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Why would I need Endodontic Surgery?
Generally, a root canal is all that is needed to save teeth with injured pulp from extraction. Occasionally, this non-surgical procedure will not be sufficient to heal the tooth and your endodontist will recommend surgery. Endodontic surgery can be used to locate fractures or hidden canals that do not appear on x-rays but still manifest pain in the tooth. Damaged root surfaces or the surrounding bone may also be treated with this procedure. The most common surgery used to save damaged teeth is an apicoectomy or root-end resection.
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What is an Apicoectomy?
The damaged tissue is removed along with the end of the root tip. A root-end filling is placed to prevent reinfection of the root and the gum is sutured. The bone naturally heals around the root over a period of months restoring full function.
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In keeping with its role as America’s Workout Watchdog, the American Council on Exercise (ACE) commissioned exclusive research from experts at the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse to evaluate the effectiveness of the most popular equipment and exercises compared to the traditional crunch.
“We spent a considerable amount of money on abdominal exercise equipment to basically show that you can effectively train the abs at home for free,” said Edward Stenger, M.S., who led the research team alongside John Porcari, Ph.D. “Everything else is arguably a waste of money from this standpoint.”
“Obviously, lying on the ground doing the traditional crunch is not appropriate for everyone,” Stenger said. “But for the average person who wants to work his or her abdominal muscles to get stronger, have less back pain and get better health benefits, all you need to do is get a comfortable spot on the floor, lie down and do some crunches.”
Bicycle crunches are especially effective.
Source: Medical News Today.
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- About Homelessness
- News & Events
- Take Action
- About Us
6.4 Creating Successful Partnerships with Public Housing Authorities
Conference Presentation | July 27, 2012
Files: The Blueprint Family Partnership by Roberta Cancellier (PDF | 1.44 MB | 10 slides) Public Housing Authorities: Partnering to End Homelessness by LaToya K. Young (PDF | 190 KB | 14 slides) Developing Effective Partnerships with your PHA by Rachel Devlin (PDF | 405 KB | 13 slides)
Ending homelessness cannot be done without the support of public housing authorities (PHAs). This workshop will highlight innovative ways that communities and PHAs are working together to create preferences and other partnerships to place households experiencing homelessness in Section 8 and public housing. Presenters will discuss specific ways in which the relationships between local homeless assistance systems and PHAs have been structured.
The powerpoint presentations for this workshop are available for download above.
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Heliometric Stereo: Shape from Sun Position
In this work, we present a method to uncover shape from webcams "in the wild." We present a variant of photometric stereo which uses the sun as a distant light source, so that lighting direction can be computed from known GPS and timestamps. We propose an iterative, non-linear optimization process that optimizes the error in reproducing all images from an extended time-lapse with an image formation model that accounts for ambient lighting, shadows, changing light color, dense surface normal maps, radiometric calibration, and exposure. Unlike many approaches to uncalibrated outdoor image analysis, this procedure is automatic, and we report quantitative results by comparing extracted surface normals to Google Earth 3D models. We evaluate this procedure on data from a varied set of scenes and emphasize the advantages of including imagery from many months.
A. Abrams, C. Hawley, and R. Pless. Heliometric Stereo: Shape From Sun Position. In Proc. European Conference on Computer Vision, October 2012.Download the .pdf
This paper presents an approach to heliometric stereo - using the sun as a moving light source to recover surface normals of objects in an outdoor scene. This is a classic application of photometric stereo because the position of the sun is known very accurately, but made challenging because of variations in lighting and weather. Additionally, most long term imagery is captured by webcams that may not share geometric or radiometric calibration information. Thus, we explore what it would take to fully automate the solution to the photometric stereo problem for uncalibrated, outdoor cameras.
There are three major contributions of this work. First, we adapt the photometric stereo algorithm to work for outdoor scenes by integrating a richer image formation model. We present a gradient descent approach and methods for initialization and regularization of this optimization.
Second, we test this across a variety of types and scales of natural scenes and highlight the ability to capture very small scale surface structure. We report surface normals geo-referenced to an "East-North-Up" coordinate system, and we are the first to offer quantitative comparisons between our results and 3D geometry from Google Earth. These highlight both the accuracy of our results and limitations in the completeness and resolution of the Google Earth geometry.
Third, we characterize performance under which this approach gives good results. This emphasizes the importance of using imagery from many months, because over the course of one day or one week, the solar path does not give sufficient constraints to recover surface normals.
Scripts to download the data used in this work
Ground truth depth maps used in this work, from Google Earth models .
Cameras were geometrically calibrated through ProjectLive3D.
Partial support from: NSF-EF1065734, NSF-IIS1111398, and NSF-DEB1053554
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Towering cliffs, a quiet river, carved rock tombs, and stately Ottoman houses are all part of Amasya’s fortuitous meeting of human and natural architecture. In older areas, the town’s pedestrian streets and waterfront houses suggest something like a Turkish Venice, despite the rugged surroundings. Today, Amasya has a relaxed atmosphere. It is most striking when the rock tombs are illuminated at night, towering above the mellow groups drinking çay or enjoying Amasya’s famous apples.
The birthplace of the geographer Strabo (roughly 63 BC), Amasya was the capital of Pontus, a kingdom of Greek-speaking Persians that arose after the death of Alexander the Great. After a series of costly wars with the Romans, the city was razed by Pompey in 64 BC. Rebuilt as a provincial capital, the town flourished under the Romans and Byzantines before falling in 1071 to the Selçuks, who left a legacy of Islamic monuments. Under the Ottomans, who arrived in 1391, Amasya became a theological and cultural center, with 18 medresesi by the 18th century.
Buses: Arriving buses stop at either the city center or the otogar (218 80 12), 3km northeast of town. The larger bus companies provide a free servis shuttle to the city center. Otherwise, to get to the center, take any of the city buses ($.30, students $.25) or dolmuş ($.35, students $.30) that stop across the street from the otogar. Some companies will drop you along Atatürk Bul. if they are not terminating in Amasya. Follow this road 600m or so and then turn left to reach the river and center of town. Dolmuş run to the otogar from behind the Atatürk statue in the main square. Otherwise, turn left at the otogar’s exit and follow the road straight to the city center. Try to flag down a passing bus heading toward Samsun or Tokat. Buses run from the otogar to; Ankara (5hr.; 7 per day 8:30am-12:30am; $9.50, students $8); Antalya (12hr.; 3pm; $22, students $19); Bursa (11hr.; 3 per day 6:30-8pm; $19, students $16); Çorum (1hr., frequent, $3); Denizli (12hr.; 4pm; $19, students $16); Diyarbakır (12hr.; 4 per day 7:30- 11:30pm; $19, students $17.50); Erzurum (9V2hr.; 9:30pm; $19, students $16);
BLACK SEA COAST
Istanbul (10hr.; 9 per day 9:30am-11:15pm; $19, students $16); İzmir (14hr.; 4 per day at 5pm; $22.50, students $21); Kayseri (8hr., 13 per day, $11); Marmaris (15hr.; 4pm; $22.50, students $19); Samsun (2hr.; 8am, 11:30pm; $3); Sivas (4hr., 12 per day 8am-11:30pm, $3); Tokat (4hr., 12 per day 8am-11;30pm, $3); Trabzon (8hr.; 5 per day 5-10pm; $13, students $11).
Trains: The gar (218 12 39), on the north bank, is about 2km west of the main square. To get to town, take one of the dolmuş ($.35) or buses ($.30) that stop across the street. Alternatively, turn left out of the station, cross the first bridge, and take another left onto Mustafa Kemal Paşa Cad., which becomes Atatürk Cad. and runs through the center of town. To Samsun (3hr.; daily 4:55am; Tu, Th, Sa-Su 2pm; $1.25) and Sivas (4hr.; Su-M, F midnight; $2.25). 60% discount for students and travelers over 60.
ORIENTATION AND PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Amasya is divided by the Yeşilırmak (Green River), which runs roughly east-west. The north bank, home to Ottoman houses and the cliff tombs of the Pontic Kings, is the older part of town. The tourist office and most restaurants and hotels lie on the south bank, either on Mehmet Paşa Cad., the road running immediately along the river, or the more substantial Atatürk Cad., running parallel one block farther south. The city center (şehir merkezi), which sits between these two roads, is a large plaza with an Atatürk monument.
- Banks: Many with ATMs line the south bank of the river. Yapı ve Kredi, just across the street from the PTT, cashes traveler’s checks and has a Cirrus/MC/Plus/V ATM. Open M-F 9am-12:30pm and l:30-5pm. TC Ziraat Bankasi (218 41 53), on Siyat Paşa Bul., will also change traveler’s checks. Open M-F 8:30am-6pm.
- Hamams: Mustafabey Hamamı (218 34 61), just off Mehmet Paşa Cad., 50m east of the tourist office. Divides its single 550-year-old dome between the sexes. Bath $1.50 for women, $2 for men; kese $1.25. Open for women 11am-5pm, for men 5-11pm. The 13th-century Yıldız Hamamı (218 15 94) is across from the Zümrüt Otel on Hazeranlar Sok and a short walk from the entrance to the Pontic tombs. Married couples can enter a private bathing area. Bath $1.50 for women, $2 for men; kese $1.25; massage $.70. Open daily 6am-midnight.
- Hospital: Devlet Hastanesi (218 40 00), on Mustafa Kemal Paşa Cad.
- Internet Access: Nokta internet Cafe, 10 Belediye Dükkanlar (218 89 73), next to the Yimpaş grocery on Yavuz Selim Meydanı. $.75 per hr. Open daily 9am-midnight. PTT: On Mehmet Paşa Cad., 100m west of the main square. Open daily 8:30am- 12:30pm and l:30-5pm. Phone card sales and services 8am-11pm.
Postal Code: 05100
Amasya’s exquisite hotels in restored Ottoman houses sit near more functional, budget accommodations. Expect prices to be slightly steeper here. Though the two Ottoman inns along the river are more expensive than most lodgings in Amasya, their beautiful views and traditional decor make them worth the extra expense. Reservations arc recommended during July and August.
IS ilk Pension, Gümüşlü Nah., 1 Hitit Sok. (218 16 89; fax 218 62 77), down a small side street off Mehmet Paşa Cad., near the Yimpaş supermarket and across the street from the tourist office. Restored by Its architect-owner, the 180-year-old pension offers 6 large, decorated rooms. Breakfast $3. Singles $17-34; doubles $25-45.10% student discount. There’s also a 25% discount for architects 45 years and older.
IS Emin Efendi Pension, Hatoniye Mah., 73 Hazeranlar Sok. (212 08 52; fax 212 18 95), on the north bank of the river. Cross over the bridge by the PTT, turn left, and continue 300m. Housed in a 200-year-old Ottoman house, the 5 rooms share a bath, and all have a magical view of the river. Singles $22; doubles $33; triples $39.
Yuvam Pansiyons 1 and 2, 24/1 Atatürk Cad. (218 13 42; fax 218 34 09), to the left of the main square when facing the river. The first is an apartment building with 14 clean rooms, 11 with bath. Breakfast $3. Singles $9.50, with bath $11.50; doubles $16, with bath $19. The second pension, farther from the town center but more comfortable, is only open if there are enough guests. Breakfast $3. Singles $13; doubles $26; triples $38. Camp in the garden: $4 per tent; $6.50 to use their single tent; $13 for the 2-person tent. Both pensions have kitchens and washing machines ($4 per load), and a 10% student discount.
Yalıboyu Otel, 19/D Ziyapaşa Bul. (»218 70 29). Each sparkling room in this brand new hotel offers TV and private bath. Excellent rooftop restaurant (Amasya kebap $2.50; Efes beer $1.50). Breakfast included. Singles $8, with bath $10; doubles $16, $18 with bath; triples $24, $25 with bath.
Zümrüt Otel, 28 Hazeranlar Sok. (»218 17 69; fax 212 35 54), on the way to the Emin Efendi Pension. Offers 12 cheap rooms with TV and fridge. 4 with river views, 9 with showers. Access to kitchen and stunning rooftop terrace. Very friendly. Breakfast included. $9.50 per person, students $8.
Amasya’s several kebap and pide restaurants are filled all day with locals escaping the sun, sipping tea, and taking in the scenery. If you’re in more of a do-it-yourself mood, stock up at Yimpas, a supermarket just across the street from the tourist office. (Open daily 8am-10pm.)
A masya Şehir Demeği Restaurant, 1 Karşıkaya Mah., 1 Tevfik Hafiz Sok., Vilayet Önü (218 10 13), in the Öğretmen Evi (teachers’ hostel) on the north riverbank, across the bridge from the Atatürk statue. A great terrace just above the river, although the menu is somewhat thin. Kuzu dolma iç pilav $3. Open daily 1 lam-midnight.
Ocakbaşı Restaurant, 5 Ziya Paşa Cad. (218 56 92). Face the river from the PTT; turn left on Ziya Paşa Cad. (along the river Mazeranlar Konagi Karşı Geçesi). Serves standard Turkish dishes in an outdoor plaza. Lahmacun $.50. Open daily 6am-midnight.
THE MUMMIES AND THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM
This museum has an impressive collection of artifacts spanning the history of the region. Note the stunning arabesques on the original door of the Selçuk Gök Medrese and the grisly mummified remains of Mongol rulers and their children, on display in the old Selçuk türbe (tomb). (Just past the Sultan Beyazıt Mosque on Atatürk Cad. Open Tu-Su 8:30am-noon and l:30-5:30pm. $1, students $.50.)
Carved out of the cliffs north of the city are the now-empty Kralkaya mezarları, the tombs of the Pontic kings. Though the graffiti-covered tombs are less impressive up close than from below, a climb up offers beautiful panoramic views of the valley and city. At the same site you’ll also find the scanty ruins of the palace of the Pontic kings, known as the Kızlar Sarayı, or Palace of the Maidens. The site draws its name from the harems that were a part of the palace complex. (Cross the bridge by the PTT and follow the yellow signs up the hill to the Kralkaya mezarları. Open daily 8:30am-8pm. $1.50, students $.75.) If you really catch tomb fever, head to the Aynalı Mağara (Mirror Cave), a few kilometers northeast of town. As the tomb is not enclosed, you can walk all the way around it to see how’ it was completely cut away from the rock. (It’s a substantial walk on foot; from the south bank, follow Mehmet Paşa Cad. east past the tourist office, then cross the river at the next bridge, and follow Zübeyde Hamm Cad. to a large roundabout with signs to the tomb. Alternatively, take a $4 round-trip taxi from town.)
The ancient 3rd-century BC kale looms high above the city. It wras renovated first by the Ottomans and again in the 1980s. The extensive ruins and spectacular view’s of the entire gorge are worth the long and steep hike. Look for the Cilanbolu (secret passage), with 150 steps carved into the rock situated at the top. (From Zubeyde Hamm Cad., on the north bank, follow signs marked “Kale.” The walk from the city center takes about 45min.-lhr.; if you’re in a hurry, catch a cab for about $4 oneway.)
OTTOMAN HOUSE MUSEUM (HAZERANLAR KONAĞI)
This museum, on the north side of the river opposite Otel Zümrüt, is one of Amasya’s best-preserved Ottoman houses, along with the Ilk and Emin Efendi Pansiyons. These houses are characterized by wooden or half-timber exteriors and upper floors that extend out over the street. Inside, the complicated floorplans often provide separate stair ways and quarters for men and women. Decoration consists of geometrically carved wooden ceilings, and, in the restored houses, kilims, carpets, and embroidered cushions. The basement houses a gallery of Turkish modem art. (Open M-F 8am-noon and l:30-5:30pm. Museum open Tu-Sa 8am-noon and l:30-5:30pm. $1.)
YILDIZ HATUN MEDRESESİ
This birmarhane, or insane asylum, 20m on the left as you exit the tourist office, was built in 1308 by the Mongol Sultan Olcaytuas as a hospital, asylum, and medical school. The intricately carved doorway and other features of the building look remarkably Selçuk, revealing the extent to which the Mongols incorporated the architectural styles of the peoples they conquered. Doctors continued to be trained at the Bimarhane up until the 19th century.
Sultan Beyazıt II Camii, Amasya’s largest Islamic monument, was completed in 1486 by Sultan Beyazıt ITs eldest son and heir apparent Alunet. The side areas of the mosque were used as dervish quarters, a feature which disappeared from Ottoman architecture after about 1500. From the mosque, walk through its courtyard and up a flight of stairs to a main road and turn right onto Atatürk Cad. Continue west on Atatürk Cad. past the archaeological museum to the Selçuk Gök Medrese Camii (Blue Seminary Mosque). The blue tiles that gave the mosque its name (“gök” means “sky”) are now’ mostly gone, and the spectacular carved door has been moved to the archaeological museum. Still, the intricately carved Selçuk doorway is worth a look. The mosque was built in 1267 by Şerafettin Torumtay, governor of Amasya. lie and his family now lie buried on the mosque grounds, in the aptly named Tomb of Torumtay. Across the street is the splendid Ottoman Eli Yörgüç Paşa Camii, with striking sections of red stone and pristine frescoes. The intimate interior marks a change from the vast vaulted spaces of the larger mosques. Left along the river, with your back to the tourist office, is the early Ottoman Mehmet Paşa Camii, a sprawiing complex that houses a Quranic school for girls. (To reach the Beyazıt II Camii, follow the river 11km west from the PTT.)
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9/11 Tribute - Todd Beamer
One of the Heroes of 9/11; Flintstone
18th Anniversary of 9/11
September 11, 2019
September 11, 2001 is a date scorched in to the psyches of all of us who lived through it.
One of the heroes of that day is a Flintstone, Todd Beamer. His courageous leadership actions saved countless lives by preventing terrorists from flying United Flight 93 in to its suspected targets of either the White House or the Capitol.
While Flint has produced countless heroes of business, industry, sports and the arts, none ought be honored higher than this great American hero. Our hearts are with him and all of those who perished with him on that horrific day.
“Some went down like heroes in that Pennsylvania field.” We have not forgotten.
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This course introduces students to modern tools and techniques designed to generate performance measures used for decision-making, management and control purposes. Accounting based performance measures are used for a variety of managerial decisions such as product pricing, and profitability analysis (e.g., activity-based costing for customer lifetime value). This course further illustrates how performance measures are integrated into incentive systems so as to align the objectives of (division) managers with those of the shareholders. Key building blocks of such incentive systems are cost allocations, transfer pricing and compensation schemes. At a time where performance measurement is one of the fastest-growth areas for consulting firms, this course illustrates the strengths and weaknesses of commonly-used performance metrics, e.g., Economic Value Added (EVA), Balanced Scorecard. It serves as an important background for a variety of electives in management and accounting as well as for consulting-related courses.
Concepts taught in this course:
Adjunct Associate Professor
Professor Igor Vaysman is an award-winning teacher and an expert in performance evaluation, information-system design, and transfer pricing.
He received his Ph.D. from Stanford University and has taught at the University of California, Berkeley; the University of Texas at Austin; the University of Chicago; INSEAD; NYU; and Columbia University. He is currently a professor at the Zicklin School of Business at...
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Ham and Jam is an association whose objective is the maintenance in flight of vintage airplanes and the dissemination of knowledge about WWII liaison aircraft, designated L-Birds (L for link), and aircraft of the immediate post-war period.
These aircraft, yet unarmed, had an important role during the second world war.
Able to take-off from fields, roads or tracks they were the first to arrive.
The first American planes to land in Normandy on D-day was an L-5 and four Piper L-4.
An L-5 of the Marines was the first aircraft to land at Iwo Jima, and L-5 crossed the Himalayas in support of the forces of General Chennault, the Flying Tigers.
Their flight characteristics and solid construction allowed them a great versatility: adjustment of artillery fire, observation, logistics support, medical evacuation, transport of Generals to their HQ, such as General Patton and General Eisenhower.
"We cursed those little green High wing aircraft. We knew that having one would be followed by a barrage of artillery and we were doing everything possible to break down. We feared these small aircraft. For us they were the angels of death."
- German officer taken prisoner, 10th SS Panzer after Falaise.
The "L-Birds" are Liaison airplanes Theused by the USAAF, mainly during the second world war.
The primary use of these devices was to help ground troops to adjust fire on enemy positions, providing real-time information.
Their qualities the facts quickly be used for many other tasks: they were used as transport aircraft terrain, messengers to the generals, air ambulance to evacuate the wounded or drop medical supplies.
They also served in connection squads, groups of special forces such as the 1st Air Commando Group, tactical reconnaissance squadrons, for example.
They were present from the beaches of the Normandy landings to the Burmese jungle.
Their drivers were carrying out dangerous missions in enemy territory without any ammunition.
They were nicknamed "Maytag Messerschmitt" or "jungle jeep".
The best known of L-Birds, the Piper L-4 "Grasshopper" and Vultee Stinson L-5 "Sentinel" took part in the conflict on all fronts.
The Taylorcraft L-2 was reserved for training. The Aeronca L-3 participated to some operations in North Africa, Italy, and the Pacific. The career of the L-Birds continued after 1945 in the conflicts of Korea and Vietnam with the Piper L-4, Aeronca L-16, Vultee Stinson L-5, L-17 North American Navion, and Cessna L-19 / O-1 Bird Dog.
The "L” was later replaced by the "O", for Observation, with the arrival of the Cessna O-2 Skymaster and OV-10 Bronco.
Why the name 'Ham and Jam'?
Why callling the association Ham and Jam?
On D-Day in Normandy, Operation Deadstick was designed to seize the Bénouville bridge (Pegasus Bridge) and Ranville bridge, two bridges on the Orne River and the Caen canal.
Only points of crossing of waterways linking Caen to the sea, the two bridges were to remain intact to permit the passage of troops landed on the beach at Ouistreham
Radio codes were defined to announce the result of the assault:
"Ham" to announce that the bridge over the canal was between the British hands and that was not destroyed and "Jam" to indicate the same to the one on the Orne.
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You're already backing up apps and documents with Google Drive, so why not backup everything else, too?
Beginning June 28, you'll be able to back up all of your files and folders from a Mac or PC to your Google Drive. It's called, very simply, Backup and Sync, and once installed, it will help you keep things in check even when you're not checking them.
From the official blog post:
On June 28th, 2017, we will launch Backup and Sync from Google, a tool intended to help everyday users back up files and photos from their computers, so they're safe and accessible from anywhere. Backup and Sync is the latest version of Google Drive for Mac/PC, which is now integrated with the Google Photos desktop uploader. As such, it will respect any current Drive for Mac/PC settings in the Admin console.
Since its inception, Google Drive has required that you manually sync any data stored on your main computer, or move files and folders so that they're saved directly to the cloud account. But once the new app goes live, you'll be able to choose which files and folders to stay synced. It'll also be integrated with the current Google Photos Backup tool for Mac and PC.
On the mobile side, this means you'll have access to those files and folders from any tablet or smartphone that has access to Google Drive. It also means you won't have to two different desktop apps installed to keep Photos and Drive synced at the same time.
Google suggests that if you're planning to use the backup feature for your work-related G Suite account, you should use the Drive File System instead because it allows for larger data uploads. Also, not all G Suite users will automatically be upgraded to the ability — managers of the G Suite account will need to turn on the option for employees to utilize the backup feature for them to get access to Backup and Sync.
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Noten für BlasorchesterMozart!
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) is one of the most popular composers of all time. Three of his best-loved melodies are included in this medley of Mozart favorites. The arrangement begins with themes from the first movement of Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. The next section features the beautiful melody "La ci dara la mano" from Mozart's operatic masterpiece Don Giovanni. The piece concludes with themes from the overture from the opera Abduction from the Seraglio. Each piece is nicely scored with enjoyable parts for everyone in the band. This wonderful transcription of Mozart melodies is a great addition to any concert.
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Colonial Virtual Program (CVP) is an online learning solution offered by the Colonial Intermediate Unit (CIU). CVP allows students to attend their local school while taking virtual courses on a part-time to full-time basis. Through partnerships with local schools, our structure allows students to earn a diploma from their local school, participate in school-sponsored activities and athletic programs, and also attend vocational technical high schools.
Students have access to rigorous and engaging online learning materials and the flexibility to complete school work on a schedule that works well for them.
ABOUT COLONIAL INTERMEDIATE UNIT (CIU)
Colonial IU 20 is one of 29 intermediate units throughout Pennsylvania, which were created in 1971 to provide services to school districts in ways that create economies of scale, cost savings, and better efficiencies in the delivery of important programs and services to children, especially those with special needs.
At IU 20, we believe that:
- Supportive Relationships, integrity, and good judgment create trust and respect.
- Strong Relationships depend on open, honest, and shared communication.
- Responding to the needs of others demonstrates the value and respect the organization has for every individual stakeholder.
- Responding to stakeholder needs through creative problem-solving and progressive solutions demonstrates a commitment to excellence.
- Meaningful Results come from a commitment to do the right things right.
Our mission is that Colonial Intermediate Unit 20 and its partners develop positive Relationships that support student growth, are Responsive to stakeholders’ crucial needs, and demonstrate Results through services and programs for students.
Our staff serves 13 school districts and 3 career and technical centers in Northampton, Monroe, and Pike Counties. With 1,400 full and part-time staff and budgets totaling $180 million, we are one of the community’s largest employers and contributors. We serve 79,000 public school children; 9,000 non-public school children; and 7,000 professional staff in our service region of 1,200 square miles.
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MEET JAKE DRAKE, KNOW-IT-ALL Jake Drake is excited about Despres Elementary School's first science fair. He wants to win the grand prize: a brand-new Hyper-Cross-Functional Bluntium Twelve computer system. And he really wants to beat the third-grade know-it-alls, Marsha McCall and Kevin Young. The trouble is, to beat the know-it-alls, Jake has to become a know-it-all himself. And he may just lose more than he wins.
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Do you think Julia Child scoffed at the sound of someone giving her a cooking tip while she worked in her kitchen? Would José Andrés fire his chef de cuisine on the spot for suggesting something new on the menu? Do you think James Beard never had a question about a technique?
We don’t think so, and we don’t think that any other legendary culinarian would act in this way, either, because learning the craft of the culinary arts is never complete. With varying opinions, different training, and new techniques and ingredients being introduced every single day, there is never an old tip or suggestion when it comes to cooking, and we as cooks are committed to an unending quest to discover how to be better in the kitchen.
The Cook editors at The Daily Meal never stop asking questions about cooking. In fact, we have contributors telling us new tricks of the trade on a daily basis. While cooking advice can be narrowed down to the most specific questions (like, say, how do you use a pressure cooker?), we also want to know what those overarching skills and qualities are that make so many talented chefs, cookbook authors, and bloggers as great as they are today.
Want to know how we found out? We just asked them, and now we have a neat and easy list of their thoughts for you to refer to. We didn’t just go to one expert, but to several, from big names like TV personality Sara Moulton and legendary inventors like Nathan Myhrvold to talented and hard-working chefs that are, probably right now in fact, ferociously working away at the stove to create beautiful and delicious masterpieces with food.
These tips range in topic and scope; some are ones you should remember every single time you’re in the kitchen (like salt!), and others are things like roasting a chicken, because if you don’t know how to do it, then you can just forget about being a good cook. Some had us going "right, right…" and others had us raising an eyebrow, but at the end of the day, the tips listed here are things that we think you should know (and pass along to others) if you ever want to join the ranks of Child, Andrés, and Beard. So put your pride aside for a moment and take a look, we think some might surprise you.
Everyone can agree on this, but we heard it first from the mouth of chef Chris Peitersen, executive chef of Johnny Carino’s in Fort Collins, Colo., and one of only 75 people in the country who is a Certified Research Chef based on his culinary experience and background. Just as how cooking is never perfected, it also knows no limits, so if you’re able to experiment and investigate new things with cooking and recipes, you’re a good cook.
Put Your Ingredients on Display.
Blogger and author of Secrets of the Best Chefs Adam Roberts picked up on a few things while doing research for his book, and eye candy was one of them.
"When I went to various chefs' homes for my cookbook, I noticed that many of them had baskets and bowls full of gorgeous farmers' market ingredients out on their counters. I didn't think much of it until I started to realize there must be something to this; so, when I finished my research, I bought a basket and started going to the farmers' market every Monday, hauling back… ingredients … and displaying them in my kitchen. What happens is these ingredients act as cooking triggers: you come home from a long day and instead of ordering a pizza, you see your tomatoes or your apples and you get inspired. So that's why… I've put ingredients on display on Monday, [to] keep myself inspired throughout the week."
ROOTS cookbook author Diane Morgan says that any good cook should sit down once a week and take the time to plan out their meals and grocery lists. It saves time and money, and makes you a more conscious and organized cook.
Grocery Shop Like a Chinese Menu.
This one had us saying "what?," but when Sara Moulton explained, we thought it had the makings of a good cook.
"On a day when you have a little time, like a Saturday or Sunday, go to the grocery store and stock up [like] a Chinese menu. [Buy] five items for column A, the protein, five for column B, the vegetable column, and finally five for column C, the starch column. It doesn't even matter if you have a recipe in mind for these items. Just getting them in the house is the goal. Then, on Monday night, you can look in the fridge/cupboard and say, hmmm, which thing from each column do I want to make tonight?"
Know How to Dress a Salad.
Seems like a pretty simple suggestion, but not for award-winning physicist Nathan Myhrvold, founder of Modernist Cuisine and co-author of Modernist Cuisine at Home.
"To dress a salad, put the dressing in the bottom of the bowl, and then toss in the greens to give them a thin, even coating. Lettuce can become oversaturated quickly if dressing is poured over the top."
It’s your best friend in the kitchen, says Joseph Lessard, head chef of The Goddess and Grocer. While we’re always trying to lower our sodium intake, a good cook knows that they need to use at least some when cooking, because it brings out amazing flavors of even the most basic recipes, says Lessard.
Know How to Sear Your Meat.
Cooks can really struggle with this one (even we have), but Palmer believes one of the key strengths of a good cook should be searing meat. Make sure the protein is dry before you do it, and don’t salt it until just before you add it to the pan because it’ll draw out the moisture.
Clean as You Go.
Another thing Roberts learned when cooking with some of the country’s best chefs is that you have to be a diligent cleaner. We know, it’s the worst part of cooking, but cleaning throughout the process, rather than all at the end, makes it a much easier job.
Keep Your Knife Sharp.
Along with salt, a knife is your other best friend in the kitchen so please, take care of it. Lessard never begins to cook without giving his a few swipes with a steel, and investing in a knife sharpener isn’t a bad idea either.
Have a Book Nearby.
Or a computer, or an iPad, or whatever, but always have a trusted resource nearby when you’re in the kitchen. No good cook is too good to look it up if they’re unsure of something, so you shouldn’t be either.
More from The Daily Meal
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Paying for Nursing Home Specialized Care
Nursing homes can be pretty expensive and paying for them can seem very overwhelming. However, you do have financial options. There is Medicare, Medicaid, the Department of Veteran Affairs as well as private pay options and other solutions. If you need more help deciding which financial option is the right one for you, you need to speak to one of our nursing home lawyers with the Higgins Firm. We will help answer any questions you may have. If the person you care about has been the victim of abuse while in the nursing home, we can help you get the compensation that you may be eligible for.What is Medicare?
Medicare is health insurance that all U.S. citizens are eligible to receive when they are sixty-five. If you have a disability and are not yet sixty-five you may be eligible for Medicare as well. Medicare typically only covers care needed for a limited amount of time such as if you have been in the hospital, suffered an injury or have an illness that is not long-term. It does not cover nursing home care if the stay is longer than one hundred days. It is also not typically used for day care, in home care, or assisted living.What is Medicaid?
Medicaid is a government health insurance program that assists people in the paying of long-term care such as nursing homes and assisted living facilities. However, medicaid has rules about who can qualify. These rules include but are not limited to:
- a person has used all of their money paying for care
- they have a low income and high medical costs
- a married couple does not have many assets other than their home
Medicaid is typically used by people that cannot afford to pay for nursing home care on their own. Each state has their own rules regarding eligibility for medicaid so it is important that you the visit the Medicare and Medicaid Services website to see if you are eligible.What is Veterans Aid?
If you are a veteran that is at least sixty-five years of age and served during the war, you may qualify for assistance from the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs and use this assistance to pay for nursing home care. Your spouse or dependent children may qualify for this as well. This type of assistance is only given to those that are determined to be really in need of the assistance. It does have some income restrictions but eligibility can be determined based on your specific case. You should visit the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for more information and to see if you qualify for this assistance.What are Some Other Ways to Pay for a Nursing Home?
If your loved one is not eligible for government assistance you may consider using a personal savings account, stocks, bond, qualifying for a reverse mortgage, using a life insurance policy or consider getting long-term care insurance.
Making a decision about how to pay for a nursing home can be difficult but knowing that there are options can make it a little easier. If you have more concerns or feel that someone you love has been abused or neglected during their stay in a nursing home, then you should contact one of our knowledgeable and caring nursing home abuse and neglect lawyers with the Higgins Firm. We care about our clients and will listen to your claim and help you gather any evidence you may need for your case. We will work hard on your behalf to see to it that you get the compensation that is rightfully for the abuse and neglect your loved one has suffered.
Please get in touch with us today online or by phone at 800.705.2121 to talk about the legal action you may be able to pursue.
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Fulton County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 55,531. Its county seat is Johnstown. The county is named in honor of Robert Fulton, who is widely credited with developing the first commercially successful steamboat.
In 1838, Fulton County was split off from Montgomery, shortly after the Montgomery county seat was moved to Fonda, New York. The creation of Fulton County was engineered by Johnstown lawyer Daniel Cady, whose wife was a cousin of Robert Fulton.
Fulton County was created on April 18, 1838 by a partition of Montgomery County, resulting in a county with an area of .
One adjustment has been made to the area of Fulton County. On April 6, 1860, on the northern border was transferred to Hamilton in the vicinity of Sacandaga Park. This resulted in the Fulton County that exists today.
In the mid-18th century, Sir William Johnson, founder of Fort Johnson in Montgomery County and of Johnstown, arrived in the area that would become Fulton County. Sir William Johnson, 1st Baronet, was an Irish pioneer and army officer in colonial New York, and the British Superintendent of Indian Affairs from 1755 to 1774. His homes, Fort Johnson and Johnson Hall are current New York State Historic Sites.
Fulton County was also home to Elizabeth Cady Stanton, a central pioneer in the women's rights movement in America.
Shortly after the American Revolutionary War, the manufacture of gloves and leather became the primary industry of the area. At one point, Johnstown and Gloversville were known as the Glove and Leather capital of the world. The largest rise in population and growth came as a result of the fruits of these businesses.
Many residents of Fulton County can trace their ancestry back to the glove and leather trades. Today few glovers, tanners and leather dressers still exist in the area, although some companies have adapted to the changes in the market and kept themselves competitive.
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View related content: Alternative Energy
The Obama administration and its congressional allies have been promising to usher in a green economy that will create millions of new green jobs that “can’t be outsourced.” Many of those jobs, we’re told, will come from wind and solar energy development, but other areas are supposed to benefit as well, including the automobile, construction, and ill-defined “green technology” sectors. These claims are nothing new, though they have grown more Orwellian over time. In the 1990s, California politicians promised to replace a fleeing aerospace sector with a new industry making batteries for the electric cars they tried to mandate into an unwelcoming market (didn’t happen), and they’re making the same claims for a new greenhouse-gas-control regime.
There’s only one problem with all this feel-good blather: It makes no economic sense whatsoever, and where it has been tried most extensively, evidence shows that it’s a job-destroying, economy-weakening fiasco.
First, Economics 101. What we know, from the fundamentals of economics, is that governments don’t “create” jobs; consumer demand for goods and services does that. All the government can do is subsidize some industries while jacking up costs for others. In the green case, it will be destroying jobs in the conventional energy sector, and most likely in other industrial sectors, through taxes and subsidies to new green companies that will use taxpayer dollars to undercut the competition. The subsidized jobs that will be “created” are, by definition, less efficient uses of capital than market-created jobs. That means they are less economically productive than the jobs they displace and contribute less to economic growth. Finally, the good produced by government- favored jobs is inherently a noneconomic good that has to be maintained indefinitely, often without an economic revenue model, as in the case of roads, rail systems, mass transit, and probably windmills, solar power installations, etc.
Now to the empirical evidence. When talking about our bold green energy future, President Obama held up Spain as an example. Spain invested heavily in wind power and other renewable energy. Alas, after studying the Spanish experience, Prof. Gabriel Calzada Alvarez and colleagues at Spain’s Universidad Rey Juan Carlos found that if America followed Spain’s example, for every renewable energy job that the United States managed to create, it should expect a loss, on average, of at least 2.2 traditional jobs.
Each job created in Spain’s effort cost about $750,000, and only 1 in 10 was permanent. Thus, creating even 3 million new green jobs would cost $2.25 trillion. Even in a time where a trillion is the new billion, that’s a lot of money.
And the goods produced (wind and solar power plants in this case) jack up energy prices dramatically and cause more job losses throughout the economy. Electricity rates in Spain would have to rise 31 percent just to repay subsidies given to renewable developers.
Finally, the Spanish team found that “the high cost of electricity due to the green job policy tends to drive the relatively most [sic] energy-intensive companies and industries away, seeking areas where costs are lower.”
As for the nonexportability of green jobs, New York Sen. Charles Schumer recently asked the administration to keep stimulus money from going to a proposed West Texas wind farm because it would have generated as many as 3,000 permanent jobs in Shenyang, China (proposed site of the wind turbine construction), but would have created only 300 temporary jobs in the United States and a laughably trivial 30 permanent jobs here. Anyone who thinks the United States is going to compete with China for windmill and solar cell manufacturing, given that nation’s lower labor rates and greater access to vital rare-earth elements, is living in a fantasy world.
The bottom line: Government job creation, green or otherwise, is private-sector job destruction. In the end, there are fewer net jobs and less net economic productivity than if the government had not interfered with the market.
Kenneth P. Green is a resident scholar at AEI.
There are no comments available.
1150 17th Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20036
© 2015 American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research
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Orpheus mining ship
Caption: Forward view of the mining ship
Caption: Orpheus mining ship taking off
Caption: Paxton's ship jumps to warp
Caption: Ship lands near Mars' verteron array
The mining colony of Orpheus, located on Earth's moon, was actually a massive ship, used by Paxton, the leader of Terra Prime.
This vessel allowed Paxton to wield Prime's stance against human-alien alliances. The majority of the mining colony constituted the vessel, which was capable of warp.
Paxton used the ship to leave the moon, en route to Mars' verteron array. There, the ship linked with the array and used it to gouge a crater into Earth's moon.
The ship has landing struts that allow for all-terrain landings and take-offs.
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Crown-of-thorns Starfish at Racha NoiPrevious Next Underwater Pictures Index
Crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) have wreaked havoc with many reefs in the past by their voracious appetite for hard coral. These days their numbers are smaller and they cause no major problem. The thorns however can cause permanent nerve damage if touched, so be careful. From South Reef.
Crown-of-thorns starfish feature in my DVD.
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THE NORTH Sea union RMT today slammed plans by the Government’s Health and Safety Executive to scrap its dedicated Offshore Safety Division as part of a controversial restructuring exercise.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Piper Alpha disaster - the world’s worst offshore catastrophe which claimed the lives of 167 oilworkers on 6 July, 1988.
Lord Cullen’s landmark inquiry into the disaster led to the establishment of the HSE as the new regulatory authority for the industry through its new Offshore Safety Division.
His groundbreaking report also swept aside the old prescriptive regime which had governed North Sea oil and transformed the safety culture offshore towards a goal-setting regime, vested in the hands of the oil companies.
HSE’s Offshore Division has been responsible, since its creation , for regulating the risks to health and safety arising from work activity in the offshore oil and gas industry on the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS)
But it has now been revealed that, as part of a “restructuring exercise” within the Health and Safety Executive, the OSD is to become part of a new “Energy Division” within the safety watchdog.
Bob Crow, the general secretary of the RMT union, condemned the decision.
He declared: “In this year of all years, when we will commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Piper Alpha disaster, the changes being announced by the HSE fly in the face of what Lord Cullen recommended. We fail to see how these changes will improve the efficiency of the regulator in a sector where new technologies are being developed and where there is significant investment forecast for the next decade and more.
“In a goal setting industry where the objective is ‘continuous improvement’ there has to be a robust regulatory regime and a regulator able to apply strong influence in achieving that objective. Diluting that effort by stretching an already under resourced department cannot hope to deliver the aims of Lord Cullen all those years ago. Remember it was the ‘Energy Department’ that looked after health and safety when 167 souls lost their lives on Piper in 1988.”
An RMT spokesman said: “Ever since the findings of Lord Cullen’s inquiry into the Piper Alpha disaster there has been a distinct division of the HSE devoted to the major hazard offshore oil and gas industry. The Offshore Safety Division has had a strong influence in shaping and improving the safety performance of this industry, and given recent announcements of major investment and development in the sector, it could reasonably be expected OSD would continue in that role.”
He claimed: “This move has surprised not only the trade unions, but the industry itself.”
A spokesman for HSE defended the decision.
He said: “Like any public body HSE undertakes periodic reviews of its structure, to ensure it is efficient and responsive to developments in the industries it regulates. For example, emerging energy technologies such as carbon capture and storage and underground coal gasification are on the horizon. These require the bringing together of a range of skills from within HSE. Brigading these skills in the same division will enable them to be deployed to best effect.”
The spokesman continued: “Clearly, HSE doesn’t stand still and it is now 22 years since Offshore Division became part of the organisation. HSE still exists as a single regulatory body to enforce the occupational health and safety in the offshore oil and gas industry, as envisaged by Lord Cullen.
“We’re speaking to industry and trade unions to reassure them that it is business as usual from an external point of view.”
North Sea industry leaders also voiced their concern at the restructuring decision.
Robert Paterson, the health and safety director of Oil & Gas UK, the pan industry trade body, said: “There has been both surprise and concern expressed widely across the industry about the organisational changes planned for HSE Offshore Division. Oil & Gas UK is exploring how the practicalities of this HSE restructuring could affect the offshore oil and gas industry.”
He added: “It is a priority for the industry that there must remain sound and appropriate regulation that is engaged locally at all levels.”
Lord Cullen report
The establishment of a dedicated offshore safety division was one of 106 recommendations made by Lord Cullen.
He stated in his landmark report: “There should be a single regulatory body for offshore safety. The single regulatory body should discharge the safety functions in relation to fire-fighting and life saving appliances. As regards standby vessels it should discharge all functions, whether directly or through the agency of the Department of Transport, save those which relate to the statutory responsibility of the DoT under the Merchant Shipping Acts.
“The functions of the Petroleum Engineering Division of the Department of Energy which are concerned with the regulation of offshore safety should in future be discharged by a discrete division of the Health and Safety Executive which is exclusively devoted to offshore safety. This division should employ a specialist inspectorate and have a clear identity and strong influence in the HSE. It should be headed by a chief executive who should be responsible directly to the Director General of the HSE and should be a member of its senior management board. His function would include the development of the offshore safety regime, and in particular the implementation of its provisions for safety cases.”
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Collaborative GIS Web Applications Will Help Agricultural Researchers Make African Farmers More Productive and ProfitableREDLANDS, Calif., June 7 — (PRNewswire) — ESRI will be sharing ideas and knowledge on geographic information systems (GIS) for agricultural development at Africa Agriculture GIS Week (AAGW) 2010, to be held June 8–12 in Nairobi, Kenya. Staff will be on hand to meet with delegates and support agricultural programs for rural populations in less developed regions of the world.
"Food security and agricultural productivity initiatives are fully supported by ESRI," says Geoff Wade, natural resources solution manager, ESRI. "We are excited to be a part of this prestigious community. We look forward to contributing to solutions that ensure that people in every nation on earth are fed and have the opportunity for a sustainable livelihood."
A training workshop featuring ArcGIS Server will be hosted by ESRI on Friday, June 11. The workshop will cover a complete step-by-step process to create a variety of Web applications for enhanced collaboration between organizations. Attendees will learn how to use their own data to make maps and share them with others. Topics will include authoring maps, effective Web editing, and how to select the appropriate end client application to support different workflows.
AAGW is organized by the Consortium for Spatial Information (CSI) of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR); HarvestChoice, an agriculture investment targeting program; Agricultural Geospatial Commons (AGCommons), a geospatial information program based in Africa; and other partners. ESRI is proud to support these organizations and has worked with CGIAR formally since 2002, bringing GIS technology to its network of research centers worldwide.
Since 1969, ESRI has been giving customers around the world the power to think and plan geographically. The market leader in GIS, ESRI software is used in more than 300,000 organizations worldwide including each of the 200 largest cities in the United States, most national governments, more than two-thirds of Fortune 500 companies, and more than 7,000 colleges and universities. ESRI applications, running on more than one million desktops and thousands of Web and enterprise servers, provide the backbone for the world's mapping and spatial analysis. ESRI is the only vendor that provides complete technical solutions for desktop, mobile, server, and Internet platforms. Visit us at www.esri.com/news.
ESRI, the ESRI globe logo, GIS by ESRI, ArcGIS, www.esri.com, and @esri.com are trademarks, registered trademarks, or service marks of ESRI in the United States, the European Community, or certain other jurisdictions. Other companies and products mentioned herein may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective trademark owners.
Contact: Karen Richardson, ESRI
Tel.: 909-793-2853, extension 1-3491
E-mail: Email Contact
Image Available upon Request
Consortium for Spatial Information
Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research
Agricultural Geospatial Commons
Karen Richardson of ESRI
Phone: +1-909-793-2853, ext. 1-3491
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This has made it even more exciting and alluring for hackers and other cybercriminals. Most hackers today target everyone from charities, small businesses, groups, and large corporations. The only way to avoid becoming a target/victim is to ensure your data systems are protected. Here are a few tips how.
1. Make Regular Data Backups
Make a plan to have your data backed up regularly, or at least once every day. You can either use cloud-storage options for backups or an external backup device. It would, however, be advisable to ensure the external backup drive isn’t in any way connected to the company network and in a lockable safe place or room, offsite.
2. Use Complex Passwords
Cybersecurity experts recommend creating passwords with at least 8 characters consisting of numbers, letters, and special characters. You also shouldn’t use the same password in more than one account or device. This includes tablets, smartphones, laptops, computers, and email accounts. This also needs to be a policy that everyone in the company should follow.
3. Secure All Devices Working Remotely
If anyone (or all) has to work from home or remotely, they should ensure their devices are safe and secure. This is particularly important when accessing the company network and files.
4. Watch Out for Unsolicited Emails
Cybercriminals use fake emails to trick you into clicking an infected link or downloading a file onto your computer. Any unsolicited emails should thus be treated with suspicion, or even better, never open, click a link, or respond to any requests they might have. Call the respective company if you feel the need/urge to respond to the email to ascertain it came from them.
5. Install A Strong Anti-Malware and Anti-Virus Software
An anti-virus/malware software like XDR helps protect you from known virus and malware attacks. You, however, need to keep it up-to-date for active and continued protection.
6. Keep Laptops and Paperwork Secure
Leaving your laptop or sensitive documents/paperwork unattended increases the risk of a data breach. Ensure your electronic devices (laptops, phones, etc.) and files are securely tucked and digital devices password protected. This is especially important when on the train, car, or even at home with strangers around.
7. Password Protect Your Wi-Fi Network
While convenient, unsecured Wi-Fi networks put your devices and personal/company data at the mercy of hackers. Securing the network with a strong password, or even better, making it invisible, can help boost data security. You also should avoid using public networks both on personal and work devices.
8. Enable Automatic Lock Screen
Make sure to lock your screen when/if you have to step away from your station, even for a minute. It only takes a few seconds for anyone to use your details to access whatever information they can. Enabling an automatic lock screen after a few seconds away from the computer would be a good idea.
9. Restrict Access to The Building and IT Systems
Restricted access to various files, rooms, and the business, in general, can help lower the risk of data breaches. Tiered access would also be a good idea, especially where employees have different clearances on the type of data they can access. In addition to this, you’ll want to ensure visitors can be identified clearly with only set designated visitor’s waiting room.
10. Only Keep the Data You Need
Make a point of keeping only the information you need at that moment onsite and the rest in a secure backup server or drive. This is especially important with personal and sensitive company data, often central to internet marketing. Holding on to sensitive data for too long isn’t advisable.
11. Dispose of Old Files and IT Equipment Securely
Use the proper channels and methods of disposing of the company/personal laptops, computers, smartphones, and other IT equipment. These devices could be holding sensitive data that would be damaging in the wrong hands. This can be avoided by hiring a data specialist to wipe all data from these devices before disposing of or donating them. You could also use secure deletion software to shred digital files and folders from the same systems.
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Fall Foam Hand Tree
Craft Time: 30 minutes
Uses Recycled Items: No
Keywords: july2013, C_35135, projects, kids, fall, fall project, leaf, leaves, tree
Trace hand onto brown foam. Cut out.
Use brown marker to make bark lines on hand as shown.
Cut leaves from coloured foam.
Draw leaf veins onto leaves with Gold glitter glue. Let dry.
Glue hand (tree) to green foam sheet.
Glue leaves around tree as shown.
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Ireland: Information on whether Ireland has a refugee determination process and on the status of people claiming refugee status in Ireland
|Publisher||Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada|
|Author||Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada|
|Publication Date||1 May 1996|
|Citation / Document Symbol||IRL23428.E|
|Cite as||Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ireland: Information on whether Ireland has a refugee determination process and on the status of people claiming refugee status in Ireland, 1 May 1996, IRL23428.E, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ad0a7c.html [accessed 30 March 2015]|
|Disclaimer||This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.|
A representative from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office in Ottawa stated during a 23 May 1996 telephone interview that current refugee determination procedures in Ireland are basically the same as those described in the entry on Ireland in the July 1993 UNHCR publication Legal Factsheets on Asylum Procedures in Western Europe. This publication is available at Regional Documentation Centres. The only modification to the Irish procedures since July 1993 occured in October 1993; an interim appeal procedure, applicable to rejected refugee claims, was implemented pending the creation of a formal refugee determination system in Ireland (ibid.). The interim procedure gives rejected claimants the right to appeal a negative decision to a senior judge (ibid.). The Irish parliament is still debating over the bill which would establish a formal refugee determination system (ibid.).
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Ottawa. Telephone interview with representative.
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7 Wonders of India: Rameshwaram (South India)
Situated on an island off the Sethu coast of Rameswaram in Ramanathpuram district, Tamil Nadu, is an important pilgrimage site for the followers of Hinduism. It is believed that a visit to this temple washes away one’s sins and brings salvation (moksha). Being situated in Rameshwaram, the Ramanathaswamy Mandir is popularly known as the Rameshwaram Temple. The construction of this temple began in the 12th century; nonetheless it was completed much later, during the reign of various rulers. Rameshwaram Temple is famous for embracing one of the twelve Jyotirlingas (lingam of light) of Lord Shiva. The temple is also accredited for being the southern most ‘jyotirlinga’ of India.
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Quantum Optics - Precision Measurement - Nanophotonics
The field of quantum optics has led to the development of radically new ways to compute, communicate, and measure with quantum states. The Quantum Photonics Group is developing quantum technologies in scalable semiconductor systems, building on the dramatic achievements of semiconductor technology in past decades. Present goals include quantum simulators using scalable silicon photonic circuits and high-performance quantum memories based on electron spins in diamond color centers, high-speed quantum key distribution, and spin-off applications in opto-electronic devices for classical information processing. We are also pursuing new applications in precision measurements, including the development of electron spin-based timing devices and biosensors.
The Quantum Photonics Group is led by Dirk Englund, Jamieson Career Development Professor in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
MIT-ICFO/Spain international seed program
2015 MIT-Germany – University of Stuttgart MISTI Funds
Research opportunities for MIT Master’s students posted | Learn more >>
The groups of Dirk Englund, Pablo Jarillo-Herrero, and Frank Koppens have been awarded a new MISTI program to accelerate collaboration in graphene optoelectronic devices.
[ December 2015 ]
The groups Prof. Cappellaro, Prof. Englund, and Prof. Wrachtrup are selected for a 2015 MISTI International Collaboration grant to spur collaboration on quantum memories and networks!
[ December 2015 ]
Congratulations to Sara, Tim, Luozhou, Jordan, Michael, and collaborators to their recent paper in PRX demonstrating a technique for producing photonic integrated circuits with quantum memories!
[ July 2015 ]
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Releasing "Safeguard or Squander? Deciding the future of India's Fisheries" on World Oceans Day, Shri Basudev Acharya, Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture said, "We have reached a tipping point in Indian fisheries and the decision we make now about how to manage and conserve them will define this sector for the coming generations."
The report states that 90% of India's fish resources are at or above maximum sustainable levels of exploitation. These findings contradict the official statement that there is still scope for fish landings to increase despite the dangerously depleting fish stocks.
In addition to accounting for close to 2% of the national GDP and an average annual output value of Rs. 42,178 crores, marine fisheries form an important socio-economic component of the coastal regions. The fisheries sector has also been one of the major contributors to foreign exchange earnings through export. India's fish exports were worth over US$ 2.8 billion in 2010-11. 45% of this export value comes from marine capture fisheries and official targets are to raise this to 6 billion by 2015.
The report compiles statistical data and firsthand account of fishermen's experiences of living the crisis. T Peter, Secretary from National Fishworkers' Forum's, also present at the event, echoed the need for a comprehensive policy that would address the crisis by moving towards a sustainable approach to fishing that involves fishermen in decision making.
"Over the last two decades the economic and social consequences of the ongoing fisheries decline have been devastating to fishing communities, particularly those practicing medium to small scale non-mechanised and artisanal fisheries. Previously self-sufficient traditional fishing communities are witnessing the destruction of their natural resource base, resulting in poverty and migration to other occupations and other regions." he said.
According to Areeba Hamid, Greenpeace Campaigner, "Current levels of mechanised fishing are ecologically unsustainable and can never employ the millions that currently depend on non-mechanised fisheries for their livelihood."
The report also highlights ecological damage to marine biodiversity caused by overfishing. Capacity, intensity and technology used in combination directly impacts populations of specific species of fish, and also negatively alter ecosystems.
Over-capacity (too many fishing boats) leading to over-fishing, an over-reliance on destructive fishing techniques such as bottom trawling, and continued government subsidies for mechanized fisheries to the detriment of the more sustainable, employment generating non-mechanised (motorized and non-motorised) sector are the main causes of the current over-exploitation. This situation has been worsened by rampant pollution, destruction of breeding grounds such as mangroves and estuarine areas, hot water discharge from thermal power plants, industrial effluents, sewage from major urban centres and coastal over development. The report examines each of these reasons in detail and recommends an ecosystem approach to fisheries management to counter the impending crisis.
"Quite clearly, the situation in India mirrors the situation of the oceans globally. The world is watching us as we prepare to chair the Convention on Biological Diversity in October 2012 and having chosen marine biodiversity as a key theme for the convention, this is India's chance to emerge as a champion for coastal communities and sustainable use of coastal resources." concludes Hamid.
For more information contact:
Areeba Hamid, Oceans Campaigner, Greenpeace India, +919900569456
T Peter, Secretary, NFF and President, KSMTF, +919447429243,
Shuchita Mehta, Media Officer, Greenpeace India, +919560990606,
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Materials that describe your work in layperson’s terms are important to building public understanding. The samples provided in this section will help spark ideas so you can create your own.
Original documents like “explainers” and brochures can be used in many different ways. You will want to post these documents on your website, put them in the mail, and leave them behind at school and community events. The communications team in Pittsfield, New Hampshire created an“Explainer”that is a translation of the district’s logic model. It has been distributed at school and community events and at state and national conferences. The Partnership for Change in Vermont created a Brochure, a much shorter document for wide distribution in the community. Other examples of Explainers and Brochures can be found in Additional Resources.
It is time-consuming to develop and design products of this nature, but the conversations that ensue in the process can be as meaningful and clarifying as the final products themselves. It’s a great way to solidify your vision and mission, and build your team.
Pittsfield NH School District hired filmmaker Julie Mallozzi to produce a series of mini-documentaries, funded by the Nellie Mae Education Foundation, about aspects of its school redesign efforts. The first two videos have been completed, one on Pittsfield Middle High School’s Student-Led Conferences and the other on its Extended Learning Opportunities. These two videos “premiered” in the school, and then in the community at large as part of a panel presentation and community dialogue. They have also been shown in professional development trainings and at state and national conferences.
Students at the Center: Extended Learning Opportunities at Pittsfield Middle High School
In Charge: Student-Led Conferences at Pittsfield Middle High School
Videos can also be made on a shoestring budget, especially if your school or organization has a video camera and editing equipment.
At South Burlington High School in Vermont, a team of students and teachers produced a Public Service Announcement (PSA) to show at a community conversation about student-centered school redesign.
The Sanford School District in Maine, in collaboration with community television station WSSR, produced a series of videos about some of the ways the district is remodeling its schools. “Why Relationships Matter for Learning?” explores the social and emotional dimensions of learning.
PowerPoint, Keynote, and Prezi Presentations
One of the best ways to spread the word about student-centered learning is to give presentations in your local community—to Rotary clubs, Chambers of Commerce, Kiwanis clubs, women’s clubs, houses of worship, and the like. Depending on the context, you could give an informal presentation, or you could use a set of slides to support your remarks, like these created by the Sanford School District or the ones below created for the RSU1 Summer Tech Institute.
Learning and the Brain in the 21st Century
A relatively new format is called Prezi, a cloud-based presentation software that is being used in the field of education, including in this dynamic resource below called “A Year at Mission Hill: Reimagining Public Education.”
To learn more:
Check out these resources to learn more about presentation design and delivery:
- Prezi.com website
- Presentationzen: Simple Ideas on Presentation and Design by Garr Reynolds
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The 7 S Model is better known as McKinsey 7 S. This is because the two persons who developed this model, Tom Peters and Robert Waterman, have been consultants at McKinsey & Co at that time. Thy published their 7 S Model in their article “Structure Is Not Organization” (1980) and in their books “The Art of Japanese Management” (1981) and “In Search of Excellence” (1982).
The model starts on the premise that an organization is not just Structure, but consists of seven elements:
Seven Elements of an organization
Those seven elements are distinguished in so called hard S’s and soft S’s. The hard elements (green circles) are feasible and easy to identify. They can be found in strategy statements, corporate plans, organizational charts and other documentations.
The four soft S’s however, are hardly feasible. They are difficult to describe since capabilities, values and elements of corporate culture are continuously developing and changing. They are highly determined by the people at work in the organization. Therefore it is much more difficult to plan or to influence the characteristics of the soft elements. Although the soft factors are below the surface, they can have a great impact of the hard Structures, Strategies and Systems of the organization.
The Hard S’s
- Strategy: Actions a company plans in response to or anticipation of changes in its external environment.
- Structure: Basis for specialization and co-ordination influenced primarily by strategy and by organization size and diversity.
- Systems: Formal and informal procedures that support the strategy and structure. (Systems are more powerful than they are given credit)
The Soft S’s
- Style / Culture: The culture of the organization, consisting of two components:
Organizational Culture: the dominant values and beliefs, and norms, which develop over time and become relatively enduring features of organizational life
Management Style: more a matter of what managers do than what they say; How do a company’s managers spend their time? What are they focusing attention on? Symbolism – the creation and maintenance (or sometimes deconstruction) of meaning is a fundamental responsibility of managers
- Staff: The people/human resource management – processes used to develop managers, socialization processes, ways of shaping basic values of management cadre, ways of introducing young recruits to the company, ways of helping to manage the careers of employees
- Skills: The distinctive competences – what the company does best, ways of expanding or shifting competences
- Shared Values / Superordinate Goals: Guiding concepts, fundamental ideas around which a business is built – must be simple, usually stated at abstract level, have great meaning inside the organization even though outsiders may not see or understand them.
Application of the 7 S model for businesses
Effective organizations achieve a fit between these seven elements. This criterion is the origin of the other name of the model: Diagnostic Model for Organizational Effectiveness.
If one element changes then this will affect all the others. For example, a change in HR-systems like internal career plans and management training will have an impact on organizational culture (management style) and thus will affect structures, processes, and finally characteristic competences of the organization.
In change processes, many organizations focus their efforts on the hard S’s, Strategy, Structure and Systems. They care less for the soft S’s, Skills, Staff, Style and Shared Values. Peters and Waterman in “In Search of Excellence” commented however, that most successful companies work hard at these soft S’s. The soft factors can make or break a successful change process, since new structures and strategies are difficult to build upon inappropriate cultures and values. These problems often come up in the dissatisfying results of spectacular mega-mergers. The lack of success and synergies in such mergers is often based in a clash of completely different cultures, values, and styles, which make it difficult to establish effective common systems and structures.
The 7 S Model is a valuable tool to initiate change processes and to give them direction. A helpful application is to determine the current state of each element and to compare this with the ideal state. Based in this it is possible to develop action plans to achieve the intended state.
By Dagmar Recklies, 2001
- Peters, T., Waterman, R. (1982) “In Search of Excellence: Lessons from America’s Best-Run Companies, New York, London: Harper & Row
- Waterman, R. Jr., Peters, T. and Phillips, J.R. “Structure Is Not Organisation” in Business Horizons, 23,3 June 1980. 14-26
- Pascale, R., Athos, A. (1981) “The art of Japanese management
”, London: Penguin Books
Our Literature Recommendation on Management Models
- Key Management Models: The 60+ models every manager needs to know by Marcel Van Assen, Gerben Van den Berg, Paul Pietersma
This book gives you short, practical overviews of the top classic and cutting edge management models in an easy-to-use, ready reference format. Whether you want to remind yourself about models you’ve already come across, or want to find new ones, you’ll find yourself referring back to it again and again.
- Key Strategy Tools: The 80+ Tools for Every Manager to Build a Winning Strategy by Vaughan Evans
Covering 88 tools – approaches, models, schools and techniques – framed within an innovative strategy development process, the strategy pyramid, this user-friendly manual takes you through each step of the process. Whether analysing your market, building competitive advantage or addressing risk and opportunity, you’ll find the strategic thinking tools you need at every stage.
- The Decision Book: 50 Models for Strategic Thinking by Mikael Krogerus, Roman Tschäppeler
This book presents fifty models for better structuring, and subsequently understanding, life’s steady challenges. Interactive and thought-provoking, this illustrated workbook offers succinct summaries of popular strategies
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BEIJING, Apr 29 (Reuters) China's top economic agency on Saturday ordered a clampdown on new coal mines to stem a looming production glut it said threatened the long-term viability of the industry.
The National Develpment and Reform Commission said China's coal sector was threatened by excessive investment and ballooning over-capacity.
''Problems accumulated over a long time with structural irrationalities, low-level technology, frequent accidents, serious waste of resources and tardiness in treating environmental pollution remain very serious,'' it said.
An unnamed commission official said coal mines being built in violation of regulations should stop immediately, the official Xinhua News Agency also reported on Saturday.
The commission warned that looming overcapacity may weaken coal prices, and it said mines that remain in operation must become larger and more efficient.
By 2010, Chinese coal production must be capped at 2.45 billion tonnes a year, and 75 percent of that coal must come from medium-sized and large mines.
Late last year, the NDRC said it expected Chinese coal production to rise 4.9 percent in 2006 to 2.08 billion tonnes.
China currently has about 24,000 mines with annual capacity of between 10,000 and 30,000 tonnes, accounting for 70 percent of its coal production.
China, the world's top producer and consumer of coal, relies on coal for around 70 percent of its energy.
REUTERS PV HT1205
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A Comment on the Absent-Minded Driver Paradox
Piccione and Rubinstein 1996 present the ''absent-minded driver paradox,'' which shows that if a decision maker's information set is allowed to intersect a decision tree path in more than one node, inconsistencies may arise. Specifically, the decision maker may wish to change her choice without any ''intrinsic'' change in preferences and without receiving any new information, apart from the mere fact that she was called upon to act. I argue that decision problems can and should be formulated in such a way that information sets do not contain more than one decision node on each path. Such formulations will not be subject to the paradox. More importantly, they follow from the classical lore of decision theory. Differently put, the absent-minded driver paradox is a result of decision modeling which violates some of the basic, though often implicit, foundations of decision theory.
(This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)
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References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
- Ferreira, J. & Gilboa, I. & Maschler, M.B., 1992.
"Credible Equilibria in Games with Utilities Changing During the Play,"
1992-17, Tilburg University, Center for Economic Research.
- Ferreira J. -L. & Gilboa I. & Maschler M., 1995. "Credible Equilibria in Games with Utilities Changing during the Play," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 10(2), pages 284-317, August.
- Ferreira, J.L. & Gilboa, I. & Maschler, M., 1992. "Credible Equilibria in Games with Utilities Changing During the Play," Papers 9217, Tilburg - Center for Economic Research.
- J.L. Ferreira, 1992. "Credible Equilibria in Games with Utilities Changing During the Play," Discussion Papers 988, Northwestern University, Center for Mathematical Studies in Economics and Management Science.
- Itzhak Gilboa, 1999.
"Can Free Choice Be Known?,"
- Itzhak Gilboa, 2011.
"Why the Empty Shells Were Not Fired: A Semi-Bibliographical Note,"
- Itzhak Gilboa, 1992. "Why the Empty Shells Were Not Fired: A Semi-Bibliographical Note," Discussion Papers 987, Northwestern University, Center for Mathematical Studies in Economics and Management Science.
- Peter J. Hammond, 1976. "Changing Tastes and Coherent Dynamic Choice," Review of Economic Studies, Oxford University Press, vol. 43(1), pages 159-173.
- Rubinstein, Ariel, 1995.
"On the Interpretation of Decision Problems with Imperfect Recall,"
Mathematical Social Sciences,
Elsevier, vol. 30(3), pages 324-324, December.
- Piccione, Michele & Rubinstein, Ariel, 1997. "On the Interpretation of Decision Problems with Imperfect Recall," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 20(1), pages 3-24, July.
- Bezalel Peleg & Menahem E. Yaari, 1973. "On the Existence of a Consistent Course of Action when Tastes are Changing," Review of Economic Studies, Oxford University Press, vol. 40(3), pages 391-401.
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This course will explore the challenges of leading teams that are inherited as well as those that are purpose-built. Participants will develop the skills to build high-performing teams. We will examine the attributes of successful team leaders and develop the leadership skills to create vision and mission for teams by engaging team members and developing team ownership of goals and benchmarks. Using case studies and simulations, participants will build practical skills in empowering team members, delegating responsibilities, creating an open team culture, eliciting ideas from team members in shared projects, and moving teams forward, as well as managing conflict in a team and providing feedback to team members.
Return on investment:
This course can be customized and delivered in-house at your organization, meeting or conference to physicians and/or interdisciplinary teams.
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Something to think about.
Many will miss charming and loveable Glee star Cory Monteith. Just goes to show you that being rich and famous doesn’t make some people satisfied.
Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison and Janis Joplin all died of drug related causes when they were 27 years old.
Original Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman said of Brian Jones, “He formed the band [Rolling Stones]. He chose the members. He named the band. He chose the music we played. He got us gigs. … Very influential, very important, and then slowly lost it — highly intelligent — and just kind of wasted it and blew it all away.”
Brian Jones was kicked out of the band he created due to serious drug problems that hampered his ability to write music, get along with band members and even perform music. Within about one month, he was found dead, drowned in his swimming pool. Some…
View original post 477 more words
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[Today’s Christian, Nov/Dec 2004]
Q. The Bible tells us to serve. I have a friend who is having some difficult times. How do I know when to help and when to let God teach her through the circumstances? I have helped in the past, but should I bail her out each time?
I hear a bit of exasperation showing around the edges, Kathy. You’re right that the Bible emphasizes helping others. Jesus told his followers to be “last of all and servant of all” (Mark 9:35), and not only to our relatives and friends, because “even sinners do the same.” Instead Jesus says, “love your enemies…and lend, expecting nothing in return.” That’s how we imitate the Father, who is “kind even to the ungrateful and the selfish” (Luke 6:32-36).
Your friend may not have reached the point of being ungrateful and selfish, she may only be scatterbrained and irresponsible, but you’re still not sure you should go on tossing her life preservers. You can look at the problem two ways. If the question is, “Should I always be generous?” the answer is yes. No matter how much you pour out God will replenish, and you will grow further into the likeness of the all-generous Father. The saying is trite but true: You can’t out-give God. Testing this premise is one of the joys of Christian life.
But if the question is, “Should I always bail my friend out?” the answer might be no. After all, even the all-generous Father doesn’t give us everything we ask for. He gives us everything we need, and sometimes what we need is a lesson. “The Lord disciplines him whom he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives” (Hebrews 12:6). He might be trying to lead your friend toward greater maturity in solving her own problems, and your rescue maneuvers could be getting in the way. Friends can help a person delay learning hard lessons, but when the inevitable finally arrives, the lesson has gotten much harder.
The mystery is why God mixed us all up in this world together, instead of dealing with each person in hermetically-sealed isolation. It would be a snap for you and your friend to do God’s will if you each wore a headset phone connected directly to the Throne Room. If we got that kind of instantaneous instruction, we wouldn’t need each other. But for some reason God chose the less predictable course of throwing people together in families and communities, and telling us to love each other. He prefers that we figure out how to do it, bumping along, supporting and exhorting, because we are gaining something from this interaction that outweighs the loss in crisp efficiency. What you and your friend learn in this stressful process is another part of God’s goal. There’s another saying: “We go to heaven together and to hell alone.”
Q. I am deeply disturbed by my mother’s constant obsession with "feng shui" despite the fact that she claims to be a practicing Christian. She gets angry with me when I tell her that Christians should not even be believing in such things. What should I do?
A. Anyone who claims to be a practicing Christian wouldn’t also practice something they recognize as another religion. But things that present themselves just as measures to gain “good luck” look like a gray area. Whether these harm a Christian’s faith or not depends on what he believes about them. A Christian can pull the Thanksgiving wishbone, blow out birthday candles, or read a fortune cookie without imperiling his salvation. He takes these things lightly, and doesn’t believe they will influence God’s sovereign provision.
But some areas are grayer, such as reading a horoscope column or believing you have a lucky number. If your mother is “obsessed” with feng shui it’s probably gone too far. Classic feng shui claims to be a science, not a religion. Practitioners try to manage the “flow of energy” through a space by analyzing factors like a building’s compass settings and the occupants’ birth years. As I looked at a feng shui website today I learned that it’s a bad day to break ground for a new building, which suits me just fine.
Of course, in American practice feng shui is greatly simplified, de-mystified, and arranged around things you can buy. It may not be as dangerous, depending on how the person approaches it. A lot of home decorating “tips” in a feng shui magazine article are just common sense. I’ve been in homes where the furniture just doesn’t work—where you sit in the living room for a conversation and have to shout because the sofas are pushed all the way against opposite walls, for example. Or where a big table in the kitchen makes that room a traffic jam. A feng shui practitioner might have a fancy name for these problems, but they’re simply bad design, and rearranging the furniture after reading the article is not tantamount to losing your faith.
St. Paul was able to eat meat that had been sacrificed in a pagan ritual because he believed the gods it had been offered to did not even exist. But he was aware that some immature Christians might be confused by his liberty, and moved to superstitious fear. This would make they prey, not of those non-existent gods, but of demons. We Christians can walk wisely through the world, using aspects of other cultures wisely, as long as we have unshakeable confidence in who the only God is.
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Learning how to make iPhone games calls for a bit little bit of understanding of Apple programs absolute confidence, but maximum of it may be learned simply and performance by means of quite much every person who tries.
Whether you are a whole novice or have experience running with code, making an iPhone sport app may be a laugh and worthwhile. The Apple save has been recognised to crank out some millionaires who had superb ideas that humans might take to.
How To Make iPhone Games – Programming
The first thing which you need to know about is the programming that minecraft pe 1.18.0 apk mediafıre is involved with developing any app on for the iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch.
Objective C is the coding platform, which may be very plenty associated with the more widely recognized C+. Cocos2d is some thing else that you will additionally want to be able to help deliver functionality to existence.
The exceptional vicinity to begin is by using downloading the SDK (software development kit) and putting it to good use. This may have pretty much everything that you’ll want to launch your project.
It comes with the Xcode editor, wherein you’ll be doing most of your programming, and running with libraries and frameworks, and it comes with the iPhone simulator so that you test in for your app as you construct it.
You will clearly want to have an Apple computer to do that on. You can even want some shape of a snap shots software. Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop work properly.
Will also need so that you can create audio files which can load for track and sound outcomes.
How To Make iPhone Games When You Don’t Have These Resources
What if you use Windows for your property PC experience? What if that is a little an excessive amount of for you? Well, I might propose that you research the whole lot that you could about the development technique of creating apps, which is not that involved, and then set aside a small budget to lease a task pressure.
By doing this, you will be capable of speak your vision with them correctly and understand every step of the recipe.
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Prostate cancer risk factors, care utilization and policy options. Focus group findings from an engagement with an African American urban community.
|Abstract:||This paper presents the findings of a focus group organized in collaboration with the African American urban community of GeorgeTown in Jackson Mississippi. The goal of the study is to identify and understand knowledge of prostate cancer risk factors and symptoms, utilization of existing prevention resources; and health education strategies. In addition, the study seeks to identify health education strategies and policy preferences that could be used in health promotion program development and policy advocacy framing. Findings of gaps in knowledge; low levels of service utilization; and the role of technology in limiting access to health information in the African American community are consistent with findings in other prostate cancer studies. However, some refreshing information regarding utilization, as well as health education and policy emerges from this study. The study painted a three dimensional profile of people who utilize prostate cancer screening services in the community. These are survivors who are enrolled in a prevention group, and have access to a supportive provider environment. There were also surprising reservations about the church as an outlet for prostate cancer health promotion because of discomfort with the topic in churches. Concrete prostate cancer related public policy options are proposed by participants including progressive policy options such as mandatory screening and referral regardless of financial qualification; free screening in emergency rooms; and conservative policy remedies such as tax breaks for facilities which provide free screening. Besides the clarity in policy advocacy themes, the findings provide specific information that could shape prevention programs and intervention research in the GeorgeTown community of Jackson Mississippi.|
Prostate cancer (Risk factors)
Prostate cancer (Demographic aspects)
Prostate cancer (Prevention)
Medical care (Utilization)
Medical care (Research)
Tataw, David Besong
Ekundayo, Olugbemiga T.
|Publication:||Name: American Journal of Health Studies Publisher: American Journal of Health Studies Audience: Professional Format: Magazine/Journal Subject: Health Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2012 American Journal of Health Studies ISSN: 1090-0500|
|Issue:||Date: Wntr, 2012 Source Volume: 27 Source Issue: 1|
|Topic:||Event Code: 310 Science & research|
|Geographic:||Geographic Scope: United States Geographic Code: 1USA United States|
African American men bear a disproportionate share of prostate cancer disease burden among racial and ethnic groups in the United States (CDC, 2007, American Cancer Society, 2008), yet their utilization of early diagnostic resources is lower than that of other racial and ethnic groups in the United States (American Cancer Society, 2006, 2008). Thus, there is a strong need to design educational and outreach programs that will be a good fit for the health seeking preferences of African Americans. This paper reports on the use of focus groups in community engagement to determine the health promotion and policy preferences of the residents of GeorgeTown community in Jackson Mississippi so that intervention programs could be tailored to knowledge and utilization gaps as well as to reported health promotion and policy preferences.
Despite the disproportionately heavy burden of prostate cancer among African-American men, they often fail to address their own individual health or make decisions to engage in preventive behavior or to access healthcare related to this condition (Myers et al., 1996, 1999; American Cancer Society, 2006; 2008; Lehto, Song, Stein and Coleman-Burns, 2010). Low levels of preventive behavior and utilization of existing prostate cancer prevention and early treatment services are related to the target population's empowerment and acceptability of interventions in research and practice environments (Parket et al., 2006; Sanchez et al., 2007; Dunlop et al., 2002; Du et al., 2006). Specific reasons include distrust of the health care system (Halbert et al., 1999; Ravenell, Johnson & Whitaker, 2006; Fergus, Grey & Fitch, 2002; Forrester Anderson, 2005, Cheatam, Barksdale & Rogers, 2008); lack of self-efficacy due to social and economic disenfranchisement (Drake, Shelton, Gilligan & Allen 2010; Odedina, Campbell, LaRose-Pierre, Scrivens & Hill 2008;Ross, Meade, Powe & Howard, 2009); and stigma and social isolation with reduction in self esteem due to the relation to sexual activity and performance, or being seen as "weak" (Fergus, Grey & Fitch, 2002; Forrester-Anderson, 2005; Gamble, 1997; Wolf et al. 2006; Chan et al., 2005; Powell, 1997; Taylor et al.,1999,2001), fear of prostate cancer and lack of insurance (Ford et al., 2006); fear of digital rectal examination (DRE) (Reynolds 2008, Ross et al., 2007, Woods et al., 2006); and prostate cancer screening intervention message concept, message source, and message channel (Odedina et al., 2004).
Many scholars regard empowerment as both a means and an end in enhancing and promoting health (Wallerstein 1988, 1992; Braithwaite et al., 1994; Labonte 1994; Perkins & Zimmerman, 1995, Tataw et al., 2007; Tataw, James, Bazargan, 2009). The consumer's ability to participate in health services decision making is enhanced when communication during consumer/expert encounters moves from an expert dominated monologue to a dialogue where there is an exchange of information between expert and consumer rather than a transfer of information from expert to consumer (Leea & Garvin, 2003). Dialogue nurture's the consumer's acceptability of the expert's services through active participation and trusting relationships. Trust and participation in decision making has been shown to increase consumer self efficacy and satisfaction with health services in at risk low income populations (Doescher et al., 2000; Tataw, Bazargan, Patel, 2010).
Horizontal participatory approaches have been used to both increase participation of target population in needs assessments and to increase acceptability of intervention programs in the target communities. Therefore, prostate cancer preventive behavior and service utilization among black men could be improved if the target population participated in, and informs the development of outreach and educational interventions. Community health programs with cultural and/or structural horizontal relationships in which decision making is consensual through a give and take process rather than unidirectional from experts to low income consumers have increased the consumer's voice, self efficacy, satisfaction, and greater participation in the health system (Tataw & Bazargan-Hejazi, 2010, Tataw, Bazargan-Hejazi, James, 2010).
Participatory efforts in community engagement are those "involving users and communities in all stages of the development process" Narayan (1993, iii). Oakley et al., (1991 P.8) describe participation as "voluntary or other forms of contribution by rural people to predetermined programs or projects" Many activities constitute participation by beneficiaries including completing questionnaires, taking part in a focus group, or responding to key informant interviews, but a true participatory project is one that is initiated and owned by the project beneficiaries and contributes to the empowerment of the beneficiaries (Cummings, 1997, Laverack 2004, 2007). This study adopts a participatory approach to data collection and program development by involving a Community Advisory Board from GeorgeTown in Jackson Mississippi which identifies and encourages study participants to complete surveys. The study seeks to both understand participant needs and identify their health promotion and policy preferences so as to develop health promotion and policy advocacy strategies which are acceptable to the community.
The purpose of this focus group study is to assess prostate cancer health promotion and policy preferences in the GeorgeTown community of Jackson Mississippi in order to determine appropriate prostate cancer policy advocacy themes and to design outreach and educational strategies among African Americans in the Georgetown community of the City of Jackson Mississippi. The purpose of the study is achieved through the following specific aims:
1. To assess knowledge of prostate cancer symptoms, risk factors and causes among focus group participants
2. To assess perceptions of prostate cancer screening and treatment utilization patterns among participants
3. To determine participants' prostate cancer policy and health promotion preferences
4. To discuss the implications of findings in 1 to 3 above on the development of prostate cancer policy advocacy, and health promotion programs for the GeorgeTown community of Jackson Mississippi.
The above specific aims are achieved through a single focus group activity involving 20 residents drawn from the GeorgeTown community of Jackson Mississippi held on February 6, 2008.
This study is significant because findings related to needs, service utilization and health promotion preferences could contribute to policy advocacy and intervention strategies developed with the input of the target population. These strategies will be more acceptable to the community since the community will take ownership of what they developed themselves. In addition, prostate cancer imposes a significant and disproportionate disease burden on African American men in Mississippi and the United States and this study advances prevention work in prostate cancer among this at risk population.
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE LITERATURE
This study contributes to the literature on prostate cancer and health promotion by showing how qualitative research can be used to facilitate the input of target populations in health policy advocacy and health promotion program development. The commonly accepted norm in scientific circles has been for the researcher to engage the community and lead the process forward. However, this does not necessarily imply or involve a community that is engaged in the process, directing and setting the pace for thinking, planning and implementation. The study goes beyond the traditional needs determination common in planning studies and includes identification of the target community's preferred educational and policy intervention strategies in a participatory planning process. In addition, the health promotion strategies identified will increase or reaffirm the tools available for researchers and practitioners involved in prostate cancer reduction work in low income communities.
STUDY SETTING AND POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS
DISPARITIES IN PROSTATE CANCER BURDENS IN MISSISSIPPI AND THE UNITED STATES
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in both the United States (US) and Mississippi (Kung et al., 2008; Mississippi Department of Health Vital Statistics, 2006). The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates that 13,400 new cases of cancer were diagnosed in Mississippi by the end of 2005, including 2,010 new cases of prostate cancer (American Cancer Society, 2008). By the end of 2004, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed that Mississippi ranked second in U.S. in cancer death rates (CDC, 2007). In 2003, the incidence rate for cancer in Mississippi was lower than the average incidence rate for the nation; however, the death rate from cancer in Mississippi as enumerated above was higher than that of the US (Mississippi State Department of Health, Department of Health Cancer Registry, 2005).
In 2005, prostate cancer was the most common type of cancer found among Mississippi men with incidents at 161 per 100,000, closely followed by lung and bronchial cancer with incidents at 111.9 per 100, 000 (Mississippi, Department of Health Cancer Registry, 2005). Although ACS reported that the incidence of prostate cancer is on the decline in Mississippi, prostate cancer still ranks second as the leading cause of death among men. African American men have the highest incidence, prevalence, and mortality due to prostate cancer relative to other racial and ethnic groups in Mississippi.
According to the CDC, between 1970 and 1994, the death rate due to prostate cancer among black males in the state was twice the rate for white males. Mortality rates for white males are 21.2 per 100, 000 versus. 41.91 per 100, 000 for African American males (CDC, 2007). According to National Institutes of Health estimates, in 2008 dollars, the median cost for prostate cancer was $34,500 (Greenberg, Earle, Fang, Eldar-Lissai and Neumann 2010). Also, the overall cost of cancer care in the US in 2007 was estimated to be $219 billion with direct care costs being $89.0 billion of which $18.2 billion were attributed to productivity loss and the balance due to indirect mortality costs (Meropole et al., 2009).
In 2005, United States cancer statistics revealed that the incidence of prostate cancer in Mississippi among African American men almost doubled that of white men i.e. 221.2 per 100, 000 versus 139.2 per 100, 000 (American Cancer Society, 2008). This number clearly shows a disparity in the incidence of prostate cancer in the state with African American men bearing the heaviest burden. African American numbers also drive the higher state distribution when compared to national levels. Table 2 below adapted from the Mississippi Statistically Automated Health Systems(MSTAHRS) shows that from 2005 to 2009 the prostate cancer age adjusted death rate among African American men was about three times the death rate for white men (61.9 per 100,000 for African Americans vs. 20.3 per 100,000 for whites).
The Mississippi State Department of Health Vital Statistics, 2005, reported that, other than respiratory (trachea, bronchus, and lung cancer), prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among Mississippi men, and a heavy burden of the disease is still borne by black men in the state (Mississippi Department of Health, Vital Statistics, 2006). Unless innovative programs are put in place to combat this trend, it will continue to be a major health issue in the state, costing lives and resources. Increased awareness of risk factors for this disparity, effective planning and implementation of prevention programs and policy development/adjustment are major requirements to address the disparate incidence and prevalence of disease among minority populations (Guerra et al., 2007; Ford et al., 2006; Taylor et al., 2001; Bennet et al., 1998; Parker et al., 2006; Sanchez et al., 2007).
The targeted community of GeorgeTown is at the center of a mostly minority population which usually comes with high levels of poverty and other demographic, socio-economic risks for negative health outcomes, including prostate cancer (Sanchez et al., 2007; Dunlop et al., 2002; Du et al., 2006; Myers et al., 1999)..
Table 1 below presents the demographic statistics for Mississippi, Hinds County, and City of Jackson. The GeorgeTown community is part of Hinds County district 2 with a population of 28,939 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010, retrieved July 14, 2011). The African American population of GeorgeTown is 86.4%, with Black males being 11,574 (45.13%). Black males 45 years and over numbered 3,372 or 29.14%. The City of Jackson (of which GeorgeTown forms about 40% of City Council Ward 3), has a population of 175,283 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010, retrieved July 14, 2011). African Americans make up 76.77% or 134,567 of City Council Ward 3.
While the specific population characteristics of GeorgeTown are not available, the community nevertheless reflects the trends in the City of Jackson itself. For Jackson, the median household income (2007-2009) was $32,306 (African Americans: $28, 007; White: $51,337) compared to that of Mississippi ($37,034) and Hinds County ($38,250). With regard to educational attainment for people 25 years and older, 76.18% of African Americans had high school and higher education, compared to 92.02% of whites in Jackson. This is higher than the state rates at 69.12% for African Americans and 83.03% for whites.
Table 3 above provides age-adjusted prostate cancer mortality rates for Hinds County which is the metropolitan area of the City of Jackson from 2007 to 2009 and Table 4 presents screening rates for the State of Mississippi from 2004 to 2010. Prostate cancer mortality rates for African Americans drive the high rates in the state compared to national figures. Prostate cancer mortality is much higher among African Americans than Whites across all age groups affected. However, even with these glaring rate differences, African American men tend to engage in prostate cancer screening at much lower levels than white men, with rate differences widening from 2006 through 2010.
This is a qualitative study involving a single focus group of 20 participants drawn from the GeorgeTown community in the City of Jackson Mississippi. The study uses a community engaged-participatory-action approach involving a Technical Assistance Board and Community Advisory Board. Discussions covered six questions developed by the Technical Assistance Board (TAB) and validated by the Community Advisory Board (CAB). The Technical Board and Community Advisory Board were also responsible for recruitment and facilitating the focus group. The CAB consisted of representation from community stakeholders including: prostate cancer sufferers/survivors; prostate cancer support groups; faith based organizations; community based and ethnic organizations (FBOs, CBOs, EOGs); researchers and educators; care givers/providers; policy representatives from state and local governments; target community members; representatives from the private sector including the local chambers of commerce, business owners, other community coalitions and networks. The Technical Advisory Board consisted of prostate cancer research and education experts and the community.
This study was approved by the Jackson State University Mississippi and the Indiana University Kokomo Institutional Review Boards. Data were collected during one focus group session which took place from 6.00PM to 8.00PM on February 6, 2008 involving 20 members drawn from the GeorgeTown community of Jackson Mississippi. The Technical Assistance Board developed the questions and The Community Advisory Board administered both the questions and the consent forms.CAB members also facilitated the focus group discussions. The questions developed by the Technical Assistance Board were reviewed and validated by the Community Advisory Board. The Informed consent form administered by CAB members was read and explained to all attendees, then signed by all participants. Participants' focus group questions were asked by a CAB member while responses and discussions were recorded by a Technical Assistance Board members and project interns via:
* Flip charts
* Audio recorder (Olympus N 4123--Olympus Imaging Corp)
* Focus group participants' notes
* Project Director's notes
SAMPLING AND RECRUITMENT
Participants were chosen using a modified snowball sampling methodology which was supported by the Community Advisory Board (CAB). The Community Advisory Board was selected using a snowball sampling method. Focus group participants were then recruited by CAB members who invited additional participants during community association meetings, community events, at barbershops, at service stations, via telephone calls, and house-to-house visits.
Before the focus group meetings, community representatives were trained in needed outreach skills for the Community Advisory Board. Meetings of the TAB and CAB were held and training was provided to members on their role in both research and advocacy. Focus group agenda and fliers were distributed to CAB members who distributed the fliers and meeting information through announcements at Churches, Community centers, Community events, Barber shops, Television, Radio and Telephone calls. No specific incentives were provided for participation, however, dinner was provided due to the time of activity (6.00 pm-8.00 pm)
INCLUSION AND EXCLUSION
To be part of the focus group, participants must be male African Americans; female African American related to a male survivor or sufferer of prostate cancer, 18 years or older; live in the community of GeorgeTown in Jackson Mississippi; and be willing to complete a written consent form. Participants must not have reported or exhibited symptoms of substance use or mental health.
Focus Group discussion themes designed by the Technical Assistance Board and validated by the Community Advisory Board covered the following topics: knowledge of prostate cancer; knowledge of existing prostate cancer prevention facilities; perceptions of utilization of existing prostate cancer facilities; current prostate cancer educational strategies; and prostate cancer related policy recommendations to the Local Department of Health.
The complete discussion topics with the sub themes are listed below.
1. What do we know about Prostate Cancer?
c. What puts us at risk for developing prostate cancer?
d. How do we prevent it?
2. What do we know about facilities for Prostate Cancer Prevention in our area?
a. Where are they?
b. When are they open?
c. What services do they provide?
d. Do we know if they provide screening services?
e. Who are the people in the facilities?
3. Are the facilities being used by members of the community?
a. If yes, what about the facilities make us want to use them?
b. If the facilities are not being used, why?
c. What would we like to see or experience in the facilities that will make us want to use them?
4. How do we get prostate cancer prevention information to the community?
a. What kind of information?
b. How do we present the information?
c. Who should present the information?
d. Where and who does the information go to?
5. What policies are needed to prevent prostate cancer in this community?
a. Issues to be addressed
b. How to establish the policies in the Health Department
c. Who should implement the policies?
d. What role(s) should health care providers play?
e. How will we present and follow up on the policies to ensure appropriate implementation?
In this study, focus group data are transcribed into Microsoft word documents and subjected to thematic analysis. Responses are analyzed qualitatively by theme, domain, sub domain, source statement, research question and hypotheses. The thematic approach identifies common themes expressed by participants. Words used are also analyzed to ensure consistency in meaning. Emerging patterns in the themes are then used to understand the community's knowledge; utilization; and health promotion and policy preferences.
Table 5 below presents the number of statements made by focus group participants for each focus group question. Table 6 presents a data analysis grid including the question, the domain of the question, the theme, the sub theme, original statements and potential research implication of participant responses.
Overall, 20 participants attended the focus group meeting (male=70% and female=30%) age between 25 and 75 years. In all, 110 statements were collected and transcribed. These statements were divided into the question numbers that were asked as shown in Table 5 below.
The grid of statements and their relevant themes are presented in Table 6 below. The responses showed gaps in knowledge of symptoms, risk factors, causes of prostate cancer, prevention behavior; and existing prevention facilities. The responses also offered reasons for utilization of prevention facilities and identified barriers to utilization. Information dissemination and prostate cancer prevention policy options were also discussed. Technology infrastructure was also noted as a barrier to information dissemination.
A summary of statements made by themes are listed below:
* Symptoms, risk factors, and causes of prostate cancer identified include: urinary frequency, comfort, color, blood and urgency, being black, testosterone, improper diet, nutrition, lifestyle, beverages, being in a night club all night, not seeking medical examination, inheritance and heredity.
* Prevention behavior needed for prostate cancer identified include the following: risk awareness, early screenings, annual screenings, dietary patterns, and screenings for African Americans over age 40. Some of the participants were unaware of the preventive aspects.
* Prostate Cancer prevention/care service facilities and providers are known and identified by some of the participants while some do not know any. Those who know identified two facilities and five practitioners (urology, family medicine and primary care who also provide referral to urology). Prostate Specific Antigen and Digital Rectal Exam (DRE) are identified as screening services provided.
* Facilities are used by a select number of survivors who join a prevention group. Participants who use facilities identify positive provider staff attitude towards the men and effective information dissemination through constant reminders as reasons for using facilities. In addition, barriers to care facility usage include unfriendly provider staff attitudes towards the men, fear of discovery, unclear messages (incomprehension), inertia, apathy, unemployment, and lack of insurance coverage for care.
* Suggested solutions to overcome barriers included culturally competent communications; having a community spokesperson; increase health literary, working through community identified centers of influence (clergy, etc), centers of living and social activities (barber shops, salons, churches, work places) and transit (billboards, etc) were also identified. It was also suggested that health professionals should be involved in health fairs and that the use of technology including DVDs should be limited as many people might not have the hardware to use DVDs.
* Prostate cancer policy options identified include the following: mandatory screening and referral regardless of financial qualification; free screening in emergency rooms; tax breaks for facilities that provide free screening; and mandatory referrals.
This study's findings of gaps in knowledge and service utilization in the African American community are consistent with findings in other prostate cancer studies. However, the study has some refreshing revelations related to utilization, cultural competencies of researchers, health education outlets and policy preferences. The study provides a clear profile of the community member who overcomes barriers to the utilization of existing prostate cancer facilities and advances refreshing concrete proposals for health promotion and public policy. A revelation which merits separate mention is the class, linguistic, and cultural competency of the focus group questions. The fact that the Community Advisory Board had to reframe the focus group questions in a number of instances shows a deficit in the ability of experts to speak at a level that is comfortable to this low income African American community. In addition, the technology divide between this low income community and the rest of America represents a continuous source of disparity in health information access for African Americans.
Findings of lack of knowledge of symptoms, risk factors, and the causes of prostate cancer; as well as low levels of resource utilization among participants are consistent with other findings in the literature. Other prostate cancer studies have found low levels of knowledge and preventive activity for this condition among African Americans (Myers et al., 2002; American Cancer Society, 2006; Wallner et al., 2008).
Barriers to utilization identified by participants are tied to lack of self efficacy, lack of self esteem, lack of trust of the health system, disrespectful treatment in the healthcare system, fear of knowing prostate cancer status, lack of knowledge; lack of ability to pay, and technology barriers including the lack capacity to use DVDs as a source of health information. Except for technology barriers, prior studies on prostate cancer among African Americans have offered similar explanations for low levels of utilization including the following specific reasons: distrust of the health care systems (Ravenell, Johnson & Whitaker, 2006; Fergus, Grey & Fitch, 2002); lack of self-efficacy due to social and economic disenfranchisement; and stigma and social isolation with reduction in self esteem due to the relation to sexual activity and performance, or being seen as "weak" (Fergus, Grey & Fitch, 2002; Gamble, 1997; Wolf et al. 2006; Chan, Gann, Giovannuccci et al., 2005; Powell, 1997; Taylor et al. , 1999). Unlike similar studies, these findings provide a rare glimpse into the three dimensional profile of people who use existing resources. These are people who are survivors, have joined a prevention group, and are lucky to have a supportive provider environment. This profile suggests that knowledge or experience with prostate cancer is an important factor in increasing utilization. It also underscores the need for education, acceptable provider environment, and social support.
Concrete proposals for overcoming existing barriers include culturally competent prevention messages; using familiar community spokes persons such as rap artists; working through community identified centers of influence (e.g.clergy); centers of living and social activities (barber shops, salons, churches, work places); and transit (e.g. billboards). There was a rare statement of caution regarding the use of the church as an information center for this particular condition since the church might be uncomfortable with messaging even remotely related to sex. It is also remarkable that these proposals do not include contemporary technology such as hand-held devices or second generation web technologies including social networking sites, wikis and blogs which are already part of the health information system in mainstream communities (Wagner et al. 2009).
Prostate cancer policy options identified included the following: mandatory screening and referral regardless of financial qualification; free screening in emergency rooms; tax breaks for facilities that provide free screening; and mandatory referrals. The suggestion of tax breaks for providers is an unusual policy proposal from a low income African American community and shows how tax code remedies are entering health promotion conversations.
LIMITATIONS OF STUDY
Despite the similarities between many findings in this study and other studies on prostate cancer; and the clarity of health promotion and health policy preferences that emerged from the study, it still has its limitations. As with most focus groups, key drawbacks in this study are the lack of anonymity and limitations to generalizability. It was not completely clear if participants gave their frank perspectives since they were speaking openly among other community members. Also, readers should be cautious about generalizing the findings from this single focus group to the entire population of Georgetown in Jackson Mississippi without corroboration with other findings from comparable focus groups or assessments using other methods of inquiry. These findings by themselves might not represent or explain all prostate cancer prevention patterns in the entire population of GeorgeTown in Jackson Mississippi.
CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT AND INTERVENTION RESEARCH
This paper has described the use of focus groups in a community engagement with the African American urban community of GeorgeTown Mississippi to identify and understand prostate cancer knowledge; patterns of resource utilization; and health promotion and policy options. Besides the clarity in policy advocacy themes, the findings provide specific information which could be used to shape prevention programs and intervention research in the GeorgeTown community of Jackson Mississippi.
Based on the findings in this study, programs or intervention research to improve prostate cancer prevention behavior in GeorgeTown and similar communities should be rooted in empowerment approaches with specific tools to activate self efficacy, self esteem, trust, knowledge, ability to pay, and acceptability of the provider environment. Trust and participation in decision making has been shown to increase consumer self efficacy and satisfaction with health services in at risk low income populations (Doescher et al., 2000; Tataw, Bazargan, Patel, 2010). Prostate cancer preventive behavior and service utilization among black men could be improved if the target population participates in, and informs the development of educational and policy interventions. Community health programs with cultural and/or structural horizontal relationships in which decision making is consensual have created the appropriate ecological context which has increased at risk consumers' voice, self efficacy, satisfaction, and greater participation in the health system (Consedine et al., 2011; Tataw & Bazargan-Hejazi, 2010, Tataw, Bazargan-Hejazi, James, 2010). A paradigm shift that includes contextual balance between the community and expert perspective can help to enhance self-efficacy, satisfaction, greater participation, and acceptability of intervention initiatives.
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David B. Tataw, MMIS, MPA, PhD, is affiliated with Indiana University Kokomo, Charles R. Drew University Los Angeles, and The Institute for Health Policy and Systems Effectiveness. Address Correspondence to: 2411 Schick Dr, KOKOMO, IN 46902 email@example.com. Olugbemiga T. Ekundayo, MD, MPH, DrPH is affiliated with the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Health Sciences, College of Public Service, Jackson State University, Mississippi.
Table 1: Demographic characteristics for Mississippi, Hinds County and city of Jackson. Mississippi Hinds County Jackson Total Population 2,937,976 248,018 175,283 Black 1,093,403 163,401 134,567 Total Male 1,423,071 116,966 81,513 Black Male 513,830 76,387 63,635 Black Male 45+ 138,747 19,174 15,886 Median Household $37,034 $38,250 32,306 Income (Total) Median Household $24,289 $29,620 $28,007 Income (Black) Median Household $46,630 $54,140 $51,337 Income (White) Per Capita Income $19,743 $20,822 $19,605 (Total) Per Capita Income 12,488 $15,015 $15,151 (Black) Per Capita Income $24,536 $33,274 $39,119 (White) Education * (Black) 69.12% 77.08% 76.18% Education (White) 83.03% 91.94% 92.02% * Population 25 years age and over; Source: U.S. Census Bureau 2007-2009 three year data set. Table 2: Prostate Cancer *** Age Adjusted Deaths and Rates *, in Metro Jackson Race (2005-2009) Race (3 Group) White Black Other ** Total Year Number Rate Number Rate Number Rate Number Rate 2005 169 22.8 164 66.4 0 0.0 333 33.3 2006 174 21.1 179 66.6 0 0.0 353 31.9 2007 166 20.1 165 62.5 1 7.1 332 29.8 2008 165 19.4 158 56.3 1 7.7 324 28.0 2009 158 18.5 150 59.0 2 14.1 310 27.4 Total 832 20.3 816 61.9 4 6.5 1,652 29.9 * Age-adjusted rates expressed as per 100,000 population, based on standard population of census year 2000 ** Rates in cells for "Other" are based on less than 20 events and are unstable *** Prostate cancer rates based on male specific population Adapted from: Mississippi Statistically automated Health Resource system (MSTAHRS) Table 3: Prostate Cancer *** Age Adjusted Deaths and Rates* in Metro Jackson Race (2005-2009) Race (3 Group) White Black Other ** Total Year Number Rate Number Rate Number Rate Number Rate 2005 10 22.0 19 69.8 0 0.0 29 39.1 2006 5 10.6 18 58.0 0 0.0 23 28.7 2007 5 10.4 18 58.4 0 0.0 23 28.3 2008 10 20.3 14 47.3 0 0.0 24 29.9 2009 6 11.4 15 52.0 0 0.0 21 24.7 Total 36 14.7 84 56.5 0 0.0 120 29.8 * Age-adjusted rates expressed as per 100,000 population, based on standard population of census year 2000 ** Rates in cells for "Other" are based on less than 20 events and are unstable *** Prostate cancer rates based on male specific population Adapted from: Mississippi Statistically automated Health Resource system (MSTAHRS) Table 4: Prostate Cancer Screening (PSA) Men aged 40+ who have had a PSA test within the past two years. Mississippi 2004-2010 Race Year White Black % CI n % CI 2004 54.2 (50.4-58.0) 453 51.3 (44.4-58.2) 2006 55.7 (52.3-59.1) 623 53.6 (47.1-60.1) 2008 57.2 (54.1-60.4) 938 49.8 (44.3-55.4) 2010 57.3 (54.0-60.7) 937 46.9 (41.1-52.7) Race Year All n % CI n 2004 152 53.0 (49.7-56.3) 636 2006 172 54.7 (51.7-57.7) 826 2008 272 54.5 (51.8-57.2) 1261 2010 290 53.6 (50.7-56.5) 1274 % = Weighted Percentage, CI = Confidence Interval, n = Cell Size (Numerator) Source: Adapted from the US CDC Office of Surveillance, Epidemiology and Laboratory Services, BRFSS Prevalence and Trends Data Table 5. Number of Statements Made by Focus Group Question Respondents Question Question n-Stmts * Totals # 1 What do we know about Prostate Cancer? a. Symptoms 9 34 b. Causes 7 c. What puts us at risk for developing 6 prostate cancer? d. How do we prevent it? 12 2 What do we know about facilities for Prostate Cancer Prevention in our area? a. Where are they? 1 10 b. When are they open? 1 c. What services do they provide? 2 d. Do we know if they provide screening 6 services? e. Who are the people in the - facilities? 3 Are the facilities being used by members of the community? a. If yes, what about the facilities 4 18 make us want to use them? b. If the facilities are not being 10 used, why? c. What would we like to see or 4 experience in the facilities that will make us want to use them? 4. How do we get prostate cancer prevention information to the community a. What kind of information? 4 16 b. How do we present the information? 4 c. Who should present the information? 8 d. Where and who does the information - go to? 5 What policies are needed to prevent prostate cancer in this community? a. Issues to be addressed 9 32 b. How to establish the policies in the 11 Health Departments c. Who should implement the policies? 4 d. What role(s) should health care 5 providers play? e. How will we present and follow up on 3 the policies to ensure appropriate implementation? Total number of statements 110 TABLE 6: Focus Group Questions and Data analysis Grid Question # 1.Domain Statement 2.Theme 3.Sub theme 1a 1.Symptoms * Cannot understand the term 2.Knowledge symptoms, when explained-- 3.Knowledge * frequent urination, of the * frequent incomplete disease urination, * discomfort, * pain on urination * change in the color of urine, * enlarged prostate, * blood in urine, * urgency to urinate Total Statements 9 for Question 1a 1b 1.Causes * Being a black man, 2.Knowledge * Testosterone, 3.Knowledge * Improper diet, of the cause * Nutrition, of disease * Lifestyle, * Beverages, * Being in a night club all night Total Statements 7 for Question 1b 1c 1.Risks * Age, 2. Knowledge * Being black, 3. Knowledge * High testosterone, of risks for * Not seeking medical exam, the disease * Inheritance, * Hereditary Total Statements 6 for Question 1c 1d 1.Prevention * Early testing, 2. Prevention * Early examination, Behavior * Yearly examination, 3.Knowledge * Watch your diet intake, of Prevention * Proper nutrition, * Attending free screenings at churches, * Young men, * Screening at 40 year s and above age for African Americans, * 45 years American cancer society, * Acknowledge the risk, * Good health practices. * Don't know how to prevent it (3) Total Statements 12 for Question 1d Total Statements 34 for Question 1 2a 1.Knowledge * Don't know, only know 2.Knowledge about UMMC, St. Dominic's 3.Knowledge of location 2b 1.Knowledge * Know UMC/JMM working hours 2.Knowledge 3.Knowledge of timings of location 2c 1.Knowledge * Annual digital rectal 2.Knowledge examinations, 3.Knowledge * prostate specific antigen of the are some of the tests that services were done before provided the referral Total Statements for 4 Questions 2 a, b and c 2d 1.Knowledge * Sometimes about free 2.Knowledge screenings, 3.Knowledge * Announcements in paper, about the * Prostate support groups. screening * Dr. Frazier, Dr. Ron services Davies, Dr. Ross, Dr. Morrison, are some of the health care providers in the community. * Most of the hospitals have urologists. * Family medicine physicians like Dr. Robert Smith may refer to urologist. Total Statements 10 for Question 2 3a 1.Prevention * Technology, 2.Services * Reminders from the health care providers, 3.Experiences * Friendly nature of the staff in the surroundings, * Referral from the family physician. 3b 1.Prevention * Men don't pay attention. 2.Services * How do you can get people 3.Barriers who don't lane * They make excuses, * Fear might stop them. * Lack of knowledge, * Lack of proper explanation, * Not bringing the issue of interest to the level of patient, and men do not want to deal with prostate cancer. * Other than that: --unemployment and lack of insurance might be the reasons Participants were asked to * The fear of having explain the term fear in prostate cancer, detail. * Fear of going to doctor and finding it out. * Technology, 3c 1.Prevention * reminders from the health 2.Services care providers, 3.Expectations * Friendly nature of the staff in the surroundings, * Referral from the family physician Total Statements for 18 Question #3 4a 1.Health * inviting people, education and * people might not respond Promotion or interact until something 2.Information strikes home, 3.kind * family members involved, or * someone close to us are going through it Total Statements for 4 Question 4a 4b 1.Health * Have spokes persons to education and come and present it. Promotion * Center of influences like 2.Education church, pastor, 3.Presentation * try to get people's attention on to the issue. * Announcements through the mass media Total Statements for 4 Question 4b 4c 1.Health * The places where the promotion information has to go to are 2.Education * Churches 3.Target * Work places population * Bulletin boards * Commercials * Rap videos about the prostate cancer * Community organizations bring them * Can have a working frame of peer groups Total Statements for 8 Question 4c Total Statements for 16 Question #4 5a 1.Policy * Communication with the advocacy community members through 2.Policy churches, fraternities, 3.Issues of sororities, barbers shop. participation * Insurance, in screening * Free screening, * Drafts have to be worked out. * Issues regarding follow up care even without adequate resources, * Vocational rehab, * Lack of knowledge of status, * All community clinics should screen, * Follow up regardless of screen. Total Statements for 9 Question 5a 5b 1.Policy This question was not clear advocacy 2. Policy to participants, 3. Establishment Question was reframed to how in the health the agencies make survivors departments know the services they provide. * Service education, * Health literacy, * Sign in the hospitals, and inform people they will get care without money. * Cannot refuse care in the emergency rooms for people who do not have insurance, * Cannot go to emergency room for prostate cancer screening. * Hospitals have to obligate into the communities, * tax exemptions for those health care providing facilities which offer free screenings, * Is health care a right or privilege, * Issues regarding corporate citizens. Total Statements for 9 Question 5b 5c 1.Policy * Meetings for the people advocacy not coming, 2.Policy * So got the people with 3.Provision of information like DVD's, health care * Might implement with with education, implementation * Bringing pressure to of the policy implement the policies Total Statements for 4 Question 5c 5d 1.Policy * Culturally sensitive advocacy methods to display 2.Policy information 3.Policy * Lots of people might implementation not have the DVD's. * Faith based organizations, * talks at the health fair by health care professionals, might help. * personal priorities are the first thing, may be not media; Total Statements for 5 Question 5d 5e 1.Policy * Churches are the best advocacy place to catch most of them. 2.Policy * Education means not just 3.Policy books, but spreading implementation information through prostate cancer survivors and in form of personal sufferers testimonials. * Sometimes churches might have issues to have discussions about the prostate cancer then we have to discuses about it outside. Total Statements for 3 Question 5 Total Statements for 30 Question #5 Question # 1.Domain Research 2.Theme 3.Sub theme 1a 1.Symptoms Knowledge of prostate cancer, 2.Knowledge symptoms 3.Knowledge of the When asking questions, disease researchers need to use terms appropriate to the community in framing questions--Cultural/ linguistic competence Total Statements for Question 1a 1b 1.Causes 2.Knowledge 3.Knowledge Race, hormones, diet and of the cause lifestyle play a etiological of disease role in prostate cancer Total Statements for Question 1b 1c 1.Risks Age, race, hormones, lack of 2. Knowledge screenings, genetic factors are 3. Knowledge some of the risk for prostate of risks for cancer. the disease Total Statements for Question 1c 1d 1.Prevention Screening Details: 2. Prevention Early screenings, annual Behavior screenings, dietary patterns, 3.Knowledge screenings for African of Prevention Americans over age 40 are some of preventive practices for prostate cancer, while some of the participants are unaware of the preventive aspects Total Statements for Question 1d Total Statements for Question 1 2a 1.Knowledge The participants are unaware 2.Knowledge of the location of facilities 3.Knowledge that specifically address the of location issue of prostate cancer. 2b 1.Knowledge Facilities Availability 2.Knowledge 3.Knowledge of timings of location 2c 1.Knowledge Prostate cancer screening 2.Knowledge Knowledge 3.Knowledge of the services provided Total Statements for Questions 2 a, b and c 2d 1.Knowledge Participants have knowledge 2.Knowledge about existing health care 3.Knowledge providers in the community, about the the screening services screening available. However the services awareness of free screening programs to all the people in the community was doubtful. Total Statements for Question 2 3a 1.Prevention Health care facilities as well 2.Services as providers have to meet the needs and the level 3.Experiences of understanding of the community. 3b 1.Prevention Men's attitude, beliefs, fears 2.Services due to lack of knowledge, 3.Barriers education Support and insurance might hinder the preventive aspects of prostate cancer. Participants were asked to Fear of personal discovery explain the term fear in detail. 3c 1.Prevention Information, Technology, 2.Services Customer Service and 3.Expectations Referrals Total Statements for Question #3 4a 1.Health Engaging prostate education and cancer survivors and Promotion community members 2.Information might draw the 3.kind attention of other members Total Statements for Question 4a 4b 1.Health Church, celebrities education and influence the attention Promotion span of the community 2.Education personnel 3.Presentation Total Statements for Question 4b 4c 1.Health Development of promotion community structures 2.Education involving them through 3.Target active participation, population these structures help in bridging the gap between community needs and researcher's objectives Total Statements for Question 4c Total Statements for Question #4 5a 1.Policy Developing community based advocacy and engaged networks to 2.Policy address identified issues 3.Issues of through legislative and participation in screening Total Statements for Question 5a 5b 1.Policy Dissemination of information advocacy 2. Policy about health services related 3. Establishment to prostate cancer care in the health departments Monitoring community and survivor response to information dissemination Monitoring impact of information on community health outcomes through information surveillance systems Total Statements for Question 5b 5c 1.Policy advocacy Engaging the community 2.Policy in health promotion and 3.Provision of disease prevention health care 3Monitoring outcome with and impact implementation of the policy Total Statements for Question 5c 5d 1.Policy advocacy Cultural Competence 2.Policy 3.Policy Dissemination format and implementation context Community problem prioritization Total Statements for Question 5d 5e 1.Policy advocacy 2.Policy 3.Policy implementation Reaching community Prostate Cancer survivors (PCSs) Total Statements for 3 Question 5e Total Statements for 30 Question #5
|Gale Copyright:||Copyright 2012 Gale, Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.|
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History of Abortion-Breast Cancer Link Studies
BREAST CANCER AWARENESS
WARNING TO WOMEN
(For a 2010 update, see AmericanRTL.org/cancer.)
If the important Breast Cancer Awareness campaign is to succeed, it must alert women not only to risks related to the genes we inherit...but also to risks related to the choices we make.
It must also affirm that decisions about the significance of avoidable risks must be left, not to money-makers who (like the tobacco industry) sell deadly 'products,' but to those of us whose lives may ultimately be lost if we buy them.
Yet the researchers, cancer groups, and medical writers who report even unconvincing data about the carcinogenic potential of sleeping with an electric blanket refuse to publish persuasive worldwide evidence that induced abortion (a politically-correct 'choice') considerably increases breast-cancer risk.
Although researchers first noted a higher rate of abortion among breast-cancer patients in 1957, Malcolm Pike explicitly identified it as a risk factor in 1981. In subsequent years, almost a dozen other researchers reported the same.
The statistical association these scientists found is consistent with existing knowledge about biology, endocrinology, and oncology.
(In the first trimester of a normally-developing pregnancy, there is a 20-fold rise in maternal estradiol, which stimulates breast tissue growth. If the pregnancy is allowed to continue, other hormones will eventually cause the tissue to differentiate for milk production. But if the pregnancy is deliberately interrupted, that tissue is free to grow into abnormal, even cancerous, cells.)
Despite this evidence, most people knew nothing about the abortion-breast cancer (ABC) link until 1994, when pro-choice researcher Janet Daling reported abortion raises breast-cancer risk by 50%.
Representatives of the abortion business, obviously more concerned about protecting their profits than their patients, tried to cover up Daling's results.
According to the November 5, 1994, Time, Daling herself "buried the most provocative findings of her study in the fine print of a table," saying she "didn't want to alarm anyone" by revealing that breast cancer rose 800% for those who were under 18 and past their eighth week when they aborted.
(Daling also found that every one of the women who'd both aborted as a teen and had a family history of breast cancer ended up with the dread disease.)
Like Daling, other researchers have tried to downplay their own data.
1) When Lipworth's Greek study revealed a 51% increase, she said it was due to the resulting delay in having children, even though she'd already subtracted out that risk factor. Lipworth also cited two studies which failed to identify an ABC link, yet both studies dealt almost exclusively with miscarriage (natural termination of an abnormal pregnancy), not abortion (unnatural termination of a normal pregnancy.)
2) When the Rookus study in Holland showed a 90% increase, the author attributed it to "reporting bias." Yet researchers (Watanabe, Howe, Daling, etc.) who've specifically tested for such bias have ruled it out.
3) While the Melbye study in Denmark reported no ABC link, its authors had classified as non-aborters some 60,000 women who'd had legal 'terminations' from 1939 to 1973, thus factoring out all but the under-25 females who are typically too young to have contracted breast cancer.
Disturbed by such 'doctored' science, four professors of biostatistics, pharmacology, and endocrinology -- who differ on abortion -- decided to investigate all the available research on the issue.
They analyzed 30 prospective and retrospective studies conducted over four decades in 11 nations whose populations had "the widest imaginable differences in ethnicity, diet, socio-economic and lifestyle factors..." Of these 30 studies, 24 confirmed the ABC link, with an overall 30% elevation in relative risk which was independent of the resultant delay in first full-term pregnancy.
(NOTE: In the intervening years, the tally has increased. Currently 27 out of 33 studies around the world...including 13 out of 14 studies here in America...show increased risk of breast cancer with induced abortion.)
This kind of meta-analysis is surely the moral 'property' of the millions of American women who have aborted since ROE and of the countless more who will consider the elective operation in the future.
But rather than giving post-abortion women this crucial information and allowing pregnant women to take it into account, abortionists and their allies have unilaterally decided the increased risk is "insignificant."
In fact, during Capitol Hill debate on the issue, Physician-Congressman Tom Coburn said he was "astounded" by the discrepancies between the National Cancer Institute ABC statement and the actual research.
Fortunately, however, the facts are coming to light, thanks to the Wisconsin Law Review's ground breaking article about the liability of abortionists who fail to inform women about the ABC link...and the suit now being brought against a North Dakota clinic which publicly denied it existed.
‘Pro-choice' people don't want women to learn the breast-cancer danger they face because they know it may affect the pregnancy-related decisions they make.
But when those with a personal or vested interest in abortion deny women vital information about its aftermath, they gamble with life...and it is our mothers, sisters, and daughters who lose.
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Constructing Self-stabilizing Oscillators in Population Protocols
Population protocols (PPs) are a model of passive distributed systems in which a collection of finite-state mobile agents interact with each other to accomplish a common task. Unlike other works, which investigate their computation power, this paper throws light on an aspect of PPs as a model of chemical reactions. Motivated by the well-known BZ reaction that provides an autonomous chemical oscillator, we address the problem of autonomously generating an oscillatory execution from any initial configuration (i.e., in a self-stabilizing manner). For deterministic PPs, we show that the self-stabilizing leader election (SS-LE) and the self-stabilizing oscillator problem (SS-OSC) are equivalent, in the sense that an SS-OSC protocol is constructible from a given SS-LE protocol and vice versa, which unfortunately implies that (1) resorting to a leader is inevitable (although we seek a decentralized solution) and (2) n states are necessary to create an oscillation of amplitude n, where n is the number of agents (although we seek a memory-efficient solution). Aiming at reducing the space complexity, we present and analyze some randomized oscillatory PPs.
KeywordsPopulation protocol Self-stabilization Oscillatory behavior Leader election Distributed algorithm
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
- 2.Angluin, D., Aspnes, J., Diamadi, Z., Fischer, M.J., Peralta, R.: Computation in networks of passively mobile finite-state sensors. In: PODC, pp. 290–299 (2004)Google Scholar
- 4.Angluin, D., Aspnes, J., Fischer, M.J., Jiang, H.: Self-stabilizing population protocols. TAAS 3(4) (2008)Google Scholar
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After a two-day debate featuring more than 90 speakers, members of the upper chamber voted down a rare "wrecking" amendment which would have stopped the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill getting a second reading.
Supporters of gay marriage cheered outside Parliament as it was announced 390 voted against the wrecking amendment, with 148 in favour - giving a majority of 242.
Stonewall chief executive Ben Summerskill said: "We're absolutely delighted.
"We always expected a tough challenge in the House of Lords, and Lord Dear's 'fatal motion' - very rarely used - demonstrates the lengths to which a minority of peers are, sadly, still prepared to go to deny full equality to lesbian, gay and bisexual people.
"In the last 24 hours alone, opponents of equality in the House of Lords have compared loving, committed relationships to incest and polygamy.
"Britain's 3.7 million gay people don't deserve to be second class citizens in their own country. A tough fight lies ahead and we'll continue to work tirelessly every single day to get equal marriage through the Lords."
During the debate, the Archbishop of Canterbury said introducing gay marriage would "abolish" the existing institution and replace it with a weaker option.
The Most Rev Justin Welby said the controversial plans would be "neither equal nor effective".
I conclude that the union open to same-sex couples in this Bill is not the institution of marriage but a new and different institution which deserves a name of its own.
Tory former lord chancellor Lord Mackay of Clashfern voiced opposition to the legislation, insisting the union of same sex couples amounted to a "new and different institution" which deserved a "name of its own"
Lord Mackay told a crowded chamber that the natural procreation of children could never be a possibility for same-sex couples.
"And therefore a union between them, however loving, cannot have this purpose."
He said: "I conclude that the union open to same-sex couples in this Bill is not the institution of marriage but a new and different institution which deserves a name of its own."
But former BBC director general and independent crossbencher Lord Birt said during his years in broadcasting he worked with many people who were gay but would not admit it.
He argued social and cultural attitudes had since changed and the Bill would help hasten the day when homosexuality was accepted as a "wholly natural state".
Lord Birt said: "This brave Bill brings us one historic step closer to a better world and I wholeheartedly support it."
Baroness Thornton, winding up the debate for Labour, said: "It is the personal testimonies not just of those lords who faced discrimination and struggles because of their same sex relationships but all of those who have spoken of the love and strength they have found through their partners, civil partners, husbands and wives to secure our resolve to reject Lord Dear's amendment today.
"Marriage is for many the glue that binds together relationships and gives them the strength to face challenges.
"To have the opportunity to extend this privilege to all those couples who want to make that commitment is something that we must now embrace and celebrate as a means of a stronger and more loving society."
Colin Hart, Campaign Director for the Coalition for Marriage, vowed to continue fighting against the proposal, and drew strength from the 148 peers who wanted the Bill scuppered.
He said: "Despite the highly unusual procedure of voting against a Government Bill at second reading, 148 peers have chosen to register their profound opposition to the gay marriage Bill.
"The debate lifted the lid on the shoddy and undemocratic tactics of the Government who remain determined to ram this legislation through Parliament at all costs. They have used every trick to curtail scrutiny and crush opposition but as today's result shows their tactics are failing.
"The Government may have won the vote today but what was clear from the debate was the huge opposition to almost every part of the Bill.
"We will continue to campaign to save traditional marriage and today's vote and the concerns expressed by many peers mean we will be able to introduce safeguards that will protect teachers, registrars, chaplains and anyone who works in the public sector. If the Government refuse to accept these changes, they risk losing the legislation at third reading."
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Yoga In Rishikesh India - Yoga Center In Rishikesh India
Yoga is a form of the ancient art of discipline. It helps you accept the art of living with a healthy mind and body. As we all know, Rishikesh is the yoga capital of the world. And what better than Rishikesh to learn yoga? Naturoville lies in the foothills of the Himalayas and is the best yoga centre in Rishikesh. Yoga brings your body and mind to harmony, helping you work to your fullest potential. Derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Yog’, yoga means to unite or join.
India is the birthplace of yoga. It has believed that yoga is a union of the body to the god for living in peace. Rishis and Yogis passed the zen of living from one generation to another in the form of yoga. It acts as a way to offer liberation and expansion of human consciousness. Yoga is an ancient practice to attain physical, mental and spiritual discipline to attain holistic wellbeing.
Naturoville Yoga Center in Rishikesh India
For the holistic health and wellness of our guests, we at Naturoville have curated an exceptional Yoga center In India called Atma. Its name is derived from the Sanskrit word “Aatman” that implies one’s internal identity or soul.
The Yoga hall at Naturoville – ‘Atma’, is spread over a territory of 2500 sqft. It accompanies agreeable wooden ground surface that is perfect for rehearsing Yoga. The middle is an advanced bit of engineering that is furnished with all comforts expected to encourage a profitable and loosening up session.
Our Yoga experts and Meditation Gurus are consistently there to direct the guests through the voyage of mental and physical health.
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Tempered Glass is a process that toughens the glass through a process controlled by thermal or chemical treatments. This process increases the strength above and beyond normal glass. The process also creates balanced internal stress points which are one of the reasons the glass strength increases. If tempered glass is broken, it will usually break into small pieces instead of sharp shards. This reduces likelihood of injury when working with tempered glass. Tempered glass is used in a variety of applications including vehicle windows, glass doors, shower enclosures, and dining table tops.
We can supply tempered glass for any of the above needs.
Call us today for your tempered glass quote.
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Pretty much everyone seems to have double glazing these days, but what exactly is it, why is it the best option and what are your choices? Join us for the lowdown on double glazing…
There are many ways to improve, beautify, and make your home more environmentally friendly.
One available option is double glazing, which is a process used on windows, doors, and conservatories to make sure the glass offers a high level of protection both in terms of temperature and security.
This innovative technology is so effective that it is required for UK buildings where new windows are being installed.
Who Invented Double Glazing?
Although there are some myths about when double glazing was invented, the consensus is that the first double glazed windows were manufactured in 1930 for the commercial building industry.
C.D. Haven was the founder of the product, and it was later referred to as “Thermopane.”
In the 1950s, the method became popular in the residential arena in America.
The UK didn’t join the ranks of double glazing popularity until 1970-1980, but it’s not looked back since!
How Does The Process Work?
A double glazed window contains two pieces of glass enclosed in one unit.
There’s usually a 6-20mm wide air gap between the two sections that consists of regular sealed air or Argon gas.
This slows the thermal transfer, whether it be hot or cold, between the two glass panels, keeping room temperatures controlled.
Double Glazing Benefits
These energy efficient windows are one of the best ways to keep your home cool in the summer and warm in the winter is double-glazed windows.
The gap separating the two pieces of glass prevents heat loss in winter, whilst reducing cool air from leaving your home in the summer.
A double glazed unit is essentially a completely sealed unit which also guards against moisture that could lead to mould.
It also provides extra insulation to keep your electric bill lower or any air conditioning units from working too hard.
Another nice feature of double glazing is that it blocks most outside noise from entering the home and keeps inside noise from escaping to surrounding neighbours.
The added insulation creates a solid barrier while also making for a safer situation as the double pane isn’t easily broken by an intruder.
How Is Double Glazing Made?
Through the use of state-of-the-art machinery, glass sections are constructed of the same size.
Next, each piece of glass is fitted into the spacer bar ends.
These spacer bars are made out of stainless steel and polypropylene to achieve a low heat conduction rate.
Then, the Argon gas is added, and the unit is made airtight with a bitumen-based sealant.
What Can Be Double Glazed?
Windows are the most common product that is double glazed (see also ‘How Does Double Glazing Work?‘).
A double-glazed door will most likely be front or back exterior doors that contain a glass insert.
Conservatories often have double glazed inserts to cut down on extreme heat or cold that can result from an all-glass enclosure.
Regardless of where the product is used, double glazed technology will provide energy-efficiency, insulation, and noise reduction for any area of your home.
Looking for that extra protection from the elements? You might want to look into triple glazed windows instead…
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We know that some people require more round-the-clock care and that visiting home care isn’t always enough. Our supported living service is specifically designed to care for people with complex needs to stay independent and comfortable in their own homes.
Although similar to home care, supported living differs in that we support with more or less of every aspect of your day-to-day life.
Most of the supported living we offer is all day, every day, or near enough. We’re there for you with everything from your morning routine, planning your spending, picking up bits from the shop for tea, meeting friends, supporting your hobbies and everything in-between.
Just like your morning cuppa, we’re there when you need us to be to get you through the day.
And, because we’re there to support with so much of your life, it’s only right that we get to know you as a person and plan how we support you around that. We’ll include you and your family, as much as we can in decisions about your care. We’ll consider your likes, your dislikes and your hopes and aspirations and support you as much as we can to help you achieve what you want to.
Just like you, we have likes, dislikes and hobbies… you can get to know a little about the team and the friendly faces that may be supporting you.
How can supported living help me?
If you’re finding most aspects of day-to-day life a challenge to manage on your own, supported living may be right for you.
Sunlight’s bursting through the curtains and the birds are singing. It’s morning again, and we’re on-hand to ease you out of bed and help you wash and dress, ready to start the day with a good breakfast and a proper cup of tea. Maybe tea’s not your thing, who are we to argue? We’re there to listen to your likes and needs and support you with that.
We know managing your medication on your own can be tricky business. Remembering times, dosages and ordering prescriptions can become complicated. Our support workers are fully trained in medication administration and are there to remind you and support with administering and collecting any prescriptions.
Breakfast, elevenses, lunch, biscuit and a brew, tea/dinner (we’ll leave that up to you) – we’re there for it all. We can help to plan budgets for shopping, nip to the supermarkets to stock up on your favourites, plan and prep your meals and assist as much as is needed with mealtimes.
Getting a haircut? Collecting a pension? Attending an appointment? Nipping to the post office? These are just some of the things we can support you with. Whether it’s taking care of the shopping for you, as well as putting the food away in your cupboards or coming along with you on shopping trips to support – together, we’ll work out what’s best for you.
We know that both physical and mental ill-health can make household chores difficult. That’s why we’re happy to help with laundry, cleaning and any other domestic needs while we support you.
Whether football is your thing, you’re film buff or you just fancy some fresh air in the park – we’re here to support you as much as we can to do the things you love.
You may already, or be looking to access other areas of support. We can help with this. From support for anxiety or depression, help with managing long-term conditions, to help either into or sustaining employment. Our support workers can provide you with information on other services and support you with attending any groups and appointments.
What a day, aye? You’re ready to crawl under the duvet and count sheep. We’re there to support with your night-time routine. From personal care and getting changed to easing you into bed (our support workers are fully trained in moving and handling). Whatever level of support you need, we’ve got you covered.
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C++ is, hands down, one of the most powerful and most flexible programming languages there is. Arguably, there’s not a single thing that you can not do in C++, and despite its old age, it’s still in heavy industrial use. In 2017, there were over 230 thousand pull requests for C++ projects as it ranked as one of the most popular languages on GitHub. However, this tremendous level of flexibility and functionality is not an excuse for writing messy buggy code. Writing unmanaged code in C++ -also known as native code- could be a hefty task, this is why adding testing to your development kit is almost as crucial as the code-writing itself.
There are multiple types of testing phases that your code can undertake, each of which focuses on certain features of the code, but they are inseparable in the way that they cover each other’s blind spot. What we’re going to focus on today is Unit Testing, which is a crucial step and a fundamental one for world-class software to excel.
What is unit testing, when to use it?
Unit testing aims to test the individual functionalities within your software to assert that everything is working properly as it should. The more accurate term here is “Fit properly”. By creating a test-suite for all the pieces within your code, you can use unit testing iteratively within the development, that is to assure that everything is still functioning as it should even after the addition of the new lines of code. There are many key advantages to using Unit Testing.
First of all, it prepares your code for proper modularity and reusability. When you get into the unit testing mentality, you’ll always be optimizing your code whilst keeping the tests in mind which results in breaking the code into precise pieces each doing a specific function rather than having one fuzzy big function doing everything. In some ways, Unit testing makes your code writing even faster than normal. Rather than doing the good-old-fashioned testing method of setting breakpoints and jumping to the GUI to test some inputs praying that it works altogether, you write the code for the test you want to make and get results faster than the traditional way, in addition, you can run them as much as you like.
It does, of course, come at the expense of some development time, but in the end, it’s absolutely worth it. On the long run, it prevents the code from breaking functionalities when new features are added, and if something goes wrong, you’ll know exactly where did it happen, and maybe even why it did. However, there’s a very common misconception of either overdoing unit testing, or under-doing it. Generally speaking, there are cases when unit testing is not necessary.
Here are a few guidelines to follow when doing unit testing:
● Do not attempt to test the entire input space, this will only prove to be a waste of time.
● Do not test the parts of your code that aren’t going to break. Setter and getter functions, for instance, do not need testing because they are simply unbreakable.
● Use test cases that are close to production and that the user is most likely to enter. If you keep on testing the edge cases all the time, you might end up missing something in between.
● Write independent test cases. Complicated interdependent tests are not meant for the unit testing phase. Instead, focus on writing independent tests, each aims at certain functionality.
● Do not forget to use version control to keep track of your written tests, and keep on running the tests continuously and as frequently as possible.
● Do not go around creating your own framework, there’s probably no need for that. And it will most likely prove to be waste of time, most frameworks nowadays (we’ll talk about them later) offer almost everything you’d need, so there’s no need to reinvent the wheel.
Running our first test in Visual Studio
Open a new project in the visual studio panel, and under the C++ tab, choose the test collection. You’ll then be prompted to choose the test type, we’ll go for Native Unit Testing now. Once you, in, you’ll find two source files, go to the
unittest1.cpp file. You’ll find a CppUnitTest header included at the top. That is, we’ll be using the Microsoft CppUnitTest Framework, which is one of many available unit testing frameworks available for C++, we’ll talk about others later.
The unit test is made through a Test_class, that contains all the methods we want to test. In order to start testing, we’ll use a simple function like the tester function in the picture. The tester function makes nothing more than adding two variables, the floats a and b and returning the added value. Inside a Test_Method, we start specifying the test flow and establish the case we want to test.
For the first simple test, we define two float variables, one that contains a value of zero, and the other contains the addition result of two zeros. Quite intuitive, but it conveys the main idea. We then call the Assert class and using one of its functions, we make sure that the expected and actual values fit together. For starters, we use the AreEqual function to check if they are equal.
After finishing the code, we hit the test tab on the top, and we choose to run all tests. On the right, we see the results of each test as well as the time taken by each test. If we want to run more than one test, we can add more Test_Methods to our Test_Class. However, you’re not allowed to list Test_Method blocks within each other.
There are many different types of assertions that we can make. There are the AreEqual and AreNotEqual which are quite intuitive. There’s also the IsNull and IsNotNull to check the nullity of certain variables, it’s especially useful when you’re dealing with pointers. There’s even an ExpectException assertion, which checks if the following function throws the expected exception or not. You can read more about the CppUnitTest framework through Microsoft’s documentation.
It’s quite infeasible, however, to copy and paste every single function you want to test within the test project. What you can do instead, is to create a test project inside your working project’s solution. Right click on the Test project and choose properties. From there, go to Common Properties, under the References section, click the add new reference. Check the projects you want to test and press ok. Now you can include the headers you want to access and use the existing classes/functions without having to rewrite everything.
Other unit testing frameworks
CppUnitTest is not the only unit testing framework that you could use. There’s a lot of frameworks, in fact, and each one opts to offer something unique. One famous candidate is Google’s framework: Gtest. Gtest posses a rich set of assertions as well as the ability to make your own assertions. It can test for fatal and non-fatal failures and make death-tests as well. The syntax is quite similar to Microsoft’s framework so it’s quite readable too. If you found yourself unable to use the
<gtest/gtest.h> head to the Nuget Packages on your project and browse to find Gtest, when you add it to the project the framework should function properly.
One other framework loved by developers is Cgreen, while it’s a software tester and quality assurance program, it provides the same functionalities for a unit testing framework. For the sake of completeness, we ought to mention Boost and Unit++ as famous candidates to use. Boost posses a top-notch documentation, with clear examples to guide you through the usage of the framework. It provides a good list of functionalities for almost anything you’d need, closeness, equality, less or greater than, bitwise operations, you name it. It handles exceptions and crashes very well too.
There’s no need to stress the importance of integrating a test suite with your development cycle. It might look troublesome at first, but the benefits on the long run are totally worth it. It’s not just about writing test code, it’s about being able to test your code efficiently at every cycle of development and at any given moment. Unit tests are powerful when it comes to developing world-class software as it will help you predict your software’s behavior in every situation – or almost every situation.
There’s no need to pick up more than one framework if you’ve got yourself comfortable in, just get yourself acquainted with its functionalities to leverage that power and you’re good to go. Don’t forget that unit tests are just the first step of good software, but it sets you well for the upcoming tests and makes the results of those tests more vivid, should anyone of these tests fail, you won’t have to test separate functionalities and you’ll most likely spot where the integration went wrong.
If you are interested in learning advanced C++, you can seek C++ tutorials and courses on the internet as they support many developer-friendly materials.
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Cost: $2.99 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, High School
"Music Reading Essentials" helps learning and practicing sheet music reading, understanding musical signs and symbols, note names, rhythms, intervals and more.
Designed with the extensive help of professional piano teachers, this fundamental tool is for those who are learning to play piano or other musical instruments, as well as for anybody else who needs practicing sheet music reading.
The application has four sets of flash cards divided into stages with increasing knowledge level. By choosing either one or a combination of any of the four sets, you can start testing yourself and study at the same time. The specially designed shuffling algorithm will start showing more often those cards, which were not answered correctly.
The "Results" screen will show your progress as well what you need to continue working on.
Students can use this app to practice reading and understanding music.
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Morden South station and the Ahmadiyya Mosque
The Wimbledon to Sutton line was first proposed in the early 1880s with the intention of stimulating house building across the clay pastures between the two towns, which up until then had remained largely untouched. Lack of enthusiasm or downright opposition from established railway companies, particularly the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway, prevented any progress until after the First World War. The LBSCR went to such lengths to prove there was no need for a railway north of Sutton that when a Parliamentary committee in 1910 was considering a Bill for the line they produced a lady who explained that she had once tried to hail a bus which used to run between Wimbledon and Sutton. The conductor was so surprised that he failed to signal to the driver to stop, and the driver turned round to see what the lady was waving at.
The line finally opened in 1930, nearly 50 years after it was first proposed. The Wimbledon to Sutton line was designed for electric trains, with many inclines and sharp curves, although it hardly justified the drivers' nickname for it: "Wall of Death".
Morden South, along with other stations on the line, has a single central platform. It is the most memorable station on the line because of the huge Ahmadiyya Mosque of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community UK next to it. A First Capital Connect train on its way from Luton to Sutton is just leaving the platform.
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Direct Back EMF Detection Method for Sensorless Brushless DC (BLDC) Motor Drives
Brushlesss dc (BLDC) motors and their drives are penetrating the market of home appliances, HVAC industry, and automotive applications in recent years because of their high efficiency, silent operation, compact form, reliability, and low maintenance.
Traditionally, BLDC motors are commutated in six-step pattern with commutation controlled by position sensors. To reduce cost and complexity of the drive system, sensorless drive is preferred. The existing sensorless control scheme with the conventional back EMF sensing based on motor neutral voltage for BLDC has certain drawbacks, which limit its applications.
In this thesis, a novel back EMF sensing scheme, direct back EMF detection, for sensorless BLDC drives is presented. For this scheme, the motor neutral voltage is not needed to measure the back EMFs. The true back EMF of the floating motor winding can be detected during off time of PWM because the terminal voltage of the motor is directly proportional to the phase back EMF during this interval. Also, the back EMF voltage is referenced to ground without any common mode noise. Therefore, this back EMF sensing method is immune to switching noise and common mode voltage. As a result, there are no attenuation and filtering necessary for the back EMFs sensing. This unique back EMF sensing method has superior performance to existing methods which rely on neutral voltage information, providing much wider motor speed range at low cost.
Based on the fundamental concept of the direct Back EMF detection, improved circuitry for low speed /low voltage and high voltage applications are also proposed in the thesis, which will further expand the applications of the sensorless BLDC motor drives.
Starting the motor is critical and sometime difficult for a BLDC sensorless system. A practical start-up tuning procedure for the sensorless system with the help of a dc tachometer is described in the thesis. This procedure has the maximum acceleration performance during the start-up and can be used for all different type applications.
An advanced mixed-signal microcontroller is developed so that the EMF sensing scheme is embedded in this low cost 8-bit microcontroller. This device is truly SOC (system-on-chip) product, with high-throughput Micro core, precision-analog circuit, in-system programmable memory and motor control peripherals integrated on a single die. A microcontroller-based sensorless BLDC drive system has been developed as well, which is suitable for various applications, including hard disk drive, fans, pumps, blowers, and home appliances, etc.
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Read and Learn More About PestsHiring a Pest Control Professional
Often the solution is in a product that only certified pest control technicians can apply. You may be out of time and patience when you’re ready to pick up the phone, but a little effort can make a huge difference when you call in the professionals.
Hiring a Professional
If you’re not sure of the pest’s species, you can check the website of a state university’s agricultural extension office. You can also contact their office or peruse their site for ideas on how to manage the pest or make changes on your property.
Think beyond the usual online recommendations when you’re shopping around. Your state’s pest control association is a helpful source, and www.npma.com offers state-by-state list of providers. Neighbors and local friends make great referrals. You can even ask pest control providers for references, but be sure to contact those past customers. Once you’ve narrowed down your choices, look up each company’s reputation with the Better Business Bureau.
Neighbors and local friends make great referrals. You can even ask providers for references, and be sure to follow up with their past customers.
Next, check each company’s online presence. You’ll likely find at least a few professionally worded websites with thorough, knowledgeable text. And like any maintenance pros you let into your home, this business should be licensed, bonded, and insured. Almost every state requires pest control technicians to be certified and undergo annual training to keep their licenses active, so this information is usually prominent on the site. Look for a company that practices integrated pest management (IPM) methods.
Then it’s time to talk. Any technician or customer service representative you speak with should be conversant enough in pest control to answer your questions. You want someone who is abreast of the latest technologies and safest pest control strategies. But don’t be concerned if he or she can’t give a firm answer on an issue right away. A straightforward “I’m not sure, but I’ll find out for you” is better than a meaningless answer.
Pest control isn’t cheap, but remember: a bargain isn’t a bargain if the problem isn’t solved. Some companies offer a one-time service for a specific low price. But if you’re still infested after the bill’s paid, you haven’t saved anything but the pests’ lives. Starting over with a more expensive service option costs much more money than if you had made that choice in the first place. A simple inspection by itself may not be free, but this fee should include an identification – and written diagnosis – of your pest problem.
Meeting the Technician
When the technician comes to your door, give everything one last review. The company vehicle, equipment, chemicals, and technician’s uniform should all have a clean, professional appearance. Ask to see his or her identification, license, and certification, and check to ensure that it is current.
Before servicing your property, the pest control technician should question you to discuss exactly what the problem is, determine what pests you’ve seen or heard, and where. At that point, he or she should inspect your home or building, identify any pests, and set a treatment plan.
If chemicals are called for, the professional should be willing to discuss their known adverse effects, and any non-chemical alternatives. A Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) and specimen label should be available for each chemical he or she uses. You’ll want to consider the chemical tolerance of everyone in your home. Be sure you know the active ingredients of pesticides and their effects on any children, elderly adults, and pets in the family.
Safety isn’t the only concern when it comes to synthetic pesticides. Ask your technician where they will be applied. Spraying them around the perimeter of the property may defeat the purpose if there are water-repelling materials like concrete. The pesticides can also be washed away by rain. You won’t want to pay for wasteful, ineffective spraying that could contaminate drinking water.
The service visit generally concludes with a report detailing the service performed, any necessary follow-up action, and any customer advice. Your professional may identify potential points of entry like holes or loose screens. If there is an excess amount of loose paper and cardboard or standing water, you will likely be advised to get rid of it sooner than later. If there is a maintenance issue or another situation outside the scope of the technician’s role or expertise, you will be briefed on your next step. You may hear recommendations before, during, or after servicing.
Setting Up On-going Service
If you want to hire this company for ongoing maintenance, ask careful questions. How often is really necessary in your case? Your contract may include quarterly or monthly service to follow up on a recent infestation, then a less frequent schedule once the main problem is addressed.
Your contract should stipulate a treatment plan, length of service, price, and any guarantee the company offers. Make sure you understand how to invoke any guarantee – including “guaranteed satisfaction” – if issues arise. Check not only the fine print, but the back of the contract for additional details. Look for responsibilities on your end, as well as arbitration clauses, possible exclusions, and cancellation penalties.
Once you’ve committed to your contract, keep in touch. Let the company know of any changes in pest populations between visits. Check to be sure that they are doing the monitoring stated in your contract.
You’ve likely spent a great deal of time eradicating these pests on your own. If you must outsource this task to get pests out of the house, don’t skimp on time now. Be sure to do the same kind of planning and research you did when you noticed the problem in the first place. While a DIY solution isn’t always possible, a little consumer savvy can make sure your pests go away and stay away.
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In 2012-13 / 5773 Beth Emet's annual theme was Gesher Tzar Me'od, Building Bridges of Understanding, embracing many apsects of Social Justice:
Fourth Friday Speakers. In conjunction with the theme for the year, members of the congregation and local community have shared how their Judaism has influenced work on building bridges between diverse communities.
Sankofa. In April, over spring break, Beth Emet and Second Baptist Church, both highly regarded and longstanding leaders in Evanston's interfaith and social justice movements, sent 38 high school students and eight chaperones on a six-day bus trip to the South to visit key sites from the civil rights era. The trip was called "Sankofa," which is a West African word that means, "go back and get it." The idea is that it's important to reflect on the past to understand our present and build a better future. The goal of the trip is for our African-American and Jewish youth to engage in an interfaith, interracial experience by interacting with history as a way for them to lay the foundation to cooperate in the future and help build a more just society.
Bibliodrama. Over an eight month period, members from Beth Emet and Second Baptist Church of Evanston have been involved in Bibliodrama, an improvisational form of acting out the Bible in which nothing is pre-planned. Participants have developed original midrash, bridging barriers of both race and religion.
Unity Weekend. More than 530 volunteers from four diverse Evanston-based congregations prepared meals for needy families, enterained senior citizens, restored prairie lands, washed wheel chairs and shared emotional-stirring moments of communal prayer and reflection during Unity Weekend held April 19-21.
Beth Emet Gan (Garden). The Gan was created in early April and is situated west of the playgound.
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(ARA) – Americans have a love affair with that classic campfire treat, S’mores. The good news – S’mores are no longer reserved just for campfire cooking. Did you know you can enjoy the chocolate, marshmallow and graham cracker goodness every day, inside and out?
S’mores have been helping families create memories since the delicious campfire recipe was first published in the Girl Scouts handbook in 1927. According to recent research, 79 percent of consumers polled believe S’mores are as much fun to make as they are to eat.
To help families make everyday S’mores moments this summer, Hershey’s and Kraft Foods offer the following S’mores “snacktivity” ideas.
* S’mores time, any time – S’mores are the perfect summer campfire companion, and they offer a great “snacktivity” for after school, a ball game or family dinner. Incorporating S’mores into your regular summer activities allows you to create a memorable Monday or tasty Tuesday that the family will all enjoy.
* Turn your backyard into a fun get-together – Get the family, friends or neighbors together for an impromptu backyard party at the fire pit. Tell them all they need to bring is their appetite – you’ll be serving S’mores.
* Grilling up sweet treats – Sweeten your next backyard barbecue by adding S’mores to the menu. As an alternative to toasting a marshmallow on a skewer, simply preheat the grill to medium-hot. Build the S’mores to your liking and wrap in aluminum foil. Place the wrapped S’mores on the grill and cook one to two minutes on each side or until the marshmallow is gooey and the chocolate is slightly melted between the graham crackers. In other words, build it, wrap it and grill it. Grilled S’mores are also always a win at tailgate parties.
* Tasty play for a rainy day – When bad weather strikes, keep the fun going by making S’mores in the microwave. Top each of four graham squares with one chocolate piece and one marshmallow. Place on microwaveable plate. Microwave on high 15 to 20 seconds or until marshmallows puff and chocolate begins to melt. Carefully remove plate from the microwave and then cover each S’mores with a remaining graham cracker square. Microwaved S’mores are also perfect for family game nights, sleepovers and afterschool treats.
You can visit www.smoressmiles.com to create more S’mores and more smiles and for a chance to win one of more than 1,000 family fun prizes including fire pits, indoor S’mores kits, backyard game sets and much more. No purchase necessary, game ends Sept. 7. See the website for official rules.
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Why Fraternity and Sorority Life?
Did You Know:
- 85% of the Fortune 500 executives are members of fraternal organizations.
- A study by the Center for the Study of the College Fraternities found that fraternity and sorority members were significantly more satisfied with their college experience than non-affiliated students.
- 25 U.S. presidents have belonged to fraternal organizations.
- 43 of the 50 nation's largest corporations are led by Fraternity and Sorority members.
- Fraternal organization members have a higher graduation rate than non-members
Fraternity and Sorority Life offers a rich University experience
Fraternities and sororities provide their members with support and an atmosphere that fosters academic success and individual scholarship. Organizations encourage each of their members in their studies through offering study halls and study tables, establishing minimum academic standards for membership, and providing honors and recognition for outstanding achievements.
All organizations offer members direct exposure to the development of leadership skills. Each chapter provides a variety of leadership positions for its members. The community also provides campus-level leadership experience and serves as a stepping stone to other campus leadership opportunities and activities.
There are over 200 leadership positions available within the Fraternity and Sorority community.
The fraternities and sororities play an exceedingly active role in various campus annual events such as, Homecoming, Mackay Week, and other events sponsored by the ASUN programming board (Flipside Productions). Getting involved in campus life can prove to be a valuable experience and may develop friendships that last a lifetime. Fraternities and sororities offer their members a variety of social and recreational activities each year. The fraternities and sororities actively participate in the campus intramural sports program and are very successful in sports tournaments.
Community Service & Philanthropy
Each chapter, as well as the Panhellenic, Interfraternity, and Multicultural Greek Councils, sponsor community service and philanthropic activities through participating in campus, local, and national philanthropic events. The chapter members may also have personal and group community service projects.
Socials & Formals
Each organization holds social exchanges with other associates within the fraternal community. These events allow members an opportunity to meet other members within the community. Socials can include any number of events including, formals, dances, costume parties, athletic competitions, and more.
The intramural office offers a fraternity league and sorority league. Chapters compete in dozens of sports from ping-pong to flag football. Each season is held from the beginning of the fall semester to the end of the spring semester . At the end of the season, fraternities and sororities each compete for the rights to be the intramural champion for that year.
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boundary layer mesh quality
I am trying to mesh a turbine blade using Gambit 2.2.30 and I am facing some problems with the boundary layers. I have defined boundary layers on the suction and pressure sides of the blade. Close to the trailing edge (where the surface has a very high curvature) I am getting very skewed elements. The reason for this seems to be that the growth direction of the boundary layer in this region of high curvature is not perpendicular to the surface. Is there a way to improve this, for example tweaking the boundary layer defaults? I have tried to modify some values of the default parameters, but I wasn't too sure about what I was really doing, considering the fact that on the manual only a couple of (not very clear) lines of explanation are given for each of the commands.
Thank you Francesco
|All times are GMT -4. The time now is 12:20.|
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PEORIA — To prepare for the arrival of a public safety trunked radio system, the County of Peoria is installing communication equipment shelters at 11 different antenna locations throughout the county.
The equipment for the multi-million dollar system will be installed in late spring or early summer.
“Right now we’re installing the generators and the shelters and the infrastructures in order to hold electronic equipment, which we should start receiving sometime in the April-May time frame,” said Peoria County Emergency Telephone System Board Chairman David Tuttle.
Recently, Chillicothe-based Eagle Cos. installed a specifically-designed steel shelter for a master control antenna site, located at the county’s Emergency Telephone System Board 911 facility, 3615 N. Grandview Drive, Peoria.
The steel shelter meets Federal Emergency Management Agency regulations that require the structure to withstand a 250 mph wind load, while being able to resist flying debris in 100 mph winds.
“That particular one is one of our master control sites and it is a hardened shelter that would be able to withstand tornado speed winds,” said Tuttle. “Hopefully the system would be able to continue to operate on a generator and would not necessarily be blown away or damaged by the storm. That was the purpose of having this particular shelter at one of our master control sites.”
The shelters that will be installed for the communication equipment at the other 10 antenna sites will not be as durable as the shelter at the Grand View Drive antenna site.
“The other ones will just be normal, radio communication shelters,” said Tuttle. “They will still be hardened and still protect the equipment, but they won’t necessarily be at the same magnitude.”
The public safety trunked radio system will allow all of the police, fire and EMT agencies in Peoria County to communicate with each other, without having to contact a dispatcher.
“It will be a brand new radio system for all of the users in Peoria County, which would be Peoria Police, Peoria Fire, Peoria County Sheriff and all of the volunteer fire and volunteer ambulance agencies, so everyone will be on the same system platform,” said Tuttle. “Right now they’re on different types of radio stations. Peoria Police will be able to talk to Peoria Fire. Peoria Fire will be able to talk to different agencies. Volunteer fire departments will be able to talk to the Sheriff’s Office.”
The new system will allow Peoria County emergency agencies to communicate through portable devices.
“People will be able to communicate portable to portable throughout the County,” said Tuttle. “Peoria Police officers cannot talk with Peoria firefighters if they’re outside of their vehicles right now. So if a Peoria Police officer is out directing traffic and wants to talk with a firefighter on a portable radio at an accident scene — they can’t do that right now. They have to go through the dispatcher.
“If there’s a large incident, such as a tornado or a flood or earthquake or something like that, those people working the incident will all be able to communicate on one channel, so to speak, or one talk group and be able to work the incident without having to go through the dispatcher for instructions.”
The public safety trunked radio system is part of the overhaul of the county’s emergency communication system, a process that started in July 2011.
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Palestinians are among the world's top foreign aid recipients. To put it in context, Palestine receives 18x per capita the assistance of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. With more than 40 bilateral donors, multilateral banks and UN agencies boasting a longstanding presence in the region, it's unsurprising that despite being fraught with development challenges, the region remains ripe with opportunity for implementers willing to work in this fragile context.
In this special Devex Survey and Advisory Services report, our team of analysts brings you a closer look at the largest donors to Palestine and the big picture funding priorities they are focused on. Chief among them public finance, administration and infrastructure. The report also looks at the critical role of Palestinian NGOs for advancement in these areas.
Inside the report, you'll find:
- - An overview of funding priorities in Palestine
- - Details on the implementer landscape
- - A list of useful contacts working in the region
- - Insights on the major donor programs and projects in-progress
with DfID, the EU, GIZ, Norad and USAID
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The Ralph I. Goldman Fellowship: Its Impact on the World Jewish Community and on the Individual
Publication Date: January 2005
Publisher(s): Jewish Communal Service Association of North America
Author(s): Linda Levi
Series: Journal of Jewish Communal Service, 81:1-2
Special Collection: Berman Jewish Policy Archive
Keywords: Employment; Leadership; Global Responsibility
Reflections on and a tribute to Ralph I. Goldman and the fellowship named in his honor. The fellowship is awarded annually to one individual in the early stages of his or her career from anywhere in the Jewish world who has demonstrated strong leadership ability and a commitment to communal service.
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Reuters’s Financial blogger Felix Salmon is all in a twist about the Warhol market these days. Though Salmon tends to see the art market through caricatures of evil billionaires manipulating the market for their own aggrandizement, here he focuses on a simple statement of fact by Christie’s Contemporary art head, Amy Cappellazzo about the number and whereabouts of Warhol 1986 fright-wig self portraits in the 106 inch square size that were said to be only five when Tom Ford’s was sold at Sotheby’s in 2010:
It’s very easy to simply assume, when Cappellazzo says that all the other paintings are in museums, that she means just that. But really it isn’t true. Of the seven big paintings, only four are in museums: one in the Guggenheim, one in Fort Worth, and two in Pittsburgh. There’s also the one that Christie’s is selling — and then there are two more: the purple one which Sotheby’s sold last year, and the red one which Sotheby’s said was in a private collection. […]
In this case, while Sotheby’s just said that the red self-portrait was in a “private collection”, Christie’s has upgraded it to being in a museum, or something tantamount to a museum. Which if you ask me is a bit of a stretch.
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Today's article looking at the challenges facing the new government turns to NHS IT and data. Emma Byrne is a software engineer and academic, whose research interests include the NHS. She has also worked on the independent evaluation of the NHS Summary Care Record. She is also a member of ORG's Board.
When your medical record was held in a brown cardboard envelope you could be fairly certain that you were confiding in your doctor or nurse. And if you did discover that the details of your health problems were doing the rounds, you'd at least have a pretty good idea who to blame. When we decide to consult a doctor, we all carry out a pretty sophisticated mental calculus that balance our need for help with the pain of disclosing intensely private information. That's why "Doctor-patient confidentiality" is a tenet of medical folklore as precious as "first do no harm."
Let's be fair: the people who look after your health are a well meaning bunch on the whole, but the more people who have access to your information, and the less likely they are to ever meet you, the more likely it becomes that your most sensitive data will end up being misused. In 2009 a doctor in Scotland gained unauthorised access to the medical records of Gordon Brown, Alex Salmond and a number of other high profile people. It's unlikely that this will be a one-off incident.
Bizarrely enough, I'm slightly reassured by this story: we know about incidents in Scotland only because their Emergency Care Record system is set up to notify patients when their record has been accessed. In England, you have no idea if your Summary Care Record (SCR) has been accessed or not. Even worse, in 2009 a GP testing the security of their own (opted-out) SCR, found that he could "toggle" the opt out flag, view his SCR, then change the flag back again, all without generating an alert. In Scotland there is some protection afforded by the fact that you know who has accessed your records. In England your (supposedly blank) record could be accessed and you would have no idea about it.
Even where medical professionals are acting in a patient's best interests, there are still circumstances where patient record security is at risk. The National Programme for IT (NPfIT) has spent a lot of time and money on technical measures such as role-based access cards. However, they haven't been anywhere near as diligent about the need to understand how medical professionals work. In a busy A&E department, difficulties posed by poorly-designed security measures may cost lives. Faced with a choice between loss of life and loss of confidentiality, South Warwickshire General Hospitals NHS Trust chose to share smartcards.
The problems are made far worse by the way NPfIT runs its key projects. When a project simultaneously manages to be "not much use" and "too big to fail" you have a recipe for perverse incentives and disastrous privacy consequences. The biggest project in the NHS, the Summary Care Record (SCR) is a clear example of this.
The political pressure for the SCR to be seen as a success has always been immense: it was announced in 1997 as a personally favoured project of the then Prime Minister, Tony Blair. But this was never a vision shared by the doctors and nurses working in the NHS. When we studied the way health care professionals felt about the SCR in 2008, most of them said that they didn't really see the point of it: if you have an accident they would much rather get the information from you directly, either by examining you or by talking to you or your carer.
Given that it's not particularly effective at improving health care, the project has to be seen to be a success in some other way. As a result, the reported "benefits" of the SCR consist of things like "the growth in number of patient records on the system," and "the number of times that SCRs have been accessed." In turn, this has lead to the following troubling developments:
The increase in shared medical information leaves us ever more exposed. I would suggest four urgent steps that the new administration should do take to reverse this trend.
There's a lot at stake here: when it's business as usual for mental health records to be visible to council staff, the pain of disclosure becomes acute, and the drive to seek help a lot harder to act on.
(Editor's note: Supporters can get practical steps on how to protect their privacy and campaign to preserve medical confidentiality from TheBigOptOut.org)
I have been contacted by the Clinical Director for the Summary Care Record and have been asked to make the following corrections to my piece “Privacy is not just a technical problem”:
The Scottish version of the SCR, the Emergency Care Summary system, does not actively send patients an alert when records are viewed. The system maintains audit trails that can be seen by GPs and by patients on request. In the case referred to in the original article it was a practice manager who spotted the security breach and alerted the patients.
In the English system, alerts are generated when someone “self certifies” that they have a legitimate relationship with the patients. These are sent to privacy officers in the governance of the setting where record was viewed. In a hospital trust, for example, a privacy officer is based in the hospital.
In the incident of “flag toggling” referred to above, the flag did not control the creation of the GP’s own record – it only changed whether or not it would be shared. The flag has been replaced with one that controls whether the record is created. This flag is currently maintained on the GPs’ own systems but will eventually be stored on the Spine. There is no system alert to the patient when opt out status changes on the GP system. Nor will there be a system of alerts of changes when the codes move to the Spine.
I am happy to make these corrections.
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Google TV is smart TV. Smart TV has Intel Inside.
There’s a lot of confusion out there. Smart TV is a new digital home category that you’ll soon see at your local Best Buy or consumer electronics store from manufacturers like Sony or Logitech. Google TV is much of the interface. Smart TV is the platform.
All powered by Intel Atom.
Dear TV, you’ve come a long way since Flash-matic Tuning. Smart TV is combined TV, Internet, social web and personal content like videos, pictures, music, etc…
Now this is where I get excited… Some if this we’re still working on in the Labs and some will be out w/ the first products this Fall. But here’s some of the vision of your ‘Screen Future”.
Imagine the possibilities:
- Interaction – Think: voice, gesture, touch.
- TV Apps – Think: Facebook, gaming, news, iMDB, VOD, or simply the next BIG thing
Social TV – Think: watching a game; video call with friends; fantasy stats for each person. More? Now tie in auto-generated video highlights for your teams/players. (This one isn’t a reality yet, but the guys in the lab love to talk about it).
- Voice Search across broadcast, broadband, cable, DVR, personal content.
- Visual, multi-video previews of ‘What’s On’ (broadcast, cable channels and online video (YouTube, Hulu)
- Gaming – no gaming console? No problem.
- Intel Wireless Display (WiDi) – wirelessly share laptop to your smart HDTV. Or your music collection, or your pictures, videos of the kids…
Here’s a smart TV (Google TV) demo from the Intel Developer Forum, featuring LeVar Burton (Star Trek’s Geordi La Forge! – OMG)
Is that Ian Thomas behind him?
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The Learning and Skills Group (LSG) is an international community of L&D professionals involved in organisational learning and learning technology with over 8,000 members. As a part of its exclusive set of online resources, collaborative tools and knowledge-sharing opportunities, LSG conducts free fortnightly webinars throughout the year.
In one such webinar session on March 26th, 10:00 AM GMT (3:30PM IST), Amit Garg, Co-founder and Director of Custom Learning Solutions at Upside Learning, will discuss some time-tested ways to develop multi-device in an interactive webinar, titled 'Smart Ways to do Multi-Device Learning'. The one hour session will focus on the complex multi-device world, pre-design considerations, and the challenges and some tried out solutions for designing, testing and delivering eLearning projects in a multi-device environment.
The webinar is free to LSG members and non-members alike, and aims to provide a unique opportunity to interact with Amit Garg and get all queries pertaining to multi-device learning answered.
Registrations for the webinar are now open.
For more information, visit: http://learningandskillsgroup.ning.com/events/smart-ways-to-do-multi-device-learning
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Today the German Federal Statistics Office reported that the February Consumer Price Index is expected to mark a 2.0% (2.047% by my calculations, which is very close to a rounded 2.1%) annual pace in February 2011. This is simply a ‘flash’ print, and the Statistics Office was very careful to discount the fact that inflation continues to be driven by energy.
To be sure, given the volatility in energy (and food) prices, there is a tendency for headline inflation to converge to core. Therefore, the ECB should NOT be worried about the headline rate, given the ubiquitous fiscal austerity that will serve as a natural drag on inflation pressures across the Eurozone. But the ECB is a devout inflation targeter, a central bank that raised rates late in 2008 only to see Eurozone inflation plummet as the economy dropped into recession.
So why is the German inflation print important? It’s not the ECB’s preferred measure of inflation, the Harmonised measure of German inflation which serves as 26% of the ECB’s inflation target. But I’m noticing an eerie correlation between German-based inflation, Eurozone HICP inflation, and the refi rate.
(Note that the ECB targets a weighted composite of harmonised index of consumer price inflation (HICP), rather than a composite of the domestic price indices. You can the measurement differences between domestic CPI measures and Eurostat’s measure of Harmonised CPI here.)
The chart illustrates the German CPI, the German harmonised measure of the CPI, Eurozone inflation, and the ECB’s policy rate. There are two things that jump out at me:
(1) The correlation between Eurozone inflation is stronger with domestic German inflation (CPI) than with the German harmonised measure of inflation: 59% vs 88%, respectively.
(2) Related to number (1), the ECB policy rate is correlated with the domestic measure of German inflation rather than the harmonised measure.
(3) It is possible, that with German CPI printing at a lower rate than the harmonized measure, currencly 2.05% vs. 2.23%, market participants who expect a very hawkish ECB statement next week may be disappointed (the ECB announces its policy rate next week).
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Are you considering a long-term career in chiropractic? Being a chiropractor is more than just neck and back adjustments; it’s an investment of time, education, and money. Before taking the plunge and entering this rewarding profession, there are several things to consider that will ensure that your career choice is the right one for you. In this blog post, we will explore what goes into being a successful chiropractor so that you can be sure your future lies in good hands!
The first step in becoming a chiropractor is obtaining the necessary education and credentials. Most states require chiropractors to have completed at least three years of undergraduate-level coursework from an accredited college or university in addition to four years of doctorate level study from an accredited chiropractic school. Additionally, many states also mandate that prospective chiropractors pass both state and national board examinations before they can begin practicing.
In addition to educational requirements, some states require chiropractors to obtain additional certifications or licenses before they can practice independently. Depending on the state where you plan on practicing, these may include certification in radiology, orthopedics, nutrition counseling and other areas relevant to the practice of chiropractic medicine.
Additionally, some states require continuing education courses to maintain licensure. As such, it’s important to research the specific licensing requirements for your state prior to enrolling in any type of educational program or beginning your career as a practicing chiropractor.
Patient Expectations & Insurance Companies
Chiropractors often serve as primary care providers for many patients who seek relief from back pain or other musculoskeletal issues without resorting to medications or surgery. As such, it is important that practitioners understand the expectations of their patients and be able to explain any treatment plans they have devised clearly and concisely. Additionally, it is essential for chiropractors to keep up with changes in health insurance coverage as this can greatly affect their practices’ bottom lines.
Another key factor that all aspiring chiropractors should consider is their desired practice environment. For instance, do you want to open up your own independent practice or work as part of a larger organization? Do you prefer working with patients one-on-one or within group settings? Do you want to specialize in a particular area such as sports injuries or family care?
All of these questions will help guide you toward making informed decisions about which educational path and career opportunities are best suited for your long-term goals as a healthcare professional. Understanding these preferences will also help ensure that you make the most out of your chosen profession—both professionally and financially—while still providing quality patient care.
Becoming a chiropractor is no small task — it requires dedication, hard work and an understanding of what patients seek in health care. Certification and education are essential to becoming licensed and ensuring that best practices for patient safety and quality care are met.
It’s also important to remember the factors that surround a practice environment, such as whether you prefer to practice solo or employed by someone else; in a hospital, private medical office, chiropractic clinic, or another setting.
Above all, chiropractors must take into account the expectations of the individuals they serve who seek both physical relief from their ailments as well as support on their personal path toward better health. If you own the requisite qualifications and have conscientiously taken time to consider these elements important in becoming a chiropractor, then it could be an excellent career option for you.
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Last Updated on:
Are you buried in baby laundry and frustratingly trying to figure out how to wash baby clothes? Babies may be small, but they sure can go through a ton of clothing in a short period of time. Being practical is key when buying your baby’s clothes.
The immune system of an infant is one that’s still evolving. Babies can easily catch infections and diseases coming from all around. Washing baby clothing properly will help keep your child stay healthy.
The first step is realizing how important it is to wash your baby’s clothes for the first time. It takes some preparation.
Before you wrap your little one into all of those lovely duds for the first time, throw those clothes, sleepers, onesies into the washing machine. Every piece of your child’s clothing needs to be washed first.
Infants, especially newborns, typically have quite sensitive skin. Running the clothes through the wash removes residue and other materials that could cause irritation. It is essential to check the labels before washing a piece of clothing.
Children’s pajamas have to be fire-resistant. You should avoid using bleach on fire-resistant garments. It can ruin the item and reduce the effectiveness of the treatment chemicals.
Washing Infant Clothes
Once you master the sleeping and feeding infant care routine, the next thing in line would be to learn how to wash their clothing. Basically, everything that applies to regular laundry care – reading the label, appropriate stain treatments, separating colors, goes for washing baby clothes. However, there are a couple of tricks that make it all easier.
Before starting the process, place socks and other, smaller pieces of clothes in a mesh bag. Grown-ups socks get lost often. One can infer what happens to baby socks then.
Putting them all together in a mesh bag ensures they’ll stay together. To prevent possible damage, fasten all touch fasteners – that way they won’t get caught.
When you are about to fold and put the clothes away, check if any embellishments, snaps or buttons came loose. While you are at it, check for fraying seams or edges. They are known to cause skin irritation and can catch on their little fingers and toes.
Choosing a Baby Laundry Detergent
You might feel the urge to roam around the city in search for the best laundry detergent that’s made for infant clothing. According to health experts, there’s no need for it, really, provided that your child does not have an allergy or particularly sensitive skin.
The best thing is always to consult your pediatrician. Don’t worry, if there is such a thing as stupid questions, asking your family doctor about the best baby laundry detergent isn’t one of them.
Generally, washing your child’s clothing in standard liquid detergent shouldn’t pose a problem. Such detergents are preferred because they usually rinse out better than powdered detergents. Powders may leave scales that are irritating to baby skin.
If you are worried that the regular detergent might be too harsh, try it out on a couple of items before you start using it regularly. After your child is done wearing it, check their skin for marks of irritations or try to see if your baby is feeling itchy. If it is so, it’s best to use laundry detergent for sensitive skin that doesn’t have any perfumes or dyes.
If that doesn’t prove to work, you can double rinse the items or use baby laundry soup until your child turns one year old. It might help.
It’s always best to treat stains as soon as they occur. Try to wipe off as much as you can of the stain before throwing the garment into the washing machine.
Such as the majority of food stains, breastmilk, spit-ups, formula, and yes, poop as well. Soak the stain in cold water and use a substance that contains enzymes.
It that doesn’t do the trick don’t give up just yet. You can try and use a stain remover (one that’s manufactured for all purposes) and wash it regularly.
There are two steps in this process. Take a three teaspoons of ammonia, put them in a glass of water, let it sit a while, and, using the mixture, clean the affected surface. To make sure the item is colorfast, dab the mix in a small part first.
Utilize a stain remover and wash the item normally. Don’t forget – don’t mix bleach with vinegar or ammonia. It’s a dangerous combo as it generates toxic fumes that are hazardous.
For Baby Oil:
Utilize a pre-wash stain-removal product. After taking a look at the label, wash the item in the hottest water (highest temperature allowed according to the instructions on the label). To make sure the stain has been removed, let the piece air dry. Oil stains may not be visible when the clothes are soaked with water, and heat drying could set the stain.
You might be wondering what to do with those poor pieces of cloth that are beyond rescue. Don’t fuss.
Yes, it’s a bit infuriating, having a stain you can’t deal with, especially when it is on a cute dress you were planning to show off to family and friends. To make the most out of a bad situation – burp cloths, washcloths, and plain cotton make great cleaning rags. For other garments, check out clothing recycling programs.
Washing Cloth Diapers
You should wash and keep such diapers separate from other clothing items. Instantaneously cleanse the soiled diapers in the toilet.
Getting yourself a diaper spray might be a good idea. Basically, you just hook it onto the toilet and spray them off. Until it’s time to throw them in the washing machine, store them in diaper pails.
If you don’t have one, you can use a large bucket or a plastic trash can. Another great idea would be using washable or disposable liners in the diaper pail.
You ought to wash them every two to three days. When starting, do a cold pre-wash or soak them overnight. Avoid using detergents with perfumes or dyes. The diapers should be washed in hot water, and each load ought to be rinsed twice.
Fabric softeners can irritate the baby’s skin, so avoid using them as well. You can either line dry the diapers or use a dryer.
You have probably heard the old maxim, “being a parent is a full-time job.” Parenting comes with many duties and many new tasks, so if you didn’t consider it to be true at first, your firstborn would change your mind. However, preparing yourself in advance and learning the necessary skills will make that job much easier.
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AnnAGNPS Pollutant Loading Model
The irrigation module determines each day if an irrigation event takes place. If so, the depth of water applied is calculated as well as a first estimate of runoff (later revised in Soil_Moisture) and the net amount of water entering the soil. Several types of furrow, sprinkler, and other irrigation methods are considered as well as three types of scheduling: automatic, which is triggered by soil moisture falling below a threshold; manual interval, where a specified amount of water is applied on a regular schedule; and manual irrigation on irregularly spaced dates. The occurrence of chemical irrigation is also tracked.
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I dont blame young people for taking the wrong road; I simply say that they are imbibing ideas and examples which are far from magnificient. We should not try to destroy all the old traditions; there's a great deal of good in traditions which are the outcome of thousands of years of experience. Men have spent their lives searching and suffering and groping their way and, thanks to their efforts, have discovered a certain number of rules on which they have built their culture and civilisation. Some of these forms need to be changed; that is true. But that does not mean that everything must be thrown overboard, especially when no one has any idea how to replace what exists with something better. Do I go around destroying traditions? Certainly not! I am in favour of tradition on condition that it be adapted to our own times. But young poeple, who have no proper perception of present-day reallity nor of what it should be, simply follow their impulses and rush into action blindly, changing this and destroying that without a thought for the consequences.
Let's take it, then, that young people want a revolution. They want to upset the existing order. but have they ever asked themselves whether there are not certain immutable laws which no creature has the right to transgress? Life has its laws, laws that are studied by chemists, physicists, biologists, etc. and, whether we like it or not, we cannot go against those laws without being destroyed by them. Believe me, there are such things as immutable principles and anyone who tries to deny them is condemning himself to darkness and death. Of course, I know that young people justify themselves by saying that they are dissatisfied with what adults offer them. This I understand, for I am equally dissatisfied! But I still cannot side with them, for the freedom they are demanding, the freedom to do whatever they please, isnot at all ideal or divine.
Freedom! Liberty! Well, however much you repeat the slogan, 'Liberty, Equality, Fraternity!' there is really no liberty and no equality; of the three, only fraternity exists. I assure you: there is no such thing as liberty, freedom. How can you talk of man being free when he is a slave to his own appetites and pleasures, his family, his physical circumstances and the constraints of time? God alone is free and man will be free only when he identifies with God, when he becomes one with God. Outside of God there is no such thing as liberty. Licence? Yes, there's plenty of that and, for many, this is what the notion of liberty has become: a total lack of respect for everyone and everything. But the danger of this is that others can do the same; you will not be the only one who thinks he has the right to be unjust and violent; others will retaliate in kind. But nobody bargains for that. You are in love with violence? Well, I can understand that. I may have a tendency i that direction myself – wouldn't I just love to set the whole world on fire! – but that is not sufficient reason for doing so.
Human beings think they have the right to be violent, and then they are pained and surprised when others react in the same way. You must realize that every act or gesture on your part triggers a similar act on the part of others. Be generous with someone and they will be generous with you. Something i them will whisper, 'Ah, I'll just show how kind, noble and generous I can be, too!' and then i becomes a battle of smiles and gifts; a Battle of Love. This is what is so wonderful, and it is something that people have never really understood: the law of echo, of rebound. They say, 'Just let me get my hands on that fellow: I'll break his jaw!' And I say, 'Go ahead! Hit him...you'll see where that gets you!' But they are astonished when they get some of their own medicine in return. Young people think that they are justified in doing what they please to others but they object when others do the same to them. But you must never forget that this law exists and that it makes others reflect your own behavior.
They cannot do otherwise: if you start something they are obliged to retaliate.
If you think that everyone is going to let you ride roughshod over them without hitting back, you are very much mistaken. Sooner or later the law will strike back. If you have no respect for anyone, no one will have any respect for you. You need not expect to receive respect if you never give it. If you want others to respect you, you have to begin by respecting them. If there is one law I have proved to my satisfaction, it is this one. All my life I have shown respect for others and now I can see the law at work: others respect me. Sometimes, in fact, I wonder why. It is because, having spent my whole life respecting others, I have triggered a movement which is now bouncing back to me.
It is perfectly true that we are living in a society in which a great many things need to be changed, but this must not be achieved by violence. In any case, violence never brings about true change; it only makes things worse. How, then, can we transform society? By our own way of life. If we begin by changing ourselves we shall end by changing the whole world. This is why, in the Brotherhood, we are working to become a tangible example of a better kind of society. We are endeavouring to become a solid core of highly conscious, resolute men and women who will prove that mankind is capable of becoming one family, one brotherhood. Our first task, therefore, is to transform ourselves into living examples and even, one could say, to impose this example on others, not by physical force, of course, but by the nobility, magnanimity, light an spiritual beauty emanating from us. The need to feel their own strength and power drives too many young people reckless actions. They don't realize that true strength is inner strength, the ability to control an master themselves, to show themselves to be noble, great-hearted, perfect. Initiates, too, want to become strong and powerful but they know what true greatness and true power are, whereas so many young people, by ginving way to their instincts and seeking power through violence and destruction, merely wearken themselves and become the slaves of their own base instincts and vices.
I am completely impartial: I love all these young people and I love their elders, but believe that both are at fault: the adults because they have not known how to educate the young and, especially, how to give them a good example, and the young, because they think they can settle all their problems through revolution and violence and by destroying everything that adults have done.
I readily admit that there are a few real revolutionaries such as Lenin, Mao Tse-tung and Fidel Castro. But people like that didn't destroy everything. Besides, can you say that things are really better since their revolutions? No; nothing is really different except, perhabs, that the man at the top has disappeared and someone else has taken his place. The rhetoric has changed a little, the slogans are not the same, the songs are new, but the vice and crime, the fear and corruption are still the same.
Anarchists are incapable of doing anything constructive. some revolutionaries can be constructive, perhabs, if they are very intelligent and generous and work to improve the situation rather than making it even more intolerable. History shows that tyrants come and go: they may rise to power and liquidate their enemies, but they cannot stay on top for long. For this, too, is a law of life: a tyrant, by his very tyranny, attracts others of the same kind who end by destroying him. You know the saying: 'They sow the wind, and reap the whirlwind'.
The young have chosen anarchy? Very well; let them have it, but the laws are merciless: anarchy will take control of their beings and, later on in life, they will be subjected to identical reactions from their own children or the people around them. Then they will start moaning about injustice and declaring that they have done nothing to deserve such dreadful children. Not deserve them, indeed! Have they forgotten how they behaved when they were young? Let them remember that and then they will begin to understand. But it will be too late. The damage will have been done. The boomerang effect exists in the psychic as well as in the physical world, but it is only when the consequences of their acts rebound and hit them on the head that people begin to reflect.
If I had to give you a really exceptional example I would not choose any of the great Initiates of the past, but someone you all know: Socrates. After he had been condemned to death, some of his disciples tried to persuade him to let them organize his escape but he refused to leave his prison, saying that a good citizen should obey the laws of his city. One cannot help but refer constantly to the example of this great man who, although he never wrote anything, he continued to influence men's minds for the last twenty-four centuries. Of course, this is largely thanks to Plato, who was his disciple, and Plato and his own disciple, Aristotle, are still the twin peaks of philosophy; no philosopher since has ever surpassed them. But what an extraordinary man Socrates was! He had the face of a satyr and, in fact, he confessed that this was because he had, once, been very vicious, but that he had succeeded in conquering his vices; it was a thing of the past. So his merit was all the greater.
Im sure you all know the story of Socrates' life: how he married Xanthippe and how he strolled through the streets and public places of Athens, teaching his fellow citizens simply by talking to them and asking them awkward questions. Although he was very popular with the people, his integrity and outspokenness gained him some powerful enemies and, in a plot to get rid of him, they arrested him on trumpedup charges of corrupting the youth of Athens and he was condemned to drink the cup of hemlock. Socrates could certainly have escaped death if he had wanted to, but he refused and it was precisely because he was conscious of his innocence that he was able to accept his sentence so fearlessly. What calmness and courage he demonstrated in his last moments! You have probably read the account of his farewell to the gaoler who told him that the time had come for him to drink the poison, of how he asked the man who brought him the cup exactly what he should do and how he followed his instructions to the letter. Then there was that encounter with his disciples shortly before he died... After all these centuries, the death of Socrates still lives as something unique in the memory of men.
You may say, 'Surely, he must have had special guidance?' Yes, of course. All the sages are guided. How could the Invisible World abandon a sage who possesses truth and respects the laws of God? Socrates was constantly accompanied by an entity which he called his daemon (the meaning of this in Greek has nothing to do with the Christian notion of the Devil or of Hell). Socrates' daemon was a very exalted spirit who guided and counselled him. All sages have one – sometimes several – of these guides.
If young people would only accept to learn, they would discover within themselves all the same truths and laws that the sages have discovered over the ages by observing what went on in nature and comparing it with what they saw happening in themselves. All sages come to the conclusion that life is based on laws of harmony, disinterestedness and love and that, if one fails to respect these laws, everything falls apart. This is how moral laws were discovered. And what I find especially inspiring in Socrates is that he understood that what matters most is the way you live. In this he was very different from other philosophers and sophists of his day who claimed to know all that physics and metaphysics had to teach and be able to discourse about everything. Socrates concentrated on the study of man; he adopted as his personal motto the famous inscripition from the temple of Delphi, 'Know thyself'. All true Masters have the same philosophy. What is good and true for one is good and true for them all; they all teach the same ethic, the same philosophical system. Depending on time and place, there will be some minor differences, but the fundamental principles are always identical.
Initates refuse to have anything to do with anarchy because they know only too well that they would be the first to be affected by the ensuing illness, disorder and destruction; that anarchy would destroy them. As soon as you open your heart to the seeds of dissolution, invisible currents and forces begin to ravage your whole being. It won't happen all at once, of course; but, little by little, you will disintegrate. Even physical health depends on obedience to this universal order – call it what you will: synarchy, hierarchy or divine monarchy – and, once a man begins to establish that order within himself, every part of him finds its balance and he dwells in peace, harmony and beauty. He is illuminated and strengthened; he receives new life and begins to vibrate in unison with the whole cosmos, with the Heavenly regions above.
He becomes a gushing spring, an ever-flowing source of light; radiance streams from him. This is the higher man, the ideal man that we are all meant o be, instead of being a door flung wide to every destructive current that swirls round us in the form of anarchistic philosophies and ideologies. All those, be they individuals, families, social groups or whole countries... all who open themselves to these currents destroy themselves. The law is absolute and it is essential to give it an important place in one's life.
Blessed are they who understand this! They have the power to trigger unlimited forces within their own being and then to see how these eternal forces work within them to liberate and transform them. And those harum-scarum bunches of young rebels with their black flags must realize that they will not succeed in destroying society. Society needs to be improved and it will be, but only by good example, word and selflessness.
Sooner or later, in the presence of these qualities, things are bound to change. The attempt to change things in any other way can only justify those who say, ' The more things change, the more the filth is the same!'
Without light there will never be any real change. There is no need to invent new systems, revolutionary or otherwise. Nothing needs to be invented, all the solutions we need have already been invented by Nature. All we have to do is rediscover them.
According to initiatic science, an anarchist is someone who refuses to submit to the divine order of creation, and this means that nine-tenths of all human beings should be classed as anarchists. People's understanding of anarchy is usually based on political or social criteria, but these are inadequate; the only true anarchy is anarchy in relation to heaven. Of course, in actual fact, many people are double anarchical, being anarchical in their attitude both towards earth and towards heaven.
Think of the parable of the prodigal son, who left his father's house because he was bored and went out into the world in search of freedom and adventure. To begin with, he enjoyed the novelty of it all, but his enjoyment did not last long and his fortunes gradually deteriorated.
Wherever he went he was a foreigner, and people distrusted him and refused to give him work. So the poor young man began to suffer from hunger, thirst, and bitter cold; he had nothing to eat and nowhere to live, and he began to regret having left his father's house. He remembered that there he had had everything he needed; everybody knew who he was, and his father and mother and the whole family loved him. He knew now from his own experience that neither love nor pity ruled the world, and so, a wiser and a humbler man, he decided to go back home. And his father recognized his son in the miserable, half-starved creature who appeared before him dressed in rags and covered with dust. The Gospel adds that he welcomed him with open arms and ordered the fatted calf to be killed to celebrate his return. Of course, his brother was rather angry at all this and grumbled a bit, but the father soothed his feelings and reminded him that he should be generous to someone who was destitute.
The story of the prodigal son is the story of all those who, instead of living in harmony with divine law, want to do exactly as they like and take pleasure in being anarchical. And, as I have said, the worst form of anarchy is that which reigns within man. This is why the goal of all initiatic schools is to induce human beings to return to their Father's house, to the safety of that 'secret place' of which Psalm 91 speaks ('He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty... He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in him I will trust'), and which the forces of evil cannot enter. Human beings always seem to be glad to get away from this secret place in which they are under the protection of the Lord. They are eager to live their lives in their own way by breaking God's laws and getting as far away from him as possible. Well, let me tell you that people like that have a great deal of suffering in store for them. Their constant tendency to be out of step and to disobey means that their destiny requires them to suffer. But those who have already suffered a great deal, and whose sufferings have brought them understanding, are ready to return to their Father, to that 'secret place'. This is why they join a spiritual brotherhood, an initiatic school, for to do so symbolizes a return to the divine order.
Many years ago I talked to you about this 'secret place' in which man is unvulnerable. It is a world of such harmony, a world in which the vibrations are so intense and so pure, that the slightest negative element is immediately rejected and cast out. Jesus said: 'I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.' This expresses exactly the same idea. Find and take refuge in this fortress, therefore, so that you may be protected and nourished. How can anyone fail to understand this? Human beings are all anarchists, they all want to break away from the Lord in the hope of getting something more, something which, in fact, they can never get. Before launching out blindly like that, they would do much better to study the laws and understand how things are likely to turn out. But they are like the prodigal son: he too should have seen what life was like in his father's house and compared it with the life he would find in the outside world, where men claw, bite and hack their way to success. But he did not study anything, the poor wretch; he just imagined what he would find. And this is what all anarchists do, they imagine. This is why I advise you all to examine the whole question very thoroughly to see what is in store for you if you continue on the path of anarchy.
This question of laws is so easy to understand. Suppose you overeat: you will not be prosecuted in the name of any you overeat: you will not be prosecuted in the name of any human law - no policeman will come and arrest you - but you will suffer from acute indigestion. In the name of what law are you laid low and put to bed? The laws of nature are not those of human beings.
Human beings will come and see you and commiserate with you in bed, but however much they sympathize, they will not be able to cure you; only nature can cure you. If you start to obey the laws of nature again you will be cured. You must learn these laws of nature, the divine laws that rule the intellect, the heart, and the physical body. You should know exactly what everything you say and do represents in the way of energy, see where these energies go, and make sure that they do not disturb or harm anyone. In the Tales from from the Arabian Nights there is a story about a merchant who sat down to rest from his travels and eat some dates, and as he ate he threw the stones carelessly in different directions. Suddenly, a monstrous genie appeared and declared that he would kill him. 'But why?' stammered the unfortunate merchant; 'What have I done?' 'When you were throwing those stones away,' replied the genie, 'my son was passing by, and you threw one into his eye and killed him. Therefore I must kill you.' Of course this is only a legend, but there is great meaining in it.
There is also a popular tradition that when one goes out at night one must carry a light. This external light symbolizes the inner lamp that you must keep burning in order to protect yourself against evil spirits. For just as wild beasts hunt their prey at night, so do many evil spirits roam freely at night, seeking to harm human beings, until at cock-crow they are obliged to disapear.
But human beings are so ignorant; they leave their doors wide open night and day for any entity to enter and lay waste their inner world.
So there you are, my dear brothers and sisters, do as you please; cut yourselves off from the Lord and maintain your independence if you like, and you will see what your destiny will be. For my part, I do not need to wait and see; I already know what it will be. How do I know that? I only have to see a person's attitude and I can immediately sense what he wants from life. The goals of those who cut themselves off from God and from the fellowship of initiates, who turn their back on the light, are necessarily extremely banal and mundane. They want wealth, power and glory; they want to be able to gratify their appetite for food and drink and sexual pleasure. In other words, their ideal is not very lofty; on the contrary, they spend their time in the filth and slime of the lowest regions, and the only possible outcome is misfortune and suffering. As you see, I only need to know a person's ideal and I can immediately tell you what his final destination will be; he will end up exactly where his final destination will be; he will end up exactly where his ideal has led him. When you possess initiatic science, nothing is easier than to prophesy. When you know which track a train is running on, you know exactly which towns it will go through and where it will end up. Every station-master is a prophet. And astronomers are prophets too, because they can tell you the exactly where the planets will be years in advance. All those who are really proficient in any science are prophets. Predictions for the future are based on an occult science.
There, this is what I wanted to say about anarchy. All these intellectuals who think they are God's gift to mankind must learn that their philosophy of breaking away from the centre can only lead to enslavement and total restriction, for there can be no freedom far from the centre. What is in store for you if you withdraw form the light and warmth of the sun? Darkness, cold and death. And the sun symbolizes the initiatic confraternity. The Psalmist says, 'I walk before the Lord in the land of the living.' and this 'land of the living' is the true confraternity, the sun, for in the sun dwell the noblest, most luminous of beings. That which we call sunlight is the vibrations, emanations and radiations of these incandescent beings. The light that illuminates the planets comes not from the sun itself but from the sun's inhabitants. The sun is a richly fertile, cultivated land, a very advanced civilization, and it is the inhabitants of this land that project light out into space. All this will one day be discovered by scientists, but initiates have known it for ages, for they have travelled in their etheric bodies into every region of space and visited the sun and the other planets. Believe me or not, as you please, but I am telling you the truth.
It is a great mistake to think that to belong to an initiatic contraternity implies that you have to restrict yourself and forfeit your freedom; on the contrary, only in such a confraternity will man find freedom and happiness. True self-realization can be achieved only in the one true brotherhood, the Great White Brotherhood which exists in the higher world and of which our own Brotherhood here on earth is nor more than a reflection. Also, if you think that it depends on your decision to belong or not to belong to that great Brotherhood, that too is an illusion. Some people may say that they do not want belong to, but the truth is that they would not be accepted. If they were worthy to join it, they would be eager to do so, but it is not all comers who can be accepted just as they are. Each one has to work for years and years and prove that they are worthy before being allowed to join this confraternity. Perhaps you will say, 'But I have never done anything to earn it, and yet I have been accepted as a member of the Universal White Brotherhood.' Yes, but the Brotherhood here on earth is no more than a vestibule; it is not yet the Holy of Holies. It is much more difficult to be accepted into the Brotherhood on high, but once you are accepted your name is inscribed in heaven and you receive all the gifts and all the help you need every day; just as the employees of a company here on earth receive a salary, family allowances, and so on.
Perhaps you are thinking, 'Where on earth does he get all that?' Well, you have read the Gospels: surely you remember that Jesus said, 'See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.' Once your name is written in the book of life you will not be forgotten. You will be given strength, health and joy. You will feel that support, advice and guidance are bestowed on you, and even if you do have to endure trials and difficulties, you will find either that they will not last so long as they used to or that you are stronger and more able to deal with them. This is the Gospel, the living Gospel; and it is up to you now to make the necessary effort to enter this fortress, this secret place, for once you are there you will be safe. There is a Sanskrit text that says, 'A pilgrim has reached the far bank of the river, an arhat is born, a new dvija, a saviour of the world,' and in Christianity this idea is expressed by the quest for the Holy Grail. In one form or another, all religions speak of this confraternity under the rulership of Christ.
Human beings look for a confraternity to join, of course, but never this one. They prefer to join a political confraternity and are ready to be massacred for an ideology that will soon be out of fashion and replaced by another one. They are not interested in putting themselves at the service of an ideal that would make them immortal and invinvible. But for heaven's sake, if they really want to shed their blood, why cannot they at least choose a cause that is eternal? They just do not use their brains; they sell their freedom for too little. All their brave words about the price of freedom are just that, words. The truth is that they do not care two hoots for their freedom, their life, their blood. Someone who really wants to save his life entrusts it to a bank that will never become insolvent; to the bank of the sun, not to a ship that is sinking because it has a hole in its hull. I was still very young when I realized that I should never achieve very much if I relied on my own freedom, my own will, and my own intelligence. This is why I did everything possible to enter the divine order of the Universal White Brotherhood. And if you, for your part, continue to believe that you will achieve great things on your own without this confraternity, I can prophesy that what you gain in this way will be far less than what you would gain by joining it.
To possess your own house and have money in the bank - is that your idea of success? If so, when it is time to depart for the next world you will see that you have worked in vain - or, rather, you have been working for the benefit of thieves. So acquire all the material possessions you want, but know that you will be obliged to leave them all behind; whereas the things you acquire through your spiritual work will always be yours, and you will take them with you into the next world. Wherever you go, your capital, your wealth, all your precious stones will go with you and will benefit the whole world. You will probably think that what I am saying is very difficult to understand; it is as though I were speaking an unknown language. You would all understand me if I talked about higher mathematics, but people no longer understand the language I speak, although it seems to me that nothing could be clearer.
It is not a sign of intelligence and freedom to refuse to submit to the great laws of the Universal White Brotherhood. The Gospels tell us that we are all obliged to serve a master. If we refuse to serve Christ and the light, we shall be obliged to serve the devil and the powers of darkness. This is a law. People say, 'Oh, you know, this thing about Christ and the light is not for me. I cannot accept that.' Well, if that is your attitude, you too will be unable to avoid falling into the power of dark forces. Those who seek to be free in their own way cannot find true freedom; they will find only slavery. They are influenced and controlled by other entities. Their ignorance is such that they are easily hoodwinked into thinking that they are following their own wishes and making their own decisions, while in fact they are working for others. Human beings are like children; they just do not understand. When small children want to be free, they are liable to do all kinds of stupid and dangerous things that will restrict their freedom even more. Young people - and adults, too, for that matter - have no more understanding of freedom than a baby. Only the wise know that if you want to be free you have to impose limitations on yourself. Others, on the pretext that they want to be free, let their wild beasts out of their cages, and then they are torn apart and devoured by them.
I happened to switch on the television yesterday, and what did I see? Four hairy ruffians who looked like animals, screaming and gesticulating incoherently. This, apparently, was a concert. Never have I heard anything so repulsive and discordant. But the audience - mostly young boys and girls - were wildly enthusiastic, clapping and jumping up and down and twisting about in hideous contortions. I could not help feeling sad at the sight. I thought to myself, 'My God, how can anyone understand human nature today? What is it in man's soul that has the power to estrange him from beauty to such an extent? How can four such villainous creatures be such a popular success? I am not so strict and narrow-minded as to condemn young people for wanting to express their vitality and joy, but there was no joy here at all; the movements which should have been an expression of vitality were no more than horrible, unsightly contortions. Wild animals! Yes, the doors of their cages had been flung wide open, and they were prowling about, devouring whatever good there was in those so-called musicians while the crowd looked on and applauded.
Seeing this, I almost lost hope of ever leading human beings to something beautiful and meaning ful. They are going to have to go all the way, they are going to have to touch bottom. How can people like that understand the magnificent laws of nature? They have never done any work on themselves; they do not even know that there is work to be done. The only thing they know is how to open the cages of their own wild animals. And they call that freedom, liberation. Yes, they are liberated, independent - unleashed.
« Each human family is a cell in the vast body of society and if we look at how the cells of a healthy body function we find that they all work together in harmony for the good of the whole.
It is clear, therefore, that if the majority of contemporary societies are sick, it is because the families that constitute them are not in harmony with each other. Each family has its own ambitions and interests and if these conflict with the ambitions and interests of others the result is confrontation and disorder. Each family must work for the health and well-being of the universal body, therefore, by becoming conscious of the fact that it belongs to a larger family. And not just to one, but to a succession of larger families, each of which belongs to an even vaster family and, in the final analysis, to the global family.
Yes, this awareness must exist on the level of the family, for nations are made up of families and no nation can contribute harmoniously to the concert of nations if it is the mouthpiece of too many divergent and discordant demands. This is why you should not be afraid to reject any ideas about how children should be brought up if those ideas are detrimental to the harmony of society at large. It is their families that teach children to seek their own success and well-being first, even if it means riding roughshod over others. It is their families that leach them to think of anyone who does not belong to their nationality, race or religion as an inferior or even an enemy. Is there any wonder that children who are brought up in such a mentality grow up to be selfish, narrowminded and intolerant?
Families will not be protected by turning in on themselves in a spirit of selfishness. After all, we are all members of a collectivity, and however much we may want to avoid being involved, if the peace and order of the collectivity are disrupted, our property and even our lives will be in danger. The fate of families is necessarily linked to that of the collectivity, and if we want to ensure the safety of individuals, we have to work for the betterment of the collectivity.
The only way to ensure the protection of your family, therefore, is to work for universal brotherhood, to work to convince the leaders of every country that there must be a world authority responsible for the welfare of all.
You will say: "That's an impossibility. There will always be countries whose governments refuse a higher authority."
Yes, I know all your objections and at the moment, of course, what you say is true. But I am working for the future. In the future this unity will exist; events will lead human beings to see things this way, for they will come to understand that, in fact, it is not a question of being subject to other human beings or of handing over their freedom to an external authority but of working for the triumph of a common ideal: the peace and prosperity of the whole world, and it is clear that this ideal must necessarily be based on the idea of universal brotherhood. »
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Yale class creates an online guide to New Haven’s infrastructure
Project shows elements that connect and divide the city
Published 8:58 pm, Sunday, June 1, 2014
NEW HAVEN >> Infrastructure may not be sexy, but it saturates city life.
The water we drink, the energy we use, the manner in which we commute — they’re all intimately connected to the infrastructure around us. Yet, it’s easy to overlook, according to Elihu Rubin, an assistant professor of urbanism at the Yale University School of Architecture.
That’s why he asked some of his students to create a digital compendium of everything from power plants and public parks to transportation and telecommunications. The result is “A Guide to New Haven Infrastructure,” and it just went online.
“Infrastructure can be mystifying,” Rubin said. “We take it for granted because it’s all around us. It masquerades as being neutral, but it’s’s not. It’s about politics and financing and government.”
Rubin has an affinity for the layers of architecture and activity that weave a community together. He and some students recently convened a weekend of art and appreciation directed at Crown Street, for example.
For the infrastructure guide, Rubin’s students took the entire city into account.
“They jumped on it,” Rubin said. “They’ve put together a panoramic history of infrastructure, investment and ideas.”
Diana Li, a junior last semester, helped tackle a chapter on roads and transportation. She also wrote the introduction.
Her research included the city’s earliest stagecoach routes for postal delivery and the private toll roads that sprang up from 1792 until 1839. The Middletown Turnpike, for example, is now State Street; Hartford Turnpike is now Whitney Avenue.
Li’s work detailed the rise of the automobile and traffic, the construction of the Oak Street Connector downtown and today’s rethinking of that particular piece of infrastructure. Li attended public hearings devoted to how the former connector should be reconfigured for the future.
“A lot of issues related to urban planning and infrastructure can be difficult to understand,” Li noted. “But it’s hugely important. It’s the framework through which a city develops and operates.”
Indeed, the digital guide is focused as much on the future as it is on the past.
“Big changes in infrastructure take a long time to undo, once you do them,” Li said. “The most important thing is understanding what to think about when we approach new infrastructure issues. That allows you to participate in debates the city will have in the future.”
Those debates include such things as bike lanes, high-speed rail, 21st century streetcars, eco-friendly buildings, the town-gown divide and the equitable distribution of services to all neighborhoods.
Julian Sagastume, also a junior last semester, was struck by the separate power generation infrastructures built by Yale University and the rest of the city.
“The energy infrastructure in New Haven kind of re-enforces public and private divides,” Sagastume said. “Yale has its own energy network. Those systems are very advanced networks that achieve a higher rate of efficiency. During power outages, the university will not lose power, but the city will.”
Sagastume also wrote the afterword for the guide and was the primary designer for the website. He said the guide’s ultimate value will be to give residents a complete primer on how infrastructures evolved here.
“In each period, the city remakes itself into something new,” Sagastume said. “Today’s issues and questions will change the city again. We want to help people participate in a more informed way.”
Call Jim Shelton at 203-789-5664. Have questions, feedback or ideas about our news coverage? Connect directly with the editors of the New Haven Register at AskTheRegister.com.
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Mesocosms- or a “medium world”- are at the heart of our fieldwork. Mesocosms are large enclosures that allow researchers to study the environment over a certain time period in a controlled way. The mesocosms we are working with are large bags, filled with natural seawater from the Norwegian fjord. The bags are closed off from the surrounding water and can be manipulated to test different hypotheses about how marine microbial communities function and respond to environmental factors. Mesocosm studies are useful tools to link patterns we see in laboratory cultures to the real world. Mesocosms truly represent a middle world for scientists!
One of our first tasks upon arriving to Norway was to setup and deploy the mesocosm bags. The bags are made of a thick, string reinforced plastic that are attached to floating frame and get filled from the bottom. The bags also have a detachable cone at the bottom 1 meter that will allow divers to collect sediments that have settled out (more on the importance of sediments later!). The cones were installed by professional commercial divers. The video below was captured by one of the divers during the time of deployment.
In Oceanography, you have to always expect the unexpected. During the mesocosm deployment, we had difficulty getting the bags, and the bottom settling cone, to sink. We had to come together to think of a quick solution to this problem. After trying several methods, taking multiple trips to the hardware store for weights, and drilling several holes in the hoop frames, we were able to get the proper deployment!
Once the bags were deployed, we added nutrients (goodies for the phytoplankton!) to help give a jumpstart to a phytoplankton bloom. Three bags were excluded from nutrient additions (these are our control bags). Each bag was then equipped with bubblers to help mix the nutrient throughout the bag. Now we wait!
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In an hour of crisis and grief, the president has to tell the country some hard truths about itself. As he does that, he must also explain what it's all about, this country called America, all over again. President Obama did just that, at about the halfway mark of the two terms he was elected to serve. He looked as if he had aged a few years in a day.
In his words, depth, and demeanor, Obama gave the best speech of his presidency by a country mile in a New England town Sunday evening. They say there are "no words" when you are swimming in salt tears over the loss of a child. But when a town's children are killed in cold blood, along with six women working at a school, well, there must be words for the blood. There must be words that try to tell the tragedy we have seen, for words are all we have.
The president is the only one who can do that—speak to the shattered people of Newtown, Conn., and to us, the American people, to make us one. We are all implicated; our society's fingerprints were all over that crime scene. So the truth is, we really need a talking-to about gun violence, a truth that few can speak and be heard. Thankfully, the president uttered words that went beyond the usual suspects at another mass shooting.
Speaking in sad cadences, Obama asked: "Can we say that we're truly doing enough to give all the children of this country the chance to live out their lives in happiness and with purpose? I've been reflecting on this the last few days, and if we're honest with ourselves, the answer is no. We're not doing enough, and we will have to change....We can't tolerate this anymore."
Here he shows how hard it is to ask and answer fundamental questions. Why were women and children brutally robbed of life and liberty Friday? Isn't the pursuit of happiness part of the meaning of this nation, formulated in a fine 1776 declaration?
Obama didn't spell out the broken promises, but there was no need. We're all in this together, a sense that we failed and there-but-for-the-grace-of-God. If we fail to protect our precious cargo of children, he was saying, nothing else matters very much. That struck a note of truth which resonated far beyond the boundaries of a place called Newtown, which they started building in 1780—four years following that fine declaration.
David Maraniss, the distinguished biographer of Obama and a Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist, believes the Newtown speech will live long in memory. "He [the president] defined a grave moment with simple and powerful thoughts that worked on several levels at once, both particular and universal," he said.
President Lincoln gave a stark speech about national loss at the midway of his four years as the Civil War president. He gave it in the autumnal light of November, consecrating a battlefield where the fury of cannons sounded and bloody bodies stained the farm soil for the first three days of July 1863.
Nobody knew better than he, the deaths and suffering were so great he had to heal with words as best he could, to infuse the event and sacrifice with solemn meaning. Theatrically, he set the time and scene: "Fourscore and seven years ago....We are met on a great battlefield of that war." Then came a short speech that magnificently transcended time and space to give a new fresh explanation for why they were there that day, what they were fighting for, and what it was all about.
For Lincoln, the Civil War had ceased to stand just for keeping the Southern states. As many of us recited in the Gettysburg Address as schoolchildren, the cause was "a new birth of freedom" in the nation. By a stroke of the pen, Lincoln had earlier emancipated all slaves in the "rebellion" states.
Maraniss said the Newtown address may be Obama's Gettysburg: "If we're honest with ourselves, the answer is no." That simple candor helped me deal with the shared sorrow. Better not to sugarcoat at a time like this.
Lighting darkness, healing heartbreak, finding meaning—it's a lot to ask of a president and his words. But on Sunday, the man from Illinois answered the call.
- Read Noah Kristula-Green: What the Republican Party Can Learn from Britain's Tories
- Read Susan Milligan: Stop Talking About Hillary Clinton's Hair
- Check out U.S. News Weekly, now available on iPad.
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It has been another fun month of reading the many, many suggestions for great books for kids recommended by the Booklights gang. Jen started us off with several delightful fractured fairy tales. These are great for children who already know the original versions, as they best understand the humor in the new versions. My personal favorite modern fairy tale is Sleeping Ugly, by Jane Yolen and illustrated by Diane Stanley.
And Susan's suggestion of reading a book for a second time that you loved during the first time you read it got tremendous response! The novels/chapter books that were suggested also provided us with a wonderful list of books to read aloud to children. Just because you have a child who is able to read on his or her own, please don't stop that habit of reading aloud. There is little more reassuring to a child than the time spent with a parent over an engrossing story.
Many of the books that were mentioned have also been recorded on tape or digitally. Check them out from your library for the family to listen to as dinner is being prepared or you drive to school.
I love Gina's new Tuesday feature of Show and Tale. I have been traveling in the Pacific Northwest over the past few weeks and have asked folks all along the way about their favorite children's books. Now, you must realize that my southern accent caused a bit of a snigger when I said "Show and Tale!" But I initiated wonderful conversations with the simple question.
One of my favorites was the visit with author Jean Davies Okimoto. She talked about The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes, by Dubose Heyward and illustrated by Marjorie Flack (who later won a Caldecott Honor). Although first published in 1939, this is a very progressive book. Jeanie remembers how she knew this was a tale with a truly feminist perspective. She noticed the ranges of bunny colors and the inclusiveness of the story.
And if you check out Jeanie's favorite children's book, also check out the latest book she wrote, Winston of Churchill: One Bear's Battle Against Global Warming, written by Jean Davis Okimoto and illustrated by Jeremiah Trammell. The book brings forward concerns for the environment in an interesting way for children and their parents.
Next week, I head to Glasgow, Scotland to attend the symposium "Beyond Borders: Art, narrative and culture in picturebooks." I hope to return home with lots of new insights into picturebooks and to be able to introduce some international favorites.
Happy Reading, Ann
I enjoyed Susan's recent post about reading by number. Judging by the comments, lots of people have a strong preference for series books. Personally, I am compulsive about reading series books in order, because I hate having any surprises spoiled. When I read adult titles, I enjoy mystery series. Even though each book might wrap up an individual puzzle, I don't like the character development to be spoiled for me, so I'll rarely read those out of order. And of course for a series like the Harry Potter books, that follows a dramatic arc across all of the books, I think that it's critical to read in order. I tend to prefer the original order in which a series is published over any arbitrary changes to follow chronological order - I'm happy to take in the information in the order that the author intended.
Susan's post got me to thinking about my favorite series reads. For the sake of simplifying the discussion, I'm going to define a series as having more than three books (trilogies are a topic for another day). After mulling this over, I came up with a few simple rules for identifying a series as a favorite. I just ask myself, did I eagerly read through all of the books (either during a short time, if the series was finished when I came across it, or as the books became available, for series that were in progress)? Did I rush out to the store to get any new installments? Did I, if applicable, buy the books in hardcover, or go to the trouble to reserve them from the library? Do I ever re-read the books? If so, then this was (or is) a favorite series.
Using this as a guideline, my favorite series as a child were:
Of more recently published series for children and young adults, I've enjoyed and eagerly read all of the books of:
I may not consider all of these books great literature, though many are. A few of the childhood favorites, in particular, haven't held up for me as an adult. But all of these books met my stated criteria above for favorite series at the time that I read them. I distinctly remember grabbing up multiple Trixie Belden books from the bookstore as a kid. I still have all of my copies of the Maida books. And I'm certain that 40 years from now, I'll still have all of my Harry Potters. Other series are on target for inclusion in future favorites lists, but don't yet have more than three books published (The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins comes to mind, for example). See also the books in my series books featuring adventurous girls post. I'm expecting great things from Theodosia Throckmorton.
In case any of you are interested, I've posted a list of some of my favorite adult mystery series on my personal blog. I can think of several other series (for both adults and children) for which I went through three or five or ten books, but have let the last few books sit, unread. I'm not listing those here.
But that made me wonder: what is it that keeps a series from losing my interest? Obviously, I have to care about the characters. No matter how good the plotting is, no matter how interesting the setting, I'm not going to follow characters that I don't care about through more than 2 or 3 books. And the books have to keep surprising me in some way. Humor helps, too, though it's not 100% necessary. But I think that what it really boils down to is that the author has to have captured a world that I want to visit. This world can be anything from an old-fashioned house in the country to a camp for half-blood Olympians. But if it feels authentic, and feels like a place where I want to spend time, and is populated with people I care about, then I'll come back. There's a whole other discussion to be had about series books that have a dramatic arc, and are planned to end after five or seven books, vs. ongoing series that have no particular end in site. That, too, is a topic for another day.
What about you all? What are your favorite series titles? What makes you come back to a particular series time and time again?
This month Color Online asked book bloggers to read and review books featuring people of color. The Color Me Brown Challenge has pulled together more than eighty reviews so far, and hopes in this last week to reach one hundred titles. Well, here are three more:
by Eun-hee Choung
This book comes to Kane/Miller publishing from South Korea, but it could just as easily be set in any of the bustling Korean neighborhoods in America. While her mother is getting her hair colored and styled, Minji follows suit with her own customer a black dog and in her own way. The child’s desire to do grown-up things is universal, and is captured well in this simply worded picture book. The illustrations are engaging, especially when capturing the expressions of Minji and her mom. Enjoyable, lovely book.
The Secret Oliva Told Me
by N. Joy, illustrations by Nancy Devard
Olivia tells her friend a secret, and the friend lets the secret slip out. From there the secret passes along and gets bigger and bigger. In the end, the friend has to tell Olivia the truth and apologize, because it was the right thing to do. The story is good, though I could have done without the rhyming couplets. The cover is gripping with its black silhouettes with white accents against the red brick wall. The silhouette style continues throughout the book with the addition of a red balloon that gets bigger and bigger throughout representing the secret that is also growing. The end of the book includes a section to discuss the story including what secrets kids shouldn't keep. The artwork is simply wonderful, especially in capturing a diverse group of children only in silhouette.
by Pooja Makhijani, illustrated by Elena Gomez
As a little girl turns seven, she watches her mother unpack saris to wear to her birthday party. While helping her mother choose just the right one for the special day, she pleads to wear a sari herself. Knowing that young girls like her aren’t old enough for the lovely garments, she reflects on their beauty. But sometimes birthday girls get special treats, and in this case it is getting to dress up like mama. A sweet book universal in a daughter’s desire to be like her mother whether it's walking in her high heels or wearing her bindi. Reference is made to the mother’s every day working clothes, implying the that the story takes place outside of India. A helpful glossary makes the Hindi words accessible to all readers, while beautiful illustrations bring magic to the story.
A few weeks ago I wrote that I was a little jealous of a young patron who was reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Truth be told, it wasn't just that he was reading it for the first time... it was that he was able to read it at all. He had started the series only a month earlier and had already worked his way through nearly all seven books. It was such a contrast from all the years I waited for the entire series to be published.
Would the series have been so successful if the books had been published closer together or farther apart? I don't think it would have mattered. Series books are episodic by their very nature. At one point in time, nearly every series ever published is unfinished... but we tend to forget that when we have the whole series in front of us. For example, I remember mentioning the torturous wait for Harry Potter 6 to my boss at the time. She responded by telling me how difficult it had been for her to wait for the whole Lord of the Rings series to be published.
I think that the long agonizing wait actually made me appreciate the Harry Potter series more. I analyzed, thought about and puzzled over each book for years while waiting for the next one. Each book was a treat to savor, because I knew it would be years before I would get the next installment. (All of this is in retrospect, of course. At the time, the waiting made me crazy.)
On the other hand, there's also the sheer joy of being able to pick up the next book in a series (any series) right away. It lets you continue living in the author's magical world for just a bit longer and it helps with continuity. My mom read the first few Harry Potter books as they came out, but they didn't do much for her at the time. She kept forgetting the characters and plot lines... and reached the fourth book without being quite sure she knew who You-Know-Who was. After all the books were published, she read the whole series together and found it a far more enjoyable experience. The intricacies of the story were much easier for her to follow.
Sometimes, we may not even realize we're reading a series. A teenage patron recently showed me her summer reading log, and I noticed she had given a very low rating to Dark Whispers by Bruce Coville. I asked if she had enjoyed the other two books in the Unicorn Chronicles. She replied by saying she had no idea Dark Whispers was the third in a series... but that it would explain an awful lot.
I've also talked to people who claim not to mind reading out of sequence. There are kids who will read whichever book happens to be on the shelf at the library. For some series, it really doesn't matter which order you read them in. Usually, I just recommend reading the first book published before reading the rest. But I always wonder about kids who read, for example, Harry Potter #6, then #2, then #7. Are they getting anything out of the books? Does it make any sense?
On the other end of the spectrum, I frequently see kids who love to read in order. No matter the series, whether it's the Magic Tree House or Geronimo Stilton, they want to read every book according to its number. For these kids, there's nothing more valuable than a good series database.
Sometimes, the numbers themselves aren't entirely straight forward. Let's take the Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder as an example. When I was reading the books, they were numbered in this order: #1 Little House in the Big Woods, #2 Little House on the Prairie, #3 Farmer Boy... etc. That has since changed, and the current numbers on the sides of the books are: #1 Little House in the Big Woods, #2 Farmer Boy, #3 Little House on the Prairie.
I had a young patron tell me recently how much she had enjoyed Little House in the Big Woods, but #2 (Farmer Boy) made her stop reading the series. Sometimes, I think in the quest to be chronological, publishers can sometimes leave a good story by the wayside. As for how to number the series, I think this list is the best.
How do you like to read a series? Slowly and methodically over time, or in one big gulp? In order or out of order? Has chronological numbering versus publication date ever been an issue for you in a series you've read? Have you ever waited for a series to be fully published before you started it?
Today's Show and Tale comes from Kathleen, a mom who picked Margaret Wise Brown's The Runaway Bunny. Brown and illustrator Clement Hurd, well loved for Goodnight Moon, created another classic with this sweet tale.
"It's a wonderful way to let your child know that you'd search to the ends of the earth for her," Kathleen said.
Have you read The Runaway Bunny? What are some other comforting books that you and your child love?
I've run across several recent posts from around the Kidlitosphere about encouraging young readers. I thought that I would share some of them here today.
At Moms Inspire Learning, Dawn Morris has a post about learning from Cinderella. It's actually a two-part piece, but the second part is the one that talks about books and reading. Dawn recaps the reasons why she feels "that reading is the most precious gift you can give to your child", and explains "if your daughter plays with princesses, you might be concerned that she'll focus on outer beauty alone. However, if your child reads a lot, she'll be a lot more likely to focus on the interaction between the dolls instead." I have to tell you, when I was a kid, I played with a set of US President figurines whenever I was at my grandparents' house. I didn't know anything about the Presidents, but I made my own paper dolls (of girls) in similar sizes, and just made up my own stories using my paper and plastic figures. For me, a reader pretty much from birth, it was always about the interactions.
Speaking of playing, the Book Chook (Susan Stephenson) has a nice two-part post about Literacy in the Playground (part 1, part 2). Susan notes: "Recently, I became concerned that some of the games (that kids play on the playground), particularly the skipping and clapping chants and rhymes, are not as prevalent as they used to be. I know there are many kids who enjoy them, or would enjoy them if they had access to them, so I decided to search for, and publish some." With help from friends around the Kidlitosphere, she shares a variety of suggestions (games, chants, etc.).
At Literacy, families and learning, Trevor Cairney suggests chapter books for younger children (for family read-aloud). He starts with tips on identifying whether or not your five to seven-year-old is ready to listen to chapter books, and then gets into reasons why reading chapter books together is a good idea. I especially liked this bit: "chapter books will enable you to build an even richer shared literary history with your children. Shared books will become part of your shared history within the family, and more broadly, they will help to connect your children to a literary culture that others will share with them." I think that people who don't have that shared literary culture miss out on things.
Bianca Schultz of The Children's Book Review recently published a lovely guest post from Andrea Ross of Just One More Book!! Andrea, mother of two book-loving daughters, writes from a parent's perspective about "the ways reading aloud to our children benefits ourselves as parents, our families and our relationships with each other." That's right - she focuses not on what's in it for the kids, but what's in it for the parents. For example: "The cuddly intimacy that it prompts is an obvious but overlooked benefit of taking time each day to read aloud to our little ones - regardless of how big said little ones may be!" I consider this a must-read post for parents.
Monica Edinger (who blogs at Educating Alice) recently linked to a New York Times Papercuts Blog post about surviving school summer reading lists. Julie Just reports: ""Summer reading? Good. Assigned reading? Bad." That's how Lisa Von Drasek, a children's librarian at the Bank Street College of Education in Manhattan, sums up her criticism of many summer reading lists: they're simply too short and too weighed down by good-for-you classics." I thought that this paired well with a recent guest post that our own Pam Coughlan wrote for Foreword Magazine's Shelf Space blog about summer reading. Pam said: "To me, a Summer Reading List is a selection of books that parents and kids might not otherwise know about pulled together in an easy format. So when those kids and parents come to the library and are looking for something to read--and they do ask that vaguely--the parent and librarians can direct them to some vetted books that will hopefully hold their interest." I also liked Pam's conclusion: "I believe in Summer Reading and lists and prizes. And I believe in lazy reading and informal book clubs and finishing the latest Gossip Girls book. There's room for both."
At Parents and Kids Reading Together, Cathy Puett Miller shares tips on making up for lost time, and getting into the habit of reading together when kids are older (10+). She begins: "Some families, in the midst of their whirlwind of life, never really got into the reading together habit when your children were young. It's so easy to become distracted and deal with what is most urgent rather than what might be more important. I often hear families say, "we just don't have time". First of all, let me tell you -- it's not too late. Make a conscious decision that this is a forever gift you can give your child."
At Throwing Marshmallow's, Stephanie also has a post about encouraging late/reluctant readers. It's a short post, but it includes a nice summary of "links to provide additional support for allowing your child to come to reading on his or her own timetable (something especially important if you have a right brained learner whose "normal" timetable is different from what is traditionally expected in school.)"
And finally, though not a new article, I would like to draw your attention to Elizabeth O. Dulemba's Coloring Page Tuesdays. Each week, Elizabeth makes a new coloring page available for free download. She encourages teacher, librarians, and parents to share these pages with kids. A classified archive of past pages (e.g. holiday-themed pages) is available. You can also sign up to receive weekly email alerts about newly available pages.
Have you run across any useful articles about raising readers this week? I would love to hear about them.
With the end of summer upon us (Wahhhh!), here are some going-to-school picture books.
Splat the Cat,
by Rob Scotton
A fun, clever book that will be appreciated by a wide range of readers. Scotton, of Russell the Sheep fame, brings his humorous and fantastically off-beat illustrations to the world of cats plus a mouse. Splat is worried about his first day at Cat School. If you’re not sure that he’s really worried, look at his big, wide eyes. He tries to hide, and stall, and even hang onto the gate, but his mom gets him to school. There he learns that cats chase mice. Hold it! Splat has a pet mouse! That he brought to school! This isn’t going to be good for anybody. But of course it is, and all the cats learn a new lesson. All-around wonderful book.
Jake Starts School
by Michael Wright
When we last saw Jake, his parents were trying to get him to sleep by going everywhere around the house with him. Well, Jake is still having separation issues at school, where he cannot let go of his parents. He literally clings to them through the whole day, making the seesaw hard and bathroom breaks impossible. The teacher is finally able to engage him with a book with the same name as his dog, and Jake finds his school groove. Bright and wacky illustrations fit the silly and sometimes strained rhyming text. (“There it was, Room Number 1/where Jake would join his class./It looked so big, he felt so small,/he passed a little gas.”) I can't call this my favorite book, but kids will enjoy the silly take on starting school.
Keisha Ann Can!
by Daniel Kirk
This isn’t Keisha Ann’s first day at school, but she shows how it’s done with cheer and confidence. She catches the bus, waits in line, passes out paints, shares with classmates, and takes turns. This book represents an interesting and needed approach to going-to-school literature by focusing on the positive. I also liked that the girl was African-American, as I would like to see more children of color in books. Newest reports say that 44 percent of children in the United States are now minorities. Perhaps we might want to show more of them in books. Not just for them, but so all children can see kids of different races featured in stories. Keisha Ann Can! is simple in language, making it best for the preschool or first day of kindergarten crowd.
Last week I asked this question: "What children's book would you love to be able to read again for the first time?"
The question struck more of a chord than I ever could have imagined. Between responses on Booklights, Facebook and Twitter, my question was answered over 600 times! Being a curious person, I had to find out which books were mentioned the most. The numbers listed next to the titles refer to how many times that book or series was mentioned.
The top ten children's books readers would most like to read again for the first time are:
10. The Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery, Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell, Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls and the Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder (7 times each). I'm a huge L.M. Montgomery fan, I'd love to read some of her books again for the first time. In the Anne of Green Gables series, the one I'd pick is Anne of the Island.
9. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery (8 times) At least half the respondents on this book said they prefered the French version.
7. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll (11 times). I just found my old dog-eared copies of these terrific books. What wonderful memories!
6. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett (12 times). I actually just read this for the first time last year. I wish I had discovered it when I was a child.
We've reached the halfway point, and are starting to climb into the big numbers.
4. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (22 times). A perfectly written book. It's amazing what an effect Harper Lee has had on so many generations. I read this book in high school, although I recently had a mom (who hadn't read the book) try to convince me that it was appropriate for her third grader.
3. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle (25 times). This book ranks high on every children's book poll I see such as: "What's your favorite book from childhood?" or "What's your favorite Newbery book?" The answer is always A Wrinkle in Time. Interesting side note: did you know that this book was rejected by over two dozen publishers before it was finally accepted?
The numbers jumped way up for the last two, both of which are series.
2. The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien (38 times) Great, great books. I remember my first time reading these very vividly. Frodo was climbing up Mount Doom and my mom came in and asked me to clean up my room. I recall telling her in a passionate voice that I had read hundreds and hundreds of pages just to get to that point and I couldn't stop. I had to know what happened next. Fortunately, she took pity on me.
And the books that were mentioned the most... (drum roll, please):
1. The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling (41 times) As a die-hard Harry Potter fan, I couldn't agree more, but I was surprised that Harry beat out Frodo.
I was on the edge of my seat for every single Harry Potter book. Whenever I thought I had figured it all out, Rowling took her story in another direction and surprised me every time. She made me gasp, cry and laugh in a way I never have while reading a book. It was an unforgettable ride.
But as much as I loved that thrilling, spine tingling first time, it was in the re-reading where I discovered the true magic. Rowling planned out all seven books before the first one was even accepted for publication. All the books are full of subtle, deftly hidden clues and wonderful misdirection that are a delight to discover. For more about the joy of reading a favorite book over and over, check out Jen's excellent post on the subject.
Now, on to the runner-ups. Although they didn't make the top ten list, here are the children's and young adult books that were mentioned multiple times. They're in alphabetical order by author.
-Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander
-I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
-The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
-Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
-Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
-Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer
-The Dark is Rising series by Susan Cooper
-Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
-James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
-The Neverending Story by Michael Ende
-Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
-Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
-Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry
-The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
-From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg
-Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren
-The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald
-Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
-The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
-The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
-Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
-A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
-A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
-Heidi by Johanna Spyri
-Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
-The Polar Express by Chris vanAllsburg
-The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner
-Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
-The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
Several adult books were also mentioned, but they were far outdistanced by the votes for the children's books. If you're curious, here's the results:
-The hands-down winner was Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.
-Animal Farm, The Grapes of Wrath, Watership Down, The Princess Bride and Mists of Avalon tied for second place.
-1984, The Foundation Trilogy, Gone with The Wind, Interview with a Vampire and Of Mice and Men came in third place.
All in all, the answers to this question were absolutely fascinating. Here's a few of my favorite comments:
"My third grade teacher read it to us aloud, and every time I read it, I can still hear her sweet voice. I wonder if she has any idea how she affected us." (Charlotte's Web)
"I would love to read Goodnight Moon with my mom and dad again for the first time."
"I can actually vividly remember hiding under the covers when Lord Voldemort made his appearance." (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)
"I've read A Wrinkle in Time and A Christmas Carol more times than I can count, but nothing compares to the moment I discovered those worlds. They were more real than reality to me."
"I remember one hot summer when I was about ten reading about life in the Alps. I was hooked." (Heidi)
"To be a child again and reading on my father's lap." (The Princess and the Goblin)
"The first book that got me really excited about reading was at about ten years old: The Silver Crown by Robert O'Brien. Nothing compares to that first book you can't put down."
"I can't leave out the first book I remember checking out from the library: The Fuzzy Duckling.
"I'd like to return to fourth grade so I could hear my teacher Mr. Orr read The Thief of Always out loud again. That was an incredible experience for me."
"So if for one more time, I could be a riveted six-year old, I would like to go sit in my father's lap, and read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone just once more."
Thanks so much for sharing all your wonderful comments and experiences.
The best part is yet to come. That will happen when you find a book on this list you've never read before and try it for the very first time. Or better yet, when you read it to a child and watch them experience it for the first time.
Welcome to Show and Tale, a new Tuesday feature from Booklights. Each week, we'll be asking a quick question about books: your all-time favorite, your current read, the bedtime story your kids ask for every night.
We're starting out with a simple but hard-to-pick-just-one question: What's your favorite children's book and why?
Here's what the winners of our recent book giveaway at the BlogHer conference said:
Cindy picked Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus from Mo Willems. "My 2.5 year old loves it because she gets to say 'NO, PIGEON' on every page."
Susan picked Richard Scarry's What Do People Do All Day?. "It shows moms and dads working in and out of the home."
And Miss Lori, a familiar face to preschool fans of PBS KIDS, named her favorite, The Giving Tree, in this chat with Supersister Kristen:
So what's your favorite and why do you love it? Tell us below for a chance to win free books from Booklights.
Last week Susan wrote about the gift of reading a wonderful book for the first time. She asked readers: "What book would you love to be able to read again for the first time?". This post inspired a host of thoughtful and (sometimes) nostalgic responses. The next day, Pam wrote about three of her favorite summer books and asked readers to share their favorites. These posts, in part (along with a post by Charlotte from Charlotte's Library), inspired me to re-read one of my own favorite books, one that is for me the very essence of summer: Return to Gone-Away by Elizabeth Enright. I previously listed Return to Gone-Away as one of my favorite children's books, and just reviewed it here. Re-reading Return to Gone-Away last week made me think about something that is, in a way, a mirror image Susan's post. It made me think about the joy that comes from re-reading an old favorite, one in which each character and scene are already familiar.
I was only a few pages in to my re-read of Return to Gone-Away when it literally brought tears to my eyes. It wasn't the content of the book that made me weepy-eyed. It's that I was so happy to be back reading this particular book that my emotions just bubbled over. I can only think of a few books that evoke tears from me, just from being themselves. Return to Gone-Away is one of them. Two others are The Forgotten Door by Alexander Key and Listening Valley by D. E. Stevenson (my all-time favorite book, published for adults). (You can read about some of my other favorite re-reads here.)
I love everything about these cherished books. I love the language, especially when I read particular sentences that I remember verbatim. I love the characters, and the way that they remind me anew of the things that make them special. I love re-visiting my younger self, remembering earlier reads of the same book. I literally give these books a little pat on the cover when I see them on my bedside table - I'm unable to rein in my affection. And why should I? These are the books that made me who I am.
When I read new books, I generally require a considerable amount of plot. The more complex and suspenseful, the better. But I'm reminded by Return to Gone-Away that the books I already love, the books that I read over and over again, don't need suspense at all. The re-reading experience, for me, is all about revisiting beloved characters and settings. It's about visiting old friends. It's about a personal connection between me and the particular book. I don't want the opportunity to read these particular books again as if it was the first time (as Susan discussed). Part of what makes these particular books special for me is the incremental appreciation I've built up over dozens of readings.
I like smiling when Mrs. Blake says, on page 1 of Return to Gone-Away "We'll have to think of a new name for that house right away", because I already know the outcome. I like already knowing whether or not Julian will find the missing safe, and whether or not the rope in the old dumbwaiter will break. I like shaking my head on page 9, because Foster's behavior is just so typically Foster.
This affection for particular books is more than just taking comfort in familiarity (though that's part of it). I don't think that you can just pick any old random book off the shelf, and re-read it once a year for 20 years, and have the book become meaningful to you (though that would be an interesting experiment). I think that there has to be something already in the book that makes you want to re-read it every year. Something that connects you to the book. For those books, the ones that you love enough to revisit throughout your lifetime, the connection just gets stronger every year.
This isn't to say that I disagree with Susan about the wonders of reading a great book for the first time. I envy every single person who hasn't read The Hunger Games yet, because they still have it ahead of them. And I know that sometimes childhood favorites don't hold up at all. But I also think (and I'll bet that Susan will agree) that there's something very special about re-reading a favorite book, one that is loved, in part, because it's so familiar.
I'd like to believe that everyone has books like these, books that they can turn to for comfort reading on bleak days. Books that remind them of where they came from, and what mattered to them when they were younger. Parents, what books will bring tears to your children's eyes when they're 40, because they're so happy to be back reading the books again? Will it be Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone? The Penderwicks? The Lord of the Rings? Clementine? Will the teens who have read Twilight seven times already re-read it as they get older? Will reading Twilight when they are 60 help them to recapture that feeling of falling in love with a book at 12? I hope so. Because me, I feel blessed to have my favorite books as part of my life. What do all of you say?
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Explore The Pacific - Pacific Destinations
Encompassing close to a third of the planet’s surface, the vast Pacific Ocean, divided into the North Pacific and South Pacific, stretches from Antarctica in the south to the Arctic in the north, with Australia, New Zealand and Asia to the west and North and South America to the east. Island countries located in this magnificent ocean are generally referred to as the Pacific Nations, or Pacific Island Nations. The largest of the landmasses lying entirely in the waters of the Pacific is the island of New Guinea, which also happens to be the world’s second largest island.
More than a thousand islands, including the Cook Islands, Samoa, Marquesas Islands, Society, Tokelau, Tuamotu, Tonga, Tuvalu and Wallis and Futuna islands fall into an area referred to as the great triangle of Polynesia - connecting New Zealand, Hawaii and Easter Island. These beautiful tropical islands are inhabited by the Polynesian people who are believed to have originated from sea-migrating Austronesian people and there are a number of theories as to why and how these friendly, easy-going people came to inhabit this area. While all the islands lie in crystal clear waters with diverse and abundant sea life, some islands have become popular tourist destinations. These include Nuku Hiva with its striking volcanic landscapes and spectacular waterfalls, Bora Bora with its tall cliffs and turquoise lagoon and Au Pou with its fascinating volcanic rock formations, to mention just a few.
To the west of the International Date Line and north of the equator, the Caroline Islands, Marshall Islands and Mariana Islands are included in the multitude of small islands making up Micronesia. The people who live on their paradise-like islands are all descended from the Micronesian culture which developed from a mixture of Filipinos, Polynesians and Melanesians. The southwestern area of the Pacific is home to the islands of Melanesia, with New Guinea being the largest. Other notable island groups within Melanesia include Fiji, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands and the Bismarck Archipelago.
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Private letters give a touching glimpse of lives lived and lost in WWII
In Russia and the CIS, World War II is known by a different name, the Great Patriotic War. In that conflict more Soviet people died than from any other nation. There were hardly any families in the USSR that had not lost loved ones. Today, the stories of the many who gave their lives in defence of their motherland are retold, using their own letters from the front. They don’t just talk of love, bravery and sacrifice but shed light on the scale of human tragedy suffered during WWII.
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Over the last 40 years, permanent-magnet couplings have come into the manufacturing forefront. This technology can operate at high speeds without contact or wear of active components, and at temperatures from cryogenic to 500° F. Permanent magnetic couplings also correct misalignments and provide overload protection within a single set of components. Once applied only to chemical pumps, magnetic couplings are now used in a variety of applications, ranging from downhole oilwells, liquid nitrogen pumps, high-pressure compressors, severely misaligned drivelines, and non-contact vibration isolation drives for encoders and torque transducers.
Let's compare the three basic methods of mechanical power transmission using permanent magnets.
- Synchronous power
In this arrangement, one magnet follows another. Two sets of strong magnets are arranged on opposing components. The pole pieces attract one another so that the magnet sets stay in synch and torque is transmitted. There is no relative motion between the driver and driven — only static rotation relative to the pole pieces due to torque. When the torque rating of this coupling/clutch is exceeded, the two parts slip and very little torque is transmitted. Depending on rotational velocity, the parts reengage at the next set of poles. Magnets are arranged on two coaxial cylinders, one attached to the drive and the other to the driven. Alternately, magnets can be attached on two opposing plates.
- Hysteresis power
Like with synchronous power, in this arrangement one magnet follows another. Here, a strongly magnetic driver is attracted to a weaker magnetically driven material. Torque is transmitted until it reaches the magnitude at which the weak material slips. When this happens, transmitted torque holds constant as the weak material is magnetized and demagnetized by close proximity of the strong magnet, and the two parts move relative to one another. In some cases, substantial heat is generated. Then once the overload is removed, the components automatically reengage.
Slip torque can be adjusted by changing the relative position of opposing strong magnets on either side of the weak magnetic material, or by varying the magnet gap or overlap location.
- Eddy current
In this case, Lenz's Law (Vinduced = -∂Φ/∂t) and the properties of conductors in a magnetic field are leveraged. To review, Lenz's Law states that induced current flows to electromagnetically oppose the motion or cause by which its produced.
A series of rotating magnets is held in close proximity to a highly conductive material, such as aluminum or copper. The rotating magnetic field sets up opposing electrical eddy-current fields in the conductive disc, causing them to produce a magnetic field that drags against the opposing rotating magnets. Eventually, the conductive disk nearly catches up with the driving magnets.
Unless a lockup clutch is used, there is always slippage in eddy current units. This type can be constructed with variable torque by adjusting the phase or air gap of the magnets. Due to generation of the eddy currents in the conductive disc, adequate cooling is necessary to prevent overheating. This cooling is normally supplied by airflow during rotation; however, at lower speeds external cooling is required.
Leveraging nonmechanical linkage
Since there is no physical contact between driver and driven parts, magnetic couplings yield many interesting possibilities of completely isolating the driving and driven components; in fact, driven components can be totally separated from the drive by solid walls. This is most frequently incorporated with synchronous units but can be applied to other designs as well.
Because the interaction between parts is magnetic instead of physical, the resulting forces on driving and driven components is much less than conventional connections — and complete torsional and electrical isolation are possible.
However, not all barriers are created equal. When designing couplings and clutches to transmit rotation across solid barriers, the effects of Lenz's Law are significant. In metallic barriers, rotating magnetic fields can induce electrical eddy currents and their corresponding magnetic fields. This loss — in the form of heat and drag on driving components — is calculated:
K = a constant depending on design
T =thickness of barrier
L = length of magnets
N = speed, rpm
Bg = flux density of the magnets
D = mean diameter
M = number of sets of magnets
R = electrical resistivity, μOhms per cm3
This equation shows that losses can be considerable at higher speeds. Additionally, for a given geometry, the higher the specific electrical resistance of the barrier, or the lower the magnetic field, the lower the losses. From a practical standpoint, grade-five titanium, Hastelloy, nickel alloys, 300-series stainless steels, beryllium copper, and other nonmagnetic alloys can be used as barriers. However, aluminum must be avoided due to its higher conductivity. With aluminum, the effects of Lenz's Law are apparent even at hand-operated speeds.
Since losses are proportional to flux density B2 excess magnetic power is not beneficial and should be avoided. To decrease field strength across the barrier as much as possible, the opposing magnets need to be displaced from one another as much as possible. At maximum torque, magnets are not directly across from one another; instead they are displaced in torsional rotation nearly to the midpoints between magnets; this yields minimum field through the barrier.
Low safety factors and soft starts are used to avoid oversizing the parts. The heat generated by eddy currents in the barrier must be removed with cooling fluids to avoid overheating of the barrier. At lower speeds or magnetic field torques, the amount of heat generated may be removed by conduction and convection to the environment without additional cooling circuits. Alternatively, a non-metallic barrier (for strength, a composite or ceramic) can be used to eliminate eddy currents and respective heat and losses.
Hysteresis for constant torque
In units that operate by hysteresis, the amount of magnetic field penetrating the weaker magnetic material can be varied by constructing the coupling with stronger magnets on opposite sides of the weaker material. The strong magnets are arranged such that one set can be moved relative to the other.
When like poles face each other, they produce maximum magnetic saturation, forcing lines of flux to travel circumferentially through the hysteresis disc for maximum torque. When opposite poles face each other they produce minimum saturation of the hysteresis disc, since the lines of flux travel right through it. A combination of adjustment angles between these two extremes gives infinite adjustability.
Alternately, one or two sets of strong magnets can be moved away from the weaker material (for less overlap or increased air gap) to vary the amount of torque transmitted. Because there are no contacting surfaces, the setting can be maintained indefinitely. Once it is set, this torque does not change. Continuous slip within operational parameters do heat the clutch but does not change its torque or necessitate resetting as with wearing friction, wrap spring, or ball detent types.
Hysteresis products are normally made with magnets that keep their properties constant over the expected temperature range. However, hysteresis units sometimes need additional cooling to avoid overheating other components during extended periods of overload and slip.
Other things to note
In synchronous and hysteresis drives, coaxial versions operate in axial equilibrium. In other words, when properly installed the inner and outer magnets float axially relative to each other and tend to align themselves. There is no axial force induced on driving or driven components. However, coaxial designs are not stable radially; any radial misalignment causes inner and outer components to attract one another. For this reason, both the inner and outer drives must be fully supported.
On the other hand, disc styles are very stable radially (generating relatively low radial reaction forces) and can transmit a significant percentage of full load torque even when grossly radially misaligned. The two discs are strongly attracted to one another and must be axially restrained against coming together under normal operation. When overloaded, the like poles are opposite and push away from one another; they should be restrained in the opposite direction. This potential axial motion can be used to trip a limit switch on overload. One caveat: Allowing axial motion of one of the hubs does reduce the torque rating of the coupling/clutch, because the increased air gap lowers slip torque.
Magnetic couplings are like most other mechanical power transmission products: A larger diameter makes for higher torque. Too, in coaxial models, increasing the length results in a nearly linear increase in torque. This is important where large pressure differentials (even to 20,000 psi) use small-diameter couplings with relatively thin walls. In these situations, low magnetic field strength is used. In the extreme case, high power (400 hp at 3,600 rpm, for example) can be transmitted across a solid barrier — by say, a five-inch-diameter coupling to over six feet long.
Eddy-current drives can also transmit variable torque by changing the distance between the conductors and drive magnets. Many people have used eddy-current drives without knowing it; automobile speedometers are eddy current drives with a return spring. Exercise bikes that use eddy-current drives are also quite common; as the user pedals faster, drag increases proportionally. On eddy-current drives, slip is constant under all conditions and the effects of Lenz's law is proportional to the square of speed. These products are typically used at speeds above 1,000 rpm, and may need forced air cooling to operate at lower speeds.
A word about magnet types
Most magnetic couplings and clutches are now made with high-energy rare-earth magnets. These fall into two categories: NdFeB (neodymium iron boron, also called simply neo) and SmCo (samarium cobalt.) SmCo has undergone improvements in recent years for increased power density. SmCo5 designs are being replaced with Sm2Co17.
All magnets have some reversible field losses as well as irreversible losses with increasing temperature. At even higher temperatures (Curie temperatures) they lose all magnetic properties, and the magnetic fields become totally random. On a cubic-inch basis, NdFeB is stronger than SmCo for similar degrees of magnetization at room temperature. However, as temperature increases the NdFeB magnets become weaker faster than SmCo — 0.1% per °C versus 0.03% per °C. For NdFeB magnets, irreversible losses may occur starting at 120°F (for standard grades) vs. 150° C for high-temperature UH and EH grades. Usually for applications over 200° F, SmCo is used for its more constant torque rating over all temperatures.
Some older products and lower power density designs (in other words, those requiring larger volume) include ceramic or AlNiCo. These magnets are less expensive per cubic inch. However, it must be noted that AlNiCo magnets (made from an alloy of aluminum nickel and cobalt) used in the very earliest synchronous couplings are prone to demagnetization and must be carefully applied.
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It’s widely acknowledged that a common threat unites people. Individuals who were previously separated by social class, race or ethnicity come together, forming new cooperative alliances to defeat a common enemy. But does it take an external threat — an attack like Pearl Harbor or 9/11 — to make these social divisions melt away?
A study by behavioral scientists at UC Santa Barbara demonstrates that peaceful cooperation has the same effect as intergroup conflict in erasing social boundaries connected to race. Their findings appear today in the journal PLOS ONE.
“Evolution has equipped the mind with a cognitive system that is specialized for detecting alliances in the social world,” said Leda Cosmides, professor of psychology at UC Santa Barbara and co-director of the campus’ Center for Evolutionary Psychology. “This alliance detection system spontaneously picks up cues about who’s cooperating with whom, and uses them to implicitly assign people to social categories.”
The paper’s lead author, David Pietraszewski, collaborated with Cosmides and John Tooby, a professor of anthropology at UCSB and also co-director of the center. Pietraszewski was a graduate student at UCSB when the research was done, and is now a postdoctoral scholar at Yale University.
Behavioral scientists have long known that people commonly categorize others by race and ethnicity. Earlier work at the center had found that intergroup conflict reduced social categorization by race.
“So the first question we asked is whether social antagonism is necessary to trigger the categorization of people by alliance — do we cognitively link A and B into an alliance category only because they are jointly in conflict with C and D?” Pietraszewski said.
The short answer: It isn’t.
The researchers used an experimental setup called “Who Said What?” to see how their subjects were spontaneously categorizing people.
“When people are trying to recall who said what in a conversation, the errors they make show us the hidden ways they are categorizing the speakers,” Pietraszewski said.
In these experiments, subjects observed a scenario in which eight people conversed with one another — in this case volunteers from two organizations that help people, Habitat for Humanity and Partners in Health. All the volunteers were wearing identical gray shirts, so there were no visual features distinguishing members of the two groups. In some conditions, each charity group had two black and two white members of the same sex, so race did not correlate with group membership. In others, each had two men and two women of the same race, so gender did not predict group membership. Subjects watched as the eight volunteers chatted pleasantly about how each group cooperates to help others.
This conversation contained clues about who was allied with whom — that is, about which individuals volunteer for Habitat for Humanity versus Partners in Health. After watching this scenario for a few minutes, the volunteers’ faces appeared on a screen and statements from their conversation came up at random. Subjects were asked to indicate “who said what?” by clicking on the face of the person who had made each statement.
“If you get it right, that doesn’t tell us anything,” Pietraszewski explained. “But people make a lot of errors, and they are more likely to confuse individuals they have assigned to the same mental category. Their mistakes will not be random.
"For example, subjects who implicitly categorized the volunteers by their gender will be more likely to misattribute a statement made by a woman to another woman than to a man, and vice versa. If these subjects also categorized the volunteers by their alliances, they will be more likely to misattribute a statement made by one member of Habitat for Humanity to another Habitat member than to a member of Partners in Health.”
By tracking these error patterns, the researchers were able to measure how strongly subjects categorized the volunteers by their coalitional alliances, race and sex.
“We found that subjects spontaneously detected who was allied with whom, categorizing the volunteers by their charity group membership,” Pietraszewski said. “There was no need for intergroup conflict. Peaceful cooperation triggered alliance detection, whether the two coalitions were mixed-race or mixed-sex.”
The second question the researchers asked was whether racial categorization occurs because our minds treat race as if it were a clue to people’s alliances.
“Do categories such as 'black' and 'white' arise in our minds because we cannot help but see differences in skin color? Or is it because the alliance system has detected that these differences in skin color are correlated with patterns of cooperation and conflict in our society?” Tooby asked. “If racial categories are creatures of the alliance system — if they are used to predict who is allied with whom when there is no other information available — then it should be easy to decrease racial categorization. Race should fade in relevance when it is clear that other social dimensions, and not race, are currently organizing people’s behavior.”
To test this prediction, the researchers compared racial categorization when coalitions were absent versus present.
“In some conditions, speakers belonged to two cooperative coalitions — the charity groups — and they were chatting about their work. In other conditions, the same speakers made similar remarks, but they were not members of two different coalitions. We measured racial categorization in both sets of conditions. This let us see whether evidence of peaceful cooperation across racial boundaries reduced categorization by race,” Pietraszewski explained.
“When race did not predict who was allied with whom, but participation in these cooperative charity groups did, there was a striking decrease in the extent to which our subjects categorized people by their race,” Pietraszewski continued. “When all the volunteers in the scenario were men, racial categorization was cut almost in half. When all the volunteers were women, racial categorization disappeared. The alliance system responded quickly to new information. Our subjects were exposed to a world in which race did not predict coalitional alliances for only a few minutes, but this was enough to reduce — and sometimes eliminate — the nonconscious tendency to categorize by race.”
To rule out alternative explanations for the decrease in racial categorization, the researchers also measured categorization by gender when coalitions were present versus absent. “Gender was a good comparison category,” Cosmides said. “Like differences in skin color, differences in sex are visible on the face, and both are categorized strongly under many conditions."
But race and sex are different in an important respect. Coalitional alliances change all the time; if the mind treats race as a clue for predicting people’s alliances, then showing black and white people cooperating with one another should reduce the use of this clue — it should reduce racial categorization. But gender is important in all human societies, and in all primate species; it organizes social behavior in many different situations. Evolution should have equipped our minds with a cognitive system that spontaneously categorizes people by their gender, because it was useful for predicting and interpreting behavior during our evolutionary history. If this is correct, then categorization by sex should remain high, even when people see men and women cooperating with one another. The alliance cues that reduce racial categorization should have no effect on gender categorization.”
As predicted, the researchers found that subjects strongly categorized the volunteers by their gender no matter what — whether charity groups were present or absent, whether the individuals were dressed identically or wore different colored shirts. “The alliance detection system regulated categorization by coalition and race, but not sex,” Pietraszewski said.
“This study tests the model that the mind cares about physical features only to the extent that they suggest social relationships,” explained Pietraszewski. “It shows that the reason the mind attends to race at all is to keep track of people’s affiliations. When race proves not to be a factor, the alliance detection system attends to it only minimally, if at all.”
“The method we used is entirely unobtrusive,” said Tooby. “People don’t know what you’re measuring, and they couldn’t control it even if they did. It shows the principles by which you’re categorizing people implicitly. In and of itself, implicitly assigning people to racial categories is not racism. But if you combine the tendency to categorize by race with a negative evaluation, that is racism.”
According to Tooby, when race does not predict who’s on what side of an issue or who’s supporting whom, the mind discards it as an element for identifying alliances. “Traditionally, the general impression people had was that when you learn to be racist, it gets deeply inscribed and sneaks out in subtle ways and it’s slow to change,” he explained. “One of the striking implications of this research is that the tendency to categorize by race is easy to eliminate.
“The common-sense interpretation of why you see racial categories in the world is because different kinds of people exist, and they look different from each other. Therefore, just like you pick up differences between pears and peaches, you pick up different races in the world,” continued Tooby. “But at the genetic level the differences are really hard to see. It’s just not the case that people of one race have a large series of genes that people from another race lack; you just don’t see that.”
The question then becomes why racial differences are so visually salient to people.
“We see race in the world because patterns of alliance and cooperation have trained us to sort people into categories that way,” he said. “And this training requires that our visual systems pick up tiny differences and amplify them until what we see matches the alliance structure of our social world. Young children are often surprised when adults describe players on their favorite team as being of a different race. They don’t see it.”
“This research suggests that our minds retrieve race because it predicts alliances in our social world,” Cosmides said. “When other cues predict cooperative alliances better, the mind reduces its reliance on racial categories. That’s why we refer to the content of your cooperation, not the color of your skin.”
For years, she added, social scientists have tried unsuccessfully to identify social situations that decrease the extent to which people categorize others by race.
“One of the reasons people had assumed it was so difficult is because it’s supported by these perceptual differences,” she said. “But we also show that when you have purely perceptual categories — like wearing red shirts versus yellow shirts — and when shirt color doesn’t mean anything about coalitions or social differences, people barely pick it up, or they don’t pick it up at all. You can’t just say people categorize others by skin color because their visual system can’t help it.”
If categorizing individuals by race is a reversible product of a cognitive system specialized for detecting alliance categories, changing behavior might have more powerful effects than changing minds, the researchers said.
“Many people assume you need to change how people think about racial issues to eliminate racism,” Cosmides explained. “This research suggests that if cooperation across racial lines continues to increase in our society, our tendency to think about people in racial terms will fall away. Cooperation should change how people think.”
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What's behind isolated high MCV?
"What's the significance of an increased mean corpuscular volume (MCV) of 105 fL in a woman with normal hemoglobin and B[subscript 12]/folate levels?" queries A. SORENSEN, MD, of OSHAWA, ON, adding, "She's not taking any medication, and testing was done for poor energy and fatigue. Her thyroid- stimulating hormone (TSH) was also normal."
Several conditions show normal serum folate and B[subscript 12] but high MCV, including: *chronic alcoholism; *liver disease; *obstructive jaundice; *marrow suppression or infiltration; *myelodysplasia; *hypothyroidism; *high reticulocyte count of any cause. In North America, the most frequent cause is chronic alcoholism. Another common condition is falsely elevated MCV due to the presence of cold agglutinin. In the presence of cold agglutinin, red cells stick together at room temperature, so the instrument that determines the complete blood count (CBC) would underestimate the red cell count and overestimate the MCV and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC). Finding that both MCHC and MCV are high should alert an experienced laboratory technologist to check for the presence of cold agglutinin or red cell agglutination on blood smear. MS
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Accessory turns mobile phones, tablets into portable television
Updated On: Nov 18 2013 09:48:43 AM EST
Looking for a way to watch your favorite Channel 4 programming on the go without eating up your phone's data plan? Introducing Dyle TV, local television broadcast directly to your mobile phone or tablet.
Dyle TV and various electronic manufacturers have teamed up to produce devices that deliver live television broadcast from WJXT and other stations to mobile devices.
The new mobile TV receivers are available either as a wireless device or, for iPhones and iPads, as a device that plugs into your device's port.
What makes the device different?
Unlike livestream video on the web -- which is not going way -- Dyle is over-the-air broadcast television specifically geared to mobile devices. This allows an unlimited number of viewers to access the mobile television service all at once with no buffering or streaming issues.
How does it work?
The tuners receive ATSC-Mobile television signals on an antenna, then either connect directly to the dock of an iOS mobile device, or pull down the signal and transmit wirelessly to your Android or Apple phone or tablet.
With Dyle TV, people can receive our signal anytime and anywhere in the viewing area. Watch entertainment programming or stay informed with the latest local and national news.
The mobile broadcast technology is also designed to work if others are moving around in the room, even watching in a moving car.
How much does it cost? Where I can purchase one?
Depending on type of device and manufacturer, prices vary from $100 and $130. But that's all you ever have to buy, as this is free, over-the-air TV that does not use any data from your wireless plan. It is also accessible from wireless-only tablets.
Audiovox Mobile TV receiver
Audiovox mobileTV is designed to bringlive TV to iOS and Android smartphones and tablets. The Dyle Mobile TV App by Siano is available from the App Store and Google Play.
Watch live TV right on your mobile device without WiFi® or data plans. Simply download the Dyle TV app and attach the Belkin Mobile TV receiver to your iPhone or iPad.
ESCORT Mobile TV receiver
Looking for a new and exciting way to watch top sports, news and entertainment programming live and on the go? ESCORT MobileTV™ uses the latest technology to receive major network programming.
Turn your iPad or iPhone into a portable TV and watch live television on the go! Just download the free EyeTV Mobile app and connect the EyeTV Mobile TV tuner.
Samsung Galaxy S Lightray 4G from Metro PCS
MetroPCS is proud to offer this Android™ smartphone that brings live TV to the palm of your hand with the preloaded Dyle™ mobile TV app.
Amazon.com and Radio Shack retail stores carry one or more of these devices, and more retailers are expected to begin stocking the devices before the holidays.
Copyright 2013 by News4Jax.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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February 22, 2004.
by Ashley Harrell,
Boca Raton News.
Delray resident Mary Haughie can’t leave her house without an escort. She has a hard time distinguishing the faces of friends and uses a special machine to project magnified images on to her television screen in order to read mail and pay bills.
Sadly, the difficulty she has in performing these daily tasks is a reality for the growing number of Americans diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
The number of people with AMD, the leading cause of legal blindness in adults over age 55, is expected to increase as the baby-boom generation ages, according to experts.
The first symptom is often a change in vision, such as blurriness, blind spots or a perception of straight lines being wavy, according to doctors.
There are two forms of AMD—dry and wet. All cases begin as the dry form, but 10 percent to 20 percent progress to the more aggressive and debilitating wet form, which usually leads to a more rapid and more severe loss of vision.
Approximately 1.6 million Americans are living with AMD and 200,000 people will be diagnosed with the disease in North America this year, but according to one local doctor, recent breakthroughs in preventative treatment may be saving the eyesight of AMD elders as soon as a year from now.
“In the past five years, the development of new drugs and treatments for macular degeneration are showing incredible promise for treating patients with the most severe vision loss,” said Halperin, an area Ophthalmologist who specializes in surgery and diseases of the retina.
Halperin is calling on South Florida residents recently diagnosed with wet age-related macular degeneration to participate in clinical research trial to test whether an investigational drug prevents vision loss.
Potential participants must be diagnosed with predominantly classic wet AMD, be 50 years of age or older, and must not have received prior treatment.
The study is testing rhuFab, an investigational drug designed to block abnormal blood vessel growth in the eye that is thought to be the cause of the wet form of AMD. There are currently no approved therapies to treat the underlying cause of wet AMD, the more aggressive and debilitating form of the disease.
“The early data is very promising, but we have to wait for the results of the study to know for sure,” said Halperin.
The trial is now seeking approximately 400 patients at more than
60 study sites across the nation, said Halperin. Participants will be evaluated for a period of two years.
Although it’s too late for Haughie to be part of the study, she encourages others to get involved. The 82-year-old lost most of her vision three years ago, but has not given up on life.
“I wasn’t going to let anything get me down. I love life,” said Haughie, who hosted a game of bridge at her home on Thursday afternoon. The group played with Haughie’s special deck of enlarged cards.
Copyright 2003 - Boca Raton News.
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A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from the nuclear reaction of fission or from a combination of fission and fusion. Both reactions release vast quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter; a modern thermonuclear weapon weighing little more than a ton can produce an explosion comparable to the detonation of more than a billion kilograms of conventional high explosive. The largest nuclear weapon ever detonated, the Tsar Bomba, had a yield of approximately 50 megatons of TNT and even small nuclear devices with yields equivalent to only a few thousand tons of TNT can devastate a city. Because of their extreme destructive power nuclear devices are considered weapons of mass destruction.
In the history of warfare, only two nuclear weapons have been detonated offensively, both by the United States of America during the closing days of World War II. The first was detonated on the morning of 6 August 1945, when the United States dropped a uranium gun-type device code-named " Little Boy" on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The second was detonated three days later when the United States dropped a plutonium implosion-type device code-named " Fat Man" on the city of Nagasaki. These bombings resulted in the immediate deaths of around 120,000 people from injuries sustained from the explosion and acute radiation sickness, and even more deaths over time from long-term effects of radiation. The use of these weapons was and remains controversial. (See Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki for a full discussion.)
Since the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, nuclear weapons have been detonated on over two thousand occasions for testing purposes and demonstration purposes. The only countries known to have detonated such weapons are (chronologically) the United States, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, France, the People's Republic of China, India, Pakistan, and North Korea.
Various other countries may hold nuclear weapons but have never publicly admitted possession, or their claims to possession have not been verified. For example, Israel, who has modern airborne delivery systems and appears to have an extensive nuclear program with hundreds of warheads (see Israel and weapons of mass destruction), officially maintains a policy of " ambiguity" with respect to its actual possession of nuclear weapons. According to some estimates, it possesses as many as 200 nuclear warheads. Iran currently stands accused by the United States of attempting to develop nuclear weapons capabilities, though its government states that its acknowledged nuclear activities, such as uranium enrichment, are for non-weapons purposes. South Africa also secretly developed a small nuclear arsenal, but disassembled it in the early 1990s. (For more information see List of states with nuclear weapons.)
Apart from their use as weapons, nuclear explosives have been tested and used for various non-military uses. Synthetic elements, such as einsteinium and fermium, created by neutron bombardment of uranium and plutonium during thermonuclear explosions, were discovered in the aftermath of the first hydrogen bomb test.
The first nuclear weapons were created in the United States by an international team, including many displaced scientists from central Europe, which included Germany, with assistance from the United Kingdom and Canada during World War II as part of the top-secret Manhattan Project. While the first weapons were developed primarily out of fear that Nazi Germany would develop them first, they were eventually used against the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The first test was conducted on July 16, 1945 at a site near Alamogordo, New Mexico. The Soviet Union developed and tested their first nuclear weapon in 1949, based partially on information obtained from Soviet espionage in the United States. Both the U.S. and USSR would go on to develop weapons powered by nuclear fusion (hydrogen bombs) by the mid-1950s. With the invention of reliable rocketry during the 1960s, it became possible for nuclear weapons to be delivered anywhere in the world on a very short notice, and the two Cold War superpowers adopted a strategy of deterrence to maintain a shaky peace.
Nuclear weapons were symbols of military and national power, and nuclear testing often used both to test new designs as well as to send political messages. Other nations also developed nuclear weapons during this time, including the United Kingdom, France, and China. These five members of the "nuclear club" agreed to attempt to limit the spread of nuclear proliferation to other nations, though four other countries (India, South Africa, Pakistan, and Israel) developed or acquired nuclear arms during this time. At the end of the Cold War in the early 1990s, the Russian Federation inherited the weapons of the former USSR, and along with the U.S., pledged to reduce their stockpile for increased international safety. Nuclear proliferation has continued, though, with Pakistan testing their first weapons in 1998, and North Korea performing a test in 2006. In January 2005, Pakistani metallurgist Abdul Qadeer Khan confessed to selling nuclear technology and information of nuclear weapons to Iran, Libya, and North Korea in a massive, international proliferation ring. On October 9, 2006, North Korea claimed it had conducted an underground nuclear test, though the very small apparent yield of the blast has led many to conclude that it was not fully successful (see 2006 North Korean nuclear test). Additionally, since 9/11 increased attention has been given to the threat of nuclear terrorism, whereby non-state actors manage to develop, purchase, or steal nuclear arms and detonate them against civilians. Post-Cold War discussions of nuclear weapons have focused on the fact that the "rationality" of nuclear deterrence, credited with the lack of use of nuclear weapons during the Cold War, may not apply in a world with only one superpower, or a world where the nuclear actors are stateless.
There have been (at least) four major false alarms, the most recent in 1995, that almost resulted in the U.S. or USSR/Russia launching its weapons in retaliation for a supposed attack. Additionally, during the Cold War the U.S. and USSR came close to nuclear warfare several times, most notably during the Cuban Missile Crisis. As of 2006, there are estimated to be at least 27,000 nuclear weapons held by at least eight countries, 96 percent of them in the possession of the United States and Russia.
Nuclear weapons have been at the heart of many national and international political disputes, have played a major part in popular culture since their dramatic public debut in the 1940s, and have usually symbolized the ultimate ability of mankind to utilize the strength of nature for destruction. Dozens of movies, books, television shows, plays, and other cultural productions have been made with nuclear weapons as either the explicit subject or an implied leitmotiv.
Types of nuclear weapons
There are two basic types of nuclear weapons. The first are weapons which produce their explosive energy through nuclear fission reactions alone. These are known colloquially as atomic bombs, A-bombs, or fission bombs. In fission weapons, a mass of fissile material ( enriched uranium or plutonium) is assembled into a supercritical mass—the amount of material needed to start an exponentially growing nuclear chain reaction—either by shooting one piece of sub-critical material into another (the "gun" method), or by compressing a sub-critical sphere of material using chemical explosives to many times its original density (the "implosion" method). The latter approach is considered more sophisticated than the former, and only the latter approach can be used if plutonium is the fissile material.
A major challenge in all nuclear weapon designs is to ensure that a significant fraction of the fuel is consumed before the weapon destroys itself. The amount of energy released by fission bombs can range between the equivalent of less than a ton of TNT upwards to around 500,000 tons (500 kilotons) of TNT.
The second basic type of nuclear weapon produces a large amount of its energy through nuclear fusion reactions, and can be over a thousand times more powerful than fission bombs as fusion reactions release much more energy per unit of mass than fission reactions. These are known as hydrogen bombs, H-bombs, thermonuclear bombs, or fusion bombs. Only six countries—United States, Russia, United Kingdom, People's Republic of China, France and India—have detonated hydrogen bombs.
Hydrogen bombs work by using the energy of a fission bomb in order to compress and heat fusion fuel. In the Teller-Ulam design, which accounts for all multi-megaton yield hydrogen bombs, this is accomplished by placing a fission bomb and fusion fuel ( tritium, deuterium, or lithium deuteride) in proximity within a special, radiation-reflecting container. When the fission bomb is detonated, gamma and X-rays emitted at the speed of light first compress the fusion fuel, then heat it to thermonuclear temperatures. The ensuing fusion reaction creates enormous numbers of high-speed neutrons, which then can induce fission in materials which normally are not prone to it, such as depleted uranium. Each of these components is known as a "stage," with the fission bomb as the "primary" and the fusion capsule as the "secondary." In large hydrogen bombs, about half of the yield, and much of the resulting nuclear fallout, comes from the final fissioning of depleted uranium. By chaining together numerous stages with increasing amounts of fusion fuel, thermonuclear weapons can be made to an almost arbitrary yield; the largest ever detonated (the Tsar Bomba of the USSR) released an energy equivalent to over 50 million tons ( megatons) of TNT. Most hydrogen bombs are considerably smaller than this, though, due to constraints in fitting them into the space and weight requirements of missile warheads.
There are many other types of nuclear weapons as well. For example, a boosted fission weapon is a fission bomb which increases its explosive yield through a small amount of fusion reactions, but it is not a hydrogen bomb. In the boosted bomb, the neutrons produced by the fusion reactions serve primarily to increase the efficiency of the fission bomb. Some weapons are designed for special purposes; a neutron bomb is a nuclear weapon that yields a relatively small explosion but a relatively large amount of radiation; such a device could theoretically be used to cause massive casualties while leaving infrastructure mostly intact and creating a minimal amount of fallout. The detonation of a nuclear weapon is accompanied by a blast of neutron radiation. Surrounding a nuclear weapon with suitable materials (such as cobalt or gold) creates a weapon known as a salted bomb. This device can produce exceptionally large quantities of radioactive contamination. Most variety in nuclear weapon design is in different yields of nuclear weapons for different types of purposes, and in manipulating design elements to attempt to make weapons extremely small.
Nuclear warfare strategy is a way for either fighting or avoiding a nuclear war. The policy of trying to ward off a potential attack by a nuclear weapon from another country by threatening nuclear retaliation is known as the strategy of nuclear deterrence. The goal in deterrence is to always maintain a second strike status (the ability of a country to respond to a nuclear attack with one of its own) and potentially to strive for first strike status (the ability to completely destroy an enemy's nuclear forces before they could retaliate). During the Cold War, policy and military theorists in nuclear-enabled countries worked out models of what sorts of policies could prevent one from ever being attacked by a nuclear weapon.
Different forms of nuclear weapons delivery (see below) allow for different types of nuclear strategy, primarily by making it difficult to defend against them and difficult to launch a pre-emptive strike against them. Sometimes this has meant keeping the weapon locations hidden, such as putting it on submarines or train cars whose locations are very hard for an enemy to track, and other times this means burying them in hardened bunkers. Other responses have included attempts to make it seem likely that the country could survive a nuclear attack, by using missile defense (to destroy the missiles before they land) or by means of civil defense (using early warning systems to evacuate citizens to a safe area before an attack). Note that weapons which are designed to threaten large populations or to generally deter attacks are known as strategic weapons. Weapons which are designed to actually be used on a battlefield in military situations are known as tactical weapons.
There are critics of the very idea of nuclear strategy for waging nuclear war who have suggested that a nuclear war between two nuclear powers would result in mutual annihilation. From this point of view, the significance of nuclear weapons is purely to deter war because any nuclear war would immediately escalate out of mutual distrust and fear, resulting in mutually assured destruction. This threat of national, if not global, destruction has been a strong motivation for anti-nuclear weapons activism.
Critics from the peace movement and within the military establishment have questioned the usefulness of such weapons in the current military climate. The use of (or threat of use of) such weapons would generally be contrary to the rules of international law applicable in armed conflict, according to an advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice in 1996.
Perhaps the most controversial idea in nuclear strategy is that nuclear proliferation would be desirable. This view argues that, unlike conventional weapons, nuclear weapons successfully deter all-out war between states, as they did during the Cold War between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. Political scientist Kenneth Waltz is the most prominent advocate of this argument.
It has been claimed that the threat of potentially suicidal terrorists possessing nuclear weapons (a form of nuclear terrorism) complicates the decision process. Mutually assured destruction may not be effective against an enemy who expects to die in a confrontation, as they may feel they will be rewarded in a religious afterlife as martyrs and would not therefore be deterred by a sense of self-preservation. Further, if the initial act is from rogue groups of individuals instead of a nation, there is no fixed nation or fixed military targets to retaliate against. It has been argued, especially after the September 11, 2001 attacks, that this complication is the sign of the next age of nuclear strategy, distinct from the relative stability of the Cold War.
Nuclear weapons delivery—the technology and systems used to bring a nuclear weapon to its target—is an important aspect of nuclear weapons relating both to nuclear weapon design and nuclear strategy. Additionally, developing and maintaining delivery options is among the most resource-intensive aspects of nuclear weapons: according to one estimate, deployment of nuclear weapons accounted for 57% of the total financial resources spent by the United States in relation to nuclear weapons since 1940.
Historically the first method of delivery, and the method used in the two nuclear weapons actually used in warfare, is as a gravity bomb, dropped from bomber aircraft. This method is usually the first developed by countries as it does not place many restrictions on the size of the weapon, and weapon miniaturization is something which requires considerable weapons design knowledge. It does, however, limit the range of attack, the response time to an impending attack, and the number of weapons which can be fielded at any given time. Additionally, specialized delivery systems are usually not necessary; especially with the advent of miniaturization, nuclear bombs can be delivered by both strategic bombers and tactical fighter-bombers, allowing an air force to use its current fleet with little or no modification. This method may still be considered the primary means of nuclear weapons delivery; the majority of U.S. nuclear warheads, for example, are represented in free-fall gravity bombs, namely the B61.
More preferable from a strategic point of view are nuclear weapons mounted onto a missile, which can use a ballistic trajectory to deliver a warhead over the horizon. While even short range missiles allow for a faster and less vulnerable attack, the development of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) has allowed some nations to plausibly deliver missiles anywhere on the globe with a high likelihood of success. More advanced systems, such as multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs) allow multiple warheads to be launched at several targets from any one missile, reducing the chance of any successful missile defense. Today, missiles are most common among systems designed for delivery of nuclear weapons. Making a warhead small enough to fit onto a missile, though, can be a difficult task.
Tactical weapons (see above) have involved the most variety of delivery types, including not only gravity bombs and missiles but also artillery shells, land mines, and nuclear depth charges and torpedoes for anti-submarine warfare. An atomic mortar was also tested at one time by the United States. Small, two-man portable tactical weapons (somewhat misleadingly referred to as suitcase bombs), such as the Special Atomic Demolition Munition, have been developed, although the difficulty to combine sufficient yield with portability limits their military utility.
Governance, control, and law
Because of the immense military power they can confer, the political control of nuclear weapons has been a key issue for as long as they have existed; in most countries the use of nuclear force can only be authorized by the head of government. In the United States, the President and the Secretary of Defense, acting as the National Command Authority, must jointly authorize the use of nuclear weapons.
In the late 1940s, lack of mutual trust was preventing the United States and the Soviet Union from making ground towards international arms control agreements, but by the 1960s steps were being taken to limit both the proliferation of nuclear weapons to other countries and the environmental effects of nuclear testing. The Partial Test Ban Treaty (1963) restricted all nuclear testing to underground nuclear testing, to prevent contamination from nuclear fallout, while the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (1968) attempted to place restrictions on the types of activities which signatories could participate in, with the goal of allowing the transference of non-military nuclear technology to member countries without fear of proliferation. In 1957, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was established under the mandate of the United Nations in order to encourage the development of the peaceful applications of nuclear technology, provide international safeguards against its misuse, and facilitate the application of safety measures in its use. In 1996, many nations signed and ratified the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty which prohibits all testing of nuclear weapons, which would impose a significant hindrance to their development by any complying country.
Additional treaties have governed nuclear weapons stockpiles between individual countries, such as the SALT I and START I treaties, which limited the numbers and types of nuclear weapons between the United States and the Soviet Union.
Nuclear weapons have also been opposed by agreements between countries. Many nations have been declared Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones, areas where nuclear weapons production and deployment are prohibited, through the use of treaties. The Treaty of Tlatelolco (1967) prohibited any production or deployment of nuclear weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Treaty of Pelindaba (1964) prohibits nuclear weapons in many African countries. As recently as 2006 a Central Asian Nuclear Weapon Free Zone was established amongst the former Soviet republics of Central Asia prohibiting nuclear weapons.
In the middle of 1996, the International Court of Justice, the highest court of the United Nations, issued an Advisory Opinion concerned with the " Legality of the Threat or Use of Nuclear Weapons". The court ruled that the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons would violate various articles of international law, including the Geneva Conventions, the Hague Conventions, the UN Charter, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
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At the end of September, Thomas Cook announced its bankruptcy leaving several thousand without a job and even more passengers stranded abroad. In operation Matterhorn, the British government brought back all 150.000 passengers who were left with booking confirmations for a company that no longer existed. However, today there is good news for some of Thomas Cook’s former employees. Hays Travel has secured all 555 Thomas Cook stores in the UK.
Thomas Cook stores takeover: Who is Hays Travel?
Thomas Cook will cease to operate and so all its high street stores will close. Nevertheless, it has recently come to light that the retail locations have been bought by a different travel agent. All stores will now operate under a different name and a different company. Hays Travel Limited is the UK’s largest independent travel agency, they have acquired all stores in order to expand their business.
Hays Travel was founded in 1980. Owned and run by John and Irene Hays, the agency employs over 1700 people with 190 shops across the UK. In 2018, the company had a turnover of £1 billion. They consider themselves to be an independent travel firm since they do not fall under any corporative structure.
Hays Travel takes over Thomas Cook: The facts
- Hays Travel is the largest independent travel agency in the UK.
- The company employs 1900 staff throughout the country.
- Hays is looking to take over up to 2500 former Thomas Cook jobs
- Thomas Cook stores will be refurbished and rebranded under ‘Hays Travel’
- The travel company has already successfully recruited 400 former Thomas Cook employees.
Hundreds of Thomas Cook jobs saved through Hays Travel take over
In September, thousands of Thomas Cook employees found themselves unemployed from one day to another. 21.000 crew and staff had to accept the fact that their former employer was no more.
Despite how complicated the past few weeks have been for the affected, good news came on Wednesday! Hays Travel has declared that it would take over 2500 former Thomas Cook employees in their plan to expand their business with the acquisition of Thomas Cook stores. Staff were so grateful when they were told their jobs were safe that the news of the takeover was received with tears from Thomas Cook’s former staff.
More job openings have also been put on offer by Tui, easyJet, Virgin Atlantic and British Airways. This comes at a time when many ex-Thomas Cook employees have experienced uncertainty and worry regarding their pensions, wages and, moreover, their future.
What Hays Travel could do better than Thomas Cook
When announcing the good news, John and Irene Hays mentioned the fact that their travel agency is free of debts, which may prove to be a considerable advantage during the takeover of some Thomas Cook assets. Additionally, they operate on a lower budget having their base in Sunderland.
The CEO of Hays Travel explained that the company’s business model was more appropriate for the digital age, now that most travel-related queries happen on the internet rather than customer visits to the stores. He also claimed “the web was their [Thomas Cook’s] enemy”, explaining that the bankrupted company refused to adapt to the digital age. Perhaps pointing towards theat fact as a relevant factor on why Thomas Cook wen into administration.
What Hays’s competitors think about the Thomas Cook takeover
According to some sources, Tui also registered an interest in some of Thomas Cook’s stores but was hesitant as it did not want to purchase locations in some cities in which they already had a dominant presence.
Thomas Cook’s airport slots at popular airports, such as Manchester and Gatwick, have also been the target of many airlines' intentions since the bankruptcy announcement. It is thought that these will get numerous bids.
British Airways has also made a move on Thomas Cook’s network. The British airline previously announced new destinations, for example from Gatwick to Antalya, that should commence from March 2020. This strategic move has been set up to begin moving into the spaces left in the market by Thomas Cook. Antalya was a key destination for Thomas Cook and will no doubt continue to see flights being operated in accordance with its popularity.
Has Thomas Cook bankruptcy created uncertainty towards package holidays and a possible threat to Hays Travel’s expansion?
Since the airline’s bankruptcy, there has been a rising discussion about package holidays and their future. The CEO of Ryanair, Michael O’Leary, recently pointed out that the package holiday market was “screwed” as he believes that there is no future for package holidays. However, since 2014, the number of UK holidaymakers that book a package deal has been steady, half of the nation’s travellers have decided to go for such a deal.
The uncertainty over the package holiday market will remain as there are also doubts amongst the wider travel market. Airlines are engaging in price wars and reduced demand and higher fuel costs, especially in times of Brexit, are fast approaching and should be considered.
Can I claim compensation for my Thomas Cook airlines flight?
According to the EU Regulation EC No 261/2004, the bankruptcy of Thomas Cook does not make you eligible for compensation. For more information please visit our article covering the bankruptcy of Thomas Cook. However, if you have suffered a delay or cancellation whilst flying from, to or within the EU, you may be entitled to compensation. Check your flight for free and find out!
You can then choose to submit your claim with Flight-Delayed and we'll take care of claiming your compensation under our 25% no win, no fee basis. You only pay our 25% win fee if we are successfull. Furthermore, we're ready to take the airline to court if necessary at no extra cost!
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Living with an overactive bladder: ‘I was feeling so degraded and embarrassed’
Approximately 7 million people in the UK are affected by an overactive bladder, the condition can be embarrassing and prevent people from talking to their doctor about it.
According to a new survey from Astellas and the Bladder & Bowel Foundation 80 per cent of adults agree wetting themselves in public is the most embarrassing thing that could happen to them.
Tim Harvey who suffers from OAB shares his experiences about the condition.
I can remember as a small child at school, that I was the one who constantly needed the toilet during lessons. Even family outings were interrupted by my trips to the toilet, it never occurred to anyone that it could be anything else – I just took after my grandmother with a weak bladder.
During my early childhood and into my teens, I only experienced OAB symptoms, such as frequent and urgent need to go to the toilet throughout the day. However my symptoms started to change as I reached my late twenties, when it started to interrupt my sleep and I started to wet the bed. For 10 years I was just too embarrassed to talk to anyone about it. How could a man in his thirties say he’s wetting the bed? My wife eventually persuaded me to seek help.
My GP referred me to a urologist, however in those days the words Overactive Bladder or OAB were not mentioned. Although the treatment helped during the day for five or six years, I was still wetting the bed two or three times a week. So I just carried on, adapting my life so that I could cope with my condition. By the time I reached my early forties, OAB started to impact on my life 24 hours a day, I was now having almost nightly accidents. It was starting to affect me both physically and mentally, I was feeling so degraded and embarrassed.
I work for the Highways Agency and my job involves spending long hours on the road with sometimes limited access to toilets, and it was only then that I began to realise living like this wasn’t right. None of my colleagues needed the loo as regularly as I did and the frequent toilet breaks were disrupting my job. I was only half-concentrating because I was so concerned that I would leak in public. I was becoming increasingly embarrassed and ashamed of my condition.
It was whilst clearing debris from the motorway, I felt I needed to go to the toilet, but I couldn’t hold on, so standing in front of the traffic, I wet myself. A female colleague who was a former nurse realised what was going on, and I because I was too embarrassed myself, she finally agreed that she would buy some adult pads (nappies) for me to wear during the day.
It still took me three attempts to see my GP but each time I cancelled at the last minute, I was too embarrassed to speak to a male GP. Eventually I booked an appointment with a female GP, finally I was able to open up, and all my feelings and emotions came pouring out. I was then referred to a urologist, where I tried many different treatments which unfortunately were not effective. If only I hadn’t “suffered in silence” and had gone to see my GP much earlier, the outcome may have been very different.
Tim Harvey is a Trustee of the Bladder and Bowel Foundation charity.
BladderProblem.co.uk is a patient awareness campaign sponsored by Astellas in partnership with the Bladder and Bowel Foundation.
The Independent received no payment for publication of this item.
For more information visit www.bladderproblem.co.ukTagged in: bladder, Bladder & Bowel Foundation, bladder infection, bowel infection, overactive bladder
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08-12-2007, 01:05 PM
I know a way to write html in php >>> echo("html code");
But this is not good as when a user views the page source, the code is there.
but I want to know how to write html tables in php code not using echo or print.
08-12-2007, 01:20 PM
When you view a PHP page, you'll only see the HTML, not the PHP scripts.
You can mix HTML with PHP (but you still need the file extension to be .php).
echo "this is the PHP script inside the HTML part";
$date = date("M/d/Y");
Now, we're out of PHP and back to regular HTML<br>
To display PHP variables outside of PHP, you do it like this:<br>
The Date is <?=$date?><br><br>
Notice how the PHP variable is between <? and ?>
08-12-2007, 06:36 PM
Thank you for replying sir. But I think I couldn't tell you what actually I want.
All I want is to write a HTML Table in PHP code. If I echo or print the html code then the user is able to see its code (using view source). I dont want the user to see my code. That's y I want to write the table in PHP. I have the page with extention .php. Please guide me writing a table in PHP only.
Waiting for reply...
08-12-2007, 07:03 PM
There is no way to hide the HTML markup from the people that use your site. You can try to obfuscate it or make it more confusing to understand, but you absolutely have to send it to them. Otherwise, how would their browsers know what to display?
When someone makes a webpage in PHP, they write the code that generates the HTML. You still have to send that output to your users.
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SEOUL, South Korea -- President Obama is attending a three-day stop in Seoul for a Nuclear Security Summit where North Korea's flirtation with weapons borders the talks both literally and figuratively.
The 53-nation summit is a follow-up to the 2010 one in Washington, where leaders outlined ways to keep the most sensitive nuclear materials from terrorists. Obama pushed for a goal of locking down all nuclear facilities by 2014 and this summit serves as a halfway mark to check on progress.
This trip is Obama's third visit to South Korea since becoming president. He also most recently hosted a State Dinner for Korean President Myung-bak Lee at the White House late last year.
The first major event Obama will take part after arrival in Seoul is visiting the demilitarized zone, or DMZ, one of the most fortified strips of land in the world.
It's the border between North and South Korean and has nearly 30,000 U.S. troops in the area, along with 650,000 South Korean troops up against nearly a million North Korean soldiers. Obama will also meet and address U.S. troops during the DMZ stop.
The historic area, which is a remnant of the World War II and the Cold War, is a symbolic and physical separation of the two Koreas, has also been visited by former Presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan.
Within the last couple weeks North Korea has escalated tensions and fears by announcing it would launch a long-range rocket in April, which would be a violation of U.N. resolutions. The move in part is seen as a way for the new North Korean ruler, Kim Jong-un, to flex his new power after taking over for his father, Kim Jong-il, who died in December.
North Korea, known for provocation and cover-up, is saying the rocket would launch a satellite to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Jong-un's grandfather and the country's founding ruler, Kim II-sung.
Recently the U.S. brokered a deal where they provided food to the nation, often facing serious food shortages, in exchange for a nuclear freeze.
North Korea won't be the only nation on leaders' radars at the summit, as Iran and fears of it stockpiling nuclear materials to create a weapon are also expected to be a big topic.
Tensions and talk of war and military action has risen in recent weeks, particularly because of Iran's hard-line provocation and verbal attacks against Israel and their continual secrecy to inspectors wanting to find our more about the country's nuclear ambitions,
They also continue to be evasive to the international community about their intentions.
Obama has emphasized diplomacy and sanctions against Iran, but also has stated ardent support for Israel and says all options are on the table, including military action. He recently stressed in a speech to a Pro-Israel lobbying group that "loose talk" of war was not helping and even criticized 2012 GOP presidential candidates for too easily throwing around the option.
The president will also be meeting with other world leaders at the summit including Chinese President Hu Jintao, whom he also hosted a state dinner for in the U.S. and has tried to forge a global and economic relationship with. While they have areas to intersect and find commong ground, the fact that China is North Korea's closest ally could be a point of disagreement.
"We certainly hope and recommend that China bring all the instruments of power to bear to influence the decision-making in North Korea along the lines that President Obama has advocated, namely to take a path that will bring to North Korea the dignity and the security that they say that they desire," said National Security Asia Director Danny Russell in a briefing ahead of the trip.
While at the summit, Obama will also meet with Russian President Dmitri Medvedev, Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Gilani.
He'll hold and a press conference with President Lee and then also give a speech at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies.
Obama and Lee are also expected to discuss the recent free-trade deal the two nations forged.
The president first presented his nuclear security vision in a speech in Prague in 2009. He said, "I state clearly and with conviction America's commitment to seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons. I'm not naïve. This goal will not be reached quickly--perhaps not in my lifetime...it will take patience and persistence...we have to insist, 'yes we can."
Republicans have charged Obama is too easy to just talk and negotiate and not present a position of strength. He's also been criticized for a recent cuts to a program aimed to get civilian nuclear materials.
The U.S is about one of 10 nations known or suspected to have a nuclear weapon. The administration says it's been able to get five countries to get rid of their highly enriched uranium.
The leaders in Seoul are expected to not only talk about nuclear security, but also safety - which came into serious focus after the Japanese accident at Fukushima power plants.
White House aides say this trip also underscores an administration initiative of engaging in the Asia-Pacific region, which the president emphasized in a trip to Australia and Indonesia last fall.
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US 5354695 A
General purpose methods for the fabrication of integrated circuits from flexible membranes formed of very thin low stress dielectric materials, such as silicon dioxide or silicon nitride, and semiconductor layers. Semiconductor devices are formed in a semiconductor layer of the membrane. The semiconductor membrane layer is initially formed from a substrate of standard thickness, and all but a thin surface layer of the substrate is then etched or polished away. In another version, the flexible membrane is used as support and electrical interconnect for conventional integrated circuit die bonded thereto, with the interconnect formed in multiple layers in the membrane. Multiple die can be connected to one such membrane, which is then packaged as a multi-chip module. Other applications are based on (circuit) membrane processing for bipolar and MOSFET transistor fabrication, low impedance conductor interconnecting fabrication, flat panel displays, maskless (direct write) lithography,. and 3D IC fabrication.
1. A method of making an integrated circuit comprising the steps of:
forming a substrate having a thickness of less than about 50 μm;
forming semiconductor devices on a principal surface of the substrate;
depositing a low stress insulating membrane over the semiconductor devices wherein said insulating membrane has a net surface tensile stress level 2-100 times less than a fracture strength of the insulating membrane material; and
forming electrical interconnections in the membrane extending between the semiconductor devices.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:
forming an epitaxial layer on the principal surface; and
forming the semiconductor devices in the epitaxial layer.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of forming a trench in the substrate isolating at least one of the semiconductor devices from the others.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of the forming the substrate comprises electro-chemical etching.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of depositing includes the step of supplying SiH4 gas, N2 gas, and N2 gas at a temperature of about 400° C.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of depositing includes the step of supplying SiH4 gas, NH3 gas and N2 gas, at a temperature of about 400° C.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises polycrystalline silicon.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a monocrystalline material.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises an amorphous material.
10. The method of claim 2, wherein the epitaxial layer includes germanium.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein the substrate has an area greater than 1 square cm.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein the electrical interconnections are formed in the membrane both above and below the semiconductor devices.
13. The method of claim 1 further comprising at least one additional processing step performed at a temperature in excess of 400° C.
14. The method of claim 13 wherein said additional processing step comprises implant activation annealing.
15. The method of claim 13 wherein said additional processing step comprises epitaxial processing.
16. A method of making an integrated circuit comprising the steps of:
forming a substrate having a thickness of less than about 50 μm;
forming semiconductor devices on a principal surface of the substrate;
depositing a low stress insulating membrane over the semiconductor devices wherein said insulating membrane is deposited with a material selected from the group consisting of silicon dioxide and silicon nitride and has a surface stress level of less than 8×108 dynes/cm2 in tension; and
forming electrical interconnections in the membrane extending between the semiconductor devices.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to methods for fabricating integrated circuits on and in flexible membranes, and to structures fabricated using such methods.
2. Description of Related Art
Mechanically and thermally durable free standing dielectric and semiconductor membranes have been disclosed with thicknesses of less than 2 μm. (See commonly invented U.S. Pat. No. 4,924,589, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/482,135, filed Feb. 16, 1990, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,103,557, both incorporated herein by reference). This disclosure combines the novel use of these technologies and other integrated circuit (IC) processing techniques to form ICs as membranes typically less than 8 μm thick. This approach to IC fabrication falls under the generic industry-established title known as Dielectric Isolation (DI), and is inclusive of subject areas such as Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) and Silicon-on-Sapphire (SOS). ICs formed from dielectric and semiconductor membranes can reduce significantly the number and complexity of processing steps presently used to provide complete IC device isolation; dielectric isolation techniques that provide dielectric isolation on all surfaces of the individual circuit devices comprising the complete IC are not as yet widely used in volume IC fabrication. Integrated Circuits are defined as commonly understood today when referring to SSI, MSI, LSI, VLSI, ULSI, etc. levels of circuit complexity.
This invention is directed to a general method for the fabrication of integrated circuits and interconnect metallization structures from membranes of dielectric and semiconductor materials. The fabrication technology in accordance with this invention is referred to herein as Membrane Dielectric Isolation (MDI), and the circuits made from it as circuit membranes. The novel use of materials and processing techniques provides for the fabrication of high temperature, mechanically durable, large area free standing membranes (greater than 1 square cm in area) from low stress dielectric and/or semiconductor films. These membranes permit the application (continued use) of most of the established integrated processing methods for the fabrication of circuit devices and interconnect metallization.
In accordance with the invention, an integrated circuit is formed on a tensile low stress dielectric membrane comprised of one layer or a partial layer of semiconductor material in which are formed circuit devices and several layers of dielectric and interconnect metallization. Also, a structure in accordance with the invention is a tensile membrane of semiconductor material in which are formed circuit devices with multiple layers of tensile low stress dielectric and metallization interconnect on either side of the semiconductor membrane.
The membrane structure is a processing or manufacturing structure for enabling the manufacture of novel and more cost effective integrated circuits. This is in addition to an objective to manufacture an integrated circuit, or portion thereof, in a membrane or thin film form.
The general categories of circuit membranes that can be made by this invention are:
1. Large scale dielectric isolated integrated circuits formed on or from semiconductor or non-semiconductor substrates.
2. Multi-layer interconnect metallization circuits formed on or from semiconductor or non-semiconductor substrates.
The primary objectives of the MDI fabrication technology disclosed herein are the cost effective manufacture of high performance, high density integrated circuits and integrated circuit interconnect with the elimination or reduction of detrimental electrical effects on the operation of individual circuit devices (e.g. diodes, transistors, etc.) by completely isolating with a dielectric material each such circuit device from the common substrate upon which they are initially fabricated, and therefore, from each other, and to provide a more versatile and efficient physical form factor for the application of integrate circuits. Some of the benefits of the MDI IC fabrication process are the elimination or reduction of substrate current leakage, capacitive coupling and parasitic transistor effects between adjoining circuit devices. The MDI IC fabrication process benefits extend to several other categories of IC fabrication such as lower IC processing costs due to fewer IC isolation processing steps, greater IC transistor densities through the capability to use established IC processing techniques to fabricate interconnect metallization on both sides of a MDI IC circuit membrane, and greater IC performance through novel transistor structures.
The strength of the MDI processes is primarily drawn from two areas:
(1) The ability to make a large area flexible thin film free standing dielectric membrane, typically framed or suspended or constrained at its edges by a substrate frame or ring, or bonded frame or ring. This membrane is able to withstand a wide range of IC processing techniques and processing temperatures (of at least 400° C.) without noticeable deficiency in performance. The present dielectric materials that meet these requirements are silicon dioxide and silicon nitride films when prepared with specific low stress film deposition recipes for instance on equipment supplied by Novellus Systems, Inc. Dielectric free standing films created by CVD process methods such as silicon carbide, boron nitride, boron carbon nitride aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride, tantalum pentoxide, germanium nitride, calcium fluoride, and diamond have been produced, and can potentially be used as one of the dielectric materials in a MDI circuit membrane when deposited at an appropriate level of surface stress. Advances in the technology for making low stress dielectric films will likely produce additional free standing films that can be used as described herein.
(2) The ability to form a uniform thin film single crystal semiconductor substrate either as the primary substrate of semiconductor devices or as a carrier substrate upon which semiconductor devices could be grown epitaxially. Several methods toward this end are disclosed herein, and other techniques which are modifications thereof exist. Further, in certain applications polycrystalline semiconductor membranes such as polysilicon can be used in substitution for monocrystalline material.
It is the combination of the use of low stress free standing dielectric films with the appropriate processing qualities and membrane or thin film single crystalline (monocrystalline), polycrystalline or amorphous semiconductor substrate formation that provides much of the advantage of the MDI IC fabrication process. The following methods are encompassed within the present disclosure:
1. Methods for the fabrication of low stress free standing (thin film) dielectric membranes that encapsulate each semiconductor device that comprises an IC.
2. Methods for the formation of uniform thickness semiconductor membrane (thin film) substrates for use in combination with low stress dielectric materials.
3. Methods for the fabrication of semiconductor devices within and on a dielectric membrane that comprises a circuit membrane.
4. Methods for the formation of interconnect metallization structures within and on a dielectric membrane that comprises a circuit membrane.
The MDI circuit fabrication process in one embodiment starts with a semiconductor wafer substrate, and results in an IC in the form of a circuit membrane where each transistor or semiconductor device (SD) in the IC has complete dielectric isolation from every other such semiconductor device in the IC. Only interconnect at the specific electrode contact sites of the semiconductor devices provides electrical continuity between the semiconductor devices. The primary feature of the MDI process is complete electrical isolation of all semiconductor devices of an IC from all of the intervening semiconductor substrate on which or in which they were initially formed and to do so at lower cost and process complexity than existing bulk IC processing methods. Other features of the MDI process are vertical electrode contact (backside interconnect metallization), confined lateral selective epitaxial growth, non-symmetric dopant profiles, and the use of a MDI circuit membrane to serve as a conformal or projection mask for lithography processing. Even if the initial substrate with which MDI processing begins with is the most commonly used semiconductor silicon, the resulting IC need not be composed of silicon-based devices, but could be of any semiconductor device material such as GaAs, InP, HgCdTe, InSb or a combination of technologies such as silicon and GaAs grown on a silicon substrate through epitaxial means. Silicon is an inexpensive and well understood semiconductor substrate material with superior mechanical handling properties relative to most other presently established semiconductor materials. The MDI process is not limited to starting with a silicon substrate and the process definition of MDI is not dependent on use of silicon; however, there are presently clear advantages to using silicon as a starting semiconductor substrate, and the chief embodiment disclosed herein of MDI uses a starting semiconductor substrate material of silicon.
The benefits to fabricating an IC with the MDI process are significant over prior art methods, some of these benefits being:
1. Complete electrical isolation of semiconductor devices.
2. Vertical semiconductor device structures.
3. Lower processing costs through lower processing complexity or fewer device isolation processing steps.
4. Conformal mask lithography through the membrane substrate.
5. Control of depth of focus during lithography exposure due to control of substrate thickness.
6. Application of interconnect metallization to both sides of the IC.
7. Through-membrane (substrate) interconnect metallization routing.
8. Three dimensional IC structures through the bonding of circuit membrane IC layers.
9. Efficient conductive or radiant cooling of IC components of circuit membrane.
10. Direct optical (laser) based communication between parallel positioned membrane ICs.
11. Higher performance ICs.
12. Vertical semiconductor device structure formation.
13. Novel selective epitaxial device formation.
In some semiconductor technologies it is not necessary to have complete isolation between each transistor or semiconductor device, such as certain applications using polycrystalline or amorphous TFTs (thin film transistors). This is not a limitation on the MDI process, because semiconductor device side wall isolation is an option in the MDI process. What is novel is that the MDI process provides general methods by which thin films or membranes of dielectric and semiconductor materials can be formed into a free standing IC or circuit membrane.
FIGS. 1a to 1j show a dielectric and semiconductor membrane substrate in cross-section.
FIG. 2 shows an etched silicon substrate membrane in cross-section.
FIGS. 3a, 3b show dielectric membranes with semiconductor devices.
FIG. 4 shows an alignment mark of a circuit membrane in cross-section.
FIG. 5 shows support structures for a membrane structure isolation structure.
FIG. 6a to 6i show a circuit membrane Air Tunnel structure.
FIG. 7 shows stacked circuit membranes with optical input/output.
FIG. 8 shows a three dimensional circuit membrane.
FIGS. 9a to 9j show fabrication of a MOSFET in a membrane.
FIGS. 10a to 10d show fabrication of a transistor by lateral epitaxial growth on a membrane.
FIGS. 11a to 11f show vertical MOSFET and bipolar transistors formed on a membrane.
FIG. 12a to 12g show transistor fabrication on a membrane using confined laterally doped epitaxy.
FIGS. 12h to 12j show cross-sections of selective epitaxial growth on a membrane.
FIGS. 13a to 13d show cross-sections of multi-chip modules.
FIG. 14 shows a cross-section of a membrane formed on a reusable substrate.
FIG. 15 shows a cross-section of the membrane of FIG. 14 with a support frame attached.
FIGS. 16a, 16b show multi-chip modules in packages.
FIGS. 17a to 17c show soldering of bond pads of a circuit membrane to a die.
FIG. 18 shows bond pads on a die.
FIGS. 19a, 19b show bonding and de-bonding of a die to a circuit membrane.
FIGS. 20, 21 show two sides of a circuit membrane.
FIGS. 22a to 22c show formation of a metal trace in a circuit membrane by a lift-off process.
FIGS. 23a, 23b show use of a buried etch stop layer to form a circuit membrane having a thinner inner portion.
FIGS. 24, 25 show a source-integrated light valve for direct write lithography.
FIGS. 26, 27 are cross-sections of X-ray sources for the device of FIGS. 24, 25.
FIGS. 28a to 28b show a coil for the device of FIG. 24.
FIGS. 29a to 29k show portions of a source-external radiation valve for direct write lithography device.
FIGS. 29l to 29p show use of fixed freestanding membrane lithography masks.
FIG. 30 shows a cross-section of a lithographic tool.
FIGS. 31a to 31c show cross-sections of a display formed on a membrane.
FIGS. 32a, 32b show bonding of two circuit membranes.
The MDI process is the formation of an IC or interconnect metallization circuit as a free standing dielectric and/or semiconductor circuit membrane. Each semiconductor device comprising an IC circuit membrane is a semiconductor device optionally isolated from adjoining semiconductor devices, and where each semiconductor device is formed on or in a membrane of semiconductor material typically less than 8 μm in thickness. The overall thickness of a circuit membrane is typically less than 50 μm and preferably less than 8 μm. The dielectric membrane is compatible with most higher temperature IC processing techniques.
Several process variations can be used to form the thin film or membrane of semiconductor material for use in the MDI process. Additional related methods for forming semiconductor membranes may exist or come into existence and are included in the MDI technology.
Examples of some of the methods that can be used for forming silicon single crystal thin films are:
1. Heavily boron doped (typically greater than 1018 atoms/cm2) etch stop layer (formed by diffusion, implant or epitaxy) with optional epitaxial SiGe (less than 20% Ge) anti-autodoping overlayer layer and optional epitaxial layer.
2. O2 (oxide) and N2 (Nitride) implant etch stop barrier layer. Implant concentrations are typically between 10 to 100 times less for formation of an etch stop barrier layer than that required to form a buried oxide or nitride dielectric isolation layer as presently done with a standard thickness silicon substrate.
3. Buried oxide etch stop barrier layer formed from a porous silicon layer.
4. High precision double sided polished substrate and masked timed chemical etch back of back-side.
5. Electro-chemical etch stop.
6. Buried etch stop layer formation through anodic or thermal wafer bonding in combination with precision substrate polishing and chemical etching.
There are many established methods for forming thin semiconductor substrates or membranes. The MDI process requires that the semiconductor membrane forming process (thinning process) produce a highly uniform membrane typically less than 2 μm thick and that the surface tension of the semiconductor membrane be in low tensile stress. If the membrane is not in tensile stress, but in compressive stress, surface flatness and membrane structural integrity will in many cases be inadequate for subsequent device fabrication steps or the ability to form a sufficiently durable free standing membrane.
The use of highly doped layers on the surface or near the surface of the substrate formed by diffusion, implant or epitaxial means is an established method for forming a barrier etch stop layer. A heavily doped boron layer will etch 10 to 100 times slower than the rest of the substrate. However, if it is to form an effective uniform membrane surface, autodoping to the lower substrate and to the upper device layer must be prevented or minimized. This is accomplished in one method by epitaxially growing a SiGe layer of less than 4,000Å (1Å=10-10 m) and less than 25% Ge on either side of the barrier etch stop. The SiGe layers and the barrier etch stop layers are subsequently removed after formation of the membrane in order to complete device dielectric isolation.
The MDI process for forming a dielectric membrane requires that the dielectric material be deposited in net surface tensile stress and that the tensile surface stress level be 2 to 100 times less than the fracture strength of the dielectric. Consideration is also given to matching the coefficient of thermal expansion of the semiconductor material and the various dielectric materials being used in order to minimize the extrinsic net surface stress of the membrane. Thermally formed silicon dioxide forms as a strongly compressive film and most deposited dielectrics currently in use form typically with compressive surface stress. High temperature silicon dioxide and silicon nitride dielectric deposited films with tensile surface stress levels 100 times less than their fracture strength have been demonstrated as large area free standing membranes consistent with the requirements of the MDI process.
It is not a requirement of the MDI process that if a semiconductor material is used in the fabrication of a circuit membrane, that the semiconductor material be capable of forming a free standing membrane. The dielectric materials that are optionally used to isolate any semiconductor devices in the circuit membrane can provide the primary structural means of the resulting circuit membrane as implied by the general fabrication methods presented below.
The ability to form large durable temperature tolerant low tensile stress films of both semiconductor and dielectric materials as components or layers of a substrate for the fabrication of integrated circuits and interconnect structures is unique to the MDI process. The large free standing semiconductor and dielectric membrane substrates of the MDI process provide unique structural advantages to lower the cost and complexity of circuit fabrication and enhance the performance of circuit operation.
The MDI process can be broadly described as two methods, depending on which method of forming the semiconductor substrate thin film is selected. The sequence of steps of the two process methods presented below may be utilized in a different order depending on processing efficiencies. Formation of polysilicon or a-Si (amorphous silicon) circuit devices on a dielectric membrane without the starting use of a semiconductor substrate is disclosed below, but is not categorized as a method.
1. Implant, diffuse, or epitaxially grow an etch barrier layer in over the silicon substrate.
2. Optionally grow the desired epitaxial device layers.
3. Optionally trench isolate the semiconductor device areas.
4. Complete all desired IC processing steps including deposition of a low stress dielectric membrane.
5. Form a dielectric and semiconductor substrate membrane by selectively etching the back side of the substrate to a barrier layer or to a controlled substrate residual.
6. Complete the IC processing steps on the back side of the substrate and remaining top side of the substrate, and optionally trench isolate the
semiconductor devices if not done in step 3.
Method #1 fabricates the desired semiconductor devices of an IC on a standard thickness semiconductor substrate 10 prior to the deposition of the low stress dielectric membrane and release of membrane structure 14 by etching the back side of the substrate. (FIG. 1a shows in cross-sections the substrate 10 after back side etching.) These semiconductor devices will typically be trench isolated (see below) through or below the active area layer of each semiconductor device.
The semiconductor devices will typically be fabricated from vapor phase epitaxial depositions. Well known epitaxial fabrication methods such as SEG (Selective Epitaxial Growth), ELO (Epitaxial Lateral Overgrowth), MOCVD (Metal-Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition) or MBE (Molecular Beam Epitaxy) may be employed.
In the embodiment of FIG. 1a an etch stop barrier layer 12 is implanted just beneath the surface of the silicon substrate 10. This is shown in FIG. 1b, which is an expanded view of a portion of substrate 10 prior to the backside etching step. Portion 11 of substrate 10 is to be removed. This barrier etch stop layer 12 may be an oxide layer produced in a manner similar to the well known SIMOX technique or an implanted silicon nitride layer; however, the thickness of the buried oxide or nitride layer required for MDI processing is significantly less than that required to achieve device dielectric isolation for a silicon substrate which is the general application for such implant technology. (The term SIMOX (Separation by IMplanted OXygen) is a general reference for the dielectric isolation process of forming a buried layer of SiO2 in a bulk silicon substrate by oxygen implant.) The purpose of layer 12 is to induce minimum damage to the crystalline surface of the substrate 10 which would degrade subsequent semiconductor device processing, while providing a uniform substrate (silicon) preferential back side etch stop just beneath the surface of the substrate. The barrier etch stop layer 12 can be made at a well controlled thickness and acts as an end point when the silicon substrate 10 is selectively etched from the back side 14 (see FIG. 1a) as part of the processing in forming the low stress dielectric and (optionally) semiconductor circuit membrane. The barrier etch stop 12 as shown in FIG. 1b does not extend to the edge of the substrate. It is not restricted from extending to the edge of the substrate (wafer), but it must extend beyond that portion 11 of the substrate 10 that will be removed during the formation of the membrane structure.
The original substrate upon which the MDI circuit membrane is formed serves as retaining frame (or ring) 18 for the MDI circuit membrane after the backside of the substrate is etched. The backside etch of the substrate leaves the frame 18 of the substrate to hold the resulting circuit membrane. The width of frame 18 is sufficient to prevent the surface forces of the circuit membrane from causing the frame to crack. A width typically of less than 400 mils (1 cm) is sufficient. This is done by growing thermal oxide and or depositing a film typically of silicon nitride (about 5,000Å to 7,500Å thick) on the backside 14 of the substrate and then etching a window or opening in dielectric layer the size and shape of the desired circuit membrane. The substrate is then etched through dielectric window or dielectric mask. The shape of the backside window opening (or dielectric mask) is typically rectangular, although it can vary in shape.
The barrier etch stop layer 12 is then selectively etched to leave only the original surface 10 layer of the silicon substrate. A barrier etch stop layer could also be formed on the surface of the silicon substrate if the layer preserves sufficient crystalline structure required for subsequent epitaxial processing, surface stress (typically less than 108 dynes/cm2 tensile) and there is a selective etch procedure for the silicon substrate versus the barrier etch stop layer, and if need be, the applied barrier etch stop layer can subsequently be removed. The backside 14 is etched away by TMAH (tetra-methyl ammonia hydroxide) or other appropriate selective silicon etchant (see below). FIG. 1c shows formation of the semiconductor devices 24, 26, 28 in the semiconductor substrate after backside substrate etch to a buried etch stop layer, dielectric deposition, and selective removal of the barrier etch stop. Trenches 25, 27, 29 are cut into the substrate 10 prior to deposition of the low stress dielectric membrane 20, which also serves as an isolation dielectric between adjacent semiconductor devices 24, 26, 28.
An alternative technique to trench isolation as suggested by either steps 3 or 6 of Method #1 in order to laterally isolate transistor devices of the circuit membrane is to use the well known LOCOS (LOCal Oxidation of Silicon) isolation method. LOCOS could be applied as part of the processing of step 6 (process steps 4 or 5 in Method #2 below) as shown in FIGS. 1d and 1e. FIG. 1d shows in cross-section several transistors 11a, 11b, 11c of a circuit membrane 20 with semiconductor layer 20b, interconnect metallization 20c, low stress dielectric membrane 20d, and with completed topside device processing and a backside deposited low stress silicon nitride mask 13 patterned with openings 15a, 15b between transistors. Subsequent thermal oxidation 17a, 17b of the thin silicon device substrate layer underneath the openings in the nitride mask 13, as shown in FIG. 1e, laterally isolates the transistors 11a, 11b, 11 c and results in complete dielectric isolation of the circuit membrane transistors 11a, 11b, 11c.
The thermal oxide isolation created by the LOCOS method may change the net tensile surface stress of the semiconductor (substrate) membrane layer. The deposition of low stress dielectric films on either side of the semiconductor layer prior to LOCOS processing will offset most compressive effects of the oxide formation. Device isolation by the LOCOS process when applied to a MDI circuit membrane is more effective than current bulk processing because of the shallow depth of the semiconductor substrate layer. This also allows near optimum density of the circuit devices with respect to minimum device isolation separation. The easy incorporation of LOCOS into the MDI processing methods also is an indication of the general compatibility of the MDI process with existing IC fabrication techniques.
The remaining substrate 10 (see FIG. 1f) is then (optionally) bonded at its edges to a bonding frame or ring 19 (which is typically of glass, quartz or metal and about 25 to 100 mills thick) by conventional anodic, fusion (thermal) or epoxy bonding techniques. In this case the substrate frame 18 may be removed (see FIG. 1g). The bonding frame or ring 19 is not required for processing MDI; the original substrate 10 (which is backside etched) performs this function initially.
An alternative to forming a barrier etch stop layer is to polish the silicon wafer 10 on both sides to a thickness uniformity specification such that when the substrate is selectively time etched from the back side, the etch can be stopped prior to reaching the dielectric membrane 20 and will leave an acceptably uniform thickness for the active device substrate. This method is mechanically difficult in that it requires the wafer to be exactingly polished on both sides to achieve the uniform thickness.
The dielectric membrane 20, 36 is formed as part of the interconnect metallization dielectric and as a layer over the two-sided interconnect metallization 35 as shown in FIGS. 3a and 3b. (FIG. 3b is an enlarged view of the portion of FIG. 3a referenced as "3b".) The thickness of the dielectric membrane 20, 36 may vary from less than 2 μm to over 15 μm per layer of interconnect metallization layer 35. All blanket dielectric material covering the substrate has a low stress surface tension and is preferably in tensile stress.
Two sided interconnect metallization 35, with low stress dielectric material 36 (see FIG. 3b) used as the interconnect dielectric can be applied, or the back side of the circuit membrane can be passivated with low stress dielectric for a conventional one-side interconnect structure. The circuit membrane can withstand processing temperatures in excess of 400° C. which is required for further deposition of various low stress dielectric layers such as SiO2 and Six Nx and to achieve reliable low resistance junctions between semiconductor device electrode contacts and interconnect metallization. Depending on the specified composition and thickness of the dielectric and substrate membrane material, higher temperature processing steps can be performed such as may be required by implant activation annealing or epitaxial processing.
The alignment of lithography tools on the back side of the substrate is performed through the transparent dielectric material as shown in FIG. 4. The semiconductor substrate material 10a near the alignment mark 40 (which is nearly transparent in the visible portion of the spectrum at thicknesses less than 2 μm) can be etched away from the dielectric membrane 20 so that the lithography alignment marks 40 are more readily visible. Infrared alignment mechanisms are also available for back side alignment; silicon is transparent at infrared wavelengths. Lithography marks 40 for infrared alignment cannot be as small as those used in the visible spectrum due to the longer wavelengths of the infrared, typically greater than 6,000Å.
1. Form a free standing low stress semiconductor substrate membrane.
2. Optionally grow the desired epitaxial device layers.
3. Complete all desired top side IC processing steps including deposition of a low stress dielectric membrane.
4. Optionally trench isolate the semiconductor device areas from the back side.
5. Complete IC processing steps on the back side of substrate and remaining top side of substrate.
IC processing steps used on the top side and backside of the semiconductor membrane substrate are well known and not unique in application to the semiconductor substrate membrane; nearly any semiconductor process technique can be applied.
Method #2 fabricates a thin low stress semiconductor substrate membrane 20, such as the one shown in FIG. 2, prior to deposition of the low stress dielectric membrane and fabrication of semiconductor devices. This substrate membrane as shown in FIG. 2 can be formed through established selective electro-chemical etching techniques or by combination of wafer bonding, grinding and selective substrate etching techniques. The membrane preferably has a tensile stress of approximately 108 dynes/cm2. (This can be achieved in one manner by forming a layer with n-type dopant concentrations of 1016 to 1019 atoms/cm2 and applying electrochemical etch techniques.) After the semiconductor substrate membrane 20 is fabricated (see FIG. 3a), semiconductor devices 24, 26, 28, . . . , 30 are fabricated and interconnected on the substrate 20 with the use of low stress dielectric material. The low stress dielectric membrane formed on the semiconductor substrate (along with interconnect metallization) becomes the only structural circuit membrane component after the semiconductor substrate portion of the membrane is etched or trenched into independent semiconductor devices. An additional layer (not shown) of low stress dielectric over the interconnect metallization may be applied for passivation and to increase the thickness of the resulting membrane 20 to achieve a specific desired level of durability.
The back side etch of the semiconductor substrate 14 (see FIG. 2) permits the under side of the semiconductor devices 24, . . . , 30 to be accessed and additional processing of the semiconductor devices performed. The processing options on the under side of the semiconductor devices 24, . . . , 30 are the same as those for Method #1; however, trench isolation (see FIG. 1c) of the semiconductor devices has not as yet been performed. Trench isolation is the etching of a separation space 25, 27, 29 (typically less than 2 μm wide) between semiconductor devices 24, 26, 28 on all sides of the semiconductor devices and is an established IC process technique. The space or trench 25, 27, 29 is then filled with dielectric. Trench isolation is novel as applied here, because the technique is being applied to a semiconductor membrane supported by a dielectric membrane. If trench isolation is desired, established masking and etching techniques can be applied to form trenches.
The uniformity of the semiconductor substrate thickness is important to the uniformity of the operating characteristics of the semiconductor devices of an IC, and to lithography processing steps. The above-described embodiments use etch stop techniques when selectively etching the semiconductor substrate material to form the desired substrate membrane thickness.
The interconnect circuit membrane can also be formed on a glass or quartz substrate 23 (typically less than 50 mils thick). In this case a tensile film 25 of polysilicon (as taught by L. E. Trimble and G. E. Celler in "Evaluation of polycrystalline silicon membranes on fused silica" J. Vac. Sci. Technology B7(6), Nov/Dec 1989) is deposited on both sides of the substrate 23, as shown in FIG. 1h. A MDI interconnect circuit membrane 27 is then formed on the polysilicon membrane 25, as shown in FIG. 1i. An opening 29 in the polysilicon 25 on the backside of the substrate 23 is made and the back of the substrate 23 is selectively etched leaving a free standing tensile polysilicon membrane 27 held in the frame 23b of the remaining substrate, as shown in FIG. 1j. The polysilicon 25 directly beneath the circuit membrane 27 can optionally be removed as also shown in FIG. 1j. A metal film (not shown) or other protective layer is deposited over the circuit membrane prior to etching the backside of the substrate to protect the circuit membrane from the substrate etchant. Considerations for using a non-semiconductor substrate in the fabrication of MDI interconnect circuit membrane are substrate material cost or application requirements. Examples of applications for this approach to membrane fabrication are masks for high resolution conformal contact lithographic printing and MCM (Multi-Chip Module) interconnect circuits.
Low stress dielectric membranes have been manufactured consistent with MDI requirements for low stress high temperature dielectric films. These membranes were produced on Novellus Systems, Inc. (San Jose, Calf.) Concept One dielectric deposition equipment, but are not limited to such equipment. Low stress is defined relative to the silicon dioxide and silicon nitride deposition made with the Novellus equipment as being less than 8×108 dynes/cm2 (preferably 1×107 dynes/cm2) in tension. Acceptable surface stress levels of different dielectrics made on various equipment may vary widely.
The following are two typical recipes used to produce the dielectric membranes of silicon dioxide or silicon nitride required by the MDI process. Variations of these recipes can be used to emphasize specific characteristics of the deposited dielectric membrane; these recipes are not the only recipes to achieve the requirements of the MDI process on the Novellus equipment and are not limitations on the MDI process. Small variations in the parameters of the recipes can produce changes in the material structure, etch rate, refractive index, surface stress, or other characteristics of the deposited dielectric material.
______________________________________ Recipe #1 Recipe #2 Silicon Dioxide Silicon Nitride______________________________________Temperature 400° C. 400° C.Pressure 1.8 Torr 2.3 TorrHF RF Power 640 watts 220 wattsLF RF Power, 160 watts 180 watts100 ohmsSiH4 260 sccm 0.23 slmNH3 -- 2.00 slmN2 1150 sccm 0.60 slmN2 O 6000 sccm --______________________________________
FIG. 5 shows a structurally enhanced MDI circuit membrane structure. Structural enhancement of the MDI circuit membrane may prove necessary for various applications where stress is applied to the membrane as part of normal operation, such as in pressure sensing or in making contact test measurements as in IC wafer sort testing. A portion 44 of the dielectric membrane is deposited over the SD layer 24a with a thickness greater than 1 μm, and typically 10 to 25 μm. This thicker deposited layer 44 of the dielectric membrane is patterned with a mask and dry etched to achieve a honeycomb-like pattern of recesses 46a, 46b, 46c. The depth of these recesses 46a, 46b, 46c is approximately 75% of the thickness of the low stress dielectric 44 in which they are etched. Optional electrical contact 47 is provided and shown as an example of a circuit electrode. The dimensions of the opening of the recesses 46a, 46b, 46c are typically two or three times the depth dimension. A deposition of 1,000Å of low stress CVD silicon nitride may optionally be applied to form a passivating seal.
The impedance of metal conductors (traces) that make up the interconnect metallization between semiconductor devices and passive circuit elements such as capacitors or resistors must be given careful design consideration at operational frequencies in excess of 100 MHz. The dielectric constant of a dielectric (insulating) material is a primary determining factor when consideration is given to the use of the material. Polyimide materials conventionally used in the construction of interconnect structures have dielectric constants typically ranging between 2 and 3.5. The dielectric constants of CVD silicon dioxide and silicon nitride typically range upward from 3.5. The ideal dielectric is vacuum, gaseous or air with a dielectric constant of approximately unity. The fabrication of an interconnect structure that isolates the majority of a conductor's surface area with vacuum or gaseous dielectric results in a near optimum condition for high speed operation of that structure. Trace or conductor structures called "Air Bridges" are fabricated on the surface of an IC contacting the surface of the IC only periodically. This periodic contact provides mechanical support and or electrical contact with a low net dielectric constant of isolation. Air Bridges are conventionally used in the fabrication of microwave circuits; such circuits have operational frequencies in the GHz range.
FIGS. 6a, 6b and 6c show cross-sectional views of a conductor structure 50 internal to dielectric layer 52, 52a, but which has a gaseous primary surface dielectric contact with only periodic mechanical contact 50-a, 50-b, 50-c, like the conventional Air Bridge. The conductor 50 is held suspended in the gaseous dielectric without contacting the surrounding or enclosing solid material structures. FIG. 6d is a top view of a portion of a conductor or trace showing column supports (and/or via contacts) 50-a, 50-b, 50-c and dielectric support columns 52-a, 52-b. This interconnect structure is herein called an "Air Tunnel", and its method of fabrication is a direct extension of the methods used in the above-described fabrication of the MDI circuit membranes (dielectric and semiconductor membranes). Also shown in FIGS. 6a, 6b and 6c are dielectric membrane 56, semiconductor membrane 58, dielectric support column 52a, ground plane metallization 60, cavity 54 formed by etch removal of a-Si (amorphous silicon), and opening 62 for etch removal of all the a-Si. FIG. 6b is an end-on view of an alternate structure to FIG. 6a. FIG. 6b shows dielectric plug contact 68 to support (suspend) conductor 50. FIG. 6c shows an extension of the structure of FIG. 6a with a second layer of dielectric 70 and traces 72.
The Air Tunnel structure can be fabricated on any semiconductor substrate in addition to an MDI circuit membrane. The structural dielectric materials used are selected from the same group of low stress dielectrics used in the fabrication of the MDI circuit membranes discussed above. The fabrication method for the Air Tunnel provided here can also be extended to the gaseous dielectric isolation of semiconductor devices and passive circuit elements in a circuit membrane.
The Air Tunnel structure in one embodiment is fabricated with CVD processing techniques; alternatively, ECR (Electron-Cyclotron--Resonance) plasma CVD processing may soon provide an alternative deposition method. The gaseous dielectric separation of a conductor or a semiconductor device is accomplished by forming a sacrificial CVD film of a-Si, polysilicon or alternate material (typically dielectric material) that can be deposited by CVD means and selectively etched versus the other MDI circuit membrane material layers. Anticipating the use of Air Tunnel interconnect structures in the fabrication of a circuit membrane, semiconductor devices are isolated (passivated) by trench isolation of each device, and depositing a thin layer of oxide or nitride (typically less than 2,000Å thick) over exposed device surfaces, and then depositing a film of a-Si. The thickness of the a-Si film and the width of the isolation trench are chosen such that the trench is plugged or filled evenly leaving the surface over the plug relatively planar. This plug technique is facilitated by CVD process technology which deposits films conformally on all interacting surfaces. Subsequent Air Tunnel interconnect structures are completed and the a-Si layers are removed by a silicon selective etchant; the etchant accesses the a-Si through the etch-vias as explained below.
The fabrication method of Air Tunnel interconnection is independent of the underlying substrate. The underlying substrate could be a MDI circuit membrane as shown in FIG. 6d (fabrication of which is disclosed above), a conventional IC substrate of semiconductor devices, a MCM circuit substrate, MDI tester surface membrane, etc.
The Air Tunnel fabrication process begins (see FIG. 6f) with the deposition of an a-Si film 76 onto a substrate 56 with electrodes to be interconnected. The a-Si film 76 is patterned with trenches and contact vias. A CVD processed metal film 50, typically tungsten (W), is deposited over the a-Si. The dimensions of the a-Si trenches and vias in the a-Si layer are consistent with forming planar plugs. The trenches in the a-Si 76, once plugged with the metal film 50, become the support columns 50-a, 50-b, 50-c of the conductor, see FIGS. 6a and 6d. The conductors deposited in the vias provide mechanical (column) support and electrical contact. The metal film 50 is patterned and a second CVD processed a-Si film 78 deposited over the metal film 50; a thin layer (not shown in FIG. 6a) of highly conductive metal like Au or Cu may be sputter deposited over the CVD metal (prior to the patterning of the metal film 50) to enhance conductivity of the conductor. The a-Si film 78 is patterned as shown in FIG. 6f, removing the a-Si film 78 from over the metal conductor 50 and forming a trench 80 along the edge of the conductor 50. This trench is plugged by a 3rd CVD layer 82 of a-Si, as shown in FIG. 6g. The patterning of the second a-Si layer 78 over the metal conductor 50 does not require a critical alignment; an alignment tolerance of +50% of the thickness of the second a-Si layer 78 is sufficient.
The resulting three films 76, 78, 82 of a-Si are relatively planar with minor surface features along the edges where conductors 50 are directly beneath. These surface features can be reduced by shallow thermal oxidation of the a-Si surface and subsequent stripping of the oxide (not shown).
An alternative method that can be used to planarize the a-Si and metal films is to spin coat a thick polymer over substrate 75, low stress dielectric 77, first a-Si layer 79, and second a-Si layer 81 after the application of the second a-Si film 81. (This a-Si film 81 is deposited in thickness equal to the combination of the former second and third a-Si films.) The polymer 85 used is selected to have a RIE rate nearly identical to the that of the a-Si film. The polymer 85 is completely removed and the etch of the a-Si is continued as desired, see FIGS. 6h and 6i.
The a-Si film stack is then patterned to form trenches that will become the supporting columns 50-a, 50-b, 50-c of an over layer of low stress dielectric. These support columns are typically placed in a non-continuous manner along conductors 50 (as shown in FIG. 6d), and periodically placed across open areas 51 where there are not conductors. The periodic and overlapping placement of the support columns (etch-vias) increase the ability of a-Si selective etchant to remove all deposited a-Si material. The thin metal film 60 (see FIG. 6a) of typically less than 5,000Å thickness may optionally be deposited over the patterned a-Si prior to the deposition of the low stress dielectric film to act as a ground plane and EM (Electro-Magnetic) shield for the conductor 50. (This metal film remains in contact with the overlying low stress dielectric film after the a-Si has been removed.) A low stress dielectric film 52, 52a is deposited of typically 1-2 μm thickness over the patterned a-Si films. This low stress dielectric layer 52, 52a is patterned with trench openings 62 to the a-Si films. These trench openings are called etch-vias and provide access for a a-Si selective etchant like TMAH or ethylene diamine to remove all of the internal layers of a-Si films from each layer of interconnect without regard to the number of layers.
The etch-vias 62 in the dielectric are placed near dielectric support columns as shown in FIGS. 6c and 6d. The etch-vias 62 are placed on every interconnect layer and with sufficient frequency per layer to allow etchant to reach all lower layers of the Air Tunnel interconnect structure. After the etch-vias 62 are formed an additional interconnect layer 72, 80 (see FIG. 6c) can be formed by repeating the sequence of process steps as outlined below. When the Air Tunnel interconnect structure is used on a semiconductor membrane to form a circuit membrane (MDI process), it should be clear that the application of the Air Tunnel to both sides of the semiconductor membrane is a natural extension and not a special case application requiring a different processing sequence.
The etch-vias 62 serve as access ports for gaseous material (such as N2 or air) which allow the effective circuit dielectrics to enter the circuit membrane. The etch-vias 62 also serve to maintain equalized pressure between the internal interconnect structure and the external environment of the surface of the circuit.
The following sequence of processing steps for fabricating an Air Tunnel assumes that the substrate being processed has an existing layer of low stress dielectric film on which to start:
1. Pattern dielectric for metal contact plug vias and etch-vias.
2. Deposit a film of a-Si; the thickness of this film will determine the lower separation distance of the tunnel conductor from the underlying low stress dielectric.
3. Pattern a-Si film for conductor support columns (vias to underlying dielectric).
4. Deposit metal conductor film.
5a. Pattern metal conductor film.
5b. Optionally deposit high conductivity metal film before patterning conductive film.
6a. Deposit a-Si film approximately the thickness of the metal film.
7a. Pattern a-Si film to expose conductor surfaces and trench etch along sides conductors.
8a. Deposit a-Si film to planarize the surface and separate the conductor from the overlying dielectric film.
9. Pattern a-Si film for dielectric support columns (vias to dielectric).
10. Optionally deposit ground/shield metal film.
11. Deposit low stress dielectric film.
12. Pattern dielectric with etch-vias or repeat from first step above.
Steps 6 through 8 from above can be replaced with the following alternative steps for forming a planarized conductor layer:
6b. Deposit a-Si film with a thickness equal to the thickness of the conductor and the desired separation over the conductor.
7b. Deposit planarizing polymer with a etch rate that is very similar to that of the a-Si film, as shown by FIG. 6h.
8b. RIE until all polymer material has been removed, as shown by FIG. 6i.
The principle attributes of the Air Tunnel are:
1. Low average dielectric constant (approaching unity).
2. Self planarization fabrication method.
3. Integral ground or EM shielding plane.
4. Application to one or both sides of a circuit membrane.
5. Application to MDI circuit membranes or standard wafer substrates.
A MOSFET device connected by Air Tunnels is shown in cross-section as an example in FIG. 6e. The transistor of FIG. 6e is formed from a semiconductor membrane and held suspended by the metal contacts to its electrodes with a gaseous dielectric separation on all remaining device surfaces. Shown in FIG. 6e are the active portion 84 (MOSFET) and the unused portion 86 of the semiconductor membrane, a thin nitride isolation film 88, mechanical conductor support 94, conductor trace 92, and additional air tunnel interconnect structures 92, 94, 96.
The fabrication of circuit membranes provides the capability to fabricate and use integrated circuits in novel ways such as:
1. Back side interconnect metallization, backside SD electrode contact, and through-the-dielectric membrane interconnect metallization signal routing. (See FIG. 3b).
2. The use of optical communication (see FIG. 7) in a vertically arrayed stack of MDI circuit membranes 150a, 150b, 150c with optical transmit and receive semiconductor devices on either side of the circuit membranes. Busing of data through a stack of several MDI circuit membranes 150a, 150b, 150c from any point on the surface of an IC rather than forming connections at the edge of ICs (which is currently the practice) simplifies the structure of the circuit. An external communication optical transceiver 152 is provided. MDI circuit membrane 150b includes a transparent window 154 through which optical transmissions from transmitters (laser diode arrays) 156 pass to optical receiver SDs 158. The stack of MDI circuit membranes is held together by support 160. The ability to use optical means rather than metal conductors to transmit information between ICs shortens the length of the communication path, increases the speed and bandwidth of the communication path, and lowers the power consumed compared to present metal connection methods.
The optical receiver of the MDI circuit membrane is typically less than 5,000Å in thickness. A receiver of this thickness will absorb only a portion of the optical signal fluence striking it, the remainder of the fluence will pass through and out the opposite side of the receiver. This permits a second or third receiver to be positioned in the path of the optical transmitter to receive the same signal. The limiting conditions that determine the number of receivers that can be associated with one transmitter are the output fluence of the optical transmitter and the thickness of the transceiver substrate. This ability to optically transmit to several receivers simultaneously has the benefits of reducing circuit complexity (versus a transceiver structure at every circuit membrane interface) and performance (no transceiver (repeater) propagation delay).
3. The vertical bonding of two or more circuit membranes to form a three dimensional circuit structure, as shown in FIG. 8. Interconnection between the circuit membranes 160a, 160b, 160c including SDs 162, 164, 166 is by compression bonding of circuit membrane surface electrodes 168a, 168b, 168c, 168d (pads). Bonding 170 between MDI circuit membranes is achieved by aligning bond pads 168c, 168d (typically between 4 μm and 25 μm in diameter) on the surface of two MDI circuit membranes 160b, 160c and using a mechanical or gas pressure source to press the bond pads 168c, 168d together. If the pads 168c, 168d are solder, they can be heated to the melting point of the solder (typically less than 350° C.) causing the pads to weld to each other. If the pads are indium, tin, or alloys of such metals, a bond 170 will form between the metal pads 168c, 168d with the application of approximately 100 p.s.i. pressure and an application temperature between 50° C. and 400° C., depending on the metal or alloy selected.
4. MDI Nanometer width gate MOSFET device fabrication methods. The ability to fabricate a MOSFET device with a gate region length of less than 0.5 μm (500 nm) presently requires lithograph tools with greater resolution capability than the current high volume optical stepper tools. Several methods are presented here for the fabrication of MOSFET with gate lengths of less than 500 nm and capable of gate lengths less than 25 nm. These methods take advantage of the MDI process to form transistor gate regions of less than 500 nm (0.5 μm) without lithographic means are described hereinafter.
5. Sensor diaphragms formed with integrated circuits fabricated on conventional rigid substrates.
6. Fabrication of electrically isolated semiconductor devices on both sides of the semiconductor layer of a circuit membrane.
FIGS. 9a to 9e show a sequence of steps for forming a p-channel or n-channel (npn) transistor with an opposed gate electrode and a gate width of less than 25 nm (250Å). The process steps (see FIG. 9a) assume a starting substrate of an MDI circuit membrane with approximately 0.5 to 1.5 μm wide isolated metal gate electrode 174 fabricated on the backside (opposed) of the transistor. This MDI circuit membrane consists of a lightly doped <100> crystalline silicon membrane layer 176 of thickness typically less than 2 μm and a 1 to 2 μm layer of low stress dielectric 178.
The sequence of process steps for one embodiment is:
1. Form lightly doped p and n wells. FIG. 9b shows one such well 180. This is done by depositing a nitride layer 182 over the silicon layer 176 of the MDI circuit membrane, patterning the well 180 and implanting the desired dopant.
2. Deposit dielectric 184 (see FIG. 9c) and pattern an opening 0.75 to 1.25 μm wide over the opposed gate area, but a known width.
3. Anisotropically etch along the <111> crystalline planes of the silicon to form a V-groove 186 of known depth and side angle of 54.7 degrees. This is done with a time rated etch.
4. Deposit by CVD equipment a metal layer 190 such as tungsten of 0.5 to 1.5 μm, but of known thickness, just closing the V-groove 186.
5. Etch back the metal layer 190 until a known thickness of metal plug remains in the V-groove 186. The width of the resulting transistor gate length is determined by the dimension of the remaining metal in the V-groove.
6. Strip the dielectric mask 184 in FIG. 9c.
7. Etch the silicon 180 surface to just expose the metal plug 190 opposed to the gate 174.
8. Deposit a dielectric layer and pattern for heavy implant doping 192 of transistor source and drain regions. This is done with n and p doping separately leaving a lightly doped gate channel region 194.
9. Strip the dielectric mask in FIG. 9e and etch the silicon 180 surface until it is below the level of the metal plug 190, causing its removal. (This step is optional, the metal plug can be selectively etch removed.)
10. Form trench 196 to isolate transistors to under the layer of low stress dielectric 178.
11. Anneal the active transistor implants 192.
12. Form source and drain contacts 198.
13. Anneal the source and drain contacts 198.
It should be clear that the opposed gate electrode which is much wider that the actual length of the gate width could have been fabricated on top of the transistor with the source and drain contacts, or after the gate region of the transistor was formed.
The reliable fabrication of the gate region 194 at a known length is dependent on etch rate control. Present etch rate techniques support the capability to form a gate region 194 length of less than 25 nm. A CVD dielectric could also be used as the gate implant mask instead of a metal plug 90. This gate fabrication method can also be done in bulk silicon and is not limited to the MDI process. It is important to note that the sub-micron resolution of the gate region was achieved without lithographic means capable of sub-micron resolution.
FIGS. 9f, g, h, i & j show the process sequence for substrate-imaged nonlithographic MOS transistor gate region or Bipolar emitter region formation. This process takes advantage of the novel ability of the MDI structure to accommodate process steps on either side of the membrane substrate. This process can form a minimum feature size of less than 100 nm and does so by the use of anisotropic etching epitaxial processes.
FIG. 9f shows a MDI substrate of semiconductor 189 and low stress dielectric 191 formed by one of the methods presented above. The dielectric layer 191 on one side has been patterned and the semiconductor layer 189 anisotropically etched through to the dielectric layer 193 on the opposite side. The thickness of the semiconductor layer 189 is selected to be less than 2 μm, and the dielectric layers 191, 193 are less than 1 μm thick each, though these dimensions can be scaled to achieve any transistor dimensions. The size of the patterned opening 195 in the dielectric is chosen such that the etched opening 197 onto the underlying surface of the dielectric is a desired width, less than 100 nm. Widths of any dimension can be created, however, widths of less than 100 nm are the primary objective of this process which cannot be achieved by optical means. The patterned dielectric 191 has a 1,000-2,000Å layer 199 of low stress silicon nitride to provide high selectivity versus the opposed dielectric layer during a subsequent RIE process step.
FIG. 9g shows an opening 197 formed through the dielectric layer 193 opposite the patterned layer 191. The anisotropically etched semiconductor layer 189 with its opening 197 onto the under side of the opposite side dielectric was used as a substrate-imaging mask, and the dielectric layer 193 was etched by RIE (dry) processing. This substrate-imaged opening 197 can be less than 100 nm in diameter and will become the gate region of a MOS transistor or the emitter region of a bipolar transistor. FIG. 9h shows the substrate-imaged region 197 closed by selective epitaxial growth 201; the epitaxial growth 201 can be formed with a graded dopant structure to lessen short channel effects. FIG. 9i shows the formation of a gate oxide 203 and electrode 205 after a planarization step of the self-imaged opening 197, CVD or thermal formed gate oxide and formation of gate electrode. It is important to note that the dielectric layer 193 in which the gate electrode 205 is formed is self-aligned to the gate region.
FIG. 9j shows the finished MOS transistor. The side opposite the gate electrode 205 is stripped of dielectric, planarized and etched to a thickness of less than 2,500Å. It was then trenched 207 for source/drain isolation, a layer of low stress dielectric 209 deposited and source/drain electrodes 211, 213 formed.
It should be clear to some skilled in the art that a bipolar transistor can be formed with somewhat similar fabrication steps.
FIGS. 10a, b, c, & d show a method for forming a MOSFET transistor with transistor gate region lengths of sub-micron dimensions, without the requirement for lithography tools with sub-micron CD resolution capability. This method is an extension of the above-described MDI process technology.
In FIG. 10a, the starting substrate structure is a combination silicon and dielectric 204 film forming a membrane 202. This membrane 202 is formed by one of the methods disclosed above. Subsequently, membrane 202 is patterned for the doping of the n+and p+transistor channels. FIG. 10a shows a cross-section of a MOS transistor channel (source 210, gate 208 and drain 206 regions) with a nitride mask 212 through which an anisotropically formed gate 208 trench is etched to the underlying dielectric membrane 204 in the location where the gate region of the transistor will be constructed. The exposed silicon sidewall 214 may be polished by a thin thermal oxidation and etch stripping or chemical techniques. FIG. 10b shows a top view of the structure of FIG. 10a, with the transistor channel 210, 208, 206 isolated from surrounding transistor devices by dielectrically filled trenches 216. These trenches 216 are fabricated prior to etching the gate region trench 208. The gate region trench 208 is then filled (see FIG. 10c) from both silicon sidewalls by lateral selective epitaxial growth of silicon 220 and with the same or similar doping concentration as the adjacent regions 210, 206; source and drain implant doping can also be used as a doping means prior to epitaxially growing the gate region. (In the case of CMOS devices, the n+ and p+ transistor channels are processed in two separate sequences of processing steps.)
The epitaxial growth process in the gate region trench 208 is stopped when the remaining separation distance "d" between the approaching silicon sidewalls 220 is equal to the desired gate region length. The doping concentration is changed for forming the actual gate region 222, and the epitaxial growth is continued until the gate region trench is closed, as shown in FIGS. 10c and 10d.
The width of the initial gate region trench 208 and the epitaxial growth rate can be controlled with an error of less than 5 nm. This allows the length d of the gate region to be determined by the precision with which the gate region trench 208 can be formed, the deposition rate control of the lateral epitaxial growth 220 and the capability to create the desired doping transitions. The result of this approach means that a gate region length d of 25 nm or less can be formed. This is far beyond the current optical lithographic methods which are presently expected to reach production capability of 120 nm by the end of the decade.
FIG. 10d shows the completion of the transistor with source and drain electrodes 226, 224, and an opposed gate electrode 230. The surface of the epitaxially grown gate region 222 is not smooth, but the backside of the gate region 222 is smooth, due to its formation against the underlying low stress dielectric membrane 204. The gate electrode 230 is more easily and reliably formed by patterning the underlying dielectric membrane 204 from its backside, thereby forming the opposed gate electrode 230. The backside of the gate region 222 is etched free of dielectric with an opening significantly larger than the length d of the epitaxially grown gate region 222; portions of the source 210 and drain 206 regions are also exposed with the gate region due to lithographic tool limitations. Gate oxide isolation 232 is thermally grown or deposited to the required thickness, and a metal or silicide electrode is formed 230.
The overlap of the gate electrode 230 over the source 210 and drain 206 regions of the transistor channel results undesirably in performance limiting capacitance. The reduction of the capacitance from the overlapping gate electrode structure can be achieved by either epitaxial graded doping of the source and drain regions at the interface to the gate region growth over the gate region, to form an extended gate region, or by offset of the gate electrode so that the source side edge of the electrode aligns approximately with the source/gate interface of the transistor channel. These methods are disclosed below. The above-described MOSFET transistor structure can be converted to a bipolar transistor structure as shown in FIG. 12g, also described below.
The MDI circuit membrane structure provides the capability to position electrode contacts of semiconductor devices at their backside (or opposed side). This provides significant savings in reduced processing steps to achieve device isolation and new transistor structures.
FIG. 11a shows a MDI circuit membrane (dielectric 240 and semiconductor 242 films) in cross-section on which additional semiconductor layers were formed epitaxially to achieve either an npn or pnp transistor structure 244. The epitaxial layer 244-a that corresponds to the gate region can be formed with a thickness of less than 25 nm. FIG. 11b shows the dielectric 240 and semiconductor 247, 244, 245 membrane after subsequent well known semiconductor processing steps which form a transistor channel 244 isolated on the dielectric membrane 240 with source 246, drain 248 and gate electrodes 250-a, 250-b attached. Also shown are source region 245 and drain region 247. The gate oxide isolation 251 is thermally grown or deposited, and gate contacts 250-a, 250-b can be formed on one or all sides of the transistor channel. Alternatively, a separate contact 250-b can be formed opposite the gate electrode 250-a, and used as a transistor bias contact. The opposed drain contact 248 is formed by etching a via in the dielectric membrane 240 underlying the transistor drain region 247.
FIG. 11c shows a bipolar transistor formed by a well known method but on a low stress dielectric membrane 254, and without the requirement to form a lateral conductive path (typically referred to as a buried layer). Formed in semiconductor film 256 are emitter 258, base 260, and collector 262 regions. The collector contact 264 is instead formed directly under the emitter 258. It should also be apparent that there are non-silicon semiconductor transistor structures that can be restructured with a backside contact as depicted in FIG. 11c, such as a GaAs Heterojunction Bipolar Transistor (HBT) or Ballistic Transistor.
The extension of the gate electrode 250-a beyond the gate region in the fabrication of the MOSFET transistor structure of FIG. 11b increases the parasitic capacitance of the transistor, and therefore, adversely affect its performance. This capacitance can be reduced by the separate or combined use of several methods referred to as Graded Gate Doping (GGD), Epitaxially Extended Gate (EEG) and Gate Electrode Offset (GEO).
The Graded Gate Doping is shown in FIG. 11b. This method varies the doping levels of the source 245 and drain regions 247 at their respective interfaces to the gate region. This directly decreases the effective dielectric constant of the semiconductor under the dielectric isolation 251 separating the gate electrode from the source 245 and drain 247 regions it overlaps.
The Epitaxially Extended Gate 244-b (see FIG. 11d) is formed by selective epitaxial growth of the gate region 244-b over the surface of the transistor upon which the gate oxide 251 and gate electrode 250-a will be fabricated. This method, more directly than the GGD method of FIG. 11b, lowers the capacitance of the semiconductor region directly under the gate electrode 250-a where it overlaps the source 245 and drain 247 regions. The transistor capacitive charging effect contributed by the gate electrode 250-a from source 245 and drain region 247 overlap is decreased by these methods, because of the dopant type and dopant concentration relative to the polarity of the applied potential on the gate electrode 250-a. The thickness of the epitaxial layer of the EEG method is determined based upon the desired operating characteristics of the transistor, but typically is less than the dimension of the gate region length.
The extended gate region 244-b of FIG. 11d formed by the Epitaxial Extended Gate method can also be a graded doping region. If the extended gate region 244-b is graded, the dopant concentration decreases going away form the gate region (or towards the gate electrode 250-a).
The Gate Electrode Offset (GEO) structure is shown in FIG. 11f. Shown are source region 269, gate region 271, drain region 273, semiconductor layer 275, low stress dielectric layer 277, gate oxide 279, and offset gate electrode 281. The drain side edge of the gate electrode 281 is aligned to the drain/gate 273-271 interface of the transistor channel. The alignment could alternately be made to the source/gate 269-271 interface, and would be a preferred structure under certain device design requirements. The accuracy of the placement of the electrode 281 edge is limited by the capability of the lithography tool used. A gap between the drain region 273 and gate electrode 281 may result leaving a portion of the gate region 271 not covered by the gate electrode 281 due to lithography alignment deficiencies. This can be corrected by extending the drain region 273 through implant doping of the exposed gate region. The size of this gap during manufacturing can reliably be expected to be no greater than the magnitude of the alignment registration error of the lithography tool being used.
The transistor structure of FIG. 11e used as a bipolar transistor is of interest in order to achieve well controlled fabrication of thin base regions. The contact 270 to the base region 272 of a bipolar transistor in FIG. 11e is achieved by epitaxially extending 272-a the base region. This method like the EEG method is the selective epitaxial growth of an exposed region of the transistor that includes the base region 272. Other elements of FIG. 11e are collector region 274, collector contact 275, dielectric membrane 276, emitter region 277, and emitter contact 278.
Selective growth of high quality epitaxial films in a confined volume was reported in a paper ("Confined Lateral Selective Epitaxial Growth of Silicon for Device Fabrication," Peter J. Schubert, Gerold W. Neudeck, IEEE Electron Device Letters, Vol. 11, No. 5, May 1990, page 181-183). This "CLSEG" (Confined Lateral Selective Epitaxial Growth) method was developed to achieve dielectric isolation of crystalline silicon.
FIGS. 12a, b and c show the use of a MDI circuit membrane to produce a confinement cavity for the epitaxial growth of crystalline silicon. The original objective of CLSEG, to fabricate a dielectric isolated semiconductor substrate, is not an objective here because the MDI process is itself a dielectric isolation process. What is taught here is the application of the capability for growing epitaxial films in a confinement cavity within the context of the MDI process, and a processing method for using confined lateral epitaxial growth to fabricate MOSFET transistors with arbitrarily narrow gate region lengths without the use of lithographic means.
MDI confined lateral doped epitaxial closely controls transistor geometry in all three dimensions: height (as deposited semiconductor film thickness), width (placement of isolation trenches) and source, gate, drain regions (epitaxial deposition thickness). This makes the device operational characteristics more predictable with lower manufacturing complexity.
The MDI Confined Lateral Epitaxy method begins with a membrane of two films, one film 280 of semiconductor (silicon) and one film 282 of low stress dielectric. This membrane 280, 282 is made by one of the methods disclosed above. Dielectric filled isolation trenches 284 (see FIG. 12b, a top view of the structure of FIG. 12a) are fabricated to form what will become the sides of the transistor channel in the semiconductor film. Then a low stress dielectric layer 290 typically of 1 μm or less thickness is deposited, and a window 286 is anisotropically etched through the semiconductor film 280 stopping on the dielectric layer 282 and positioned between the isolation trenches 284, as shown in FIGS. 12a and 12b. In the preferred embodiment the orientation of the window 286 is approximately aligned with the crystallographic orientation of the semiconductor film 280 in order to produce a seed crystal walls 292-a, 292-b of FIG. 12c that is at a right angle to the isolation trench walls 284, 290, 282 in the confinement cavity, as explained below. The transistor depth (thickness) is well controlled by the thickness of the semiconductor membrane 280 which in turn can be precisely determined by epitaxial and/or etching means.
The exposed semiconductor film 280 is then anisotropically etched back in two directions under the dielectric over layer 290 and along the isolation trenches 284 as shown in FIG. 12c. This forms a very smooth walled confinement cavity 292 with a smooth seed crystal 292-a, 292-b at the end of the cavity 292. The etch is stopped at a lateral depth consistent with the design requirement for the number of transistors to be formed in the confinement cavity. The depth "c" of the confinement cavity 292 may vary from about 2 μm to over 15 μm.
A smooth contamination free seed crystal wall 292-a, 292-b is required for the subsequent epitaxial growth. The crystal seed wall 292-a, 292-b will form at an angle dependent upon the crystallographic orientation of the semiconductor film. A <100> silicon film will form a seed wall angle of approximately 54.74° as measured from the horizonal, and a <110> silicon film will form a seed wall 292-a, 292-b with an angle 90° (as shown in FIG. 12c). GaAs and InP have similar crystallographic properties and can be used as the semiconductor film instead of silicon.
The selective epitaxial growth of crystalline semiconductor proceeds from the seed crystal wall 292-a, 292-b. The npn or pnp regions of silicon MOSFET transistors are epitaxially grown (see FIG. 12d) with in situ doping to whatever design thicknesses desired. This allows the length of the base or gate region of the transistor to be determined by the epitaxial growth process instead of a lithographic process as presently done. This also allows the length of the base or gate region of the transistor to be arbitrarily narrow, which cannot be done with current lithography methods. FIG. 12d shows the confinement cavity 292 filled with a CMOS transistor pair of npn and pnp structures 294, 296. Each region of the transistor can be uniquely tailored to length and doping concentration level, in addition, because the transistor channel is formed by epitaxial means, doping of the transistor 294, 296 regions, can be extended to graded segments as discussed above. Further, non-symmetric doping of source and drain regions can easily be implemented by time based selection of dopant during epitaxial growth; this is not easily accomplished in bulk wafer processing due lithography limitations in resolving the gate region.
FIG. 12d shows two pairs 294, 296 of CMOS transistors formed as mirror images of each other in two confinement cavities; this was a design choice because a single confinement cavity could have been formed by additional trench dielectric isolation of the initial confinement window opening. Depending on the method of epitaxial growth, gate region lengths "g" of less than 25 nm can be fabricated. In contrast, prior art MOSFET transistor gate regions are predominately formed by optical lithographic means and are presently limited to minimum gate region lengths of approximately 0.5 μm (500 nm).
FIG. 12e shows the CMOS transistor pairs 294, 296 with electrode contacts 294-a, 294-b, 294-c, 296-a, 296-b, 296-c. The isolated gate electrodes 300, 302, 304, 306 each span the narrower gate region length of the transistor. The gate electrode is formed by standard lithographic processes, and may be many times of greater length than the gate region length of the transistor. For example, a lithographically defined gate electrode of 0.5 μm and a transistor gate region length of 25 nm are possible. Gate electrode capacitance attributed to the gate electrode overlap of the source or drain regions can be reduced as described above with the GGD, EEG, and GEO methods. FIG. 12f shows embodiments of all of these methods; the electrode 312 opposed to the gate electrode 308 is presented optionally as a substrate bias. Also shown in FIG. 12f are source region 294-1, optionally graded doped gate region 294-2, epitaxially extended gate regions 294-4, offset gate electrode 308, gate isolation 310, and optionally epitaxially extended substrate 312-a.
The MDI Confined Lateral Epitaxy method is not limited to MOSFET transistors or silicon as a semiconductor material. The MDI Confined Lateral Epitaxy method can be used to fabricate silicon bipolar transistors, or applied to other semiconductors such GaAs or InP which can be epitaxially formed. An example of a bipolar transistor is shown in FIG. 12g when emitter region 314, base region 316, epi-extended base and electrode 318, collector 315, and optionally epi-extended base and electrode 319.
The semiconductor layer of a MDI circuit membrane provides various methods to pack circuit devices densely, mix semiconductor types or simplify the fabrication steps. FIGS. 12h, i & j show examples of such methods FIG. 12h shows a silicon membrane 289 upon which an epitaxial dielectric 291 and a subsequent layer of epitaxial semiconductor 293 has been formed; the total thickness of this membrane structure is typically less than 4 μm. The dielectric layer 291 should closely match the crystal lattice dimension and structure of the silicon 289; an example of such a dielectric with a similar crystal lattice is sapphire or undoped silicon under certain device design parameters. This MDI semiconductor layer structure allows semiconductor devices to be formed on either side of the semiconductor layer 289 and remain electrically isolated. An obvious application for this semiconductor or membrane structure is CMOS integrated circuits with p-type device formed on one side and n-type devices formed on the opposite side. Low stress dielectric would be used to trench isolate individual semiconductor devices and complete the MDI process suggested by Method #2. Further, the second epitaxially grown semiconductor layer 293 can be a material other than silicon such as GaAs or InP.
FIG. 12i shows a MDI circuit membrane composed of a silicon layer 295 and a low stress dielectric layer 297. The dielectric layer 297 has been patterned to form open areas 299 into which semiconductor material was deposited by selective epitaxial growth. The selectively deposited semiconductor 299 can be an semiconductor other than silicon, or silicon. Semiconductor devices can be fabricated in the epitaxial islands 299 on the backside of the MDI semiconductor layer.
FIG. 12j shows a MDI circuit membrane composed of a silicon layer 295 and a low stress dielectric layer 297. The dielectric layer 297 has been patterned and silicon islands 299 formed through selective epitaxial growth in the same manner as described for FIG. 12i. The silicon layer 295 was subsequently patterned removing portions of the silicon layer opposite each island 299 that was epitaxially grown in the dielectric layer, and then filling with low stress dielectric. Circuit devices formed in the semiconductor islands 299 are dielectrically isolated. This membrane structure has similar applications as those suggested for FIG. 12h.
The structures FIGS. 12h, i & j show that a two level device structure can be formed that permits more compact interconnection of the circuit devices by the use of vertical interconnections. These structures also simplify the fabrication of mixed device technologies such as BiCMOS by allowing the Bipolar and MOSFET devices to be fabricated on either side of the semiconductor membrane without an increase of interconnect complexity. The use of these MDI structures typically doubles the total surface area are available for interconnect metallization routing. The obvious potential processing benefits can be a reduction in the number interconnect metallization layers per side and or relaxation of the interconnect metallization pitch used, both of these benefits normally lead to an increase in circuit yield.
The mechanical (physical) and thermal properties of the nitride and oxide free standing membranes made with the Novellus equipment are similar to silicon membranes presently being used in the making of ICs with integrated sensors. Examples of such silicon membrane or diaphragm based sensors are those made for sensing acceleration, pressure or temperature, but not limited to these areas. The availability of such oxide and nitride dielectrics for general application is novel with this disclosure.
The use of such free standing dielectrics membranes significantly reduces the complexity of producing a membrane with non-conducting properties in a silicon or semiconductor fabrication environment. The low stress dielectric membranes have selective etchants that allow the dielectrics to be processed independently in the presents of silicon. The known passivating capability and inert chemical nature of silicon nitride, and the relatively similar coefficient of thermal expansion of silicon, silicon dioxide and silicon nitride increases the operating environmental range of sensors versus organic dielectrics.
Sensor diaphragms of low stress dielectric membranes produced on rigid substrates (typically semiconductor) can in most cases directly replace silicon membranes or be used in conjunction with a silicon membrane formed on a rigid (conventional) semiconductor substrate. No new fabrication methods are required to integrate the low stress MDI process dielectrics into such sensor ICs.
The following discloses additional applications of the MDI process, and of forms of MDI circuit membranes and extensions of the MDI IC process. For example, a MDI circuit membrane with few or without active circuit devices is called more specifically an interconnect circuit membrane. When the interconnect circuit membrane is used to interconnect conventional ICs in die form, the interconnect circuit membrane becomes a multiple chip module (MCM) interconnect circuit membrane as discussed immediately below. This does not limit the application of a MDI circuit membrane with active and passive circuit devices from being used in the fabrication of a MCM.
A MDI circuit membrane composed primarily of interconnect metallization of one or several internal interconnect levels can be fabricated on a substrate to provide electrical interconnections between the bond (signal) pads of various individual dice (ICs) as in the well established packaging technique called multiple chip module (MCM). A MDI circuit membrane made for this type of application is called multi-chip module Interconnect Circuit Membrane (ICM).
The multi-chip module interconnect circuit membrane is formed using the MDI process and conventional semiconductor processing techniques. The interconnect circuit membrane may have several thousands of die metal bond pad contacts or bonding points. The position of these metal contact or bonding points on the surface of the interconnect circuit membrane can be arbitrarily placed.
The multi-chip module interconnect circuit membrane can be formed on any substrate material that can meet the requirements for flatness specification, withstand the processing temperatures of the applied low stress dielectric(s), and can be selectively etched with respect to the low stress dielectric(s) to form the circuit membrane. FIG. 13a shows an embodiment of an multi-chip module interconnect circuit membrane made as described above by the MDI methods. FIG. 13a includes the interconnect circuit membrane 320 with several internal metallization trace layers (not shown), ICs (dice) 322a, 322b, 322c, interconnect circuit membrane substrate frame 324, and IC bonding contacts 326. FIG. 13b shows a related structure which is a cross-section of a functional tester for testing ICs with probe points 330 formed on attached ICs 336a, 336b.
The interconnect circuit membrane can also be formed (see FIG. 14) using the MDI method on a quartz substrate 340 that has been coated with a release agent 342 such as KBr; this assumes that a single-crystal type membrane or substrate 340 is not required for the fabrication of various types of active circuit devices (SDs) in the interconnect circuit membrane 320. Thus this structure is made as described above, but without monocrystalline SDs, as in a MCM that as a minimum requires only an interconnect circuit membrane or passive circuit devices and transistors made from polycrystalline or amorphous semiconductor. FIG. 15 shows the multiple chip module interconnect circuit membrane 320 of FIG. 13a made with the release agent method of FIG. 14 and held by a separately formed frame 350 that was bonded to the interconnect circuit membrane 320 just prior to activating the release agent by scribing at the shoulder of the quartz substrate, thereby cutting through the interconnect circuit membrane 320 and applying the appropriate solvent for the release agent. The array of die (ICs) 322a, 322b, 322c can then be directly bonded (as described below) to the interconnect circuit membrane 320, or the interconnect circuit membrane 320 can be aligned and mechanically held against the pads of the surfaces of the array of die (ICs) 322a, 322b, 322c to achieve electrical contact. Alternately, the circuit membrane made with the method utilizing polysilicon as disclosed above and shown in FIG. 1j can also be used as an interconnect circuit membrane to achieve a similar result as that shown in FIGS. 13a, 13b and 15.
The interconnect metallization traces in the circuit membrane form electrical connections from one or more of the contact pads of an IC to one or more contact pads of the other ICs. The diameter of these pads can vary from less than 0.5 mil (0.001"or 25 μm) to several mils. The limiting factors of the size of the IC contact pads is the lithography method used in fabrication and the assembly method; the cost of such methods increase as pad diameters less than 3 mils are employed.
A die can be bonded to a circuit membrane with any of several techniques. Techniques such as compressive metal to metal bonding with such metals as Indium or gold (or their respective alloys), infrared thermal bonding, laser bonding, and vertically conductive adhesive films such as ZAF from 3M Corporation are examples. FIG. 16a shows the packaging for a version of the structure shown in FIG. 13a, including IC carrier lid 352, compressible material (such as silicone) 354 attached thereto, carrier substrate 355 of the MCM package, contacts 356 to the carrier signal pins 357. An alternative package is shown in FIG. 16b, with gastight gasket 358 enclosing pressurized volume 359.
If the interconnect circuit membrane 360 (see FIG. 17a) is made from optically transparent dielectrics such as low stress silicon dioxide and or silicon nitride, this permits the conventional die (IC) 362 to be visually aligned on the interconnect circuit membrane 360 from the backside or from the side of the interconnect circuit membrane 360 opposite that of the die 362. A locally directed infrared or other heat source (not shown) can then be applied from the backside of the interconnect circuit membrane 360. On the opposite side (top side) is formed MDI pad 365 which is surrounded by solder wells 364, and solder weld bonds can be formed between the interconnect circuit membrane pads 365 and the die bond pads 366 on which is formed solder bump 367 which typically is about 5 to 25 μm thick. The die 362 is attached face down against the interconnect circuit membrane 360.
Solder weld bonds are formed by using a heat source (not shown) such as a high intensity lamp, laser or metal instrument that can heat the solder to its melting point. The heat source melts the solder 367 (see FIG. 17b) directly under the die pad 360 by heating through the interconnect circuit membrane 360 while the die is in contact with the interconnect circuit membrane. The high temperature tolerance of the dielectric material, its innate elasticity and thin structure allow heat from the heating source to quickly reach and melt the solder 367 to form a bond of 3 to 10 μm thickness. The melted solder 367 wets both the die pad 366 and the interconnect circuit membrane pad 365, and when it cools the solder 367 contracts holding the die pad 366 firmly against the interconnect circuit membrane pad 365. The solder bond is formed with no more pressure than what would be exerted when the die 362 is brought in contact with the interconnect circuit membrane 360, pressing into the interconnect circuit membrane and deflecting it by less than 25 μm. When the solder 367 is melted, the interconnect circuit membrane 360 assumes a uniform planar contact against the surface of the die 362. This also removes the requirement that the solder on each pad be formed to an exacting equivalent height.
The solder 367 (see FIG. 17c) alternatively is originally electroplated onto the interconnect circuit membrane bond pad 365. The solder 367 is electroplated to a height between 5 and 25 μm. The original height of the solder bump 367 is greater than the depth of the solder well 364 of the interconnect circuit membrane 360 in which the pad 365 of the interconnect circuit membrane 360 is positioned. FIG. 17b shows the structure of FIG. 17c after soldering or bond formation. If a die is removed some excess solder 367 will remain on the pad 365 of the interconnect circuit membrane 360. When a replacement die is bonded to the same interconnect circuit membrane pad, any excess solder will flow or be pressed into the solder well 364 and not prevent the surface of the die 362 and interconnect circuit membrane 360 surface from achieving uniform firm contact with each other. A hermetic seal can be formed between the surface of the die 362 and the interconnect circuit membrane 360. This is done by forming a metal bond along all edges of the die (not shown). This bond can be soldered, and is formed as described below.
An advantage of the high temperature tolerance of the interconnect circuit membrane which allows die solder bonding to be done without the application of any significant contact pressure between the interconnect circuit membrane and die, is the ability (see FIG. 18 showing a top view of bond pads on a die) to place die bond pads 370-1, 370-2, . . . , 370-k, . . . , 370-n directly over the circuit structures of the die (not shown). This allows the placement of semiconductor devices directly under a bond pad 370-k without concern that the semiconductor devices will be damaged, which is the case when mechanical wire bonding equipment is used to wire bond a die to its carrier. Damage-free bonding is not presently possible with current die wire bonding techniques, because such bonds are compressively formed with a mechanical arm which presses, rubbing through the die bond pad into the substrate of the die to be placed anywhere on the surface of the die. The MDI method makes the design of the IC easier, removes the need for reserved pad area on the die (which saves 5 to 10% of the surface area of the die) does not restrict the placement location of the pad, and allows the pads to be larger since area under the pads is no longer reserved exclusively for them.
A hermetic seal bond pad 372 extends continuously along the perimeter of the surface of the die. A hermetic seal of the surface of the die with the surface of the circuit membrane can be accomplished by the formation of an enclosing solder bond (comprising a solder well as described above for forming pad bonds) along the edge of the die. The hermetic seal is typically also a ground contact for the die.
The infrared solder bonding of die to the multiple chip module interconnect circuit membrane is a simple process which also allows the dies to be easily removed and replaced without damage to the interconnect circuit membrane. As shown in FIG. 19a, the IC 372 is held by a vacuum tool 373 and aligned in close proximity to the MCM interconnect circuit membrane 374. Once aligned, the interconnect circuit membrane 374 is gently urged forward by a fluid pressure 376 a distance of several mils and the die 372 is urged toward the interconnect circuit membrane 374 until contact is established. The infrared heat source 377 is applied to achieve localized heating of the solder pads (not shown) on the IC die 372 until they melt and wet to the interconnect circuit membrane 374.
The die 372 can be removed (see FIG. 19b) by using the same vacuum tool 373 to gently pull on the IC 372 while localized heating from heat source 377 of the IC is applied until the solder bonds melt and the IC 372 can be pulled from the interconnect circuit membrane 374; no fluid pressure is applied to the interconnect circuit membrane 374.
The multi-chip module interconnect circuit membrane can be enhanced to include passive devices such as resistors, capacitors, and polysilicon or a-Si (amorphous-Silicon) TFTs (Thin Film Transistors). Such circuit elements can be fabricated into or onto the membranes due to the ability of the dielectric membranes to tolerate processing temperatures in excess of 400° C. These circuit elements can be fabricated internally to the interconnect circuit membrane structure as part of various specific layers or collectively on either external side of the interconnect circuit membrane. After the interconnect circuit membrane is freed from the substrate on which it is initially formed, it is strong enough to withstand continued semiconductor processing steps.
The multi-chip module interconnect circuit membrane can further be enhanced to include any degree of active single crystal semiconductor devices. This is consistent with the earlier discussion of the capability of bonding two or more MDI membranes to form a three dimensional IC, except in this case conventional dice (ICs) are bonded at the bond pads of the circuitry internal to a MDI circuit membrane which is also serving the purpose of interconnect circuit membrane.
The multi-chip module interconnect circuit membrane provides novel circuit cooling advantages due to its low mass structure. The thermal energy generation of an IC is from the face side of the IC. ICs attached face down against the circuit membrane allows the thermal energy of an IC to be radiated and conducted through the circuit membrane to a liquid or solid heat sink means on the opposite side of the circuit membrane. The circuit membrane provides a very short thermal path from the IC to the heat sinking means. The ability directly to cool ICs in this manner is a unique feature of the MDI interconnect circuit membrane structure. The cooling efficiency that can be achieved by an IC that is fabricated with the MDI process as a circuit membrane is significantly improved versus standard thickness substrates by the obvious reduction in the thermal mass resistance of the semiconductor substrate.
FIG. 13d shows in cross-section a portion of a MCM MDI interconnect circuit membrane 329 including low stress dielectric and interconnect layer 329a and semiconductor layer 329b where two die 331, 333 are bonded face down at their signal pads 335a, 335b, 335c, 335d. The MDI circuit membrane 329 incorporates the pad drivers 337a, 337b, 337c, 337d that normally would be incorporated onto the die (IC). The primary advantages of integrating the IC pad drivers into the MCM are circuit performance, simplified use of mixed device technologies (Bipolar & CMOS), cooling and die size (IC real estate).
IC pad drivers are typically designed to meet a broad range of circuit design conditions which often results in a trade-off of performance. The designer of the MCM pad driver has a better understanding of the operational requirements of the pad driver, and therefore, can typically optimize the pad driver design for higher performance. Pad drivers in the MCM can be formed from Bipolar transistors while the IC can be CMOS. This achieves many of the benefits of BiCMOS without the fabrication complexity. The pad drivers of an IC typically generate more than half of the thermal energy of the IC especially at high operating speeds. Placing the pad drivers in the MCM provides a means to bring the primary thermal components of an IC into direct contact with heat sinking means. IC pad drivers are typically the largest transistor structures making up the IC. Moving the pad drivers of the IC into the MCM can result in a potential 5-10% reduction in the size of the overall IC.
The incorporation of low complexity ICs into a MCM MDI circuit membrane can reduce overall MCM assembly and parts costs. Such often used circuits as bus drivers or combinatorial logic can be incorporated into a MCM reducing parts and assembly costs without a corresponding increase in the cost to fabricate the MCM. (Once the decision has been made to include such circuits in a MCM MDI circuit membrane, there is no significant cost difference between the inclusion of 1,000 transistors or 10,000.) Yield of circuits in a MCM circuit membrane can be addressed through redundant fabrication of the desired circuit devices; the circuit devices of the MCM circuit membrane comprise only a small amount of the total surface area, typically less than 10%. The circuit devices of the MCM circuit membrane can be tested for defects. A MDI functional tester membrane disclosed herein, can be used to perform this testing and, in the same step if so desired, to blow anti-fuses to enable the defect free circuits or fuses to disable the defective circuits.
The multi-chip module interconnect circuit membrane, like prior art PCBs (printed circuit boards), can provide access to the contact pads of the IC from the opposite side on which the IC is attached. This access permits in-circuit testing of the bonded IC to be performed by a separate interconnect circuit membrane fabricated to do such a functional test, and also permits electrical continuity testing of the traces fabricated in the multi-chip module interconnect circuit membrane, again performed by an interconnect circuit membrane test surface fabricated for that purpose. FIG. 20 is a top side view of an interconnect module showing an interconnect circuit membrane surface bond pad 380 and interconnect circuit membrane feed-through contacts 382 from the bond pads of the dice 386-1, 386-2, 386-3 mounted by compression or solder bonding (see FIG. 21) on the backside of the interconnect module of FIG. 20. Also shown in FIG. 21 are the backside 388 of the etched silicon substrate and the interconnect circuit membrane surface 190 with the traces 392-1, 392-2, 392-3 interconnecting the dice 386-1, 386-2, 386-3.
The multi-chip module interconnect circuit membrane method could also be used to construct a functional IC tester surface with a high number of probe points (in excess of several thousand) for testing ICs while in wafer or die form (i.e., wafer or die sort testing), and also to wafer sort subsections of ICs such as an ALU (Arithmetic Logic Unit), FPU (Floating Point Unit), cache segment, etc.
A functional circuit membrane tester surface made with the MDI process offers advantages not presently available from present on-wafer IC membranes testers constructed from polymers such as continuous high temperature operation (greater than 100° C.) without deleterious effects due excessive material expansion or at-speed IC testing without EM interconnect trace coupling.
High numbers (in excess of 1000) of pads or traces of an IC or IC subsection can be contacted. The contact sites of the IC (die) can be arbitrary in position and all sites can be contacted at one time. The contact sites (pads or traces) can be less than 50 μm (2 mils) or even less than 2 μm in diameter. The probe points of the functional tester surface can be less than 50 μm or even less than 1 μm in diameter, and can be placed on center to center distances of less than twice the diameter of the probe points. (Functional probe points can be formed to be 12 μm in diameter and spaced on center to center distances of less than 24 μm.) The ability to form and contact high numbers of pads or traces with dimensions smaller than presently available in the industry is due to the ability of the MDI IC process to form multiple layers of interconnect with established semiconductor fabrication means resulting in a flexible and elastic membrane structure. The multiple layers of interconnect provide for denser contact test sites, the thin membrane structure provides for contact conformation with little required force (typically less than 10 psi), and the compatibility of the dielectric material with standard IC fabrication techniques allows contact of contact site dimensions less than 2 μm.
A MDI circuit membrane 332 used as an IC functional tester surface extends under fluid pressure "P" to make contact with the surface of a wafer or single die 339 to be tested as shown in FIG. 13c. The MDI circuit membrane 332 can be formed with diameters of approximately the size of the substrate on which it is formed and to be extended more than 40 mils (0.1 cm) depending on the diameter of the membrane. Probe points 330 on the tester surface are not restricted in size, and can range in size from greater than 4 mils (0.01 cm) to less than 2 μm in diameter. The number of probe points 330 can vary from less than 100 to several thousand without restriction and the placement of the probe points can be arbitrary. These capabilities of the functional tester surface are primarily due to the structural formulation of the materials used and the fabrication methods of the MDI process. The MDI functional tester surface can rub through the native aluminum oxide layer of the bonding pads of the die 339 being tested by laterally moving the wafer or die 339 holding mechanism several microns (typically less than 10 μm) in a back and forth motion. This is uniquely facilitated by the durability of the circuit membrane, the surface flatness of the membrane, the uniformity of probe point height and the low pressure required to extend the membrane surface so that all probe points are in contact with the substrate.
In the case of sub-section testing of a die, the detection of a defective sub-section before packaging permits the option of pinning-out the IC as one of several alternative product configurations, and thereby, making useable an otherwise scrapped IC.
In FIG. 13b the multi-chip module interconnect circuit membrane has signal pad probe points 330 formed on the side opposite of the attachment of dice 336a, 336b. The dice 336a, 336b of the multiple chip module provide functional test signals to the probe points 330. The testing performed by the multiple chip module can be functional testing of a whole die or a subsection of the IC. The probe points 330 are aligned over a die (not shown) to be tested on a wafer, and the interconnect circuit membrane 332 is extended several mils (nominally 15-30 mils) by a fluid pressure as shown in FIG. 13c. The wafer is raised to make contact with the probe points 330, the functional test performed, the wafer is lowered, positioned to the next IC (die location on the wafer) and the functional test repeated until all the ICs on the wafer have been tested. Testing die in this manner can also be done on die that has already been cut from a wafer. This is done by aligning and holding the individual die in contact with the probe points and the functional test performed. Piezoelectric horizontal vibration applied to the interconnect circuit membrane 332 or the wafer or individual die while the functional testing is being performed can be used to rub through native metal oxide on the die pads.
Alternately the native metal oxide (approximately 30Å thick) on the pads of a die can be rubbed through by the probe points of the functional tester surface by repeatedly moving the wafer or die several microns in a lateral manner when the tester surface is first brought into contact with the IC to be tested. The mechanical control presently available with most wafer or die handling equipment is sufficient to effect this rubbing action.
The interconnect circuit membrane can range in thickness from less than 2 μm to over 25 μm. A typical thickness per layer of interconnect (dielectric and metal traces) is 1 to 4 μm. Dielectric layer of several microns thickness may be used as a planarizing technique to lessen metal trace step height differentials that can develop when more than two interconnect layers are used. Planarization of metal traces can also be achieved by depositing the dielectric to a thickness inclusive of the metal trace. A channel that is at least as deep as the desired thickness of the metal trace is patterned in the dielectric. Then established lift-off techniques are used to fill the channel with metal.
FIGS. 22a to 22c show this process. In FIG. 22a, a portion of the interconnect circuit membrane dielectric 400 is shown with patterned resist layer 402 overlying. Recess 406 is then formed in dielectric 400 by isotropic etching to form undercut portions 404 equal nearly to the depth of etched recess 406. In FIG. 22b metal layer 408 is deposited. In FIG. 22c lift off stripping of resist 202 is performed leaving only metal trace 408, and the next dielectric layer 410 is deposited.
Planarization of the interconnect structure can be achieved by applying a thick layer of a planarizing polymer over the MDI dielectric film. The polymer must have an etch rate similar to that of the MDI dielectric film. The polymer is then removed completely by dry etch means and in the same process removing any dielectric surface features that extended into the polymer layer. This planarization process is identical to the optional planarization process disclosed in the process steps for the Air Tunnel. The only differences being the material being planarized is a MDI dielectric and not a-Si.
The ability of the interconnect circuit membrane to achieve reliable contact on the bond pads of a die (see FIG. 13b) is strongly influenced by the thickness of the interconnect circuit membrane 332 which contains the probe points 330 for contacting the die to be tested. An interconnect circuit membrane 332 may be 25 μm thick or more as required for example by transmission line design considerations of interconnect traces. Interconnect circuit membrane thickness at the probe points is preferably less than 81 μm. The structure of FIG. 13b can be fabricated as shown in FIGS. 23a and 23b.
In FIG. 23a an etch stop layer 412 (typically metal) is deposited at a certain thickness of the interconnect circuit membrane 332 as the interconnect circuit membrane 332 is fabricated from repeated applications of dielectric and metallization layers to a thickness of 8 to over 25 μm. After the fabrications of the interconnect layers of the interconnect circuit membrane 332 is completed, an area over the probe points 330 is masked and etched to the etch stop layer 412 (see FIG. 23b). The etch stop layer 412 is then etch removed. Alternatively, the area 414 over the probe points 330 can be etched free of overlying interconnect layers as each layer is itself patterned as part of the fabrication of the interconnect metallization. Then dice 336a, 336b are attached to the interconnect circuit membrane 332.
The MDI process technology can be used to fabricate a circuit membrane with an nxm cell array of active radiation sources of X-ray, DUV (Deep Ultra Violet) or E-Beam sources that can be used to form lithographic patterns in a film of appropriately sensitive resist. The preferred embodiment in this disclosure uses a X-ray source. Variations of the electrodes, gas contents and structure of the radiation source cell can be made within the overall structure of this source integrated light valve embodiment. The preference for the X-ray source embodiment is its capability to pattern a smaller feature size.
The radiation source cells in the membrane are under computer control, so that this type of MDI membrane combines the functions of reticle or mask and a light or radiation source for fabricating ICs. The radiation source cells of this MDI circuit membrane are positioned (aligned) over an area of the substrate to be patterned and at a uniform distance from or in contact with the substrate. Each cell then illuminates (exposes) various portions of the substrate directly beneath it as required. The MDI circuit membrane functioning in this manner is called herein a Source-Integrated Light Valve (SLV) and can generally be categorized as a Direct Write (maskless) Lithography Tool.
The array of Radiation Source Cells (RSC) that make Up the patterning structure of the SLV, emit a collimated source of radiation. The exposure feature size of this collimated radiation source is dimensionally much smaller than the area the RSC occupies on the surface of the SLV. The emitted collimated radiation source is referred to as the Radiation Exposure Aperture (REA). The SLV is moved in a scanning X-Y manner over the substrate to be patterned. The dimensions of the scanning motions cause each REA of an RSC to pass over a portion of the substrate that typically is equal in area to the size of the RSC. The RSCs are operated in parallel, and the patterned areas on the substrate beneath each RSC adjoin each other and collectively form a much larger overall pattern on the substrate. This pattern can be as large as the underlying substrate. The scanning motion of the RSCs is generated by well known computer controlled mechanical motor driven stages or piezoelectric driven stages. The SLV or the substrate can be attached to the motion stage. Due to the short X-Y motions in the use of the SLV, and the desire to scan the RSCs with REAs of dimensions much less than 1 μm and in some cases with dimensions of less than 50 nm, piezoelectric motion stage drive is the preferred embodiment. As the REAs of the SLV circuit membrane are scanned over the substrate, they are turned on or off by computer controlled logic associated with each RSC to effect the desired exposure pattern to be made on the surface of the substrate. An example would be a RSC with an area of 25 μm by 25 μm and a REA of 0.1 μm in diameter. In order for the REA to expose an area the size of the RSC, a scanning motion of 25 μm by 0.1 μm would be made 250 times in the X-axis direction while translating 0.1 μm in the Y-axis direction after each scan.
FIG. 24 shows a overhead (plan) view of a prototypical SLV 420 with an array size of 4,096 by 4,096 RSCs, and an overall size of approximately 5 inches by 5 inches. The SLV array 420 of RSCs has associated control logic 424 for loading the pattern data to each RSC. The SLV 420 (including the control logic 424) is a MDI circuit membrane of nominally 8 μm to 50 μm in thickness made by established semiconductor processes and held in a rigid frame 426 made from the original substrate on which the SLV 420 was fabricated or a frame bonded to the SLV prior to the selective etch removal of the substrate on which the SLV (MDI circuit membrane) was fabricated. Electromagnetic coupling alignment structures 430 (described below) are shown also.
FIG. 25 shows a cross-section of two RSCs 434-1, 434-2 in a SLV 440. A SLV 440 in the preferred embodiment has rows and columns of RSCs 434-1, 434-2 where each row and each column can include more than 1,000 RSCs resulting in a total count of RSCs in a SLV in excess of several million. FIG. 25 shows a MDI circuit membrane 440 which is 8 to 50 μm thick, data bus interconnect metallization 442-1, 442-2, control logic 424-1, 424-2, X-ray sources 446-1, 446-2, and REAs 434-1a, 434-2a.
FIGS. 26 and 27 are cross-sections of two different potential implementations of X-ray RSCs 434. FIG. 26 uses a metal cathode 450 with a highly textured surface 452 in the shape of adjacent cubes; each corner of the extended portion of each cube is a cold electron point emitter which emits electrons into the electric field 456 created by the high voltage x-ray emitting target 458 beneath it. The size of the RSC 434 is approximately 25 μm × 25 μm. The thickness (height) of the RSC 434 is approximately 8 to 50 μm. The materials used to fabricate the SLV (and RSCs) are those employed to fabricate a MDI circuit membrane as described above--metal 459, low stress dielectric 460 and a single crystalline semiconductor membrane substrate 472. The processing steps can vary widely, but are those used in conventional semiconductor and micro-machinery fabrication.
The textured cathode 450 will typically be in the shape of a square array of rows and columns of metal cubes, with each cube having dimensions much smaller than the overall dimensions of the square cathode layer. As an example, if the cathode 450 is 4 μm2 in area, the dimension of each cube would be 0.1 to 0.5 μm on a side. The textured cathode cubes are made by established lithography techniques (E-Beam or DUV optical lithography) and anisotropic RIE processing. This cathode 450 configuration is a novel part of the SLV because of high density of cold electron emitters, and therefore, high electron fluence onto the anode 458. The cathode 450 emits electrons which are accelerated by the electric field 456 created by the voltage potential of the target or anode 458. When electrons reach the target 458, X-rays are emitted from the target 458. X-ray absorber materials 466 such as tungsten or gold are deposited as layers as part of the fabricated structure of the SLV membrane to provide a means to form the REA 470 and in back scatter layer 461 to prevent back scattered X-rays from reaching control logic devices 472 with interconnect 473 to other RSCs in the SLV. This RSC is related to the well known X-ray vacuum tube design. The space 474 separating the cathode and target is in partial vacuum. This separation distance can vary from less than 1 μm to 40 μm.
FIG. 27 shows an alternative RSC 434 that uses a laser diode 480 to irradiate onto a target 458 which in turn emits X-rays. The laser diode 480 and the target 458 are separated by a distance "d" of 1 or more microns in a cavity 482 that is optionally a partial vacuum. Except for the technique of inducing the emission of X-rays from the target 458 material, the RSCs 434 shown in FIGS. 26 and 27 are functionally the same. RSCs that employ gases such as Cd-Hg or Xe-Hg as in the case of DUV radiation sources, the structure of the electrodes in the cavity of the RSC would change and X-ray absorber layers would not be necessary. RSCs that emit free electrons for resist patterning would require that the REA 470 be an opening or that it be closed by a material thin enough to allow the accelerated beam of electrons to pass through it. If the REA 470 is an opening from the electrode cavity 482 of the RSC, then the SLV would have to be operated in vacuum, just as is the case with E-Beam lithography tools. The Hampshire Corporation (Marlborough, MA) presently manufactures an X-ray lithography tool which uses a laser diode stimulated X-ray radiation source.
Although laser diodes that emit radiation with a wavelength less than approximately 6,000Å do not presently exist, development of shorter wavelength laser diodes is on-going and contemplated as a radiation generator for the SLV. There is significant demand for diodes with shorter wavelengths for use in consumer and computer peripheral products like compact discs. Such devices in the not too distant future may come into existence and such laser diodes could possibly be integrated into the SLV as a radiation source generator of a RSC. The use of laser diodes is therefore contemplated. An additional application of the SLV (with a RSC of appropriate radiation capability) is radiation-induced CVD (chemical vapor deposition). The use of an SLV in this manner eliminates the need for mask and etch processing steps. The material of interest to be deposited, be it metal or dielectric, is deposited in a patterned form. This provides for a maskless, resistless, etchless process and it has significant cost and particulate contamination advantages. The SLV operating in this manner supplies radiation at the surface of a substrate where a mixture of gaseous compounds are present. This process step is mechanically the same as exposing a resist layer on the substrate as discussed above. The radiation from a RSC causes the compounds to react at the surface of the substrate leaving a deposition of material selectively on the irradiated portions of the surface of the substrate. This method of radiation-induced selective CVD has been demonstrated with the use of excimer lasers. Laser diodes that can emit radiation in the excimer frequency band of 75 to 250 nm do not presently exist.
The MDI process technology can be used to fabricate a circuit membrane with an nxm cell array of individually controlled electro-static or electromagnetic valves or shutters. These valves can be used to control the passage of charged particles through the circuit membrane to create an exposure pattern in a film of appropriately sensitive resist. The array of valves on the MDI circuit membrane is for practical purposes the same structure as the SLV structure shown in FIG. 24. The primary difference is the use of particle valve cells for patterning an external particle source which illuminates one side of the SPV circuit membrane, instead of a cell with an integrated patterning source as in the case of the SLV lithography mask.
The array of valve cells of this MDI circuit membrane is placed between a collimated ion particle source and at a uniform distance from or in contact with a substrate coated with a thin film of resist. The array is positioned (aligned) over an area of the substrate to be patterned and the array of valves, under individual computer control, allow ion (charged) particles to expose or not expose an area of resist coated substrate directly under beneath it. The MDI circuit membrane functioning in this manner is called herein a Source-External Particle Valve (SPV)
The collimated particle beam passed by a particle valve has a fixed exposure feature size called the Particle Exposure Aperture (PEA). The SPV is moved in a scanning X-Y manner over the substrate to be patterned. The dimensions of the scanning motions cause each PEA of a particle valve to pass over a portion of the substrate that typically is equal in area to the size of the valve. The valves are operated in parallel (simultaneously), the patterned areas on the substrate beneath each valve adjoin each other and collectively form a much larger overall pattern on the substrate. The scanning motion of the valves is generated by well known computer controlled mechanical motor driven stages or piezoelectric driven stages. The SPV or the substrate can be attached to the motion stage. Due to the short X-Y motions in the use of the SPV, and the desire to scan the valves with PEAs of dimensions much less than 1 μm in diameter and in some cases less than 50 nm, piezoelectric motion stage drive is the preferred embodiment. As the valves of the circuit membrane are scanned over the substrate, they are turned on or off by computer controlled logic associate with each valve to effect the desired exposure pattern to be made on the surface of the substrate. An example would be a valve with an area of 25 μm by 25 μm and a PEA of 0.1 μm in diameter. In order for the valve to expose an area the size of the valve, a scanning motion of 25 μm by 0.1 μm would be made 250 times in the X-axis while translating 0.1 μm in the Y-axis after each scan.
FIG. 24 (also a plan view for the SLV) shows an overhead (plan) view of a prototypical SPV 420 with an array of 4,096 by 4,096 ion or charged particle valves, and an overall size of approximately 5 inches by 5 inches. The SPV array 420 of valves has associated control logic 424 for loading the pattern data to each valve. The SPV 420 (including control logic 424) is a MDI circuit membrane of nominally 4 μm to 8 μm in thickness made by established semiconductor processes and held in a rigid frame 426 made of the original substrate on which the SPV 420 was fabricated. Electromagnetic coupling alignment structures 430 (described below) are shown also.
FIG. 29a shows a cross-section of two valves 502, 504 in a SPV 506. A SPV in the preferred embodiment has rows and columns of valves 502, 504 where each row and each column can include more than 1,000 valves resulting in a total count of valves in a SPV in excess of several million. FIG. 29a shows a MDI circuit membrane 508 which is 4 μm to 8 μm thick, data bus 510a, 510b, control logic 512a, 512b and PEA (aperture) 514a, 514b for passage of ion particles. FIG. 29b shows a plan view of the valves 502, 504 of FIG. 29a.
The valves of the SPV prevent the passage of ions or charged particles by using an electric or magnetic field of the same polarity to deflect approaching particles from the PEA. The PEA 514a, 514b is typically a square opening in the SPV circuit membrane 508. The PEA 514a, 514b is circumscribed by a metal film 520a, 520b which creates a local electro-static field over the PEA by applying a voltage potential, or by a metal wire 540 (coil) (shown in FIG. 29e) which creates a local electromagnetic donut shaped field. When the SPV is flooded with a collimated source of charged particles, the particles that fall upon the PEA 514a, 514b will pass through the SPV 506 and continue onto the resist layer (not shown) to be patterned directly beneath the SPV 506. If a electro-static field or electro-magnetic field of sufficient strength and of the same polarity as the ionic particle is present, the ionic particle will deflect away from the PEA and strike some other portion of the SPV surface. The PEA is small in area relative to the total generated electric field volume, therefore, only a small deflection of the approaching charged particle is required for it to miss the PEA and strike the surface of the SPV.
The SPV 506 is typically operated in an enclosure (not shown) under vacuum. The charged ions or particles can be of any material that can be appropriately accelerated or caused to uniformly flood the surface of the SPV. Some examples of charged particles that have been used as sources for patterning resist films are electrons (negative), protons (positive) and gallium+(positive). The SPV can be in close proximity or contact with the substrate to be patterned, or it can be positioned before imaging lens elements of the lithography equipment that could be used to enhance the focus of the particles beams formed by passing through the SPV circuit membrane or demagnify (reduce) the image generated by the SPV.
FIGS. 29c and 29d are cross-sections that show different methods for implementing an electro-static shutter or valve of the SPV. FIG. 29c shows a PEA 514a formed by an anisotropic etch of the monocrystalline semiconductor membrane 524; <100> monocrystalline semiconductor wet etches with a wall angle of approximately 54° or dry etching (RIE) methods can also be used to etch a round or square hole to form the PEA 514a in either the low stress dielectric 526a, 526b or semiconductor layer 524 of the SPV circuit membrane. The via in the low stress dielectric membrane 526b on the backside of the semiconductor membrane was formed after the wet etch of the PEA 514a. A thin metal film 528 of typically less than 2,000Å is deposited by sputtering or CVD means. The metal film 528 circumscribes the PEA 514a and has a diameter typically of less than 4 μm, and the PEA typically has a diameter d of less than 500 nm. FIG. 29d shows a PEA 530 formed by etching a via in a flat metal film 532 that was deposited on the semiconductor membrane 534. The metal film 532 forming the PEA in this example is typically less than 2,000Å thick and has a diameter of approximately 4 μm. Also shown are low stress dielectric layers 536a, 536b.
FIGS. 29e and 29f show a method for implementing an electromagnetic shutter or valve of the SPV. FIG. 29e is a plan view of the structure of FIG. 29f. Shown are semiconductor membrane layer 542 and layer 544 low stress dielectric. A metal coil 540 is formed on MDI circuit membrane 508 so a current loop can be created around the PEA 514a. The PEA 514a is formed by wet or dry anisotropic etching in either the dielectric or semiconductor portions of the MDI circuit membrane 508. The metal line 540 is typically less than 2 μm wide, less than 1 μm thick and circumscribes a area "a" typically less than 4 μm in diameter. The PEA 514a is smaller than the inner diameter "a" of the loop of the metal line 540 and typically less than 500 nm.
Control logic is associated with each valve of a SPV, supplying voltage or current as necessary to the metal structure circumscribing the PEAs. In FIGS. 29c and 29d the valve control logic applies a voltage potential to the metal film 528, 532 respectively circumscribing the PEA. If the applied voltage potential is of the same polarity as the charge particles striking the surface of the SPV, the particles will be deflected from passing through the PEA. This is the valve closed condition. If the applied voltage potential is of the opposite polarity or zero, particles will pass through the PEA. In FIG. 29e and 29f the valve control logic applies a current through the metal wire 540 circumscribing the PEA 514a. Depending on the direction of the current in the wire 540 (clockwise or counter-clockwise about the PEA) a magnetic field with a polarity is generated. If the field polarity is the same as the approaching charged particle it will be deflected, and if the field polarity is the opposite or zero particles will pass through the PEA.
The design of electro-static or electromagnetic valves for achieving the desired functions of the SPV can vary widely. The examples presented here are not intended to limit the scope of the design structure of such valves for use in a SPV.
FIGS. 29g through 29k show portions of a direct write lithography tool which uses repeated micro-machined mechanical electro-static shutter cell 550-k for the patterning of photonic or particle exposure source. The overall structure and function of this lithography tool is similar to the above described SLV and SPV tools. It is composed of rows and columns of pattern forming elements called shutter cells 550-k that are each approximately 25 μm by 25 μm. FIG. 29g is a plan view of several such cells 550-1, 550-2, . . . , 550-k, . . . , 550-n. FIG. 24 represents a general plan view of the whole lithographic tool, which looks the same in plan as the SLV and SPV tools.
An array of shutter cells 550-k made on a MDI circuit membrane is placed between a collimated photonic or ion particle source and a substrate to be patterned, and can be used in projection or contact lithography methods to pattern such a substrate coated with a thin film of resist. The array is positioned (aligned) over an area of the substrate to be patterned and the array of shutter cells, each under individual computer control regulating the shutter opening or REA (Radiation Exposure Aperture) through the circuit membrane, exposes an area of the substrate directly beneath or corresponding to it. The MDI circuit membrane functioning in this manner is called herein a Mechanical Light Valve (MLV).
The size of the REA collimated exposure image passed by a shutter cell 550-k is variable. Further, the REA does not need to be a physical opening through the MDI circuit membrane for photonic sources, but only transparent to the incident photonic radiation. The MLV is moved in a scanning X-Y manner (shown by X-Y axis 554) over the substrate to be patterned. The dimensions of the scanning motions cause each REA of a shutter cell to pass over a portion of the substrate that typically is equal in area to the size of the shutter cell 550-k. The shutter cells 550-k are operated in parallel (simultaneous) manner; the patterned areas on the substrate beneath each shutter cell adjoin each other and collectively form a much larger overall pattern on the substrate. The scanning motion of the shutter cell is generated by well known computer controlled mechanical motor driven stages or piezoelectric driven stages. The MLV or the substrate can be attached to the motion stage. Due to the short X-Y motions in the use of the MLV, and the desire to scan the shutter cells with REAs of dimensions much less than 1 μm in diameter and in some cases less than 50 nm, piezoelectric motion stage drive is the preferred embodiment.
As the shutter cells of the circuit membrane are scanned over the substrate, they are opened or closed by computer controlled logic 556-k associated with each shutter cell 550-h to effect the desired exposure pattern to be made on the surface of the substrate. An example would be a shutter cell with an area of 25 μm by 25 μm and a REA setting of 0.1 μm in diameter. In order for the REA to expose an area the size of the shutter cell, a scanning motion of 25 μm by 0.1 μm would be made 250 times in the X-axis while translating 0.1 μm in the Y-axis after each scan. The size setting of the REA is typically fixed for a given scan of the substrate, and vector motion of the REA can be used to improve exposure performance when there are areas of the substrate common to all shutter cells that do not require exposure such as is the case with via pattern layers.
The operation of the shutter cells regulates the opened/closed status of an opening that allows a fluence of the exposure source (photons or particles) to pass, and in the same operation dynamically determines the exposure CD for the lithography tool. The ability to change the minimum exposure CD or REA of the MLV is unique to this tool, versus the SLV and the SPV which have fixed exposure apertures. The ability to dynamically change the size of the REA allows the pattern or geometry fracture database of the IC to be partitioned into CD specific geometry sets per pattern layer of an IC. This provides the capability to optimize the performance of the lithography tool by patterning those portions of an exposure image with the smallest CD (processing rate is due to the size of the REA, therefore, the smaller the REA the greater the number of REA exposures), separately from other portions of the exposure image composed of larger CDs.
FIGS. 29h and 29i show plan views of two different shutter arm structures of a shutter cell 550-k. FIG. 29i shows a spring suspension structure of the shutter arm 560, 566. The shutter arm 560, 566 is formed of metal or a combination of metal and low stress dielectric and is suspended over the surface of the substrate from two electrical contacts 562, 564 on either side of the shutter 566. The shutter arm 560, 566 can move (in the direction 570-Y indicated) by the switched application of electro-static potentials. The REA 572 of the shutter cell is formed by the intersection of a square opening 574 through the non-transmissive material of the shutter arm and a similar opening through a metal electrode film directly below the central area of the shutter 566 and fixed to the surface of the substrate. This opening 574 is typically less than 2 μm in diameter, and is positioned with a 90° rotation relative to the long axis of the shutter arm 560. FIG. 29h shows in dotted outline 578 as an alternate position of the shutter arm 560, 566 produced by the application of electro-static potentials. The size of the REA is determined by the projected intersection of the opening in the central area 566 of the shutter and the opening in the fixed metal film beneath it. The REA of the shutter 572 is closed by moving the central area of the shutter arm 566 a distance greater than the diagonal length of the square opening 574.
The shutter arm 560, 566 is positioned or moved by electro-static potentials. The shutter arm 560, 566 is provided with a voltage potential. Electrodes 580a, 580b positioned at either end of the maximum travel displacement of the central area of the shutter arm 566 are selectively set at opposite potentials sufficient to attract or repel the shutter arm a desired displacement. The shutter arm is held in physical contact with the electrode film beneath it by applying an opposite potential to the lower substrate electrode (not shown).
FIG. 29j is a cross section of part of the shutter cell through line j--j of FIG. 29h. FIG. 29k is a cross section along line k--k of FIG. 29j.
As shown in FIG. 29j, the shutter cell is fabricated with established semiconductor processing methods. The array and shutter cell control logic are fabricated on a MDI circuit membrane 590. A trench 592 is formed down to a lower dielectric layer 590 of the circuit membrane sufficient in size to accommodate the motion of the central area 566 of the shutter arm. The electrode 594 under the central area 566 of the shutter arm is formed, and a conformal sacrificial layer (not shown) of a-Si (amorphous Silicon) is deposited over the area of the shutter array. The thickness of the a-Si layer determines the separation distance that the shutter arm is suspended above the circuit membrane. Into the a-Si layer via openings 562, 564 (FIGS. h and i) are patterned to the electrode contacts of the shutter arm 560 and to the electrode contacts of the shutter arm positioning electrodes 580a, 580b. A metal layer 600 optionally combined with a dielectric layer 602 is deposited and patterned to form the shutter arm 560, 566 and the positioning electrodes 580a, 580b. The opening 574 that is used to form the REA is also patterned and etched via RIE processes. This opening 574 as a minimum passes through the shutter arm and the electrode 594 below the central area of the shutter arm that is used in forming the cross-sectioned area that is the REA 572. The opening 574 may be completely through the MDI circuit membrane 590, or stop on the dielectric layer depending on the transmission requirements of the exposure source. The a-Si is then selectively removed which leaves the shutter arm 560 free standing and connected to the circuit membrane at only two electrode contact sites 562, 564 (FIGS. h and i). The shutter arm 560, 566 is free to move in two directions 570-Y, 570-Z based on the voltage potentials applied to the shutter arm 560, 566 positioning electrodes 580a, 580b, and the substrate electrode 594 beneath the central portion of the shutter arm.
The MDI process can be used to form free standing membranes used as lithographic masks with fixed patterns. The MDI process can be used to form optical, X-ray and stencil masks (ion or charged particle masks). The mask substrate is made from a low stress dielectric and optionally semiconductor material. In the preferred embodiment masks are made from oxide and nitride low stress dielectric made on the Novellus equipment and consistent with the formulation presented above or as variations of such low stress membranes formed on other oxide and nitride fabrication equipment. The patterning material is a semiconductor such as silicon, another dielectric material or a metal which is non-transmissive to a photonic exposure source. If the exposure source is an ion or charged particle beam, then the patterning is accomplished with voids (openings through the membrane) or a lack of material, or stencil.
FIGS. 29l and 29m show in cross-section the formation of a fixed photonic mask. A membrane substrate 620 initially formed of dielectric layers 622, 624 and silicon 626 (patterning material shown with pattern) is formed as described above. The thickness of the dielectric layers 622, 624 of the membrane is typically 2 to 3 μm thick, and the silicon 626 may vary in thickness depending upon the desired sidewall angle of the silicon or the CD aspect ratio (ratio of layer thickness to the CD opening of the pattern). The silicon layer 626 can be patterned directly with established resist spin-on films, pattern generation lithography tools such as E-beam and selective silicon etch processing.
FIG. 29l shows in cross-section a patterned silicon layer 626 formed by first patterning an overlay of metal 630 such as tungsten, and then selectively etching the silicon layer 626 done to the dielectric layer 622. A metal pattern could also be formed by removing the silicon layer altogether and depositing a metal film, then subsequently patterning it, or by selectively undercutting the patterned silicon layer of FIG. 29l to employ a lift-off process with a noble metal such as gold.
FIG. 29m shows in cross-section the structure of FIG. 29l after the deposition of a low stress dielectric membrane layer 632 over the pattern and the removal of the dielectric layers 622, 624 below the pattern. The deposition of low stress dielectric membrane layer 632 over the pattern forms a structural membrane layer so that the original lower dielectric structural layers 622, 624 could be removed.
In the case of X-ray masks gold is often used as the patterning film because it is a good X-ray absorber. Gold and the noble metals in general can be patterned only with wet processing techniques and or in combination with electro-plating techniques. The silicon pattern 626 of FIG. 29l can be dry etched (RIE) to achieve significant aspect ratios. If the silicon layer 626 is heavily gold doped prior to RIE processing, this method of mask formation can be used as an X-ray mask without CD feature size or aspect ratio limitations of wet etch processing.
FIG. 29n and 29p show a stencil mask formed by patterning the dielectric layer 640 of a MDI silicon 642 and dielectric 640 membrane with a RIE process. The silicon layer 640 is then selectively wet etch removed to leave a stencil pattern as shown by the openings in the dielectric membrane 6441, 644b, 644c in FIG. 29p. This sequence of processing is novel because it allows the sidewall passivation on the dielectric 640 which forms as a by-product of the RIE processing to be removed before the fragile stencil pattern is formed. The sidewall passivation cleaning requires vigorous agitation that would destroy a free standing stencil pattern. The remaining silicon layer 642 can be removed by gentle silicon selective wet etch.
Pattern generation tools made from MDI circuit membranes can be used to pattern an appropriately sensitive resist film deposited on a substrate. MDI pattern generation tools refer to MDI circuit membrane applications such as the SLV, SPV and MLV lithographic tools, and the more conventional fixed pattern masks made on a low stress dielectric membrane with appropriate optical transmission characteristics (see above). A MDI fixed pattern mask is a single layer metallization pattern formed on a MDI dielectric membrane with one of the MDI fabrication methods presented above. A method of alignment to an existing image on a substrate through electrical inductive coupling is presented below; it is also incorporated into the MDI circuit membrane fixed pattern generation tool.
Contact printing methods are inexpensive and can provide nearly unlimited lithographic feature size imaging capability. However, the use of thick mask plates for image transfer to the resist on the substrate must come in contact with the resist to achieve the best image results. This contact is brought about by the application of strong vacuum forces that bend the rigid mask plate into conformal contact with the substrate. The result of applying such strong vacuum forces often causes small particles of the resist to adhere to the rigid mask which in turn requires the mask to be cleaned or, if undetected, prevents correct image transfer by nonconformal contact to the substrate or an imaging defect during subsequent exposures. Proximity printing is similar to contact printing except the mask is not brought into contact but is held several micrometers over the substrate called the proximity gap. The effectiveness of proximity printing to produce small feature size images is directly proportional to the size of the proximity gap. Further, contact printing has been limited to printing a complete substrate in one exposure instead of smaller portions of the substrate as is the case with conventional stepper projection lithography equipment. The time to pull vacuum during the contact printing process is lengthy, and therefore, making several contact print exposures on a single substrate would be prohibitive in time without consideration to the compounded mask cleanliness challenge and the mechanical complexity of vacuum application to uneven or overlapping ridge mask and substrate plate during contact.
FIG. 30 shows a cross-section of a stepping contact lithographic exposure equipment that combines the well known contact or proximity lithography methods with a stepper mechanical motion and the pattern generation tools and alignment means of MDI circuit membranes presented herein. The substrate (workpiece) 662 is held by a conventional vacuum chuck (not shown) and is positioned by conventional mechanical and piezoelectric motion control mechanisms (not shown). The MDI pattern generation tool 660 is held over the substrate 662 a distance "d" of less than 25 μm and rough alignment over a portion of the substrate 662 is made by conventional optical means. The center of the MDI pattern generation tool 660 is then extended by applying a small fluid pressure P of less than 100 g per square cm to lower the circuit membrane into a desired proximity distance position shown by dotted line 668 or conformal contact with the substrate 662. Final precision alignment of the pattern generation tool 660 to the substrate is accomplished by the inductive coupling (electro-magnetic) means disclosed below. The low mass and elastic nature of the MDI circuit membrane allows the pattern generation tool to be rapidly brought in and out of contact with the substrate. Once an exposure is complete, the pattern generation tool is brought out of contact with the substrate and stepped (moved) under computer control to the next area on the substrate to be exposed. Also shown are circuit membrane frame 672 and a lithography equipment fixture 676 for holding the pattern generation tool 660, 672.
The lithographic pattern generation tools disclosed herein as the SLV, SPV, MLV, and fixed masks are capable of pattern generation with Critical Dimensions (CDs) or minimum pattern feature sizes of less than 50 nm. A fixed pattern generation tool, commonly referred to as a mask, can be made with the MDI circuit membrane process (as disclosed above) with the capability of pattern generation CDs directly proportional to the wavelength of the exposure source. Potential exposure sources are UV, DUW, E-Beam and particle beam. (Fixed masks made with the MDI process are circuit membranes of typically less than 4 μm thickness and with a single layer of patterned material to be used as in conventional lithographic masks. Alternately, the MDI circuit membrane can be a stencil pattern, where the pattern to be generated is represented in the circuit membrane as trenches that go completely through the membrane. Fixed pattern stencil membranes are required for E-Beam or particle beam lithographic process, where the exposure source must physically pass through the mask to be imaged (patterned). Prototype particle beam stencil masks have been developed by Ion Microfabrication Systems.)
The utility of the CD generation capability of a pattern generation tool for the manufacture of ICs, however, is dependent on the ability to align or register multiple overlaying patterns. Accepted pattern alignment tolerances used presently in the semiconductor industry are typically ±25% of the CD value for a set of overlaying patterns.
Alignment for pattern generation with CDs of approximately 1 μm or greater can be done with optical microscopes by overlaying or matching alignment patterns on the substrate with corresponding patterns on the surface of the pattern generation tool. The microscope can view through the pattern generation tool, since it is typically made from transparent dielectric materials.
The preferred embodiments of the SLV, SPV, and MLV are to provide the capability to generate patterns that have critical dimensions of less than 100 nm. Such patterns require alignment methods capable of achieving pattern registration of less than ±25 nm. Optical alignment methods presently available cannot achieve such critical dimensions. The MDI pattern generation tools achieve alignment for critical dimensions of less than 100 nm through the use of electro-magnetic proximity sensing. FIG. 28a shows an example of a PGT alignment coil 494. This metal coil 494 is fabricated by patterning a thin metal film (typically less than 1 μm in thickness) on the surface of the substrate being patterned (i.e, on the wafer). The placement of the coil patterns 494 on the substrate is typically along two adjoining sides of the area to be exposed or patterned. Coil patterns can also be placed within the area of the substrate to be patterned; they are not restricted to the edge or sides of the pattern area. The coil patterns are typically less than 800 μm by 100 μm. The electrode contact pads 496, 498 of the coil area 494 are typically 50 μm by 50 μm in area. A similar pattern 494 corresponding to structure 430 in FIG. 24 is on the surface of the pattern generation tool membrane (not shown) plus two electrode probe points that extend down from the surface of the circuit membrane of the pattern generation tool. These pattern generation tool probe points make contact with the electrode pads associated with the substrate coil 494, and electrical signals are generated in the substrate coil 494. It should be apparent, though less convenient, that signals can be supplied to the substrate by connections from the edge of the substrate and not directly from the pattern generation tool.
The signals from the substrate coil are sensed by the corresponding alignment coil in the pattern generation tool. The pattern generation tool or the substrate are then moved in an X-Y and angular manner until predefined electrical parameter settings are achieved via the signals sensed from the substrate coil. This is possible due to the close proximity of the substrate and the pattern generation tool, and the integrated control logic electronics of the pattern generation tool. Alignment sensing accuracies smaller than 10 nm can be achieved in this manner. The electrode pads of the substrate coil typically have dimensions of less than 2 mils on a side, and the probe point electrodes that extend from the pattern generation tool to make contact with the substrate coil pads are typically less than 12 μm in diameter and height. A fluid pressure applied to the back side of the pattern generation tool may be used to bring the surface of the pattern generation tool in near contact (proximity) or full contact with the surface of the substrate during the alignment process.
Alternately, FIG. 28b shows an alignment coil 495 that can be placed on the substrate for alignment sensing by the pattern generation tool. A signal is induced in one side 495a of the coil by a corresponding coil in the pattern generation tool. This signal is then sensed at the other end 495b of the coil by a second coil in the pattern generation tool. Alignment is achieved in the same manner as discussed above.
Inexpensive piezoelectric motion control devices are commercially available from Burleigh Instruments, Inc. (Fisher, N.Y.) that demonstrate motion control capability of less than one Angstrom; such piezoelectric precision motion has been demonstrated in the AFM (Atomic Force Microscope) equipment where motion control of less than one Angstrom is required.
Much of the cost of manufacturing a flat panel display (without consideration for yield loss) is the cost of the substrate on which it is fabricated. The substrate must meet requirements of flatness imposed by lithography tools and high temperatures imposed by various fabrication steps.
An MDI circuit membrane flat panel display is formed on a rigid optically flat reusable substrate such as fused silica or fused quartz. Other substrates can be used to meet the requirements imposed by the fabrication processing steps. A release agent such as KBr or KBO2 is deposited onto the substrate and then a dielectric layer or layers are deposited to seal the release agent deposited film (as described above). The release agent is required to have a working temperature higher than the highest temperature of the various fabrication process steps employed and be readily soluble in a solvent that is not detrimental to the finished display device. As an example, KBr has a melting point of 734° C. and is readily soluble in DI water.
The flat panel display is conventionally composed of rows and columns of pixel elements which generate the gray shades or the RGB (Red, Green, Blue) colors of the display. The operation of the pixels results in the generation of the image on the display. The pixels of the display can be made with conventional active matrix LCD technology. The preferred embodiment of the MDI circuit membrane display uses redundant circuit devices at each pixel and the above referenced fine grain testing technology to correct for circuit fabrication defects. Secondly, the MDI circuit membrane display makes use of electro luminescent phosphors, similar to the phosphors used in conventional TV and industrial monitors. The phosphors are applied after the completion of the fabrication of the circuitry of the display. The display circuitry is then used in the final manufacturing process steps to cause the selective deposition of the RGB phosphors to their respective RGB electrodes. Additionally, the multiple chip module interconnect circuit membrane technology disclosed above also is employed to bond ICs at the edges of the display panel and at any desired location on the back of the panel. The ability to attach ICs is of significant importance in lessening the complexity of the design and manufacturing of the display. ICs bonded to the back of the display do not interfere with or obscure the visual operation of the phosphor based display, because the display is not back lit as is the case with LCD displays, but generates its own luminescence.
FIG. 31a shows the cross-section of a MDI circuit membrane display 700 while still attached to a reusable quartz fabrication substrate 702 with intervening release agent 703. The control logic circuit 704-1, 704-2, 704-3 for each RGB pixel has been fabricated from a-Si or polysilicon thin film transistors (TFTs), and electro-phoretic plating electrodes 708-1, 708-2, 708-3 (pads) have been formed as a final metallization process step over each RGB pixel logic circuit 704. The plating electrodes 708-1, 708-2, 708-3, one for each RGB phosphor of a pixel, can be selectively addressed and a specific plating potential applied. At the end of each row and column of pixels are bonding pads 710 for ICs (die). The ICs provide control and memory logic for turning individual pixels on or off, therefore generating a display image. It should be noted that the control and/or memory logic 712, 713 (see FIG. 31b) could also be fabricated as part of the MDI circuit membrane 700 just as the individual pixel control circuits 704-1, 704-2, 704-3 have been. This is a design/manufacturing option, and would replace most or all of the bonded die. All fabrication processing steps of the MDI circuit membrane are established techniques.
FIG. 31b shows in cross section the MDI circuit membrane display 700 attached to a support frame 718 and released from the reusable fabrication substrate. The support frame 718 is bonded to the MDI circuit membrane 700 by an anodic method as one technique, and then the MDI circuit membrane 700 is scribed along the side of the fabrication substrate 702. This exposes the release agent 703 of FIG. 31a. The display assembly is then placed in a solvent that activates the release agent 703, causing the display to be freed from the reusable fabrication substrate 702. Optionally, control and memory logic die 713 are attached to the display backside. These IC 713 connect to pixels along row or column interconnect metallization.
FIG. 31c shows the display after electro-phoretic plating of the individual RGB phosphors 708-1, 708-2, 708-3. Each RGB phosphor is plated separately by immersion of the display in a plating solution of a specific phosphor, and then using the control and pixel logic 704-1, 704-2, 704-3 of the display to select appropriate pixel elements (either Red or Green or Blue) and apply the desired plating electrical potential.
The substrate used to fabricate the flat screen display could also be a MDI membrane with a semiconductor device layer. Using a semiconductor based MDI membrane as the substrate to fabricate the flat screen display will not require any substantial difference in processing steps, however, due to the limited size of available silicon wafers (presently 8 inches) and the circular shape, the use of a semiconductor wafer as the starting substrate greatly limits the maximum size of the display.
Three dimensional (3D) IC structures can be formed from MDI circuit membranes. This is a novel capability of the MDI IC membrane. The low stress dielectrics of silicon dioxide or silicon nitride can be formed to withstand working temperatures in excess of 400° C. This high working temperature capability allows the use of anodic or thermal (quartz to quartz or silicon to quartz) bonding procedures that are typically high temperature processes. The dielectric circuit membranes are optically transparent and thin, allowing the circuit membranes to be aligned very accurately prior to bonding. As shown in FIG. 32a, the semiconductor devices 730-1, 730-2, 730-3 that are embedded in a first MDI circuit membrane 732 can have interconnect metallization 736-1, 736-2, 736-3 applied to both sides of the membrane 732 completing all intra-membrane interconnections. Also shown are opposed semiconductor device gate electrodes 742-1, 742-2, 742-3. FIG. 32a shows the two MDI circuit membranes or ICs 732, 746 prior to bonding. This allows the circuit membranes to be coated as necessary for the forming of the anodic or thermal membrane-to-membrane bond 752 of circuit membrane 732 to the second membrane 746 which includes similarly semiconductor devices 748-1, 748-2, 748-3, and interconnect metallization 750-1, 750-2, 750-3. After two membranes 732, 746 are bonded as shown in FIG. 32b, only vertical interconnect metallization 754-1, 754-2 can be employed to route signals from lower membrane layer 746.
MDI circuit membranes 732, 746 are aligned using established optical alignment mark techniques and anodically or thermally bonded 752 to each other. The circuit membranes 732, 746 that are anodically or thermally bonded are complete of all necessary semiconductor device processing steps, and only require the completion of vertical interconnect metallization 754-1, 754-2. The final interconnect metallization 754-1, 754-2 is completed by etching vias 756-1, 756-2 through the last circuit membrane 732 to be bonded to electrical contacts on the circuit membrane 746 onto which it was bonded. Well known metal deposition and patterning process steps are applied. If additional circuit membrane ICs are to be bonded to a 3D IC structure, a dielectric coating is applied to the 3D structure to isolate any metallization as a necessary requirement to a subsequent bonding step.
Anodic bonding 752 is a glass-to-glass process. The MDI circuit membranes 732, 746 are each provided with a 1 μm thick or greater final deposition of silicon dioxide to form the bond 752 prior to the anodic bonding process step. Anodic processing is well known and there are numerous such techniques used in conventional glass plate manufacturing.
Thermal (fusion) bonding of silicon to quartz or glass substrates is an established technique. It can be used instead of anodic bonding methods to bond MDI circuit membranes.
The ability to use optical data transmission as an interconnect means (instead of metallization interconnect) between MDI circuit membrane layers 732, 746 is a direct consequence of the method of fabricating the 3D IC structure. Wave guides (not shown) between optical transceiver components can be formed from vias by bonding vias (openings) corresponding to the various optical transceiver devices on circuit membranes. The normally high transmissive nature of the circuit membranes and the short layer-to-layer distances between the circuit membranes allow integrated optical semiconductor devices to provide the communication function through vias or directly through certain dielectric materials.
Integrated circuits formed on a MDI circuit membrane can be cut from the circuit membrane in much the same manner as ICs or die are presently cut from a rigid wafer substrate in order to be packaged. This is possible due to the net low stress of the circuit membrane. FIGS. 32c and d show die cut from a circuit membrane and bonded onto a rigid substrate such as a silicon wafer, quartz, glass, metal, etc. In the case of a metal rigid substrate, dielectric and interconnect layers may be added to provide a better bonding surface for the membrane IC or to provide interconnection from bond pads on the IC to bond out pads at the edge of the metal substrate. The use of a metal substrate to attach the membrane IC provides clear advantages, if not an optimal means, for thermal cooling of the IC.
Once the circuit membrane substrate or wafer is cut into dice in the manner which is present practice, a pick and place bonding tool can pick up the die with slight vacuum pressure, align it over the substrate onto which it is to be bonded and bond it to the substrate. FIGS. 32c and d each show stocked membrane die 764-a, 764-b, 764-c bonded to a rigid substrate. Alternately, the membrane die 764-a, 764-b, 764-c can be bonded with compressive, anodic or fusion (thermal) techniques to a circuit membrane (not shown), such as a MCM interconnect circuit membrane.
FIG. 32c shows a 3D circuit structure of membrane dice (ICs) 764-a, 764-b, 764-c bonded by compression technique to a rigid substrate 770. This is accomplished by aligning metal pads 772-1, 1,772-2, . . . , 772-k, . . . , 772-x on the rigid substrate 770 and metal pads 776-1, 776-2, . . . , 776-w on the membrane die 764-a, . . . , 764-c and then applying temperature and pressure (as explained previously). Also shown are bonding-out pads 778-1, 778-2. The surfaces are bonded together by the metal pads which also serve as circuit interconnect and thermal relief paths.
FIG. 32d shows a 3D circuit structure of membrane dice 764-a, 764-b, 764-c bonded by anodic or fusion (thermal) techniques to a substrate 770. The handling of the individual die 764-a, 764-b, 764-c can be done in a manner similar to that described above, and the bonding and interconnect completion methods are also as described above for bonding the circuit membranes together.
The benefits of such die assembly practice are dramatically increased circuit device densities and low thermal mass for efficient cooling. The handling equipment for making such a circuit assembly is presently available.
This disclosure is illustrative and not limiting; further modifications will be apparent to one skilled in the art in light of this disclosure and the appended claims.
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Fisher: Ohio's export dependence is unquestionable
On Sept. 22, Ohio Farm Bureau Executive Vice President Jack Fisher sent the following letter to the editors of Ohio's major newspapers regarding trade, its importance to the state of Ohio, and what it has to do with this autumn's election.
Ohioans can only hope that the trade bashing in our current political campaigns doesn’t carry over to our governance. In TV spots and stump speeches, far too many candidates claim they’ll protect us from the evils of the global marketplace. This stance ignores the facts.
Statistics from federal and state government and the Brookings Institution paint a clear picture. Nearly 26 percent of Ohio’s manufacturing jobs are dependent on exports, and export intensive industries pay higher wages than domestic-oriented industries. With 12,384 Ohio companies selling products abroad, Ohio ranks as the seventh largest exporting state and is among the top five for exports of glass and glassware, automotive and rubber goods, iron and steel products, plastics and machinery. Ohio firms also ship large amounts of chemicals, computers, paper, furniture, textiles and appliances. Ohio has five of the top 70 metros for exports: greater Cleveland, greater Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton, Toledo, Akron and greater Youngstown. Rural economies also depend on exports. Ohio farm product shipments totaled $2.68 billion last year, a 69 percent increase over the level of five years ago.
Ohio’s export dependence is unquestionable. Voters should act on this knowledge when choosing who they will put in elective office.
John C. (Jack) Fisher, Executive Vice President, Ohio Farm Bureau Federation
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Portland General Electric ("PGE") Receives LIHI Re-Certification for their Willamette Falls Hydroelectric Project
Portland, Maine - (December 5, 2012) --- The Low Impact Hydro Institute (LIHI) has determined that the Willamette Falls Hydropower project, FERC No. 2233, continues to meet the Low Impact Hydropower Certification Criteria. This letter confirms and contains LIHI’s decision to Re-Certify Portland General Electric's (“Applicant”) Willamette Falls Hydroelectric Project (“Project” ) for a new five-year term. The decision is based on the research and recommendations of the Application Reviewer, Pat Mcilvaine, and a review of her report and documents provided by the Applicant and other stakeholders with an interest in this re-certification.
Accordingly, the Willamette Falls Hydroelectric Project is hereby re-certified as a Low Impact Hydropower Facility. This re-certification is valid for five years, and will expire on November 2, 2017 unless revoked. For additional or more detailed information go to the "Certified Facilities" tab and scroll to LIHI Certificate No. 33.
Portland, Maine (February 29, 2008) The LIHI Governing Board today certified the Willamette Falls Hydropower Project. The Board's decision, which was unanimous, recognizes that the Willamette Falls Hydropower Project has avoided or reduced the Project's environmental impacts pursuant to the Low Impact Hydropower Institute's criteria.
On November 2, 2007, Portland General Electric filed with the Low Impact Hydropower Institute, an application to certify the Willamette Falls Hydroelectric Project (the "Project").
The Willamette Falls Hydroelectric Project (FERC # 2233) is located at river mile 26.5 on the Willamette River between Oregon City and West Linn in Clackamas County in north-central Oregon. The Willamette River flows north to its confluence with the Columbia River at Portland and drains an area of approximately 11,250 sq mi. The Project is located in a highly populated, industrialized urban setting about 10 miles from downtown Portland. Willamette Falls is a horseshoe-shaped, 40-foot-high, natural waterfall that marks the head of the tidally influenced lower Willamette River. The obstruction of the river by volcanic bedrock causes the river to cascade over a Falls producing a hydraulic head of at least thirty feet. The Project is owned and operated by PGE.
The site has been home to hydroelectric generation for more than 100 years, beginning with PGE's Station A in 1889 and continuing to this day with PGE's T.W. Sullivan Powerhouse, built in 1895, and the now-shutdown Blue Heron Paper Company (BHPC) powerhouse, built in 1916. Paper mill operations have also been present at the Falls for more than a century. Historically the area was also home to flour, saw and pulp mill operations that no longer operate. A navigation canal and locks on the west bank of the river have been operated since 1873, providing 30 ft of lift for commercial barge transport and recreational boat traffic.
The project lies entirely within the city limits of Oregon City on the east shore of the Willamette River and the City of West Linn on the west shore. The project boundary of the Willamette Falls Project encompasses 97.23 acres and includes the project facilities described below. Most of the property within the project boundary is owned by PGE.
The pool upstream of Willamette Falls extends approximately 30 miles to RM 56. Given the Project's highly developed and industrialized setting, the impoundment was not included within the project boundary by FERC. Computer modeling indicates that the pool without any Project structures would extend approximately to RM 54.
The horseshoe-shaped project dam is located along the crest of Willamette Falls and consists principally of a 600-foot spillway section, a 2,300-foot dam topped with flashboards, the T.W. Sullivan (TWS) Powerhouse, containing 13 units with a total generating capacity of 16 MW and the now-shutdown BHPC Powerhouse, containing 2 units with a total generating capacity of 1.5 MW. At the time that PGE applied for a new license for the Project, BHPC operated the BHPC Powerhouse and was co-licensee for the Project. As discussed in documents (attachment 3) provided by the Applicant as part of this filing, PGE purchased, shutdown, and is decommissioning the BHPC Powerhouse as part of the suite of fish protection measures agreed to in the Settlement Agreement and implemented in the FERC license.
The Project also includes the West Linn Paper Company's (formerly Simpson Paper) grinder rooms number two and three at the north abutment of the dam. In 1996, FERC approved the decommissioning of the generating facilities of the project's Simpson Development. However, because these structures and facilities were integral to the project's dam, they remained in the project boundary and under license. A fish ladder, owned and operated by ODFW, is located on the west side of the Falls, and includes three entrances within the Falls and one at the TWS Powerhouse tailrace. A navigation lock at the Project is owned and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
As described in greater detail in Attachment 4, pursuant to the terms of the Settlement Agreement, as approved by the new license issued by FERC on December 8, 2005, PGE is implementing a number of measures and constructing new project facilities to improve fish passage at the Project. PGE has completed a number of modifications to the Project's forebay, has installed a second fish bypass system (the North Fish Bypass or NFB), and is now completing a flow control structure at the apex of the Falls to improve downstream migrant passage over the Falls.
The Willamette River flows from southwest to northeast emptying into the Columbia River at Portland. The project operates in a run-of-river mode and does not provide useable water storage or flood control. Flashboards are added to the dam around the crest of the Falls during low flow periods of the year, typically summer through fall. The flashboards are allowed to washout as flows increase. Under the range of normal operations, the water surface at the dam varies from approximately 54 feet msl during low flow with the flashboards installed to about 58 feet during normal winter flows, when flashboards have washed out. Typical water surface elevations are in the range of 55 to 56 ft msl.
The Willamette Falls Dam diverts water into the T.W. Sullivan powerhouse forebay on the west side of the river. The water intakes for the turbines are located at the base of the powerhouse. Water diverted through the powerhouse rejoins the main river immediately below the Falls. Since the tidal effect of the Pacific Ocean is evident all the way to the base of Willamette Falls, the tidal influence on tailwater elevation also has a small effect on hydroelectric generation.
PGE terminated operation of the BHPC development in 2003. As discussed in greater detail in Attachment 3, the Settlement Agreement and the new license provided for PGE to permanently decommission the development. This process is scheduled to be completed in 2008.
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Curtis Lee Mayfield (June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999) was an American soul, R&B, and funk singer, songwriter, and record producer. He achieved mainstream solo success and recognition from being involved with The Impressions during the Civil Rights Movement of the late 50's and 1960s. Mayfield is also known for his efforts in writing the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Super Fly which was considered unusual as a soundtrack for a blaxploitation film, as its songs contained themes focusing more on the social problems of impoverished African American urban areas during the time. Mayfield is regarded as a pioneer of funk and of politically conscious African-American music. He was also a multi-instrumentalist who played the guitar, bass, piano, saxophone, and drums. Mayfield is a winner of both the Grammy Legend Award (in 1994) and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (in 1995), and he was a double inductee into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, inducted as a member of The Impressions into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991, and again in 1999 as a solo artist. He is also a two-time Grammy Hall of Fame inductee.
This entry is from Wikipedia, the user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors and is licensed under an Attribution-ShareAlike Creative Commons License. If you find the biography content factually incorrect, defamatory or highly offensive you can edit this article at Wikipedia. Find out more about our use of this data.
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Rather than using supplements, the best way to lower your blood glucose level is by eating healthy meals. The percentage of blood glucose in the blood is critical for the body’s normal functioning, since higher glucose levels may lead to diseases like diabetes. Maintaining blood glucose levels in the body, which are derived from the foods we eat on a daily basis, is critical. The average quantity of glucose in the blood is 140 mg/dL. Many methods are used to treat and lower blood glucose levels, but dietary therapy is the most effective since it has no side effects.
Here is presenting top foods which play a crucial significant in lowers the blood glucose level from the body. Following is a list of foods that lowers blood glucose levels. Let’s discuss all vital information about these few foods and how these foods play a role in decreasing the sugar level in the blood.
- Flax seeds
- Beans and lentils
Broccoli and broccoli sprouts
The aberrant functioning of insulin, which regulates the breakdown of glucose in the blood, is the primary and most important reason for having higher glucose levels. Due to the presence of Sulforaphane, broccoli and broccoli sprouts help reduce blood glucose levels. This element is a kind of isothiocyanate.
How do broccoli and broccoli sprouts reduce sugar levels?
Two things are responsible for the effective results in decreasing sugar levels. The first thing is the glucoraphanin element of the compound which produces due to reaction with glucosinolate.
The second factor that boosts the reaction is the specific enzyme known as myrosinase, which is present in broccoli and broccoli sprouts.
Both these elements produce when we cut or chop the broccoli into small pieces.
Role of Sulforaphane in Broccoli
Sulforaphane is an element that has an anti-diabetic effect on the body. This compound is also suitable for the stability of insulin. In other words, Sulforaphane increases insulins sensitivity, which indirectly decreases the sugar level in the body. In addition, broccoli is only effective for diabetic patients if there is a rich amount of Sulforaphane present in it. Sulforaphane is responsible for the working of broccoli.
Role of glucoraphanin
The broccoli sprouts are rich in glucoraphanin-like compounds, which is very good for type 2 diabetes because it lowers The Blood Glucose Level in the body. In addition, broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable that enhances the lower risk of getting diabetes.
The second best food used to regulate the blood level in the body is flax seeds.
Blood sugar regulation: characteristics of flax seeds
Flax seeds are considered a low-glycemic-index food. Faex seed’s nature makes it ideal for controlling diabetes in the body. This dish is suitable for obese diabetics since it comprises two ingredients.
Flaxseed has one distinguishing feature: it is rich in fiber. Fiber is a dietary component that aids digestion and weight loss. Flax seeds’ fiber content may be beneficial for lowering blood glucose levels.
The flax seeds also contain omega-three fatty acids, which are beneficial fats. These fatty acids are not produced by the body, thus we must get them from our food. Food high in omega-3 fatty acids may help you lose weight and lower your blood sugar levels. To put it another way, omega three fatty acids are good for maintaining healthy insulin levels and lowering the risk of diabetes. Flex seeds belong to foods that have a sufficient level of omega-3 fatty acids.
Assumptions with plain yoghurt and yoghurt with flax seeds
There is an experimental concern which gives rise to the study related to whether flax seeds are either good for diabetic patients or not. For this study, an experiment of 8 weeks was conducted on 57 people experiencing diabetes type 2 in their bodies. Some people eat the 200-gram yogurt with 2.5% fat with 30 grams of flax seeds. The associations of these concerns reveal that person had an effective reduction in blood glucose levels compared to that person who ate plain yogurt. The result of this experiment is that flax seeds play a significant role in lowering the blood glucose level.
Seafood is a term used to describe meals that come from the sea and are consumed by humans. It includes a variety of fish and shellfish species. The following are the reasons why seafood is the best way to manage diabetes.
Seafood has a high concentration of lean protein. Diabetes patients are adversely affected by certain unhealthy fats. Fish and shellfish flesh are high in lean protein, which lowers the risk of diabetes in patients.
Another reason to eat seafood is that it provides excellent, healthful fats that do not raise cholesterol levels in the body. Diabetic people are more likely to develop heart failure as a result of higher cholesterol levels. Consumption of unhealthy fats might also raise the risk of heart failure. As a result, seafood aids in the regulation of cholesterol levels, which, in turn, benefits cardiovascular health. As a result, seafood is beneficial in preventing diabetes in the body.
Moreover, seafood is rich in vitamins and minerals, as well as high-quality protein, which raises the body temperature and burns fat. The inclusion of high-quality protein aids digestion and reduces diabetic spikes. The weight of the body will be reduced, resulting in a decrease of fat, which is alternatively suited for obese people with diabetes type 2.
Another part is salmon and sardines, which have the finest diabetes-controlling properties. This food’s lean features aid in the health of insulin, lowering the risk of diabetes.
Beans and lentils
Other foods that are considered helpful for diabetic individuals include beans and lentils. The following are some of the reasons why beans and lentils are beneficial for diabetes management.
Soluble fiber may be found in beans and lentils. The first type of fiber is soluble fiber, while the second type is insoluble fiber. Insoluble fiber has been linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. The insoluble has the ability to change the blood sugar level. Soluble fibre, on the other hand, is beneficial because it reduces sugar absorption in the blood. Diabetic patients benefit greatly from the delayed digestion of carbohydrates in the blood.
The resistant starch found in beans and lentils does not break down in the body. When there is no absorption and break down of starch, the glucose in the blood cannot be used. Beans and lentils, in the end, keep blood sugar levels stable.
The practical concerns demonstrate that 12 ladies who ate rice with chickpeas and black beans for a few days had lower blood sugar levels than those who ate rice alone. This suggests that beans and lentils are the greatest meals for lowering blood sugar levels in the body.
Because they include carbs with a low glycemic index, beans and lentils help to lower blood sugar levels. Beans and lentils lower diabetic surges in the body as a result of this. Split Bengal gram, also known as chana dal, is a type of lentil that is beneficial to heart and blood sugar health by enhancing insulin’s ability to function properly. Beans and lentils include less salt and potassium, which helps to keep blood pressure in check. Beans and lentils are also used to produce red blood cells.
Broccoli and broccoli sprouts, shellfish, okra, beans, and lentils are among the best foods for lowering blood glucose levels. It is critical to manage blood glucose levels in the body, which accumulate as a result of the foods we consume on a regular basis. The typical glucose level in the blood is 140 mg/dL. The presence of sulforaphane in broccoli and broccoli sprouts helps to lower blood sugar levels. Flax seeds are considered a low-glycemic-index food. Flax seed’s nature makes it ideal for controlling diabetes in the body. Fish and shellfish meat are high in lean protein, which lowers the risk of diabetes in patients.
Frequently asked questions
How do broccoli and broccoli sprouts decrease the level of sugar in blood?
The first is the glucoraphanin component of the molecule, which is produced through a glucosinolate reaction.
The second factor that speeds up the reaction is a specific enzyme called myrosinase, which may be found in broccoli sprouts.
How do beans and lentils lower the blood glucose level in the body?
The resistant starch found in beans and lentils does not break down in the body. When there is no absorption and break down of starch, the glucose in the blood cannot be used.
Soluble fibre is beneficial because it decreases sugar absorption in the blood.
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According to a report from Barracuda, cybercriminals are on a lookalike domain rampage, leading to Authority Figure Impersonation or ransomware attacks.
GDPR is the ruling party on data protection rules, and limits company access to personal data. Read about DNS Compliance practices for compliant domains.
Despite the benefits, it is observed that most organizations don’t bother with DMARC. They believe it won’t affect their email deliverability.
By setting DMARC, you signal to the mailing engine that it can trust any communication from you. The DMARC email authentication standard indicates to receiving mail servers how to evaluate emails that claim to be from your domain.
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In this issue of Water Front, you can visit back to the 2010 World Water Week in Stockholm, and recapture highlights leading up to the closing of the 2010 Stockholm Statement. The United Nations Environmental Programme contributes with a feature on the effects on industrial pollution on ecosystems and human well-being. A feature on water quality in Stockholm gives good practices and examples from Europe’s first Green Capital on managing water and sanitation with an ecological approach. Much more in the November issue of the Stockholm Water Front!
- Knowledge Services
- World Water Week & Prizes
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Lash extensions are a popular form of cosmetic enhancement and there is a growing demand for lash technicians. As the demand grows, so does the need for trained professionals who can provide this service. If you are interested in becoming a lash technician, then it is important that you take the necessary training courses before getting started.
The best way to learn how to perform eyelash extensions is by taking an online course for lashes. This is because it provides you with the hands-on experience that is needed to become an expert in this field.
A lash technician course can teach you all about the different types of lashes and how to apply them. You will also learn about the materials used, how to sterilize them and how to maintain your tools and equipment.
The certification will give you a good idea of the skills required to become a lash technician and how well you have mastered them. You can also use it as proof when applying for jobs or opening your own salon.
If you are looking to become a lash technician, it is important that you choose the right course. You can find many online courses which offer certification in eyelash extensions. You should also look at the length of each course and see if it offers any practical training as well as theory lessons.
The certification should be accredited by a reputable body. The accreditation will ensure that your course meets all the necessary standards and is of good quality. It will also give you peace of mind that your certificate is valid and accepted in many countries around the world.
Online Course For Lashes
There are many online courses for lashes. These courses will teach you everything you need to know about the procedure, from how to perform a consultation on your clients through to applying individual lashes and creating amazing designs with them. You will also learn about aftercare for the client’s new set of lashes and how to manage customers who want their extensions removed.
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Because each child learns in a different way, music is taught using all of the senses. Through moving, speaking, singing, listening, playing simple instruments, and exploring reading and writing music, the child experiences music as a process that becomes incorporated into their lives and, as many scientific studies have shown, has more far-reaching results than just learning to read or respond to music. A variety of music activities is included that will not only allow them to explore music, but will also help them build self-confidence, curiosity, self-expression, listening skills and self-control. The curriculum is geared not for performance, but as a means to explore the world of music in a structured but flexible way and at the child’s own pace. An assortment of musical activities is used to promote language development, symbolic thinking, coordination, and social interactions, as well as cultivating the child’s rich imagination. Ideas from the teachings of Orff, Kodaly, Laban, and Swears are used. Music concepts to be explored include high/low, fast/slow, loud/quiet, long/short, and musical timbres. Each age group will have an opportunity to experiment with these concepts through a variety of experiences so that each child may take from the classes what they are ready to incorporate into their own lives.
Each of the music concepts will be experienced through songs, chants, finger plays, free movement, structured group circle games and dances, and playing simple rhythm instruments: bells, sticks, shakers, and drums. Songs in minor keys, unusual modes and diverse rhythm will prepare the child to be open to the folk tunes of many different cultures. Repetition and internalization of the songs through clapping, waving, and tapping along get the child in tune with the basic steady beat that is the core of existence and balance. Listening activities will include isolation of sounds on tape and classroom demonstration of instruments.
Pre-Primary, 3 –5 year olds
To incorporate the expressive imagination of this age, these children will experience the music concepts through creative movement to recorded music as well as through songs and synchronized activities. Vocal development is nurtured with activities that help differentiate between the singing, speaking, whispering and calling voice, as well as imitation games to explore vocal range and timbre. Movement will include body awareness and space exploration games. More complex songs will allow them to utilize their increased language skills. Instruments will be used to illustrate the music concepts and to tell simple sound stories. Auditory discrimination will be used to respond to drum signals for walking, running, tiptoeing, stopping, etc. To some extent, the music activities will also reinforce some traditional preschool concepts such as color, counting, classifying and pattering.
These children will continue to explore the music concepts with increased focus on skill development. Songs on sol-mi will introduce intervals later used in reading and writing music. Echo patterns using the ta-ti-ti rhythm language will also enhance their music reading skill. Movement utilizes the music concepts to further an understanding of the body’s abilities to express quick/light, heavy/strong, etc. Fine motor abilities and hand-eye coordination will be nurtured through the playing of recorders and barred instruments (both hands together and then alternating hands, when ready). These instruments will also be used in the introduction to music reading and to accompany singing.
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MATH 115 Fundamentals of Calculus
A problem-based approach to the basic ideas of calculus, beginning with a discussion of topics that precede calculus, including linear functions and polynomials. The calculus portion discusses velocity, tangent lines, and areas. Incorporates peer group work with a strong emphasis on graphing technology. With this course, students will become acquainted with calculus, the math that helped create the industrial revolution and is the driving force behind modern technology. This course is not intended to prepare students for Calculus I, but rather to expose students who do not need a rigorous course to the ideas of calculus. Creation: Math. Liberal Arts.
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Read (from the New Living Translation)
13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.
Forgiveness isn’t fair. So, how is it possible?
Mike Donehey from Tenth Avenue North explains this perfectly in today’s video. He tells the story of asking his dad, “How did you forgive your alcoholic father?” The answer flips forgiveness on it’s head and had Mike FLOORED.
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Date Added: Sep 2012
Large, real-world graphs are famously difficult to process efficiently. Not only they have a large memory footprint but most graph processing algorithms entail memory access patterns with poor locality, data-dependent parallelism, and a low compute-to-memory access ratio. Additionally, most real-world graphs have a low diameter and a highly heterogeneous node degree distribution. Partitioning these graphs and simultaneously achieve access locality and load-balancing is difficult if not impossible. This paper demonstrates the feasibility of graph processing on heterogeneous (i.e., including both CPUs and GPUs) platforms as a cost-effective approach towards addressing the graph processing challenges above.
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In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, many questions are raised as to whether or not Hamlet is really in love with Ophelia. Although there is much evidence arguing that On Shakespeares "Hamlet" - past and present, memory and forgetting This essay will show how Shakespeare manages to combine past and Quote paper. Title and Reference. FREE Outline. Plagiarism Report. FREE Revisions. FREE Delivery. how much? You Will Get a 100% Original Paper Your Essay Will Be Ready On-Timemore moderate statement is found in Lowell's essay on Les- . In the translation of Dryden's Essay . The quotations from Hamlet and Henry V. were undoubt-. universal health care research paper outlinevor 2 Tagen hamlet critical study hsc essay hamlet criticism essay hamlet criticism essays hamlet criticism quotes hamlet critique essay hamlet deadly sin The Cambridge Student Guide to Hamlet provides explanatory notes and an overview of critical approaches and different interpretations; essay-writing tips the line they are most likely to quote is 'To be, or not to be, that is the question'. thesis on hospital management systemDestruction use is one of the most competitive scholarships because of its inscrutable and learning methods. Red Stay was took by Reading brilliant, Ideas
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Listen to your body.
Value your mind.
Honor your ego.
Harness your emotions.
All things are a part of you,
and you are a part of all things.
Have a greater effect on our world
than the world has upon you.
Heart Rhythm Meditation (HRM) is a method of breathing that coordinates the body's respiratory, circulation and nervous systems in a state of coherence that results in an integration of one's soul, heart, mind and body. HRM is unlike the upward, transcendental meditation methods the public is aware of; it is different in intention, method and physiological and spiritual result. HRM has multiple stages:
Separate -- Concentration
The first stage of Heart Rhythm Meditation is to focus on your own physical heart while breathing in time to a set number of heartbeats. This results in a feeling of being centered in your body, in your heart, with a quiet and focused mind, necessary for success, and calm, creating your own atmosphere do matter where you are. This is practiced while sitting with eyes closed, but can be done with eyes open while walking, talking or working.
Whereas most meditations are a relief from the stress of life, HRM is a rehearsal for life, the way you'd like to live it. HRM is especially designed to be practical in everyday life. It actually increases your ability to handle stress and gives you the ability to self-regulate your body and emotions. This can be shown by a Heart Rate Variability (HRV) instrument, which shows precisely the condition of your heart, stressed or not. It has many additional physical benefits.
Connected -- Contemplation
The second stage of Heart Rhythm Meditation is to be aware of the measurable, energetic field radiating from your heart with every breath, which intersects and resonates with the energetic field of others. This makes us aware of our connectedness with others, heart-to-heart, which gives us influence and charisma, and also sensitivity to the feelings and condition of others. Feeling energy in our hearts also enables us to accomplish our desires, behave with courage and nobility, and follow our ideals.
HRM will not diminish your ego or turn off your mind. It puts your ego at the service of your heart, which makes the ego stronger while more useful. It is an emotional meditation, yielding joy and tenderness. With an energized heart, life is appreciated as beautiful and harmonious.
Heart Rhythm Meditation has many personal benefits, but those are side-effects. We do HRM primarily because of its effect upon our world. It makes us courageous and creative in handling our problems. Heart Rhythm Meditation gives us both power, and guidance about how best to apply that power. HRM also creates openness and cooperation, compassion and empathic insight, among the many emotional benefits.
United -- Meditation
The third stage of Heart Rhythm Meditation is where formal meditation begins. Here is the experience of being the microcosm of the macrocosm, discovering the universe in yourself and yourself in the universe. The Heart of Humanity is beating in your chest, giving you the mystic's experience, "I am a part of all things and all things are a part of me."
The objective of this path is to find the divine being in the heart of every human being. The One Being, within Whom we live, is living within our hearts.
In HRM, the heart radiates peace, joy and love. The world desperately needs these qualities of the heart, and that motivates us to become what the world needs us to be. In return, we receive many spiritual benefits.
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Lesson 16 - Fashionable and Reserved - Exercise 27
Watch the video, then answer the question.
If you are reserved
- you don't show your feelings.
- you show your emotions to everybody.
- you are uninhibited.
In Sarah's opinion,
- the French are relatively reserved.
- the French are very reserved.
- the French are not reserved at all.
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THE Chinese attack on Japanese militarism comes oddly from a country which is actively increasing regional tensions, writes Hajime Kitaoka
In most cases, especially dealing with something serious, there is an “argument” and “counter-argument” at the same time. It is very rare that one side overwhelms the other. What is most important is that we have a chance to see both sides of the coin.
As a result of China’s global anti-Japan campaign, the matter of the Japanese prime minister’s visit to the Yasukuni shrine has already been discussed in many countries, including the UK. The exchange of arguments between the Japanese ambassador and the Chinese ambassador was reported at the beginning of the year.
I wish to briefly outline some facts that should contribute to a deeper understanding and fair evaluation by the readers.
Firstly, the Japanese prime minister’s recent visit to the Yasukuni shrine was to neither pay homage to Class-A war criminals, nor to praise militarism.
At the Yasukuni shrine, approximately 2.5 million souls of those who made ultimate sacrifices for their nation since 1853 are enshrined, regardless of their gender or rank. Upon his recent visit there, prime minister Shinzo Abe issued a statement entitled “Pledge For Everlasting Peace”. He said his visit was made to pay his respects and pray for the souls of the war dead and to renew the pledge that Japan shall never again wage any war. For this reason, prime minister Abe also visited Chinreisha, a remembrance memorial, to pray for the souls of all those, irrespective of nationality, who lost their lives in war, but who are not enshrined at Yasukuni.
The Japanese government has accepted the judgments of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East by ratifying the San Francisco Peace Treaty. Mr Abe has himself clearly defined this position and the Japanese government has never ever justified Class-A war criminals or militarism.
Secondly, China’s argument of criticising Japan’s post-Second World War path to peace is unfounded, and is an argument that runs completely counter to the facts.
Considering what is going on in the present-day East Asia region, it is unnecessary to point out which country is increasing tensions in the region by advancing military build-up without transparency and trying to change the existing order unilaterally by coercion or threat of force.
On the contrary, in the post-Second World War world, Japan has consistently contributed to global peace, prosperity, and the promotion of freedom, human rights and rule of law. In the East Asia region in particular, Japan has contributed tirelessly to protect freedom and democracy and promote regional stability and development.
I would like to add that China has even expressed its positive evaluation of Japan’s post-war record as a peace-loving nation in an official statement in 2008, after more than 60 visits to Yasukuni had been made by Japanese prime ministers since the end of the war. Has Japan suddenly turned militaristic within five years? Certainly not. Furthermore, the government of Japan has consistently made clear that it squarely faces history, and expresses deep remorse and heartfelt apology. This stance is firmly upheld under the Abe government.
Nor is it valid to make comparisons between Asia and Europe when the circumstances differ. The historical backgrounds of Germany and Japan differ completely, in terms of what happened during the Second World War and under what kind of post-war settlement they found themselves engaged in. Japan and Germany have dealt with the post-war settlement by taking different approaches.
It is not, therefore, appropriate to make a simple comparison and evaluation of the measures taken by them. Reconciliation in Europe has been accomplished through dialogues between Germany and other countries including the United Kingdom, France and Germany’s other neighbours, all of whom played a positive role in this regard and worked closely with Germany for the integration of Europe.
China may well have different views. This is why the two countries should meet and seek mutual understanding. Although Mr Abe is consistently calling for dialogue between the leaders, China has so far refused the offer.
I sincerely hope that China will move forward, rather than keep invoking the ghost of “militarism” of seven decades ago, which no longer exists.
• Hajime Kitaoka is Consul-General of Japan in Edinburgh
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1 In the beginning the Word already existed.
The Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
2 He existed in the beginning with God.
3 God created everything through him,
and nothing was created except through him.
4 The Word gave life to everything that was created,
and his life brought light to everyone.
5 The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness can never extinguish it.
6 God sent a man, John the Baptist, 7 to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. 8 John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. 9 The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.
10 He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. 11 He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. 12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. 13 They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God. 14 So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.
When I started this Red Letter Year thing back in January, I really didn’t know how it would go – or if it would go. Or more accurately, I wasn’t sure I would or could keep it going all year long. (Like a pitcher throwing a no-hitter, I hope I’m not jinxing myself here.) But here we are starting the book of John. I sat down the other day and mapped out to the end of the year and it works out perfectly (No, I hadn’t done that before. I just tried to keep each reading around 15 verses, following natural breaks as much as possible.)
As I read through today’s passage and thought about introducing John, it occurred to me that one thing I haven’t mentioned all year is the Book of Kells and the four depictions given, one for each Gospel. You can read more about them here, but the one that is relevant for us now is the eagle representing John’s Gospel, which takes a higher view than the others and often uses loftier writing. This is nowhere truer than right here in chapter 1. The language and theme are transcendent. John flies us back to the very beginning – of everything.
While Mark avoided any account of Jesus’ origin, both Matthew and Luke focused on the human birth of Jesus. John shares nothing of that (this will be a recurring trend, John shares very little with the other three); instead he shares – not the origin of Jesus – but the eternality of the Son and his essential part in the origin of all that exists. John gives us a cosmic view of Jesus (this will also be a trend), well beyond anything we have seen in the other three Gospels. There are three things I want to point out as we begin reading John.
First, about this cosmic thing, I meant that quite literally. One of John’s favorite words is the Greek word “kosmos” which we usually translate as “world,” but which can mean what we mean by cosmos as well. I will explain this more as we go, but to put it in a nutshell, John understands the world as loved by God, hostile to God, and yet saved by God all at the same time. We see those themes expressed here in the opening passage and we will see them quite often. God creates and loves the cosmos, the cosmos is hostile to God, but God’s love overcomes the cosmos’ hostility. I’m going to leave “world” as the translation has it, but keep this whole dynamic in mind, because John clearly had it in mind while writing. It will help you understand his account more deeply.
Another favorite word of John’s is one I am not going to leave alone because I think we need some correction regarding it. John uses the Greek word “pisteuo” a lot too, it is a verb that we usually translate as “believe,” but which means something closer to “trust.” When we think of believe, we either think of a specific set of doctrines we give mental assent to, or else we think of something like believing in the Tooth Fairy. John doesn’t mean either of those here. He means trust expressed in action – in fact John always uses the verb form here, never the noun. In Greek some words take one form for a verb and a slightly different form for a noun (we call these cognates). We use words as nouns and verbs in English too (like: fish, brush, etc.) but we don’t usually change the ending to indicate which way the word is being used (and this really confuses people trying to learn English). My point is, the Greek noun cognate is “pistis,” which we translate as “faith” – except John never once uses the noun form, he always uses the verb. This means John understands faith itself as an action, which is one reason “trust” is a better way to translate his idea into English. We think “believing” is a mental game, but we know “trust” requires more.
I have one more point, but I am going to save it for tomorrow. For now, please note carefully what John says here. Some Christians have a bad habit of referring to the Bible as the Word of God, but as I blogged a long time ago (in two parts), the Bible is not the Word of God (click to read). The Bible cannot be the Word of God because right here John tells us that Jesus is the Word of God (click to read). Maybe we could say the Bible is the word of God (lowercase w), but I think that is just confusing. The Bible is written record of the prophetic and apostolic witness about Jesus Christ, the Word of God, who is in himself the fullness of the revelation of God to humans. John tells us that the Word God spoke in the beginning, the Word by which the entire cosmos was created, is Jesus Christ. Everything that exists was created by him. This includes you and me and is a reaffirming of the creation account – both that God created all – and that you and I are created in the image of God. John makes clear from the outset that what matters most is that we have been created and loved by Jesus and reborn, not because of our bodies, or passions, or even our will, but because of Jesus’ unfailing love and faithfulness.
New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale HousePublishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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I was drinking the Domaine Serene Coeur Blanc (see page 7) recently and was astonished by the
depth of the punt or dimple, the deep indentation in a bottle’s butt. This brought back memories of a
British study that showed it is possible to determine the value of a bottle of wine by feeling the depth of
its dimple. Previously this was thought to be an urban myth, but some researchers with nothing better
to do actually measured bottles of wine of different prices. It was shown that more expensive wines
had deeper dimples. The relationship between depth and price could be expressed by the equation:
price of bottle - dimple depth in millimeters + $5.64/4.314. The home-made depth gauge, which was
used by researchers to make the measurements, was auctioned off on eBay.
I went into my own cellar to feel a few dimples. I used my two fingers (index and middle) as a depth
gauge - grading the depth of the dimple as none, first knuckle, and second knuckle. Some dimples
have a nipple at the depth of the depression which can affect the measurement. I sampled several bottles
and I found that the scientific results reported by Dr. Karl Blanks are valid. Some of my cheapo
Pinot Noirs (for unwanted guests, relatives, and cooking), had no dimple at all. Most wines had a one
knuckle dimple. This seems to be the common dimple size. One of the deepest dimples I found (over
two knuckles) was the Domaine Serene Coeur Blanc ($60) and the Sine Qua Non Holler M Shea Vineyard
Pinot Noir ($200 on secondary market).
Now when you are at a party you can amaze the crowd by feeling the dimple and picking out the most
expensive wines. When you are at your local wine merchant, you can wager a bottle of good Pinot on
whether you can tell the more expensive bottle by holding the bottle (and subtlety putting your two
fingers into the dimple). Just don’t overdo it, people might think you are some kind of weirdo.
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SANKOFA'S SLAVERY DATA COLLECTION
Location: East Baton Rouge Pa., LA
Associated Surnames: Longman
Associated Free White Names
Associated Black Slave Names
1865: Freedmen who applied for land at Thurston Place
From "Register of Applications of Freedmen for Land", http://www.freedmensbureau.com/louisiana/landapps.htm Visit page for more details. Ordered by surname.
- Isaac Longman: applied for land at Thurston Place on Sept. 20th; for "1865. No. of men: 3. No. of women: 2. No. of children: 1."
Description of Associated Architecture
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Vaccinate preteens against whooping cough
San Mateo County health officials are urging parents to have their 11- and 12-year-old children vaccinated now to protect them against whooping cough and other dangerous diseases.
Noting that this is Preteen Vaccine Week, county officials are taking part in a statewide effort to remind families of preteens about recommended and school-required immunizations.
"Completing immunizations before the end of the school year is one of the most important and easiest things that parents can do to protect their children's future," San Mateo County Health Officer Scott Morrow said in a written statement. "Protection from some childhood vaccines can weaken over time, putting children and adolescents at risk for serious diseases, like whooping cough, that can easily spread."
For the fall school year, all seventh graders must provide proof of having immunization against whooping cough (Tdap) before starting school, according to a county press release.
In addition to Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis/whooping cough), the county recommends other vaccines for preteens and teens, including the meningococcal vaccine, the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine series, and a second chickenpox shot if they haven't received the second dose of vaccine and never had chickenpox infection.
Many vaccine-preventable diseases spread easily and can lead to missed weeks of school or very serious consequences, including death, according to county health officials.
If your preteen does not have health insurance or a doctor, contact San Mateo County Immunization Program at 650-573-2877 to get a recommendation on where to go. For more information about vaccine requirements for preteens and teens, visit http://smchealth.org/immunizations or www.shotsforschool.org.
Free Presidents Day exhibit set for weekend
Original letters and documents signed by all 44 U.S. presidents will be displayed in Palo Alto on the Presidents Day weekend.
The artifacts include a handwritten letter that George Washington wrote to a young military officer in Europe who sought an appointment to the U.S. Army, as well as other documents from his retirement at Mount Vernon in 1799.
The free exhibit will take place from noon to 4 p.m. on Feb. 17 and 18 in Parish Hall, All Saints Episcopal Church, 555 Waverley St., downtown Palo Alto.
For more information, call Joe Baldwin at 650-323-3496.
Coldwell Banker collects 5,112 toys for families
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage recently announced that it collected 5,112 toys and 2,152 coats this holiday season for families in need throughout Northern California.
The annual "Toys for Tots and Operation: One Warm Coat" collection campaign was the real estate firm's 26th consecutive, in partnership with the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve and several nonprofits.
"Thanks to the support of our agents, staff and the community, many children and their families were able to enjoy a warm and festive holiday season," Rick Turley, president of Coldwell Banker, said in a written statement.
The Coldwell Banker office in Menlo Park collected 30 toys, the Palo Alto offices collected 120 toys and 150 coats, the Portola Valley and Woodside offices collected 30 toys, and The Redwood City office collected 50 toys.
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(Corrects 31st paragraph of story published Dec. 15 to say Goldstein has not entered a plea.)
The U.S. extended its crackdown on offshore tax evasion, charging former UBS AG (UBSN) banker Renzo Gadola with helping American clients hide assets from the Internal Revenue Service by shifting them to a smaller Swiss bank.
Gadola, 44, was accused yesterday of conspiring with a Swiss banker to encourage U.S. clients who hadn’t told the IRS about their UBS accounts to open undeclared accounts at Basler Kantonalbank. Gadola and the banker told clients not to join a voluntary disclosure program that led 18,000 Americans to declare offshore accounts to the IRS, prosecutors said.
The crackdown has led to criminal charges against UBS, the largest Swiss bank, two dozen former clients, four former bankers and two advisers. A former client of HSBC Plc, Europe’s biggest bank, also has been charged, as well as a Swiss lawyer who helped him.
Below is a summary of the charges involving UBS, filed in federal courts around the U.S.:
UBS: The Zurich-based bank agreed in February 2009 to pay $780 million to defer prosecution for aiding tax evasion by U.S. clients. The bank said its Swiss private bankers helped wealthy Americans evade U.S. taxes from 2000 to 2007. UBS also set up sham offshore companies in tax havens such as the British Virgin Islands, Hong Kong and Panama. UBS said it created misleading forms saying those sham companies, not taxpayers, were the beneficial owners.
Bradley Birkenfeld: A former UBS banker, he pleaded guilty to helping wealthy Americans, including billionaire Igor Olenicoff, evade taxes. He cooperated with prosecutors. In August 2009, he was sentenced in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to 40 months in prison, 10 months more than prosecutors had requested. He has asked President Obama to reduce his sentence, saying he was treated unfairly as a whistleblower.
Raoul Weil: A former chief executive officer of global wealth management at UBS, he was indicted in November 2008 in Fort Lauderdale on a charge of helping wealthy Americans hide assets from the IRS. He was declared a fugitive in January 2009.
Hansruedi Schumacher: A former Neue Zuercher Bank manager who once ran the cross-border business for UBS, Schumacher was indicted in August 2009 in Fort Lauderdale on a charge of helping U.S. citizens evade taxes on UBS and NZB accounts. He was declared a fugitive in December 2009.
Matthias Rickenbach: A Zurich lawyer, Rickenbach was indicted with Schumacher in August 2009 on a charge of helping Americans evade taxes on UBS and NZB accounts. He was declared a fugitive in December 2009.
Mario Staggl: A Liechtenstein investment adviser at New Haven Trust Co., Staggl was indicted with Birkenfeld in April 2008 on a charge of helping wealthy Americans evade taxes. He was declared a fugitive in May 2008.
Igor Olenicoff: A billionaire real-estate developer, Olenicoff pleaded guilty in December 2007 in Santa Ana, California, to filing a false tax return. He failed to declare accounts at UBS, where he once had $200 million. He received two years’ probation and paid $52 million in back taxes, interest and penalties.
Jules Robbins: A retired watch distributer from Jericho, New York, Robbins pleaded guilty in April 2010 in New York, admitting he failed to declare a UBS account that held $42 million in 2007. He was sentenced in September 2010 to one year of probation. He paid a $20.8 million civil penalty and a $2,000 fine.
Federico Hernandez: A financial adviser who ran 2020 Emerging Inc., Hernandez pleaded guilty in April 2010 in New York. He admitted setting up sham accounts in the British Virgin Islands and Panama to hide his UBS accounts worth $8.8 million in 2006. He was sentenced in September 2010 to one year in prison, fined $4,000 and ordered to pay $84,423 in restitution to the IRS. He agreed to pay a civil penalty of $4.4 million. He also pleaded guilty in state Supreme Court in New York and was fined $25,000.
Jack Barouh: The former owner of a watch company sold to Fossil Inc. for about $50 million, Barouh pleaded guilty in February 2010 to failing to disclose about $10 million in offshore assets. He was sentenced in Miami in April 2010 to 10 months in prison and fined $5,000.
Kenneth Heller: A disbarred New York maritime attorney, Heller opened a UBS account in 2006 with $26.4 million, prosecutors charged in April 2010. Heller later transferred $20 million to a smaller private Swiss bank, prosecutors said. Heller, who was charged with tax evasion and failing to file a Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts, or FBAR, was arrested in Hoboken, New Jersey. He was indicted in May 2010.
Sybil Nancy Upham: A New York resident, Upham was indicted in April 2010 in New York on charges of conspiracy, filing false tax returns and failing to file FBARs. Upham was charged with hiding UBS accounts worth $11.3 million in 2007 and later moving $8.5 million to a small Liechtenstein bank. She pleaded guilty in November 2010. She awaits sentencing.
Samuel Phineas Upham: The son of Sybil Nancy Upham, he was indicted in December 2010 on charges that he helped his mother hide more than $11 million through overseas accounts.
Harry Abrahamsen: A New Jersey businessman, he pleaded guilty in April 2010 in Newark, New Jersey, to failing to tell U.S. authorities about almost $800,000 in offshore accounts. He awaits sentencing.
Lucille Abrahamsen Jackson: The daughter of Harry Abrahamsen, she pleaded guilty in Newark in November 2010 to failing to tell U.S. authorities about an account valued at $759,376 in 2003. She awaits sentencing.
Steven Michael Rubinstein: A Florida accountant who worked at an international yacht company, he pleaded guilty in June 2009 to filing a tax return that failed to disclose secret UBS accounts that held at least $7 million. A judge in Miami sentenced him in October 2009 to 12 months of home detention.
Robert Moran: A Florida yacht broker who pleaded guilty in Fort Lauderdale in April 2009 to filing a tax return that failed to disclose $3.4 million held at UBS. He was sentenced in November 2009 to two months in prison and five months of home detention.
Jeffrey Chernick: A New York toy salesman who pleaded guilty in July 2009 to filing a false tax return that concealed $8 million at UBS. In his plea, Chernick implicated four others in detailing a $45,000 bribe paid to a Swiss government official. In October 2009, he was sentenced in Fort Lauderdale to three months in prison. The judge later reduced Chernick’s term to one month.
Juergen Homann: A New Jersey businessman who admitted in September 2009 in Newark that he didn’t report $6.1 million in UBS assets to the U.S. government. He was sentenced in January 2010 to five years’ probation and fined $60,000.
John McCarthy: A California businessman who pleaded guilty in Los Angeles in October 2009 to failing to file a tax report for an offshore bank account holding more than $1 million. He was sentenced in March 2010 to six months of home detention, with 300 hours of community service and a $25,000 fine.
Roberto Cittadini: A former sales manager at Boeing Co., the resident of Bellevue, Washington, pleaded guilty in October 2009 to filing a false tax return that hid income on $1.86 million in assets. He was sentenced in Seattle in January 2010 to one year of probation, including six months of home detention, and 200 hours of community service. He also was fined $10,000 and ordered to pay $17,985 in restitution.
Richard Werdiger: A resident of Purchase, New York, Werdiger was indicted in April 2010 on charges of conspiracy, filing false tax returns and failing to file FBARs. Werdiger, who sold diamonds and jewelry through companies including Michael Werdiger Inc., opened three UBS accounts through sham entities in Panama and Liechtenstein and communicated with the bank through the code name “Trygon,” prosecutors said. By 2003, his accounts totaled $7 million, according to the government. His case is pending.
Ernest Vogliano: A New York resident, Vogliano opened UBS accounts through shell corporations in Liechtenstein and Hong Kong that were valued at $4.9 million in 2000, prosecutors said. After 2008, he withdrew hundreds of thousands of dollars through traveler’s checks, prosecutors said. Vogliano was indicted in April 2010 in New York. His case is pending.
Shmuel Sternfeld: A resident of Tel Aviv, Sternfeld opened a UBS account in 2004 in the name of a Hong Kong shell corporation, prosecutors said. Sternfeld transferred money to buy a condominium in Florida and later moved funds to an account in the Czech Republic, prosecutors said. His account was valued at $2.9 million in 2005. Sternfeld was indicted in April 2010 in New York. His case is pending.
Leonid Zaltsberg: A former soccer player on the Soviet national team, he pleaded guilty in July 2010 in Newark to failing to tell U.S. authorities about $2.6 million in an offshore account. He awaits sentencing.
Paul Zabczuk: A resident of The Woodlands, Texas, Zabczuk pleaded guilty in Fort Lauderdale in April 2010 to charges that he filed a false tax return and didn’t disclose his UBS account. He was sentenced in July 2010 to one year of home detention and fined $25,000.
Bernard Goldstein: A resident of Carlsbad, California, who exports oil pipeline products to Russia, he was indicted in November 2010 on charges of conspiracy, filing false tax returns and failing to file FBARs. Prosecutors said his account held more than $2.5 million in 2003. He has not entered a plea in federal court in San Diego, court records show.
Gregory Rudolph: A resident of Brookline, Massachusetts, he was charged in October 2010 with failing to file FBARs on an account that held at least $1.5 million. He has agreed to plead guilty in Boston, court records show.
Peter Schober: A Boston resident in the investment management business, he was charged in October 2010 with failing to file FBARs on an account that held at least $1 million. He pleaded guilty in November 2010 in Boston, court records show.
Jeffrey Chatfield: A California consultant who advised private companies seeking to go public, he pleaded guilty in November 2010 to failing to declare an account that once had a balance of about $900,000. He awaits sentencing in San Diego.
Andrew Silva: A Virginia surgeon, he pleaded guilty in February 2010 to conspiring with an HSBC banker and a Zurich attorney to hide a $250,000 account from the IRS by smuggling 26 cash payments to the U.S. Silva was sentenced in Alexandria, Virginia, in June 2010 to four months of home detention, fined $20,000, forfeited $211,200 and paid $16,484 in back taxes.
Felix Mathis: A Swiss lawyer, he was indicted in July 2010 on charges that he helping Silva hide assets from the IRS and smuggle $235,000 into the U.S. The case is pending in Alexandria.
To contact the reporter on this story: David Voreacos in Newark, New Jersey, at firstname.lastname@example.org.
To contact the editor responsible for this story: David E. Rovella at email@example.com
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