text:
\section{Introduction}
\label{section:introduction}
The success of robots in real-world scenarios is still largely dependent on their ability to interact with the environment and with other agents, possibly with a degree of intelligence. Traditionally, robots interact with inanimate objects and take unilateral actions to achieve specific objectives. Today's robots, however, are more frequently asked to collaborate with each other to achieve complex tasks, or to interact with humans either to assist them or to augment their capabilities~\cite{koeppe2005robot}. Collaborative scenarios have thus become a priority for both the industry and the scientific community~\cite{robotics2020}. For successful and efficient completion of future scenarios, it is crucial to implement control strategies that coordinate the interactions of several agents.
This paper introduces control strategies that enable energetically efficient robot-robot interaction for collaborative lifting of payloads, here referred to as \emph{ergonomic collaborative lifting}.

In industrial environments, robots can be used for heavy payloads lifting and carrying activities, relieving human operators from repeated and excessive efforts~\cite{ajoudani2018progress,vysocky2016human}. As a consequence, robots can contribute to make workplaces more ergonomic by reducing the risk factor associated with work-induced musculoskeletal disorders~\cite{wmds}. Our objective is to understand how humanoid robotic platforms can help towards this direction, in particular, by endowing them with collaborative lifting capabilities, e.g. Fig.~\ref{fig:real-robots}. In fact, humans have shown specialized efficient payload sharing strategies~\cite{reed2006}, and
specific control frameworks have been proposed for human-robot collaboration scenarios~\cite{ikeura2002,griffin2005,lawitzky2010,Magrini2015}. The existing strategies, however,
mainly focus on modelling and stabilizing each system separately, and the advantages arising from joint actions are seldom explored. Hence, centralized approaches for agent-agent interaction can lead to unprecedented applications of robotic systems~\cite{yan2009control}.

\begin{figure}[t]
\centering
\begin{subfigure}[b]{0.45\textwidth}
\centering
\includegraphics[width=0.85\columnwidth]{figs/ok_real_robots_2.jpg}
\end{subfigure}
\caption{Robot-robot collaboration scenario. Two iCub humanoid robots collaborate in lifting a payload.}
\label{fig:real-robots}
\end{figure}

Concerning humanoid robot platforms, state-of-the-art whole-body controllers often focus on maintaining robot stability by suppressing external disturbances. Particular attention has been paid to \textit{momentum-based} strategies that have been applied successfully to different platforms \cite{stephens2010dynamic,righetti2011inverse,herzog2014balancing,nava2016stability,kanemoto2018compact}. The main idea behind those strategies consists in controlling the robot momentum through full body joint torques, which are computed via inverse dynamics from desired feet contact forces. For the particular case of multi-contact motion, the contact forces at the hands can also be considered~\cite{audren2014model,kamioka2015dynamic}. These control strategies enable the robot to handle unexpected contacts while being compliant with respect to external interactions~\cite{hyon2007full,pucci2016,ko2018}. A payload lifting task, however, requires the control of interaction forces as well, which should not be treated as disturbances. Additionally, in presence of a second collaborative agent, its actions need to be taken into account as they contribute to the achievement of the task.
Whole-body control strategies enabling real humanoid robots to lift a payload either autonomously~\cite{harada2005,arisumi2008}, or by collaborating with a human partner~\cite{evrard2009,sheng2014,Agravante2019} have been proposed. However, control strategies for efficient humanoid robot-robot collaborative payload sharing and co-manipulation are still missing in the current literature.

This paper presents a novel \textit{momentum-based} whole-body shared control strategy for robot-robot collaboration. The controller achieves balancing of the robots and the control of a payload position-and-orientation during lifting task execution. Additionally, we discuss robot ergonomics in terms of efficient energy consumption, and two concurrent ergonomic metrics are proposed, here referred to as \emph{force ergonomics} and \emph{postural ergonomics}. The proposed approach extends and encompasses the partner-aware approach proposed in~\cite{tirupachuri2019,tirupachuri2019-des}, where the partner actions are exploited in an unidirectional way.
Differently from previous works, we propose a bidirectional optimization of the agents action thanks to a centralized control, and coupled system dynamics modelling. Thanks to modern technologies, in fact, it is possible to solve and share online full body dynamics among the agents \cite{latella2019simultaneous,lorenzini2020online}.
Feasibility and performances of the proposed control approach are verified using two iCub humanoid robots~\cite{Natale2017}.

The paper is organized as follows: Sec.~\ref{section:background} introduces the notation and modelling. Sec.~\ref{section:ergonomy} presents robot ergonomics, used in the proposed shared control strategy presented in Sec.~\ref{section:method}. Sec.~\ref{section:experiments} presents experimental results, and the validation of the proposed approach is discussed. Sec.~\ref{section:conclusioins} concludes the article with conclusions and perspectives.

\section{Background}
\label{section:background}

\subsection{Notation}
\label{sec:background:notation}
\begin{itemize}
    \item $\mathcal{I}$ denotes an inertial frame of reference.
    \item $e_i \in R^m$ is the canonical vector, consisting of all zeros but the $i$-th component that is equal to one.
    \item Constant $g$ is the norm of the gravitational acceleration.
    \item $I_{n \times n} \in \mathbb{R}^{n \times n}$ denotes the identity matrix of size $n$.
    \item  $\prescript{\mathcal{A}}{}{p}_{\mathcal{B}} \in \mathbb{R}^3$ is the the position of the origin of the frame $\mathcal{B}$ with respect to the frame $\mathcal{A}$.
    \item  $\prescript{\mathcal{A}}{}{R}_{\mathcal{B}} \in SO(3)$ represents the rotation matrix of the frames $\mathcal{B}$ with respect to $\mathcal{A}$.
    \item $\prescript{\mathcal{A}}{}{\omega}_{\mathcal{B}} \in \mathbb{R}^3$ is the angular velocity of the frame $\mathcal{B}$ with respect to $\mathcal{A}$, expressed in $\mathcal{A}$.
    \item The operator $\text{sk}(.) :\mathbb{R}^{3 \times 3} \to so(3)$ denotes \textit{skew-symmetric} operation of a matrix, such that given $A \in \mathbb{R}^{3 \times 3}$, it is defined as $\text{sk}(A) := (A - A^\top)/2$.
    \item The operator $S(.) :\mathbb{R}^{3} \to so(3)$ denotes \textit{skew-symmetric} vector operation, such that given two vectors $v,u \in \mathbb{R}^{3}$, it is defined as $v \times u = S(v)u$.
    \item The \textit{vee} operator $.^{\vee} : so(3) \to \mathbb{R}^{3}$ denotes the inverse of \textit{skew-symmetric} vector operator. Given a matrix $A \in so(3)$ and a vector $u \in \mathbb{R}^{3}$, it is defined as $Au = A^{\vee} \times u$.
    \item $_AX^{B}$ denotes a wrench 6D vector transform, as defined in \cite{traversaro2016multibody}, such that $_AX^{B}=\begin{bmatrix} {}^{A}R_B & 0 \\ S(p_B - p_A) & {}^{A}R_B \end{bmatrix}$
    \item The operator $\left\lVert . \right\rVert_2$ indicates vector squared norm. Given $v \in \mathbb{R}^{n}$, it is defined as $\left\lVert v \right\rVert_2 = \sqrt{v_1^2+...+v_n^2}$.
\end{itemize}

\subsection{Modelling}
\label{sec:background:modelling}
A humanoid robot can be modelled as a multi-body mechanical system composed of $n + 1$ rigid bodies, called \textit{links}, connected by $n$ \textit{joints} with one {degree of freedom} (DoF) each. The system is thus assumed to be {floating base}, i.e. none of the links has an {a priori} constant \emph{position-and-orientation} -- hereafter referred to as \emph{pose} --  with respect to the inertial frame $\mathcal{I}$. Hence, a specific frame, attached to a link of the system, is referred to as the \textit{base frame}, and denoted by $\mathcal{B}$.
The \textit{model configuration} is characterized by the pose of the \textit{base frame} along with the \textit{joint positions}. The configuration space lies on the Lie group $\mathbb{Q}=\mathbb{R}^{3+n} \times SO(3) $. An element of the configuration space $q \in \mathbb{Q}$ is defined as the triplet $q = (\prescript{\mathcal{I}}{}{p}_{\mathcal{B}}, \prescript{\mathcal{I}}{}{R}_{\mathcal{B}}, s)$ where $\prescript{\mathcal{I}}{}{p}_{\mathcal{B}} \in \mathbb{R}^3$ and $\prescript{\mathcal{I}}{}{R}_{\mathcal{B}} \in SO(3)$ denote the position and the orientation of the \textit{base frame} respectively, and $s \in \mathbb{R}^n$ is the joints configuration representing the topology of the mechanical system. The position and orientation of a frame $\mathcal{A}$ attached to the model can be obtained via geometrical forward kinematic map $h_{\mathcal{A}}(\cdot):\mathbb{Q} \to SO(3) \times \mathbb{R}^3$ from the \textit{model configuration}.
The \textit{model velocity} is characterized by the linear and angular velocity of the \textit{base frame} along with the \textit{joint velocities}. The  velocity space lies on the set $\mathbb{V} = \mathbb{R}^{6+n}$. An element of the configuration velocity space $\nu \in \mathbb{V}$ is defined as $\nu = (\prescript{\mathcal{I}}{}{\mathrm{v}}_{\mathcal{B}}, \dot{s})$ where $\prescript{\mathcal{I}}{}{\mathrm{v}}_{\mathcal{B}}=(\prescript{\mathcal{I}}{}{\dot{p}}_{\mathcal{B}}, \prescript{\mathcal{I}}{}{\omega}_{\mathcal{B}}) \in \mathbb{R}^6$ denotes the linear and angular velocity of the \textit{base frame}, and $\dot{s}$ denotes the joint velocities. The velocity of a frame $\mathcal{A}$ attached to the model is denoted by $\prescript{\mathcal{I}}{}{\mathrm{v}}_{\mathcal{A}}=(\prescript{\mathcal{I}}{}{\dot{p}}_{\mathcal{A}}, \prescript{\mathcal{I}}{}{\omega}_{\mathcal{A}})$ with the linear and the angular velocity components respectively. The mapping between the frame velocity $\prescript{\mathcal{I}}{}{\mathrm{v}}_{\mathcal{A}}$ and the system velocity $\nu$ is obtained via the \textit{Jacobian} ${J}_{\mathcal{A}}={J}_{\mathcal{A}}(q) \in \mathbb{R}^{6 \times (n+6)}$, i.e. $\prescript{\mathcal{I}}{}{\mathrm{v}}_{\mathcal{A}} = {J}_{\mathcal{A}}(q)  \nu$. The \textit{Jacobian} is composed of the linear part ${J}_{\mathcal{A}}^{\ell}(q)$ and the angular part ${J}_{\mathcal{A}}^{a}(q)$ that maps the linear and the angular velocities, i.e. $ \prescript{\mathcal{I}}{}{\dot{p}}_{\mathcal{A}} = {J}_{\mathcal{A}}^{\ell}(q)  \nu$ and $\prescript{\mathcal{I}}{}{\omega}_{\mathcal{A}} = {J}_{\mathcal{A}}^{a}(q)  \nu$.

\subsection{System Dynamics during Physical Interaction}
\label{sec:background:systemdynamics}
The model of each agent is obtained by applying the Euler-Poincarè formalism \cite{Marsden2010}. Agent dynamics is thus described by a set of differential equations complemented with holonomic constraints characterising the contacts:
\begin{align}
\label{eq:constrained-dynamic}
\begin{split}
    & M(q) \dot{\nu} + h(q,\nu) = B {\tau} + J_c^T f, \\
    & J_c \ \nu = 0,
\end{split}
\end{align}
where $M \in \mathbb{R}^{n+6 \times n+6}$ is the mass matrix, the term $h \in \mathbb{R}^{n+6}$ takes into account of Coriolis and gravity forces, $B = (0_{n \times 6},I_n)^T$ is a selector matrix, ${\tau}  \in \mathbb{R}^{n}$ is a vector representing the robot's joint torques, $f \in \mathbb{R}^{6n_c}$ represents the wrenches acting on $n_c$ contact links of the robot, and $J_c \in \mathbb{R}^{n+6 \times 6n_c}$ is the contact Jacobian.
Now, consider the case of two agents physically interacting, as shown in Fig. \ref{fig:pHRI}. The contacts are not limited to those with the environment, but agent-agent contacts should also be considered. Denoting the terms related to each agent using subscripts, and denoting composite matrices with $\mathbf{bold}$ font, the coupled system dynamics is described  by the following equations \cite{tirupachuri2019}:
\begin{equation}
\begin{split}
\label{eq:multi-system-equations}
& \begin{bmatrix} M_1 & 0 \\\ 0 & M_2\end{bmatrix} \begin{bmatrix} \dot{\nu}_1 \\\ \dot{\nu}_2 \end{bmatrix} + \begin{bmatrix} h_1 \\\ h_2 \end{bmatrix} = \begin{bmatrix} B_1 & 0 \\\ 0 & B_2\end{bmatrix}  \begin{bmatrix} \tau_1 \\\ \tau_2 \end{bmatrix} + \mathbf{Q}^T \mathbf{f}, \\
& \mathbf{Q} \begin{bmatrix} \nu_1 \\\ \nu_2 \end{bmatrix} = 0,
\end{split}
\end{equation}
where $\mathbf{Q}$ is a coupling matrix taking into account both the constraints of the contacts with the environment ($J^{e}\nu=0$) and those of the agent-agent contact points ($J_1^{i}\nu_1=J_2^{i}\nu_2$), and $\mathbf{f}$ is a vector containing all the interaction wrenches (exchanged with the environment and between the two agents) taking into account the action-reaction property for internal forces ($f^{i}_1=-f^{i}_2$) and reflecting the ordering in the constraints matrix $\mathbf{Q}$. Analogously, modelling agents and objects as rigid body, any number of them can be included in the set of equations. Defining properly the composite matrices $\mathbf{M}$, $\boldsymbol{\nu}$, $\mathbf{h}$, $\mathbf{B}$, and $\boldsymbol{\tau}$, any system of multi-rigid bodies with those characteristics can be written compactly as:
\begin{equation}
\label{eq:multi-system-equations-compact}
\begin{split}
& \mathbf{M} \dot{\boldsymbol{\nu}} + \mathbf{h} = \mathbf{B} \boldsymbol{\tau} + \mathbf{Q}^T \mathbf{f} \\
& \mathbf{Q} \boldsymbol{\nu} = 0.
\end{split}
\end{equation}

\begin{figure}[t]
	\centering	\includegraphics[trim=0.0cm 0.0cm 0.0cm 0.0cm, clip=true, width=0.75\columnwidth]{figs/ok_final_holonomic.png}
	\caption{Agent-robot interaction scenario, highlighting the wrenches exchanged with the environment and between the two agents.}
	\label{fig:pHRI}
\end{figure}

\section{Force and Postural Ergonomics}
\label{section:ergonomy}

Ergonomics is the scientific discipline concerned with the analysis of human interactions with other elements of the environment, and the design of theory and methods that optimise human well-being and overall system performance~\cite{dul2012strategy}.
When humans interact with robots, optimal ergonomic interactions shall minimize metrics that consider both the human and the robot (here called \textit{agents}).
In this case, energy expenditure fits well both agents. Human energy expenditure is in fact used to evaluate ergonomics in workplaces \cite{battini2016ergonomics}, and it was considered in many studies aiming at ergonomic human-robot interactions~\cite{kim2018,marin2018,derspaa2020}. Robot energy expenditure is directly related to joint torques, which depend on contact forces and joint posture configuration -- see Eq.~\eqref{eq:constrained-dynamic}. Hence, when choosing joint torques as metric, ergonomy optimization can be decomposed into two sub-problems here referred to as \textit{force} and \textit{postural ergonomy}.

To provide the reader with a better comprehension of the differences between these two metrics, consider the hyperstatic structure shown in Fig.~\ref{fig:hyperstatic}, which exemplifies more complex human-robot scenarios -- e.g. that of Fig.~\ref{fig:pHRI}. This structure is statically indeterminate, so given an equilibrium configuration, e.g. that of Fig.~\ref{fig:hyperstatic:force}, joint torques are not uniquely determined~\cite{matheson1959hyperstatic}. It follows that, despite deliberately high torques, the equilibrium can be maintained when redundant torques compensate each other, resulting in high internal and reaction forces. In this sense, torque minimization can be attempted through force optimization. So, given a system configuration (e.g. a specific set of joint angles), \textit{force ergonomics} aims at minimizing the joint torques at that configuration, eventually through the contact forces.
Now, consider the configuration in Fig.~\ref{fig:hyperstatic:posture}. In this case, the equilibrium is maintained in absence of internal joint torques, showing that an optimized posture can further minimize joint torques. So, \textit{postural ergonomics} exploits the system configuration (e.g. the robot joint angles) at the equilibrium  to further optimize the overall joint torques.

Note that \emph{postural ergonomics} does not in general imply \emph{force ergonomics}. For instance, consider again Fig.~\ref{fig:hyperstatic:posture}: if the torques
$\tau_3$ and $\tau_4$ have equal intensity, then the system keeps the equilibrium with unnecessary energy expenditure.
The shared control architecture presented next
aims at solving both force and postural ergonomics for a robot-robot interaction scenario. The detailed formulation
is given in Secs.~\ref{sec:background:stack-of-task} and~\ref{sec:method:posture-optimization}. Let us remark that the \emph{force} and \emph{torque ergonomics} metrics can be used  also to characterise the energy expenditure of a human being interacting with a robot.

\begin{figure}[b]
\centering
\begin{subfigure}[b]{0.23\textwidth}
  \includegraphics[trim=3cm 17.5cm 5.5cm 2cm, clip=true,width=0.98\columnwidth]{figs/ok_final_ergonomyforceposture.png}
  \caption{}
  \label{fig:hyperstatic:force}
\end{subfigure}
\begin{subfigure}[b]{0.23\textwidth}
  \includegraphics[trim=3.5cm 4cm 5cm 15cm, clip=true,width=0.98\columnwidth]{figs/ok_final_ergonomyforceposture.png}
  \caption{}
  \label{fig:hyperstatic:posture}
\end{subfigure}
\caption{An hyperstatic mechanical structure with two different configurations: non-optimized (a) and optimized posture (b).
}
\label{fig:hyperstatic}
\end{figure}

\section{Shared Control Architecture}
\label{section:method}
The proposed architecture for robot-robot collaborative payload manipulation is shown in Fig. \ref{fig:scheme}.
A shared controller solves the force optimization online taking into account force ergonomics, system balancing, and payload pose control. The optimized contact forces are then used together with a postural task to compute joints torque via inverse dynamics, and send references to the robots.
The reference trajectories of the postural task are computed offline using a second optimization framework that tackles postural ergonomics.

\begin{figure*}[!t]
	\centering
	\includegraphics[trim=0cm 0cm 0 0cm, clip=true, width=0.7\textwidth]{figs/ok_final_shared-control-scheme_2.png}
	\caption{Overview of the shared control framework for robot-robot collaboration with postural and force ergonomic optimization. }
	\label{fig:scheme}
\end{figure*}

\subsection{System Balancing}
\label{sec:background:total-momentum}
When considering an underactuated floating-base system, the system balancing is a key-factor for the successful achievement of desired task. As mentioned in Sec. \ref{section:introduction}, momentum-based balancing control strategies can ensure a stable robot behaviour against external disturbances.
In a multi-agent scenario, a momentum-based controller can be implemented for each $j$-th robot independently defining
\begin{IEEEeqnarray}{RCL}
\label{eq:signle-robot-momentum-controller}
\IEEEyesnumber
&\dot{H}_j(f_j)=_{G_j}X^{j}f_j+m_jge_3~, \IEEEyessubnumber \label{eq:signle-robot-momentum-controller:dynamics}\\
&\dot{{H}}_j^*:=\dot{{H}}_j^d-K^j_p({H}_j-{H}_j^d)~, \IEEEyessubnumber \label{eq:signle-robot-momentum-controller:feedback-linearization}
\end{IEEEeqnarray}
where $m_j$ is the robot mass, $f_j$ is a vector containing all the wrenches applied to the robot, ($\dot{H}^d_j,H_j^d$) is the reference trajectory for the robot momentum, $K_p^j \in \mathbb{R}^{6\times6}$ is a symmetric positive definite matrix, and $G_j$ is the \textit{center of mass (CoM)} of the robot. Eq. \eqref{eq:signle-robot-momentum-controller:dynamics} describes the dynamics of the robot momentum, while Eq. \eqref{eq:signle-robot-momentum-controller:feedback-linearization} defines the desired dynamics with proportional compensation. Note that $f_j$ takes into account both the wrenches exchanged with the environment $f_j^e$ and among the agents $f_j^m$.
Independent controllers, however, do not exploit the presence of a partner agent. In order to achieve an optimized solution for the entire system, we add an extra task for controlling the \textit{total momentum} $H_T$ of the multi-agent system. The dynamics of total momentum depends on external wrenches only and it is described as,
\begin{equation}
\label{eq:total-momentum-dynamics-external}
    \dot{{H}}_T({f}^e)=_{G}{X}^{e}\mathbf{f}^e+m_Tge_3~,
\end{equation}
where ${m}_T{=}\sum_{j=1}^{N}m_j$ is the total mass of the system, and $\mathbf{f}^e$ the external wrenches vector.
Similarly to Eq. \eqref{eq:signle-robot-momentum-controller:feedback-linearization}, given a desired trajectory for the total momentum ($H^d_T,\dot{H}^d_T$), we define desired total momentum \emph{starred} dynamics.
Same task priority is assigned to robots and total momentum control. Using the representation introduced in Sec. \ref{sec:background:modelling}, the momentum control tasks are written compactly as:
\begin{IEEEeqnarray}{RCL}
\IEEEyesnumber
\dot{\mathbf{H}}(\mathbf{f})=\mathbf{X}\mathbf{f}+\mathbf{m}ge_3, \label{eq:momentum-dynamics-and-feedback-all} \IEEEyessubnumber \\
\dot{\mathbf{H}}^*:=\dot{\mathbf{H}}^d-K_p(\mathbf{H}-\mathbf{H}^d). \IEEEyessubnumber
\end{IEEEeqnarray}
where $\mathbf{H}=\begin{bmatrix}H_1 & H_2 & H_T\end{bmatrix}^T$ and $\mathbf{X}$ transforms the wrenches into respective CoM location. Notice that the shape of Eq. \eqref{eq:momentum-dynamics-and-feedback-all} is analogous to robot momentum control formulation presented in Eq. \eqref{eq:signle-robot-momentum-controller}.

\subsection{Payload Pose Control}
\label{sec:background:object-pose}
The payload is a rigid body object assumed to be attached to the agents via $n^m$ contact constraints. Given a desired trajectory for the payload position ($p^d, \dot{p}^d, \ddot{p}^d$) and orientation ($R^d,\omega^d, \dot{\omega}^d$), according to feedback linearization control of rigid body pose \cite{olfati2001nonlinear}, the desired body velocity is chosen as
\begin{equation}
    \dot{\mathrm{v}}_{\ell}^* :=\begin{bmatrix} \ddot{p}^d \\\ \dot{\omega}^d \end{bmatrix}-K_d \begin{bmatrix} \dot{p}-\dot{p}^d \\\ \omega - \omega^d \end{bmatrix} - K_p \begin{bmatrix}  p-p^d \\\ \text{sk}(R{R_d}^T)^{\vee} \end{bmatrix},
\end{equation}
where $K_d$ and $K_p$ are positive definite diagonal matrices. Given $\dot{\mathrm{v}}_{\ell}^{*}$, the internal wrenches (also referred to as \textit{grasp forces}) have to satisfy the rigid body dynamics equation
\begin{equation}
     M_{\ell}\dot{\mathrm{v}}_{\ell}^*={}_{\ell}\mathbf{W}^i\mathbf{f}^i+m_{\ell}ge_3,
    \label{eq:object-force-control}
\end{equation}
where $M_{\ell}$ is the payload mass matrix, $m_{\ell}$ its mass, and $_{\ell}\mathbf{W}^i$ is the grasp matrix that transforms wrenches into payload CoM, assuming rigid contacts model \cite{bicchi2001robotic}.
The desired internal wrench solution $\mathbf{f}^i$, obtained from Eq. \eqref{eq:object-force-control}, depends the grasp matrix and on the associated inequality constraints, e.g. frictional contacts model \cite{han2000grasp}, and can be not unique if $\text{rank}(_{\ell}\mathbf{W}^i)>6$. This condition is often verified in presence of multiple contacts. The null-space component of the solution represents the \textit{squeeze wrench}, i.e. the internal wrench that causes no motion of the object.

\subsection{Force Optimization}
\label{sec:background:stack-of-task}
Systems balancing and payload pose control are achieved by regulating the external contact wrenches $\mathbf{f}^e$, and internal wrenches $\mathbf{f}^i$, according to Eqs. \eqref{eq:momentum-dynamics-and-feedback-all} and \eqref{eq:object-force-control}. The solution for those equations can be redundant, therefore, wrenches can be chosen according to force ergonomy optimization. As discussed in Sec. \ref{section:ergonomy}, ergonomics is achieved via joint torque minimization.
Combining the system dynamics description in Eq. \eqref{eq:multi-system-equations-compact}, the control laws in Eqs. \eqref{eq:momentum-dynamics-and-feedback-all} and \eqref{eq:object-force-control}, and the ergonomy optimization, we have designed an optimization-based shared controller. In the language of optimization it is formulated as,
\begin{IEEEeqnarray}{RCL}
\label{opt:stack-of-task-optimization}
\IEEEyesnumber
\mathbf{f} ^{*} & = & \underset{\mathbf{f}}{\text{argmin}}\left\lVert K_{\tau}\boldsymbol{\tau}(\mathbf{f}) \right\rVert_2 \IEEEyessubnumber\\
& s.t. & \nonumber\\
&& C\mathbf{f}<b \IEEEyessubnumber \\
&& \dot{\mathbf{H}}(\mathbf{f}) =\dot{\mathbf{H}}^{*}  \IEEEyessubnumber \\
&& \dot{\mathrm{v}}_{\ell}(\mathbf{f}^i) =\dot{\mathrm{v}}_{\ell}^{*} \IEEEyessubnumber \\
&& \boldsymbol{\tau}^*(\mathbf{f}) = \underset{\boldsymbol{\tau}}{\text{argmin}}\left\lVert \boldsymbol{\tau}(\mathbf{f}) - \boldsymbol{\tau}_0 \right\rVert_2 \IEEEyessubnumber \label{opt:stack-of-task-optimization:joint-torques}\\
&& \quad s.t. \nonumber \\
&& \quad\quad \mathbf{M} \dot{\boldsymbol{\nu}} + \mathbf{h} = \mathbf{B} \boldsymbol{\tau} + \mathbf{Q}^T \mathbf{f} \IEEEyessubnumber \\
&& \quad\quad \dot{\mathbf{Q}} \boldsymbol{\nu} + \mathbf{Q} \dot{\boldsymbol{\nu}} = 0. \IEEEyessubnumber \\
&& \quad\quad \boldsymbol{\tau}_0 = \mathbf{h}_s- \mathbf{Q}^T_s\mathbf{f}-\mathbf{u}_0 \IEEEyessubnumber
\yesnumber
\end{IEEEeqnarray}
where $C$ and $b$ define an additional constraint that ensure the contact and grasping wrenches belong to the associated friction cones, and $\mathbf{h}_s$ and $\mathbf{Q}_s$ are the sub-matrices of $\mathbf{h}$ and $\mathbf{Q}$ relative to joint dynamics only. The stack-of-task optimization in \eqref{opt:stack-of-task-optimization} can be solved in two steps: optimization \eqref{opt:stack-of-task-optimization:joint-torques} is solved as minimum-norm solution obtaining a linear expression for $\boldsymbol{\tau}^{*}(\mathbf{f})$, and optimal wrenches $\mathbf{f}^{*}$ are computed via \textit{Quadratic Programming}. The free variable $\boldsymbol{\tau}_0$ is used to ensure the stability of the zero dynamics by means of the so called \textit{postural task} that, given a desired joint configuration $(s^d_i,\dot{s}^d_i)$, is computed independently for each robot as \cite{nava2016stability}
\[
u_0^i=-K_p^s(s_i-s_i^d)-K_d^s(\dot{s}_i-\dot{s}_i^d).
\]
\noindent The gain $K_{\boldsymbol{\tau}}$ is a positive definite  matrix used to distributes the effort among the joints and the agents. Assuming matrix
$K_{\boldsymbol{\tau}}=\begin{bmatrix}k_{\tau_1}I &  \\  & k_{\tau_2}I \end{bmatrix}$
is block diagonal, if $k_{\tau_1}=k_{\tau_2}$ the effort is equally distributed among the agents, otherwise, the effort distribution is asymmetric and the ergonomy of agent with higher gain is favoured at the expense of the other agent. Once the optimum value $\mathbf{f}^{*}$  is determined, the robot  torques $\boldsymbol{\tau}$ are obtained by evaluating $\boldsymbol{\tau}^{*}=\boldsymbol{\tau}(\mathbf{f}^{*})$.

\subsection{Postural Optimization}
\label{sec:method:posture-optimization}

The optimization-based controller presented in Sec. \ref{sec:background:stack-of-task} stabilizes the behaviour of the robots during the execution of the task. However, the generation of reference trajectories for momentum tasks  $\mathbf{H}^d$, object pose ($p^d$,$R^d$), and robots configuration $s_j^d$, has not been discussed. The idea is to compute the reference trajectories according to the ergonomy optimization principle of joint torques minimization. Given the geometric properties of the systems, all the above reference quantities can be retrieved from agents configuration, i.e. $\mathbf{H}^d=\mathbf{H}^d(q_1,q_2)$, $p^d=p^d(q_1,q_2)$, and $R^d=R^d(q_1,q_2)$.
Hence, the search space is reduced to the robots configuration only, and we express the problem as the posture ergonomics optimization discussed in Sec. \ref{section:ergonomy}.
The optimization problem is formulated as,
\begin{IEEEeqnarray}{RCL}
\label{eq:posture-optimization}
\IEEEyesnumber
(q_1^{*},q_2^{*}) & = & \underset{(q_1,q_2)}{\text{argmin}}\left\lVert K_{\tau}\boldsymbol{\tau}(q_1,q_2) \right\rVert_2 \IEEEyessubnumber \\
& s.t. & \nonumber \\
&& C\mathbf{f}<b \IEEEyessubnumber  \\
&& A_js_j<c_j \IEEEyessubnumber  \\
&& \mathbf{M} \dot{\boldsymbol{\nu}} + \mathbf{h} = \mathbf{B} \boldsymbol{\tau} + \mathbf{Q}^T \mathbf{f} \IEEEyessubnumber  \\
&& \dot{\mathbf{Q}} \boldsymbol{\nu} + \mathbf{Q} \dot{\boldsymbol{\nu}} = 0 \IEEEyessubnumber \\
&& \boldsymbol{\nu}=0 \IEEEyessubnumber
\end{IEEEeqnarray}
where $A_j$ and $c_j$ describe the joint limits for the $j$-th robot. As for the shared controller, the optimizer takes into account the presence of the payload trough the coupled dynamics described in Eq. \eqref{eq:multi-system-equations-compact}, and the gain $K_{\tau}$ regulates the distribution of the effort. Differently from the optimization \eqref{opt:stack-of-task-optimization}, however, the problem is non-linear. It follows that the optimization is computationally expensive, and it might be preferred to solve it offline.
The choice of finding the posture at the steady-state, i.e. $\boldsymbol{\nu}=0$, reduces the complexity of the problem, and well approximates the behaviour for slow motions. Given the steady-state optimal configuration, the transition trajectories are generated online as minimum-jerk trajectories, ensuring human-like motion \cite{pattacini2010experimental}. Alternatively, computing dynamic optimization for the whole trajectory is possible, but implies higher computational cost. Fig. \ref{fig:configuration_optimization} presents the initial and optimized configuration for the iCub robot. In the optimized configuration, it can be noticed that singular configurations are preferred, and the effort is better distributed among the joints.

\begin{figure}[!b]
\centering
\begin{subfigure}{0.23\textwidth}
  \includegraphics[trim=5cm 0.0cm 5cm 0.0cm, clip=true,width=1.00\columnwidth]{figs/ok_final_initialConfiguration.png}
\end{subfigure}
\begin{subfigure}{0.23\textwidth}
  \includegraphics[trim=5cm 0.0cm 5cm 0.0cm, clip=true,width=1.00\columnwidth]{figs/ok_final_optimizedConfiguration.png}
\end{subfigure}
\caption{On the left, non-optimized robot configuration for collaborative lifting. On the right, optimal configuration minimizing joint torques. The colour of the spheres represents the norm of the joint torques at the given location, ranging from green (low torque) to red (high torque).}
\label{fig:configuration_optimization}
\end{figure}

\section{Experimental Results}
\label{section:experiments}

The proposed control infrastructure has been tested using two iCub humanoid robots \cite{Natale2017}, endowed with 23 degrees of freedom. According to the robot capability, a payload of 3 Kgs is used, and \textit{ad hoc} mechanical connectors are assembled in order to strength the robot manipulation capability and ensuring rigid coupling with the payload. The robots are required to perform a vertical weight lifting task. Despite belonging to the same major iCub version, the two robots present minor differences in hardware and low-level motor control configuration, therefore, we do not expect to observe perfect symmetric behaviour. The robots communicate with a central server using YARP middleware \cite{fitzpatrick2008towards} trough a Local Area Network. The central server receives robots state information and runs the shared controller at 100 Hz solving the stack-of-task optimization and sending the target joint torques for the robots low-level torque control loops which run at 1 kHz on each robot. The experimental setup is shown in Fig. \ref{fig:real-robots}, all the experiments start from an initial configuration where the payload lies on a support before being lifted by the robots. The non-linear posture optimization problem is solved offline using interior-point method \cite{waltz2006interior}.
Fig. \ref{fig:coms-box-tracking} shows typical results obtained during collaborative lifting experiments in term of trajectories tracking. The controller appears to be capable of performing balancing while controlling the payload pose.
The desired vertical displacement of the payload is tracked for the entire duration of the experiments, and it rotates few degrees from the ground plane. Good tracking is also achieved for the total center of mass trajectory.

\begin{figure}[t]
	\centering
    \includegraphics[trim=2cm 0cm 3cm 0cm, clip=true, width= 0.85\columnwidth]{figs/ok_final_com_tracking.png}
	\caption{Tracking of the desired trajectories, represented with dashed lines, during collaborative lifting. From the top, the first three rows show the measured position of total and payload centers of mass. The last row shows the payload orientation as roll-pitch-yaw angles.}
	\label{fig:coms-box-tracking}
\end{figure}

Different motion sequences have been tested in order to evaluate the ergonomy optimization framework through joint torques measurement. In particular, the two sequences presented in Fig. \ref{fig:motion-sequences} are well explicative, and demonstrate the effects of ergonomics optimization. In both cases the robots start from the same initial configuration \textit{(A)}, before moving among three possible configurations: \textit{(B)} is a \textit{non-optimized configuration}, \textit{(C)} is the \textit{optimized ergonomic configuration} obtained from \eqref{eq:posture-optimization} with $k_{\tau_1}=k_{\tau_2}$, and \textit{(D)} is an \textit{asymmetric configuration} computed from \eqref{eq:posture-optimization} using unequal gains such that $k_{\tau_1}<k_{\tau_2}$. When moving from the non-optimized to the optimized posture, the torques vector norm decreases for both the robots showing the effect of ergonomic optimization in achieving a more efficient configuration. Considering the transient time, in the transition \textit{(A)-(C)} the torques norm is lower compared to transition \textit{(A)-(B)}, despite the optimization is solved considering the steady-state only, but it appears to have an higher percentage overshoot.
Analysing the asymmetric configuration \textit{(D)}, the torques norm shows that the framework succeeds in overloading \textit{Robot 2} to accommodate \textit{Robot 1} ergonomics.

\begin{figure}[!b]
	\centering
    \includegraphics[trim=1.4cm 0cm 1.6cm 0cm, clip=true, width=0.95 \columnwidth]{figs/ok_final.png}
	\caption{Measured joint torques vector norm during robot-robot collaborative lifting. Dashed lines have been obtained smoothing the original torque measurements. Two sequences are presented, starting from the same initial configuration \textit{(A)}. In the first sequence, the robots first lift the payload \textit{(B)}, and then move to ergonomic configuration \textit{(C)}. In the second sequence, the robots lift the payload directly using ergonomic reference configuration \textit{(C)}, and then move to a configuration with asymmetric effort distribution \textit{(D)}.
	}
	\label{fig:motion-sequences}
\end{figure}

\section{Conclusions}
\label{section:conclusioins}
In this paper, a shared control framework for multiple humanoid robots collaboration is proposed. Thanks to a centralized controller, the joint action of the robots is controlled to guarantee the balancing of the system and the control of the payload during a lifting task. Moreover, efficient collaboration is ensured by taking into account the ergonomics requirements of the robots. The contact forces and the robot posture are optimized in order to distribute the effort among the agents minimizing energy consumption. Preliminary tests with the iCub humanoid robot verify the soundness of the proposed framework, but further experiments are required in order to have a statistical validation.

As future work we plan to extend the architecture to a more complex experimental scenarios involving different type of grasping and agents locomotion.
Another interesting extension can be the application of the proposed algorithm for human-robot collaboration with the objective of optimizing human ergonomics through robot assistive actions.
Finally, the precise definition of the force and posture ergonomics principles  introduced in Section \ref{section:ergonomy} will be the subject of a forthcoming publication.

\section*{Acknowledgments}
This work is supported by Honda R\&D Co., Ltd and by EU An.Dy Project that received funding from the European Union's Horizon $2020$ research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. $731540$. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the authors. The European Commission or its services cannot be held responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains.

\bibliographystyle{IEEEtran}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv


The newest member of the Assassin's Creed franchise was released today, and to help promote the launch, Ubisoft released new screenshots of Syndicate.
1) It has Lahndan in it Where could be better than London as a setting for a videogame? Nowhere of course!
Assassin's Creed Syndicate hits this Friday (PC version in November), so Ubisoft is squeezing out the last few advertising campaigns for it.


text:
Street News Service
Street papers
By street paper
Nurit Peled Elhanan - Russell Tribunal on Palestine
Street News Service 31 October 2019
Nurit Peled-Elhanan is laureate of the 2001 Sakharov Prize for Human Rights. She is one of the initiators of the Russell Tribunal on Palestine. (889 Words) - By Nurit P Peled Elhanan
Members: Please login if you wish to download this article and/or image
Symbolically, the next meeting of the Russell Tribunal on Palestine, dedicated to the Apartheid imposed on the Palestinians by Israel, will be taking place in Cape-Town.
Like the apartheid in SA the one practiced against Palestinian citizens inside Israel and Palestinian non-citizens outside the Israeli borders, in the occupied territories of Palestine, is legal, supported by laws.
Only this year more than 16 racist laws were issued by the Israeli Knesset, among others the law against mourning on Naqba day, the law that permits screening committees to accept people selectively to Jewish settlements inside Israel, the law allowing the Jewish National Fund not to lease land to Arab citizens, laws that limit to an appalling minimum Palestinian movement inside the occupied territories for instance from Ramallah to East Jerusalem, laws that allow highways to be restricted for Jews only, leaving the Palestinian traffic confined to old, narrow and extremely dangerous roads, that take their toll of human life almost every day; the law that separates Palestinian families if one parent was born in Jerusalem and the other wasn't, leaving children without mothers or fathers, the law that does not allow Palestinian to boycott goods from the Jewish settlements that are getting prosperous on Palestinian lands and the forthcoming law that would cancel Palestinian ownership on their lands altogether if these lands happen to be in a Jewish illegal settlement, thus legalizing colonialism and the violent seizing of private property.
Apartheid inside Israel is expressed in very low budgets for Palestinian education and municipal services, poor access to jobs and opportunities, total lack of building licenses which turns all Palestinian construction inside Israel illegal. Palestinian citizens, and Bedouin citizens are constantly evicted from their homes, and all this is legal, so that the victims cannot appeal to any court, except maybe to the Russell Tribunal.
But Apartheid is also expressed in the day-to-day management of life, in the permissible rude behaviour of policemen, who can inspect thoroughly and humiliate anyone who looks "Arab" and approaches affluent neighbourhood in Tel-Aviv or Jerusalem, in the racist expressions of ministers such as the minister of Interior Security Aharonovich who summed- up the problems of south Tel-Aviv by saying the place is "infested with whores and Arabs", in expressions of chief rabbis and ex-chief rabbis, both civilian and military, encouraging soldiers to kill the "enemy" wherever and whenever they can, even if the enemy is a baby; in the constant talk of politicians about the demographic demon that are the Arab citizens, in maintaining Arab quota in high education institutions, and most of all in the curious fact that no torturer or killer of Palestinian children has ever spent any meaningful time in jail while Palestinian children of 12 or 15 years old spend illegally long periods of time in prison without cause, without seeing a lawyer or their parents and without hope.
Palestinian blood is dispensable with impunity in Israel and in the occupied territories; Palestinian every day existence is impossible. Cruelty, humiliation, starvation, torture and death define their relationships with their masters, their occupiers, and their governors.
The question that has been bothering me for a long time is how do Israeli citizens, including the children that at the age of 18 join the torture machine - the IDF, cope with such a discrepancy between the values they are raised on and the practices of oppression against their neighbours.
The answer to this question lies in education. Because Apartheid is not only a bunch of racist laws, it is a state of mind, and states of mind are fashioned by education. Israeli children are educated from a very tender age to see "Arab" citizens and "Arabs" in general as a problem that must be solved, eliminated in one way or another. They can go through life without ever meeting a Palestinian child or talk to one. They know nothing of the life-world of these people who live 100 meters from them, sometimes in the same street as in Abu-Tur in Jerusalem.
Israeli education succeeds in building mental walls that are far thicker than the real concrete wall that is being constructed In order to incarcerate the whole Palestinian nation and hide their existence from our eyes. That is why Israelis never protest against the apartheid wall. Most Israelis, including leftist Zionists, see the wall as an appropriate solution to the "problem". They don't consider Palestinians as human being like themselves, but as an inferior species, that deserve much less.
This can also explain the concern and the ecstasy over the captivated soldier Gilad Shalit, who was renamed " a kidnapped child", and the complete indifference towards the hundreds of Palestinian children, who are being - literally kidnapped from their beds by fully armed soldiers and thrown to jail for throwing stones, or being where they shouldn't be, or speaking impolitely to soldiers, or merely existing.
The Apartheid in Israel and Palestine, imposed and practices by the Israeli security forces it is enabled by the most profound racism, practiced every day, in every domain of life, in every encounter or action, in education and in the media that are wholly dedicated to the production and reproduction of fears and heterophobia.
Let us hope the Russell tribunal on Palestine can raise international awareness to this horrible mind infection and find ways to cure us all.
Russell Tribunal investigates legal failings in Palestine and Middle East
Teaching through food: Conflict Kitchen sparks dialogue in Pittsburgh
NASNA gets back to its roots
Column: A Croatian in Belgrade
New inequality data likely to boost Occupy movement
Prisoners find their E-families
Seven billion people, seven billion possibilities, says UNFPA
Wikileaks and the truth of Uganda's anti-gay law
Rhinos at risk: calls to lift ban on horn trade
Tournament kicks positive change into players' lives
Another piece of occupied land: People's Park in San Francisco
The Occupy movement can learn from those who succeeded before
Day in the life of a street paper vendor: Hana Kočová
With winter on the way, where do homeless families go?
Vendor's perspective: why am I homeless?
'The right to film public officials is not limited to the press'
Mervyn Bennun - Israel, Rape, Racism, and South Africa's Immorality Act
Terry Crawford-Browne - The Hassle Factor: International action against money laundering could quickly collapse the Israeli economy
Yasmin Sooka - Apartheid policies in Palestine place Israel under spotlight of international people's tribunal
Sophia Javed - The Freedom of the farmers
Mairead Maguire - May the walls of Apartheid come tumbling down
Lynn Massyn - Russell Tribunal on Palestine
Stéphane Hessel - Why is a Russell Tribunal on Palestine necessary?
"Wife-sharing" haunts Indian villages as girls decline
China premier-in-waiting schooled in era of dissent
Who are the 99%?
Stigma surrounding breast cancer stymies prevention efforts
Is the grass always greener on the other side for Kenyan women?
Homeless find home at 'Occupy Philly'

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The Harry floor lamp is handcrafted in Victorian style with curved lines and beaded details. The wide oval lamp shade is covered with embroidered silk fabric in deep burgundy red and orange colors. Stiking burgundy and salmon blown glass elements with ridges are set on a copper pole anchored by a square copper-inlaid base. The lamp has a double bulb socket and is finished with beaded pulls and a beaded finial. Proudly made by Kinzig Design Studio.
Also see Benny Floor Lamp below in a similar style.
Overall Height without finial - 62"


text:
What's new with Royal Caribbean
From RCI (left to right): Christopher Jeffrey-Racine, Quebec-NB strategic account leader; Éric St-Pierre, national accounts manager for Canada.
Royal Caribbean International celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2018.
READ MORE: VIDEO: Royal Caribbean's private island in the Bahamas now open
PAX spoke with Christopher Jeffrey-Racine, strategic account manager at RCI, Quebec and New Brunswick to learn more about what's new, what's next, and what's on the horizon for the company.
Partly renovated fleet
Royal Caribbean currently has 26 ships, but is expected to welcome 10 more by 2029, an average of one new ship per year.
The latest one, launched in April, was the Spectrum of the Seas, the first ship of the class Quantum Ultra. Built specifically for the Chinese market, it will operate mainly in Asia.
The next to join the fleet will be the Odyssey of the Seas. The ship is currently under construction, and will be delivered in the fall of 2020. It will be the second vessel in the Ultra-Quantum class. The itinerary has not been revealed yet.
Part of the fleet already at sea will also be renovated as part of the $1B Royal Amplified program. Ten ships will be updated and reflect the latest trends in the industry, with new activities, new catering offers, new atmospheres, and more.
"It is said that cruising allows you to see several destinations in one trip. With these renovations and modernizations, we want every ship to be a destination in itself. Even if people know the Caribbean or the Mediterranean, they will be happy to return, because they will be able to experience the ship and discover its unique personality," said Christopher Jeffrey-Racine.
Among the novelties:
The biggest water slide, between 45 seconds and one minute down, on the Navigator of the Seas
A barbecue restaurant on the Oasis of the Seas
An escape room on the Harmony of the Seas, Allure, and all class ships Voyager and Freedom
Virtual reality experiences on the Spectrum of the Seas
"We always try to go further. We were the first with a surf simulator, a real water park on board, a 360-degree observatory (the North Star), climbing walls... those who want to have fun with more original activities will find their account. But there is also something to be satisfied who want to be quieter, with relaxation areas adapted for them. The idea is to develop the multigenerational character of our cruises, with different age groups, but where everyone has their moment and really enjoys their holidays," Jeffrey-Racine said.
Perfect Day at Coco Cay: the paradise and playful private island in the Bahamas, has been open since May 4. "The first returns are positive. Like our ships, the island is suitable for everyone, including the chill section, more relaxed, and the thrill section, hectic," Jeffrey-Racine said. On the attractions side, Coco Cay is home to the largest water slide in North America, the largest wave pool in the Caribbean, the biggest pool in the Bahamas and even a hot-air balloon.
Two ships will undergo renovations next fall, the Oasis of the Seas and Voyager of the Seas, but will be back on the water in December 2019.
On the destination side:
From this summer, the Anthem of the Seas will sail from Southampton, a port town on the south coast of England, for a cruise to the Canaries.
Next winter, RCI will offer for the first time stops in Martinique, between January and March 2020.
Alaska is growing and RCI will be there in the summer of 2020 with three ships, including the Ovation of the Seas, which has the highest observatory in the fleet, the North Star, a capsule open 360 degrees to 300 feet above sea level, making it the perfect place to admire Alaska's mountains, glaciers and wilderness.
Another novelty for 2020 is the Alaska seven-night cruises starting and ending in Vancouver.
RCI also recently acquired a resort in the Bahamas, the Grand Lucayan Resort. Few details have filtered yet, but according to Bahamas Weekly, the development will take place over a period of two to three years, with an investment of $195 million in the first phase of the project. Once completed, a theme park and a five-star hotel will be part of the redevelopment effort.
Two tips to better sell RCI
According to Jeffrey-Racine, there are a few ways agents can better sell RCI:
The Oasis-class "boardwalk" and "central park" neighborhood balconies are an interesting springboard for taking customers to another level. "These balconies have an affordable price and offer plenty of inclusions. Guests will certainly enjoy the experience and will consider a balcony with a sea view for next time."
Recognize the "suite clients." For him, agents are often afraid to sell suites because of the budget. "Maybe the customer is already buying a la carte all the benefits (drinks, internet ...), while many suites include them. So, why not invest that money in an optimal experience?"
Subject : What's new with Royal Caribbean
URL : https://newswest.paxeditions.com/news/pnw-cruise/whats-new-royal-caribbean


text:
USC's 2013 schedule announced
SportsCollege Sports
USC hasn't yet hired a new defensive coordinator, but he has already caught a break: the Trojans won't play Oregon in 2013.
USC announced its 13-game 2013 schedule on Thursday. It includes four teams that finished this season ranked in the Associated Press top 25, but it doesn't feature either Oregon or Washington, because of the Pac-12 Conference's rotation of teams.
The Trojans will play two games on Thursday, including the Aug. 29 season opener at Hawaii, and a Friday night game at Oregon State on Nov. 1.
In other highlights, USC's Pac-12 opener is at home against Washington State on Sept. 7, the Trojans play at Notre Dame on Oct. 19, host Stanford on Nov. 16 and host UCLA on Nov. 20.
TV coverage will be announced later. The Pac-12 championship game is scheduled for Dec. 7. Here's the full regular-season schedule…
Aug. 29 (Thurs.) — at Hawaii
Sept. 7 — vs. Washington State
Sept. 14 — vs. Boston College
Sept. 21 — vs. Utah State
Sept. 28 — at Arizona State
Oct. 10 (Thurs.) — vs. Arizona
Oct. 19 — at Notre Dame
Oct. 26 — vs. Utah (Trojan Family Weekend)
Nov. 1 (Fri.) — at Oregon State
Nov. 9 — at California
Nov. 16 — vs. Stanford (Homecoming/Reunion Weekend)
Nov. 23 — at Colorado
Nov. 30 — vs. UCLA
More in USC
USC RB Vavae Malepeai named to Doak Walker Award watch list
USC's J.T. Daniels named to Davey O'Brien Award watch list
Bill allowing collegiate athletes to profit off name, likeness clears another step in California legislature
Former USC football assistant claims program retaliated against him for reporting alleged violations


ECC has developed superior controls to handle process control, batching, motion and inspection, and networking for food service and food manufacturers. Our panels are customized to the customer's specific needs in their food manufacturing facility and are installed by are experts on site so that it works exactly as needed, with a minimal amount of downtime. Our engineers and technicians are well trained to design and install food service controls, which allows us to develop systems that help your facility operate in optimal conditions.


Click the network icon. If you are denied access, enter sudo ifconfig -a and enter your password when prompted. I tried to go command prompt then I entered. You can find the Settings app on your Home Screen.
You will be prompted to enter the password and the command execution will take place after that. Much of the material on this page was originally copied - with permission - from the website of Information Services at Mav University.
Open the System Settings from the Dashboard. Cookies make wikiHow better. It's a long shot, but if it hasn't been too long since the device was last addrsss to your network, your router may still have a record of this.
How to get IP address of a device based on mac address? Joinsubscribers and get a daily digest of news, comics, trivia, reviews, and more. Note that, in some versions of Windows, this may be under the Support tab. Adddess to find your adapter's MAC, which should be labeled as its physical address.
Further, I have received comments that this command does not help identify the mac address for a zddress device. Scroll down to your network adapter and look for the values next to "Physical Address," which is your Max address. Scroll down until you see the Settings option. Create a Guest Account in Windows Select Hardware Information or Status: Scroll until you find your network connection the primary Ethernet port is labeled eth0.
MAC Address and OUI Lookup for - Find the Company that manufactured the network card.
The MAC address is the same as the Addess address on the bottom of that window. Select the connection from the Show menu. Can I find a mac address for my iptv box? This is only useful for pretending to a router that you are using a different computer. Full name of the remote computer or IP address username and password are of the account on the remote computer.
Helpful but nothing is new. I am using Windows 7 32 bit OS.
This is what solved my problem. Find your MAC address. Make sure you select the correct one. Find the name of your network connection and click on it. January 11th, at 2: How do i use arp -a to determine a duplicate ip. Your local dadress probably uses a router to connect to the Internet.
Even easier on Windows I tried to go command prompt then I entered. Pliz how can I find my Mac address.
What are the other 2 Addrrss addresses listed and what order do they appear in? Bluetooth Network Connection Network Adapter: This can be used to get mac address for remote computers also.


text:
Can Your Brain Detect a Lopsided Barbell?
Vancouver, Washington, United States
Today's study has a special place in my heart. First, it studies the bench press. All great scientific studies must involve the bench press and therefore be done on Mondays. But next, it takes a common weight room faux paus, incorrectly loading one side of a barbell, and seeks to understand what happens when you lift it. The science of screwing up - I love it!
The study involved 35 men from age 19-34 with at least five years of experience on bench press. They were taken to the bench, blind-folded, given earmuffs, and then proceeded to bench press three different bars in a random order. After each bar they were asked, "Balanced or unbalanced? If unbalanced, which side was heavier?"
Here are the three bars they lifted:
Balanced bar with 135lbs total made from a 45lb plate on each side.
Bar with 135lbs total made from a 45lb plate on one side and a bunch of tiny 2.5lb plates on the other.
Unbalanced bar with a 45lb plate on either side and a 2.5lb plate added to one side.
The results? The group didn't bat an eye (albeit blindfolded) at the perfectly balanced bar. No surprise there. Furthermore, the group didn't consistently identify the unbalanced bar with the extra 2.5lb plate on one side. But the group did consistently identify the bar with the big plate on one side and all the tiny plates on the other. This was due to the difference in the center of gravity, as all the tiny plates shifted the center of gravity by over three inches.
The conclusion: At sub-maximal loads, detecting small imbalances in a barbell is pretty difficult. The results could have been different at loads closer to 1RM. Even though we don't learn a lot of practical information from this one, it's an interesting study of something we've all experienced. Plus, it gives us the mental image of a grown man fully outfitted with a blindfold and earmuffs, bench pressing a bar with one large plate on one side and a bunch of tiny plates on the other. For me, that alone was worth it.
1. Piper, Timothy, et. al. Dynamic Balance Abilities of Collegiate Men for the Bench Press. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 26:12, 3225-3229, Dec 2012.
See more about: strength training, bench press, imbalance


I am super duper excited to be part of the design team for this challenge! The playing board we are using for this week is below.
I started off with the idea that I was going to do the top row across: stripes - circle - gold. In the end my card turned out including all 9 elements although I can't exactly say that was my plan - ha ha. I think I looked at the grid so many times that my brain just put together all of them without thinking about it. Don't worry though - you don't have to do all 9!! If you are reading this for the first time here, please be sure to visit the challenge blog here.
I love using foil in my projects and have tried out a number of techniques to use it. This is the first time I tried using a more freeform approach. I created these gold stripes by painting them on so to speak. Starting with an A2 sized white card base, I scored it in the center so I would have that as a reference point. I was inspired to try this from another crafter I saw on You Tube - her name is Kristen Magee.
The black circle was die cut using one of the most used items in my craft room, My Favorite Things Die-namics stitched circle dies - used the 2" circle on glossy black cardstock.
The "hugs" die cut sentiment was made from a Winnie & Walter die (link to product at end of post). I used the same deco foil for it and this is how I did this WITHOUT a laminating machine. I took a piece of black cardstock and ran it through my Xyron sticker creator tool. You could use any strong crafting adhesive and get a similar result. I have done this before with double sided tape like you get with common ATG's. The Xyron ensures the adhesive is applied evenly so the foiling looks smooth, which is why I chose to use it - plus no drying time like with the other adhesive types.
I applied the foil (shiny side up and away from the adhesive) to the now sticky cardstock. I burnished it with my bone folder tool then pulled up the foil application sheet. Then I die cut the foiled piece of cardstock.
I stamped the word "sending" from the coordinating Winnie & Walter stamp set (link to product below) onto vellum in Versamark, then added white detailed embossing powder and heat set. I cut a tail at one end and later adhered with multi-matte medium.
Before adhering the black die cut circle I flipped it over and attached what I call a sticky dot to the back. I coiled up the baker's twine randomly and stuck it on the dot as a way to keep it where I wanted it. I then used Tombow multi liquid adhesive on the die cut piece and then placed it onto the card base, trapping the twine behind it.
I glued on the gold die cut sentiment next and then added the vellum strip with the other part of the sentiment.
Thanks for stopping by today! Please consider leaving me a comment if you were inspired by this post or have any questions that came up after reading this. I do respond to comments as quickly as possible. I look forward to seeing what you create and link up to this first challenge!
Wow, Teresa, the different techniques you've used here have produced a beautiful card! Thank you for the details on how you created it!
Thank you Peggy! I recommend playing with this as the possibilities are endless!
Teresa, Such a beautiful card and I love how you used so many different technique on your design. So happy your on the design team.
I am so happy to be part of the team! Thanks for your sweet comments!
Just beautiful! I'm going to have to get some of that foil and try out some techniques.... So glad to have you on the TTTC Design Team!
Nicole - thanks so much! Very glad to be part of the team!
I love this card. Thanks for instructions. I just got my minc so I want to try this.
Thank you Lisa! I've enjoyed mine quite a bit! Hope to see your card in the gallery!
Love this card, Teresa. I wasn't aware of this technique...thanks for explaining how you created it. Your instructions are terrific and the results are amazing.
Roseanne - thank you for stopping by! I am happy to share and glad that I shared something new!!
This is just lovely! You could achieve this same effect by using our Deco Foil Liquid Adhesive that you can brush across and then just rub the foil on. No heat required! And our Champagne Deco foil is a fave of mine!
Thank you Julie - so honored you stopped by and left a great tip!! I have that adhesive in my stash and can put it to even more use! The foil products are so much fun!!


text:
NUS Law jumps to 13th place in QS Global Rankings
The National University of Singapore Faculty of Law (NUS Law) is proud to announce that it has maintained its position as Asia's top law school, according to the 2019 Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings for the subject of Law, released on 27 February 2019.
NUS Law is now ranked 13th globally; up two places from 2018.
The QS World University Rankings by Subject ranks the world's top universities in individual subject areas, covering 48 subjects. The rankings aim to help prospective students identify the world's leading schools in their chosen field in response to high demand for subject-level comparisons.
The methodology used to calculate the subject rankings comprises four components, namely academic reputation, employer reputation, research citations per paper and the H-index.
About NUS Law
Staffed by an outstanding permanent faculty diverse in origin and qualifications, NUS Law is dedicated to building a vibrant community and creating an environment that facilitates critical thinking and reflection on the fundamental legal issues confronting our interconnected world. Located in Singapore, which for more than a century has been a commercial hub at the crossroads of Asia, NUS Law is very much Asia's Global Law School.
Since 1957 the School's curriculum has been infused with perspectives from other jurisdictions and disciplines. This tradition has accelerated in recent years, providing a legal education that is comparative, international and multidisciplinary. NUS Law hosts many visiting faculty and students from every continent, offering a lively, cosmopolitan atmosphere both inside and outside the classroom. The strength of the NUS Law curriculum lies in the broad and diverse range of subjects it offers. In addition to a rigorous core curriculum, students can choose from more than a hundred electives in areas such as Asian legal studies and comparative law, commercial law, IP and technology law, law and society, legal theory, maritime law, and public and private international law.
Last modified on 01 October, 2018 by Office of Corporate Relations


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Delhi hospital 'gives' voice to Uzbek man after 15 years
Khusan Saidov, who suffered from enlargement of the thyroid gland due to hypothyroidism, had got himself operated at a hospital in Uzbekistan in 2002.
New Delhi: A 35-year-old Uzbek man, who had lost his voice due to a surgery for treating hypothyroidism gone wrong, was able to speak after 15 years following a laser surgery at a hospital in here recently. Khusan Saidov, who suffered from enlargement of the thyroid gland due to hypothyroidism, had got himself operated at a hospital in Uzbekistan in 2002.
But that led to complications and damaged his airways and both the vocal cords, Dr Ameet Kishore, senior consultant- ENT at the Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals said.
"The patient lost his voice as recurrent laryngeal nerves (RLN) got damaged after he underwent the surgical procedure tracheostomy. This which resulted in paralysis of the vocal cords leading to loss of speech and difficulty in breathing," Dr Kishore said.
The recurrent laryngeal nerves control all intrinsic muscles of the larynx. These muscles act to open, close, and adjust the tension of the vocal cords, and include the posterior cricoarytenoid muscles, the only muscle to open the vocal cords.
Saidov remained voiceless for almost 15 years before approaching doctors in India.
He was admitted to the hospital on July 10 and a team of doctors performed 'Kashima procedure' on him.
"It is an endoscopic laser procedure performed for treating respiratory difficulty caused as a result of bilateral abductor vocal fold paralysis (disruption of the vocal cords leading to loss of voice)," Dr Suresh Singh Naruka, senior consultant-ENT at the hospital, said.
"When the patient first visited us, we realised that both his vocal cords are positioned in such a way that there was no space between the cords for him to breathe from the nose or mouth.
"For 15 years, Saidov was breathing from a hole created in his neck. He developed bilateral vocal cord palsy. So with the 'Kashima procedure' (laser treatment), we created a space between the vocal cords to restore normal breathing pattern with normal voice. The hole in the neck was closed in the second stage of the surgery," Dr Naruka explained.
He was discharged from the hospital the next day and is now recovering well, the doctor said.
Saidov, who recently visited the hospital for a follow-up checkup said, "It feels like a second birth. For several years, I wasn't able to express myself. I visited many countries, however there was no hope of corrective surgery. Thanks to the team of doctors here, I am able to lead a normal life now."
Tracheostomy is being replaced by procedures like Kashima for certain conditions.
Kashima is a laser surgery, the latest technology which leads to faster healing, the outcomes are better with less hospital stay and better rates of preciseness in comparison to tracheostomy.
Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals
recurrent laryngeal nerves
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Krześlów  is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Zelów within Bełchatów County, Łódź Voivodeship, in central Poland. It is located approximately  southwest of Zelów,  northwest of Bełchatów, and  southwest of the regional capital, Łódź.

References

Villages in Bełchatów County

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


A Trinity Rail Express commuter train, operating with two self-propelled Rail Diesel Cars, makes a station stop at South Irving, Texas.
Trinity Railway Express provides passenger rail service between the Texas Metroplex cities of Dallas and Fort Worth. The 34-mile route serves 9 stations, and is anchored at each end by restored railroad stations: Dallas Union Station, built in 1916, and the Texas & Pacific Passenger Terminal in Fort Worth, an art deco structure opened in 1931.
Trinity Railway Express inaugurated service on December 31, 1996, operating 10 miles between Dallas and South Irving. Midday and late-evening service was added on December 15, 1997, and Saturday service on December 5, 1998.
Four new stations joined the TRE system on September 18, 2000, when service was extended 17 miles to Richland Hills. The 7-mile route extension to Fort Worth was opened on December 3, 2001, and features a rail tunnel carved right through the ground floor of Fort Worth's Alarm Supply Building.
Ridership on Trinity Railway Express exceeds 2 million a year.
The ex-Rock Island line used by Trinity Railway Express was jointly purchased by the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth in 1983 for $34 million from a Rock Island trustee, under the supervision of a bankruptcy court judge in Chicago. Their respective transit agencies, DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transit Authority) and the T (Fort Worth Transportation Authority), developed and now manage TRE. Plans for the commuter service began in earnest in 1989, but protracted negotiations with freight railroads and delays in receiving equipment pushed back the scheduled start-up date.
Track maintenance is provided under contract by BNSF Railway, which has rights to operate freight trains on the line, as does Union Pacific (inherited after its acqusition of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas in 1988). Herzog Transit Services dispatches and operates TRE trains under contract.
In addition to TRE's original fleet of 13 Budd Rail Diesel Cars (purchased from VIA Rail Canada and refurbished by AMF Transport), Trinity Railway Express operates diesel-powered push-pull trainsets. GM F59PH locomotives and refurbished bilevel coaches were purchased from Canada's GO Transit, and are supplmented by five cab cars from Bombardier and F59PHI locomotives from General Motors.
Service is provided Monday-Saturday between Dallas, the CentrePort/DFW Airport rail station, and Fort Worth. There is no Sunday service.
Evening and Saturday TRE trains also make a 10th stop at Victory Station, for passengers attending Stars and Mavericks home games and special concerts at the American Airlines Center.
At Dallas Union Station, passengers can make an across-platform transfer to DART's Red and Blue light rail lines, and also connect to Amtrak's Chicago-San Antonio Texas Eagle, which runs to Fort Worth on a Missouri Pacific-T&P routing. TRE shares the Fort Worth Intermodal Transportation Center with Amtrak's Texas Eagle and the Oklahoma City-Fort Worth Heartland Flyer, as well as city buses.
Airline passengers can take advantage of the free shuttle buses that run between terminals at the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport and the Trinity Railway Express CentrePort/DFW Airport station.


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NAMM honors Jason Mraz
The Who, Stevie Nicks am...
Gibson announces Tony Io...
Tenth Annual Governors B...
Peter Cetera to reunite with Chicago for Rock And Roll Hall of Fame Induction
Buddy Iahn | January 5, 2016 | Rock News
Former Chicago frontman Peter Cetera has announced that he plans to join his former bandmates for a performance when the band is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April.
"As a finale, we can walk onstage together one last time as a group, I'll strap on the bass, and we can do '25 or 6 to 4′ in the key of E," Cetera writes on his website. "I believe it would make for one fantastic Hall of Fame moment and satisfy those who have always wanted some sort of reunion."
In the statement, Cetera also states that he plans to speak at the event while inviting all current members, along with past members Laudir de Oliveira, Donnie Dacus, Kenny Cetera, Chris Pinnick, and Bill Champlin, to "join us up there as well on the song." Cetera states that "[t]hey've all contributed to the legacy of the group and I think this would be a fitting way to honor them."
He also speaks of honoring former guitarist and co-founder Terry Kath, who died in 1978 from an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound, stating, "I'm sure we all wish that Terry was there to join us."
Cetera left the group in 1985 to pursue a solo career and fans have been waiting for the long overdue reunion ever since. However, fans thought those ideas were quickly crushed when keyboardist Robert Lamm said Cetera had "emphatically declined" an invitation to reunite at the ceremony after Chicago's induction was announced in December. To much delight, Cetera's plans have changed.
Chicago will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along side Cheap Trick, Deep Purple, N.W.A. and Steve Miller on Friday, April 8, 2016 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York for the second time.
HBO will broadcast the 31st annual ceremony in spring 2016.
Rhino Records announces Rocktober vinyl campaign
"If I Can Dream: Elvis Presley With The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra" coming Oct 30th
LISTEN: Bon Jovi releases 'Saturday Night Gave Me Sunday Morning' from 'Burning Bridges'
'AXS TV Concerts Hosted By Mark Cuban' kicks off Aug 11th
NAMM honors Jason Mraz January 17, 2020
The Who, Stevie Nicks among 2020 New Orleans Jazz Fest headliners January 17, 2020
Gibson announces Tony Iommi 'Monkey' 1964 SG Special Replica January 17, 2020
Tenth Annual Governors Ball Music Festival announces 2020 lineup January 17, 2020
Jonas Brothers release 'What A Man Gotta Do' January 16, 2020
Pearl Jam announces 'Gigaton' album, tour
Ozzy Osbourne sets 'Ordinary Man' for Feb 21st


I must travel a couple days early, so here's a short note.
RAZ-Kids has begun and everyone loves it!!
I can easily monitor reading productivity and comprehension strengths or weaknesses. The kids get a rich resource of fiction and non-fiction titles at each's independent reading level. Plus, a reader can personalize a virtual robot and rocket with incentive points for correctly answered comprehension questions. So, more points mean a cooler robot and rocket. It's a fun deal!
RAZ-Kids will not be graded, though it does yield data to diagnose comprehension and fluency skills. Notably, this online tool reflects computer-based assessment formats encountered in today's schools (e.g. MAP test). Thus, RAZ-Kids builds stamina for inevitable computer-based tests.
Most importantly, again, our third graders really like RAZ-Kids! With an exit quiz for every book read and robot/rocket building "star" rewards, the program is a clever way to promote reading and a dynamic view of where individual skills instruction is needed most.
Log in! Read! Build robots! Build rockets! Build literacy! Build Knowledge! Build community! Hopefully, your home schedule can include some time for RAZ-Kids.
All of the RAZ-Kids log-in details were in last Friday's email. Please contact me anytime for log-in issues.
Our Fall Break Books were a success, so let's try Winter Break Books. The WBB is the same idea: five entries or more. Student effort will be reported in the Q2 report card.
A Creation Station is coming in 2017. Our Creation Station will be a space were kids can make anything imagined out of old boxes, bottle, sticks, cans, tape, dough, and so on. If you have bottles or boxes or wood or miscellaneous scraps around, please let me know. A good imagination can turn an old bottle or two into a home cooling system. Seriously. Inventing will commence January 9.
Contact Ms. Oumou with any immediate concerns (e.g. attendance) in the next two days. You can email me throughout the holidays, if you'd like.
Travel safe and sound. See you in the 2017!


The 95mm Carl ZEISS T* UV Filter from ZEISS is a general use, clear filter that helps to absorb ultraviolet light and reduce the bluish cast of daylight. No additional coloration or contrast effects are provided, rendering a clean and natural appearance.
Box Dimensions (LxWxH) 5.5 x 5.4 x 1.5"


India's rising economic profile that would provide expanded market opportunities for US' corporations, US' need for partnerships in Asia to balance China's emergence as a power, India's needs for civilian and defence technologies and equipment to grow economically and to ensure its security are some of the obvious reasons for the two countries to reconfigure their ties.
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In the wake of partition of the sub-continent in 1947, large number of Hindus crossed over from East Pakistan to the states of West Bengal, Assam and Tripura in India. In due course, when the Pak Army started persecuting the Bengalis, a large number of Muslims also crossed the borders into India. After the liberation of Bangladesh in 1971, it was expected that the new regime would ensure communal harmony and tackle the social and economic problems of its teeming millions in a manner which would eliminate or at least reduce the factors contributing to migration. However, that did not happen.
Intelligence agencies and security forces have to move rapidly towards inducting technology into their activities. Technology is an immense forcemultiplier and if harnessed properly will provide the cutting edge in securing the nation against threats and challenges.
Presently, it appears that more than quality of any project, at times the Congress works on pro- and anti-Trump positions. So far, some conflicting reports have emerged in respect of acceptability of Space Force idea by the Congress. Only, time would tell, if the Congress would support this idea or not. All in all, the idea of establishment of a special arm for conduct of activities in space clearly demonstrates where the future of warfare lies.
India's approach is very much right to go ahead with Rafael under present circumstances. In other words, it is preferable to get readymade house because of known price and immediate use than a house under construction with possibilities of time and cost overruns especially while competing with others.


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Chesapeake Research Consortium
Maryland (US)
Compensation commensurate with experience.
Atmospheric Sciences, Hydrology, Interdisciplinary/Other, Ocean Science
Early Career (up to 10 years past degree)
Non-Government Organization/Non-Profit
Position Description for Executive Director of Chesapeake Research Consortium
(Position open until filled.)
Apply at: http://chesapeake.org/director-application/ )
The Chesapeake Research Consortium (CRC), a regional 501(c)(3) located in Annapolis, MD, seeks an experienced environmental scientist/leader to serve as its next Executive Director. Candidates should have familiarity with the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem, including its waters (hydrology/circulation, biogeochemistry, living resources), its tributaries, shorelines and watershed (wetlands, forests, land cover, land use, and water cover), and, importantly, the full array of human activities and behavior that affect the societal value and sustainability of this major natural-human ecosystem. Knowledge of these attributes for other coastal systems will also be considered. In addition, candidates should have broad knowledge of the science network in the mid-Atlantic region and established relationships with federal and state agencies and regional NGOs. In addition to supervising CRC Edgewater staff and working with the Business Manager on overseeing day-to-day organizational functions, the Executive Director is responsible for identifying and facilitating agency/department/foundation interests and funding for collaborative multi-disciplinary, multi-institution research projects. She/he also works with the Board of Trustees on issues of capacity building and organization development and acts as a pro-active liaison between the research and management communities to ensure transfer of science to inform and guide science-based management and policy in the region. (See, for example, http://chesapeake.org/science-review/ and http://chesapeake.org/science-workshops/.) Interested candidates should review the CRC web page (http://chesapeake.org) for more information about our organization and the current range of activities associated with the position.
The successful candidate will not be expected to maintain an active research program; rather, her/his primary role will be to help secure opportunities for researchers in the seven member institutions (http://chesapeake.org/institutions/) and to support education, training, and diversification of the environmental work force. (See http://chesapeake.org/crc-projects-and-initiatives-cstream-more.) Strong verbal and writing skills are a necessity, as well as a demonstrated history of active interaction with science and management communities. Frequent regional and occasional national/international meeting participation is expected. A continued affiliation within a partnering institution is possible, or alternatively the Director may be provided with employment and benefits directly through the CRC.
Minimum requirements include a graduate degree in a field of study relevant to the position and at least 10 years of relevant experience. The selected applicant should expect to begin work as soon as July 1, 2019, or by December 31, 2019, at the latest. Initially, the new Executive Director may transition in either a part-time (30% to 70%) or full-time capacity, with plans to occupy the position full‐time no later than July 1, 2020. Salary will be dependent on the successful candidate's background and skills.
Applications should be submitted using our website ( http://chesapeake.org/director-application/ ). The position will remain open until filled. CRC is an equal opportunity employer and is fully committed to the Chesapeake Bay Program partnership's diversity goals and outcomes, which encourage the inclusion of diverse people at all levels throughout the partnership.
Atmospheric Sciences Early Career (up to 10 years past degree) Masters jobs in $125,000 - $149,999
Hydrology Early Career (up to 10 years past degree) Masters jobs in $125,000 - $149,999
Interdisciplinary/Other Early Career (up to 10 years past degree) Masters jobs in $125,000 - $149,999
Ocean Science Early Career (up to 10 years past degree) Masters jobs in $125,000 - $149,999


Malala Yousafzai didn't want fame. She wanted an education, and spoke out for herself and all girls in her native Pakistan. For that, a masked Taliban gunman boarded her school bus and shot her. At 15, Malala became the most famous teenager in the world. But the group that would have all girls chained in ignorance could not silence her. Malala survived and has since addressed the United Nations, met President Obama and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, a courageous advocate for girls' education the world over.
Get your friends together for a picture! Show the world that Billings and Laurel believe all girls have the right to go to school.


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Taxation office
[*The double taxation between France and the United States, in terms of inheritance, is prevented pursuant the provisions of the French-US tax treaty of November 24, 1978, as amended by the Protocol of December 8, 2004, the text of which, you will find on this site.*]
A- INFORMATION ON THE CALCULATION OF THE ESTATE TAX IN THE UNITED STATES
The TAMRA law ("Technical And Miscellaneous Revenue Act of 1988) has deprived people who are not American citizens from a number of advantages provided by the Convention of November 24, 1978, regarding the taxation of estates in the United States.
The convention could not, in its current state, be an obstacle to this deteriorating situation of French citizens who are not United States citizens, since, according to the American law, the provisions of a new law take precedence over the ones of a prior international agreement (« treaty overriding").
Negotiations have been initiated in 1989 with the American authorities to make provision in the treaty for the reinstatement of deductions and tax credits eliminated by the TAMRA law.
These negotiations have resulted in the conclusion of the protocol of December 8, 2004 which modified the agreement in a manner favorable to the French citizens.
Pursuant to this text, which entered into force on December 21, 2006, the United States agreed to guarantee the following advantages:
Marital deduction to the benefit of the surviving spouse who does not have an American citizenship to the level of the "applicable exclusion amount" under the legislation in force on the date of death ($ 2 million in 2007);
50% reduction on the taxable property in the United States going to the surviving spouse if the deceased was a resident of France;
In the proportion of assets located in the United States, the same tax credit as the one granted to estates of French residents who do not have the US citizenship, as estates of American citizens ( "unified tax credit" which amounts to $780,800 in 2007).
Such measures are subject to certain conditions set out respectively in articles 11, paragraph 3; 11, paragraph 2 and 12, paragraph 3 of the convention, they apply to estates of persons who died on or after December 21, 2006.
Thus the degradation which the French citizens who did not have a US citizenship were subject to, as a result of the 1988 TAMRA law, is widely compensated.
The December 8, 2004 protocol also provides a retroactive provision with regard to the marital deduction to the benefit of the surviving spouse who does not have an American citizenship and the tax credit granted to the estates of persons residing in France (Article IX paragraph 3).
The survivors or heirs who have had to pay inheritance taxes based on the sole laws of the United States may therefore ask that the over-payment based on a tax assessed pursuant to articles 11, paragraph 3 and 12, paragraph 3 of the Convention be refunded to them.
The affected estates are the ones open as of November 10, 1988, they will receive a marital deduction equal to the "applicable exclusion amount" and/or a "unified tax credit" (in the proportion of properties located in the United-States) calculated pursuant to the legislation applied to American citizens, which was in force on the date of death of the deceased.
The corresponding refund claims can be submitted until January 30, 2008 to:
Internal Revenue Service Center
It is recommended to keep a written record of the request.
Under the same conditions, estates for which a "qualified domestic trust" was created to take advantage of the marital deduction provided by the domestic law of the United States, may submit a request for the trust to be treated as if it had not been established.
The provisions of Article IX of the protocol of December 8, 2004 amending the convention of November 24, 1978 are reproduced below:
1. The Contracting States shall notify each other when their respective constitutional and statutory requirements for the entry into force of this Protocol have been satisfied.
2. This Protocol shall enter into force on the date of receipt of the later of such notifications and shall have effect with respect to gifts made and deaths occurring after that date.
3. Notwithstanding paragraph (2) of this Article, paragraph (3) of Article 11 (Community Property and Marital Deduction) of the Convention and paragraph (3) of Article 12 (Exemptions and Credits) of the Convention, in each case as amended by this Protocol shall, notwithstanding any limitation imposed under the law of a Contracting State on the assessment or refund with respect to a person's or estate's return, have effect with respect to gifts made or deaths occurring after November 10, 1988, provided that (i) any claim for refund by reason of this Article IX is filed before the date that is one year after the first day of the second month following the date on which this Protocol enters into force or within the otherwise applicable period for filing such claims under domestic law, and (ii) the provisions of paragraph (4) of Article 1 (Estates and Gifts Covered) shall apply with respect to such claim for refund. In the case of an estate that, prior to the date on which this Protocol enters into force, was allowed a marital deduction by reason of a transfer to a qualified domestic trust, such estate may, within the time limit for filing a claim for refund referred to in the preceding sentence, elect to treat the qualified domestic trust as if it had not been established in order to claim the benefits of paragraph (3) of Article 11 (Community Property and Marital Deduction) or paragraph (3) of Article 12 (Exemptions and Credits) of the Convention. If such an election is made, the property shall be treated as having been transferred to the surviving spouse at the time of the decedent's death for all purposes of this Convention.
B-INFORMATION ON THE CALCULATION OF ESTATE TAXES IN FRANCE


What Are the Best Cat Trees for Large Cats?
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What you need: Scissors, Instruction Sheet, Decal sheet, a small container of lukewarm/warm water, towel for blotting, clean painted nails.
Step 2: Place one decal in the water and allow to soak for 45-60 seconds, you may find you can adjust this time shorter.
Step 3: Pull decal from the water. Tweezers are useful at this stage, but not required. Have the decal facing your finger of the opposite hand you plan to place the decal on. Place the pad of your other finger on top of the paper and slide apart. This will leave the decal on the first finger, ready to place on the opposite hand.
This is how it will appear after you slide the backing off.
Step 4: Position the decal on your nail. You may find it helpful to wet your nail first to allow you to slide it around. The decal may be removed as many times as necessary to obtain proper positioning. Rewetting is OK too. Blot dry and apply a little pressure to extract all the water from under the decal.
Step 5: Decal will 'stick' but not adhere permanently. Coating with clear polish is necessary at this time. You may finish all decals before coating with 2 coats of a quality clear polish, or do one hand at a time, allowing to dry thoroughly.
Step 6: ENJOY!!! Recoating with clear after a few days will extend the life of your polish AND your decal. This is likely unnecessary if using gel or shellac.
NOTE: Nail wraps are applied in basically the same manner. Before soaking, cut out wrap, size to nail with backing on, trim them to the width needed for your nail. Once you have soaked and removed the backing, place the wrap on your nail to the back of your nail bed. Apply pressure with towel to extract water. Gently use a file on the tip in a downward motion to trim the tip of the decal. Coat with clear covering the tip and edges well.


I notice that in Town our trash is getting bad and bad. Many place I can see like this kind of places people throwing rubbish even there is a sigh tell us not to buang already but still some people act like blind or don't know how to read still buang their rubbish there!
This is a serious problem now in our town.
Now right I'm already not surprise to see like this kind of scene at those commercial area like Gadong, Manglait, Kiarong, Kiulap, Sengkurong those complex they Buang their rubbish into one spot one.
You'll see the area like in third world country one... wah the rubbish is no cover, open air, fly, mouse, dog, cat having buffet there everyday!!! The air is really sting over the place... Some more I don't understand the people stay near that area how to tahan one!!!
I think this is have to chance. Modified the door ka, redesign the concepts where allow to buang, Saman the landlord for the area not hygiene....fix CCTV ka... what so ever lah there should be a can solve this problem.
For better Future, better life we have to change it now.
This is what I saw in Seattle. Behind the building where they buang the rubbish!
So do you see what I see something is wrong here?