text:
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The Steps to Becoming a Physician Assistant and Taking the PANCE
So, you're thinking about a career as a physician assistant.
Well, that's awesome!
You are in good company. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the physician assistant workforce is currently made up of 106,200 people in the United States.
And don't worry, there is plenty of room for you to find a steady job. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, over 39,600 new physician assistant jobs are expected in the next few years.
Let us cover the initial steps on this exciting career path together so you can get a better understanding of what you're getting into.
We are talking here about your career for possibly the next 10 years, at the very least, and even the rest of your life. That is exciting and nerve-racking at the same time.
Let's get to it then.
How do you become a physician assistant?
Physician assistants typically need a master's degree from an accredited educational program. Earning that degree usually takes at least 2 years of full-time postgraduate study. All states require physician assistants to be licensed. Physician assistant graduate school applicants typically have experience caring directly for patients.
For more information, read How to Become a Physician Assistant.
What type of schooling does a physician assistant need?
Most applicants to physician assistant education programs already have a bachelor's degree and some patient care work experience. Although admissions requirements vary from program to program, most programs require 2 to 4 years of undergraduate coursework with a focus in science. Many applicants already have experience as registered nurses or as EMTs or paramedics before they apply to a physician assistant program.
Physician assistant education programs usually take at least 2 years of full-time study. More than 200 education programs were accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA) in 2017. Almost all of these accredited programs offer a master's degree.
Physician assistant education includes classroom and laboratory instruction in subjects such as pathology, human anatomy, physiology, clinical medicine, pharmacology, physical diagnosis, and medical ethics. The programs also include supervised clinical training in several areas, including family medicine, internal medicine, emergency medicine, and pediatrics.
Sometimes students serve in one or more clinical rotations in these areas under the supervision of a physician who is looking to hire a physician assistant. In this way, clinical rotations may lead to permanent employment.
Applicants to physician assistant graduate programs typically need patient care work experience for admission or to be competitive in entering the programs. Work as an EMT or paramedic, registered nurse, nursing assistant, or similar care position typically fulfills patient care experience requirements for admission to academic programs. Some applicants gain healthcare experience through volunteer opportunities at hospitals or clinics, or working with special-needs or at-risk groups, such as orphaned youth or homeless populations. For specific requirements, contact the program in which you are interested.
What are the types of certifications and requirements needed to become a physician assistant?
All states and the District of Columbia require physician assistants to be licensed. To become licensed, candidates must pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE) from the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). A physician assistant who passes the exam may use the credential "Physician Assistant-Certified (PA-C)."
To keep their certification, physician assistants must complete 100 hours of continuing education every 2 years. The recertification exam is required every 10 years.
In addition, state licensure laws require physician assistants to hold an agreement with a supervising physician. Although the physician does not need to be onsite at all times, collaboration between physicians and physician assistants is required for practice.
How long does it take to become a physician assistant?
To become a physician assistant, you must earn a bachelor's degree, which takes roughly four years, and complete a physician assistant training program, which takes two years.
Once you have obtained the physician assistant certification, you must complete 100 hours of continuing education every 2 years.
How much does it cost to become a physician assistant?
According to datausa.io, the median tuition costs for physician assistant training programs in the U.S. are as follows:
In-state public tuition – $7,408
Out-of-state private tuition – $32,520
The exam fee for PANCE is $475.
What is the PANCE?
The Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination is a certifying examination taken by physician assistants (PAs) in the U.S. The exam is administered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). It is a computer-based exam and consists of practical medical and surgical questions.
The PANCE must be taken before a PA can be licensed for the first time upon graduation from an accredited program.
How many questions are on the PANCE?
The PANCE consists of 300 multiple-choice questions, administered in five 60-question blocks.
What are the Categories on the PANCE?
According to the NCCPA's content blueprint, beginning from January 2019, the PANCE can be categorized into two dimensions:
Knowledge of the diseases and disorders physician assistants encounter
Knowledge and skills related to tasks physician assistants perform when treating patients.
Medical content categories:
Cardiovascular system – 13%
Dermatologic system – 5%
Endocrine system – 7%
Eyes, ears, nose, and throat – 7%
Gastrointestinal system/nutrition – 9%
Genitourinary system (male and female) – 5%
Hematologic system – 5%
Infectious diseases – 6%
Musculoskeletal system – 8%
Neurologic system – 7%
Psychiatry/behavioral science – 6%
Pulmonary system – 10%
Renal system – 5%
Reproductive system – 7%
Task categories:
History taking and performing physical examination – 17%
Using diagnostic and laboratory studies – 12%
Formulating most likely diagnosis – 18%
Managing patients
Health maintenance, patient education, preventive measures – 10%
Clinical intervention – 14%
Pharmaceutical therapeutics – 14%
Applying basic scientific concepts – 10%
Professional practice – 5%
Medical content comprises 95% of the exam. All medical content questions are also coded to one of the task areas, with the exception of the professional practice task category. Questions related to professional practice issues comprise 5% of the exam. In addition, up to 20% of the exam may be related to general surgical topics. The specific percentage allocations may vary slightly on exams.
How long does the PANCE typically last?
Each 60-question block in the PANCE lasts for 60 minutes. There is a total of 45 minutes allotted for breaks between blocks, as well as a 15-minute tutorial prior to the examination. That brings the total duration of the exam to 360 minutes.
What is the passing grade needed for the PANCE?
Each question in the PANCE can yield either a 1 (correct) or a 0 (wrong) — you get 1 point for each correct answer and nothing for wrong or unanswered questions. The test-makers have a complex system of weighting the questions based on difficulty to produce a scaled score from the raw score. Your scaled score will be somewhere between 200 and 800, and NCCPA will tell you whether your score is high enough to pass. The details, if any, will be available to you when you see your exam results.
How many times can you take the PANCE?
PA graduates have up to six attempts in six years to pass the exam and may take the exam once in any 90 day period or 3 times in a given year.
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What is a Physician or a Surgeon?
Six Questions to Ask Yourself When Picking a Career as a Physician or a Surgeon
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The Steps to Becoming a Physician or a Surgeon and Taking the MCAT
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text:
Hapoel Ramat Gan Giv'atayim F.C. é uma equipe israelita de futebol com sede em Ramat Gan e Givatayim. Disputa a primeira divisão de Israel (Campeonato Israelense de Futebol).

Seus jogos são mandados no Estádio Ramat Gan, que possui capacidade para 13.370 espectadores.

História

Inicio
O clube foi fundado em 1927 durante a era do Mandato por colonos judeus em Ramat Gan. Após a independência, o clube foi colocado na primeira divisão.

Depois de uma série de acabamentos meio da tabela, eles foram relegados para a segunda divisão em 1959-60 depois de terminar de fundo. Em 1962-63, o clube foi promovido de volta à primeira divisão, e seguiu-o, tornando-se a primeira equipa a vencer o campeonato em sua primeira temporada após a promoção. O campeonato-winning contra Hapoel Petah Tikva foi assistido por público recorde de 9000 do clube. No entanto, esse sucesso provou ser seu apogeu, como eles foram ultrapassados pelos rivais da cidade Hakoah que foram campeões na temporada seguinte, e foi rebaixado ao final da temporada 1968-69.

Anos 80
O início de 1980 foi uma época de yo-yo, como o clube foi promovido e imediatamente rebaixado duas vezes em sucessão 1979-80 a 1982-83. Em 1988-1989 eles ganharam a promoção novamente, mas novamente foi rebaixado imediatamente, sendo este o seu último período de tempo na primeira divisão.

Até o final da década de 1990, o clube tinha afundado Liga Artzit, da terceira divisão, embora eles fizeram pegar alguns pratas ao vencer a Copa do Toto para as equipes da terceira divisão em 1999-2000. Na mesma temporada, eles foram promovidos de volta para a segunda divisão.

Em 2002-03, Hapoel Ramat Gan tornou-se o primeiro time de fora da primeira divisão para ganhar a Copa do Estado, quando bateu o Hapoel Beer Sheva 5-4 nos pênaltis após um empate 1-1. A vitória também significou o clube se classificou para a Copa da UEFA.

Hapoel foram sacados contra Levski Sofia da Bulgária na primeira rodada. No entanto, por causa de uma proibição da UEFA sobre jogos em Israel no tempo (devido à situação de segurança), o clube teve que jogar sua partida em casa em Dunajská Streda, na Eslováquia. A "casa" jogo atraiu uma multidão de cerca de 300, e Hapoel perdeu o empate 5-0 no placar agregado (1-0, 4-0).

Na temporada seguinte, os custos de jogar na Europa ea perda de muitos dos melhores jogadores viram o clube de acabamento inferior da tabela, o que resultou em rebaixamento de volta para o terceiro nível. A dedução de 9 pontos para as questões financeiras no início da temporada 2005-06, resultou em mais uma temporada de luta, com o clube terminar um lugar acima rebaixamento. A temporada seguinte, ganhou o campeonato, e foi promovido de volta à Liga Leumit.

Em 2008-09, o clube foi promovido à Premier League israelense.

Anos 2010
No final dos jogos regulares de 2009/2010 temporada, a equipe foi classificada em 11 º lugar, mas depois de virar meia sistema de pontos compensar diversos problemas de gestão é baixo para 14 lugar, prometendo apenas o jogo de playoff da liga restantes contra Hapoel Kfar Saba 0-1 depois aumentada. Verão de 2010 foi caracterizado pela incerteza econômica seguintes obrigações financeiras profissionais. Em 30 de junho, o proprietário Yaron Koris anunciou que a equipa vai continuar a jogar depois de as obrigações de cobertura por seus patrocinadores, e que ele deixa o grupo depois de quatro anos. Gestão do grupo foi transferido para o grupo de gestão liderada por Shahar Ben Ami deu Datner. Além disso, Yuval Naim saiu depois de cinco anos como treinador e foi substituído por Shlomi Dora. Em 15 de novembro de 2010, Dora foi demitido como devido ao ranking liga as equipas no último lugar na Premier League israelense por um longo tempo. Ele foi substituído por Zvika Zemach. e agora gerida por Freddy David, que levou a equipe a vencer a Copa do Leumit troféu Toto em 2011.

Hapoel Ramat Gan terminou a temporada regular 2010-11, na parte inferior da Divisão Premier israelense, com apenas oito pontos - dezessete pontos atrás do penultimately colocado Bnei Sakhnin. Eles já haviam sido deduzido quatro pontos devido a dobrar os contratos com os jogadores e funcionários em relação ao ano anterior. Eles, então, terminou no pé do mini-mesa de Play-Offs inferior e assim foram relegados para a Liga Leumit juntamente com Hapoel Ashkelon.

Em 2012-13, foram relegados da Premier League e ainda ganhou sua segunda Copa do Estado, ao derrotar Hapoel Ironi Kiryat Shmona 4-2 nos pênaltis após um empate 1-1.

Ligações externas
<...>

Hapoel Ramat Gan Givatayim

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Jequerity
Abrus precatorius, known commonly as jequerity, [or jequirity], Crab's eye, rosary pea, precatory pea or bean, John Crow Bead, Indian licorice, Akar Saga, gidee gidee or Jumbie bead in Trinidad & Tobago, is a slender, perennial climber that twines around trees, shrubs, and hedges.
It is a legume with long, pinnate-leafleted leaves.
The plant is best known in general for its seeds, which are used as beads and in percussion instruments, but these are toxic due to the presence of Abrin. What is perhaps lesser known is the uses to which the leaves and plant as a whole are put in, for example, Ayurvedic medicine.
The plant is native to India and grows in tropical and subtropical areas of the world where it has been introduced. "It has a tendency to become weedy and invasive where it has been introduced".
Dr Duke's list of Plants with Antiadenovirus Activity 018303
Dr Duke's list of Plants with Antiasthmatic Activity 018412
Dr Duke's list of Plants with Anticataract activity 018378
Dr Duke's list of Plants with Antidiptheric activity 018396
Dr Duke's list of Plants with Antiherpetic activity 018391
Dr Duke's list of Plants with AntiMRSA activity 018379
Dr Duke's list of Plants with Antitetanic activity 018401
Dr Dukes list of plants with high concentrations of Estrogenic activity 017914

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: bad interpreter error while executing cron job using cpanel the cpanel was using 2.3 python verion, but my script need the 2.6 at least so i installed python 2.6.2 and added this #!/usr/bin/python.2.6.2 line at top of my script to point to newly installed python. but i am getting following error when cron job runs.
/bin/sh: /home/somme_user/public_html/xml_feed/cron_job_wod.py: /usr/bin/python.2.6.2: bad interpreter: Permission denied

is this is permissions error on folder? or cpanel is not recognising the interpreter?
if this is permission error then i have check my permission on folder and it is 777 means read, write and execute.
so where is problem?

A: Your installed python (not the .py file) is not marked executable.
sudo chmod a+x /usr/bin/python.2.6.2

should fix that.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
\section*{Nomenclature}
\begin{IEEEdescription}[\IEEEusemathlabelsep\IEEEsetlabelwidth{$\overline{P}_g$ ($\underline{P}_g$) $\in$ $\mathbb{R}^{N_g}$}]
\item[$N_l$, $N_b$] Number of power lines and buses in operation
\item[$M$] Number of segments representing each load duration curve
\item[$N_i$, $K$] Number of scenarios representing each segment and total number of scenarios
\item[$\underline{\alpha}$ ($\overline{\alpha}$)] Minimum (maximum) loading level
\item[$\underline{\alpha}_i$ ($\overline{\alpha}_i$)] Minimum (maximum) loading level for segment $i$
\item[$p_i=w_i$] Occurrence probability of a segment
\item[$x_0$  $\in$ $\mathbb{R}^{N_l}$] Vector of initial line inductances
\item[$\overline{P}_G$ ($\underline{P}_G$) $\in$ $\mathbb{R}^{N_b}$] Vector of maximum (minimum) active power generator outputs
\item[$\overline{Q}_G$ ($\underline{Q}_G$) $\in$ $\mathbb{R}^{N_b}$] Vector of maximum (minimum) reactive power generator outputs
\item[$P_{D_0}$ ($Q_{D_0}$) $\in$ $\mathbb{R}^{N_b}$] Vector of active (reactive) power demands
\item[$\overline{S}$ $\in$ $\mathbb{R}^{2 N_l}$] Vector of line apparent power limits
\item[$\overline{V}$ ($\underline{V}$) $\in$ $\mathbb{R}^{N_b}$] Vector of maximum (minimum) allowed voltages
\item[$C_{SC}$ $\in$ $\mathbb{R}$] Cost per Ohm of a series FACTS device
\item[$C_{SVC}$ $\in$ $\mathbb{R}$] Cost per MVAr of a shunt FACTS device
\item[$N_y$ $\in$ $\mathbb{R}$] Service period of the system
\item[$l^0$ $\in$ $\mathbb{R}^{2 N_b}$] Vector of active and reactive loads for the base configuration

\item[$V$, $\theta$ $\in$ $\mathbb{R}^{N_b}$] Vectors of bus voltages and phases
\item[$P_G$ $(Q_G)$ $\in$ $\mathbb{R}^{N_b}$] Vector of generator active (reactive) power injections
\item[$x$ $\in$ $\mathbb{R}^{N_l}$] Vector of line inductances
\item[$\Delta x$ $\in$ $\mathbb{R}^{N_l}$] Vector of series FACTS settings
\item[$\Delta Q$ $\in$ $\mathbb{R}^{N_b}$] Vector of shunt FACTS settings
\item[$\overline{\Delta x}$ $\in$ $\mathbb{R}^{N_l}$] Vector of series FACTS capacities
\item[$\overline{\Delta Q}$ $\in$ $\mathbb{R}^{N_b}$] Vector of shunt FACTS capacities
\end{IEEEdescription}

\IEEEpeerreviewmaketitle

\section{Introduction}
\IEEEPARstart{E}{lectricity} sector has been decentralized in many parts of the world in order to increase competition among market players. Different stakeholders are responsible for generation, transmission and distribution of electricity. However, the transmission sector is still a monopoly which is owned and/or managed by the so-called Transmission System Operator (TSO).

Deregulation and massive installation of new resources, such as wind and solar, force power system to operate in the constrained regimes close to operational limits. When the system becomes constrained the transmission capacity needs to be expanded in order to provide committed services \cite{ref1}. However, expansion of the transmission network is severely limited through social and environmental constraints, e.g. in Europe. In this manuscript we discuss the option of upgrading power transmission by placing and sizing Flexible Alternating Current Transmission System (FACTS) devices.

FACTS devices are known to be very effective in increasing transmission capacity and improving power system stability. However, their types, locations and capacities must be allocated properly in order to exploit their benefits. A number of alternative formulations for optimal placement and sizing of FACTS have been  proposed \cite{ref2,ref3,ref4,ref5,ref6}. In particular, \cite{ref4,ref8,ref19} and \cite{ref2,ref6} have focused on minimizing the operational  cost and the investment cost \cite{ref2,ref6}, while \cite{ref3,ref8} and \cite{ref7,ref8,ref11,ref18} aimed at reducing the transmission losses and increasing the power system loadability. Finally, the objectives of \cite{ref12}, \cite{ref6} and \cite{ref5,ref18} were reduction of the load curtailment, and improvement of voltage profile and voltage stability index. Mathematical formulations were, typically, made in terms of the Mixed Integer Non-Linear Programming (MINLP). Sensitivity analysis \cite{ref12,ref13}, relaxation and/or decomposition to Mixed Integer linear Programming (MILP) \cite{ref16} and genetic algorithms \cite{ref9,ref10,ref14,ref21} were used  to resolve the MINLPs. The sensitivity based methods would be very efficient in solving large scale problems in which few indicators are calculated in order to identify the most critical lines and/or buses which may have significant effects of placing FACTS devices. However, such methods cannot optimize device locations, required installed capacities of the devices and the number of devices required. Genetic algorithms are advantageous for finding global optimal solutions but suffer from extremely slow convergence. Relaxation techniques, utilized to convert MINLP to MILP \cite{ref17}, suffers from the lack of approximation control, while decomposition techniques,  consisting in substitution of  the original MINLP by a sequence of MILPs, leads to an impractically large hierarchies. Main problem with all these exact approaches boils down to their pure scaling performance -- it is typically hopeless to resolve models consisting of even a few dozens of nodes,  not to mention thousands nodes large models of practical significance. Typical way to resolve this computational issue is by relaying on  approximation techniques simplifying modeling of the the line flows \cite{ref6} or substituting AC power flow modeling by DC modeling \cite{ref16}. Unfortunately the methods lucks approximation guarantees thus making them impractical for realistic problems of planning and installation. Let us also mention that installation of a FACTS devices will acquire a significant installation cost even for devices with small installed capacities, thus suggesting that one is interested in solution(s) with sparse placement \cite{ref17,ref22,ref23}.

Inspired by the prior research this manuscript proposes an alternative scalable and AC-based approach to optimal placement and sizing of a sufficiently small number of FACTS devices into transmission grid.  Highlights of our approach, extending and generalizing our prior work based on the DC description \cite{ref22,ref23},  are as follows:

\begin{enumerate}
\item Optimal placement is resolved incorporating into the optimization framework investment and operational variables simultaneously. Installed capacities of FACTS are additional degrees of freedom which are adjusted along with the operational variables. In other words, placement is resolved by taking into account the operational awareness.

\item Capital and operational expenditures are optimized simultaneously. Main advantage of this approach, which to the best of our knowledge was not discussed in the literature before,  is that the resulting optimal investment leads to a greater reduction of the operational costs providing additional long-term benefits.

\item Multiple loading scenarios are considered. Scenarios are generated as samples of a probability distribution associated with projected load curves representing seasonal and daily variations. This is in contrast with the existing literature approach accounting for a single (usually worst) scenario, thus resulting in an installation of an expensive device with unclear role in other cases. Our approach, instead, finds a single installation (locations and capacities) resolving multiple problems (e.g. overloads, congestion, voltage problems) associated with a multitude of possible scenarios. Also the optimal settings (within the installed capacities, distinct for different scenarios) are discovered.

\item A novel optimization heuristic algorithm accounting for the full AC model is developed. The algorithm consists in a sequential evaluation till convergence (within the preset tolerance) and it includes at each step two sub-steps. The first sub-step is an analytic linearization of the basic AC formulas (nonlinear power flow equations and nonlinear line constraints) resulting in a Quadratic Programming (QP) formulation finding investment variables and operational settings for all scenarios. The second sub-step consists in solving the AC PF for each scenario thus updating states found at the first sub-step.

\item The algorithm resolving multiple loading scenarios scales  well, i.e. it is capable of finding optimal solution for thousands node large realistic transmission models in a computationally acceptable time. Moreover,  the resulting solution produces either optimal or at least a feasible upper bound with a relatively small gap.

\end{enumerate}

The rest of the manuscript is organized as follows. We set up our optimization framework for finding optimal location of FACTS devices in Section \ref{sec:optimization}. Algorithm resolving the optimization is explained in Section \ref{sec:algorithm}. Our numerical experiments and results are described and discussed in Section \ref{sec:experiment} and Section \ref{sec:planning}. Conclusions and path forward are presented in Section \ref{sec:conclusions}. Three Appendixes provides details on the transmission line $\pi$-modeling \ref{sec:transmission_modeling}, design of the operational load scenarios \ref{sec:scenarios} and procedure for choosing generation configuration to initialize the algorithm \ref{sec:init_gen}.

\section{Optimization framework for finding optimal location of FACTS devices}
\label{sec:optimization}

In this Section we, first, state the problem of finding optimal location and sizing of FACTS devices, and then explain the challenges of
solving the resulting non-linear optimization.

The optimization problem of interest is stated as follows:
\begin{eqnarray}
 &\min_{\overline{\triangle x}, \overline{\triangle Q}, y^{(a)}}  & C_{SC}  \norm{\overline{\Delta x}}_1 + C_{SVC} \norm{\overline{\Delta Q}}_1 \nonumber\\ && + N_{y}\sum_{a=1..K}T_a C_a(P^{(a)})	\label{OPT}
\end{eqnarray}
subject to:
\begin{align}
& y^{(a)} = (x,V, \theta, P, Q)^{(a)}	&	\forall a	\label{c20}	\\
& x^{(a)}=x_0^{(a)}+\triangle x^{(a)} & \forall a	\label{c2}\\
& P_G^{(a)} = P_{D_0}^{(a)} + P^{(a)}	& \forall a	\label{ac} \\
& Q_G^{(a)} = Q_{D_0}^{(a)} + Q^{(a)} + \Delta Q^{(a)}	& \forall a		\label{reac} \\
& P_i^{(a)} = \sum_{j\sim i}{\Re(S_{ij}^{(a)})}=AP_i & \forall i, a	\label{acinj}		\\
& Q_i^{(a)} = \sum_{j\sim i}{\Im(S_{ij}^{(a)})}=RP_i &	\forall i, a	\label{reacinj}		\\
& \underline{P}_G^{(a)}  \leq P_G^{(a)} \leq \overline{P}_G^{(a)}	&	\forall a \label{c8} \\
& \underline{Q}_G^{(a)}  \leq Q_G^{(a)} \leq \overline{Q}_G^{(a)}	&	\forall a \label{cc8}\\
& -\overline{\triangle x} \leq \triangle x^{(a)} \leq \overline{\triangle x} &	\forall a \label{c4}\\
& -\overline{\triangle Q} \leq \triangle Q^{(a)} \leq \overline{\triangle Q} & \forall a \label{c5} \\
& \underline{V}^{(a)} \leq V^{(a)} \leq \overline{V}^{(a)}	&	\forall a \label{c6}		\\
& [\Re(S)^{(a)}]^{T}[\Re(S)^{(a)}]+[\Im(S)^{(a)}]^{T}[\Im(S)^{(a)}]& \nonumber\\
& \leq (\overline{S}^{(a)})^2 & \forall a \label{c9}
\end{align}
Variables with bars on the top represent capacities of the newly installed Series Capacitors (SCs) and Static Var Compensators (SVCs). Both capacities and respective operational values are among the decision variables,  where the latter (operational values) are constrained by capacities.

The objective function in \eqref{OPT} consists of three terms. The first two terms \cite{ref22,ref23} express the capital investment costs of the installation of the two types of FACTS devices. Guided by the key message from the field of compressed sensing \cite{06Don}, we choose the $l_1$ norm representation for the investment terms to promote sparsity of the FACTS placements. The third term in the objective stands for the operational cost. Here the summation is over $K$ scenarios  accounting for occurrence probabilities of the scenarios ($T_a$) multiplied by the number of service years. Including multiple scenarios over the multi-year time-horizon we thus consider here an operational aware planning.

The constraints supplementing Eq.~(\ref{OPT}) are as follows.
\eqref{c20} describes the state of the system for a given operational scenario. \eqref{c2} bounds actual line inductances, which are adjusted according to the operational value (per scenario) of the installed series compensation devices. The operational limits are set according to the respective installed capacities, represented by \eqref{c4}. \eqref{ac} and \eqref{reac} state active and reactive power balance at every bus of the network. Elements of vectors $P_G$ ($Q_G$) and $P_{D_0}$ ($Q_{D_0}$) are zeros for buses which contain neither generators no loads. \eqref{acinj} and \eqref{reacinj} represent the net active ($P \in \mathbb{R}^{N_b}$) and reactive ($Q \in \mathbb{R}^{N_b}$) power injections at the system buses. The term $\Delta Q$ stands for the scenario-dependent SVC shunt compensation constrained by the respective installed capacities in accordance with \eqref{c5}. Limits on active and reactive power generation are expressed by \eqref{c8} and \eqref{cc8}. \eqref{c6} and \eqref{c9} define the voltage and thermal line flow constraints. Here $S_{ij}^{(a)}=S_f^{(a)}$ if $i$ is \enquote{from} end of a line and $S_{ij}^{(a)}=S_t^{(a)}$ if $i$ is \enquote{to} end of a line. (See Appendix \ref{sec:transmission_modeling} for details and nomenclature of the $\pi$-line modeling used in this manuscript.)

Notice that nonlinearity and nonconvexity of the constraints \eqref{ac}, \eqref{reac}, \eqref{acinj}, \eqref{reacinj} and \eqref{c9} constitute the main challenge for solving the optimization efficiently. Available non-linear solvers, such as IPOPT \cite{IPOPT}, scale badly (exponentially) with increase in the problem size, thus making the tool useless for optimizations over realistic, thousands node large, transmission networks.

To complete the optimization problem formulation one needs to describe how the representative load scenarios are defined. Each of $K$ scenarios, indexed by $a$ in Eqs.~(\ref{OPT}-\ref{c9}), should characterize different loading configurations with occurrence probability. The scenarios may include sampled (typical) configurations and/or contingency (rare) configurations representing different loading regimes. In principle, choosing scenarios appropriate for the optimization (\ref{OPT}) of a grid-model is a stand alone task.  In this manuscript we choose to generate scenarios from the so-called Load Duration (LD) curve \cite{ref24}. Scenario generation procedure is explained in Appendix \ref{sec:scenarios}.

\section{The Algorithm}
\label{sec:algorithm}

This Section describes the algorithm which allows us to resolve, in spite of its complexity, the optimization problem just stated. Our algorithm consists of the following steps:
\begin{enumerate}
\item Scenarios are generated. (In this manuscript we use the scenario generation scheme based on the LD curve concept. See Appendix \ref{sec:scenarios} for details.)
\item Generation configuration is initialized (for each scenario) according to scheme explained in Appendix \ref{sec:init_gen}.
\item If some of the constraints \eqref{c2}-\eqref{c9} are violated the initial state of the system is outside of the feasible domain defined by them. The non-linear constraints \eqref{acinj}, \eqref{reacinj} and \eqref{c9} are linearized around the current state. This allows to construct current linearized version of the non-linear optimization problem \eqref{OPT}-\eqref{c9}.
\item The resulting linearized problem is solved by QP using the interior point algorithm of the CPLEX solver \cite{CPLEX}.
\item AC power flow (AC-PF) is solved to update the state obtained at the previous step.  This step is needed to prepare a feasible solution for the next iteration.
\item Steps 2-5 are repeated till either no constraints remain violated or the target precision is reached or the maximum allowed number of iterations is reached.
\end{enumerate}
It is important to emphasize that, by construction, the algorithm maintains a feasible physical states at each iteration of the algorithm main loop including linearization, solution of the current QP optimization and back projection onto non-linear power balance equations.

Below we present details of the main steps of the algorithm.

\subsection{Linearization}
Each scenario acts as the input to this part of the optimization heuristics. The operational state for each scenario can be represented as:
\begin{equation}
y^{(a)} = (x,V,\theta,P,Q)^{(a)}
\end{equation}
For each scenario, Eq.~\eqref{c9} is linearized as follows
\begin{equation}
F_{pre}^{(a)} + \nabla F^{(a)} (y^{(a)} - y_{pre}^{(a)}) \leq (\overline{S}^{(a)})^2
\end{equation}
Similarly equations \eqref{acinj} and \eqref{reacinj} for each scenario can be linearized as:
\begin{align}
&\nabla (P-AP)^{(a)} (y^{(a)}-y_{pre}^{(a)}) = 0	\\
&\nabla (Q-RP)^{(a)} (y^{(a)}-y_{pre}^{(a)}) = 0
\end{align}
The linearization is performed around the current state $y_{pre}^{(a)}$. Operational variables are adjusted independently for each scenario \footnote{The values of compensation of the installed devices can be different for each scenario. In this way, flexibility of the device utilization is taken into account.}. However, the capacity limits of the devices stay the same (common) for all of the scenarios.

Given that all controllable parameters of the system are adjustable/flexible results in degeneracy of the linearized problem. To fix the degeneracy we take advantage of the flexibility associated with redistributing controllable voltages, active and reactive powers. Specifically, we introduce the following soft controllable constraint for reactive power dispatch at each QP step
\begin{equation}
|Q_G^{(a)} - Q_{G_{pre}}^{(a)} | \leq \epsilon
\end{equation}
The constraint is added to Eqs.~\eqref{OPT}-\eqref{c9}.

\subsection{Solving the QP problem}
We utilize the standard QP solver of CPLEX. Outputs of this step include operational variables for each scenario along with investment variables $\overline{\triangle x}$ and $\overline{\triangle Q}$. Notice that here we are taking advantage of very powerful solvers designed in recent decade to solve convex optimization problems with linear constraints.

\subsection{Resolving AC-PF}
The obtained solution from the solver does not correspond to a solution of the actual power balance equations. Hence the AC-PF step is added to maintain a valid/feasible power AC-PF solution at each step of the algorithm.

Overall, the steps described above allow to maintain solution and  resolve contingencies of the system gracefully.

\section{Numerical Experiments: methodology justification }
\label{sec:experiment}

Developed approach is illustrated on examples of the IEEE 30-bus and the 2736-bus Polish models, both available through the Matpower \cite{matpower} software package. The simulations are performed on Core i7 2600K@4GHz PC with 24 GBs of system memory. Matlab and Julia implementations which are comparable in performance are used.

\subsection{IEEE 30-bus model}
\label{subsec:30experiment}

In this Section the advantage of including operational variables and optimizing expected value of operational cost as an objective along with the investment cost is emphasized. We also illustrate optimality and scalability of the developed heuristics by comparing our algorithm performance with performance of the IPOPT when it is used as a state-of-the-art brute force solver.

\paragraph{Necessity of including operational variables in determining FACTS placement}
First, let us clarify importance of optimizing operational variables simultaneously with the investment variables.
The following simulation is performed to demonstrate the actual benefit of the combined use of the capacity and scenario variables:
The base-case system load is increased uniformly by 5~\% which leads to OPF infeasibility. Operational cost is not optimized for now ($N_y=0$ in Eq.~\eqref{OPT}). The initial state of the generation (needed to initialize the algorithm) is defined by the 1st method described in Appendix \ref{sec:init_gen}. Then we compare the two solutions.  One is the actual solution of our algorithm with all degrees of freedom available for the optimization. The second solution is constrained by  the same (fixed) generation dispatch (the initial value). Table \ref{tab3} details the comparison. Significance of accounting for additional available degrees of freedom is obvious. We find out that while the algorithm is able to find feasible solution in  both cases the investment cost is  7.5 times smaller in the adjustable case.

\begin{table}[h!]
\caption{Monetary advantage of considering operational variables, illustrated on the IEEE 30-bus model.}
\centering
\begin{tabu} to \columnwidth { | X[c] | X[c] | X[c] | X[c] | X[c] |}
\hline
 Oper. variables & SVC cap. (MVAr) & SC cap. (\% of init x) & Invest. cost (\$) & Oper. cost (\$/hour)\\
\hline
Fixed & 6.936 (3 SVCs) & 38 (1 SC) & 415930.29 & 614.05  \\
\hline
Free & 1.112 (1 SVC)& 0 (0 SCs) & 55765.71  & 698.24 \\

\hline
\end{tabu}
\label{tab3}
\end{table}

\paragraph{Importance of including operational cost in the objective function}

One important point we would like to illustrate on the IEEE 30-bus model is that
combining the operational cost and the investment cost in the optimization objective is the only way for making the optimization relevant to practical planning. Indeed, keeping only the investment cost produces operationally expensive solutions, while keeping only the operational cost will generate expensive (and also not sparse) installations. Our methodology takes into account both the investment and operational costs.

To the best of our knowledge only the investment cost is accounted for in the available literature devoted to placement of FACTS devices.  In order to mimic this standard approach (also accounting for only a single worst case operational scenario) we set the optimization horizon  to zero, $N_y=0$, in Eq.~\eqref{OPT} for the ``standard" approach.

\begin{table}[h!]
\caption{Monetary advantages of adding the operational cost to the optimization objective for IEEE 30-bus model.}
\centering
\begin{tabu} to \columnwidth { | X[c] | X[c] | X[c] | X[c] | X[c] | }
\hline
 Plan. horizon ($N_y$) &  Invest. cost (\$) & Oper. cost (\$/hour) &  Total cost (10 years, M\$) & Difference (\%) \\
\hline
0 & 55618.76 & 698.24 & 61.722 & 14.6  \\
\hline
1 &   121838.27 & 616.25 & 55.202 & 2.49  \\
\hline
10 &   249245.37  & 611.98 & 53.858 & 0.0 \\

\hline
\end{tabu}
\label{tab4}
\end{table}

Table \ref{tab4} illustrates significance of accounting for the operational cost in the optimization. The other two solutions found for $N_y=1$ and $N_y=10$ take operational cost into account. Single extreme load configuration is considered (correspondent to a 5\% increase of the load in the base case). We observe that an additional small investment of 200k$\$$ allows to save 14.6$\%$ of total cost when 10 years horizon is considered. The conclusion here is that in practice accounting for the operational cost in the planning problem is significant. Properly installed FACTS allows not only to resolve infeasibility of loading configuration but also to reduce the generation cost thus producing lasting long-term benefits.

\paragraph{Optimality}

In order to verify performance of our heuristics a single scenario (base case overloaded by 5$\%$) is considered and the results are compared with a standard non-linear solver IPOPT. Optimization horizon is taken to be 1 year. Table \ref{tab2} shows comparison of our heuristics with the brute-force IPOPT. We observe that (as expected) our heuristics produces a very tight upper bound for the exact solution with values of the objective function and structure of the solution which are very close to the exact values.

\begin{table}[h!]
\caption{Comparison of the proposed heuristics with the brute-force IPOPT solution for the IEEE 30-bus model}
\centering
\begin{tabu} to \columnwidth { | X[c] | X[c] | X[c] | X[c] | X[c] |}
\hline
Solver & Bus number & Calculated cap. (MVAr) & Investment cost (k\$) & Total cost (k\$) \\
\hline
IPOPT & 8 & 2.436 & 121.80 & 5520.094  \\
\hline
Our algorithm & 8 & 2.437 & 121.84  & 5520.159 \\

\hline
\end{tabu}
\label{tab2}
\end{table}

\paragraph{Scalability}

To study how the algorithm scales with the number of scenarios we pick the base-case, increase all loads by $5\%$, and generate $K$ scenarios by the Gaussian sampling procedure of Eqs.~(\ref{Gauss}-\ref{Gauss-p}), where the re-scaled base-case load stands for $l_0$.
Scaling analysis of our algorithm solving the resulting optimization is illustrated in Fig.~\ref{timee_30}.

\begin{figure}[h!]
\begin{center}
\resizebox{0.8\columnwidth}{!}{
\input{time_30.tex}}
\caption{Computational time comparison for 30 bus system.}
\label{timee_30}
\end{center}
\end{figure}

We observe that our algorithms handles increasing number of scenarios very efficiently solving formulations with large number of scenarios in time which is linear in the number of scenarios (blue line).  Performance of the brut-force IPOPT solver (shown as thick red line in Fig.~\ref{timee_30}) is much worse.

\subsection{2736-bus Polish model}

In this Subsection we extend analysis of our algorithm to the Polish grid - which a practical size transmission model available as a part of the Matpower package \cite{matpower}. We will follow the same story-line as the one tested above on the 30-bus model.

\paragraph{Necessity of including operational variables in determining FACTS placement}

The setting for the experiment is the same as used in the case of the 30 bus model. We consider a single scenario correspondent to a normal operational state (the base-case taken from  \cite{matpower}) with all the loads re-scaled up by $5~\%$. Generation dispatch is defined by 2nd procedure from Appendix \ref{sec:init_gen}. Table \ref{tab5} illustrates the results. (See Section \ref{subsec:30experiment} for detailed discussion of the experimental setting, related terminology and nomenclature.) The results confirm the conclusions drawn above for the case of the 30 bus model --  operational variables should be taken into account as ignoring these leads to significant increase in the investment cost or even can cause infeasibility of resolving highly loaded configurations.

\begin{table}[h!]
\caption{Monetary advantage of considering operational variables for 2736-bus Polish system.}
\centering
\begin{tabu} to \columnwidth { | X[c] | X[c] | X[c] |}
\hline
 Oper. variables  & Investment cost (\$) & Operational cost (\$/hour) \\
\hline
Fixed  & 916616.1 & 1884214.9  \\
\hline
Free   & 187869.6  & 1950027.2 \\

\hline
\end{tabu}
\label{tab5}
\end{table}

\paragraph{Necessity of including operational cost into objective function}

We take the normal operation base-case solution,  re-scale all loads up by $5\%$, and juxtapose optimizations with or without including the operational cost into objective.
The comparison is made for the total cost accumulated in 10 years. We observe that the total cost difference between the 0 year case (the operational cost is ignored) and the 10 years case is 2.6$\%$ which is accumulates into 4330 M$\$$ of the total cast saving, while the additional investment (installation) cost is only 550k$\$$. The numbers clearly supports our main hypothesis: installation is advantageous and including the operation cost into objective is mandatory for practical grid extension planning.

\paragraph{Scalability}

Fig.~\ref{timee_pol} shows how the computational time of the algorithm scales with increase in the number of the scenarios.

\begin{figure}[h!]
\begin{center}
\resizebox{0.8\columnwidth}{!}{
\input{pol.tex}}
\caption{Computational time vs the number of scenarios for Polish model.}
\label{timee_pol}
\end{center}
\end{figure}

We test a number of cases ranging from a single scenario to 16 scenarios.  The brute-force IPOPT fails to solve the Polish model case even with a single scenario. Our algorithm solves the most challenging case of 16 scenarios in 17500 sec. We deduce from Fig.~(\ref{timee_pol}) that the computational time grows polynomially as {$O(K^3)$}, suggesting that our algorithm is truly practical/scalable.

Note that the {$O(K^3)$ scaling is still slower than the linear-scaling behavior observed in the 30-bus model.  We conjecture that the better performance observed in the 30-bus model may be related to either the fact that the Polish system is denser,  thus requiring to linearize large number of PF equations, or it is simply due to a worse scaling of the QP solver performance in the Polish model case. More detailed analysis of the scaling is a subject for further work.

\section{Numerical Experiments: Multiple-Scenarios-Aware Long-term Planning}
\label{sec:planning}

In this Section we apply the new methodology and the algorithm, discussed in the preceding Sections, to analysis of the comprehensive multiple-scenario-aware long-term planning setting.  To generate the scenarios and initialize the algorithm we utilize methods discussed in Appendix \ref{sec:scenarios} and Appendix \ref{sec:init_gen} respectively. In all experiments discussed below the planning horizon is chosen to be 10 years.

\subsection{IEEE 30-bus system}
16 scenarios per LD curve were generated (160 total). The annual increase factor, $\beta$, is set to 1.5\% a year. The resulting optimal solution is shown in Fig.~\ref{fig:10yearsLDcurveInvestCase30}. We observe that our algorithm installs FACTS devices efficiently and sparsely,  thus resolving successful otherwise imminent (observed for a significant portion of the 160 scenarios) AC-OPF infeasibility.   Optimal solution consists of installation of an SVC device at bus 8 with the capacity of 5.78~MVAr and installation of an SC device at the line between buses 6 and 8 with the capacity increase in 1~\%. The proposed investment is 30k$\$$ resulting in the average saving of 1.8~\$ per hour.

\begin{figure}[h!]
\centering
\includegraphics[width=0.8\columnwidth]{10yearsLDcurveInvestCase30_3.png}
\caption{Optimal solution for 10 years of planing in the case of 30 bus model. Loads - yellow circles; gens - squares; blue dashed line - line with installed SC which was overloaded initially for some scenarios; green dot - node where an SVC is installed. Voltage levels are shown in PU, capacities of SVCs and SCs are shown in MVar and in $\%$ of initial line inductance.
\label{fig:10yearsLDcurveInvestCase30}}
\end{figure}

\subsection{2736-bus Polish system}
This experiment is done with 16 sampled scenarios (2 out of 16 are AC-OPF infeasible) for the 10 year horizon and with assumed yearly loading growth (factor $\beta$) of 0.5~\%. The optimal investment found is shown in Fig.~\ref{fig:10yearsLDcurveInvestPol} (coding of loads and gens is the same). The algorithm outputs solution resulting in installation of 2 SCs and 1 SVC FACTS devices to resolve infeasibility of some of the samples. Average congestion cost for the sampled scenarios is 5738~\$/hour and the average generation cost saving received is 3369~\$/hour. The solution is sparse and non-local (new FACTS are installed sufficiently far away from nodes and lines where the initial congestion was observed).

\begin{figure} [h!]
\centering
\includegraphics[width=1.0\columnwidth]{10_years16sc_remarked.png}
\caption{Optimal solution for 10 years of planning in the case of the Polish model. Red dashed lines - initially overloaded at some scenarios. Two built SCs are shown by thin green lines. Green big dot illustrates SVC device. SVC: 3.3 MVar, SCs: 14.4$\%$, 70.4$\%$ (left to right).
\label{fig:10yearsLDcurveInvestPol}}
\end{figure}

\section{Conclusion}
\label{sec:conclusions}

In this manuscript, a new optimization framework for placement and sizing of FACTS devices is proposed. The approach takes into account AC PF equations. The most important features of the newly developed framework include, \textbf{scalability} of the algorithm, allowing to resolve congestion over practical (thousands of buses) size transmission systems, and also principal ability of the algorithm to \textbf{resolve multiple scenarios simultaneously}. The optimization can also be considered as generalizing the standard AC-OPF: it seeks for a balance between \textbf{installation} and \textbf{operations}.  The optimization objective includes the cost of operations over an extended time horizon as well as the cost of installation of the FACTS devices, represented in the form of an $l_1$ norm to promote \textbf{sparsity} of the solutions. Optimization variables included capacities of the the FACTS devices and respective operational values associated with each scenario, where the latter are bounded by the former.

The algorithm was tested in different regimes on a mid size model (30 bus IEEE) and a realistic size (Polish grid) model. We observe that the output is spatially \textbf{sparse}, i.e. a very small number of FACTS devices is sufficient, and that the output is also \textbf{non-local}, i.e. a typical new installation resolves congestions at multiple locations which can be located rather far from the newly installed devices. It is also observed that under highly loaded conditions FACTS devices are beneficial in reducing the total cost of generation. Optimal installation of the devices helps to resolve infeasibilities that are projected to become even more severe in the future.

Main technical achievement reported in this paper is the development of the algorithm which constitutes an efficient heuristics for solving the non-linear and non-convex optimization. The algorithm is sequential - building a convergent sequence of convex and analytic formulations -- Quadratic Programmings with linear constraints, where  each constraint is represented explicitly through exact/analytic linearization of the original nonlinear constraints  (e.g. representing power balance at nodes and apparent power line limits) over all the degrees of freedom (including FACTS corrections) around the current operational point.

In order to represent uncertainty in the expected growth of the system (loads) we introduce a novel scenario sampling methodology.
It is evident from our experimental results that the approach is of a practical value for planning transmission grid expansion which takes care simultaneously of the growing economy and also resolves emerging congestion. Development of a convenient and flexible web visualization software has became a side benefit of this project.

\appendices

\section{Transmission line modeling}
\label{sec:transmission_modeling}

\begin{figure}[h!]
\centering
\includegraphics[width=0.7\columnwidth]{tr_mod.pdf}
\caption{$\pi$ model of a transmission line \cite{matpower}.
\label{trmod}}
\end{figure}

For the sake of completeness and better understanding of the proposed heuristics we present here a short description of the  transmission line modeling. We utilize the so-called $\pi$-model illustrated in Figure \ref{trmod}. The parameters of the model are the series impedance, $z = r + \myspecial{j} x$, the total charging susceptance $b$, the transformation ratio $\tau$  and the shift angle $\theta_{\mbox{shift}}$. Transformer brakes the symmetry between the \enquote{from} end, positioned next to the transformer, and the \enquote{to} end of the line.

Explicit expressions for apparent powers injected at the \enquote{from} end and the \enquote{to} ends of the line in terms of voltages and phases are:
\begin{eqnarray}
S_{f}(v_{f},\theta_{f},v_{t},\theta_{t},x)=\frac{v_{f}\left(r v_{f}- \tau v_{t}\left( r\cos\Delta+ x \sin\Delta\right)\right)}{\tau^2 l}\nonumber\\
-\myspecial{j} \frac{v_{f}}{2\tau^2 l}\Biggl(v_{f} (-2x+b l)+2\tau v_{t}\left(x \cos\Delta+r \sin\Delta\right))\Biggr) \label{Sf}
\end{eqnarray}
\begin{eqnarray}
S_{t}(v_{f},\theta_{f},v_{t},\theta_{t},x)=\frac{v_{t} \left(r \tau v_{t}-v_{f} (r \cos\Delta+x \sin\Delta)\right)}{\tau^2 l}\nonumber \\
-\myspecial{j}\frac{v_{t}}{2\tau l}\Biggl(\tau v_{t} (-2x+bl)+2v_{f} (x\cos\Delta-r\sin\Delta)\Biggr)\label{St}
\end{eqnarray}
where $\forall i:\quad V_i=v_i e^{{\it \bf j}\theta_i}$, $\Delta = \theta_{f}-\theta_{t}-\theta_{\mbox{shift}}$ and $l=r^2+x^2$.

\section{Generation of scenarios}
\label{sec:scenarios}

The method of scenario generation/sampling is used to include the uncertainty related to system load for the planning period.
Standard power system load growth over the time horizon is modeled via the LD curve. The base LD curve is illustrated in Figure~\ref{fig:LDcurveAppr}.

We use the base LD curve, first, to generate LD curvess for consecutive years, re-scaling the base LD curve by the load growth factor of $0.5\%-1.5\%$ a year. Second, each early LD curve is split into $M$ piece-wise-constant parts. (We choose $M=6$ in our experiments.) Finally,  each piece of an LD curve is used to generate a scenarios according to a random (thus called sampling) procedure described below. This scheme of scenario generation/sampling models variations in the distribution of loads thus  simulating power system behavior during an extended period of time in the future.

\begin{figure}[h!]
\centering
\def0.6\columnwidth{0.6\columnwidth}
\input{LDC.pdf_tex}
\caption{Piece-wise-constant approximation of the LD curve.
\label{fig:LDcurveAppr}}
\end{figure}

We assume (and this assumption is maintained in all of our experimental tests) that each of the generated (sampled) load scenario is ACOPF feasible when the line constraints are ignored. (In other words, we consider the setting when there is enough of generation capacity even for the stressed cases.) Depending on the sampled scenario, 3 situations may arise.
\begin{enumerate}
\item ACOPF is feasible and congestion price is zero (low loading level).
\item ACOPF is feasible and congestion price is positive (higher loading level representing peak conditions).
\item ACOPF is infeasible due to either congestion of lines and/or voltage constraints but the system has enough generation capacity. ACOPF without apparent power limits on lines (and without voltage constraints if infeasible) is feasible (overloaded conditions which are possible in the future).
\end{enumerate}
The aim of planning installation of FACTS devices at the right locations with their corresponding capacities is to reduce generation cost for point 2, and to improve or extend feasibility domain of the system for the point 3. Extra years of service can hence be added to the existing grid by making it more flexible, thereby allowing to delay investments into new lines and generators.

\subsection{Scenarios sampling for each segment}
\label{subsec:scenarios_sampling}

The loading level $\alpha_i$ for a segment $i$ is represented by:
\begin{equation}
\alpha_i=\frac{\overline{\alpha}_i+\underline{\alpha}_i}{2}
\end{equation}
Future loading configurations are obtained from the base case by re-scaling all active and reactive loads by $\alpha_i$ uniformly. The resulting vector of loads for a segment is thus given by:
\begin{eqnarray}
    l_i^0=\alpha_i \times l^0
\end{eqnarray}
Loading configurations are generated, for each segment $i$ and each $j=1..N_i$, through modification of initial $l_i^0$. It is done by adding Gaussian correction to each load with zero expected value and a respective standard deviation:
\begin{eqnarray}
   & & l_i^j = l_i^0 + \mathcal{N}(0, \sigma_{l_i^0})  \label{Gauss}\\
   & & p_i^j = w_i/N_i \quad (\mbox{probability of a given scenario}) \label{Gauss-p}
\end{eqnarray}
where, $\sigma_{l_i^0}$ is given by:
 \begin{align}
  \sigma_{l_i^0}&=\frac{\overline{\alpha}_i-\alpha_i}{\alpha_i} \times l_i^0	\\
	& =\sigma \times l_i^0
 \end{align}
The choice of parameters used in our experimental test to sample the scenarios is described in Table~\ref{fig:ActualLDappr}.

\begin{table} [h!]
\caption{Implementation of the LD curve scheme}
\centering
\begin{tabu} to \columnwidth { | X[c] | X[c] | X[c] | X[c] |}
\hline
$i$ & $w_i$ & $\alpha_i$ & $\sigma$ \\ [0.5ex]
\hline
1 & 5,50 & 0,940 & 0,064 \\
2 & 19,50 & 0,845 & 0,041 \\
3 & 25,00 & 0,775 & 0,045 \\
4 & 25,00 & 0,685 & 0,080 \\
5 & 18,80 & 0,590 & 0,068 \\
6 & 6,20 & 0,51 & 0,078 \\
\hline
\end{tabu}
\label{fig:ActualLDappr}
\end{table}

\subsection*{Congestion Analysis Correction}
\label{subsec:congestion}

If we study a case where for given load configuration standard AC-OPF outputs solution which is not congested,  i.e. solution for which each  constraint (on line flows or voltages) is satisfied with a  margin,  then this scenario does not require any FACTS installations. If the whole segment (from the procedure described in the preceding Subsection) is of this ``zero-congestion" type,  then obviously do not need to generate many samples representing the segment.  Instead,  we pick one re-scaled base scenario to represent the whole segment.

\section{Defining initial generation profile}
\label{sec:init_gen}

The initial profile of the generation for each load scenario have to be determined to run the algorithm. Generation capacity is assumed to be large enough for given loading levels. Two procedures are used for that. 1. solving ACOPF with the thermal limits ignored. 2. proportional generators response: a) Search for the smallest load re-scaling factor $\alpha$ lowering the load and thus making the resulting case feasible. b) Solve ACOPF with this new re-scaled loading. c) Proportionally increase generation and load with the value of $\alpha$ which restores the initial loading of the system. Use voltages from the ACOPF solution. d) Solve ACPF to obtain generation maintaining the loading.

\ifCLASSOPTIONcaptionsoff
  \newpage
\fi

\bibliographystyle{IEEEtran}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv


text:
CAREEM Announces $100M Investment in Research and Development amid Global Expansion
Expansion plans include UAE and Pakistan, and opening new R&D centers in Egypt and Germany
DUBAI, UAE – July 11, 2016 – CAREEM, the region's leading app-based car service, today announced a new research and development (R&D) strategy and plans for global expansion. Over the next five years, CAREEM will invest $100M in R&D, which includes growing its team in UAE and Pakistan, and opening new R&D centers in Egypt and Germany. The investment will accelerate innovation in transportation-related technology infrastructure for the region and keep CAREEM at the forefront of this dynamic new industry.
"Over the last few years, the region has witnessed a surge in technological innovation and has become home to rapidly growing technology startups," said Magnus Olsson, co-founder and chief navigator, CAREEM. "These startups are using technology to improve the lives of people in the region. CAREEM is committed to continue innovating to offer the region a safe and reliable transportation option. In order to do that, we have to double-down on R&D, which is why we have announced this investment today."
A key element of the new R&D strategy involves expanding the company's engineering footprint in Pakistan. Today, an additional 50 engineers join the CAREEM team in Pakistan. The engineers will be joining the company from VentureDive -a technology solutions company that creates and invests in technology products and services that simplify and improve lives of people worldwide. The new team will work to enhance the user experience, quality and performance of the CAREEM app.
"We are thrilled to see that a technology team we incubated is being acquired by CAREEM, a regional institution backed by global investors," said Atif Azim, CEO, VentureDive. "This helps validate our mission of creating products of global prominence out of Pakistan, and takes us a step closer to our vision of creating a technology organization and an entrepreneurial ecosystem in the region that are recognized as second to none in the world."
Over the last decade, the Middle East has become a strategic hub for organizations with an international presence due to its proximity to emerging markets. Dubai specifically has experienced massive population growth and was recently listed as one of the five fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the world, according to the Brookings Institute. As a result, local institutions must be able to meet the growing demand for new products and services. The R&D center in Germany will provide CAREEM with access to a global talent pool and booming startup scene to provide its users with a higher level of service and increase awareness of its expanding global presence.
Founded in 2012 by Mudassir Sheikha and Magnus Olsson, ex-McKinsey consultants, and Dr. Abdulla Elyas, CAREEM has experienced more than 30 percent month-over-month growth since its inception and has expanded across 27 cities in the MENA region and Pakistan. The company currently has 3 million registered users and more than 50,000 Captains and is backed by investors Saudi Telecom Ventures, Al Tayyar Travel, The Abraaj Group, Beco Capital, Impulse, Lumia Capital and Wamda Capital.
About CAREEM
CAREEM is the region's leading app-based car service that makes ordering chauffeur-driven cars reliable, safe, convenient, and affordable. Its customers can book a car on the CAREEM apps and website, or by calling a call center. CAREEM is a pioneering company in the region's nascent 'sharing economy' – its mission is to make people's lives simpler by revolutionizing the transportation and logistics industry in the region. Established in July 2012, CAREEM operates across 27 cities in the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region: Riyadh, Jeddah, Makkah AlMukarramah, AlMadinah AlMonawara, Dammam, AlKhobar, Jubail, Dhahran, AlQasseem, AlAhsa, Abu Dhabi, Alexandria, Amman, Beirut, Cairo, Casablanca, Doha, Dubai, Karachi, Kuwait, Lahore, Manama, Rabat, Sahel and Sharjah.
About VentureDive
VentureDive was founded by technology entrepreneurs who studied at Stanford and MIT and worked in Silicon Valley and on Route 128 (Boston's Technology Corridor). Their aim of creating a world-class technology organization and providing the same environment of innovation and development in Pakistan as that found in the US, ended up in the founding of VentureDive in 2012. VentureDive creates and invests in technology products and services that simplify and improve lives of people across the globe, and has several successful products, services, and investments to date.
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text:
– japońska piłkarka, reprezentantka kraju. Obecnie występuje w 1. FFC Frankfurt.

Kariera klubowa
Od 2001 do 2015 roku występowała w klubach NTV Beleza, Turbine Potsdam, Chelsea i Wolfsburg. Od 2015 roku gra w zespole Frankfurt.

Kariera reprezentacyjna
W reprezentacji Japonii zadebiutowała w 2004. W sumie w reprezentacji wystąpiła w 125 spotkaniach.

Sukcesy
 Igrzyska olimpijskie; 2008, 2012 (Srebro)
 Mistrzostwa świata; 2007, 2011 (Złoto), 2015 (Srebro)

Bibliografia

 Japoński Związek Piłki Nożnej

Japońskie piłkarki
Reprezentantki Japonii w piłce nożnej
Piłkarki 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam
Piłkarki 1. FFC Frankfurt
Piłkarki Chelsea L.F.C.
Piłkarki VfL Wolfsburg
Piłkarki NTV Beleza
Sportowcy związani z Atsugi
Ludzie urodzeni w Atsugi
Urodzeni w 1987


When it's not full season yet or when the weekend seems far off I love visiting places which are usually very crowded. Since I also love walking, a couple of days ago I went on foot to Vietri sul Mare, the first village of the Amalfi Coast. It is less than 4 km from Salerno and it took me about 45 minutes to get there.
As soon as I arrived, the vision of the rocks called 'The two brothers', an icon of Vietri sul Mare, welcomed me.
I stopped to admire a birds-eye view of the calm, crystal clear sea. No boats, no people, only nature which gave me a wonderful feeling of serenity.
The alleys of the fishing village are decorated with various items of pottery for which Vietri sul Mare is famous all over the world.
Dream villas overlook the sea.
On the beach the rows of umbrellas give us a taste of the atmosphere of summer that seems to be almost arriving, at last. We just have to live it, have a good summer!


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Biden signs bills on forced labor in China, ALS research

WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden signed a bill into law Thursday to block imports from China's Xinjiang region unless businesses can prove the items were made without forced labor, the latest in a series of intensifying U.S. penalties against the Asian power for alleged abuses.

The measure had to overcome some initial hesitation from the White House, as well as corporate opposition, to win final passage last week in the Senate, following earlier House passage.

Biden also signed a separate bill Thursday funding research into a cure for Lou Gehrig's disease.

"Today, I signed the bipartisan Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act," Biden said on Twitter, along with a photo of him as he signed the legislative text at his desk in the Oval Office. "The United States will continue to use every tool at our disposal to ensure supply chains are free from the use of forced labor – including from Xinjiang and other parts of China."

The new law is the latest in a series of attempts by the U.S. to get tough with China over its alleged systemic and widespread abuse of ethnic and religious minorities in its western region, especially Xinjiang's predominantly Muslim Uyghurs.

It requires U.S. government agencies to expand their monitoring of the use of forced labor performed by China's ethnic minorities. Crucially, it creates a presumption that goods coming from Xinjiang are made with forced labor.

Businesses will have to prove that forced labor, including by workers transferred from Xinjiang, was not used in manufacturing the product before it will be allowed into the U.S.

The House and Senate each passed the measure with overwhelming support from Democrats and Republicans.

It wasn't until shortly before the Senate voted last week that the White House said Biden supported the measure.

The announcement followed months in which the White House declined, despite repeated questioning, to take a public stand on an earlier version of the measure.

The United States says China is committing genocide in its treatment of the Uyghurs.

That includes widespread reports by rights groups and journalists of forced sterilization and large detention camps where many Uyghurs allegedly are forced to work in factories.

China denies any abuses and says the steps it has taken are necessary to combat terrorism and a separatist movement.

The U.S. cites raw cotton, gloves, tomato products, silicon and viscose, fishing gear and components in solar energy as among goods alleged to have been produced using forced labor in Xinjiang, a resource-rich mining region that is important for agricultural production.

The region also is home a booming industrial sector.

Detainees also are moved outside Xinjiang and put to work in factories, including in the apparel and textiles, electronics, solar energy and automotive sectors, the U.S. says.

Some big corporations lobbied against the measure. Apple, like Nike and other companies with production done in China, said it had found no sign of forced labor from Xinjiang in its manufacturing or supply chain.

Uyghur rights advocates and others had also feared private opposition from within the Biden administration as the U.S. sought cooperation from the Chinese on climate change and other issues.

In a statement last week, White House press secretary Jen Psaki noted export controls and import restrictions, sanctions, diplomatic initiatives and other measures the administration had already taken targeting forced labor from Xinjiang.

The White House also recently announced that it would stage a diplomatic boycott of the coming Winter Olympics in Beijing, citing China's "egregious human rights abuses and atrocities in Xinjiang." U.S. athletes will be allowed to compete under a diplomatic boycott, but the president and other U.S. dignitaries will not travel to the games, which open in February.

While Biden signed the Uyhgur bill in private, the White House arranged a public signing ceremony – with guests participating remotely – for the Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act.

The law will funnel $100 million annually between 2022 and 2026 into research into Lou Gehrig's disease, an incurable neurodegenerative disorder also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and similar diseases. It will also create grant programs and provide early access to promising treatments for patients who aren't accepted into clinical trials.

"For too long there have been no survivors of ALS, but this bill can get us closer to changing that," Biden said.

ALS is named for the New York Yankees baseball player who retired 1939 because of the disease. Gehrig died in 1941.

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Excedrin headache is a pill or capsule designed for the relief of headaches.
Someone could be also be looking for information about Excedrin giving a headache. The answer to those two are, Excedrin headache will help occasional headaches, but could quickly become a crutch if someone is having frequent headaches. The right diagnose as whether one is having mild migraines or just tension headaches is a must. With migraines, Excedrin could eventually induce more headaches.
We are a site that is dedicated to helping headache and migraine sufferers. We try to let headache and migraine sufferers know how to manage headaches. One way is to educate themselves on helping headaches, not add to the pain.
Excedrin headache and what's in it.
There are two ingredients in it, where as in Excedrin migraine you have three.
The Excedrin for headaches has 500mg of Acetaminophen, which is a pain reliever. Some brand names are Aspirin Free Anacin, Aceta, and many more brand names, one being Tylenol. It's for pain sufferers that can't take Aspirin or don't prefer to. It's also used to relieve the pain of arthritis, tooth pain, and you guessed it, headaches.
The next ingredient is caffeine. We all know that consuming to much caffeine isn't good for migraines. The ups and downs of this stimulate can keep headaches on a yo-yo if to much is consumed. But also caffeine is used to abort a headache. At 65mg, there's about as much caffeine in an Excedrin headache pill as a cup of coffee.
This medicine works on the liver, and kidneys. So be careful as to how often this is taken.
So we learn what may give a headache can also abort one if used properly. Added together, an Excedrin Tension Headache tablet may help an occasional headache. The same goes for Excedrin Migraine, which has one more ingredient than what is used in the Excedrin Headache pill, that being Aspirin.
Doctors would have one believe that OTC pain medicine shouldn't be taken, but instead a prescription pain medicine is perfectly safe to take. When in fact any pain medicine for headaches or migraines shouldn't be taken over several times a week.
There're many headache sufferers with daily headaches because of their consumption of pain medicine on a daily bases. Once again, for an occasional tension headache use Excedrin if it takes the pain away.
Excedrin Headache does come with potential side effects for a few. Avoid Alcohol while taking, and don't take Acetaminophen (found in Excedrin for headaches) for more than ten days straight, unless directed by your doctor. While taking Excedrin, look for an Excedrin coupon, to save a few dollars.
Thanks for reading, we hope this helped.
Home page from Excedrin headache.


This is my first pregnancy. I am a smaller frame women and I started feeling baby at 16.5 weeks. Just alot of feeling like popcorn going off. This last week the feeling has gotten stronger.
I am 20 weeks today. I've been laying in bed and just switched to my back for a few minutes. All of a sudden I felt what I thought was a kick from just above my bladder. It actually scared me!!!so I put my hand there and actually felt a kick! Then a minute later it happened again closer to my belly button .
I'm not sure if it was baby or gas, but it moved my hand!!!
Yeah my mid wife reckons it was bub 😊 it is such an amazing journey 💜 all the best for you to!
Why did she not leave this idiot earlier!
Where did she hear this?
How did she get THAT?!
She just keeps falling asleep!!


Those opposed to allowing DNA collection feel it is a violation under the constitutional right against search and seizure. However, the Supreme Court felt this is no different than fingerprinting or photographing upon arrest. They felt this does not represent an unreasonable search or seizure, which is what the Fourth Amendment protects you against.
Furthermore, the Supreme Court labeled DNA as a modern fingerprint. It can help to solve cold cases and ensure the right person ends up convicted of a crime.
You do not have to be charged with a crime to have your DNA taken. A simple arrest provides the leeway law enforcement needs.
Prior to this ruling, collecting DNA upon arrest was not legal. Cases that were proven based on DNA collected in this manner were thrown out on the basis of constitutional right violation. This information is for education and is not legal advice.
Related Posts: Saint Charles man killed by granddaughter's boyfriend, The danger of assuming infallibility with DNA test results, Court-ordered anger management may benefit perpetrators, What is felony murder?


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Calymmochilus marksae är en stekelart som beskrevs av Boucek 1988. Calymmochilus marksae ingår i släktet Calymmochilus och familjen hoppglanssteklar. Inga underarter finns listade.

Källor

Hoppglanssteklar
marksae


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Tag: 2023 Toyota Tacoma Spy Photos
2023 Toyota Tacoma Concept, Colors, Release Date
2023 Toyota Tacoma Concept, Colors, Release Date – The model, which dates back to 2020, has seen many updates. However, the 2023 Toyota Tacoma will be the first to get the most recent developments. This popular pickup is the leader in medium-sized trucking. But, it has become more difficult to compete. Toyota is determined to keep …


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SPP Security Pact Proceeds In Secrecy
December 14, 2007 admin Comments 2 comments
Canadian Greens Take Notice
By Janet M Eaton, PhD, International Trade Critic, Green Party of Canada
with contributions by Mike Feinstein, Green Party of California
"Rather than increasing security through sustainability, the SPP compromises ecological limits and bypasses democratic accountability."
If you ask the average person if they've ever heard of the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) of North America, they are likely to look at you blankly and say "No." Sometimes identified as "NAFTA Plus," leaders of Canada, the U.S. and Mexico announced the SPP in March 2005. Unlike NAFTA, however, it is not a treaty or agreement, nor is it legislation which would demand review by parliament and congress. Rather the SPP is an initiative only between the executive powers in Canada, Mexico and the U.S., and is carried out with oversight in relative secrecy from an advisory board of CEOs from 30 of the most powerful companies in North America.
Little wonder the SPP has evoked outcries from activists across the continent, decrying the lack of transparency and accountability of a process where decisions are made behind closed doors.
Sometimes referred to as "NAFTA on steroids," the SPP is the latest and most aggressive move in a process of North American integration formally begun with the signing of the Canadian U.S. Free Trade Agreement (CUFTA) in 1988 and enlarged upon in the North American Free trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 1994. NAFTA brought the lowest level of economic integration on a scale which moves from (a) free trade area through (b) customs' union, to (c) common market to (d) economic community to (e) full fledged political union. NAFTA was viewed as a platform for further integration as noted in its objectives and since that time corporate and politically elite lobbyists have never rested as they waited for the right moment to further their cause.
Greens have long argued that, absent strong environmental and labor principles, NAFTA has led to a loss of good jobs, decreased wages and poverty, as well as, environmental and health degradation in all three countries. With the further continental economic integration contemplated under the SPP, these trends also would accelerate, along with the loss of sovereignty over natural resources in all three countries. Rather than increasing security through sustainability, it compromises ecological limits and bypasses democratic accountability.
The door really opened for the SPP after the attack on 9-11. Many politicians called for deeper integration. The US administration shifted to a "security trumps all" framework where trade policy was viewed through a security lens; and the flow of goods, people and upkeep of infrastructure became pressing concerns for harmonized border control, which along with military integration led to what some see as "Fortress North America."
On the Canadian side, there was a mad scramble to ensure that the border would remain open in case of another incident or disaster and in view of the border security pressures being brought forward by the Bush administration.
By 2003 the big business community in Canada under the guidance of Thomas D'Aquino of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives (CCCE) drafted the precursor to the SPP, the North American Security and Prosperity Initiative (NASPI). It proposed a strategy with five major elements: 1) reinventing borders 2) maximizing regulatory efficiencies 3) negotiating a comprehensive resource security pact 4) reinvigorating the North American defense alliance and 5) creating a new institutional framework.
Meanwhile during the period from 2001 until 2005 when the SPP was announced ñ the dominant American voice promoting deeper integration was Professor Robert Pastor, member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He took his ideas on the road speaking so relentlessly on the subject that in the U.S., he instigated a powerful movement amongst the conservative right who cite his writings and lectures as evidence of a move toward a North American Union.
One of the facets of SPP captivating the imagination and concern of American citizens has been the notion of super corridors ó large privatized super highways proposed to have six car lanes, four trucking lanes, railway line and utility corridors with water pipelines, all in the cause of transporting goods from China and Asia across the North American continent. The super corridors are an essential part of global trade routes, which is corporate driven, unsustainable, fossil fuel dependent, and utilize giant ports in Mexico, California, and the Atlantic coast.
In spite of attempts by Canadian Prime Minster Stephen Harper to deny plans for these super corridors, there is evidence they have been talked about in the reports of the NAFTA transportation working group going back many years and more recently within the context of the SPP and on the websites of super corridor coalitions such as North America's Super Corridor Coalition and the CANAMEX Corridor Project.
Perhaps the best example of a super corridor is the Trans Texas Corridor (TTC). Estimated to cost between $145 and $183 billion, it will require the acquisition of approximately 584,000 acres. This has led critics from across political lines to raise concerns about: widespread eminent domain, the loss of business in hundreds of communities, loss of habitat and ecosystem fragmentation, massive water contamination, increased greenhouse gas emissions from increased trucking, and labor issues with Mexican non-unionized labor replacing American trucking companies and drivers. There will also be substantial corporate subsidies on the backs of citizens who will cover the cost in toll fees.
Relentless opposition to the Trans Texas Corridor has stalled the TTC for now and led to more than seventeen states passing resolutions demanding that congress reject the SPP and funding for super corridors. Rep. Virgil Good (R-VA) has introduced U.S. House Concurrent Resolution 40, expressing congressional opposition to construction of a NAFTA Super High way System or entry into a North American Union with Mexico and Canada.
Sixteen cross-border working groups, ten on Prosperity and six on Security, made up of corporate leaders and senior government officials were established, reporting to Senior Ministers of each country. Leaders announced a strengthening of competitiveness in North America by appointing a North American Competi tiveness Council (NACC) furthering the corporate agenda, which was so obviously driving the SPP initiative from the beginning.
These leaders were also given a mandate to set up working groups to address; Energy Integration; Supply Chain Management /Trade Facilitation/Customs Reform; Regulatory/Standards issues óHarmon ization and Sharing of Best Practices; Counterfeiting and Piracy; and Private Sector Involvement in Border Security and Infrastructure Projects. NACC prepared a lengthy report for the Leaders meeting in Montebello Building a Secure and Com petitive North America noting that while overall progress to date had been en couraging, they were concerned that on a handful of im portant issues progress has stalled and the spirit of the SPP is being undermined.
In Canada, the specter of bulk water export that would undermine Canadian water sovereignty and sustainability is a major concern, which Harper denied any part in. However, activists have been vigilant since the SPP announcement and began watching for signs. During the past year such signs have become visible. These include: calls from industry and business water strategists to sell Canadian water, drawn plans for water pipelines along side the super corridors, and most recently a leaked "North American Future 2025 Project" document from the Center for Strategic and Inter national Studies for the SPP. It revealed that a 2007 think tank planned to discuss "water consumption, water transfers and artificial diversions of bulk water" with the aim of achieving "joint optimum utilization of the available water."
In their report released for the Monte bello summit the NACC reported that they were working on advancing regulatory frameworks for harmonizing regulations across North America. As Greens in all three countries have observed from the experience of NAFTA, such efforts have already led to downward harmonization of environmental, health, labor, and food safety standards and regulations. The economic liberalization models behind them had meant less money in the public sector and hence more pressure to de-fund social and environmental programs as well.
So what does the future of the SPP hold? The post summit analysis suggests the secretive, closed-door approach of the SPP has been so exposed it will have to become a more open process to survive.
Ralph Pentland, a water expert and chair of the Canadian Water Issues Council, said there were three possible scenarios: "the SPP will continue more or less on its current track, growing popular resistance will bring it to a halt, or the process will become more respectful of democratic principles."
Pentland added, "If that second scenario comes about, we'll soon experience a 'magna carta' moment, and popular resistance in both counties will bring the SPP to a halt, or at least slow it to a harmless crawl." This parallels the vision of both U.S. and Canadian Greens.
A North American Alliance Tackles The SPP
Green Party of Canada Shadow Cabinet
2 thoughts on "SPP Security Pact Proceeds In Secrecy"
mr. r. angelo says:
these names,carlos gutierrez, david emerson, fernando canales, michael chertoff,george bush,condoleeza rice and robert pastor plus any others that apply should be posted on a internet wanted poster that is easily accessible. let more people know who is responsible for SPP and who knows what else.
John Judge says:
As to who knows what else, Robert Pastor was in the US military in 1978 and later worked in the CIA. Kenneth Wooten's book, The Children of Jonestown notes that Pastor, at the scene of he mass murder, and on orders of Zbigniew Brzezinski and Alexander Haig in the Carter administration, stripped all the dead bodies, adults and children, of any medical bracelets or other identification tags before assigning them to shipment for mass burial. If you will do that sort of work, what won't you do?


The Sri Lankan Institute of Nanotechnology (SLINTEC) has signed a research agreement with Hayleys Agriculture Holdings Ltd. to develop a nano-scale fungicide. The research will focus on addressing some of the fundamental limitations with the existing product due to high dosage requirements, low efficacy, poor dispersability and stability.
SLINTEC is a public-private partnership between the Government of Sri Lanka and some of the most prominent names in the private sector; namely MAS Holdings, Brandix, Dialog, Hayleys, Loadstar and Lankem. SLINTEC's main directives are focused on developing the product base of local industries, making them viable in international markets with the help of nanotechnology and other advanced technologies.
Hayleys PLC is a multinational conglomerate which is diversified throughout seven broad segments and accounts for 2.73% of Sri Lanka's total export income.
Transcending the unique position through its wide portfolio of products and services, the agriculture arm of Hayleys PLC has been spearheading the Agricultural sector in Sri Lanka since 1950's. As a socially responsible corporate citizen Hayleys Agriculture supports the local agriculture communities by sharing this knowledge free of charge through a range of R&D and farmer training initiatives whilst constantly innovating and promoting better use of technology and agricultural practices.
Hayleys Agriculture has also partnered with SLINTEC for nano-fertiliser development and commercialisation, which is currently going through field trials in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture.


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Free Picks » NHL Picks » Vegas Golden Knights vs Anaheim Ducks Prediction, 12/1/2021 NHL Pick, Tips and Odds
Vegas Golden Knights vs Anaheim Ducks Prediction, 12/1/2021 NHL Pick, Tips and Odds
by Josh Schonwald - 11/30/2021
Game: Vegas Golden Knights vs Anaheim Ducks
Date: Wednesday, December 1, 2021
Location: Honda Center in Anaheim, CA
TV: Fox Sports Prime Ticket
Odds/Point Spread: Golden Knights (-143) Ducks (+118)
Anthony Stolarz and the Anaheim Ducks (11-8-3) play the Vegas Golden Knights (12-9-0) at Honda Center on Wednesday. The Ducks open this game at +118 while the Golden Knights are priced at -143. The O/U opens at 6.
The Golden Knights were on the losing side of the ice with a 3-2 defeat to the Oilers in their last game. When starting in the offensive zone they sat at 62.2% and they had a PDO of 92.7 for this one. They totaled 23 face-off wins when at even strength and were beaten on 28 attempts to take control of the puck. Their Fenwick was 42 and the Fenwick against was 28, giving them a Fenwick percentage of 60.0%. The Corsi for the Golden Knights sat at 58 and the Corsi against was at 41 meaning they had a Corsi rate of 58.6%. Vegas garnered 2 penalty minutes for this game. In addition, they had 1 power play chance but weren't able to convert it into a goal. The Golden Knights could have played much better offensively in the defeat. In the outing, they tallied a score on 2 out of the 38 shots they put on net.
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Vegas Golden Knights opponents have 60 power play opportunities (19th in pro hockey) and have racked up 11 goals in those attempts. The Golden Knights have had 698 shots tried against them and hold a save percentage of .908. Vegas has attempted 688 shots and is the owner of a shot percentage of 9.5%. When at even strength, the Golden Knights have conceded 53 goals while having 60 of their own. Vegas has accumulated 47 power play opportunities and they have added 5 goals during those advantages, earning them a percentage of 10.64%. For the season, they have accumulated 24 points and their points percentage sits at .571. With respect to their scoring capabilities, the Vegas Golden Knights have earned 65 goals (12th in the NHL) this season and have conceded 64.
The player in the crease for this game is Robin Lehner. Opponents have notched 858 goals against Lehner in his NHL career and his goals against rate is 2.71. Lehner has been involved in 337 games over the course of his professional hockey career. His save percentage sits at .918 in his 19,029 minutes on the ice. He has compiled a record of 138-132-47 and he was named the starter in 318 games. Over the course of his time in hockey, Lehner has earned 179 quality starts and his quality starts percentage sits at .563. Lehner has seen 10,404 shot attempts against him and he has 9,546 total saves.
In their last outing, Anaheim faced the Maple Leafs in a matchup where the Ducks took a loss by a score of 5-1. Anaheim earned a 51.9% Corsi rate. These Corsi statistics are telling of the type of game that Anaheim played and we'd say it was a below average outing in all. Their Fenwick rate was 51.7% by amassing a Fenwick of 46 and the Maple Leafs having a 43 Fenwick at even strength. Their PDO was 86 and they finished the game with an oZS percentage of 40.7%. The Ducks scored 1 goal out of the 40 shots on goal they attempted. They had 1 chance on the power play in this outing but weren't able to notch a goal.
The Ducks have 52 goals at even strength and 18 goals (2nd in professional hockey) while having a power play advantage. Anaheim has put up 695 shots (11th in pro hockey) and has a shot percentage of 10.07%, while allowing their opponents 718 shots. So far this year, the Anaheim Ducks have earned 70 goals, 25 points, and a points percentage of .568. They have a total of 65 opportunities on the power play and they have a power play percentage of 27.69%. They have recorded a penalty kill percentage of 86.89% on their oppositions 61 power play tries, and their save percentage currently sits at 91.6%. They have allowed 60 goals to be scored by way of 52 goals at even strength and 8 goals while they had less men on the ice.
For the opposition you are expected to see Anthony Stolarz between the pipes. He has tallied 1,027 saves out of the 1,121 shots taken against him, giving him a save % of .916. Stolarz has compiled a career record of 12-12-5 and has played in 39 contests. He has started in 29 contests and has accumulated 2,069 mins. Stolarz's quality start rate comes out to 55.2% and he has 16 quality starting assignments in his professional career. His opposition is averaging 2.73 goals per game and he has relinquished 94 goals overall.
Who will win tonight's NHL game ATS?
Josh's Pick: Take Anaheim (+118)
Magic vs. 76ers
Expert: Strike Point Sports


Sinusitis is one of the most common health complaints leading to a physician visit in the United States, as well as one of the leading causes of antibiotic prescriptions. In 1 year, there were up to 73 million restricted activity days in patients with sinusitis and total direct medical costs of almost $2.4 billion (not including surgery or radiographic imaging). In addition, up to 14.7% of people in one National Health Interview Survey had sinusitis the preceding year. The newer term is rhinosinusitis because purulent sinus disease without similar rhinitis is rare.
Acute rhinosinusitis: Sudden onset, lasting less than 4 weeks with complete resolution.
Subacute rhinosinusitis: A continuum of acute rhinosinusitis but less than 12 weeks.
Recurrent acute rhinosinusitis: Four or more episodes of acute, lasting at least 7 days each, in any 1-year period.
Chronic rhinosinusitis: Signs of symptoms persist 12 weeks or longer.
Causes are a combination of environmental and host factors. Acute sinusitis is most commonly due to viruses and is usually self-limiting. Approximately 90% of patients with colds have an element of viral sinusitis. Those with atopy commonly get sinusitis. It can be caused by allergens, irritants, viruses, fungi, and bacteria. Popular irritants are animal dander, polluted air, smoke, and dust.
There are higher rates of sinusitis in the South, Midwest, and among women. Children younger than 15 years of age and adults aged 25 to 64 years are affected the most.
Immunodeficiency from chemotherapy, HIV, diabetes mellitus, etc.
Body positioning, intensive care unit (ICU) patients due to prolonged supine positioning that compromises mucociliary clearance.
Most commonly a viral upper respiratory infection causes rhinosinusitis secondary to edema and inflammation of the nasal lining and production of thick mucus that obstructs the paranasal sinuses and allows a secondary bacterial overgrowth. There are frontal, maxillary, sphenoid, and ethmoid sinuses. Allergic rhinitis can lead to sinusitis also due to ostial obstruction. Ciliary immobility can lead to increased mucus viscosity, further blocking drainage. Bacteria are introduced into the sinuses by coughing and nose blowing. Bacterial sinusitis usually occurs after a viral upper respiratory infection and worsening symptoms after 5 days, or persistent symptoms after 10 days.
Fungal incidence is 2% to 7%, most commonly Aspergillus and most commonly seen in immunocompromised patients.
Major factors include facial pain/pressure, facial congestion/fullness, nasal obstruction, nasal or postnasal purulence, hyposmia, and fever.
Minor factors (diagnostically significant only with one or more major factors) include a headache, halitosis, fatigue, malaise, dental pain, cough, and otalgia.
A physical exam is best performed after a topical decongestant. On exam, look for facial swelling, erythema, edema (most commonly periorbital), cervical adenopathy, postnasal drainage or pharyngitis. Anterior rhinoscopy may reveal mucosal edema, mucous crusting, frank purulence, obstructive polyps or other anatomical defects. Percuss the forehead and cheeks for deep tenderness. Transillumination of the sinuses may be helpful. There are five independent predictors of sinusitis: maxillary dental pain, abnormal sinus transillumination, poor response to nasal decongestants or antihistamines, colored nasal discharge, and mucopurulent seen on examination. The presence of four or more is highly predictive of sinusitis. The overall impression of the examining physician may be more accurate than any single finding.
No laboratory tests are indicated in the emergency department for acute uncomplicated sinusitis because the diagnosis is usually clinical. A plain sinus x-ray is most accurate for the maxillary, frontal, or sphenoid disease but is not useful for evaluating the anterior ethmoid cells or the ostiomeatal complex from which most sinus disease originates. Positive findings on plain films are air-fluid levels, sinus opacity, or mucosal thickening of 6 mm or more. Coronal CT at a thickness of 3 mm to 4 mm is the modality of choice. The CT findings suggestive of sinusitis are sinus opacification, air-fluid levels, sinus wall displacement, and 4 mm or greater mucosal thickening. Culture and biopsy are indicated for chronic bacterial and fungal sinusitis.
Humidification, nasal wash, decongestants (topical or systemic) such as pseudoephedrine. Remember that oxymetazoline cannot be used for more than 3 days due to rebound congestion and that oral decongestants should be used with caution in hypertensive patients. Antihistamines have not been shown to be useful and can lead to impaired drainage. They are only of benefit in early allergic sinusitis. Topical steroids are used to diminish nasal mucosal edema but are more efficacious in chronic and allergic sinusitis. Only start antibiotics if you strongly suspect bacterial disease.
Antibiotics: Use empirically and based on community patterns of resistance. Ten to 14 days of amoxicillin or amoxicillin-clavulanate is first-line treatment. In some communities, amoxicillin effectiveness is less than 70%. Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole well for some, but there is a higher rate of resistance. Failure of symptoms to resolve after 7 days of therapy should prompt one to switch to a broader spectrum agent, such as ten to fourteen days of augmentin, cefuroxime axetil, other second or third-generation cephalosporins, clindamycin alone or along with ciprofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole, a macrolide, or one of the fluoroquinolones. Metronidazole may be added to any one of these agents to increase anaerobic coverage. For chronic sinusitis, antibiotics should cover S. aureus and be effective against the higher incidence of beta-lactamase producing organisms that are common in chronic disease. If the patient is not improving after 5 to 7 days, add metronidazole or clindamycin. Treat for 3 to 6 weeks.
The most common malady mistaken for sinusitis is rhinitis or an upper respiratory infection. A maxillary toothache can also mimic the pain caused by maxillary sinusitis. Tension headaches, vascular headaches, foreign bodies, brain abscesses, epidural abscesses, meningitis, and subdural empyema can also be mistaken for sinusitis.
Most cases of uncomplicated acute bacterial sinusitis can be treated as an outpatient with a good prognosis. Frontal or sphenoid sinusitis with air-fluid levels may require hospitalization with intravenous (IV) antibiotics. Patients who are immunocompromised or are toxic appearing require admission. Fungal sinusitis is associated with high morbidity and mortality.
Sinusitis may extend to the bones and soft tissues of the face and orbits. Facial cellulitis, periorbital cellulitis, orbital abscess, and blindness can develop. Sinusitis can lead to intracranial complications such as cavernous sinus thrombosis, epidural or subdural empyema, and meningitis.