powered Midland Metro Trams - Will be Fir...
Reading Buses latest order
DATE FOR THE DIARY - Sunday 20th March
London Underground's Northern Line Extension
Mainline Stations Sell-off
Lothian Buses Win Sustainable Development Award
Accrington Town's New Bus Station
BYD all electric bus makes an appearance on London...
Tyre-pressure Monitoring System for Solaris Vehicles
Catching Up on Scottish Fleet News
Atmospherics in the Churnet Valley
London's 10 Best Bus Routes - allegedly!
Brussels Airport to Order 30 Electric Buses
Increase in Multi-journey Products
The Satpura Narrow Gauge Railway
New Buses and New Name for Go North East X21
Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus - Happy St.David's Day.


This July, ANT bunnies and Gabby (the golden retriever) were featured guests at the Microsoft One Week Expo in Redmond, WA!
Jessie Pemble (Mobile ANT Coordinator) and Kelsy Hartmann (Barn Manager) drove the Mobile ANT Van down south for the 2-day event, and hosted a "Cuddle Corner" for guests (all Microsoft employees) to enjoy. This is the second time ANT has been asked to provide therapy animals for a corporate event in order to relieve stress (read about our visit to Microsoft Build here). Indeed, the bunnies were a welcome respite from the busy expo, and many visitors exclaimed that the animals should be a permanent fixture of Microsoft events!
With the summer heat in full force (nearly 90 degrees!), we kept the bunnies cool with frozen water bottles and cold tiles, and brought bags of ice for Gabby to lay against. In spite of the warmth, guests loved cuddling the rabbits and giving Gabby lots of belly rubs – her favorite! We enjoyed taking breaks in the air-conditioned staff tent and visiting with all the behind-the-scenes crew working hard to make the event a success, as they needed some stress relief too!
A highlight of our experience was pulling the bunnies around on a cart through the expo, delighting unsuspecting guests and inspiring many squeals and shrieks of excitement. It was heartwarming to see faces, previously looking haggard or tired from the heat and energy of the event, break into smile when they approached our rabbits. While animal interaction might seem simple, implemented thoughtfully it can have a profound effect; we heard countless expressions of relief, happiness, and comfort. It also brought people together–employees would encourage friends and colleagues to join them at the Cuddle Corner, while strangers helped take photos of each other and chatted as bunny baskets were passed around. New friends were made (human AND animal!), and we're sure our animals were the most photographed subjects in the state that week!
The expo included music, food, gaming, and more, but many employees found the animals to be their favorite feature!


The S&P 500 is up 5.05% YTD. But the financial sector component in the index has increased by 10.3%. Many of the beaten down banks have recovered nicely in the past year and continue to gain further traction.


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Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (1)
Nestle Foundation - enLINK (1)
Prenatal smoke exposure and mammographic density in mid-life
M. B. Terry, C. A. Schaefer, J. D. Flom, Y. Wei, P. Tehranifar, Y. Liao, S. Buka, K. B. Michels
Journal: Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease / Volume 2 / Issue 6 / December 2011
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 November 2011, pp. 340-352
Print publication: December 2011
Tobacco smoke has both carcinogenic effects and anti-estrogenic properties and its inconsistent association with breast cancer risk in observational studies may be because of these competing effects across the lifecourse. We conducted a prospective study of prenatal smoke exposure, childhood household smoke exposure, and adult active smoke exposure and mammographic density, a strong intermediate marker of breast cancer risk, in an adult follow-up of existing US birth cohorts. Specifically, we followed up women who were born between 1959 and 1967 and whose mothers participated in either the Collaborative Perinatal Project (Boston and Providence sites) or the Childhood Health and Development Study in California. Of the 1134 women interviewed in adulthood (ranging in age from 39 to 49 years at interview), 79% had a screening mammogram. Cigarette smoking was reported by mothers at the time of their pregnancy; 40% of mothers smoked while pregnant. Women whose mothers smoked during pregnancy had a 3.1% (95% confidence interval (CI) = −6.0%, −0.2%) lower mammographic density than women whose mothers did not smoke during pregnancy. When we further accounted for adult body mass index and adult smoking status, the association remained (β = −2.7, 95% CI = −5.0, −0.3). When we examined patterns of smoking, prenatal smoke exposure without adult smoke exposure was associated with a 5.6% decrease in mammographic density (β = −5.6, 95% CI = −9.6, −1.6). Given the strength of mammographic density as an intermediate marker for breast cancer, the inverse associations between mammographic density and smoking patterns across the lifecourse may help explain the complex association between cigarette smoking and breast cancer risk.
Optical Limiting in Phthalocyanine Solutions and in Pure Liquid Phthalocyanines
Steven R. Flom, Richard G. S. Pong, James S. Shirk, F. J. Bartoli, R. F. Cozzens, Michael E. Boyle, Arthur W. Snow
Journal: MRS Online Proceedings Library Archive / Volume 479 / 1997
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 03 September 2012, 23
Optical limiting, degenerate four-wave mixing and transient absorption experiments have been performed on a neat liquid lead substituted phthalocyanine. The photophysical mechanisms responsible for the good optical limiting observed in other phthalocyanine solutions are maintained in this pure liquid despite its different peripheral substitution pattern. The liquid is shown to have excited state absorption cross sections that exceed those of the ground state through much of the visible spectrum. Hybrid absorptive/refractive nonlinear response is demonstrated to contribute to both the four-wave mixing and optical limiting response. The mechanism and states responsible are discussed.
Preparation of Thin Film Phthalocyanine Glasses for Optical Limiting
R. D. George, A. W. Snow, J. S. Shirk, S. R. Flom, R. G. S. Pong
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 February 2011, 275
To explore the use of phthalocyanine materials as a solid-state component in an optical limiter, the issues of morphology, film processing and optical limiter activity/stability are investigated. Metal-free and lead phthalocyanine films with glassy morphologies are obtained by chemically functionalizing the ring periphery with an amine-epoxy substitution. Uniform films were obtained by a shearing technique. Comparative optical measurements are made on the amine-epoxy lead phthalocyanine compound as a concentrated solution and as a glassy thin film. Both the solution and film are reverse saturable absorbers at 590 nm. The concentrated solution is a very effective optical limiter. The glassy thin film is susceptible to damage (cavitation caused by the incident beam) and performs comparably only at low incident energies. A liquid matrix may have the benefit of self-healing such damage.
Mechanisms of the Nonlinear Optical Response in Tetraras(Cumylphenoxy)Phthalocyanines
Steven R. Flom, James S. Shirk, J. R. Lindle, F. J. Bartoli, Zakya H. Kafafi, R. G. S. Pong, Arthur W. Snow
The third order nonlinear optical (NLO) response of metal free tetrakis(cumylphenoxy)-phthalocyanine, (H2Pc(CP)4) was investigated at 597 nm, near resonance with the strong Q band. The second hyperpolarizability, γ, and the figure of merit, χ(3)/α, measured with a 1.2 ps pulse. was approximately independent of concentration between a 4.6×10−4 M solution and a neat thin film. The decay of the nonlinear response, however, depended substantially on the concentration and physical state of the material.
Third-Order Nonlinear Optical Properties of Phthalocyanines
James S. Shirk, J. R. Undle, Steven R. Flom, F. J. Bartoli, Arthur W. Snow
This paper discusses the third-order nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of substituted phthalocyanines measured by time-resolved degenerate four-wave mixing at 1064 nm. The study explores optical pumping as a mechanism contributing to a large third-order optical nonlinearity in one member of this interesting class of NLO materials, PbPc(CP)4.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The Leopard Lounge – Vintage hair and makeup salon. Owned by award winning celebrity stylist Milena. Step back in time …..
The Sleeveless Society – Woollahra, Sydney. Specialise in vintage clothing and accessories imported from around the world and sourced locally in Australia.


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Q: Detect user revoked permission to my app FB API I've been developing on android for a while, this time I was trying to make a login with FB API, so I did it correctly, I can log in get username, email, and all its required information..
Now, my question is, there is a way to automatically detect if user removed permission to my app? I say automatically because I know I can make a Graph Request to know permissions of the user with my app, but what I want is to perform an auto- logout from my app if user removed permission.
I've seen this kind of functionality on Tinders app (yes the one to make dates, lol)
Thanks in advance for your answers or tips.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The Spiegelau Origin Champagne Glass is made of fine crystal glass, with an elegant design without edges, to allow circulation in the glass. A new collection from Spiegelau, drawing inspiration from innovative winemakers using rounded shapes to promote circulation in the fermentation and ageing of wines.
These glasses are designed using the golden ratio of the egg, which encourages continuous organic movement during fermentation through an internal current.
Origin's natural curves provide a perfect surface for the circulation and aeration of wine. Produced by Spiegelau's iconic high quality machines, the glasses of the Origin series lack rough edges and are an ideal shape to present wines in all of their elegance and diversity.


WASHINGTON — Members of the National Association of Professional Insurance Agents (PIA) got a warm welcome – and got their points across – in congressional visits during their recent Federal Legislative Summit (FLS). The agents converged on Capitol Hill March 26-27 for the annual advocacy event.
PIA agents engaged their representatives and senators in discussions about an array of issues that are important to Professional Insurance Agents.
Congress has just passed flood insurance legislation that provides needed rate relief. PIA successfully supported and advocated for the grandfathering and mitigation provisions that were included in the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act of 2013 (H.R. 3370). "Now we will work with Congress to craft long-term solutions for putting the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)—which PIA steadfastly supports—back on the road to fiscal stability in the coming years," Lee said.
"It's a very humbling experience and our lawmakers were very receptive. Our Federal Legislative Summit is another way that Main Street insurance agents can influence legislation," said PIA National Vice President/Treasurer Rob Hansen.


Bombard ball is a target activity that combines accurate throwing, tactics, teamwork and fun.
Divide your players into groups of at least 4.
The objective is for each group to get their team's ball over the goal line at the opposite end by hitting it with smaller balls or bean bags.
The team that gets the ball over the line first, wins.
Use different ball sizes and time how long it takes.
Where should we hit the ball to keep it on a straight line?
Can you show me what type of throw will be most accurate?
Why do you think this throw would be more effective?
Where do you step when you are about to throw the ball?
Where is the best place to stand so the ball doesn't pass you?
How do you work as a team to move your target ball forward?


All things must start somewhere, when it comes to operating systems'; the partition sector is the single most important component in the boot sequence. When the partition sector is missing, corrupt, or set up improperly it can wreak havoc with the booting of your operating system. The partition sector is vulnerable to virus attacks, operating system anomalies, bad sector reads, and an ever increasing set of tools, fdisk included, that when used incorrectly can and will totally destroy an operating systems boot sequence.
In order to more clearly understand how the partition sector fits into the boot sequence, the following is a standard garden variety boot up.
When you turn on your computer several things happen. The first of which is the BIOS (Basic Input Output System) is executed by the CPU (Central Processing Unit). The CPU knows to load the BIOS on power up as there is a flag set at power on. The BIOS then jumps to a set of routines that will execute the POST (Power On Self Test). The POST will look at memory, some peripheral devices, and do some other house keeping procedures. The most important of these is determining the boot device. The boot device is stored in non-volatile read/write memory. If the boot device is set to a hard drive, then an industry standard interrupt 0x19 is called. This routine loads the first 512 bytes of the boot device, which in this case the hard drive, into memory location 0x7C00. The 512 bytes is a standard sector size. It then jumps to that address (0x7C00) and executes whatever it finds there.
If all goes well, the set of instructions executed will look at the partition entry data. The partition entry data is used to determine which partition is the boot partition. If it finds a boot partition in the partition entry list the instructions will then load a secondary set of instructions which the partition entry has pointed to. In the case of Windows the OS (Operating System) pre loader is now loading itself into memory. This type of OS loader is called a two phase loader and is very common. Take a look at the table below to help better understand the role of the partition sector entry data.
words, where the actual partition starts.
8.) Bytes 13-16 Total sectors for this partition.
An error message that comes from the BIOS. Certain BIOS versions, especially the most recent revisions, take a look at the partition sector. The BIOS will perform some preliminary tests and one of the tests is the Partition Identifier. At the end of every partition sector is the value 0xAA55. If this indicator is missing then the BIOS assumes that this is not a partition sector and the aforementioned error message will be issued.
Although this is not an error message, it can happen if the relative sectors point to an invalid OS pre loader. A trap is set and if the data that is loaded is not executable machine most BIOS's will reboot.
This error message comes from the partition boot code. If there are no boot devices then the boot code will enter an infinite loop after this message is displayed.
After a valid partition is found the LBA sector pointed to by the partition entry table will be loaded using INT 13. This is the operating system loader. If the code cannot be loaded into memory then the above message is normally displayed.
Once the operating system boot code is loaded it is checked for the 0xAA55 identifier in the same manner that the partition sector is tested. If this test fails, then the above message will be displayed.
Over the years the BIOS writers have gotten smarter, personal computer as well as operating system standards have been set and are normally followed. So many of the messages, as well as error checking is now handled by the BIOS. The messages I have mentioned are just a few, but, are very common; however, from BIOS to BIOS the messages as well as the error handling can differ greatly.
As you can clearly see the partition sector is of primary importance in the boot sequence. Without it nothing happens. In the future there may be ways to overcome the use of a partition sector, one would be to store the partition entry data in the BIOS, this would eliminate boot sector viruses as well as the possibility that the boot sector goes bad and becomes unreadable. However for now, we will work with what we have. The next segment will discuss how to do partition recovery using a simple piece of software.
This is an extremely powerful tool for anyone to use but this statement must be caveat with the fact that with power comes a degree of responsibility. In other words, use this tool with extreme caution as it can destroy your file system to the point of massive and possibly permanent data loss. That being said lets take a look at how we can put this tool to good use.
First, the software should be run from a master drive. There should be two drives in the system, your boot drive from where the software is executed, and the damaged drive. The damaged drive being the one with the corrupt or missing partition. Free Partition Recovery is designed to work on Windows XP type operating systems, so make sure that you have unzipped the file onto that type of operating system.
Once the Free Partition Recovery has been executed you will see in Figure 1.
The top row displays all the physical drives currently active in your system. This will also include any external devices that can be mounted as a physical block device. An example of this would be the 80 GB Maxtor USB device. Once you choose a physical drive all partition entry data will be displayed as in Figure 2.
The partition entry data for this particular drive gives us a clear example of a drive that has been configured with one NTFS logical drive with the standard offset of 63 sectors, start head and sector of 1 and ending cylinder of 1023. These are classic values for a normal single logical drive setup.
Once you have configured all of the partition entries to reflect the correct values all you need do is press the "Write" button. You will be presented with the following message box in Figure 4. A word of caution, once you write the data down to the partition sector, you must live with it. Please exhibit extreme caution.


The HTC One mini fits easier in the palm of your hand than its predecessor, but it doesn't pack quite as much punch.
The original HTC One is a bit much for one-handed use, but it packs more firepower than the HTC One mini.
We've seen the HTC One and the HTC One with a Nexus experience, and now it's time for a stripped down version of HTC's flagship phone with the HTC One Mini.
Similar to Samsung's habit of releasing 'miniature' versions of its top phone, HTC is bringing a 4.3-inch version of the HTC One to select countries in August with a global rollout in September. The company did not announce pricing, carrier details, or when the U.S. might be seeing this latest HTC special.
Overall, the HTC One Mini is only slightly smaller than its larger counterpart, and the two phones look remarkably similar. The Mini's aforementioned 4.3-inch display is just a tad smaller than the HTC One's 4.7-inch screen, and its screen resolution is also down a notch from the original One's 1080p screen, clocking in at 720p.
HTC didn't provide full specs for the new phone, but based on the specs HTC did share and hands-on reports from around the Web, other downgraded specs for the Mini include 16GB of onboard storage, down from the larger's 32GB and 64GB choices. Other internals were nerfed in translation as well: The Mini will have 1GB RAM, a dual-core 1.4GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor, and a 1.6 megapixel front-facing camera. The Mini is also missing the larger version's IR blaster that let you use the HTC One as a universal remote.
You do, however, get the same 4MP UltraPixel rear-facing camera featuring 1080p video capture. Other specs include dual front-stereo speakers, 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, LTE, and Wi-Fi Direct. The smaller HTC One runs Android 4.2, Jelly Bean, and comes with Sense, HTC's Android overlay.
Of course, the HTC One Mini comes with the company's typical software add-ons. In addition to the Sense overlay, you also get HTC BlinkFeed, which displays updates on your homescreen from your Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn accounts. Avid news readers can additionally use BlinkFeed to get updates from more than 10,000 news feeds.
Vine and Instagram video fans can also check out HTC Zoe, a software add-on that takes a short three-second video as well as simultaneously grabbing up to 20 still images at the same time. You can use Zoe to make a short video as well as extract specific frames and save them as still images.
Early hands-on impressions of the HTC One Mini have been largely positive so far. The Verge commented that the Mini was actually easier to hold and operate with one hand, a key advantage for any smartphone.


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Q: How does one swap out spells in Puzzle Quest 2 on the iPad/iPhone? I've been unable to figure out how to swap out spells on puzzle quest 2 for the the ipad/iphone.  I've tried tapping, tapping and holding, dragging and everything else I can think of in the spells menu/listing to change them out but I've been unable to find anything that works.  Does anyone have any idea how to do this?

A: I assume you're already on the spellbook page (by using the spellbook icon in the circles on the bottom left).
To get information on a spell, tap and hold on a spell in your active list (left side) or learned list (right side). To switch them out, tap a spell in the active list once - a single pixel border should appear around the spell slot - then tap a spell in the learned list. The spell slot should be filled with the spell from the right.
This is all way easier to do on an iPad than an iPhone. It seems like the tap version of the game was built for the iPad experience and just scaled down for the iPhone, making all the tap targets extremely small.


192.168.4.1 took too long to respond.
Can you please provide your contact number in an email (support@smarteefi.com). Our support team will call you to resolve this issue at priority.
As per your discussion with our support team, the problem was related to case sensitivity of SSID and password. I hope your problem is resolved now after entering correct SSID and password. Please confirm if we can close this issue.


Turner syndrome (TS) is a rare genetic condition caused by complete or partial absence of one of the two X chromosomes. It is a rare condition, affecting approximately 1 out of every 2,500 female newborns.
What is Pediatric and Adolescent Turner Syndrome?
Turner syndrome occurs when all or part of one of the X chromosomes is lost before or soon after conception. The physical signs of TS can vary widely from patient to patient, so diagnosis sometimes occurs later in life. The most common features of TS are short stature and ovaries that do not work properly. Other physical features include eye problems and curvature of the spine (scoliosis).
This missing or incomplete chromosome prevents the female body from maturing naturally. Turner syndrome can cause a variety of medical and developmental problems, including short stature, failure to start puberty, infertility, and kidney and heart defects.
What are the signs and symptoms of Pediatric and Adolescent Turner Syndrome?
How is Pediatric and Adolescent Turner Syndrome diagnosed?
Prenatal diagnosis of Turner syndrome is sometimes possible. If your doctor notices certain features in your unborn daughter – like a large collection of fluid on the back of the neck or heart or kidney abnormalities – he or she will take a sample of your blood to evaluate the baby's DNA present there (karyotype).
If your daughter is not diagnosed in the womb, but doctors suspect Turner syndrome at birth, during infancy, or at any time during childhood, they will order a blood test called a karyotype, which shows the number and visual appearance of the chromosomes.
Some cases of Turner syndrome are not diagnosed until late childhood or the early teen years when girls aren't showing typical signs of puberty and growth.
What are the causes of Pediatric and Adolescent Turner Syndrome?
TS is a rare genetic condition caused by partial or complete absence of one of the two X chromosomes.
How is Pediatric and Adolescent Turner Syndrome treated?
There is no cure for TS, but there are medical interventions to help reduce symptoms.
Your daughter should have regular checkups to manage common Turner syndrome complications like hearing loss, high blood pressure, eye problems, diabetes, thyroid and musculoskeletal conditions.
Your daughter will also be referred to a cardiologist, who will monitor her heart with regular ultrasounds.
To maintain her optimal health, it is important that your daughter develops healthy lifestyle habits, including a nutritious diet and regular exercise.
Some women with Turner syndrome can eventually become pregnant with fertility treatment using donated eggs or embryos, but these pregnancies are usually considered high-risk.


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SolidarityNow > DONORS & SUPPORTERS
UNICEF supports and finances the programs "All Children in Education" and the Ukraine CP support.
https://www.unicef.org/greece/
IOM supports the HELIOS Integration program and the HARP program including the "Female Friendly Spaces", employability services and legal support.
https://greece.iom.int/
Since August 2022 till July 2023, the Athens Solidarity Center is funded by EEA and Norway Grants, with CROWE Greece and HumanRights360 as the fund operator.
https://eeagrants.org/
KAHANE FOUNDATION
Kahane Foundation supports the Psychosocial service of the Athens Solidarity Center from 1/7/2021 till 30/6/2023.
https://www.kahanefoundation.org/
US EMBASSY & CONSULATE IN GREECE
The US Embassy in Greece supports the implementation of the program "Healing Trauma through Play (Healing Play)".
https://gr.usembassy.gov/
IsraAID Germany
IsraAID Germany is collaborating with SolidarityNow for the implementation of a joint program to support unaccompanied minors in Northern Greece. IsraAID is also providing workshops for SolidarityNow staff and/or volunteers on topics such as mental health first aid, communication skills, stress and mental resilience.
https://www.israaid-germany.de/
Eurolife FFH
Eurolife FFH supports the implementation of "MAMA - Supporting new and mothers-to-be" program. MAMA aims to support and empower new mothers and mothers-to-be as well as their partners from vulnerable social groups, in matters related to parenthood, nutrition and childcare, and will be implemented in Thessaloniki throughout 2023.
https://www.eurolife.gr/en
Dialectica
Dialectica supports SolidarityNow's humanitarian work to provide emergency support to refugees from Ukraine.
https://dialecticanet.com/
From 1/8/2021 till 31/7/2022, the Athens Solidarity Center's operation was supported through a grant from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) in the framework of its global COVID-19 Relief Initiative.
https://www.snf.org/en/
OPEN SOCIETY FOUNDATIONS/OSIFE
Open Society Foundations has funded operation of the Thessaloniki and Athens Solidarity Centers and has also supported individual educational actions implemented by SolidarityNow.
https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/
UNHCR supported the services of the Βlue Refugee Center in Thessaloniki until January 2022 and the Accommodation & Services Program #estia for refugees until August 2021.
https://www.unhcr.gr/
Shapiro Foundation
The Shapiro Foundation collaborated with SolidarityNow in Thessaloniki to pilot a livelihood program which focused on newcomers obtaining employment.
https://theshapirofoundation.org/
STAR UK
STARTnow is a SolidarityNow project in cooperation with STAR UK. Its main aim is to bring university students and refugees together, to encourage and educate university students in order to offer real help to refugees
http://www.star-network.org.uk/
Ajuntament de Barcelona co-financed the Bridging Rainbow project.
https://ajuntament.barcelona.cat/ca/
Fundació ACSAR
Fundació ACSAR co-financed the Bridging Rainbow project.
http://www.fundacioacsar.org
EPIM
The European Programme for Integration and Migration (EPIM) funded the Following their Footsteps program.
https://www.epim.info/
Airbnb, the world's leading hospitality company, in partnership with SolidarityNow, a pioneering Greek NGO working with migrants and refugees, launched Open Homes in Greece, a new platform that make it easier for people to open their homes to refugees and displaced populations. Anyone can volunteer their space by visiting airbnb.com/welcome/refugees/.
www.airbnb.com
HELP REFUGEES
NGO Help Refugees funded a project which provides accommodation to 6 families receiving asylum in Greece, in order to facilitate integration into the local community.
https://helprefugees.org.uk/
ΜΙCROSOFT
Microsoft, as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility and the initiatives for the NGOs, provides us all necessary MS products at very competitive prices.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/philanthropies
DFID/START NETWORK
The Start Network supported the Care4Solidarity program.
https://www.start-network.org/
The non-profit foundation, DESMOS, supports with in kind donations the implementation of all SolidarityNow programs.
https://www.desmos.org/
#EY4Solidarity is a short-term project funded by Ernst & Young Global Limited. It is implemented at the Solidarity Centers in Athens and Thessaloniki.
https://www.ey.com/gr/en/home
Care International co-financed Care4Solidarity, InfoREF, and the Mobile Units at the Vasilika site.
https://www.care-international.org/
GIVMED
GIVMED is the first community for utilizing excess medicines. It encourages and enables individuals to share their unused, unexpired medicines and save people's lives.
SolidarityNow gets all the needed medicines for free frοm GIVMED.
https://www.givmed.com/en/
Western Union supported
educational activities for
refugees in the broader area of
Skaramaga.
https://www.westernunion.com
GUERRILLA FOUNDATION
Guerrilla Foundation supported the realization of the training
program "Future Interpreters"
for community interpreters and cultural mediators in Athens and Thessaloniki.
https://guerrillafoundation.org
ORGANISATION INTERNATIONALE DE LA FRANCOPHONIE
Funded the provision of French language classes in Athens and Thessaloniki (starting in September 2017)
https://www.francophonie.org/
Google's employees support
the activities of SolidarityNow
through donations.
https://google.com/
INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE (IRC)
Collaboration on content for www.refugee.info for Greece, particularly relating to asylum procedures and refugee-related legal matters (starting
from September 1st.)
https://www.rescue.org/
CITI FOUNDATION
Citi Foundation, through its global initiative "Pathways to Progress", financially supports the implementation of the Business For YOUth entrepreneurship training program for young people. The program is being implemented by SolidarityNow in collaboration with Knowl Social Enterprise and the support of the International Rescue Committee (IRC).
https://www.citigroup.com/citi/foundation/programs/pathways-to-progress.htm
ALLOU FUN PARK
Allou Fun Park continuously offers for free amusement and entertainment to our children and adult beneficiaries through its rides & games
https://www.allou.gr/
IASO CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL
IASO Children's Hospital offers free medical services for our children beneficiaries
https://www.iasopaidon.gr/en/
BIC Hellas offers free products for our programs' needs.
https://gr.bicworld.com/


Personal Finance is not taught in our schools, so how are we supposed to make smart decisions with the money we earn? If you are a Young Australian who wants to learn about the basics of Personal Finance, Financial Take-off is the Presentation tailored for you.
At the end of the information session, you will have the confidence to know that you are on the path to being in control of your financial position.
Seats are limited, so secure your spot now.
This is our most popular seminar and for good reason!
We will help you understand the basics of financial planning so you can decide if it is right for you.
And now you can dial in from your computer via webinar!
Are you looking at making some changes or have a goal you want to reach? Maybe you want to buy a house or you're looking to start a family. Are you ready to start looking at putting a plan around your finances but not too sure where to start? Pivot – choose your financial direction could be perfect for you.
Making plans for now, there is no need to wait!
Have you recently started your first full-time job and looking at the best way to manage your finances? Are you a uni student and need some guidance around setting up your banking structures?
Kickstart! has been developed for anyone who needs advice on how to get themselves set up, if you want o put a financial plan in place and you're not sure where to start, we can show you the tools.
You work so had your whole life to build a meaningful legacy for your family, have you ensured it is protected?
This seminar is presented by Coulter Roache Lawyers in our Geelong & Colac offices. It is a great opportunity to ask these Lawyers all of those niggling questions that you have around Estate Planning & Wills.
Intestacy – what happens if you die without a will?
Testamentary Trusts – do you need them in your estate planning?
Capital Gains Tax on Estates – planning considerations.
The information session uses practical examples to show how estate planning can help to ensure family, business, superannuation and trust assets are protected and your wishes are met.
Secure a spot for you & your loved ones for our next seminar today.
Income Solutions for Women is designed specifically for women. Why just women? Well everybody would benefit from financial planning advice, but what if we tell you this?
What if we told you there are strategies that can put women in a better financial position? We believe education is the first step, so leave the guys at home and join us for a little secret women's business.
This presentation is also available in the workplace so employers can take action to help educate their female workforce. Be part of the solution!


Watch the full episode. See more Secret Life of Scientists.
Today's Tuneage Tuesday challenge: Record a 30 second or less video of yourself talking about your work and send us a link or the file to see yourself on an upcoming Tuesday! It's super easy to use your computer, smart phone*, or digital camera to record 30 seconds. Try it now!
*If it's easier to send your video phone to phone, email me at hbenson at researchamerica.org so I can send you the appropriate contact line.


used MLS anything New i need to know ???
Can the "Computer" be used to help members create their http://www.ldsjobs.org acount?
2.- how is wifi used?? can all memebers use it??
davidmarmolejo wrote: Can the "Computer" be used to help members create their http://www.ldsjobs.org acount?
Seems to me I recently saw policy on "no personal use". But it's the stake president who holds the keys to interpreting "personal use".
davidmarmolejo wrote: 2.- how is wifi used?? can all memebers use it??
It's up to the stake president.
Our employment specialist uses his personal laptop and the WiFi to assist. You might also ask to set up a temporary WiFi point for folks to use this month during the account setup emphasis.
Your Bishop should have this instruction, or if he doesn't, you can contact your Stake Technology Specialist, they should be aware of the Stake President's decision in this area.


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Newham Recorder > News > Health
More than 300 patients go Awol from east London mental health trust in two years
Harriet Clugston
Published: 12:55 PM July 24, 2019 Updated: 10:20 AM October 13, 2020
More than 300 mental health patients have gone absent from the East London Foundation Trust in the past two years, according to NHS figures. Picture: Dominic Lipinski/PA. - Credit: PA
More than 300 patients have gone missing from mental health hospitals run by the East London NHS Foundation Trust (ELFT) in the past two years.
NHS figures show 365 patients sectioned under the Mental Health Act went absent without leave (Awol) from ELFT between April 2017 and March 2019.
The trust provides mental health services for boroughs including Newham and Tower Hamlets.
Patients are deemed Awol if they leave without permission or fail to return after being on temporary leave.
Across England, the number of incidents increased by more than 4per cent over the two years, from 3,316 in 2017/18 to 3,462 in 2018/19.
Mental health charity Sane blamed the increasing number of patients going absent across England on years of cuts, creating poor conditions on wards.
Marjorie Wallace, chief executive of Sane, said absences among sectioned patients could lead to an increased risk of suicide.
"We are increasingly concerned at the number of patients across the country that go missing for one reason or another, particularly those who become acutely ill without their medication and who can become a risk to themselves and others," she said.
In England, 11 patients died whilst Awol over the two-year period.
Alison Cobb, specialist policy adviser at the charity Mind, said it was difficult to draw definitive conclusions from the figures.
But she said the Mental Health Act is used in a way that fails to treat people with dignity and respect.
"Hospital wards can be stark and inhospitable, and when people are sectioned they are sometimes subject to unnecessary restrictions and practices such as physical restraint, seclusion or forced medication," she said.
An NHS spokesman said £2.3billion was being invested in mental health services in the NHS Long Term Plan.
An ELFT spokesman said it takes safety very seriously, with patients being permitted to leave their wards - after a risk assessment each time - as part of their rehabilitation.
This is to help patients develop confidence and independence, but isn't done if they've been arrested or charged by the police.
"The majority of people who are reported as absent have been on a period of leave from hospital as part of their recovery and return at a later time than planned," he added.


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News Forum - Remaining Moderna doses on track for delivery by end of first quarter of 2022
The president of the Private Hospital Association says the remainder of its Moderna vaccine order will be delivered on schedule. Chalerm Harnpanich says all 8.6 million doses will have arrived by the end of the first quarter of 2022. According to a Bangkok Post report, Chalerm says all hospitals and other agencies who are awaiting their allocation will receive doses in 2 phases. During the first phase, they will receive 10% of their order. The first batch of the Moderna mRNA vaccine arrived in Thailand on Monday after a series of delays. Of the 560,200 doses, 77% will go to […]
The story Remaining Moderna doses on track for delivery by end of first quarter of 2022 as seen on Thaiger News.
They can't come soon enough for the sake of the Thai people.
33 minutes ago, Jason said:
With the track record of Moderna, I shouldn't pay any attention to their promises. No-one should.
My family is #16 in line ?CSR at the private said to expect a call before the 14th!
Its about effin time! I feel sorry for the ones that have been put out by this Govt greed by pushing their drug of choice ,while delaying the procurement of the Mvax
Edited November 3, 2021 by riclag
Good for you riclag!!!! The sooner Thailand gets supply, the sooner things can get back to something like normal. And a suite of vaccines is better than only one.
Wow. Now them saying before the 14th? Those are thoroughly disgusting actions by these twerps. We are still waiting for a peep of contact from CM's BH
DrPhibes
The government just turned away 3 million free doses of Moderna from Poland, ready to be shipped, by purposely not completing some paperwork. Of course, if it came in free, the hospitals would have to return the money they already collected in advance for paid shots.
17 minutes ago, DrPhibes said:
No, as that's a completely separate matter from the ones ordered through the GPO.
At this stage any extra doses would be welcome.


More than 20 years of research has shown that addiction is clearly treatable. Addiction treatment has been effective in reducing drug use and HIV infection, diminishing the health and social costs that result from addiction, and decreasing criminal behavior. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), which supports more than 85 percent of the world's research on drug abuse and addiction, has found that behavioral approaches can be very effective in treating cocaine addiction.
To ensure that treatment providers apply the most current scientifically supported approaches to their patients, NIDA has supported the development of the "Therapy Manuals for Drug Addiction" series. This series reflects NIDA's commitment to rapidly applying basic findings in real life settings. The manuals are derived from those used efficaciously in NIDA-supported drug abuse treatment studies. They are intended for use by drug abuse treatment practitioners, mental health professionals, and all others concerned with the treatment of drug addiction.
The manuals present clear, helpful information to aid drug treatment practitioners in providing the best possible care that science has to offer. They describe scientifically supported therapies for addiction and give guidance on session content and how to implement specific techniques. Of course, there is no substitute for training and supervision, and these manuals may not be applicable to all types of patients nor compatible with all clinical programs or treatment approaches. These manuals should be viewed as a supplement to, but not a replacement for, careful assessment of each patient, appropriate case formulation, ongoing monitoring of clinical status, and clinical judgment.
The therapies presented in this series exemplify the best of what we currently know about treating drug addiction. As our knowledge evolves, new and improved therapies are certain to emerge. We look forward to continuously bringing you the latest scientific findings through manuals and other science-based publications. We welcome your feedback about the usefulness of this manual series and any ideas you have on how it might be improved.


Photographer Nan Goldin and nearly 100 other demonstrators staged a protest over the weekend against a Big Pharma donor's contribution to the Metropolitan Museum of Art by dumping mock pill bottles into the moat at the Temple of Dendur.
The 2,000-year-old temple is located in the museum's Sackler wing, which was named for brothers Arthur, Mortimer and Raymond Sackler. The Sackler family currently owns Purdue Pharma, which makes and aggressively markets its prescription painkiller OxyContin. (Arthur Sackler died before Purdue developed OxyContin.) The drug's active ingredient, oxycodone, is among the most common painkillers in prescription opioid deaths.
Protesters shouted "shame on the Sacklers" as they tossed the pill bottles, which were labeled: "Prescribed to you by the Sackler Family," The Guardian reported. Demonstrators also demanded that the family fund drug treatment for addicts.
"In the name of the dead, Sackler family, Purdue Pharma. Hear our demands. Use your profits. Save our lives," said Goldin per ARTNews.
Although security guards ordered the protesters to disperse, no action was taken to detain them. The demonstrators left about 20 minutes after the protest began, according to The Guardian.
The museum did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the protest.
Jillian Sackler, the widow of Dr. Arthur Sackler, said in a statement that her late husband died nearly a decade before Purdue Pharma developed and marketed OxyContin.
"At the time of his death in 1987, Arthur was lauded for his contributions to medical research, medical communications and museums," she wrote. "He was a renowned art collector and connoisseur, and because of this, we have the Arthur M. Sacker Gallery of Chinese Stone Sculpture at The Met, the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery at the Smithsonian, the Arthur M. Sackler Museum at Harvard, the Jillian and Arthur M. Sackler Wing of Galleries at the Royal Academy and the Arthur M. Sackler Museum of Art and Archaeology and the Jillian Sackler Sculpture Garden at Peking University.
The Met protest was not Goldin's first attempt to effect change on this issue. She also founded the group Prescription Addiction Intervention Now and launched a petition on Change.org calling on the Sackler family to use their "vast fortune" that was made producing "one of the most addictive painkillers ever" to fund rehab and other treatments.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 42,000 people in the U.S. died in 2016 from opioid overdoses.
This story has been updated with a statement from Jillian Sackler, widow of Dr. Arthur Sackler.


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In 1990, a group of 10 breeders from north-eastern Poland decided to accept the challenge posed by the local market and establish a company involved in turkey slaughter, carcass cutting up and sale. That's how the Production-Service-Trade Enterprise "Prosper" Ltd. seated in Łukta near Ostróda started its operations on February 15, 1990, and the first carcass was hung on the production line in October of the next year. From the very beginning the company's management board emphasised the highest possible quality of products frequently modernising the process line and production rooms of the plant. Constant development of the potential of employees through the right system of motivation and training of managerial and executive personnel guaranteed the right usage of the company's capital and its technical-technological capabilities. Alter 12 years of operations, adaptation possibilities of production rooms were on a knife-edge making the owners accept another challenge. In the summer of 2002, their vision of a modern production rooms became a fact. After construction that lasted 6 months only, in late August of 2002. a new production plant was opened. One of the latest process lines in Europe facilitates slaughter of about 1,000 turkeys per an hour. The new plant surpasses the rigorous EU requirements in the field of production, environmental protection and safety of products of animal origin, what enabled obtaining one of Poland's first Integrated Permits. In January of 2003, the local Veterinary Inspection accepted supervision over the implemented HACCP system, and in February of the same year the Chief Doctor of Veterinary medicine granted the plant the right to production and export goods to the EU markets. Over 20 years of operations, the plant spared no efforts on establishing its position on the market of poultry meat producers creating a group of regular buyers of meat products and suppliers of poultry livestock for slaughter. The policy of constant improvement of technology and products is confirmed with implementation and certification of ISO 9001:2015, ISO 22000:2018, BRC Food and IFS Food standards. High quality and modern technology has been recognized in many countries including the Republic of China to which the company has export rights since February 2011. High quality and modern technology has been appreciated in many countries including the Republic of China where the company has export rights since February 2011.
Our certificates:
ISO 9001:2015 | ISO 22000:2018 | BRC FOOD | IFS FOOD
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How far from the origin does the wandering ant end up after some number (N) of steps? What do you guess: after 10 steps is the walker more likely to be to the right or to the left of its starting point? If another ant takes 10 steps from the starting point, then another ant, then another ant, what do you expect their average final position to be after 10 steps?
Investigate! Go back to the ManyWalkers program and observe the value of "AVG. x'' given at the right of the bar graph. The symbol x stands for the number of steps a walker is displaced from the initial position. The value of x is positive if displacement is to the right, negative if to the left. How does this average change as the number of steps increases? Is AVG. x bigger for more walkers? Or is it smaller for more walkers? Press the Store button to record any interesting set of averages; then press the Table button to examine the data you have saved.
What does theory have to say about the value of the average position of many random walkers? Here we are not talking about averaging a small number of walkers: not 100 walkers, not 1000 walkers, not even one million walkers. We ask: What is the average position of an infinite number of walkers? Answer: The value of the average position is zero, the position of the starting point (the lamp post)! How can this be? One word gives the reason: Symmetry! In this case symmetry means that moving right is just as likely as moving left. After any fixed number of steps, the walker is equally likely to be to the right of the starting point (positive displacement) as to the left (negative displacement). Moreover, for a given number of steps, the distance x from the starting point is likely to have the same value, whether displacement is to the right (positive x) or to the left (negative x). In brief, averaged over many millions of trials, the positive displacements cancel the negative displacements. Therefore we expect the average of many trials to be zero; the average position of the walkers is at the starting point.
The average position may be zero, but the spread of positions is not zero, as shown also by the examples in Figures 3.5 and 3.6. The number of heads in 10 trials does not always come out the same. The number of heads can vary in each 10-step trial.
How can this spread of final positions be described? Pascal's Triangle helps to answer this question. Look at the Pascal Triangle shown in Figure 3.7 We are going to do something that turns out to be very useful: Count the number of paths that can lead to each of the pegs in the 2nd row, the 3rd row, the 4th row, etc.
Figure 3.7: Pascal's Triangle showing the number of paths by which the falling marble can arrive at each peg. This one is for a 5-step random walk.
The first two rows are done already. For example, the only way to get to point D (after 2 steps) is by going left-left (LL). We enter a 1 in circle D, meaning there is only one way to get there. In contrast, there are two alternative paths to point E, namely left-right (LR) or right-left (RL). Therefore we enter the number 2 in circle E. How many paths are there to point F? Now you fill in the next two rows. You need 3 steps and 4 steps to reach the pegs in these rows, respectively.
every alternative path to a given final point is equally likely.
In other words, two paths are alternative -or different -if any segment of one path is different from that of the other path.
As an example of the new rule, look at row 3, where the ball arrives after two steps. There are two paths to central position E, but only one path to each of the end positions D and F. The rule above says that a random walker is twice as likely to end up at the central position E than at either of the positions D or F.
Is this rule reasonable? We have assumed that as the ball comes to each peg, it is equally likely to fall to the left of the peg as to the right. And every possible path is made up of a sequence of these equal choices. So it is reasonable that every path to a given final point is as likely as every other possible path to that point.
to circle E below them.
Use this rule to make entries in the circles of rows 3 and 4 in a copy of Figure 3.7. Also put numbers in the circles for the fifth row at the bottom of the figure.
If every alternative path is equally likely, then the more paths that lead to a given peg, the more likely the ball is to arrive at that peg. For example, two paths lead to peg E in Figure 3.7, while only one path leads to each of pegs D and F in the same row. The total number of paths that arrive in that row are 1+2+1 = 4 (number at the right side of the figure). The probability that a ball arrives at peg E is 2/4 = 1/2. A similar analysis can be applied to a peg in any row of Figure 3.7.
Using Pascal's Triangle, we have described the number of different paths (and relative likelihood, that is, probability) of arriving at any location (at any circle in the diagram) after a certain number of steps. The result is too many numbers. It is time to simplify our picture by using averages.


text:
Speaker: Vahid Sandoghdar
Vahid Sandoghdar - Nano-Quantum-Optics: from single photons and emitters to cooperative effects
Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light Erlangen, Germany
I plan to start this presentation with an overview of our work over the past decade on the efficient coupling of light and single quantum emitters, leading to the single-photon communication of two individual molecules at long distances [1]. In this context, we will also discuss new results on a high-efficiency triggered source of single photons [2] and coherent nonlinear optical phenomena, which let a single organic molecule act as an efficient switch for weak beams of light [3]. The long-term goal of these projects is to establish a platform for nano-quantum-optical operations and cooperative interactions in a mesoscopic system of photons and quantum emitters [4, 5]. In order to achieve this, we have developed novel microcavity [6] and chip-based nanoguide circuitry [7] for use at cryogenic conditions.References:[1] Y. Rezus, et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 108, 093601 (2012). [2] X-L. Chu, et al., Nature Photonics, 11, 58 (2017).[3] A. Maser, et al., Nature Photonics 10, 450 (2016).[4] S. Faez, et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 213601 (2014). [5] H. Haakh, et al., Phys. Rev. A, 94, 053840 (2016).[6] D. Wang, et al., Phys. Rev. X, under review.[7] P. Türschmann, et al., submitted. [more]


Rome, 10th February 2010 – Engineering has become an OSGi Alliance Supporter and promotes the OSGi technology through Spagic project (www.spagic.org), which realizes an open source platform supporting the governance of middleware services and the development of SOA/BPM applications through highly modular and configurable Universal Middleware.
The OSGi Alliance (Open Service Gateway initiative - www.osgi.org) is a non-profit worldwide consortium of technology innovators that advances a proven and mature process to assure interoperability of applications and services based on its component integration platform. The alliance provides specifications, reference implementations, test suites and certifications to foster a valuable cross-industry ecosystem. Member companies collaborate within an egalitarian, equitable and transparent environment and promote the adoption of OSGi technology through business benefits, user experiences and forums.
The adoption of the OSGi component-based platform reduces time-to-market and development costs, enabling the integration of pre-built and pre-tested modules. It reduces maintenance costs and provides aftermarket opportunities, because networks are used to dynamically update or deliver services and applications in this field.
"The OSGi Alliance membership is the natural consequence of Engineering's continuous commitment to sort out the emerging technologies which most meet the integration and interoperability requirements of the market, where Engineering works as a product supplier and an IT service provider." states Antonio Majori, Engineering's Senior Technical Manager and founder of Spagic project. "Spagic open source platform is based on the OSGi framework Eclipse Equinox in order to realize a new generation of solutions that goes beyond the concept of Enterprise Service Bus. The realization of the Universal Middleware that supports the development of applications allows the assembling of applicative or infrastructural components, aiming to realize a dynamic and flexible IT platform, as an alternative to all-inclusive solutions".
Engineering Group is the major Italian player in IT design, outsourcing, product and consulting services on all vertical markets, with more than 6,300 people and 37 offices in Italy, Ireland, Belgium and Latin America.