text:
Э́ланд () — шведский остров в Балтийском море, площадь 1342 км², второй по размеру остров в Швеции после Готланда и самая маленькая из исторических провинций Швеции. Остров часто называют также «страной ветряных мельниц».

С основной территорией Швеции соединён построенным в 1972 году мостом через пролив Кальмарсунд.

Символика
Олень на гербе символизирует статус Эланда как места королевской охоты, по каковой причине его увенчивает корона.

Эланд получил свой герб в 1560 году, но до 1940-х годов, в результате путаницы, возникшей из-за схожих названий, фактически делил его с Аландскими островами, являющимися сегодня автономной провинцией Финляндии. В XX веке в герб Эланда были внесены изменения, которые стали отличать его от герба Аландских островов, который остался неизменным.

География
Высочайшая точка Эланда: холм Хёгсрум (Högsrum) — 55 м. Крупнейшее озеро: Хорнссъён (Hornssjön). Длина острова 137 км. Его ширина (в широчайшем месте): 16 км.

Природа и экология
Доминанта природы Эланда — известняковое плато Стора Альварет (), место обитания многих редких и вымирающих видов животных и растений. Первое известное научное исследование Стора Альварет относится к 1741 году, когда остров посетил Карл Линней.

Фундамент острова сложен преимущественно кембрийскими породами, известняком, богатым алюминиевыми квасцами, а также ордовикским известняком, возраст которого оценивается в 540—450 млн лет. Вид кембрийских трилобитов Eccaparadoxides oelandicus назван в честь Эланда.

По периметру Эланда проходит окружная дорога, шоссе 136.

В 2011 году компания Gripen Gas запросила разрешение на тестовое бурение природного газа на Эланде. Этот запрос был одобрен в Bergsstaten, государственном агентстве, отвечающем за планирование горнорпроходческих работ. Это вызвало критику со стороны муниципальных и районных властей, указывающих на то, что множественные разломы в известняковом фундаменте острова могут привести к загрязнению грунтовых вод побочными продуктами добычи газа.

История

Археологические данные показывают, что остров Эланд был заселён около 8000 года до н. э., раскопки слоёв, датируемых палеолитом, демонстрируют присутствие племён охотников-собирателей. В каменном веке поселенцы с континента мигрировали через Кальмарсунд, отделяющий остров от материка по ледяному мосту, соединившему остров с континентом.

Признаки обитаемости Эланда (известном в древности как Эландия) появляются, по самым ранним подсчётам, в 6000 году до н. э., когда появляются поселения в Альби (Alby) и других местах по всему острову. Захоронения, относящиеся к периоду от начала Железного века до Эпохи Викингов хорошо видны в Геттинге (Gettlinge), Гултерстаде (Hulterstad) и других местах; они окружены каменной оградой, включающей т. н. «каменные корабли». Всего на острове обнаружено 19 таких каменных колец, одно из которых, Экеторп (Eketorp) было полностью раскопано, при этом найдено 24 тыс. артефактов.

Ряд историков указывают на то, что, возможно, люди с Эланда упоминались ещё Тацитом в 98 году н. э. — он называл их «авионами».

Пятым веком (эпоха Великого переселения народов) датируется подвергшийся грабительскому налёту дом в форте Сэндби Борг (:sv:Sandby borg), в котором были обнаружены останки пятерых людей и римский солид. Останки ещё четырёх людей были найдены в трёх других зданиях.

В Сандби Борг обнаружен солид, относящийся ко времени римского императора Валентиниана III (419—450 гг.).

Около 900 года Вульфстан (Wulfstan) из Хедебю (Hedeby) назвал остров «Эовландом», то есть землёй эовов. Отметим, что это не первое упоминание эовов. Ранее это племя упоминалось в англосаксонской поэме «Видсид» (Widsith).

В течение долгого периода шведской истории остров служил местом охотничьих забав членов королевской семьи; для этого были выбраны местности Оттенби (Ottenby) и Халлторпс (Halltorps).

Неподалёку от острова 1 июня 1676 года произошло Эландское морское сражение между флотом Швеции и объединёнными флотами Дании и Голландии. Союзники одержали в нём победу. 15 (26) июля 1789 года у южной оконечности острова состоялось морское сражение между русским и шведским флотами, во время русско-шведской войны.

В 1941 году в районе острова погибла советская подводная лодка С-6, предположительно подорвавшаяся на немецкой мине. Остатки лодки были обнаружены на дне Балтийского моря в 2012 году. Место гибели подводной лодки предполагается объявить воинским захоронением.

В то же время, 9.07.1941 г. на шведском минном заграждении, выставленном между островами Готланд и Эланд, погибли три немецких минных заградителя - "Tannenberg", "Hansestadt Danzig", "Preussen".

Население
В начале XX века на острове проживало около 3700 человек, в 1974 году — 21 200; по данным на 2012 год население острова составляло 25 024 человек, при этом летом на остров приезжает до 500 тысяч туристов.

Населённые пункты

Эланд — второй по величине остров Швеции. Исторически он был разделён на один город и пять сотен (древняя административная единица в Северной Европе). Сегодня сотен насчитывают шесть: Альгутсрум (Algutsrum), Грэсгорд (Gräsgård), Мёклеби (Möckleby), Рунстен (Runsten), Слэттбо (Slättbo), Окербо (Åkerbo). Поселений (городков и деревень) на острове 16, крупнейшим из них является Ферьестаден (Färjestaden) — 5018 жителей.
 Боргхольм
 Альби
 Геттлинге
 Гультерстад
 Морбиланга

Управление
Исторические провинции Швеции являются не административными или политическими, но историческими и культурными единицами. Эланд — часть лена Кальмар (Kalmar län) и поделён на два муниципалитета, Боргхольм (Borgholm) и Мёрбюлонга (Mörbylånga). Эланд входит в лен Кальмар с 1634 года с одним небольшим перерывом — между 1819 и 1826 годами он считался отдельным леном Эланд.

Культура
Боргхольмский замок (Borgholm Castle) был построен между 1669 и 1681 годами для королевы Гедвиги-Элеоноры (Hedvig Eleonora), это здание проектировал архитектор Никодемус Тессин-старший (Nicodemus Tessin the Elder). Недалеко от замка находится Золлиденский дворец (Solliden Palace) — летняя резиденция королевской семьи.

Известняковое плато Стора Альварет внесено в список Всемирного наследия ЮНЕСКО , по причине наличия здесь не только уникальной флоры и фауны, но и исторических памятников, такие как древние кладбища Геттлинге (Gettlinge) и Экеторп, хорошо сохранившиеся деревянные мельницы XVII века (за них Эланд иногда называют «Страной ветряных мельниц»), а также общей уникальности природного ландшафта.

Уже в течение десятилетия Эланд организует и проводит ежегодный праздник урожая Скёрдефест (Skördefest). Фермеры с острова и всей Швеции в эти дни продают свой урожай и позволяют всем заинтересованным туристам поработать у них на фермах, чтобы окунуться в сельскую жизнь. В центре г. Боргхольм устанавливается символ праздника — пугало с тыквенной головой (pumpagubbe).

По ходу Скёрдефеста устраивается множество выставок, в том числе во время арт-ночи Констнаттен (Konstnatten).

Поэт-романтик Эрик Юхан Стагнелиус родился на Эланде в 1793 году и жил здесь до достижения 16-летнего возраста. Он воспел остров в нескольких поэмах. Из более современных авторов об Эланде писали романистка Маргит Фриберг, поэт Анна Рюдстедт, романистка Биргитта Тротциг, поэт Леннарт Съёгрен (Lennart Sjögren), автор рассказов для детей Эва Бекселл (Eva Bexell), поэт Том Хедлунд (Tom Hedlund), новеллист Йохан Теорин (Johan Theorin), поэт и новеллист Магнус Утвик (Magnus Utvik) и новеллист Пер Планхаммар (Per Planhammar).

Спорт
 На острове, как и в прилегающих районах континентальной Швеции, действует Смоландский футбольный союз (Smålands Fotbollförbund).
 Каждый год, 14 июля, в день рождения шведской кронпринцессы Виктории, на острове проходит вручение  шведским спортсменам.

Интересные факты
Из-за Эландского моста ЕС официально не считает Эланд островом, так как он соединён с континентом. Из-за этого экономика острова уже потеряла примерно 25—50 млн шведских крон (SEK).

Примечания

Литература

Ссылки

Острова Швеции
Острова Балтийского моря
Провинции Швеции


UL Smarter Travel has been busy over the last few weeks running various events and initiatives to kick off the new semester! Orientation week saw thousands of new students brought to the Smarter Travel stall where everyone learned about the great smarter travel services and facilities that are available. Bike sales and repairs were also on offer at the stall.
The UL Journey Planner and 7 Tips For Cycling in UL leaflets were included in all freshers welcome packs, illustrating all the basic essential information for the main Smarter Travel modes on campus. The SU Student Diary included further various information.
As part of the semester start bike sales, St. Mary's Aid Charity arrived to campus offering refurbished second hand bikes at extremely reasonable prices for students. While the stall was due to set up from 10am on Wednesday in the Main Plaza, a surge of students begun queuing in the plaza from 9:30am to get a place in line. As the St. Marys Aid delivery van arrived near the plaza at 9:50am awaiting the barrier to be removed to allow access to the plaza, the surge of students swarmed the van and the stock of over 35 bikes were sold before they could move any further!
In conjunction with the First Seven Weeks' Week 1 theme of Getting Around Campus, a campus bike tour was organised highlighting some important landmarks across the campus including various historical information. The tour ended at the UL Clubs and Societies' recruitment drive.
Our UL Bike Mechanic, Gary Sheehan Mobile Repairs, also returned to provide the weekly free bike mechanic service in the SU Courtyard where he fixes approximately 70 bikes per day.
This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged Green Campus, Travel & Transport, UL Smarter Travel. Bookmark the permalink.


text:
package org.spotter.ext.detection.ramp.strategies;

import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.List;
import java.util.Properties;
import java.util.Set;
import java.util.TreeSet;

import org.aim.api.exceptions.InstrumentationException;
import org.aim.api.exceptions.MeasurementException;
import org.aim.api.measurement.dataset.Dataset;
import org.aim.api.measurement.dataset.DatasetCollection;
import org.aim.api.measurement.dataset.Parameter;
import org.aim.api.measurement.dataset.ParameterSelection;
import org.aim.artifacts.probes.ResponsetimeProbe;
import org.aim.artifacts.records.ResponseTimeRecord;
import org.aim.artifacts.scopes.EntryPointScope;
import org.aim.description.InstrumentationDescription;
import org.aim.description.builder.InstrumentationDescriptionBuilder;
import org.lpe.common.config.GlobalConfiguration;
import org.lpe.common.util.LpeNumericUtils;
import org.lpe.common.util.NumericPairList;
import org.slf4j.Logger;
import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
import org.spotter.core.ProgressManager;
import org.spotter.core.chartbuilder.AnalysisChartBuilder;
import org.spotter.core.detection.AbstractDetectionController;
import org.spotter.core.workload.LoadConfig;
import org.spotter.exceptions.WorkloadException;
import org.spotter.ext.detection.ramp.IRampDetectionStrategy;
import org.spotter.ext.detection.ramp.RampDetectionController;
import org.spotter.ext.detection.ramp.RampExtension;
import org.spotter.shared.configuration.ConfigKeys;
import org.spotter.shared.result.model.SpotterResult;
import org.spotter.shared.status.DiagnosisStatus;

/**
 * Utilizie stimulation phases to trigger the Ramp.
 *
 * @author Alexander Wert
 *
 */
public class TimeWindowsStrategy implements IRampDetectionStrategy {
	private static final Logger LOGGER = LoggerFactory.getLogger(TimeWindowsStrategy.class);
	private static final String STEP = "step";

	private static int stimulationPhaseDuration;
	private static int experimentSteps;
	private static int reuiqredSignificanceSteps;
	private static double requiredSignificanceLevel;
	private RampDetectionController mainDetectionController;

	@Override
	public void setProblemDetectionConfiguration(Properties problemDetectionConfiguration) {
		String warmupPhaseStr = problemDetectionConfiguration
				.getProperty(RampExtension.KEY_STIMULATION_PHASE_DURATION_FACTOR);
		stimulationPhaseDuration = (int) ((warmupPhaseStr != null ? Double.parseDouble(warmupPhaseStr)
				: RampExtension.STIMULATION_PHASE_DURATION_DEFAULT) * GlobalConfiguration.getInstance()
				.getPropertyAsDouble(ConfigKeys.EXPERIMENT_DURATION));

		String experimentStepsStr = problemDetectionConfiguration.getProperty(RampExtension.KEY_EXPERIMENT_STEPS);
		experimentSteps = experimentStepsStr != null ? Integer.parseInt(experimentStepsStr)
				: RampExtension.EXPERIMENT_STEPS_DEFAULT;

		String significanceStepsStr = problemDetectionConfiguration
				.getProperty(RampExtension.KEY_REQUIRED_SIGNIFICANT_STEPS);
		reuiqredSignificanceSteps = significanceStepsStr != null ? Integer.parseInt(significanceStepsStr)
				: RampExtension.REQUIRED_SIGNIFICANT_STEPS_DEFAULT;

		String significanceLevelStr = problemDetectionConfiguration
				.getProperty(RampExtension.KEY_REQUIRED_SIGNIFICANCE_LEVEL);
		requiredSignificanceLevel = significanceLevelStr != null ? Double.parseDouble(significanceLevelStr)
				: RampExtension.REQUIRED_SIGNIFICANCE_LEVEL_DEFAULT;
	}

	@Override
	public void executeExperiments() throws InstrumentationException, MeasurementException {
		try {

			mainDetectionController.instrument(getInstrumentationDescription());

			for (int i = 1; i <= experimentSteps; i++) {

				if (i > 1) {
					LOGGER.info("RampDetectionController step count ----{}----.", i);

					LOGGER.info("RampDetectionController started to stimulate the SUT with {} users.",
							GlobalConfiguration.getInstance().getPropertyAsInteger(ConfigKeys.WORKLOAD_MAXUSERS));
					stimulateSystem(stimulationPhaseDuration);
					LOGGER.info("RampDetectionController finalized to stimulate the SUT.");
				}

				LOGGER.info("RampDetectionController started to run a single user experiment.");
				runExperiment(1, i);
				LOGGER.info("RampDetectionController finalized to run a single user experiment.");

			}

			mainDetectionController.uninstrument();

		} catch (Exception e) {
			throw new RuntimeException(e);
		}

	}

	private void runExperiment(int numUsers, int stepNumber) throws WorkloadException, MeasurementException {

		LOGGER.info("Ramp Detection (TimeWindowStrategy) started experiment with {} users ...", numUsers);

		LoadConfig lConfig = new LoadConfig();
		lConfig.setNumUsers(numUsers);
		lConfig.setRampUpIntervalLength(GlobalConfiguration.getInstance().getPropertyAsInteger(
				ConfigKeys.EXPERIMENT_RAMP_UP_INTERVAL_LENGTH));
		lConfig.setRampUpUsersPerInterval(GlobalConfiguration.getInstance().getPropertyAsInteger(
				ConfigKeys.EXPERIMENT_RAMP_UP_NUM_USERS_PER_INTERVAL));
		lConfig.setCoolDownIntervalLength(GlobalConfiguration.getInstance().getPropertyAsInteger(
				ConfigKeys.EXPERIMENT_COOL_DOWN_INTERVAL_LENGTH));
		lConfig.setCoolDownUsersPerInterval(GlobalConfiguration.getInstance().getPropertyAsInteger(
				ConfigKeys.EXPERIMENT_COOL_DOWN_NUM_USERS_PER_INTERVAL));
		lConfig.setExperimentDuration(GlobalConfiguration.getInstance().getPropertyAsInteger(
				ConfigKeys.EXPERIMENT_DURATION));

		ProgressManager.getInstance().updateProgressStatus(mainDetectionController.getProblemId(),
				DiagnosisStatus.EXPERIMENTING_RAMP_UP);
		mainDetectionController.workloadAdapter().startLoad(lConfig);

		mainDetectionController.workloadAdapter().waitForWarmupPhaseTermination();

		ProgressManager.getInstance().updateProgressStatus(mainDetectionController.getProblemId(),
				DiagnosisStatus.EXPERIMENTING_STABLE_PHASE);
		mainDetectionController.measurementAdapter().enableMonitoring();

		mainDetectionController.workloadAdapter().waitForExperimentPhaseTermination();

		ProgressManager.getInstance().updateProgressStatus(mainDetectionController.getProblemId(),
				DiagnosisStatus.EXPERIMENTING_COOL_DOWN);
		mainDetectionController.measurementAdapter().disableMonitoring();

		mainDetectionController.workloadAdapter().waitForFinishedLoad();

		ProgressManager.getInstance().updateProgressStatus(mainDetectionController.getProblemId(),
				DiagnosisStatus.COLLECTING_DATA);
		LOGGER.info("Storing data ...");
		long dataCollectionStart = System.currentTimeMillis();
		Parameter numOfUsersParameter = new Parameter(STEP, stepNumber);
		Set<Parameter> parameters = new TreeSet<>();
		parameters.add(numOfUsersParameter);
		mainDetectionController.getResultManager().storeResults(parameters,
				mainDetectionController.measurementAdapter());
		ProgressManager.getInstance().addAdditionalDuration(
				(System.currentTimeMillis() - dataCollectionStart) / AbstractDetectionController.SECOND);
		LOGGER.info("Data stored!");
	}

	private void stimulateSystem(int duration) throws WorkloadException {
		LoadConfig lConfig = new LoadConfig();
		lConfig.setNumUsers(GlobalConfiguration.getInstance().getPropertyAsInteger(ConfigKeys.WORKLOAD_MAXUSERS));
		lConfig.setRampUpIntervalLength(GlobalConfiguration.getInstance().getPropertyAsInteger(
				ConfigKeys.EXPERIMENT_RAMP_UP_INTERVAL_LENGTH));
		lConfig.setRampUpUsersPerInterval(GlobalConfiguration.getInstance().getPropertyAsInteger(
				ConfigKeys.EXPERIMENT_RAMP_UP_NUM_USERS_PER_INTERVAL));
		lConfig.setCoolDownIntervalLength(GlobalConfiguration.getInstance().getPropertyAsInteger(
				ConfigKeys.EXPERIMENT_COOL_DOWN_INTERVAL_LENGTH));
		lConfig.setCoolDownUsersPerInterval(GlobalConfiguration.getInstance().getPropertyAsInteger(
				ConfigKeys.EXPERIMENT_COOL_DOWN_NUM_USERS_PER_INTERVAL));
		lConfig.setExperimentDuration(duration);
		mainDetectionController.workloadAdapter().startLoad(lConfig);

		mainDetectionController.workloadAdapter().waitForFinishedLoad();
	}

	public InstrumentationDescription getInstrumentationDescription() {
		InstrumentationDescriptionBuilder idBuilder = new InstrumentationDescriptionBuilder();
		idBuilder.newAPIScopeEntity(EntryPointScope.class.getName()).addProbe(ResponsetimeProbe.MODEL_PROBE)
				.entityDone();
		return idBuilder.build();

	}

	@Override
	public long getExperimentSeriesDuration() {
		long experimentDuration = ProgressManager.getInstance().calculateExperimentDuration(1,
				GlobalConfiguration.getInstance().getPropertyAsInteger(ConfigKeys.EXPERIMENT_DURATION));
		long stimulationDuration = ProgressManager.getInstance().calculateExperimentDuration(
				GlobalConfiguration.getInstance().getPropertyAsInteger(ConfigKeys.WORKLOAD_MAXUSERS),
				stimulationPhaseDuration);

		return ((long) experimentSteps) * (stimulationDuration + experimentDuration);
	}

	@Override
	public void setMainDetectionController(RampDetectionController mainDetectionController) {
		this.mainDetectionController = mainDetectionController;

	}

	@Override
	public SpotterResult analyze(DatasetCollection data) {
		SpotterResult result = new SpotterResult();

		Dataset rtDataset = data.getDataSets(ResponseTimeRecord.class).get(0);
		if (rtDataset == null || rtDataset.size() == 0) {
			result.setDetected(false);
			result.addMessage("Instrumentation achieved no results for the given scope!");
			return result;
		}
		for (String operation : rtDataset.getValueSet(ResponseTimeRecord.PAR_OPERATION, String.class)) {

			boolean operationDetected = analyseOperationResponseTimes(rtDataset, operation, result);
			if (operationDetected) {
				result.setDetected(true);
				result.addMessage("Ramp detected in operation: " + operation);
			}

		}

		return result;
	}

	private boolean analyseOperationResponseTimes(Dataset rtDataset, String operation, SpotterResult result) {
		try {
			int prevStep = -1;
			int firstSignificantStep = -1;
			int significantSteps = 0;
			NumericPairList<Integer, Double> chartData = new NumericPairList<>();
			NumericPairList<Integer, Double> chartDataMeans = new NumericPairList<>();
			List<Number> confidenceIntervals = new ArrayList<>();
			for (Integer step : rtDataset.getValueSet(STEP, Integer.class)) {
				if (prevStep > 0) {
					ParameterSelection selectionCurrent = new ParameterSelection().select(STEP, step).select(
							ResponseTimeRecord.PAR_OPERATION, operation);
					ParameterSelection selectionPrev = new ParameterSelection().select(STEP, prevStep).select(
							ResponseTimeRecord.PAR_OPERATION, operation);

					Dataset datasetCurrent = selectionCurrent.applyTo(rtDataset);
					Dataset datasetPrev = selectionPrev.applyTo(rtDataset);

					double prevMean = LpeNumericUtils.average(datasetPrev.getValues(
							ResponseTimeRecord.PAR_RESPONSE_TIME, Long.class));
					double currentMean = LpeNumericUtils.average(datasetCurrent.getValues(
							ResponseTimeRecord.PAR_RESPONSE_TIME, Long.class));
					// maybe the operation could not be found in one of the
					// current
					// selections
					if (datasetCurrent == null || datasetPrev == null) {
						prevStep = step;
						continue;
					}
					List<Double> sums1 = new ArrayList<>();
					List<Double> sums2 = new ArrayList<>();
					double pValue = 0.0;

					LpeNumericUtils.createNormalDistributionByBootstrapping(
							datasetPrev.getValues(ResponseTimeRecord.PAR_RESPONSE_TIME, Long.class),
							datasetCurrent.getValues(ResponseTimeRecord.PAR_RESPONSE_TIME, Long.class), sums1, sums2);
					pValue = LpeNumericUtils.tTest(sums2, sums1);

					if (pValue <= requiredSignificanceLevel && currentMean > prevMean) {
						if (firstSignificantStep < 0) {
							firstSignificantStep = prevStep;
						}
						significantSteps++;
					} else {
						firstSignificantStep = -1;
						significantSteps = 0;
					}

					// create data for chart
					if (prevStep == 1) {
						for (Double value : sums1) {
							chartData.add(prevStep, value);

						}
						chartDataMeans.add(prevStep, LpeNumericUtils.average(sums1));
						double stdDev = LpeNumericUtils.stdDev(sums1);
						double width = LpeNumericUtils.getConfidenceIntervalWidth(sums1.size(), stdDev,
								requiredSignificanceLevel);
						confidenceIntervals.add(width / 2.0);
					}
					for (Double value : sums2) {
						chartData.add(step, value);
					}
					chartDataMeans.add(step, LpeNumericUtils.average(sums2));
					double stdDev = LpeNumericUtils.stdDev(sums2);
					double width = LpeNumericUtils.getConfidenceIntervalWidth(sums2.size(), stdDev,
							requiredSignificanceLevel);
					confidenceIntervals.add(width / 2.0);
				}
				prevStep = step;
			}

			createChart(operation, result, chartData, chartDataMeans, confidenceIntervals);
			if (firstSignificantStep > 0 && significantSteps >= reuiqredSignificanceSteps) {
				return true;
			}
			return false;
		} catch (Exception e) {
			return false;
		}
	}

	private void createChart(String operation, SpotterResult result, NumericPairList<Integer, Double> chartData,
			NumericPairList<Integer, Double> chartDataMeans, List<Number> confidenceIntervals) {
		AnalysisChartBuilder chartBuilder = AnalysisChartBuilder.getChartBuilder();
		String operationName = operation.contains("(")?operation.substring(0, operation.indexOf("(")):operation;

		chartBuilder.startChart(operationName, "experiment", "response time [ms]");
		// chartBuilder.addTimeSeries(chartData, "Response Times");
		chartBuilder.addScatterSeriesWithErrorBars(chartDataMeans, confidenceIntervals, "avg. response times");
		mainDetectionController.getResultManager().storeImageChartResource(chartBuilder, "Ramp Detection (TW)", result);
	}

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Specialist Enzymes Make E. coli Antibiotic Resistant at Low pH
Bacterial, News
Scientists have long puzzled over why bacteria contain so many "redundant" enzymes. Why make several molecules that do the same job, interchangeably, when it would be much more efficient to make just one?
New research from Washington University in St. Louis suggests that many of these so-called redundant enzymes are actually specialists that ensure maximal growth across different environments.
Further, these specialist enzymes were found to increase E. coli's resistance to antibiotics at low pH conditions, such as those found in the GI tract or urinary tract — raising concerns that current antibiotic susceptibility tests are inadequate. The research from the laboratory of Petra Levin, professor of biology in Arts & Sciences, is published April 9 in the journal eLife.
"Some enzymes that appear to be redundant for bacterial growth and fitness under standard laboratory conditions are specialized for particular environmental conditions," said Elizabeth Mueller, a PhD candidate and first author of the new study. "We probably miss a lot of interesting and clinically relevant biology by studying bacterial cells predominately during growth in nutrient-rich, neutral-pH, aerated-growth media."
Mueller found that a subset of enzymes involved in making E. coli 's cell wall are pH specialists that ensure robust growth and cell wall integrity in a wide pH range. The work was completed with collaborators at Newcastle University in Britain and Utrecht University in the Netherlands.
It's like opening someone's closet, finding a pile of shoes, and asking, "Why so many?" If a person can get along fine with just one pair — and it doesn't matter which one — why keep all the others? Upon closer inspection, however, you see that pile of shoes is made up of running sneakers and hiking boots, wool slippers and rain boots, flip-flops and stilettos. They're all shoes, but different styles suit different occasions. You could wear a pair of wellies on a 3-mile run, but you'd get fewer blisters in sneakers. The same appears to be true for E. coli cell-wall enzymes in different pH conditions.
For this study , the authors generated strains of E. coli that were missing nonessential cell-wall enzymes. These strains were then grown in medium with pH representative of what E. coli would find in the lower GI tract and urinary tract. The authors found that in these conditions, instead of being interchangeable, several of these enzymes helped the E. coli grow better.
The study focused on two pH specialist enzymes: PBP1a and PBP1b. PBP1a was required for maximal growth in alkaline conditions, while PBP1b was necessary in acidic conditions. If a cell is missing one of these enzymes and grown in that enzyme's "specialist" pH condition, then that cell will have decreased viability.
Interestingly, redundancy in cell wall synthesis appears to have consequences for E. coli's sensitivity to certain cell wall-active antibiotics. The activity of PBP1b in acidic conditions increases the cell's resistance to specific beta-lactam antibiotics by as much as 64-fold, compared to growth in standard culture conditions.
"Most clinical labs test antimicrobial susceptibility by growing bacterial cultures in nutrient-rich media at around neutral pH," Mueller said. "These conditions poorly reflect those experienced by pathogens at most sites in the human body."
"Our study supports the idea that environmental conditions at the infection site may affect the efficacy of antibiotic treatment," she added.
Future work into the mechanism behind how PBP1b protects the cell may reveal new antimicrobial targets that can be inhibited across pH conditions. Additionally, researchers in the Levin laboratory predict that future research will identify similar enzyme specialists in other bacteria. These specialists could explain high levels of redundancy in other classes of enzymes, particularly those located outside of the cell that are exposed to the environment.
Source: Washington University in St. Louis
Toxin Responsible for Legionella Growth is Identified
Pneumonia resulting from exposure to Legionella -- although uncommon and affecting only 1 in 100,000 in Europe -- has a higher than 10 percent fatality rate
For Salmonella Detection, Genomic Tool Emerges as a Key
The world's food supply will become safer as the food industry shifts to high-resolution, whole-genome sequencing - which examines the full DNA of a given organism all at once. This move to make sequencing ubiquitous will lead to the consistently reliable detection of salmonella.
When Flesh-Eating Bacteria Move into New Waters: How to Stay Safe
Infections caused by the bacterium Vibrio vulnificus – known as "flesh eating" bacteria – are becoming more common in northern waters, whose surface temperatures are rising due to climate change. A recent study showed that infections are increasing in areas further north such as the Delaware Bay.
Cigarette Smoke Makes MRSA More Drug-Resistant
Cigarette smoke can make MRSA bacterial strains more resistant to antibiotics, new research from the University of Bath has shown.
New Method Increases Accuracy of Nontuberculous Mycobacteria Identification
The bacterial genus Mycobacterium has the dubious honor of including species responsible for two of the best-known chronic human infectious diseases: tuberculosis and leprosy. But unlike their more famous cousins, for which effective treatment strategies have long been available, it is the 200 or so lesser known Mycobacterium species that are currently causing a resurgence in pulmonary diseases in recent times.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: Creating a string-array of checked items in checked-list-box How can I create an array containing the checked items in a checkedlistbox using foreach loop (or any other way)?
I can't know the number of items in the list.

A: Hi i am doing a similar kind of task . But instead of array i am using array list . I used the below code
ArrayList errorList = new ArrayList();
errorList = chklbErrorlist.CheckedItems.OfType<object>().ToList();

Cannot implicitly convert type
  System.Collections.Generic.List<object> to
  System.Collections.ArrayList

I added the items to the array and then added to the arraylist, It worked. How to add items directly to the araaylist instead of the array

A: Assuming your using 3.5 or above..
object[] items = lb.CheckedItems.OfType<object>().ToArray();

And if you are adding a specific type of object to the CheckedListBox then you can replace object with the name of the class you use.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
import os
import datetime
import re

from django import forms
from django.shortcuts import render, get_object_or_404, redirect
from django.http import HttpResponseForbidden, Http404
from django.utils.html import mark_safe
from django.contrib.auth.decorators import login_required
from django.core.urlresolvers import reverse as urlreverse

import debug                            # pyflakes:ignore

from ietf.doc.models import Document, DocAlias, DocTypeName, DocEvent, State
from ietf.doc.models import NewRevisionDocEvent, save_document_in_history
from ietf.doc.utils import add_state_change_event, check_common_doc_name_rules
from ietf.group.models import Group
from ietf.group.utils import can_manage_materials
from ietf.meeting.models import Session

@login_required
def choose_material_type(request, acronym):
    group = get_object_or_404(Group, acronym=acronym)
    if not group.features.has_materials:
        raise Http404

    return render(request, 'doc/material/choose_material_type.html', {
        'group': group,
        'material_types': DocTypeName.objects.filter(slug__in=group.features.material_types),
    })

class UploadMaterialForm(forms.Form):
    title = forms.CharField(max_length=Document._meta.get_field("title").max_length)
    name = forms.CharField(max_length=Document._meta.get_field("name").max_length)
    abstract = forms.CharField(max_length=Document._meta.get_field("abstract").max_length,widget=forms.Textarea)
    state = forms.ModelChoiceField(State.objects.all(), empty_label=None)
    material = forms.FileField(label='File')

    def __init__(self, doc_type, action, group, doc, *args, **kwargs):
        super(UploadMaterialForm, self).__init__(*args, **kwargs)

        self.fields["state"].queryset = self.fields["state"].queryset.filter(type=doc_type)

        self.doc_type = doc_type
        self.action = action
        self.group = group

        if action == "new":
            self.fields["state"].widget = forms.HiddenInput()
            self.fields["state"].queryset = self.fields["state"].queryset.filter(slug="active")
            self.fields["state"].initial = self.fields["state"].queryset[0].pk
            self.fields["name"].initial = u"%s-%s-" % (doc_type.slug, group.acronym)
        else:
            del self.fields["name"]

            self.fields["title"].initial = doc.title
            self.fields["abstract"].initial = doc.abstract
            self.fields["state"].initial = doc.get_state().pk if doc.get_state() else None
            if doc.get_state_slug() == "deleted":
                self.fields["state"].help_text = "Note: If you wish to revise this document, you may wish to change the state so it's not deleted."

            if action in ["title","state","abstract"]:
                for fieldname in ["title","state","material","abstract"]:
                    if fieldname != action:
                        del self.fields[fieldname]

    def clean_name(self):
        name = self.cleaned_data["name"].strip().rstrip("-")

        check_common_doc_name_rules(name)

        if not re.search("^%s-%s-[a-z0-9]+" % (self.doc_type.slug, self.group.acronym), name):
            raise forms.ValidationError("The name must start with %s-%s- followed by descriptive dash-separated words." % (self.doc_type.slug, self.group.acronym))

        existing = Document.objects.filter(type=self.doc_type, name=name)
        if existing:
            url = urlreverse("material_edit", kwargs={ 'name': existing[0].name, 'action': 'revise' })
            raise forms.ValidationError(mark_safe("Can't upload: %s with name %s already exists. Choose another title and name for what you're uploading or revise the existing %s." % (self.doc_type.name, name, url, name)))

        return name

@login_required
def edit_material(request, name=None, acronym=None, action=None, doc_type=None):
    # the materials process is not very developed, so at the moment we
    # handle everything through the same view/form

    if action == "new":
        group = get_object_or_404(Group, acronym=acronym)
        if not group.features.has_materials:
            raise Http404

        doc = None
        document_type = get_object_or_404(DocTypeName, slug=doc_type)
    else:
        doc = get_object_or_404(Document, name=name)
        group = doc.group
        document_type = doc.type

    if not can_manage_materials(request.user, group):
        return HttpResponseForbidden("You don't have permission to access this view")

    if request.method == 'POST':
        form = UploadMaterialForm(document_type, action, group, doc, request.POST, request.FILES)

        if form.is_valid():
            if action == "new":
                doc = Document()
                doc.type = document_type
                doc.group = group
                doc.rev = "00"
                doc.name = form.cleaned_data["name"]
                prev_rev = None
            else:
                save_document_in_history(doc)
                prev_rev = doc.rev

            prev_title = doc.title
            prev_state = doc.get_state()

            if "title" in form.cleaned_data:
                doc.title = form.cleaned_data["title"]

            if "abstract" in form.cleaned_data:
                doc.abstract = form.cleaned_data["abstract"]

            doc.time = datetime.datetime.now()

            if "material" in form.fields:
                if action != "new":
                    doc.rev = "%02d" % (int(doc.rev) + 1)

                f = form.cleaned_data["material"]
                file_ext = os.path.splitext(f.name)[1]

                with open(os.path.join(doc.get_file_path(), doc.name + "-" + doc.rev + file_ext), 'wb+') as dest:
                    for chunk in f.chunks():
                        dest.write(chunk)

            doc.save()

            if action == "new":
                DocAlias.objects.get_or_create(name=doc.name, document=doc)

            if prev_rev != doc.rev:
                e = NewRevisionDocEvent(type="new_revision", doc=doc, rev=doc.rev)
                e.time = doc.time
                e.by = request.user.person
                e.desc = "New version available: %s-%s" % (doc.name, doc.rev)
                e.save()

            if prev_title != doc.title:
                e = DocEvent(doc=doc, by=request.user.person, type='changed_document')
                e.desc = u"Changed title to %s" % doc.title
                if prev_title:
                    e.desc += u" from %s" % prev_title
                e.time = doc.time
                e.save()

            if "state" in form.cleaned_data and form.cleaned_data["state"] != prev_state:
                doc.set_state(form.cleaned_data["state"])
                add_state_change_event(doc, request.user.person, prev_state, form.cleaned_data["state"])

            return redirect("doc_view", name=doc.name)
    else:
        form = UploadMaterialForm(document_type, action, group, doc)

    return render(request, 'doc/material/edit_material.html', {
        'group': group,
        'form': form,
        'action': action,
        'document_type': document_type,
        'doc_name': doc.name if doc else "",
    })

class MaterialVersionForm(forms.Form):

    version = forms.ChoiceField(required=False,
                                label='Which version of this document will be presented at this session')

    def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
        choices = kwargs.pop('choices')
        super(MaterialVersionForm,self).__init__(*args,**kwargs)
        self.fields['version'].choices = choices

def get_upcoming_manageable_sessions(user, doc, acronym=None, date=None, seq=None, week_day = None):

    # Find all the sessions for meetings that haven't ended that the user could affect
    # This motif is also in Document.future_presentations - it would be nice to consolodate it somehow

    candidate_sessions = Session.objects.exclude(status__in=['canceled','disappr','notmeet','deleted']).filter(meeting__date__gte=datetime.date.today()-datetime.timedelta(days=15))
    refined_candidates = [ sess for sess in candidate_sessions if sess.meeting.end_date()>=datetime.date.today()]

    if acronym:
        refined_candidates = [ sess for sess in refined_candidates if sess.group.acronym==acronym]

    if date:
        if len(date)==15:
            start = datetime.datetime.strptime(date,"%Y-%m-%d-%H%M")
            refined_candidates = [ sess for sess in refined_candidates if sess.timeslotassignments.filter(schedule=sess.meeting.agenda,timeslot__time=start) ]
        else:
            start = datetime.datetime.strptime(date,"%Y-%m-%d").date()
            end = start+datetime.timedelta(days=1)
            refined_candidates = [ sess for sess in refined_candidates if sess.timeslotassignments.filter(schedule=sess.meeting.agenda,timeslot__time__range=(start,end)) ]

    if week_day:
        try:
            dow = ['sun','mon','tue','wed','thu','fri','sat'].index(week_day.lower()[:3]) + 1
        except ValueError:
            raise Http404
        refined_candidates = [ sess for sess in refined_candidates if sess.timeslotassignments.filter(schedule=sess.meeting.agenda,timeslot__time__week_day=dow) ]

    changeable_sessions = [ sess for sess in refined_candidates if can_manage_materials(user, sess.group) ]

    if not changeable_sessions:
        raise Http404

    for sess in changeable_sessions:
        sess.has_presentation = bool(sess.sessionpresentation_set.filter(document=doc))
        if sess.has_presentation:
            sess.version = sess.sessionpresentation_set.get(document=doc).rev

    # Since Python 2.2 sorts are stable, so this series results in a list sorted first by whether
    # the session has any presentations, then by the meeting 'number', then by session's group
    # acronym, then by scheduled time (or the time of the session request if the session isn't
    # scheduled).

    def time_sort_key(session):
        official_sessions = session.timeslotassignments.filter(schedule=session.meeting.agenda)
        if official_sessions:
            return official_sessions.first().timeslot.time
        else:
            return session.requested

    time_sorted = sorted(changeable_sessions,key=time_sort_key)
    acronym_sorted = sorted(time_sorted,key=lambda x: x.group.acronym)
    meeting_sorted = sorted(acronym_sorted,key=lambda x: x.meeting.number)
    sorted_sessions = sorted(meeting_sorted,key=lambda x: '0' if x.has_presentation else '1')

    if seq:
        iseq = int(seq) - 1
        if not iseq in range(0,len(sorted_sessions)):
            raise Http404
        else:
            sorted_sessions = [sorted_sessions[iseq]]

    return sorted_sessions

@login_required
def edit_material_presentations(request, name, acronym=None, date=None, seq=None, week_day=None):

    doc = get_object_or_404(Document, name=name)
    if not (doc.type_id=='slides' and doc.get_state('slides').slug=='active'):
        raise Http404

    group = doc.group
    if not (group.features.has_materials and can_manage_materials(request.user,group)):
        raise Http404

    sorted_sessions = get_upcoming_manageable_sessions(request.user, doc, acronym, date, seq, week_day)

    if len(sorted_sessions)!=1:
        raise Http404

    session = sorted_sessions[0]
    choices = [('notpresented','Not Presented')]
    choices.extend([(x,x) for x in doc.docevent_set.filter(type='new_revision').values_list('newrevisiondocevent__rev',flat=True)])
    initial = {'version' : session.version if hasattr(session,'version') else 'notpresented'}

    if request.method == 'POST':
        form = MaterialVersionForm(request.POST,choices=choices)
        if form.is_valid():
            new_selection = form.cleaned_data['version']
            if initial['version'] != new_selection:
                if initial['version'] == 'notpresented':
                    doc.sessionpresentation_set.create(session=session,rev=new_selection)
                    c = DocEvent(type="added_comment", doc=doc, by=request.user.person)
                    c.desc = "Added version %s to session: %s" % (new_selection,session)
                    c.save()
                elif new_selection == 'notpresented':
                    doc.sessionpresentation_set.filter(session=session).delete()
                    c = DocEvent(type="added_comment", doc=doc, by=request.user.person)
                    c.desc = "Removed from session: %s" % (session)
                    c.save()
                else:
                    doc.sessionpresentation_set.filter(session=session).update(rev=new_selection)
                    c = DocEvent(type="added_comment", doc=doc, by=request.user.person)
                    c.desc = "Revision for session %s changed to  %s" % (session,new_selection)
                    c.save()
            return redirect('doc_view',name=doc.name)
    else:
        form = MaterialVersionForm(choices=choices,initial=initial)

    return render(request, 'doc/material/edit_material_presentations.html', {
        'session': session,
        'doc': doc,
        'form': form,
        })

@login_required
def material_presentations(request, name, acronym=None, date=None, seq=None, week_day=None):

    doc = get_object_or_404(Document, name=name)
    if not (doc.type_id=='slides' and doc.get_state('slides').slug=='active'):
        raise Http404

    group = doc.group
    if not (group.features.has_materials and can_manage_materials(request.user,group)):
        raise Http404

    sorted_sessions = get_upcoming_manageable_sessions(request.user, doc, acronym, date, seq, week_day)

    #for index,session in enumerate(sorted_sessions):
    #    session.sequence = index+1

    return render(request, 'doc/material/material_presentations.html', {
        'sessions' : sorted_sessions,
        'doc': doc,
        'date': date,
        'week_day': week_day,
        })


text:
Tag Archives: Catholic University of America
Serious business in the nation's capital
Leave it to Legatus members to change the course of history.
The Catholic University of America's incredibly popular business program — led by Legatus members — grew into a full-fledged business school in 2013. Now the school is taking another bold step in its offering of authentically Catholic business formation.
In May, CUA received a $15 million gift from the Tim and Steph Busch Family Foundation. The Busches are longtime members of Legatus' Orange County Chapter. Their gift is the largest single donation in the university's 129-year history. Five other donors brought the total to $47 million. The funds will help grow CUA's business school, which has been re-named The Tim and Steph Busch School of Business and Economics.
Tim Busch is the founder and CEO of Pacific Hospitality Group, which operates a group of luxury hotels. He also founded the Napa Institute and The Busch Firm, a law firm in Irvine, Calif.
Explosive growth
Tim and Steph Busch
The Busches say they chose CUA because they believe in the school's mission.
"I've been on the board of Catholic University for the past 12 years," Tim Busch said. "In the beginning I didn't know much about it. But the more I became aware of the school and its mission, the more I got enthused."
Catholic University will use the funds to renovate Maloney Hall, which will house the business school. The money will also help develop new academic programs in the school, including an Institute on Human Ecology.
CUA always had a business department, but in the last decade the department saw explosive growth. More than 700 of CUA's 4,000 undergraduates now major in business.
"In 2010, the department was growing like something out of The Sorcerer's Apprentice," said CUA president John Garvey, a member of Legatus' chapter in Washington, D.C. "We could not contain the students. It seemed appropriate to build a school for them. Other Catholic universities have business programs, but I don't know if they integrate faith and finance in the way that we do."
In a secular Master of Business Administration (MBA) program, students learn to maximize profit. A few schools have elective courses on ethics. But when CUA founded its business school in 2013, the goal was to turn business education on its head by integrating Catholic social teaching in every class, Garvey explained.
"Ignorance of rules is not the primary reason for misdirection in business," he said. "We need to focus on guiding the students to becoming better people who instinctively make better moral judgments. Aristotle says that virtue is a habit, a practice that becomes second nature. We need to train people thoroughly, and this can't happen by only taking one course."
William Bowman, dean of the business school, remembers what happened when Enron — one of the world's largest energy companies — collapsed in 2001 because of unethical accounting practices.
William Bowman
"After the Enron scandal, a priest friend of mine — Fr. Michael Barrett — said, 'What about business ethics?' He had been a stockbroker and had a real understanding of the business world, but he also knew about Church teaching. He led me to read several encyclicals dealing with the free market system," Bowman explained.
Bowman, a member of Legatus' DC Chapter, spent several years studying Church teaching on business and economics.
"This is a very new area, looking at business through the Catholic lens," he said.
One of the biggest contributions to this field comes from Andrew Abela, CUA's provost and founding dean of the business school. Abela spent three years researching every papal encyclical, Vatican II document, and papal speech on business. In 2009, his findings were published in A Catechism for Business. The book answers 100 tough ethical questions for business leaders.
Philosophy and theology are the foundation of the university's business school curriculum. Students can expect to read several encyclicals like Pope Leo XIII's Rerum Novarum, Pope St. John Paul II's Centesimus Annus and Pope Francis' Laudato Si. They study the themes of subsidiarity, solidarity, virtue, entrepreneurship and human ecology.
"So it's not just about accounting and finance," Busch explained. "We want students to understand why we do what we do."
A higher standard
Steph Busch, a business partner with her husband, decries the theological drift in many of the country's Catholic colleges.
"There is so much liberal teaching in universities," she said. "It's out on a limb and it doesn't speak to mainstream society. We hope that CUA's business school can change the rhetoric. Students need the right formation."
The Busch School also wants to become a center for sharing "best practices" in the world of Catholic business.
A combination of modern and classical design is envisioned for the Maloney Hall renovation, shown in this architectural rendering
"We bring in Catholic businessmen and women to talk about what their faith has to do with their work," Garvey said. "Turnout from the students has been overwhelming."
In the long term, CUA wants its business students to learn what it means to be good stewards who can serve society and the common good. Once the school graduates students with doctorates, these leaders can influence future businessmen and women.
"We realized that a professor in a business school can impact 100,000 students in his or her lifetime," Tim Busch explained. "The school's mission is to impact how people think."
Although there are some elements in the Catholic Church critical of the free market system, the Busches point out that Catholic social teaching reveals that business is a force for good when done right.
"We are all called to co-create with God," Tim Busch said. "Handouts will always be necessary as a safety net for the poorest of the poor, but at the end of the day, it's better to teach someone how to fish than just to hand them a fish."
The Busch family is serious about the idea that business people have a responsibility to give back to society.
"Capitalism is in trouble because of this attitude among some to take all that they can as long as it's legal," he said. "We want to develop a higher standard than just profit, even though profit is important."
Tim and Steph Busch firmly believe that a business can be ethically run, treat its employees and customers with dignity, be profitable and give back to society.
"I give credit to Legatus," Busch said. "It has really formed us. Through it, we have really deepened our formation in the faith and how it relates to work."
SABRINA ARENA FERRISI is Legatus magazine's senior staff writer.
Learn More: business.cua.edu
Growing a business school at CUA
The Catholic University of America's Busch School of Business and Economics offers an undergraduate degree in business. Graduate students can earn a master's degree in one of five business programs: Master of Science in Business Analysis, Master of Science in Management, Master of Science in Accounting, Master of Arts in Integral Economic Development Management, and Master of Arts in Integral Economic Policy Development.
The university hopes to offer an MBA and a doctoral program in the future. A post-doctoral fellowship begins this fall on how to teach business as a force for good. —Ferrisi.
This entry was posted in Featured, Features and tagged Busch, catholic business, Catholic University of America, Steph Busch, tim busch on September 3, 2016 by admin.
Business leaders are going John Galt
ANDREW ABELA writes that in today's difficult and over-regulated economy, many business leaders are dropping out of the marketplace–to the detriment of the entire economy. He suggests that business leaders engage rather than retreat by helping young and upcoming entrepreneurs learn to navigate today's challenging business climate . . .
Andrew Abela
There's a growing, disturbing phenomenon among business leaders and entrepreneurs. Perhaps you've noticed it among some of your acquaintances; perhaps you've even been tempted by it yourself.
The phenomenon is called "going John Galt," named after a leading character in Ayn Rand's novel Atlas Shrugged. Fed up with the socialistic world he's living in, Galt decides to leave and encourages numerous other entrepreneurs to follow him. As a result, the economy more or less grinds to a halt.
At Legatus chapter meetings across the country where I've been speaking — and with individual and groups of Catholic entrepreneurs and business leaders who visit us at the Catholic University of America — I'm meeting more and more people who are basically just walking away. Whether because they have had enough of fighting the EPA over every aspect of their business or they are concerned about going to jail because they didn't comply with the umpteenth new regulation this week, they believe that the fun and sense of accomplishment in building a business is being sucked away by big government.
Blogger David McElroy posted a real life example of this from a hearing on environmental issues in Birmingham, Ala. At one point, a man stepped up to the microphone:
"My name's Ronnie Bryant, and I'm a mine operator. I've been issued a [state] permit in the recent past for [waste water] discharge, and after standing in this room today listening to the comments being made by the people…. [pause] Nearly every day without fail — I have a different perspective — men stream to these [mining] operations looking for work in Walker County. They can't pay their mortgage. They can't pay their car note. They can't feed their families.
"And as I stand here today, I just … you know … what's the use? I got a permit to open up an underground coal mine that would employ probably 125 people. They'd be paid wages from $50,000 to $150,000 a year. We would consume probably $50 million to $60 million in consumables a year, putting more men to work. And my only idea today is to go home…. If there's so much opposition to these guys making a living, I feel like there's no need in me putting out the effort to provide work for them. So as I stood against the wall here today, basically what I've decided is not to open the mine. I'm just quitting. Thank you."
The implications of business leaders "going John Galt" are obvious and dire: declining competitiveness, decaying economic dynamism, and lack of employment growth. Pope John Paul II, in Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, wrote that "experience shows us that the denial of this right [of economic initiative], or its limitation in the name of an alleged 'equality' of everyone in society, diminishes, or in practice absolutely destroys the spirit of initiative" (#15).
Pope Benedict XVI affirmed in Deus Caritas Est that "the State which would provide everything, absorbing everything into itself, would ultimately become a mere bureaucracy incapable of guaranteeing the very thing which the suffering person — every person — needs: namely, loving personal concern. We do not need a State which regulates and controls everything, but a State which, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity, generously acknowledges and supports initiatives arising from the different social forces" (#28).
Earlier this year, CUA created its own School of Business and Economics. One of the major motivators in creating the School is the urgent need to re-propose to society that business is a moral endeavor, that business leaders serve society by their very actions of creating products and services, wealth and employment.
How can you help? By doing whatever you can to educate others on the value and values of ownership. Do you have a successful business model? If so, have you considered franchising as a way to grow your business without additional capital investment on your part — and as a way to help others become business owners? Do you have an Employee Stock Ownership Program (ESOP) so that your employees can become owners too? Have you considered "spinning out" parts of your business by selling ownership stakes to the management teams that run them?
The greater the proportion of citizens who are owners and investors, the less ability others have to vilify the business economy. The more people who understand how a culture of ownership brings political and economic stability, the less temptation there will be to attack business, and hopefully the less of a tendency to "go John Galt."
ANDREW V. ABELA, Ph.D. is the dean of the newly created School of Business & Economics at The Catholic University of America, and a charter member of Legatus' Northern Virginia Chapter.
This entry was posted in Ethics and tagged Andrew Abela, Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand, Catholic University of America, economy, enconomics, John Galt, overregulation on July 1, 2013 by admin.
The futility of business ethics
Andreas Widmer writes that business ethics without a clear understanding of the meaning and significance of work is a bit like playing ball without any rules. He suggests a shift from a focus on rules and regulations, from a focus on business ethics as a separate topic, to an integrated focus on teaching young entrepreneurs about business as a vocation . . .
Imagine you were leading a large sports team without being told exactly what game you're playing. Someone places a nondescript ball in front of you and says: "Play!" So you start. Every so often when you touch the ball, the ref's whistle admonishes you.
You stop, are told that this is not allowed, you shrug your shoulders and play on. The referee's calls are mystifying, even arbitrary, and for you the game's objective becomes simply to circumvent or avoid the ref all together.
Business ethics without a clear understanding of the meaning and significance of work is a bit like playing ball without any rules. When we think of business ethics, we think of regulations, laws and codes of behaviors: basically a litany of don'ts.
The list multiplies rapidly. After every scandal, there is a call for more regulation. After any new regulations, businesses devise new strategies to deal with these regulations — in essence, to figure out how to have them affect their business as little as possible. It seems a reasonable enough response if seen from the perspective of "avoiding the ref." Except that this, of course, is the recipe for the next scandal, and the cycle begins anew.
It's no wonder that popular opinion condemns business as selfish, corrupt and damaging to society. Yet it doesn't have to be that way. In reality, most businesses are run in a very different way than what I just described. Not because of any industry regulation or government law, but because they act out of their leaders' fundamental understanding of what business is all about. This view is often informed by their faith.
God is a worker. The first thing we learn about God in the Bible is that he is creative: He conceived of and formed the world out of nothing. Then he made humans. He says that he wanted to make them in his image: a subject, immortal, a worker. This is where we find the primary purpose of business: God invited us to participate in his creative power. Every time we go to work, every time we engage in business, we accept that invitation and in fact, imitate God.
This is why Blessed John Paul II says that when we work, we don't just "make more," but we "become more." Work is a path to holiness.
The ethics of any specific action finds its foundation and purpose in the intrinsic meaning and significance of that very action. This is why any kind of ethics in a relativistic society is at best transient and at worst completely incompatible with the common good. If I cannot ascertain the Truth, how will I know how to produce goods that are truly good and services that truly serve?
When approached from the deep meaning and significance of human work, however, business ethics becomes an instinctive exercise in excellence. It's not how well I know the rules that makes me a better athlete, it's that I've effectively internalized the game. That's how an athlete gets what's called "in the zone," and it's what happens when an athlete achieves perfection in his game.
And so it goes with business: If I internalize the very essence of business, it's no longer about rules or regulations, but about perfection and excellence. It's not about short-term or long-term, but about transcendence; not about profit and loss, but about sustainability; and not about me, but about others.
John Mackey of Whole Foods didn't create his store to meet rules or regulations, but he offered products aimed at perfection and excellence. It's the reputation of that excellence which made Whole Foods into the icon of healthy groceries.
Tom Monaghan didn't focus as much on short-term performance as he did on making Domino's a permanent and rewarding presence for his customers and employees. His approach allowed Domino's to become one of the most positively recognized companies in the world. François Michelin didn't set out to create a profit, but harmony between his company and the consumer, work force, investors and society. He credits this harmony with the immense success during his tenure.
Any business that can compete and has a positive impact in the long run is inherently other-directed. It is in giving that we receive. That holds true in business as well as in one's personal life. Think of your last interaction with any company: Customers reward good products and positive service with loyalty — the critical ingredient in any company's successful future.
What I propose then is to shift from a focus on rules and regulations, from a focus on business ethics as a separate topic, to an integrated focus on teaching young entrepreneurs about business as a vocation. Let's teach the next generation that business is about more than making a living. Let's teach them to make a meaningful and fulfilling life. The results will speak for themselves.
ANDREAS WIDMER is director of entrepreneurship programs at The Catholic University of America. He is the author of "The Pope & The CEO: Pope John Paul II's Lessons to a Young Swiss Guard."
This entry was posted in Ethics and tagged Andreas Widmer, business ethics, Catholic University of America, François Michelin, John Mackey, John paul II, tom monaghan on April 1, 2013 by Christine Valentine-Owsik.
Reinventing business education
Catholic University of America launches new School of Business and Economics . . .
Whenever financial scandals make the news, business schools typically respond by adding more ethics courses to the curriculum.
But a new School of Business and Economics at the Catholic University of America is taking a different approach to instilling ethics into future business leaders by seeking to integrate morality, virtue and service into every aspect of its teaching and research.
Rethinking ethics
Dr. Andrew Abela
"It's more than adding courses or chapters in textbooks," said Andrew Abela, who was named dean of the school on Jan. 18, "but making sure that when you learn finance, you learn how to do finance well. That means being both effective and ethical."
A member of Legatus' Northern Virginia Chapter, Abela said the challenge in creating such a program is that business disciplines traditionally have been designed to be ethically neutral. Added Catholic University President John Garvey: "It's a popular and common way of thinking about business problems that we can separate our deliberations about business issues from our moral deliberations, that business education will give you the tools to be successful at finance, marketing, accounting, whatever, and you employ that in service to whatever your ideals happen to be."
Nonetheless, he continued, business is inextricably intertwined with moral questions. For example, he said, the current debt crisis is tied to our duties to the aged and future generations, and the last financial crisis dealt with disclosure, honesty and self-restraint.
"To think back to old-fashioned terms," Garvey explained, "if you list the capital sins we were taught to recite as children in our catechism class, the majority deal with these kinds of problems: covetousness, envy, gluttony, lust for goods as well as people. The virtues we want to teach people in the marketplace are a welcome antidote for that."
Since the university announced on Jan. 8 that it was turning its existing business and economics department into a school, Garvey said he has been struck by how new and surprising people find the idea of incorporating ethics and morality into a business program.
"I wish that there were more examples of this kind of full integration of ethical and moral thought in business and professional schools, but it's relatively unusual," Garvey said.
Neil Watson, a student in the school's Master of Science in Business Analysis program, said he was drawn to Catholic University precisely because of the way the business school integrates faith, virtues, morals and ethics into every course.
"It wasn't going to be a one-time course where I signed a paper saying, 'I promise to be an ethical business person.'" Instead, he said, in every class, he is learning not just finance and accounting, for example, but how to do them for the purpose of doing good.
"It's one thing to be a good business person and another to be a good business person doing good," he explained.
Watson said the new business school's approach is especially important for his generation, which has seen business portrayed as separate from a person's spiritual life.
"We've seen the results and harm that are done to society if you try to practice business that way," he explained. "We grew up with Enron and the financial crisis with AIG because it became all about money. My generation in particular is hungering for that integration."
Although Abela believes there is a demand for business programs like Catholic University's, he said most students searching for a business school might not be looking specifically for a virtues-based approach. However, when they learn about it, they say that is what they want.
Catholic University's school also differs from other business programs around the country in that it combines business and economics, two disciplines Abela said are closely related. "We realize that the project of reinventing the theory of business so that it can have morality integrated into it also needs a reinvention of economics."
As plans to expand the former department into a school became known over the last few years, CUA's School of Business and Economics has attracted new students and faculty members.
Undergraduate enrollment has gone from 300 three years ago to 421 — in addition to 36 graduate students. Although no enrollment target has been set, Abela said applications for the next academic year are already up significantly.
Over the last five years, the full-time faculty has doubled in size to 14, with another 50 teaching part-time. The school plans to hire three more faculty members for the next academic year.
Among recent additions to the faculty are Andreas Widmer, a CEO and former member of the Vatican Swiss Guard who is serving as director of entrepreneurship programs; Dr. Frederic Sautet, a noted French economist who will be a visiting professor of entrepreneurship; and Dr. Ava Cas, a development economist who is assistant professor of economics.
Besides undergraduate degrees in accounting, economics, finance, international business, international economics and finance, management, and marketing, the new school offers graduate degrees in accounting, business analysis, and integral economic development management.
The one-year business analysis program is designed mainly for liberal arts students without a business background and employs an advisory board whose members provide one-on-one mentorships to students. The integral economic development program is for students who want to work in a nongovernmental organization and is based on the understanding that economic development cannot occur unless the core institutions of society are strong.
Legatus connections
Abela said an MBA program is a possibility for the future, but with the current glut of MBAs in the U.S., there is a declining demand. "We will eventually do one," he said, "but when we do, it will be something distinctive."
In its quest to instill Catholic values in the business leaders of the future, the school has also employed Legates as speakers and mentors. The advisory board of the master's program in business analysis is made up of many Legates from the Northern Virginia and Seattle chapters. Other members have visited the school as guest speakers.
"We always welcome more," Abela said. "Our students love meeting successful Catholic business people. We want to show them examples of good, upstanding moral leaders who are also successful."
Asked whether ethical business people are more likely to succeed, Abela was unequivocal.
"In the long term — and most Legates know this — if you treat people with respect, you will have a more sustainable and successful business over the long term. There's no guarantee that by being moral, you will be successful. There are all sorts of temptations, but if you are trustworthy, chances are you will be more successful."
JUDY ROBERTS is Legatus magazine's staff writer.
This entry was posted in Featured, Features and tagged Andreas Widmer, Andrew Abela, business ethics, Catholic University of America, CUA, Enron, John Garvey, Judy Roberts, Neil Watson, School of Business and Economics on March 1, 2013 by admin.
Legatus member receives Acton prize
Andrew Abela wins Novak Award, calls for greater moral engagement in market place . . .
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Professor Andrew V. Abela of Catholic University of America gave the 9th annual Calihan Lecture on Oct. 8 at CUA's Pryzbyla Student Center. Abela spoke on "Consumerism, Subsidiarity and the Market." The Calihan Lecture is delivered by the recipient of the Novak Award, a $10,000 prize.
Andrew Abela, a charter member of Legatus' Arlington Chapter and Legatus Magazine contributor, is an associate professor of marketing and chair of the Department of Business and Economics at the Catholic University of America in Washington. His main areas of interest include consumerism, marketing ethics, Catholic social teaching and internal marketing communication.
A frequent guest on television and radio programs, Abela has recently addressed such issues as the moral underpinnings of capitalism, the current financial crisis and ethics in advertising. Abela is also widely published in academic and professional journals including The Journal of Marketing, The Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science and The Journal of Markets & Morality.
The Novak Award is named after the theologian and social philosopher, Michael Novak. The award acknowledges and rewards those who, relatively early in their academic careers, have made significant contributions to the study of the relationship between religion and economic liberty, and who are deemed likely to make further important contributions. Recipients of the Novak Award make a formal presentation on such issues at an annual public forum known as the Calihan Lecture. The Novak award forms part of a range of scholarships and awards available from the Acton Institute.
The Acton Institute is a nonprofit, ecumenical think tank located in Grand Rapids, Mich. The Institute works internationally to "promote a free and virtuous society characterized by individual liberty and sustained by religious principles."
Source: Acton Institute news release.
This entry was posted in In the News and tagged acton institute, Andrew Abela, Catholic University of America on October 9, 2009 by Christine Valentine-Owsik.


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What Parents Need to Know About Cyberpunk 2077
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Published 6th January 2021
A free online safety guide on Cyberpunk 2077.
Cyberpunk 2077 is a first-person action RPG (role-playing game) with multiple storylines. It's set in a dystopian future where the line between humans and machines has blurred, with cybernetic implants commonplace. Eight years in the making by Polish developers CD Projekt RED, the game has already garnered quite a reputation – partly because of its adult themes and graphic content.
In the guide you'll find tips on a number of potential risks such as extreme violence, adult themes and online multiplayer.
This is part of our Technology and Online Information Categories.
Writer, presenter and current gaming editor for GAMINGbible, one of the biggest gaming news sites in the world.
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On Monday, Washington, D.C. will say "Bonjour" to Belgian bakery-restaurant, Le Pain Quotidien at the corner of 14th & K St, in the former DC Coast restaurant space.
Baked breakfast items proliferate as consumers seek grab-and-go options.
Belgian bakery and restaurant chain Le Pain Quotidien will expand its efforts ensuring all locations are carbon (CO2) neutral in the U.S. by 2016, and globally by 2020.
Le Botaniste, a botanical-based, apothecary-inspired restaurant, opens today in New York City.
Le Pain Quotidien Bakery & Restaurant, renowned for its artisan bread and wholesome menu, announced that Doug Satzman, 42, has joined the company as the U.S. chief executive officer. U.S.


Why do we like vintage car commercials so much? Couple of decades ago art of visual effects and videography was not where it is now. Therefore, creators had to use different approach to make their clips interesting and dynamic. While car commercials of today are definitely cool, we like to look back at how some already classic cars used to be advertised. So that is what we are doing here today – we present you 5 interesting car commercials from the past.
This article is part of the series we have going on about old car commercials, you can find the entire list of articles at the very bottom of this one. Meanwhile today we are looking at how BMW E30, Volvo 145, Toyota pickup trucks, Fiat 128 and were advertised.
There is no denying that we love E30. We are following one restoration project and we've already covered 7 interesting facts about this car. However, while now it is gaining its classic status, back in a day it was just another car on the market. This is kind of a lengthy, but it is full of good stuff. For starts, there is a nice example of old commercial weirdness – some boats and 80's graphics.
If you watched entire clip, you really saw everything. Nice convertible, fast M3 and, of course, an off-roading scene on the snow. By the way, if you like E30, here you can read 7 interesting facts about this famous BMW.
There is no denying that today the world is more about equality than ever. Back in a day a little bit of sexism didn't really bother anyone. This Volvo 145 commercial is a perfect example of how different the world was back in a way.
To be completely honest, we have to admit that this was the lifestyle of choice in those days. And both men and women struggled with those massive estate cars. Comparably tiny Volvo 145 looks so refreshing squeezed in between those American monsters.
Ford F150 is the most popular car in USA. In fact, pickup trucks are immensely popular throughout the country. Of course, American manufacturers are dominating the market, but Toyota is not humble about its presence either. This is how it introduced its new line in 1985.
You can see how competitor trucks are standing on their back axles from… shock, maybe? Regardless, Toyota makes pretty much the finest pickups on the market – they are extremely reliable, unbeatable off-road and full of technology.
"When it comes to cars, you can't fool the Ferrari" – a funny ad for a humble Fiat 128. Enzo Ferrari is a legendary name in automotive business, who founded the coolest brand in the world. However, according to this commercial, Mr. Ferrari himself used different cars for his own commute.
Enzo Ferrari drove many cars throughout his lifetime and Fiat 128 is actually not that weird. However, we don't thing Ferrari drew a lot of inspiration from humble Fiats when creating his own masterpieces.
Finally, just look at how dreamy Mazda Miata (MX-5) commercial was. This little sports car is probably the most optimistic vehicle on the road and it seems like people behind this clip grasped its character very well. Just take a look.
These were all commercials we had for this time. Are there any vintage car commercials YOU would include into our list?
And in the third we watched M5 (E39), Porsche, Ford Mustang, Mercedes-Benz and Lambroghini commercials.
We buy cars relying on our own taste, suggestions from our friends and, sometimes, commercials. We always want a better, faster, better looking car and sometimes it just takes one short clip to make us change our bedroom wall poster to something else. We collected most interesting weird car commercials from the past, this time focusing on the dream cars.
All car enthusiasts have their dream car – something that is too expensive at the moment, but maybe someday it will stand in your garage. Did you ever dream about having a Lamborghini? Or maybe a Porsche? Or maybe you're a muscle car guy and you wish you could drive around in a vintage Ford Mustang? We compiled commercials about all of these cars, but to start with let's look at probably one of the best car commercials of all time, starring BMW M5 (E39).
Super saloons are mighty impressive vehicles that can do everything. While they are happy to tear up a race track, they can drive you to work or kids to school the very next day. BMW M5 is arguably the biggest name in the super saloon game and here is how E39 M5 was advertised back in a day.
We know exactly why we love this commercial so much – it is a surprise factor. When you look at the clip knowing it is a commercial for an M5, you are expecting it to speed past a land speed record car when rock music in the background gets louder and louder. But not this time – M5 was always in the front. M5 at the time was the fastest saloon car in the world and boy was it proud of it. This clip was uploaded to YouTube 11 years ago, in 2006, but it is older, since E39 ended its production life in 2003.
Now, BMW M5 is brilliant, but it is not a car for everyone. Meanwhile Porsche is a name you can't help but respect, regardless of the vehicle. And for all good reasons – cars of this brand are fast, extremely high-quality, composed in racing tracks and engineered to perfection. And this is how you advertise it when you don't have to prove anything anymore.
Classy. Ferdinand Anton Ernst Porsche walking casually through the history of the brand and stopping for a moment to adore a legendary 959 – what a commercial. This man is a pretty big name in automotive history as you might imagine. His dad was a founder of Volkswagen and Porsche brands and his son was one of the creators of 911.
Meanwhile back in the 1960's Ford Mustang had to prove a lot to secure its presence in the market of sports cars. However, this commercial is a little bit weird in its characters.
Sure, a move-away steering wheel is a nice feature and the car looks good, but it is not the star of the commercial. A man got called by a mermaid, so he jumped into his Mustang and drove to the beach to see her – a perfectly sound commercial, we say. By the way, the steering wheel in this car is, according to us, one of the most beautiful in the automotive history.
Not everyone likes sports cars, so we can take a step away from them for a moment. How about luxury? Many people have Mercedes-Benz cars as their dream vehicles and we get it – they are posh, reliable and are a symbol of wealth and good taste. However, Mercedes drivers have a bit of reputation, which, intentionally or not, has been represented in this commercial.
Ok, this stereotype caries through many luxury brands, but it seems to have stuck with Jaguar and Mercedes drivers very tightly. On the other hand, this commercial does underline car's key characteristics – dependability and four-wheel-drive system.
Finally, we come to Lamborghini – the original poster car, dream of all car enthusiasts, author of cars that got us into automotive culture. However, this commercial is actually quite unusual, let's see if you can pick up why.
Yup, no Lamborghini in the video. While the clip is mostly about Sant'Agata, Lamborghini is really a star, even without ever showing up. Interestingly, not everyone got the point of this commercial so we kindly explain – green light for pedestrians is very short, because Sant'Agata is Lamborghini country.
And in the second we took a look at how Audi 100, Golf MkII, Volkswagen Passat, Opel Calibra and Fiat Multipla were advertised.
Posted in CarsTagged BMW, commercials, Ford, Lamborghini, Mercedes-Benz, PorscheLeave a Comment on Five interesting automobile commercials from the past: why you don't see a car in Lamborghini's clip?


A certain digital camera having a lens with focal length 7.5 cm focuses on an object 1.85 m tall that is 4.25 m from the lens. (a) How far must the lens be from the photocells? (b) How tall is the image on the photocells? Is it erect or inverted? (c) A SLR digital camera often has pixels measuring 8.0 um by 8.0 um. How many such pixels does the height of this image cover?
I have part a and b, but I can't figure out c! help please!


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Ebenezer Scrooge would defend the Grinch
TOPICS:Baxter HolmesDallas CowboysDan SnyderDaniel SnyderDeadspinDeshaun WatsonDonald SterlingDonald TrumpJerry JonesNFLRobert Sarver
Scrooge and The Grinch.
There comes a point when public figures are no longer defensible. Donald Sterling and Robert Sarver were scumbags way before we had evidence that they were. So when the audio of Sterling leaked, or the Baxter Holmes piece hit the internet, there was zero reason to go to bat for them. Let the investigations play out, and see how long Deshaun Watson's suspension is.
This is where we're at with Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder. The House Committee on Oversight and Reform released the Dan Snyder cut, and it's more stories about sexual misconduct and a toxic workplace environment created by the owner. The greasy henchmen in Snyder's corner and Republicans have been critical of the panel, calling it a waste of time and taxpayer money. I agree. We didn't need it. It's one of like 500 things to come out asserting Snyder probably shouldn't be in charge of a frozen banana stand let alone an NFL team.
Dallas Cowboys owner and ol' boy Jerry Jones doesn't feel that way though, and he's joined the cavalcade of idiots decrying the report as biased. In his weekly radio hit with K&C Masterpiece in Dallas, he told the hosts who got the inspiration for their name from a shitty barbecue sauce as much.
"I hope our fans see how politically biased this report is," said Jones. "This report doesn't even come out if the Republicans were in Congress. It's that stupid."
Hey, Jerry, this isn't the January 6 panel, so stop defending Snyder like he's Donald Trump.
The rambling continued.
"My point is there are biases all the way through. There are stories behind the stories."
Yes, there are many stories. Like this, and this, or how about that, and this tidbit?
Jones then complained that the hubbub surrounding Snyder has been "a campaign to stop having [workplace] settlements."
Not a great look for a guy working for a league that once had a $1 billion concussion settlement, but OK.
My favorite (is that the right word?) part of the saucy radio spot was Jones saying he's "proud" of the efforts his organization has made to improve its workplace.
"We have thoroughly, for a long time, tried to improve our workplace. Do we have room for improvement all over? Of course we do. Everybody does. But I'm proud of where we are."
The reason Jones can't just say he's proud of Dallas' workplace environment is because they had a guy filming Cowboys cheerleaders in the locker room. The main reason Jones is defending Snyder so fervently — other than the 'Boys benefit from the Commanders continued average-to-embarrassing on-field product — is if NFL owners can routinely be removed for being a scumbag, he might be next.
A photo of Jones at an anti-segregation rally surfaced recently, and the public deemed the statute of limitations applied to the black-and-white evidence that he, too, is gross. To be clear, Jones isn't going anywhere. He's the most powerful owner of the most popular team in the league.
That said, he's becoming as indefensible as the owner he's defending.
#Ebenezer #Scrooge #defend #Grinch
Apparently, people will say anything after a couple glasses of Sav Blanc
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Skid Row Cleanup is helmed by dedicated individual, Steven. Software engineer by day and volunteer every week, Steven has committed his Saturday mornings to cleaning Skid Row for four years. Once a week he drives from his home in Placentia thirty miles from DTLA to meet with volunteers at the southwest corner of 5th and Crocker at 10am. Skid Row Cleanup sometimes has thirty-plus volunteers, some weekends there are two.
Steven continues to help sweep up Skid Row because he believes the act of cleaning achieves several things: 1) Cleaning up offers routine to an otherwise hazy, timeless existence on Skid Row. 2) Cleaning shows a little pride in one's home. 3) Cleaning is an ordinary outer transformation, a transformation that can translate to inner transformation.
Steven's unique insight to what it's like on Skid Row came from a personal experience in job loss, "In 1998 I was unemployed for five weeks and the funny thing is I had all the time of the world, but I just stayed at home with dishes piling up. I wasn't taking care of myself, things got out of control really fast. So when I was busy I was taking better care of myself than when I had nothing to do. Some responsibility came into my life and I had this spiritual restoration. Skid Row is a very extreme example. Time is a haze. It's a very slow existence and they wait for any food or action to come their way; illegal merchandise, a new way to get away from the cops, new ways to score drugs. Even when they have all the time in the world it's no guarantee they can sleep. There's always fighting, always something going on in the night. They sleep just a few hours at a time. You sleep in a tent and you have a beef with someone and you don't know if they're going to come threaten you or attack you while you sleep."
The idea of transformation is definitely there. The truth is, no one can truly take full responsibility for the individuals living on Skid Row other than the individuals themselves. But at the same time, if we can offer a small investment towards the well-being of others, it can only help. We can offer an example by cleaning, promote routine, and let the residents of Skid Row know there are people in their community who care. Skid Row is one form of rock bottom, as difficult as it may be to recover, but transformation is still possible.
Meet up at 10am at 5th and Crocker in DTLA. I recommend walking to the group with a friend, or having someone drop you off and pick you up if you're going in alone.
You may have to sign a simple one-page waiver to participate.
You will be given the ground rules and general safety rules - for example stick together with the group, wear gloves and a face mask which are both provided by Skid Row Cleanup along with all cleaning supplies.
As Steven explains, "It's like an emergency room, There will always be new people. There can be progress but there is no completion. The lack of permanency makes it hard to recover from drug addiction or prostitution. What we're trying to do is build dedicated members who are committed to being on the ground to help and show a track record of improving. I know people who have had drug addictions and after going to my church for years, they don't do drugs anymore because they have a community to fill that void. They have moved past the addiction toward a spiritual restoration and they can then offer the same help they received to new people on Skid Row. There's a huge difference between the manifestation of something inside that has been restored versus destructive things. The cleaning up is a simple way of starting a transformation."
Skid Row Cleanup is affiliated with a local church, The Row Church. Sometimes Skid Row Cleanup partners with other volunteer groups like Trash Free Earth.
Where is the heart of the city? Come on out and join the clean up. Stay safe and bring your friends, neighbors and co-workers.
This article is also on the @happeninginDTLA blog Downtown Diaries.


text:
The Sardinian regional election of 1953 for the Second Council took place on 14 June 1953.

Five more seats were added.

After the election Luigi Crespellani, the incumbent Christian Democratic President, was re-elected President by the Regional Council. He was later succeeded by Alfredo Corrias (1954–1955) and Giuseppe Brotzu (1955–1957).

Results

Sources: Regional Council of Sardinia and Istituto Cattaneo

References

Elections in Sardinia
1953 elections in Italy

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Meridionalis is a Blue/Green monster with top waifu status from the Heroine REM. She is a 6 star pull that is capable of replacing Awoken Liu Bei systems that rely on 3 zeus dios to use an active skill, swipe, and clear almost any stage in the game.
Meri has a mechanic that stops skyfalls from happenings, which may seem like it's not good since many times skyfalls save lives (as seen in the infamous Beelzebub poison skyfall save). However, Meridionalis not allowing skyfalls can be seen as a way of dramatically speeding up runs for those who wish to farm over and over for specific monsters and skill ups.
The no skyfall mechanic will possibly be used in ranking tournaments now as well as the quicker you can get through a dungeon, the better.
Finally, having no skyfalls means you can control your damage against enemies such as sopdet, vishnu, and heradragon.
Both Ilmina and Meridionalis highlight new aspects of Puzzle & Dragons. While they are not the first (and the reason some people argue against rolling the Heroine REM because there isn't anything game breaking) they are among the strongest when it comes to these mechanics.
For Ilmina, having a 7×6 board opens up the possibility of using Kenshin in a better scenario. Using double Kenshins, in a 6×5 board, can only achieve a multiplier of x2916 (which is freaking amazing) as you can only get 3 crosses on a board this size without skyfalls. However, getting enough orbs to do this is pretty tough without using up skills and you can almost never get 3 crosses without a skill. With Ilmina, you have a bigger board which has up to 42 orbs and if you get 5 crosses, you can get x1458 multiplier (6 crosses like Reco in this video will get x4274, but pulling this off is ridiculously hard and not needed for 99% of this game). Getting 15 of them to be light (with Kenshin's skyfall) is more manageable. Even better, you can get a bigger multiplier of up to 5 crosses if you're really good, paired with Ilmina's x3 attack (x4 buff coming after JP announced this earlier this week).
Even if you are not as proficient in crossing fire and light orbs, I think Ilmina x Kenshin is a fantastic pair.
Kenshin aside, Ilmina brings a casino aspect to ranking dungeons we saw in the last ranking dungeon (tifa paired with Ilm). Ilmina is better for rankings because she has more skill boosts, doesn't need to be paired with Tifa as she brings the 7×6, and she can lazor predras if needed.
If you were not lucky enough to pull Meridionalis, do not worry because you can use the Meri I am sure a plethora of your friends have pulled. If you find yourself struggling to get more friends who have them, then I highly encourage you to use your stones to extend your friend space, which I talk about in this article (up to 300 if you can).
Meri with herself is ideal, but remember you don't need both leaders to have the no Skyfall active to make sure it activates. With 2 Meris, however, you can keep the no skyfall buff if one is bound (but not if both are bound). With both leaders bound, it's often better to get your skyfalls so at least you can hope hearts skyfall in and save your life (depending on the enemy).
I think Meri with Reincarnated Neptune is a great idea if you are newer to the game and want to use Meri to beat tougher content. Double Neptune can often be overkill (but the damage is laughable from your enemies at 75%) but Meri's strong row emphasis paired with Neptune's damage reduction, and decent multiplier by comparison, can lead to a dynamic duo able to conquer lots of content in early to mid game play.
Neptune Dragon is the only card on this list that would require money (pulling Godfests for MP and selling the bad pulls) or time (farming MP) to pull and does not require luck to have. I'll definitely admit that pulling Meri, or even Neptune or Andromeda is all about luck. Some people have luck with certain cards, and some don't. The best way to improve your luck is to purchase a card instead.
Neptune dragon is a great card that only requires God type subs to fully achieve the RCV multiplier. I believe that pulling Meri has allowed my main account and alternate account to farm tons of content more easily (as seen in this easy farming team I made for Cosmo Crusader).
You will need more blue orbs, but you should have some pretty decent board changers to take advantage of Meri's rows anyway already. Instead of matching 8 blue orbs, you will now want to match 11.
The new ultimate Neptune Dragon (not out in NA) is arguable what will propel Meri to a higher status in my opinion. Right now, Meri is on par with Sarasvati with speed of farming, and glass cannon skills. This means that she can hit hard, but when confronted with high hitting monsters in longer dungeons, she won't excel like Krishna or Myr would because her HP is low. Sure, lots of blue subs have naturally high HP, but without coop, and even then, it's hard to stall out big damage. Premptives and enemies who hit hard consistently with a damage shield (Vishnu and Heradragon) are a crutch to Meridionalis just like every other card that is not at the top in the Meta right now. For this reason, Uvo Nepdra will be amazing by bringing the naturally high HP even higher. Paired with the 3.75 RCV, you should keep your HP high really while also dishing out millions of damage easily.
Because Neptune and Nepdra are high end monsters who require either a lot of MP or a lot of time to full evolve and level up, I wanted to include a card that can still take advantage of Meri's high end attack. Andromeda is an example, but not the only card you can use, that takes advantage of Meri's rows and boosts attack as such. Your multiplier is half that of a double Meri team, but I can see players who were unable to pull Meri able to still utilize her in their playstyle.
I like Andromeda because she is conditionless in regards to what you would be doing with Meri anyway. Like Nepdra, she only requires more orbs to fully activate (10 instead of 11).
You can use Awoken Hermes, Mori Motonari, or Awoken Sun Quan for example if you like, but these cards all carry other conditionals that would not synergize as well with Meri. Needing fire orbs for Hermes or Sun Quan means you can't use Toshiro as a sub; needing attacker or physical subs means you have less subs to choose from for Moro Motonari, etc.
Meridionalis Like many cards, she is a perfect sub for herself.
double orb change and 2 turns of skyfalls.
an essential card if you don't have Andromeda.
Sitri herself can sit on the team with her low cooldown and doubleorb change, without removing hearts.
of Alrescha to be a killer.
offers too much value to be overlooked.
punch for this team. Paired with Meri, you can have afull board of waters and 3 combos for tons of damage.
Of course there are other subs you can use, but the main idea is that they create blue orbs, have a low ish cool down (high cooldowns work as long as they are extremely beneficial like Toshiro). In general, Zeus Mercury, Noah, and Noah Dragon are not great subs as they offer very little value in awakenings or their cool downs are too high to farm efficiently. Ultimate Blue Odin will be better for the team as he has 4 skill boosts but for now, the current blue odin brings a ton of value in his 4 blue rows. Just watch out using him and Ryune in a party as they both currently lack Skill Bind Resists (until Ryune's buff comes to NA.


Effect of carbon content upon the early stage of tempering of steel with $Mn$ and $V$ addition / R. DĄBROWSKI, J. PACYNA // Archives of Materials Science and Engineering ; ISSN 1897-2764. — Tytuł poprz.: Archives of Materials Science. — 2007 vol. 28 iss. 10, s. 585–588. — Bibliogr. s. 588, Abstr.