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The value of the 14C breath test in the assessment of fat absorption.
The absorption of oral 14C-glyceryl tripalmitate was tested in 77 subjects by hourly interval sampling of breath 14CO2 for up to 6 h. A highly significant correlation was obtained between maximum breath 14CO2 activity and faecal fat excretion. The test was very effective in differentiating between patients with and without steatorrhoea. Repetition of this examination with oral 14C-palmitic acid demonstrated normal absorption in pancreatic steatorrhoea but impaired absorption in intestinal steatorrhoea, thus enabling these conditions to be distinguished. The 14C breath tests are most useful as simple and inexpensive outpatient screening tests for steatorrhoea.
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Eccentric Inspirations Meet Vintage: Discover Designer Label KOTUR
Fiona Kotur Marin first made her appearance in the fashion industry back in 2004 with the launch of her limited edition brocade clutches. The initial inspiration for her designs was from the find of an exclusive collection of vintage brocades that were originally woven for European Couture houses back in the era of the Ď60ís and Ď70ís. And ever since, she has cultivated her collection of minaudieres, brocades and handbags from a hint of classic element and culturally artistic design. Not only does she use unique inspirations for the designs of her pieces, but she also derives their names from her friends and women who carry the same charismatic attributes and worldly passions that are within her.
Featured in her purses are details inspired by art and ethnicity that she has experienced and seen around the globe. These include a variety of exotic skins and materials such as Python, Ayers Snakeskin, Shagreen, Tortoise penshell, and feathers. Shown above is the famous Wallace Frame bag in both beautifully textured Italian leather and Python, examples of how her exotic inspirations meet classic retro. This bag is my favorite creation by Kotur as I love itís timelessness and old fashioned appeal. This handbag starts at about $898. Besides the Wallace, there are also some amazing clutches with gorgeous details that surely makes them one of a kind. Pictured below is the Riddick with metallic snakeskin patterning , the Fane Pleated Ayers Snakeskin & Raffia, and the Fino Feathers purse, respectively:
The Riddick
The Fane Pleated Ayers Snakeskin & Raffia
The Fino Feathers
Did you notice that each one is adorned with a lovely jewel closure? This definitely adds a little elegance without being overly garnishing. Also, the vintage inspired shape of each clutch makes their unique exteriors more accepting, in my opinion. To start, I love the slight zig zag pattern on the Riddick and the light metallic colored exotic skins are perfect for the upcoming seasons. Secondly the Fane with a combination of two totally different materials is so unconventional! Who ever would have thought snakeskin and not just ordinary but metallic raffia would make a great team?! I think they are paired wonderfully together. Lastly, I wasnít able to adjust to the Fino dressed in feathers. I personally donít like feathers on ANY handbag, so that one is a definite Ďnayí for me. However, the shape and small chain handle are adorable. Overall, I admire many pieces from her collection. Kotur is one new and rising designer that is definitely worth looking into!
The price tags for the featured pieces range between $300 to $900, depending on the style. Check these out plus many more over here: Kotur Ltd - Handbags and Shoes
I occasionally like a fringed handbag, but this one is a bit much for me. It's too long. I just keep thinking about how terrible it would be to wear on a windy day. lol. I do like the half-moon shape...
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To evaluate strategies that test the safety and effectiveness of therapeutic approaches/regimens to reduce the probability of the emergence of antibiotic drug resistance by minimizing unnecessary drug exposure. Trial title: A Multi-Center, Randomized, Open-Label, Comparative Study to Assess the Safety and Efficacy of a Treatment Algorithm to Reduce the Use of Vancomycin in Adult Patients With Blood Stream Infections Due to Staphylococci.
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The End of China’s Economic Miracle? - tokenadult
http://online.wsj.com/articles/the-end-of-chinas-economic-miracle-1416592910
======
calebreed
Interesting article, thanks for posting! While I agree that there has been
over-extension with regards to infrastructure development especially in
residential housing, one thing I think we should remember is the power the
central government in China holds to change course when necessary, even when a
crisis has not yet occurred (imagine living in a country that can ground all
flights for a day with no explanation and people take that as par the course:
[http://on.wsj.com/1wVToAd](http://on.wsj.com/1wVToAd)). A similar point on
over-extension could have been made about US expansion in the 2000s being
completely attributed to the debt-induced US housing bubble, but our
government had no focus or institutional power to stop that until the crisis
had already occurred. In this case at the governmental level, China, with its
ability to set long term policy and pre-empt crises, might have a leg up.
~~~
seanmcdirmid
Corruption is endemic in the ruling class who own much of China already. It
will be really hard for the government to turn themselves and their families
from winners into losers...so the effects of whatever reforms they take will
probably fall on the have-nots, who might not take that very well.
~~~
tokenadult
It's good to hear from an observer who has been in China in recent years on
topics like this.
------
austinz
This is an excellent example of what is wrong with China journalism today,
drawing sweeping conclusions based on a handful of cherry-picked anecdotes.
For an article with actual analysis, try
[http://www.economist.com/blogs/freeexchange/2014/11/chinas-i...](http://www.economist.com/blogs/freeexchange/2014/11/chinas-
interest-rates).
~~~
droope
Yes, this article is terrible.
"Shift the economy toward innovation? That is the mantra of every advanced
economy, but China’s rivals have a big advantage: Their societies encourage
free thought and idiosyncratic beliefs"
Which can be translated to "this people are different from us, how could they
ever be successful?"
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Shum
Shum may refer to:
Surnames
Shum (surname), a surname in various cultures (including a list of people with the name)
Cen (surname) (岑), sometimes romanized Shum in Cantonese
Shen (surname) (沈), sometimes romanized Shum in Cantonese
Places
Shum (location), a town in Pakistan
Shum Laka, most prominent site in the Laka Valley of northwest Cameroon
Shum-gora, burial mound in northwestern Russia
Politics
Takkanot Shum, set of decrees formulated and agreed by three central cities of medieval Rhineland
Wagshum or shum, the governor of the province of Wag, with hereditary title from Zagwe dynasty; see Ethiopian aristocratic and court titles
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Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’s latest hit, “Downtown,” and its accompanying video raise a few questions: Are mopeds cool? Is the future of pop a line of slick, “Uptown Funk”–esque throwbacks? Is Ken Griffey Jr. an ageless being? Where have Melle Mel, Grandmaster Caz, and Kool Moe Dee been all these years? And who the hell is that mustached weirdo who steals the show at the chorus?
The answers: never, let’s hope not, definitely, keeping it old-school, and Eric Nally, best known as the leader of Ohio rockers Foxy Shazam. Though Foxy Shazam started as a post-hard-core affair in 2004 — think the Blood Brothers performing West Side Story and you’re in the right ballpark — Foxy slowly evolved into more of a rock-radio act with a wild (and wildly offensive) minor hit about “the biggest black ass,” 2012’s “I Like It.” By that point, Nally had earned a reputation as the kind of front man who, for better or worse, decreasingly exists in rock and roll; with a soaring voice, he was trying to be Freddie Mercury, only more theatrical, if you can believe it.
As for the band’s reputation as a whole, Foxy Shazam had a track record of total reinvention from album to album. They equally benefited from the production of the Darkness’s Justin Hawkins (Guitar overdubs! Lots of falsetto! Glam!), who helmed 2012’s The Church of Rock and Roll and “I Like It,” as they did from Steve Albini (Live-tracked! Honest! Punk!), who produced 2014’s aptly titled Gonzo. But their constant need for reinvention eventually led to the group’s hiatus last year.
“Everybody in Foxy Shazam kind of felt like we had gotten to a point where, if we were to step into something right away, it wouldn’t be what it needed to be in terms of changing it up and just being as good as we wanted it to be,” Nally says. “The whole agreement was we were just going to take a break until that time was ready.”
The time apart has given Nally time to spread his wings — and to get over an odd habit: At Foxy shows, Nally would constantly swallow lit cigarettes onstage.
“It’s really been tough not to want a cigarette since Foxy stopped touring,” Nally says. “I don’t smoke, but I was getting a hit of nicotine when I ate the cigarettes every night onstage. It got to the point of, ‘Hm, I should stop doing this. This is gonna kill me. Quite literally.’”
That freak-out performance style is actually what led to Nally’s collaboration with Macklemore and Ryan Lewis: It turns out Lewis is a big fan of Foxy Shazam and their antics. When the rap duo had the idea for “Downtown” but needed someone to tie it all together in the chorus, Nally’s discordant style came to mind.
“They called me and asked me to do the song based on them being fans of my work and me being a fan of them,” Nally says. “We shared a trumpet player [Josh “Budo” Karp], who knew we’d get along. I wouldn’t have gone for something I didn’t feel good about. This just was right. My favorite part is when they came to me, they said, ‘We want you to be you, we want you to do your thing. We don’t want you to do something we have in mind. What you can bring to the table is what we want.’ That really encouraged me.”
The man who strolls in on a motorcycle chariot in the music video — “Ryan texted me, ‘Have you ever driven stick before, a manual?’ I said yeah, thinking it’s gonna be a car” — previously co-wrote songs for Meat Loaf with Hawkins, where, in true Foxy fashion, he got the ‘70s rocker to belt lines like, “I can barely fit my dick in my pants.” When he’s not getting rockers his parents’ age to say outlandish things, Nally is raising two sons with his longtime wife; several days after the VMAs, when I call him, he’s back in Cincinnati mowing his lawn. He dubs himself a “lunatarian” — meaning he eats meat when it’s a full moon, and is otherwise a vegetarian.
With a couple recent performances (the VMAs, The Tonight Show, no big deal), “Downtown” charged up a few charts last week and currently sits at No. 22 on the Hot 100; so it doesn’t look like the song — or Nally — is slowing down soon. He’s working on a solo album, has heard a few other new Macklemore songs (“I’m very excited for the world to hear what’s coming, it’s different but it’s great”), and is already plotting Foxy Shazam’s eventual reunion.
“I’m working on spreading my wings as a solo artist,” he says. “I have a lot of different things planned with that, but I like to keep a mysterious vibe. Coming back to Foxy after that’s done, it’ll be a whole new ballpark. We could go even farther than we did with the last record.”
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Groupon stock sinks to new low, investors sue - joejohnson
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20120404/NEWS08/120409912/groupon-stock-sinks-to-new-low
======
guptaneil
As a Silicon Valley native currently living in Chicago, I've always found it
disappointing that Groupon is the poster child of innovation and
entrepreneurship in Chicago. They seem to lack a solid business plan and have
a history of deliberately misleading investors and businesses. Far more
impressive companies, such as 37signals or GrubHub, are based here that
deserve that kind of attention instead.
I very much doubt the legitimacy of this story, but I was in a barbershop a
few weeks ago, where the owner told me about one of the Groupon executives who
was in the shop earlier. He was saying we shouldn't expect Groupon to be
around in 10 years because the company's plan is to collect as much cash as
possible, fire everybody, and shut down, keeping the money for the investors.
While I doubt a Groupon executive would have actually said that in a
barbershop, I can believe that actually was their long-term plan, but if
things keep up at their current rate, I'm not sure if Groupon will even last
that long.
~~~
pbreit
> I was in a barbershop a few weeks ago, where the owner told me about one of
> the Groupon executives who was in the shop earlier
Great source!
~~~
tptacek
I don't know why this was downmodded. It's trenchant. Nobody on HN seems to
like Groupon, but that doesn't make this kind of ridiculous hearsay more
valid.
~~~
furyofantares
I'd guess it's due to the sarcastic tone. If he had your made your post
instead I think it would be faring better.
What really gets me is the barbershop post actually admits that it's very
unlikely for the source to be telling the truth, then goes on to give it
credit anyway because it agrees with his own speculation.
~~~
larrys
"He was saying we shouldn't expect Groupon to be around in 10 years because
the company's plan is to collect as much cash as possible, fire everybody, and
shut down, keeping the money for the investors."
Because the problem isn't the source (the barber). It's the idea that a
groupon executive would have said something like this to his barber,
physician, plumber etc.
Maybe bragging to his call girl, maybe to a friend when drunk (and was
overheard) but it's ridiculous to think someone would say something like this
even in jest.
------
Quizzy
They should have unloaded this fraud on Google when there was a $6 billion
cash offer sitting on the table (assuming that was true).
The fact that Google even offered that much leads me to believe that they have
jumped the shark with that offer.
Anybody who knows anything about retail would have studied the business model
and realized that this was not sustainable. Obvious red flags: 1\. Heavy
reliance on field sales (the largest expense), which is NOT scalable 2\.
Exclusive reliance on repeat sales as the key driver of sustainability: this
being the obvious case, did Google not do its due diligence and actually
surveyed past Groupon customers? Such a siimple survey would have easily
revealed the issues of this "local deals" model. 3\. Heavy reliance on "small
business" owners as the driver of revenue. This is a sensitive and fickle
market, where even slight movements in the general economy will cause huge
moves in spending patterns.
These 3 points were readily available to anybody with some insight into this
segment; Google with all its money must be surrounded by "yes" men, nothing
else could explain it's willingness to part with $6 billion so quickly.
~~~
nakor
I'm not sure if they actually could have sold the company to google even if
they wanted to. My understanding is that you must open your books to the
prospective buyer after a certain stage and it is likely that once the google
accountants had a look at Groupons books the deal would have fallen through.
That could have created negative press and damaged their pump-and-dump
strategy for the IPO.
~~~
Quizzy
Excellent point.
------
tptacek
My perception is that these kinds of shareholder suits are trivial to file,
and that they occur regularly any time the stock of any public company drops
significantly after some event about them hits the news.
It would be interesting to see someone chart this.
(No comment about Groupon's long-term viability is being implied here).
~~~
bhousel
As someone who builds legal matter management software for large publicly
traded companies, I can confirm that your perception is correct.
Public companies are sued all the time for this kind of stuff. These lawsuits
often allege misrepresentation in a company's SEC filings.
------
victork2
Who would have imagined that groupon had a future? It worked on the novelty
effect and it was doomed to fail.
On the other hand, Chicago business is full of bugs. Ghostery block 13 (!)
calls to different websites such as: Quantcast, 24/7 real media, Outbrain
etc... I won't visit this website again. I wish I was warned of that before
hand not when I go to the website, I value my privacy more than going there.
~~~
zaidf
_It worked on the novelty effect and it was doomed to fail._
A little premature to write an obituary of a company that finished 2011 with
1.6B in revenue.
~~~
ohashi
1.6B in revenue is pretty meaningless if you're not even making a profit. They
are simply really good at losing a lot of money.
~~~
zaidf
It's "scary" and "even" dangerous one may say, but _not_ meaningless.
~~~
ohashi
You are correct, it's not meaningless, I should have said: Simply having
revenue isn't a defense for a company if they are spending more money than
they are bringing in.
------
snorkel
Who would guess that there could be an integrity issue with a company that
tried to invent new accounting rules where marketing costs don't appear on the
balance sheet? You'd have a crystal ball or a brain to see this coming.
~~~
lubos
Marketing costs are not supposed to appear on balance sheet.
I don't really watch this company but if I remember correctly, their way of
doing accounting was to show all received money from customers as income
instead of liabilities since they were collecting half of it on behalf of
vendors.
They were simply inflating their revenue but it's not like it matters, because
profit (loss) would be always the same regardless.
------
bfrog
Please. As if anyone with half a brain couldn't see this ponzi scheme on the
blowup train of doom. Who are these magical investors?
~~~
dantheman
It's not a ponzi scheme.
~~~
jasonrr
Simply stating it is not a ponzi scheme doesn't advance the conversation in a
meaningful way in my opinion.
It's really just semantics at this point. There is a lot of evidence here that
suggests systematic misleading (if not out-right defrauding) of investors. So
you while you are technically correct, I think what Groupon has done is in the
spirit of Ponzi even if it is executed differently. What's happened here is
more than just a bad business plan executed honestly producing poor results.
Just because we don't have the exact word for it doesn't make it any more
ethical.
~~~
Quizzy
Jason, your gut instinct is correct. Groupon is a Ponzi scheme in every way:
last customer in gets no money out. I feel sorry for that Mom & Pop pizza that
paid $1,000 to run a Groupon deal, and expecting $300 back in 60 days, only to
see Groupon go belly up and get nothing but a letter that says "Please send
your creditor claim to the bankruptcy trustee listed below".
------
fasteddie31003
People I know who currently work for Groupon say that the culture there is
falling apart. To get the numbers investors expect the sales people need to
reach unrealistic sales numbers. Management is grasping at straws, trying
every trick in the book to not let the whole thing fall apart. The Groupon
model is simply not sustainable, it was a onetime gimmick.
As someone who lives in Chicago, I am worried about its failure and with that
the future of the tech scene in Chicago.
~~~
timjahn
Groupon is a large part of the tech scene here in Chicago, contributing a lot
to the scene.
But they're not our sole pillar any more. I think we all know that pillar is
going to come crashing down in the near future, and we're ready.
Groupon helped propel us to where we are, and we're standing on our own now.
In my opinion, the future of tech in Chicago will not solely depend on
Groupon's activity.
~~~
tedkalaw
I chatted with some engineers from BrainTree and I was impressed at their
commitment to helping build the tech scene in Chicago.
It's an exciting time.
------
diogenescynic
They should be going after the SEC for allowing this company to IPO in the
first place. Going public used to be a privilege, now it seems too easy.
~~~
wmil
Since SOX successful tech companies have been avoiding going public for as
long as possible (ie Google, Facebook).
I wonder if there was some pressure from investment bankers who want to
encourage more IPOs as well as government types who want the law to seen as a
success.
------
edw519
_The first two shareholder lawsuits were filed Tuesday in federal court in
Chicago after the markets closed, seeking class-action status for people who
bought stock before the company restated fourth-quarter financial results on
Friday._
Perhaps those people should have been reading Hacker News:
[http://www.hnsearch.com/search#request/all&q=groupon&...](http://www.hnsearch.com/search#request/all&q=groupon&sortby=points+desc)
(The first post is rather long and fairly neutral, but check out some of the
posts (and their dates) right after that.)
~~~
tucson
Thanks for the link. What I find troubling is to read so many articles
pointing to shady business practices from Groupon and bubble valuation, and
still the SEC lets the IPO go through and investors lose their money - that
part did not happen yet but it seems written on the wall.
~~~
radioact1ve
Could the SEC really do that? Just outright stop an IPO?
------
api
I remember hearing about how this company ran, and figuring it was nothing but
a giant boiler room sales pit and a gimmick. I am not surprised.
~~~
Quizzy
Anecdotally, the first generation of sales rep have nothing but depressing
things to say about this entire market segment now. The first year sales
numbers were gangbusters, until their clients called back complaining,
swearing never to do another Groupon deal, ever again.
It's not just Groupon, this entire business model is unsustainable: asking a
retailer to discount his products for a fee in the hopes that he will attract
new "local deal" customers willing to pay full retail next time, when the ONLY
reason these customers came in the first place was because of the discount.
~~~
notJim
Not only that, but I suspect that people who _are_ loyal to businesses and
like interacting with local business owners are less likely to use sites like
groupon, because they know that the businesses often get screwed, and because
they don't want to be thought of as bargain-shoppers.
~~~
muraiki
A friend sent me a Groupon for a local bakery. It was something ridiculous
like $20 worth of food for $10. Since I had heard about the bad relationships
between businesses and Groupon, and since I actually like this little store, I
declined to get the Groupon. I'd rather pay full price to support a local
business!
------
walru
GRPN was a always a short sellers dream come true. Next up, ZNGA.
~~~
untog
Why do you say Zynga? It was my understanding that their financials are a good
bit more stable, even if they are Facebook-dependent.
~~~
Quizzy
Zynga's business model is like any other gaming publisher (such as EA,
Blizzard, etc.). To succeed in gaming you MUST have a pipeline of games that
continue revenue growth. If you cannot create your own, then you must acquire
indie developers (OMGPOP recently). In time Zynga stock will be no different
than any other gaming publisher stock. Look at Blizzard: other than Diablo,
Starcraft and WoW, it has created nothing in the last 4 years beyond sequels.
Homegrown innovation is nearly impossible.
Rovio was in the business for 5 years before Angry Birds, and I doubt they'll
have another hit like Angry Birds ever again.
Id fell apart when it couldn't come up with something better than the Doom
franchise.
OMGPOP was very smart to sell out to Zynga, because there is no way it would
have come up with something even close to Draw Something in another 5 years.
Unlike rock stars and pop singers, creating a string of gaming hits is so much
harder because it requires the perfect storm of so many variables each and
every time, whereas a single person like Adele, Amy Winehouse, etc. can rely
on their genius alone to create a hit.
~~~
trimbo
> Id fell apart when it couldn't come up with something better than the Doom
> franchise.
Except for, you know... Quake.
On your other point. The difference between Zynga and EA is that Zynga's games
have a huge turnover rate and a very low percentage of paying customers. EA's
games -- at least most of their games -- have 100% paying customers and have a
large _returning_ customer rate year after year (Madden 11, Madden 12, Madden
13, Fifa 11, Fifa 12...).
So in other words, Zynga's business model is completely different than EA's.
------
crag
And this is what happens when inventors invest in a company they know noting
about. This is what happens when you listen to the hype, and the street and
NOT do your own due diligence. There's a reason why the big banks backed the
IPO but didn't take a percentage.
When it all comes down in flames, (I think it's already begun - if you haven't
gotten out, get out now) the only saving grace is that the CEO and board will
be embattled in court for years. The investors might get a few pennies on the
dollar.
~~~
ironchef
"There's a reason why the big banks backed the IPO but didn't take a
percentage." Morgan stanley has 19 mil shares. Goldman has 2 mil shares. They
backed the IPO and took a percentage. Am i misunderstanding your statement?
~~~
antr
they didn't invest cash, they just exercised their green-shoe.
~~~
crag
Exactly. They never invested cash. It's all vapor. In other words, both banks
lose nothing except the promise of future profits.
Both banks already made their money (and then some) on the IPO and associated
fees. Now of course, assuming the banks had no knowledge of Groupon's true
financial health; they did nothing illegal.
BUT ethically, brokers/traders have a responsibility to informed their clients
when it's time to cash out. A lot of people made money off this deal. And lot
didn't.
But Groupon, if what I'm hearing is true, is committing fraud. I mean, my god,
are they cooking the books? Sort of reminds me of Enron. But only time (and
many lawsuits later) will tell.
------
unohoo
The problem with Groupon and other local deal companies is that they have to
manage fluctuations on both the consumer as well as the merchant side. Even if
one side of the equation wobbles a little, Groupon will feel the impact. I
think at this stage, Groupon is fighting a dual (losing) battle:
1) Merchants perception of the whole daily deal market is very negative.
Repeat business is quite low and it mainly attracts the spendthrifts who are
looking for a deal. Given the margins that most local businesses have, running
a daily deal means taking a hit on those margins.
2) From a consumer perspective, the novelty of the daily deals market has
really worn off. Consumer fatigue has set in and more and more people are
tired of having their inboxes flooded with emails. Personalization is still a
joke and ticks people off even further.
It wont be long before the whole local deal market implodes (think of it --
the 2nd largest player - LivingSocial is not yet profitable). Groupon is well
aware of this and so is trying to ramp up its technology platform via
acquisitions to eventually evolve into something more. Its just a matter of
time that the whole thing comes crashing down.
~~~
MatthewPhillips
The local deals is analogous to department store clearance sales. Retailers
have perfected the art of the sale and they know that clearance sales are a
different animal. If someone comes into you store and heads straight to
clearance they can't be upsold. Don't waste your time on them.
This is different from your event sale, which _are_ an excellent way to gain
repeated customers (and upsell them). There is a future for local deal sites
but it needs a different hook with customers.
------
ssharp
I think there are so many ways technology can help mom + pop type small
businesses inexpensively stay competitive with the numerous forces working
against them (including retail giants with substantially better technology),
and the huge interest in daily deals justifies this assertion--at least in
some small way.
But the technology needs to help the small business actually improve. Groupon
doesn't do this. For the most part, it plays smoke and mirrors with revenues
and the costs or profits are not entirely known because the small business
cannot measure them.
------
smoody
A TV network is going to Pilot with a new fictional sitcom -- called "Friend
Me" I believe. It's about a man who packs-up and moves so he can work at
Groupon (not made-up). Perhaps making it a comedy isn't such a good idea. ;-)
------
mleatherb
It seems like everyone and their mother are trying for IPO. If the rumor about
an offer from google was true, they should have taken the money and ran
~~~
taphangum
I'm starting to think that it was google who ran away from this deal.
------
nateberkopec
So it's official - Groupon is this bubble's Pets.com.
------
silentscope
When your boss is your shareholders, the seat of your pants accounting doesn't
really cut it.
------
renatomoya
I see why some already jumped off that boat. Started pretty good but, it could
do better.
------
option_greek
I wonder how long it will be before we see Yahoo style head lines for Groupon
and RIM.
------
jacquesm
Would they have sued if they stock had gone up?
~~~
chc
I don't understand why you'd ask. How would that injure them?
------
run4yourlives
Investors sue? Really?
So basically, I want to drink the koolaid but god damn you if it makes me
sick...
You should not be allowed to sue as a method to correct your own stupidity.
~~~
zecho
I think in this case it makes sense. Groupon restated a sharp drop in their
reported revenues over three years.
People don't necessarily invest in things they think are particularly good
business models. They invest in things that are undervalued. If you looked at
the revenue/price and thought it was undervalued and then Groupon changed 3
years worth of data on your after you made a stock purchase, you'd sue too.
Just look at these reductions. They're more than just a minor correction from
Groupon:
\- For 2008, revenue was reduced to $5,000, from $94,000.
\- For 2009, revenue was reduced to $14.54 million, from $30.47 million.
\- For 2010, revenue was reduced to $312.9 million, from $713.4 million.
~~~
run4yourlives
_People don't necessarily invest in things they think are particularly good
business models._
If you can't figure out the business model generating the reported millions,
it's your own fault for thinking those millions are undervalued.
How many of these investors didn't actually care about the value of the stock,
so long as there was somebody around tomorrow that would buy it for more?
Sorry, but I have no sympathy when you willingly play the game and then get
burned by the same things you intended to inflict on someone else.
~~~
prodigal_erik
I'm not entitled to lie to investors just because they should be smart enough
to disbelieve me. There's a point beyond which it's not feasible for third
parties to know how realistic my financial statements are, so the SEC has
mandated I'm on the hook when I write them.
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Our goal is to scintigraphically detect, stage and ultimately treat ovarian carcinomas, using radiolabeled monoclonal antibodies preferentially reactive with epithelial ovarian carcinomas. Monoclonal antibodies raised against ovarian cancer, already shown capable of radiolocalizing human ovarian carcinoma xenografts in nude mice, will be further evaluated in that model. The effects of antibody dose, route of administration (intravenous as compared to intralymphatic or intraperitoneal), fragmentation, and labeling, will be evaluated to optimize antibody localization to tumor. Since ovarian carcinoma is generally a regional disease within the peritoneum and draining lymphatics, we expect this regional antibody delivery to significantly enhance tumor localization. Antibody localization will be evaluated by gamma camera scanning, tumor excision with gamma counting, immunoperoxidase staining, and microautoradiography. In parallel experiments, the specificity of existing and new monoclonals raised against ovarian cancer will be further evaluated by immunohistochemical techniques. The radiotherapeutic potential of the best monoclonals for imaging will then be evaluated in vitro using clonogenic assay techniques. The dose of radiolabeled antibody required to produce tumor kill of ovarian carcinoma lines in vitro will be determined. Based on these studies, the best antibodies will then be evaluated for radiotherapeutic potential in our nude mouse model of disseminated intraperitoneal human ovarian carcinomatosis. A variety of dosing schemes will be tested therapeutically with evaluation for the number of clonogenic ascites cells, mean survival, and cure as indices of the efficacy of radiotherapy. The monoclonal antibodies with the best localization to ovarian carcinoma xenografts in vivo, as well as showing the greatest in vitro specificity for ovarian cancer, will be evaluated in phase I imaging trials in patients with advanced ovarian cancer who are scheduled for a second debulking procedure. This will assure histologic, autoradiographic and gamma scan assessment of antibody localizaiton to tumor. This study will provide unique information regarding the optimal means of delivering radioantibody to ovarian tumors and about these tumor's sensitivity to radioantibody. This should result in a means of scintigraphically following residual ovarian carcinoma post-diagnosis and may eliminate the need for second-look diagnostic procedures. If adequate specific localization of radioantibody to ovarian cancer is achieved, then this approach may prove useful in the radioimmunotherapy of this common and lethal disease.
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<?php
defined('BASEPATH') OR exit('No direct script access allowed');
echo "\nDatabase error: ",
$heading,
"\n\n",
$message,
"\n\n";
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When did the New Haven colonial charter/patent and the Third Flag Act happen in this TL?
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In the depths of winter, the vegetables at the market tend to be various hues of emerald green, burnt umber, and beige or brown. Right around now, however, a punk-pink renegade breaks the mould and brings its celebratory fluorescence to the table. Forced rhubarb is tricked into an early harvest by being grown in warmed barns in an area of west Yorkshire known as the Rhubarb Triangle.
The excitement of a new seasonal ingredient often leads me to over-buy, and rhubarb is no exception. This leaves me with a glut, and a need for new recipes and ideas to turn it into something edible before it starts to brown, bruise and liquefy into something undesirable. Luckily, rhubarb can be used in a huge range of dishes, both sweet and sour.
Fresh, raw forced rhubarb, finely diced, is a lovely addition to chopped salads, bringing acidity and colour. As it ages, however, it is best cooked. My last book, The Natural Cook, features a recipe for pork and rhubarb tagine that is always well received. To make it, follow any pork tagine recipe and swap the dried fruit for rhubarb. But my go-to sweet for excess rhubarb is, of course, a crumble, and if I’m short of time, I’ll turn to this vibrant granita.
Rhubarb granita
Make the most of the bright-pink colour of forced rhubarb with this quick and easy pudding. Granita is refreshing and light, so it’s perfect for the end of any large, celebratory meal. Please note that, unlike most other vegetables that I would encourage eating in their entirety from root to fruit, rhubarb leaves are poisonous and should never be eaten, so put them straight on the compost heap instead. Incidentally, this recipe works well with any fruit or vegetable that needs using up, so experiment with other ingredients when you have them surplus.
Makes 6-8 portions
200g rhubarb
60g maple syrup, or other unrefined sugar
In a covered saucepan, heat the roughly chopped rhubarb stalks with 150ml water for three minutes, or until soft.
Blend in the maple syrup or sugar, then pour the mix into a shallow container and leave to cool.
Transfer to the freezer and, once the mix has frozen, either grate the ice or scratch it into flakes using a fork, and serve immediately.
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List of tallest destroyed buildings and structures in the United Kingdom
This is a list of the tallest destroyed buildings and structures in the United Kingdom. The list consists only of free standing structures; the numerous guyed radio masts and towers that have been demolished or destroyed are excluded. In addition, the list includes only those buildings and structures that exceeded a height of ; around 200 largely residential buildings over tall have been demolished across the UK since the late 1990s.
An equal sign (=) following a rank indicates the same height between two or more buildings.
See also
List of tallest buildings in the United Kingdom
List of tallest structures in the United Kingdom
List of tallest buildings and structures in the United Kingdom by usage
References
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Kamis, 13 Desember 2012
Vlad Morozov also bettered the 100 free meet record with his
100 free relay leadoff.
ISTANBUL,
Turkey,
December 12. NIGHT one produced a total of four meet records at the FINA World
Short Course Swimming Championships held in Istanbul, Turkey.
A trio of records fell in individual events, while Vlad Morozov shot down the
100 free mark as Russia's
relay leadoff.
Additionally, $50,000 in prize money has already been earned. Due to NCAA
eligibility issues, we are only reporting what has been earned, and not what
has been accepted.
FINALS
Men's 200 freeUSA's Ryan Lochte became
just the second swimmer to win the event at short course worlds twice as he
touched out world-record holder Paul Biedermann of Germany, 1:41.92 to 1:42.07.
"I am happy with my race," Biedermann said. "In short course,
the guy with the better turns will win, which is (Ryan) Lochte. I was surprised
that it was this close."
Lochte's title defense matches Gustavo Borges of Brazil, who won the event in both
1995 and 1997. Lochte and Biedermann moved to second and third in the event
this year behind France's
Yannick Agnel's top time of 1:41.46 from the European Short Course
Championships. France,
however, withheld most of its top swimmers this year.
USA's
Conor Dwyer rounded out the podium with a third-place time of 1:43.78.
"It hurt a lot. I just wanted to go out there and have fun. I had a break
after the (London)
Olympics, but now I'm ready.," Dwyer said. "The atmosphere was good,
much better than in the morning. In the morning it was a little quiet and it
was hard to get up."
The gold is Lochte's 15th in short course world championship history, a record,
and his 23rd medal of any kind.
Women's 200 flyMireia Belmont Garcia's meet record of 2:03.59 from 2010 didn't stand a
chance as the entire top three podium surged past that time. FINA World Cup
Queen Katinka Hosszu, who won more than $150,000 in cash on the FINA World Cup
circuit, continued her short course mastery with a 2:02.20 to 2:02.28 touchout
triumph over China's
Jiao Liuyang. The swim smashed Hosszu's national record of 2:04.19 from
prelims, and shot her to second all time in the event's history behind China's Liu
Zige (2:00.78).
"I was pretty happy but I was a little bit dead in the final meters,"
Hosszu said. "I was still eight hundredths of a second faster so it was a
pleasure to set a European (championship) record. It didn't even cross my mind
that I had to race the 400m IM. But it would be the cherry on the cake if I did
well (she eventually won bronze)."
Jiao is now third in the all time rankings with her sterling time, crushing her
previous best of 2:04.35. Great Britain's Jemma Lowe, who went out hard,
leading at the 100 in 58.98, wound up taking third in 2:03.19 to move to sixth
all time in the event.
"I did not expect it before coming here because I didn't have enough time
to train for this event. I was busy with too many activities," Jiao said.
"I didn't have a good feeling before this morning. But (in the heats) I
felt well and afterwards I thought I may win a gold medal tonight. I will
compete in the 50m tomorrow (Thursday), but that is not my best distance. I am
better in the 100m."
Liu, meanwhile, wound up fourth overall in 2:03.99, a full three seconds off
her world record, while USA's
Kathleen Hersey (2:05.90), Canada's
Katerine Savard (2:06.56), Japan's
Kona Fujita (2:06.57) and Japan's
Nao Kobayashi (2:08.95) also vied for the world title.
Women's 400 IMGreat Britain's Hannah
Miley went out hard, and held off China's Ye Shiwen in the freestyle
with a meet-record time of 4:24.13. That swim bettered the 4:24.21 set by
Mireia Belmonte Garcia in 2010, and cleared Miley's world-leading time of
4:23.47 from the European Short Course Championships. With the swim, Miley also
lowered her third-ranked time all time, getting closer to Julia Smit (4:21.04)
and Kathryn Meaklim (4:22.88).
China's Ye, meanwhile, also cleared the previous meet record with a 4:23.33 to
move to fourth all time in the event, while Hungary's Katinka Hosszu raced to
her second podium of the evening with a third-place 4:25.95.
Men's 400 free relayVeteran Matt Grevers delivered Team USA the gold medal after a sterling
anchor leg as Anthony Ervin (47.28), Ryan Lochte (45.64), Jimmy Feigen (47.25)
and Grevers (46.23) pulled into the top of the podium with a sterling time of
3:06.40. That swim finished just off the American record of 3:06.10 set by
Nathan Adrian, Garrett Weber-Gale, Ricky Berens and Lochte at the 2010 World
Short Course Championships. The fastest time by Americans, however, is a
3:03.30 from 2009.
USA Swimming decided that American records set in techsuits after Oct. 1, 2009
-- when USA Swimming implemented the techsuit ban domestically - would not be
ratified. This is the case even for times swum legally in international events
where ban was not in effect yet.
The win gave the U.S. the
title once again after falling to France
at the Dubai
stop. France
elected not to send much of a squad this year, and did not attempt to defend
its title.
Italy's Luca Dotto (46.84),
Marco Orsi (45.94), Michele Santucci (47.46) and Filippo Magnini (46.83) placed
second in 3:07.07, while Australia's
Tommaso D'Orsogna (46.68), Kyle Richardson (46.92), Travis Mahoney (47.32) and
Kenneth To (46.35) pulled past Russia
for bronze. Russia
had led throughout most of the race, sparked by a meet-record leadoff of 45.52
from Vlad Morozov, but wound up falling to fourth in 3:08.01. Cesar Cielo held
the previous record with a 45.74 from 2010 Dubai, with Morozov jumping to fifth all time
in the event.
Women's 800 free relayTeam USA
had a bit of competition early on, but held it together to power to victory as
Megan Romano (1:56.03), Chelsea Chenault (1:54.78), Shannon Vreeland (1:55.43)
and Allison Schmitt (1:53.01) raced to the win with a 7:39.25.
Katinka Hosszu concluded an iron-woman night, just missing her third podium of
the evening, as Hungary's
Evelyn Verraszto (1:56.96), Eszter Dara (1:58.60), Zsuzsanna Jakabos (1:54.48)
and Hosszu (1:54.66) placed fourth in 7:44.70. Great
Britain took fifth in 7:45.85, while Italy finished
sixth in 7:46.01. Denmark
wound up seventh in 7:47.04 even though youngster Mie Nielsen scorched a
1:53.73 anchor leg. Japan
brought the race to a close with a 7:51.96.
PRIZE MONEY BREAKDOWNWith her two medals, Hungary's
Katinka Hosszu is in the early lead for prize money, with $7,000 of the $50,000
already given out on day one. First place earns $5,000, while second place
earns $3,000 and third place gets $2,000 for $10,000 per finale.
The national federation decides the relay split, but for simplicity sake we are
listing the money earned as those in finals. Meanwhile, $15,000 is awarded to
world-record breakers. (swimmingworld)
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Rare Moment: Double-Breasted Waistcoat
It is always wise, I find, to revisit and reassess our convictions from time to time. The words ‘never’ and ‘always’ are a little overused and misrepresentative as they are impossible to qualify. Recently, I wandered into Gieves & Hawkes with a friend of mine. The last time I had gone in, the store was intimidatingly empty, the stock overpriced and dull. The glorious window display belied a remarkably uninspiring interior; never again, I thought, will I judge a book by its cover. My recent trip could not have been more different.
To begin with, I was not drawn in by a deceptively grand window display but from a general curiosity and a desire to gather ideas. I had expected the same ‘store in decline’ offerings and was, instead, very pleasantly surprised; jumping from rack to rack I repeated continuously ‘Now, this is a lovely fabric’ to my companion who became rather bored with my monotone and wandered off to the high priced, high end racks of suit ‘sets’ – jackets, waistcoats and trousers. Flicking through a selection of classic blues and greys we chanced upon a peak-lapelled grey window check suit in a soft but substantial English wool. My companion was unmoved and, after I had shown my approval, remarked that he was not a fan of checked suits. Despite this, I pulled the item from the rack and suggested that we have a look at the waistcoat.
‘And I think we’ll find that it is…double-breasted!’ I exclaimed euphorically. My friend had not even allowed me to finish before he had interjected; ‘Wow’ he said ‘you really…didn’t expect that. It’s…really nice.’ It was indeed. A shawl collared double-breasted waistcoat, it was completely unexpected but entirely fitting; it was a rare moment of unforeseen perfection. There was something in the way the jolly checked wool contrasted with the formality of the double breasted option; I immediately imagined it with a cornflower blue shirt, a paisley tie and a gold-chained pocket watch. It was merely an attractive suit before the jacket was opened and the waistcoat revealed; now it was the suit.
Other suits caught my eye; a pleasant grey on blue chalk stripe with brown buttons and a Prince of Wales checked double-breasted, again with brown buttons but not even the classic beauty of these items could divert from the distracting and charming incident that had affected us both. On leaving the shop my friend remarked that the double breasted waistcoat was, from now on, the choice for him as I considered the suit in its entirety; the lapels had to be peaked, otherwise it would not have worked and it was not merely the ‘double-breasting’ that was ‘arresting’ but the humour of the check and the waistcoat together. As rare as this style of waistcoat is, it was the combination that made it rarer still.
Advertisement
Winston Chesterfield is an amateur composer, fashion blogger, trained lawyer and style aficionado. He lives in Westminster, London and blogs at www.levraiwinston.com.
Comments
Gieves has placed that particular 3-piece at the forefront of their campaign this season, from print adverts to the mannequin in Selfridges. It’s a good move. And funnily enough, a friend of mine has voiced an interest in double breasted waistcoats and has demanded that I take him shopping
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This is not a good sign for the Buttigieg campaign.
The day after South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg was on stage for the Democratic primary debate in Detroit, the FBI raided the South Bend Housing Authority on Wednesday in a law enforcement action that could raise plenty of questions about Buttigieg and his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Federal and local authorities aren’t talking about what led to the action, but residents told local news outlets it didn’t come as a shock: That favoritism is common at the authority and that it’s poorly managed.
Check out the WSBT report here:
Police and FBI are moving in and out of the South Bend Housing Authority offices. @KConninTV is trying to find out more. pic.twitter.com/bvuJL7UdrT — WSBT (@WSBT) July 31, 2019
TRENDING: Pelosi Makes No Sense: Trump 'Is Trying To Have the Constitution of the United States Swallow Clorox'
In response to the raid, according to The South Bend Tribune, Buttigieg released a statement through his spokesman that attempted to distance the mayor from the authority’s operation.
“Earlier today the Mayor’s Office became aware through local media reports of today’s law enforcement action at the Housing Authority. While the Housing Authority is not part of the City administration, the Mayor is concerned and will be closely following the situation.
“The Mayor is in touch with the Board of Commissioners and has asked that they keep him informed on what they learn from federal officials. In the meantime, he has offered the City’s assistance to help ensure residents are not negatively impacted by this situation. He has been advised that normal operations will continue.”
@PeteButtigieg released this statement shortly before 6:00 this evening: pic.twitter.com/1tCpw3muUX — Katlin Connin (@KConninTV) July 31, 2019
One problem with Buttigieg’s statement, though, is that while it states the housing authority is “not part of the city administration,” it doesn’t acknowledge that the South Bend mayor appoints the housing authority’s board.
In fact, according to the Tribune, Buttigieg replaced the authority’s entire board in 2015 after years of mismanagement.
To be fair, Buttigieg himself has clashed with the current board.
Do you think this raid will hurt Buttigieg's campaign for the Democratic nomination? Yes No Completing this poll entitles you to The Western Journal news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use You're logged in to Facebook. Click here to log out. 86% (2872 Votes) 14% (460 Votes)
RELATED: Pelosi Claims Police 'Murdered' Breonna Taylor, Laments That No One Held Accountable
As the Tribune reported:
“In fall 2018, Buttigieg appeared at a meeting of the agency’s board and criticized the housing authority for financial problems, unaddressed safety issues and poor communication. Some board members said they were disappointed the mayor did not speak with them about his concerns before raising the issues publicly.”
However, the mayor of a mid-sized city trying to leap-frog into the presidency isn’t getting any help from video and headlines that show the FBI raiding the offices of an authority he’s responsible for appointing.
The South Bend Housing Authority offices were abruptly closed Wednesday, as FBI agents appeared and went through the office for unknown reasons. https://t.co/3sdegxqEjm — Christian Sheckler (@jcsheckler) July 31, 2019
Buttigieg has already taken a black eye over his handling of a police shooting in South Bend in June that has led to withering criticism from city cops.
Another brush with law enforcement – this time from the FBI – wouldn’t be a good sign for any mayor, but especially not one running for president.
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
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Testimonials
Daniel has spanned many roles in my life - teacher, guide, sounding board, healer, friend. For so long I couldn’t find the words to represent what we have done together. I was on a quest for “something more” and Daniel dropped into my life when I was finally ready to tackle what that meant. In essence, I have learned how to tune back into the nature of my own human existence. That task is not smaller than it sounds. The wisdom and guidance Daniel has shared forever changed the way I can look at and live in this world. I am no longer shackled by the unknown but witness to its unraveling masterpiece… and curator of how I will walk through it.
Daniel’s heart-born service can hardly be categorized. His blend of shamanic healing and Chinese medicine is bonded in age-old wisdom and filled with devotion. This work is not just important, it is necessary.
To better explain the scope of his practice, I’d like to share a glimpse of how I got introduced to the rest of my life.
I am a seeker at my core, with an insatiable curiosity in all things life. But as I got “more adult”, my seeking turned into this results-driven sort of thing—just a means to an end. When it came to inner reflection or spirituality, I would subscribe when the static got too loud.
When my heart was shattered into a million pieces, a few words from Deepak Chopra and I somehow felt loved. When I couldn’t stop thinking about what this person must think of me or how I should be more this or less that… Eckhart Tolle somehow stilled my flashflood of anxious projections. A psychic, tarot reader, or chakra healer was always a call away. I liked the idea of spirituality so much but I kind of wanted to dial it in. I was hoping someone could just put the acupuncture needle in some magic spot that would wash away all the reasons I couldn’t sleep at night.
I bought books about stones, healing, light-working…and while many pages were read, just as many were not. Once “real life” started feeling little bit better than before, the books on my shelf collected dust. I couldn’t quite talk my inner-cynic into a long-term relationship with this stuff. Devoting effort understanding and especially faith to a greater existence and purpose lasted long enough to pull me out of muddy waters. And when the water cleared, my devotion narrowed into a sweet little compartment until this next storm.
I was suffocating in my own inauthenticity.
And there I found myself, in the winter months of 2015, with a hurricane of pain in my heart that I couldn’t understand. I was in the relationship I desired; I had the most beautiful network of friends and clients; business was going well and something I enjoyed. So why did my soul feel empty? What was that insurmountable void? I was desperately unhappy in the “happy” life I created.
Something deep within felt “not enough”.
Were the people in my life not enough? Why was I constantly craving more… love, success, security? Should I feel guilty for not being satisfied? For feeling empty? Why don’t I feel good enough? I read all the books, I “knew” what to tell myself… But I didn’t feel it in my body. The things I’d sincerely tell a friend from the purest love in my heart, I couldn’t say to myself.
After a trip to Sedona and a synergistic spiral of insights, it was time to dive headfirst into the empty space. But I didn’t know how to do it and I sure as hell wasn’t going alone. I wanted a teacher, a guide, an assignment…something or someone to get me to good, because I knew this couldn’t be it! I walked with hard-wired demands for said teacher to solve:
I didn’t feel good about myself and needed free of my own judgement.
I didn’t feel I was fulfilling my potential and I wanted direction.
I didn’t feel I understood myself or how to open my heart, and I wanted magic.
I wanted to understand my purpose as a human being walking upon this earth.
I wanted to truly experience the yoga and believe in the gift of this life.
I was still secretly hoping someone would find the missing chapter archived in my subconscious that I had forgotten to read and just say, here you go, I found it. I wanted a well-drawn map but the universe delivered a compass…
This is how I met Daniel.
When we first spoke on New Year’s Eve of 2015, I didn’t rattle off all my teacher prerequisites, aka unveil my deepest vulnerabilities. It went more like, Hi, nice to meet you, I’m looking for a “shamanic apprenticeship”, as if training for my next career move. I barely knew what I was proposing, but he understood well beneath the unspoken layers. He heard the parts of me that were ready to wake up, stop cutting corners, and take ownership of my own life.
No one, no book, no chakra cleanse was going to fix me. I didn’t need fixing; I needed attention… and not from Daniel, but from myself. He created a space for me to get to know myself all over again.
I entrusted Daniel blindly.
The gravity of this statement cannot be overlooked.
I didn’t trust him to house-sit for me and hopefully not steal anything. And for that, I would probably need more than one conversation to feel good about it. I trusted him with my entire psyche. Deep down, I was asking for a journey not an outcome, and he knew it before I did. I wanted to be a better human and he was dedicated to making that happen.
The months that followed were a whirlwind of transformation mixed with the usual daily grind. Through it all, I felt utterly supported exploring the more in life, in ways I didn’t know I needed. This was unchartered territory that shook the ground I stood upon. Daniel stood by my side in every way and helped me to not only feel “normal” but also understood, heard, seen. He offered a mirror, so I could stare at my own faith over and over again, even when my mind screamed with doubt.
Our sessions together would include any combination of acupuncture, breath-work, shamanic journeys, visualizations, reiki, drumming…. He organically calibrated the right techniques for me in that moment, rather than affixing to some predetermined template. We also discussed whatever was coming up for me, whether sorting through yesterday’s drama or dissecting some philosophical life question. As a highly verbose person, this aspect of our work was incredibly important to me. Daniel is truly gifted in his ability to remove himself from the “story” and offer back a tone of what you’re really saying. He gave voice to my intuition when I didn’t know how to trust it. I have learned how to hear myself and to believe what I’m saying.
He introduced tools, practices, and streams of thought that lit his own path and invited me to use them. I did everything in my own time… sometimes the perfect student, sometimes the rebellious delinquent. This work doesn’t really have a deadline, though. Each session we picked up from wherever I left off. Daniel knew how to meet me without validation or judgement and to hold space for how I arrived, as that has its own perfection.
The more I integrate the practices I have learned, the greater trust and confidence I find in my own voice. This has led me down a delicious path of more seeking without being attached to some outcome. My studentship with Daniel was not a means to an end, but to a beginning. He helped me tune back into the Me-frequency and Trust in ways I couldn’t have imagined. I don’t need to “feel better” anymore. I’ve welcomed pieces of myself back into my heart that I didn’t know were hiding…and I feel whole. Life is full of ups and downs, but I am resilient amidst the waves and soulfully of service to the greater mystery. This is the kind of work that keeps on expanding and healing and giving. Daniel always told me we are our own greatest guides. When I read old entries about what I hoped to feel, achieve, or shift, I am humbled by truth. The fruit of my intentions and our work together is ever apparent. Daniel shined the light for me to journey inward, get back to center, remember the core of who I am so that I can share that with the world. I live in the deepest gratitude to Daniel’s work and his path.
-K
"Daniel has been amazing to work with these last six weeks. He is super easy to talk to, and magically keeps even the heavy stuff light. By creating a safe and comfortable environment you can truly let go, relax and let the body do what it needs and wants to promote optimal health and wellness. He has an uncanny ability of finding people's "stuff"... our old baggage we are carrying around and helping us navigate the unfamiliar or scary territory so we can eventually release it.
Since seeing him I feel as though my mood swings have completely stabilized. After leaving his office I float through the rest of my day as if I'm naturally high. No joke. My obsessive behaviors have lessened and I have been able to practice balance in all aspects of my life. Including issues with food and exercise. Plus I have lost 5 pounds... Yay! I sleep like a baby through the night and I have energy that sustains me throughout my busy days. My PMS is gone, and my menstrual cramps are SO much better. Almost gone as well, THAT'S a miracle. He's truly amazing, fun and funny."
The guy is a legit spiritual badass and I would very confidently recommend him to anyone.
-Ashley
"I HIGHLY recommend Dr. Daniel Domoleczny for those with chronic pain such as migraines. Since seeing Daniel, my migraines and muscle tension have retreated to the point where I can look deeper into other personal health issues and see how everything is connected- lifestyle choices like diet, exercise, sleep, and stress. Daniel is an amazing healer and guide through my journey of self-discovery. He is helping me to see the "big picture" of my physical, emotional and spiritual health. Because of him, I have become more aware of my body and the symbiotic relationship between mind and body. mind and body.Yet perhaps what is so special about Daniel's approach is how gentle it is; he listens, notes and gives you ideas for your health, not protocols. Coming from years of attempts at improvement from traditional Western Medicine, Daniel is like a carrion call to wake up and listen to what my body is telling me. I am forever grateful to him for putting me on my path to personal wellness."
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Q:
How to calculate difference of time between two records using Scala?
I want to calculate time difference between events of a session using Scala.
-- GIVEN
Source is a csv file as shown below:
HEADER
"session","events","timestamp","Records"
DATA
"session_1","event_1","2015-01-01 10:10:00",100
"session_1","event_2","2015-01-01 11:00:00",500
"session_1","event_3","2015-01-01 11:30:00",300
"session_1","event_4","2015-01-01 11:45:00",300
"session_2","event_1","2015-01-01 10:10:00",100
"session_2","event_2","2015-01-01 11:00:00",500
REQUIRED OUTPUT
HEADER
"session","events","time_spent_in_minutes","total_records"
DATA
"session_1","event_1","50",100
"session_1","event_2","30",600
"session_1","event_3","15",900
"session_1","event_4","0",1200
"session_2","event_1","50",100
"session_2","event_2","0",600
Where time_spend_in_minutes is difference between current_event and next event for a given session.
Header is not required in target but good to have.
I am new to Scala so here what i have so far:
$ cat test.csv
"session_1","event_1","2015-01-01 10:10:00",100
"session_1","event_2","2015-01-01 11:00:00",500
"session_1","event_3","2015-01-01 11:30:00",300
"session_1","event_4","2015-01-01 11:45:00",300
"session_2","event_1","2015-01-01 10:10:00",100
"session_2","event_2","2015-01-01 11:00:00",500
scala> val sessionFile = sc.textFile("test.csv").
map(_.split(',')).
map(e => (e(1).trim, Sessions(e(0).trim,e(1).trim,e(2).trim,e(3).trim.toInt))).
foreach(println)
("event_1",Sessions("session_2","event_1","2015-01-01 10:10:00",100))
("event_1",Sessions("session_1","event_1","2015-01-01 10:10:00",100))
("event_2",Sessions("session_2","event_2","2015-01-01 11:00:00",500))
("event_2",Sessions("session_1","event_2","2015-01-01 11:00:00",500))
("event_3",Sessions("session_1","event_3","2015-01-01 11:30:00",300))
("event_4",Sessions("session_1","event_4","2015-01-01 11:45:00",300))
sessionFile: Unit = ()
scala>
A:
Here is a solution that uses joda time library.
val input =
""""session_1","event_1","2015-01-01 10:10:00",100
"session_1","event_2","2015-01-01 11:00:00",500
"session_1","event_3","2015-01-01 11:30:00",300
"session_1","event_4","2015-01-01 11:45:00",300
"session_2","event_1","2015-01-01 10:10:00",100
"session_2","event_2","2015-01-01 11:00:00",500"""
Create RDD from text input, can be read from file using sc.textFile
import org.joda.time.format._
import org.joda.time._
def strToTime(s: String):Long = {
DateTimeFormat.forPattern(""""yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss"""")
.parseDateTime(s).getMillis()/1000
}
val r1 = sc.parallelize(input.split("\n"))
.map(_.split(","))
.map(x => (x(0), (x(1), x(2), x(3))))
.groupBy(_._1)
.map(_._2.map{ case(s, (e, timestr, r)) =>
(s, (e, strToTime(timestr), r))}
.toArray
.sortBy( z => z match {
case (session, (event, time, records)) => time}))
Converted time from "2015-01-01 10:10:00" to seconds from epoch, and sorted by time.
val r2 = r1.map(x => x :+ { val y = x.last;
y match {
case (session, (event, time, records)) =>
(session, (event, time, "0")) }})
Added an extra event in each session, with all params same as last event of session except record count.
This allows time-duration calculation to provide "0" in last event.
Use sliding to get pairs of events.
val r3 = r2.map(x => x.sliding(2).toArray)
val r4 = r3.map(x => x.map{
case Array((s1, (e1, t1, c1)), (s2, (e2, t2, c2))) =>
(s1, (e1, (t2 - t1)/60, c1)) } )
Use scan to add records-count in incremental way.
val r5 = r4.map(x => x.zip(x.map{ case (s, (e, t, r)) => r.toInt}
.scan(0)(_+_)
.drop(1)))
val r6 = r5.map(x => x.map{ case ((s, (e, t, r)), recordstillnow) =>
s"${s},${e},${t},${recordstillnow}" })
val r7 = r6.flatMap(x => x)
r7.collect.mkString("\n")
//"session_2","event_1",50,100
//"session_2","event_2",0,600
//"session_1","event_1",50,100
//"session_1","event_2",30,600
//"session_1","event_3",15,900
//"session_1","event_4",0,1200
|
{
"pile_set_name": "StackExchange"
}
|
/*
Copyright (c) 2015 Cromulence LLC
Authors: Cromulence <cgc@cromulence.com>
Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in
all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN
THE SOFTWARE.
*/
#ifndef __CTYPE_H__
#define __CTYPE_H__
int cgc_isdigit( int c );
int cgc_islower( int c );
int cgc_isupper( int c );
int cgc_isalpha( int c );
int cgc_isalnum( int c );
int cgc_isprint( int c );
int cgc_isspace( int c );
int cgc_toupper( int c );
int cgc_tolower( int c );
#endif // __CTYPE_H__
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Github"
}
|
File photo: Kris Kobach, a conservative Republican who is running for governor, was a leading source for Trump’s unsubstantiated claim that millions of immigrants in the country illegally may have voted in the 2016 election.
WICHITA, Kan. — A federal judge ruled Monday that Kansas cannot require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote, finding such laws violate the constitutional right to vote in a ruling with national implications.
The ruling by U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson is the latest setback for Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, who has championed such laws and led President Donald Trump’s now-defunct voter fraud commission. The 118-page decision came in two consolidated cases challenging a Kansas voter registration law requiring people to provide documents such as a birth certificate, U.S. passport or naturalization papers.
The decision strikes down the Kansas proof-of-citizenship registration law and makes permanent an earlier injunction that had temporarily blocked it.
In an extraordinary rebuke, the judge also ordered Kobach on Monday to complete an additional six hours of legal education on top of other requirements before he can renew his law license for the upcoming year. She imposed the sanction for his numerous disclosure violations.
Kobach did not immediately respond to phone and email messages seeking comment.
No other state has been as aggressive as Kansas in imposing proof-of-citizenship voter registration requirements. Alabama and Georgia have proof-of-citizenship laws that are not currently being enforced, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. Arizona is the only other state with a similar law in effect, but that law is far more lenient and allows people to satisfy it by writing their driver’s license number on the voter registration form.
The lead case filed by the ACLU on behalf of several named voters and the League of Women Voters is centered on the National Voter Registration Act, commonly known as the Motor Voter Law, which allows people to register to vote when applying for a driver’s license. The case required Kobach to prove that Kansas has a significant problem with noncitizens registering to vote.
Robinson found the Kansas law disproportionately impacts qualified voters, while only nominally preventing noncitizen voter registration.
“It also may have the inadvertent effect of eroding, instead of maintaining confidence in the electoral system given the confusing, evolving, and inconsistent enforcement of (documentary proof of citizenship) laws since 2013,” she wrote.
Her ruling also encompassed a less publicized legal challenge filed by Kansas voter Parker Bednasek, which is not limited to motor-voter applicants cited in the ACLU and therefore affects all Kansas voters.
Kobach, a conservative Republican who is running for governor, was a leading source for Trump’s unsubstantiated claim that millions of immigrants in the country illegally may have voted in the 2016 election.
“This decision is a stinging rebuke of Kris Kobach, and the centerpiece of his voter suppression efforts: a show-me-your-papers law that has disenfranchised tens of thousands of Kansans,” Dale Ho, director of the ACLU’s Voting Rights Project, said in news release. “That law was based on a xenophobic lie that noncitizens are engaged in rampant election fraud.”
The cases have drawn national attention because of its implications for voting rights as Republicans pursue laws they say are aimed at preventing voter fraud but critics contend target Democratic-leaning minorities and college students who may not have such documentation.
“Kris Kobach’s mission to disenfranchise eligible Kansas voters has again been revealed as the unconstitutional crusade it has always been,” Kansas Democratic Party Executive Director Ethan Corson said in an emailed statement.
But the decision drew criticism from Steve Watkins, the Republican candidate for Kansas’ 2nd Congressional District, who called it “the latest example of unelected judges replacing their wisdom for that of voters.”
“There is nothing controversial about requiring United States citizens to show identification when they register to vote; it protects American citizen’s right to free and fair elections. Instead of mocking or playing politics with the integrity of our electoral process — the judiciary should be protecting it,” Watkins said.
Kansas has about 1.8 million registered voters. Kobach has told the court he has been able to document a total of 127 noncitizens who at least tried to register to vote. Forty-three of them were successful in registering, he says, and 11 have voted since 2000. Five of those people registered at motor vehicle offices, according to Kobach.
In the first three years after the Kansas law went into effect in 2013, about one in seven voter registration applications in Kansas were blocked for lack of proof of citizenship — with nearly half of them under the age of 30, according to court documents. Between 2013 and 2016, more than 35,000 Kansas residents were unable to register to vote.
Courts had temporarily blocked Kobach from fully enforcing the Kansas law, with the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver calling it “a mass denial of a fundamental constitutional right.”
In a separate legal challenge, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia also has temporarily blocked the enforcement of the state’s proof-of-citizen requirement for people who register to vote using the federal form.
"There is a general recognition that we don't need these military-style weapons in New Zealand, so it's very easy to win cross-party support for this," said Mark Mitchell, who was defense minister in the previous, center-right government and who supports the ban initiated by the center-left-led Labour Party.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Q:
Order By in Ascending Order
i have used the following query for POPUP LOV in Apex
select VEN_INVOICE_REFNO as display_value, VEN_INVOICE_REFNO as return_value
from VENDORINVOICE
order by 1 asc;
i want to show me the values as shown in diagram in numeric order i-e in ascending order.i have tried all the possible ways which i know but it don't works.
A:
it seem that your field datatype is string, convert it into numeric then apply the order by
select CAST(VEN_INVOICE_REFNO AS INTEGER) as display_value, VEN_INVOICE_REFNO as return_value
from VENDORINVOICE
order by 1 asc;
|
{
"pile_set_name": "StackExchange"
}
|
We visit the Madison-based artist at his studio, where he's currently between shows and working on new commissions.
Works in progress in Velliquette's studio.
Michael Velliquette's intricate cut-paper artwork treads the border of collage and sculpture. Some of the Madison-based artist and UW-Madison faculty associate's works are highly abstract and some take on familiar shapes (masks, snakes, flowers, goofy human figures), but they all balance highly detailed textures with almost violently cheerful color schemes.
Many of Velliquette's pieces aren't necessarily full-on sculpture but don't quite want to be restrained to two dimensions, either. A recently concluded show at Marzen on Atwood Avenue featured set of four Velliquette works called "Hypnotic Serpents." They're framed works that hang on a wall, but the snakes they depict twist and coil around themselves in dazzling complexity, and their scales—each one a little piece of cut paper—give the 2-D snakes a distinct 3-D lift.
Velliquette also uses paper cutouts to more comic effect in his project Lovey Town, a miniature gallery that exists mostly on the Internet. Lovey Town's online "shows" consist of miniature versions of works by an array of artists—instead of just showing the works themselves in a digital gallery, these shows depict them actually hanging on miniature "walls," and surrounded by paper cutouts of the artists and their friends in playful poses that gently poke fun at gallery openings. "It gives me an excuse to meet a lot of other people," Velliquette says of Lovey Town. "In the arts, if you have an excuse to create an opportunity for someone, then it's much easier to talk to that person if you don't know them.... Even something as super-ridiculous as Lovey Town, which is this foam-core box, literally, if I want to meet an artist, I can use this excuse to contact them." Lovey Town has been doing some "traveling" exhibitions lately, with Velliquette shipping his cutouts to friends in Chicago and Berlin.
As far as Madison is concerned, Velliquette is currently between shows, though he is at work on new stuff in his studio in downtown Madison. This Thursday, he's also giving a talk at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art's Under The Influence series. Admission to that is admittedly a bit steep ($35 for MMOCA members, $40 for non-members—it's a fundraiser for a museum with free admission, remember), but it will feature Velliquette discussing MMOCA's ongoing show of new acquisitions, Taking Their Place, then leading a workshop in which visitors can create self-portraits using cut-paper techniques. I recently visited Velliquette at his studio, where he talked with me about where his current projects are taking him, the MMOCA event, and how his work tries to deliberately overpower the viewer.
Tone Madison: What can people expect from the talk you're giving at MMOCA? Has there been anything in particular that jumped out at you in the Taking Their Place show?
Michael Velliquette: I have a couple of perspectives that I will touch on. I plan to speak a bit about the broader theme of the show—acquisition. I think this is a great moment to reflect on how MMOCA seeks to distinguish itself through the works that it acquires. And I am interested in ways that this collection reflects the museum’s mission, its Midwestern locale, and its relationship to artists living and working in Madison.
In terms of specific artworks in the show, I plan to speak about a handful of pieces I have selected purely by intuition and quick emotional response. The exhibition’s framework categorizes the collection into succinct themes and suggests we consider a dialogue amongst the works around those themes. I am interested in work that refuses to consent to this program—ones that stand wholly in their own sphere, defy typecast, and aren’t particularly “neighborly."
Tone Madison: I'm mostly used to seeing paper sculptures from you. There's one in that hallway between MMOCA and the Overture Center. How did you end up coming to that approach, especially the kinds of colors you use?
Michael Velliquette: Yeah, all colors. [Laughs] The sculptures, that particular work has been in motion for probably 15 or 20 years, since I first started making art. My impulse for making things has always been for more visual information that the viewer has to kind of manage or filter to get to whatever the essence of that thing is, or that they need to just sort of saturate in the amount of optical energy of having so much information, combined in shapes and multiple colors. Probably about 12 years ago, I was doing these really large, immersive mixed-media installations, and paper was always a component in them. Over the course of a couple years and settling into a smaller studio and doing more kind of focused wall pieces, not such installation-based stuff, I just started using paper as studies for some pieces, and then paper just became the primary material.
There's always been a kind of impulse in my work to think of art-making as a ritualistic process that sort of ties me to a kind of history of people who are artists and who make things for culture, whether they're for some sort of ritual form or some other kind of cohesive culture-building exercise. The things that I make that end up looking like that sculpture are this effort to put things into my kind of immediate surroundings that draw people to them and make them feel kind of connected to this process of making or this experience of making.
Tone Madison: So you're almost deliberately aiming to overpower people a bit, but with the hope that they'll somehow find their way through it?
Michael Velliquette: Yeah. They're sort of purposely optically generous, or sometimes I talk about them having an aesthetic of abundance, because I want people to feel this great wealth of information, but information via very kind of primary experiences, with just their eyes and color and form. It's not like they're reading information, but they're just getting a lot of this intense optical stimulation. Often what happens with my work at first is that people are just like, "How is that possibly made?" They don't quite understand what they're looking at. The intention is that the amount of time it would take to produce an object of that intricacy—even though my works aren't that ridiculously intricate, but some of them have a lot of detail to them—that the amount of time it would take to do that doesn't quite register, and so it creates this kind of mystery about how it could be made, or what it even is.
What I'm hoping happens is that over the course of an extended amount of time looking at it, they realize it's paper. And usually when you inspect my work closer, you can see how it's made. There's no mystery in its construction, necessarily. There's no hidden joints or anything like that. Everything's just kind of glued and layered on top of everything else, and so I'm sort of hoping that the craft of the object reveals itself, and people start to understand the process, and that it becomes a very literal object and not so much a symbolic object. Then if they want to see it again as whatever kind of alien thing it is, they have to use their own imaginations to see it as that thing. It becomes this kind of collaboration with the viewer.
Tone Madison: It's interesting to think of an artist as kind of inviting the audience to really pick something apart. I usually assume that artists are averse to people analyzing things too much on that level.
Michael Velliquette: I mean, artists want their work to look good. This stuff [the new, smaller paper works in progress in his studio; see header image above], I have to go through to kind of fix a lot of little details. These are just studies right now. I'm not sure if they're finished works or not. I've been doing this really big piece this past year, a commission for this elementary school in Brooklyn, and that's been what's been taking up all of my time this past year. I haven't actually been in this studio very heavily for almost a year. Since August is when I've been back in here during the week, probably about a total of 15 or 20 hours a week, and I just have to try to get things cooking again. My work's kind of in a fallow period right now. I'm not quite sure. I'm just letting it go, letting it regenerate. A lot of what I'm doing now is just very loose, broad strokes to just sort of see what is gonna be next.
Tone Madison: What was the piece at the school in New York like?
Michael Velliquette: It's an abstract cityscape that's informed by the Manhattan skyline. It's in Ridgewood, which is sort of Brooklyn or sort of Queens—no one ever seems to be able to tell me. You can see the skyline from the school. It's a brand-new elementary school. It reads at first like a skyline, but it's a series of these abstract towers that could be a skyline or could be a series of robots standing next to each other, or could be a series of sentries guarding something. They're sort of anthropomorphic. They draw from architecture from a lot of different cultures and periods—they're ambiguous, they look like Buddhist stupas, or they would look like a skyscraper, or they might look like a pagoda of some sort. They're not specific to any one culture, but they have a lot of patterning on them and a lot of bright colors, and they have a lot of geometric abstraction. They could look like block building that kids could put together if they had a set of really cool geometric abstract blocks.
Tone Madison: Did the setting and the fact that it'll be mostly kids experiencing it impact how you approached the work?
Michael Velliquette: [Children] are sort of my best viewers, my best audience for my work, in anything I make, so it's really a dream because I love making work for kids. One of the parts of the proposal was to sort of talk about the way that it could be used as a learning tool to talk about shapes and color relationships and the way things fit together.
Tone Madison: What's happening with these smaller new pieces in the studio?
Michael Velliquette: Yeah. When I got back to the studio in August, I was just kind of taking an inventory of everything that I had. All the paint, all the paper. This whole place needed a really intense cleaning. As I was going through, I just kind of kept stacking up all of my paper stock, and for the first couple weeks of August was just painting all of these different—I usually use this heavyweight watercolor paper. That's kind of my standard for the last couple of years. But then I also have this kind of cheap sketchbook paper or copy paper, or just paper weights of all kinds that are crude, and I have this huge stack of it. The first part of it was just using up all the paints that I had, too.
I was just working really loosely and letting the raw material take shape. In the past I would tend to paint things solid colors, but this stuff, just to see how far I could stretch the paint, or if I was mixing it, just to see kind of different effects that could come from not judging what happened with it. So then, for some reason, when I sat down to start working with them, I had a whole series of sheets of paper that were just sort of this 8.5" by 11", and so when I started laying them out, I was just gonna play around with some abstract collages and see what started coming together, and for some reason these flower shapes started coming together. And it kind of makes sense. They're these new things growing. I've done flowers before, but I usually put more detail into them. So they're slowly getting more detailed as they go along, but yeah, right now I'm just trying to kind of not be too critical of what's happening with them. I'm just trying to settle into a committed series with these. There will be 20 in the series altogether.
Tone Madison: What about the new commissions you're working on?
Michael Velliquette: I have two big projects happening in the spring. One is at Mount Mary College in Milwaukee. A lot of college galleries have these spaces that have been appropriated for the gallery space that didn't start as the gallery necessarily. This gallery I think at one time was the cafeteria. So you have this beautiful parquet floor, and it has these gallery walls that go up about eight feet that are carpeted. That's a pretty standard move for a lot of university galleries, carpeted walls, they don't have to repair them. When I went there to see the space, they had this really beautiful stained glass of Saint Francis. I was making these loose collages, so the proposal was to go in and just basically cover all the walls with collage, and so that's basically what I'm doing. I'm painting all of these rolls of paper in 108 or 112 different colors and surface treatments, and in January I'm doing a weeklong installation where I'm going to bring all the paper and just work in the gallery for like a week and just cut and pin and glue these abstract collages over all of the walls.
The other project is a piece I'm working on for the Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan. They have an exhibition coming up in March called Supernatural, and I think it's Wisconsin artists whose works deal in magical realism. There's a tradition in Wisconsin of that. So they're commissioning this big portal that I'm going to make. It's going to be this mixed-media sculpture that's just going to hug the entrance to the gallery, and it will be double-sided. It's going to be sort of this magical portal that people walk through to get into the space, and it will be made with a lot of different mixed-media material—some paper, some foam, some mirror.
Tone Madison: You mentioned that you did a lot of installation work earlier in your career. So with these recent commissions, do you think you're feeling drawn back to that?
Michael Velliquette: Yeah, I mean this is definitely sort of a gesture in that direction. I love working in spaces. I trained as an installation artist. I'm always thinking about spaces when I'm installing works, definitely, but I think a lot of my fixation on space and installations was funneled into my paper work when I started doing it, because it had so much information in it. It was trying to kind of effect this immersive experience in the viewer, from a two-dimensional approach, that I was used to getting in the installation works.
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{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Desserts
Let's share. . .
If you're new here, you may want to follow me on Pinterest, too. Thanks for visiting!
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my full disclosure policyfor details.
I love finding easy dessert recipes to surprise my family with after dinner. That’s why I like sharing dessert recipes that are not at all complicated and doesn’t take long to make and serve. On holidays or other special occasions, I might make up a dessert that takes a little more time. But like my dinner recipes, I like to serve up easy dessert recipes that doesn’t require that many ingredients and doesn’t take too long to create. As always, these recipes are made with everyday staples I usually already have in the pantry or fridge. Here are some of our favorites.
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Unfortunately for Hillary, her earlier coughing fit was not a lone wolf attack. Right in the middle of her "Russia-Trump Conspiracy" lecture to reporters aboard her plan, she was forced to cut short her story by another "seasonal allergy" attack (odd aboard was is likely a heavily filtered air cabin), retreating to the safety of the front seats withe the reappearance of her African American 'handler' once again. Upon her return she explained that "we went back and checked and this happens to me every Labor day." Which seems odd... one assumes that any ill-timed meeting of world-leaders will have to take place in a hermetically-sealed room from now on...
* * *
As we detailed earlier... It's probably nothing, or maybe it isn't?
As Hillary Clinton began her speech at a rally in Cleveland, Ohio this afternoon, the democratic presidential candidate suffered what MSNBC anchor Ari Melber described as "one of the worst coughing fits I have ever seen." She coughed and cleared her throat through over 4 minutes of almost incoherent babble before MSNBC cut away, joking that hillary had quipped "every time I think about Trump I get allergic."
I'm shocked she'd allow herself to be seen in this condition...#HillarysHealth pic.twitter.com/w49SXPgbeX — Stefan Molyneux (@StefanMolyneux) September 5, 2016
We are not so sure she can just blame this away on Trump however.
Should we be worried about this 69-year-old woman?
And just as she started another unprecedented coughing fit again, MSNBC cuts away to spare the public (around 4:45)
Is it such a conspiracy theorist comment to question just how her health is? Has anyone got an EpiPen?
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Leaders of the banned IRPT party deny any involvement, saying officials are using incident for political purposes.
Tajikistan‘s government has accused a banned opposition party of being behind the deadly attack that left four tourists dead on Sunday after an earlier claim by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS).
In a statement on Tuesday, the interior ministry blamed the Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRPT) for the attack.
The party’s exiled leaders denied any link to the attack and said the authorities were using the incident for political purposes.
The four tourists were killed when a car ploughed into them as they cycled on a rural road. After the crash, the attackers also stabbed their victims, Tajikistan’s interior minister and the US embassy said on Monday.
Security forces killed four suspected attackers on Monday and detained one. On Tuesday, the interior ministry said police had detained four other suspects.
Citing what it said was the confession of a detained suspect, the ministry said the attackers’ leader had been trained in Iran and the group planned to flee to Afghanistan after the attack.
‘We completely deny the illogical allegation’
The IRPT denied the allegation in a statement to Reuters news agency.
“We completely deny the illogical allegation by the interior ministry and condemn this terrorist act,” IRPT leader-in-exile Muhiddin Kabiri told Reuters by telephone. “This [statement] draws the attention away from the real criminals.”
On Monday, IRPT issued a statement expressing its condolences to the families and countries of the victims. The statement added that they hope an investigation into the “accident” would “refute rumours and assumptions” as well as restore trust in Tajikistan for its people and tourists.
The allegation comes after ISIL, on Monday, claimed a “detachment from the soldiers of the Caliphate” carried out the attack against “citizens of Crusader coalition countries” without offering details or evidence of their involvement.
The New York Times reported that the choice of wording in the ISIL statement suggests the organisation believes the attack was inspired by their propaganda, but did not directly deploy the attackers.
The IRPT was banned in Tajikistan in 2015 and was accused of “extremism” and plotting a failed coup. Exiled party leaders have denied such allegations and said they were aimed at strengthening President Emomali Rahmon’s grip on power.
Mirzorahim Kuzov, a senior member of the party, told Al Jazeera in late 2017 that “everything Tajikistan’s government says about the IRPT or about me is a lie, slander.”
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Metacrambus salahinellus
Metacrambus salahinellus is a species of moth in the family Crambidae described by Pierre Chrétien in 1917. It is found on Sardinia and in Spain, as well as North Africa, including Morocco, Algeria and Libya.
References
Category:Moths described in 1917
Category:Crambinae
Category:Insects of Europe
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"pile_set_name": "Wikipedia (en)"
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--
-- Table structure for table `useragent_class`
--
CREATE TABLE `useragent_class` (
`class_id` int(11) NOT NULL,
`description` varchar(255) NOT NULL,
PRIMARY KEY (`class_id`)
) ENGINE=InnoDB DEFAULT CHARSET=latin1;
--
-- Table structure for table `useragent_type`
--
CREATE TABLE `useragent_type` (
`useragent_id` int(11) NOT NULL,
`description` varchar(255) NOT NULL,
`match_expression` varchar(255) NOT NULL,
PRIMARY KEY (`useragent_id`)
) ENGINE=InnoDB DEFAULT CHARSET=latin1;
--
-- Table structure for table `useragent_mapping`
--
CREATE TABLE `useragent_mapping` (
`useragent_type` int(11) NOT NULL,
`useragent_class` int(11) NOT NULL,
PRIMARY KEY (`useragent_type`,`useragent_class`),
KEY `useragent_type_key` (`useragent_type`),
KEY `useragent_class_key` (`useragent_class`),
CONSTRAINT `0_68` FOREIGN KEY (`useragent_type`) REFERENCES `useragent_type` (`useragent_id`) ON DELETE CASCADE ON UPDATE CASCADE,
CONSTRAINT `0_69` FOREIGN KEY (`useragent_class`) REFERENCES `useragent_class` (`class_id`) ON DELETE CASCADE ON UPDATE CASCADE
) ENGINE=InnoDB DEFAULT CHARSET=latin1;
--
-- Add vlan parameter to the class table
--
ALTER TABLE `class` ADD vlan varchar(255) after `disable`;
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{
"pile_set_name": "Github"
}
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It's that this best is still from the Naruto franchise, and the adult naruto is from Boruto that's why
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{
"pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2"
}
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Alejandro Gutiérrez Mozo
Alejandro "Álex" Gutiérrez Mozo (born 22 April 1995) is a Spanish footballer who plays as a central midfielder for CD Móstoles URJC.
Club career
Born in Madrid, Spain, Mozo represented CD Coslada and RSD Alcalá as a youth. He made his senior debut with the latter during the 2013–14 season in Tercera División, but after appearing sparingly he moved to CD Leganés in January 2014, returning to youth setup.
Mozo featured regularly with the reserves in the following years, helping in their promotion to the fourth tier in 2015. On 1 September of that year, he moved to fellow fourth division side UB Conquense.
After narrowly missing out promotion, Mozo returned to Leganés and its B-team. He made his first team – and La Liga – debut on 28 February 2018, coming on as a half-time substitute for Gabriel Pires in a 0–4 away loss against Atlético Madrid.
References
External links
Leganés profile
Fútbol Manchego profile
Category:1995 births
Category:Living people
Category:People from Cuenca, Spain
Category:Spanish footballers
Category:Castilian-Manchegan footballers
Category:Association football midfielders
Category:La Liga players
Category:Tercera División players
Category:CD Leganés B players
Category:UB Conquense footballers
Category:CD Leganés players
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{
"pile_set_name": "Wikipedia (en)"
}
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"Case Report: Potential Arsenic Toxicosis Secondary to Herbal Kelp Supplement" by [@b1-ehp0115-a00574] is fundamentally flawed, both scientifically and with regard to the regulation of dietary supplements.
[@b1-ehp0115-a00574] claimed to have found "detectable levels of arsenic in eight of the nine kelp herbal supplements, ranging from 1.59 ppm to 65.5 ppm by dry weight (1.59, 2.28, 9.55, 9.97, 10.5, 24.1, 34.8, and 65.5 ppm)," with a median of 10.23 ppm. In this instance, concentrations are irrelevant without disclosing the mass of the capsules. This would allow for calculation of the potential exposure to arsenic; any valid scientific argument on toxicity has to be based on exposure levels and daily intake, not on concentration.
For example, if we applied a 50-mg mass as the capsule mass, this would equate to arsenic concentrations of 0.0795, 0.114, 0.478, 0.499, 0.525, 1.21, 1.74, and 3.275 μg/capsule, respectively. With a serving of one capsule per day, this is well below the normal daily intake cited by [@b1-ehp0115-a00574]:
> Nonoccupationally exposed individuals \[had\] an average total (inorganic and methylated) arsenic intake of 40 μg/day. U.S. dietary intake of inorganic arsenic has been estimated to range from 1 to 20 μg/day (Schoof et al. 1999).
A 500-mg capsule, in effect multiplying the daily intake 10-fold, would still result in all the products below the average daily total intake of 40 μg as cited by [@b1-ehp0115-a00574].
The glaring omission of the mass of the capsules and the subsequent presentation of the data as a concentration allowed [@b1-ehp0115-a00574] to provide a provocative story and headline. Once the real-world metrics are applied, however, the fog is dispersed and these numbers are obviously well within the numbers the authors cited as daily intake values. These data are no longer provocative and make it impossible for kelp supplements to be painted as "unsafe" as the authors suggested.
[@b1-ehp0115-a00574] also were not diligent in researching kelp supplements, and they overlooked key references. One important oversight is the [@b4-ehp0115-a00574], which contains a monograph on kelp supplements, with guidelines on arsenic concentration in kelp. The European Pharmacopoeia sets a limit of 90 ppm total arsenic in kelp. Pharmacopoeial monographs are developed over the course of years by experts in the field. The sheer fact that this reference was not cited by [@b1-ehp0115-a00574] further reveals their ignorance on the subject.
The application of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) tolerance level for arsenic as residue in muscle meat of chicken and turkey, and in eggs ([@b7-ehp0115-a00574]) in terms of concentration used by [@b1-ehp0115-a00574] is also not applicable just on product mass alone. For instance, a 4-oz serving of turkey is converted to 113398.0924 mg. Therefore, a 2-ppm limit is applicable and logical based on the mass of the product. This serving of 4 oz turkey at a 2-ppm concentration would obviously result in exponentially greater exposure to arsenic (approximately 2,300 times greater) than a 50-mg kelp dietary supplement capsule at a 2-ppm concentration. To imply that there is toxicity associated with anything---be it a food, pharmaceutical, or dietary supplement---without applying the appropriate metrics is irresponsible and potentially damaging, as well as confusing, to the consumer who may benefit from that product.
In addition to the inappropriate use of metrics, [@b1-ehp0115-a00574] did not differentiate between the different species of arsenic present in the kelp samples. This differentiation is significant since as the authors themselves present, "In most cases the toxic moiety is presumably trivalent arsenic in the form of inorganic arsenious acid (arsenite)." In fact, the California Clean Drinking Water Act of 1986 ([@b2-ehp0115-a00574]), commonly referred to as "Proposition 65," sets limits only on inorganic arsenic compounds (oxides). This limit is set at 10 mg/day. The California Proposition 65 limit was determined by taking the no observed effect level, which is defined as "the highest level at which a chemical can be administered to an organism without any adverse effect (for example upon health, growth, development, reproductive capacity or lifetime) being observed" ([@b2-ehp0115-a00574]), and then dividing by 1,000. In addition, the [@b8-ehp0115-a00574] has set a limit of 3 ppm inorganic arsenic. There is no limit for total or organic arsenic compounds. The absence of blood arsenic at the time of poisoning from the study ([@b1-ehp0115-a00574]) is also a relevant and questionable deficiency.
With respect to supplement regulation, supplements must be accurately labeled as mandated by the [@b3-ehp0115-a00574] ([@b3-ehp0115-a00574]) and actively monitored by the FDA. Regulatory action is taken when and where appropriate. The FDA, on a number of occasions, has stated that the DSHEA provides all the legislative authority needed to regulate dietary supplements. In testimony before the House of Representatives Committee on Government Reform, Robert E. Brackett (Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, FDA) stated that the
> FDA regulates the safety, manufacturing, and labeling of dietary supplements, while \[the Federal Trade Commission\] has primary responsibility for regulating the advertising of these products." ([@b6-ehp0115-a00574])
In conclusion, contrary to the viewpoint of [@b1-ehp0115-a00574], dietary supplements are in fact regulated, have a well-established history of safety, and are essential to the health of the nation.
[^1]: The author is employed by a trade association representing the natural products industry.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Central"
}
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Psychological characteristics of hypertensive and ulcer patients.
Hypertensive and duodenal ulcer patients were compared with physically ill patients at admission and discharge on personality traits and states of anxiety and depression. Both the hypertensive and ulcer patients were less dominant and more anxious than the control group at admission, while depression differentiated only the hypertensive group. The hypertensive patients were more depressed and more anxious than the ulcer patients at admission. At discharge, both experimental groups remained less dominant than the control group and the hypertensives remained more anxious and more depressed than the ulcer and control groups. Low dominance was correlated with high blood pressure and high extrapunitiveness was correlated with E.C.G. abnormality in the hypertensive patients. The results are discussed with respect to the role of aggression and low dominance in these 'psychosomatic' disorders.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Warning: assert(): Assertion failed in /home4/markerh/public_html/wp-load.php on line 1Wise XB-4 | Marker History
Wise Marker, XB-4
The town of Wise was known as Big Glades when a post office was established here in 1850. Before being incorporated as Wise in 1924, it was also called Gladeville and Wise Court House. Since the creation in 1856 of Wise County, named for Henry Alexander Wise, governor of Virginia (1856-1860), the town has served as the county seat. During the Civil War, a skirmish was fought here between Union and Confederate troops on 7 July 1863. After the Civil War the town grew because of the expansion of the railroads and the increased mining of coal in the region. The current county courthouse was completed in 1896.
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{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
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Q:
How to make a cobweb diagram
I am struggling making a cobweb diagram for the function $$x_{t+1}=8x_t/{1+2x_t}$$
So I understand when making the cobweb diagram, that I have to draw the line $y=x$
But where I have trouble understanding is how to draw the function in the graph. I am given the point $x_0 =0.5$ So I plug this into the function and get $2 = x_1$ and then I keep plugging in points. Do I graph points like $.5,2$ or $0,.5$?
A:
Let the expression on the right be $g(x)$. The method converges (sometimes) to the solution of the equation $x=g(x)$.
The cobweb diagram illustrates the movement from first guess $x_0$ to second guess $x_1$ etc.
Draw a line from $(x_0,0)$ up to $(x_0,x1)$.
Then across to $(x_1,x_1)$.
Then up or down to $(x_1,x_2)$.
Then across to $(x_2,x_2)$.
Etc
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{
"pile_set_name": "StackExchange"
}
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Why We Need More Potassium and How to Get It
Recent studies show potassium supplementation may reduce pain for some patients. The use of corticosteroids is another reason people with chronic illness may need more potassium.
First some very basic background information.
If you’re trying to lower sodium, you may need more potassium
In order for cells to function properly, potassium must be higher in concentration inside of the cells of our bodies than outside of the cells.
A proper balance must be maintained between sodium and potassium. This balance is maintained by the sodium-potassium ATPase, one of the cells’ most important pumps.
Don’t worry about understanding just how these pumps work to create the electrolyte (sodium-potassium) balance. What you need to know is that the sodium-potassium ratio is more important than the level of each in your body. If your cells’ sodium levels are too high, you need more potassium.
Why would people with chronic illness need more potassium?
Here are a few reasons many need more potassium.
Everyone knows vomiting or excess sweating can deplete potassium – but what else?
Other things that can cause low potassium or a potassium-sodium imbalance include some chronic illnesses, especially diabetes, kidney disease, and thyroid disease.
Electrolyte balance is also important in treating many conditions such as heart and kidney disease, and reducing stroke risk. Electrolyte balance is also crucial to controlling hydrops, a form of Meniere’s disease with elevated inner ear pressure.
Other ways to improve the sodium-potassium balance
You can look up any food on your phone with a Google search and find out in 30 seconds how much potassium or other nutrient is in it. I do this all the time to check nutrients. And it takes a long time to go through the grocery store reading labels, but it’s worth it.
Here are some other things I’ve found to help if you need more potassium.
1) Take supplements: In the U.S., the FDA limits potassium supplements to 99 mg. So they are not an efficient means of supplementation. Eating higher potassium food is much better.
2) “Salt substitute” (not, light salt, but the one labeled “substitute”): This has been around for years. There are 610 mg of potassium in a quarter teaspoon of Morton salt substitute. Potassium is actually substituted for sodium in this salt, so in using it as salt, you’re both decreasing sodium and increasing potassium in your diet. Of course you should be careful not to overdo it because a potassium overdose is also dangerous.
3) V-8 Low Sodium: Again, potassium is substituted for sodium. There are 700 mg of potassium in only 5 ounces. Yes, it tastes a little odd, but you can acquire a taste for it. There are much worse things.
4) No salt added canned spinach: There are 490 mg in a little drained 1/3 cup of spinach! And I sprinkle mine with vinegar and salt substitute. That’s a powerful punch of potassium. You can find other vegetables marked low sodium or low salt that have added potassium.
5) You find it! Choose wisely, reading labels for yourself. And Google it, just like everything else. For example many lists will suggest nuts if you need more potassium. However, most nuts are salted – with you know what: sodium chloride. Therefore since you now know that it’s the balance of the two (sodium and potassium) that matters so much, you can read the labels and make the best choices for you.
A final word
I have a friend who was diagnosed with hydrops last year when I had been working to increase my potassium because of problems related to prednisone use and thyroid disease. I’ll tell the rest of my story another day, but what I was learning about how to get more potassium did help my friend hear better.
I read on Pinterest yesterday that apple cider vinegar, a cure-of-the-day for everything, is especially high in potassium. So I looked it up. 11 mg per tablespoon. Eleven. I love vinegar, but I’ll eat it on my kale chips to get potassium. And, yes, I do use salt substitute in that recipe.
There’s really no substitute for common sense though. And a good search engine.
This entry was posted
on Tuesday, February 16th, 2016 at 4:45 am
and is filed under RA Education.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
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---
abstract: 'This paper addresses the radiation back reaction problem for cosmological branes. A general framework is provided in which results are given for the radiation reaction with massles and massive scalar fields with flat extra dimensions and massless conformal fields in anti-de Sitter extra dimensions. For massless scalar field radiation the back reaction terms in the equation of motion are non-analytic. The interpretation of the radiation reaction terms is discussed and the equations of motion solved in simple cases. Nucleosynthesis bounds on dark radiation give a lower bound on the string vacuum energy scale of $\sqrt{A_T}\,m_p$, where $A_T$ is the tensor perturbation amplitude in the cosmic microwave background.'
author:
- 'Ian G. Moss'
- James P Norman
bibliography:
- 'radiation.bib'
title: Radiation back reaction on moving branes
---
introduction
============
Attempts to construct a unified theory of gravity and the other fundamental forces using superstrings have provided a new impetus for the study of higher dimensions and branes. In certain low energy limits, superstring theory reduces to a brane universe, or universes, where ordinary matter is confined to surfaces embedded in higher dimensions [@horava96-2]. The cosmological evolution of these models can be different from the standard cosmological scenario [@cline99; @binetruy99; @shiromizu99] and their study is therefore worthwhile.
The matter fields on the brane interact with higher dimensional fields, which include the graviton and any particles associated with the graviton by supersymmetry. Cosmological equations, which describe the evolution from the point of view of the brane, can be obtained by decomposing the higher dimensional Einstein equations and applying boundary or junction conditions for the brane [@shiromizu99]. These equations reduce to the standard four dimensional equations for energies small compared to the vacuum energy scale of the brane.
Our interest here is mainly in the effects of radiation generated by the movement of the brane. We shall focus our attention on the radiation back reaction force on the brane. The radiation is closely related to the radiation due to a moving mirror [@davies76]. The mirror, like the brane, disturbs the vacuum fluctuations of the radiation field through the effect of the boundary condition at the surface of the mirror. The vacuum fluctuations react back on the mirror though the pressure component in the stress energy tensor.
It may be useful to recall some of the old results on moving mirrors with massless scalar field radiation. The pressure force is proportional to the 3’rd time derivative of the mirror’s position in two dimensions [@davies76] and the 5’th time derivative in four dimensions[@ford82]. There is no radiation reaction force on a uniformly accelerating mirror. A rather perplexing result is that the pressure component of the stress energy tensor diverges as the distance from the mirror shrinks to zero . It is believed that the correct pressure on the mirror is obtained by dropping the divergent terms. Some support for this view is provided by the fact that the total work done by the divergent terms is zero, at least when the mirror motion has constant velocity asymptotically.
The moving mirror might also be placed in a heat bath with temperature $T$. In this case, for a mirror moving with a speed $v$, the thermal contribution to the pressure force is proportional to $T^2v$ in two dimensions [@jaekel92] and $T^4v$ in four dimensions [@machado02]. These agree with the forces which would be expected according to elementary kinetic theory applied to a mirror and a gas of photons.
The equation of motion for the mirror can be modified to take these radiation reaction forces into account. The modified equation of motion is analogous to the Abraham-Lorentz equation of motion for an electron with radiation damping [@landau71], which offers a guide to the interpretation of the radiation reaction effects for the moving mirror and the moving brane. The Abraham-Lorentz equation for the electron’s momentum is $${dp\over dt}=F+\tau{d^2p\over dt^2}$$ where $F$ is an external force and $\tau=2e^2/3mc^3$. A feature of this equation is the existence of ‘runaway’ solutions $p\propto \exp(t/\tau)$, which are rejected on the grounds that the radiation reaction term should be only a small correction to the equation of motion. The runaway solutions can be eliminated by replacing the equation by an integrodifferential equation, but this introduces another feature, ‘preacceleration’, where the electron begins to respond a short time before the external force is applied. We shall see that these features can be found in the brane system.
Recent work related to radiating branes includes [@setare04], which examined the radiation due to a uniformly accelerated brane. The authors did not consider the radiation reaction, but it would be expected to vanish for this type of motion. The brane can also radiate though interactions of the type $X+X\to Y$, where the $X$’s are particles of matter and $Y$ is a bulk graviton. The effect of these gravitons on the brane persists, and resembles ordinary radiation. In some very specific models of brane cosmology, the gravitons can make a small contribution to the expansion rate during the nucleosynthesis era. This has been investigated by a number of authors [@hebecker01; @langlois02; @langlois03]. A similar type of reaction, where $X$ is the inflaton and $Y$ a bulk scalar, could also change the nature of reheating after a period of inflation [@enqvist04] .
The next section contains some general results for the radiation from moving branes and mirrors. We take some care with the perturbation theory because we would like to ensure that the calculations give the vacuum expectation value $\langle \hbox{in}|T_{ab}|\hbox{in}\rangle$ of the stress energy tensor rather than $\langle \hbox{out}|T_{ab}|\hbox{in}\rangle$. It is also important to separate the radiation reaction calculation from effective action and casimir energy calculations. From the point of view of the brane and its cosmological evolution, the radiation back reaction effect is a dissipative phenomenon and cannot be derived from a reduced effective action which only depends on the degrees of freedom attached to the brane. However, we shall see that the Schwinger-Keldeysh formalism gives a reduced effective action which can be used to analyse both dissipative and non-dissipative effects.
Radiation back reaction
=======================
Backreaction equations
----------------------
Our approach to the back reaction on a brane moving in one extra dimension is closely based on the back reaction problem for a moving mirror [@ford82]. In both cases the radiation is produced because the radiation satisfies boundary conditions on a moving boundary. In moving mirror problems the back reaction force is determined by the pressure components of the expectation value of the stress energy tensor.
The back reaction of this radiation on the motion of a brane in five dimensions can be obtained by reducing the five dimensional Einstein equations in the manner described by Shiromizu, Maeda and Sasaki [@shiromizu99]. This reduction assumes a reflection symmetry between to two sides of the brane. For the $5$-dimensional Einstein equations we have $$G_{ab}=\kappa_5^2T_{ab}$$ For simplicity, we shall consider just a 5-dimensional cosmological constant $\Lambda_5$, a brane vacuum energy $\lambda$ and 5-dimensional radiation, $$T_{ab}=-\kappa_5^{-2}\Lambda_5 g_{ab}-\lambda h_{ab}\delta(\Sigma)+
\langle\hbox{in}|T^r_{ab}|\hbox{in}\rangle$$ where $h_{ab}$ is the metric induced on the brane by the 5-dimensional metric $g_{ab}$. Using the Gauss-Codacci equations, Shiromizu, Maeda and Sasaki show that the Einstein tensor ${}^{(4)}G_{\mu\nu}$ satisfies $${}^{(4)}G_{\mu\nu}+\Lambda h_{\mu\nu}={2\kappa_5^2\over 3}
\langle\hbox{in} |T^r_{\mu\nu}
+(T^r_{nn}-\frac14 T^r)h_{\mu\nu}|\hbox{in}\rangle
-E_{\mu\nu}\label{smk}$$ where $E_{\mu\nu}$ is a projection of the Weyl tensor, $C_{n\mu n\nu}$ and therefore trace-free. The 4-dimensional cosmological constant term and Newton’s constant are related to their 5-dimensional counterparts by $$\begin{aligned}
\Lambda&=&{1\over 12}
\left( 6\Lambda_5+\kappa_5^4\lambda^2\right)\\
G&=&{\kappa_5^4\lambda\over 48\pi}\label{bigG}\end{aligned}$$ In order to recover the correct low energy limit for the single brane we require $\lambda>0$ and, for a small or vanishing cosmological constant, $\Lambda_5<0$.
The $E_{\mu\nu}$ term can be eliminated by taking the trace of (\[smk\]), giving an equation for the Ricci scalar of the brane, $${}^{(4)}R=4\Lambda-2\kappa_5^2\langle\hbox{in}|T^r_{nn}|\hbox{in}\rangle
\label{rbr}$$ In a cosmological context, this is the equation of motion of the scale factor. The expectation value on the right includes the radiation damping effect on the expansion rate of the universe. In general, the expectation value depends on both the five dimensional metric and the brane motion. However, in this paper we shall assume that the back reaction of the radiation on the five dimensional metric can be neglected in the quantum calculation.
For a spatially flat, homogeneous universe with scale factor $a(t)$ and expansion rate $H(t)$, the cosmological evolution equation (\[rbr\]) becomes $$6\dot H+12H^2=4\Lambda
-2\kappa_5^2\langle\hbox{in}|T^r_{nn}|\hbox{in}\rangle.\label{Heom}$$ The initial condition as $t\to-\infty$ is provided by the Friedman equation $3H^2=\Lambda$. The Friedman equation is modified at all other times by the Weyl term, $$E_{00}={2\kappa_5^2\over 3}
\langle\hbox{in}|(T^r_{00}-T^r_{nn})|\hbox{in}\rangle
+\Lambda-3H^2,$$ which can be interpreted as energy lost by the brane. Note, however, that the quantum term can be negative.
Typically, the radiation reaction $\langle\hbox{in}|T^r_{nn}|\hbox{in}\rangle$ will only be significant for very early times, but it leaves behind a residual ‘dark radiation’ term [@binetruy99b] obtained by integrating (\[Heom\]), $$E_{00}\sim{2\kappa_5^2\over a^4}\int_{-\infty}^\infty
H(t')a(t')^4\langle\hbox{in}|T^r_{nn}(t')|\hbox{in}\rangle\,dt'\label{dr}$$ In principle, this term behaves like a contribution to the radiation energy density, but we have not, so far, considered the effects of ordinary matter. If, for example, matter is generated by reheating after a period of inflation, then the dark radiation produced during or prior to inflation would be inflated away [@flanagan99].
Quantum stress energy tensor
----------------------------
We shall obtain some general results for the expectation value of the stress energy tensor using perturbation theory. The classical action of the radiation field $\phi$ is $$S_r=\frac12\int_{\cal M}\phi\Delta\phi\,dv\label{raction}$$ where $\Delta$ is a second order operator and $dv$ is the volume measure. The unperturbed system is chosen to be in vacuum state where the green functions of the radiation with the prescribed boundary conditions are known explicitly. For scalar fields, the boundary conditions can be Dirichlet, where the field vanishes on the boundary, or Robin, where the normal derivatives of the field are prescribed. Our notation for Green functions follows ref. [@birrell82].
The relation between the perturbed and unperturbed boundaries can be defined by a diffeomorphism $f$ as shown in figure \[fig1\]. If the perturbation is small, then the vacuum state should be invariant. Expectation values calculated for the brane $\Sigma$ and the metric $g$ should be equivalent to the expectation values calculated with the unperturbed brane $f^{-1}(\Sigma)$ and the metric $f^* g$. By this means we can replace a perturbation of the brane by a perturbation of the metric.
The number of dimensions $n$ is left arbitrary. Local coordinates can be adapted to the unperturbed brane so that $n-1$ coordinates $x^\mu$ describe the position on the brane and a coordinate $z=-x^n$ describes the distance to the perturbed brane. The perturbed brane is then described by the function $z(x^\mu)$.
We begin with the Wightman functions $G^{\pm}$ of the scalar field $\phi$, defined by $$\begin{aligned}
G^+(x.x')&=&\langle\hbox{in}|\phi(x)\phi(x')|\hbox{in}\rangle\label{wight}\\
G^-(x.x')&=&\langle\hbox{in}|\phi(x')\phi(x)|\hbox{in}\rangle.\end{aligned}$$ The Wightman functions satisfy the homogeneous wave equation $$\Delta G^{\pm}=0$$ Their sum defines the Hadamard function, $$G^{(1)}=G^++G^-$$ The change in Hadamard’s function when the operator is perturbed by the moving brane is $$\delta G^{(1)}=-G_R(\delta\Delta)G^{(1)}-G^{(1)}(\delta\Delta)G_A$$ where $G_R$ and $G_A$ are the retarded and advanced propagators, $$G_R(x,x')=G_A(x',x)=-i\langle\hbox{in}|[\phi(x)\phi(x')]|\hbox{in}\rangle
\theta(t-t')$$ The perturbed form of the Hadamard function is real, symmetric and causal.
The first order change in the Hadamard function can be cast into a form which is more convenient for calculations, $$\delta G^{(1)}=-4{\rm Im}(G_0^>(\delta\Delta)G_0^<)$$ where the subscript denotes the use of the unperturbed green function, and $$G_0^>(x,x')=G_0^<(x',x)=iG_0^+(x,x')\theta(t-t')\label{gbig}$$ The subscripts will subsequently be dropped.
The next step is to find an expression for $\delta\Delta$. Consider the general second order operator $$\Delta=-\nabla^2+\xi R+m^2\label{operator}$$ The change in the operator is induced by the coordinate transformation $\xi^a=-z(x^\mu)n^a$ as shown in figure \[fig1\]. The diffeomorphism invariance of the classical action of the radiation (\[raction\]) implies that $$\int_{\cal M}\left(\phi(\delta\Delta)\phi
+(\xi^a\nabla_a\phi)\Delta\phi+\phi\Delta(\xi^a\nabla_a\phi)
\right)dv+\int_{\Sigma}z\phi\Delta\phi\,dv=0$$ After integration by parts we deduce that $$\delta\Delta=\nabla_a\xi^a\Delta-\Delta\xi^a\nabla_a\label{ddelta}$$ The required combination of green functions can now be found explicitly by a covariant volume integral, $$\delta G^{(1)}=
4\,{\rm Im}\,\int_{\cal M}
G^>(x,x')(\Delta\xi^{a'}\nabla_{a'}-\nabla_{a'}\xi^{a'}\Delta)
G^>(y,x')dv'$$ The imaginary part of the integrand consists of a total divergence which reduces by the divergence theorem to $$\delta G^{(1)}=
4\,{\rm Im}\,\int_{\Sigma}\left( \nabla_{n'}G^>(x,x')\nabla_{n'}G^>(y,x')
-G^>(x,x')\nabla_{n'}^2G^>(y,x')\right)z(x')dv'\label{deltag1}$$
The reason for obtaining this expression for the Hadamard function is that it can be used to find the expectation value of the stress energy tensor. The expectation value of the stress energy tensor contains terms such as $$\langle\hbox{in}|(\nabla_a\phi\nabla_b\phi
+\nabla_b\phi\nabla_a\phi)|\hbox{in}\rangle,$$ which can be evaluated by applying an operator to the hadamard function and taking a coincidence limit [@birrell82], $$[\nabla_a\nabla_{b'}G^{(1)}].$$ The brackets denote the coincidence limit $x=x'$. The full stress energy tensor is given by $$\langle\hbox{in}|T^r_{ab}|\hbox{in}\rangle=
\frac12[D_{a'b}G^{(1)}]\label{tdg}$$ where the distribution valued operator $D_{ab}$ is given by $$D_{ab}=\frac12{\delta^2\over \delta\phi^2} T_{ab}=
{\delta\Delta\over\delta g^{ab}}.\label{dab}$$ In the minimal case, for example, $$D_{ab}(x,x')=
\left(\nabla_{a'}\nabla_b-\frac12g_{ab}g^{cd}\nabla_{c'}\nabla_d\right)
\delta(y,x)\delta(y,x')$$ For Dirichlet boundary conditions, the change in the normal component of the stress energy tensor at the brane position is given by (\[deltag1\]), $$\delta\langle\hbox{in}|T^r_{nn}|\hbox{in}\rangle=
{\rm Im}\int_{\Sigma}
\left(\nabla_n\nabla_{n'}G^>(x,x')\right)^2z(x')\,dv'\label{tnn}$$ which is equivalent to an old result due to Ford and Vilenkin [@ford82]. For a moving mirror, this stress energy component generates the pressure force on the mirror. Since the unperturbed value of the stress energy does not affect the motion we shall drop the $\delta$ and only keep the perturbed value from now on.
Schwinger-Keldeysh version
--------------------------
Before proceeding, it is interesting to see how the same results can be obtained more directly from an effective action using Schwinger-Keldeysh methods [@schwinger61; @keldysh64; @calzetta87]. In this approach, the operator $\Delta$ is a $2\times2$ matrix which depends on two copies of the background fields, $$\Delta_{SK}=\pmatrix{\Delta[g_1]&0\cr
0&\Delta[g_2]\cr}$$ The radiation reaction forces can be obtained by variation of the one loop correction to the Schwinger-Keldeysh effective action, $$W_{SK}=-\frac{i}2\log\det(iG_{SK})\label{actionsk}$$ where $G_{SK}$ is the green function in the Schwinger-Keldeysh approach. Let $S[g_1]$ be the classical gravitational action, then $\delta_1 S+\delta_1 W_{SK}=0$, where $\delta_1$ denotes variation of $g_1$, and $g=g_1=g_2$ after the variation.
The Schwinger-Keldeysh green function is a $2\times2$ matrix $$G_{SK}=\pmatrix{G_T&iG^-\cr-iG^+&-G_{\bar T}\cr}\label{skp}$$ where $$\begin{aligned}
G_T(x,x')&=&iG^+\theta(t-t')+iG^-\theta(t'-t)\\
G_{\bar T}(x.x')&=&iG^-\theta(t-t')+iG^+\theta(t'-t).\end{aligned}$$ (Note that $G_T$ is identical to the Feynman Green function if the in and out vacua are the same state, but not necessarily identical otherwise). The Schwinger-Keldeysh Green function changes under perturbations of the operator by $$\delta G_{SK}=-G_{SK}(\delta\Delta)_{SK}G_{SK}$$ Multiplying out the matrices gives, for example, $$\delta G_T=-G_T(\delta\Delta)G_T+G^-(\delta\Delta)G^+$$ Under the same restrictions as before, this is equivalent to $$\delta G_T=-2\,{\rm Im}(G^>(\delta\Delta)G^<)\label{pertsk}$$ The variation of the Schwinger-Keldeysh effective action to first order in perturbation theory is therefore $$\delta_1W_{SK}={\rm Im}\,{\rm tr}((\delta_1\Delta)G^>(\delta\Delta)G^<).$$ By (\[tdg\]) and (\[dab\]), this is equivalent to the previous result for the stress energy tensor of the radiation.
Alternatively, we we can regard the action as a function of the brane position and obtain a reduced action formulation, often called the moduli space approximation. Let $$W[z,g]=\frac12{\rm Im}\,{\rm tr}\,\left(\delta\Delta \,G^>\,\delta\Delta\,
G^<\right).$$ Variation with respect to $z$ can be related to a metric variation $\delta_1W$ by diffeomorphism invariance, as in figure \[fig1\]. The effective equations of motion are then $${\delta S\over\delta z}+{\delta W\over\delta z}=0$$
The Schwinger-Keldeysh formalism is usually applied to non-equilibrium thermal field theory, using finite temperature version of the propagator (\[skp\]). Our results are therefore equally applicable to finite temperatures (for a time-independent background) if we replace the function $G^>(x,x')$ by the finite temperature version.
Branes moving in flat space
===========================
We shall examine the radiation back reaction force on the brane to leading order in the displacement from a flat hyperplane in flat space. Consider the massless field with Dirichlet boundary conditions to begin with. The unperturbed green function (\[gbig\]) can be expressed in terms of basis functions which vanish at $z=0$, $$G^>(x,x')=\int_0^\infty{dq\over 2\pi}\int{d^{n-2}k\over (2\pi)^{n-2}}
{i\over 2\omega}4\sin qz\,\sin qz'\,
e^{i{\bf k}({\bf x}-{\bf x}')-i\omega(t-t')}\theta(t-t')$$ where $\omega=(k^2+q^2)^{1/2}$. Inserting this into equation (\[tnn\]) for the stress energy tensor gives $$\langle\hbox{in}|T^r_{nn}|\hbox{in}\rangle=
{\rm Im}\,{\rm reg}\int_{-\infty}^\infty{dq\over 2\pi}{dq'\over 2\pi}
\int{d^{n-2}k\over (2\pi)^{n-2}}{q^2q^{\prime 2}\over \omega\omega'}
I[z]$$ where ‘reg’ indicates some form of regularisation has been performed to make the integral finite and $$I[z]=\int_{-\infty}^te^{-i(\omega+\omega')(t-t')}z(t')dt'
=-i\left((\omega+\omega')-i\partial_t\right)^{-1}z$$ Note the importance of taking the imaginary part of the expression [*after*]{} regularisation. It is useful to introduce $$F_n(x)={\rm reg}\,\int{dq\over 2\pi}{dq'\over 2\pi}
{d^{n-2}k\over (2\pi)^{n-2}}{q^2q^{\prime 2}\over \omega\omega'}
{-i\over (\omega+\omega')-ix}$$ and then $$\langle\hbox{in}|T^r_{nn}|\hbox{in}\rangle=
{\rm Im}\, F_n(\partial_t)z$$
The integral diverges for all values of the dimension $n$ which rules out dimensional regularisation. However, an analytic regularisation scheme can be used where we define $$F_{ns}(x)={i\over \Gamma(s+1)}
\int_0^\infty d\lambda \lambda^s\int{dq\over 2\pi}{dq'\over 2\pi}
{d^{n-2}k\over (2\pi)^{n-2}}{-q^2q^{\prime 2}\over
\omega\omega'}e^{-\lambda(\omega+\omega')+i\lambda x}\label{fns}$$ and take the value at $s=0$, removing pole terms if necessary. After integrating over $q$, we have $$F_{ns}(x)={-4i\over \Gamma(s+1)}
\int_0^\infty d\lambda \lambda^s\int
{d^{n-2}k\over (2\pi)^{n-2}} (\lambda k)^{-2}K_1(\lambda k)^2\,e^{i\lambda x}$$ where $K_1$ is a Bessel function of the second kind. The remaining integrals give $$F_{ns}(x)={1\over\Gamma(s+1)}{x^{n-s+1}\over 2\pi^{n/2}}
{\Gamma(n/2)^3\over (n+1)\Gamma(n)^2}{i^{n-s}\over \sin\pi(n-s)}$$ After removing the pole at $s=0$, the regularised expression is $$F_n(x)=-{(-ix)^{n+1}\over 4\pi^{n/2}}
\left(1-i\ln\left({x\over\mu}\right)\right)
{\Gamma(n/2)^3\over(n+1)\Gamma(n)^2}$$ where $\mu$ is a renormalisation constant.
Some examples are $$\begin{aligned}
{\rm Im}\,F_2(x)&=&-{x^3\over 12\pi}\\
{\rm Im}\,F_4(x)&=&{x^5\over 720\pi^2}\\
{\rm Im}\,F_5(x)&=&-{x^6\over16384\pi^2}\ln\left({x\over\mu}\right)\end{aligned}$$ The results for two and four dimensions agree with those found by Ford and Vilenkin for the moving mirror problem[@ford82].
The dependence on $\mu$ in odd dimensions can be traced to need for new counterterms in the classical action [@moss03] which arise from the $n$’th heat kernel coefficient of the operator $\Delta$ [@gibbons03]. In five dimensions, the heat kernel coefficient contains boundary terms of the form $$S_{5s}={1\over s}\int_\Sigma\,\nabla_\mu K_{\nu\rho}
\nabla^\mu K^{\nu\rho}\,dv,$$ and other permutations of the indices, where $K$ is the extrinsic curvature of the brane. These counterterms produce a ${\partial_t}^6z$ in the equation of motion (since $K=-{\partial_t}^2z$ to leading order) which cancels the divergence in the radiation reaction and leaves the logarithmic dependence on $\mu$. How the logarithmic derivatives are interpreted, and how to solve the equations of motion for the brane will be covered in section 4.
The radiation back reaction from a massive scalar field with mass $m$ can be found by redefining $\omega=(k^2+q^2+m^2)^{1/2}$ in eq. (\[fns\]). In even dimensions, the integral results in $${\rm Im}\,F_n(x)={1\over 8(4\pi)^{n/2}}m^{n-1}x^2
\Gamma\left(\frac{1-n}2\right)\Gamma\left(\frac12\right)
{}_2F_1\left(\frac{1-n}2,\frac12;2;-\frac{x^2}{4m^2}\right)$$ where ${}_2F_1$ is a hypergeometric function. In odd dimensions, we discard the pole term and retain only the finite part of the same expression.
For small values of $x$, $F_n$ is of order $x^2$. If the position of the brane is oscillating with a frequency $\omega<m$, the radiation reaction force is proportional to $\omega^2$, which is similar to a known result for a domain wall in four dimensions [@vachaspati84]. For large values of $x$, the hypergeometric functions have branch cuts in the region $|x|>2m$ and logarithmic terms appear in the large $x$ limits for both even and odd dimensions. The leading terms agree with the massless results given above.
Branes moving in anti-De Sitter space
=====================================
Branes in anti-de Sitter space are interesting from a cosmological point of view. The intrinsic geometry of a homogeneous brane moving in anti-de Sitter space is similar to a cosmological model [@kraus99; @kehagias99]. The effects of the higher dimensional cosmological constant and the vacuum energy on the brane can be fine-tuned to give a relatively small effective cosmological constant on the brane [@randall99a; @randall99b].
As before, we will neglect the back reaction of the motion of the brane on the bulk metric when calculating the quantum stress energy tensor. We shall consider small perturbations of a single flat brane whose penrose diagram is shown in figure \[fig2\]. We take the vacuum state related to the timelike translation symmetry along the brane, which we call the brane vacuum.
The brane vacuum has the disadvantage that there are horizons where the timelike killing field vanishes. The horizons can be avoided, for example by considering a two brane system and taking the limit where the separation between the branes becomes large. If, instead, we use a vacuum state which covers the whole of anti-de Sitter space, then we have to consider the effects of Bogolubov coefficients [@birrell82]. In the case of the de Sitter brane, the Euclidean vacuum state can be used [@moss03]. The Euclidean vacuum becomes a thermal state with respect to the brane, creating additional thermal effects in the radiation reaction force. We shall not consider this further here.
One of the many ways to express the Anti-de Sitter metric in $n$ dimensions is the conformally flat form, $$\sigma^2z^{-2}(dz^2+\eta_{\mu\nu}dx^\mu dx^\nu)$$ with Minkowski metric $\eta_{\mu\nu}$. The Anti-de Sitter radius $\sigma$ is related to the cosmological constant in $n$ dimensions by $$\Lambda_n=-{(n-1)(n-2)\over2\sigma^2}.$$ The unperturbed brane will be placed at $z=\sigma$ and the manifold extends in the $z>\sigma$ direction only. The covering space can be filled in by reflection symmetry about the brane.
The Green functions can be obtained from the normalised modes $u_{kq}$ of the scalar wave equation. These are $$u_{kq}={1\over (2\omega)^{1/2}}
\left({z\over\sigma}\right)^{(n-1)/2}
H_\nu(q,z)e^{i({\bf k}\cdot{\bf x}-\omega t)}$$ with $\omega=(k^2+q^2)^{1/2}$ and $H_\nu$ a combination of Hankel functions of order $$\nu^2=\frac14+\sigma^2\left((\xi-\xi(n))R+m^2\right).$$ Conformal curvature coupling corresponds to the case $\xi=\xi(n)$ and $\nu=1/2$.
For modes which vanish on the brane, $$H_\nu(q,z)={i(\pi q\sigma)^{1/2}\over 2|H^{(1)}_\nu(q\sigma)|}
\left(H_\nu^{(1)}(qz)H_\nu^{(2)}(q\sigma)
-H_\nu^{(2)}(qz)H_\nu^{(1)}(q\sigma)\right)$$ Note that the normal derivatives of the mode functions when evaluated on the brane $z=\sigma$ are then given by $$\nabla_n u_{kq}={1\over (2\omega)^{1/2}}
\left({2q\sigma\over \pi}\right)^{1/2}{2^{1/2}q\over|H^{(1)}_\nu(q\sigma)|}
\,e^{i({\bf k}\cdot{\bf x}-\omega t)}$$ In the conformal case $\nu=1/2$, this reduces to $$\nabla_n u_{kq}={1\over (2\omega)^{1/2}}
\,2^{1/2}q\, e^{i({\bf k}\cdot{\bf x}-\omega t)}$$ which is also the value obtained in flat space.
The normal derivatives of the Wightman function are needed to obtain the stress energy tensor. The Wightman function can be obtained from a mode sum, $$G^+(x,x')=\int_0^\infty{dq\over2\pi}\int{d^{n-2} k\over (2\pi)^{n-2}}
\,u_{kq}(x)u^*_{kq}(x')$$ The normal derivatives at the brane can be expressed as $$\nabla_n\nabla_{n'}G^+(x,x')=\int_0^\infty{dq\over2\pi}
\int{d^{n-2} k\over (2\pi)^{n-2}}
{2q^2\over 2\omega} \left|{H^{(1)}_{1/2}(q\sigma)\over
H^{(1)}_\nu(q\sigma)}\right|^2
e^{i({\bf k}\cdot({\bf x}-{\bf x'})-\omega (t-t'))}$$ As in the flat space example, the expectation value of the normal components of the stress energy tensor are given in terms of an integral by $$\langle\hbox{in}|T^r_{nn}|\hbox{in}\rangle=
{\rm Im}\, F_n(\partial_t)z$$ where the anti-De Sitter space version of $F$ is $$F_n(x)={\rm reg}\,\int{dq\over 2\pi}{dq'\over 2\pi}
{d^{n-2}k\over (2\pi)^{n-2}}{q^2q^{\prime 2}\over \omega\omega'}
\left|{H^{(1)}_{1/2}(q\sigma)H^{(1)}_{1/2}(q'\sigma)\over
H^{(1)}_\nu(q\sigma)H^{(1)}_\nu(q'\sigma)}\right|^2
{-i\over (\omega+\omega')-ix}\label{newf}$$
The first striking feature of eq. (\[newf\]) is that, in the conformal case $\nu=1/2$, the result for radiative back reaction is identical to the flat space result. In the non-conformal case, we can obtain the large $\sigma x$ limit from the large argument expansion of the Hankel functions, for example $${\rm Im}\,F_5(x)\sim -{x^6\over16384\pi^2}\ln\left({x\over\mu}\right)
\label{F5}$$ in five dimensions. The small $\sigma x$ limit can correspondingly be obtained from the small argument expansion of the Hankel functions, which leads to $${\rm Im}\,F_5(x)\sim C x^6(\sigma x)^{4\nu-2}$$ when $\sigma x\ll 1$, where $C$ is a constant.
Equations of motion with logarithmic terms
==========================================
We can now construct the equation of motion for the brane. For a small perturbation $z$ of a flat brane, the scale factor $a\approx1$ and $\partial_t z\approx-\sigma H$. For conformal scalar field radiation, eq. (\[F5\]) suggests that eq. (\[Heom\]) would become $${dH\over dt}+2H^2-2H_0^2=
-A\kappa_5^2\sigma\ln\left({1\over\mu}{d\over dt}\right){d^5H\over dt^5}.
\label{neweom}$$ where $H_0^2=\Lambda/3$ and $A$ is a numerical coefficient. Strictly speaking, this equation is incomplete because there may be additional radiation damping terms of order $H^2$.
The radiation damping term calculated here is small in recent cosmological eras. Returning to eq (\[bigG\]), we see that the combination $\kappa_5^2\sigma\sim G\sigma^2$ in order of magnitude. The experimental lower bound on $(G\sigma^2)^{-1/4}$ is around $1TeV$, but there is no reason for the the value to be much smaller than the usual Planck scale. When $\dot H\sim H^2$, the damping term is only important when $H^4\sim
(G\sigma^2)^{-1}$.
There is a small residual dark radiation effect given by eq. (\[dr\]). If we take into account a period of inflation, ending at time $t_I$, then the ratio of dark radiation to ordinary radiation is $$6A\kappa_5^2\sigma\int_{t_I}^\infty{H\over \rho}
\ln\left({1\over\mu}{d\over dt}\right){d^5H\over dt^5}dt\label{dri}$$ which is of order $G\sigma^2H(t_I)^4$. In principle, $H(t_I)$ should be close to the value of $H$ determined by the tensor perturbation amplitude $A_T$ in the cosmic microwave background, $A_T^2=8\pi GH^2$ [@liddle93]. To be within nucleosynthesis constraints, the amount of dark radiation must be small [@flanagan99; @hebecker01], and therefore there is a lower bound on the string vacuum energy scale of approximately $$(G\sigma^2)^{-1/4}>A_T^{-1/2}m_p$$ where $m_p$ is the Planck mass.
We shall analyse a slightly more general type of equation of motion, $${d p\over dt}-F(p)=-\eta
\ln\left({1\over\mu}{d\over dt}\right){d^np\over dt^n}\label{motion}$$ A reasonable definition of the logarithmic term should be linear and causal, to ensure that the back reaction depends on the history of the source. We can begin be defining the action of the logarithmic derivative on exponentials, $$\ln\left({1\over\mu}{d\over dt}\right)\,e^{\alpha t}
=\ln\left({\alpha\over\mu}\right)\,e^{\alpha t}$$ where we take $\alpha>0$. This leads to the following definition, $$\ln\left({1\over\mu}{d\over dt}\right)f
=-\int_{-\infty}^t\ln\left(e^\gamma\mu(t-t')\right){df\over dt'}dt'$$ where $\gamma$ is Euler’s constant. The definition is linear, causal and correctly reproduces the action on exponentials. The integral can be evaluated for a broad class of functions, including discontinuous functions, for example $$\ln\left({1\over\mu}{d\over dt}\right)\theta(t)e^{\alpha t}=
\left({\rm E}_1(\alpha t)+\ln\left({\alpha\over\mu}\right)
\right)\theta(t)e^{\alpha t}$$ where ${\rm E}_1$ is the exponential integral. If $f$ is integrable, then the logarithmic derivative of $f$ is $O(t^{-1})$ as $t\to\infty$.
For a linear equation of motion (\[motion\]), with $F=-\lambda p$, we have $${d p\over dt}+\lambda p=-\eta
\ln\left({1\over\mu}{d\over dt}\right){d^5p\over dt^5}$$ The exponential solutions $\exp(\mu zt)$ satisfy $$z+\alpha=-\beta z^n\ln(z)$$ where $\alpha=\mu^{-1}\lambda$ and $\beta=\eta\mu^{n-1}$. The roots for a sample case are plotted in figure \[fig3\]. When there is no reaction term there is only a decaying mode corresponding to $z=-\alpha$. The reaction term shifts this solution and introduces an oscillation. There are two other decaying solutions and two growing modes. These modes have $|z|>1$ and damping or growth rates larger than the renormalisation scale $\mu$. We tentatively identify these as unphysical runaway solutions.
Runaway solutions can be excluded by replacing the equation of motion by an integrodifferential equation. First, we introduce a Green function which decays exponentially as the time $t\to\pm\infty$ and satisfies the following equation, $$G+\eta
\ln\left({1\over\mu}{d\over dt}\right){d^{n-1}G\over dt^{n-1}}=\delta(t-t')$$ The equation of motion (\[motion\]) can then be rewritten in an alternative form $${dp\over dt}=\int_{-\infty}^\infty G(t-t')F(t').$$ The runaway solutions are excluded at the expense of a preacceleration term, as we can see from the expression for the Green function $$G(t-t')=
\sum_{{\rm Re}z_i<0}c_ie^{z_i (t-t')}\theta(t-t')
-\sum_{{\rm Re}z_i>0}c_ie^{z_i (t-t')}\theta(t'-t),$$ where $z_i$ are the roots of $\eta z^{n-1}\ln(z/\mu)=-1$ and $c_i$ are constants fixed by continuity relations at $t=t'$. The acausality is represented by the final term, but it is a relatively minor effect if ${\rm Re}z_i\gg\mu$, because then the acausality only occurs on timescales small compared to the renormalisation timescale.
An interesting variant of the equation of motion (\[motion\]) occurs for the case $n=1$ and $F=0$. There are two real solutions, $p=0$ and $p=\exp(\exp(-\mu\eta^{-1})t)$. Because of the small size of the exponent it would not be appropriate to regard the exponential solution as a runaway solution. In a cosmological context, a flat brane would spontaneously begin to accelerate with a tiny, positive cosmological constant. We have not been able to find a model with this particular radiation reaction so far.
Conclusion
==========
This paper has been devoted to calculating the radiation back reaction forces on a moving brane. We have found that massless, conformally invariant scalar radiation into the bulk results in logarithmic terms in the equations of motion. The radiation reaction leads to both physical and runaway solutions. The runaway solutions can be excluded by introducing an integrodifferential formulation of the equation of motion. This form of the equation could be used if we were to attempt to solve the equations of motion numerically. The question of whether the brane’s initial trajectory might be destabilised by radiation reaction forces remains an open one.
The radiation from the moving brane also leaves a residual effect in the form of dark radiation. The amount of this radiation depends on the brane trajectory (\[dri\]). An order of magnitude estimate combined with a crude nucleosynthesis constaint gives a lower bound on the string vacuum energy scale of $\sqrt{A_T}\,m_p$, where $A_T$ is the tensor perturbation amplitude in the cosmic microwave background.
The radiation reaction problem has been set up in a way which can be generalised to non-scalar fields. One issue which would be of interest is the possibility of supersymetric cancellations amongst some of the terms. The regularisation methods used in this paper have enabled us to neglect the non-logarithmic divergences, but it would be better to see direct cancellation of these divergent terms. For broken supersymmetry, we expect that the renormalisation scale, which appears in our results, would be replaced by a supersymmetry breaking scale.
The results for the radiation reaction of branes moving in anti-de Sitter space generalises in a very staightforward way to any background where the modes of the radiation fields are known explicitly. An example of this is the low energy limit of the heterotic string [@horava96-2; @lukas98; @lukas98-2], where the modes of the graviton multiplet are known and can be found in [@moss04].
Another aspect of the radiation reaction which is worth further study is the effect of different higher dimensional vacuum states. These states can have thermal properties and the reaction forces would have similarities to those acting on moving mirrors at finite temperatures.
|
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Like the Currie, the Rayos has a lot of torque, independent human and electric drive systems, and a drive system that freewheels when not in use. The electronics shut the motor off at 80% battery discharge to avoid a full discharge (which really shortens the life of lead-acid batteries). The Rayos is an 8-speed bike that uses standard bike parts. Seats, handlebars, brakes and other non-electric parts can be found at a supercenter or bike store. Electric parts can be obtained from Rayos dealers.
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This dexterous electric dirt bike is recommended for anyone over the age of 14. It’s fitted with double suspension and big tyres to help you tackle tough terrain. You also get a good selection of gears, that gives you optimal control. The Razor can go as fast as 15 mph on average, and comes with an excellent braking system. The aesthetics are on point, and the racer look is sure to impress. Don’t forget your helmet!
Built by a company that’s made cycling equipment for more than four decades, the Vado feels more like a traditional bicycle than almost any other ebike. Its frame and components have been tuned to provide a familiar experience, making it easy for new and long-time cyclists to jump on and start pedaling. Specialized’s heritage shines through nicely, helping separate itself from the competition in an increasingly crowded ebike market.
Electric Bike Technologies has been delivering the best experience in electric bike kit conversion since the company was founded in 2008. Driven by a respected founder and a team of dedicated electric bike enthusiasts, the E-BikeKit™ electric bike conversion systems have been sold worldwide to thousands of electric bike riders and fostered partnerships with some of the best brands in the bicycle industry. The company has been featured on NBC’s Good Morning America and the E-BikeKit system is the only electric bike kit system distributed by J&B Importers, the largest bicycle distributor in the United States.
I think this is a super interesting bike. I like seeing IZIP stepping into the world of Brose motors. Brose bikes always look clean and refined because of the battery integration. This bike is a pretty great value for what you get. Totally integrated lights, rear rack, fenders, and plus sized tires are all great to have. I wish it had a dual chainring in the front, but you can always add one on a Brose motor.
Installing an electric bike kit is easy to do, can be done in just an hour or so and can last for many years if done right initially. Deciding on the right electric bike conversion kit, the one that suits your riding style and your bike best, is the most important decision you’ll make during this process. Good news... you’ve come to the right place!
{"id":1455227109442,"title":"SONDORS Fold X (EARLY NOVEMBER SHIPPING - US\/Canada Only)","handle":"sondors-fold-x-us-canada-shipping-oct18","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe folding bike everyone’s been waiting for has been taken to the eXtreme, and is \u003cspan style=\"color: #990000;\"\u003eavailable with SHIPPING IN EARLY NOVEMBER\u003c\/span\u003e. SONDORS Fold X has a 48V 14 Ah battery, that nearly doubles your range, and paired with a 500W motor it offers eXtreme torque, towing capacity, and hill-climbing power like never-before seen in a SONDORS. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSONDORS Fold X is the latest game-changer in transportation, and its durable, versatility and eye-catching design are what make it a SONDORS. SONDORS Fold X the ideal choice for eXtremely smart, convenient transportation no matter where you live. In two simple folds and less than ten seconds, SONDORS Fold X is ready for effortless stowage in just about any space.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSuperbly sturdy and versatile, SONDORS Fold X is like no other folding electric bike on the market - built with both the city living and off-road adventures in mind, SONDORS Fold X is prepared to vanquish virtually any terrain mother nature can throw at you.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe instant you ride SONDORS Fold X, you know you've never experienced anything like it. With SONDORS Fold X, you have the freedom of full-electric power with a simple press of a thumb throttle, or the option of minimal-effort cycling with electric pedal assist.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYou can expect to be turn heads with Fold X’s flawless styling and eXtreme performance while finding SONDORS Fold X eXtraordinarily adaptable, portable and convenient. Effortlessly slide SONDORS Fold X into the trunk of a car or along your side on the bus or train, and reach your destination in style without breaking a sweat.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis eXtremely stunning, foldable electric bike has set the precedent in portable transportation, and is the perfect extension to your current SONDORS collection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #990000;\"\u003eOrder now and your SONDORS Fold X will ship in Early November 2018\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFOLD X FRAME\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSONDORS Fold durable, 100% forged aluminum frame is a one-size-fits-most, and weighs in at just 6 pounds - offering a total bike weight of 50 pounds.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFOLD X BATTERY\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eUnique to SONDORS, Fold X offers a proprietary cylinder battery design, with the largest capacity ever offered by SONDORS. This 48 V 14 Ah lithium-ion battery boasts Panasonic, LG or Samsung cells, and the SONDORS Fold X proprietary cylinder design, making it ingeniously slender, lightweight, and a perfect fit for SONDORS Fold X.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFOLD X MOTOR\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSONDORS Fold X proudly boasts power never before seen in a SONDORS. Paired with SONDORS Fold X 48 V 14 Ah lithium-ion battery, this 500W motor offers eXtreme hill-climbing, acceleration, and towing capacity to power your daily adventure. And with speeds up to 20 mph, SONDORS Fold X will add eXtra smiles to your miles.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFOLD X 7-SPEED SHIFTER \u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGenuine Shimano® 7-Speed gear cassette with grip shifter. This feature gives SONDORS Fold X an additional 7 manual gears for increased hill-climbing power, further range variation, and greater terrain adaptability. It’s like getting two SONDORS in one.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFOLD X TIRES\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSONDORS Fold X is a work of art - and its tires are no exception. Measuring in at a 20 x 4.0 inches, Fold X tires keep it solid while enhancing overall appearance, flexibility and handling.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFOLD X LCD SCREEN\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSONDORS Fold X includes an LCD screen - this feature supplies Fold X with five levels of electric pedal assist plus added torque for increased hill-climbing power, greater range, and improved towing capacity. In addition, the Fold X LCD screen provides a digital display offering accurate battery level, speed and distance traveled.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFOLD X RANGE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith the use of the included Fold X 48V 14.0 Ah lithium-ion battery along with electric pedal assist, many riders can experience a varied battery range of up to 40-60 miles*. When using straight electric power (without pedaling), the range can fluctuate up to 30 miles*.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e*Range estimates are contingent upon rider and towing weight, riding style, wind speed and terrain.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eFOLD \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSHIPPING AND DELIVERY INCLUDED (EARLY NOVEMBER 2018)\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou can rest assured, each component of your new SONDORS is carefully wrapped in heavy-duty protective materials and packed with love in our famous SONDORS ultra-thick, 7-layered \"motorcycle-grade\" box. The purchase of your new SONDORS includes hand delivery to your door via U.P.S. ground shipping for oversized packages within the contiguous United States.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #990000;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePLEASE NOTE:\u003c\/strong\u003e Shipments to Alaska, Hawaii and Canada will incur an extended area surcharge at checkout. (Alaska and Hawaii: $59.00 \/ Canada: $99.00 USD)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #990000;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIMPORTANT:\u003c\/strong\u003e All SONDORS shown here are available for delivery in \u003cstrong\u003eU.S. and Canada ONLY. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan color=\"#c92323\"\u003eFor SONDORS available in E.U., Norway and Switzerland, visit \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan color=\"#c92323\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sondors.com\/collections\/europe\" style=\"color: #990000;\"\u003eSONDORS Europe Collection\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2018-07-22T11:41:13-07:00","created_at":"2018-07-16T06:53:18-07:00","vendor":"SONDORS Electric Bikes","type":"Electric Bike","tags":["48v","500w","Battery","bike","fat tire","gear","ion","lithium","motor","shimano","sondors","tire","x"],"price":129900,"price_min":129900,"price_max":129900,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":12717456621634,"title":"White \/ Black","option1":"White \/ Black","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"691","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":true,"featured_image":{"id":4250497712194,"product_id":1455227109442,"position":1,"created_at":"2018-09-26T09:59:47-07:00","updated_at":"2018-10-01T05:50:55-07:00","alt":"SONDORS Fold X (OCTOBER SHIPPING - US\/Canada Only) - SONDORS Electric Bikes","width":5472,"height":3648,"src":"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1439\/6088\/products\/Fold_X_7_-_White-Black.jpg?v=1538398255","variant_ids":[12717456621634]},"available":true,"name":"SONDORS Fold X (EARLY NOVEMBER SHIPPING - US\/Canada Only) - White \/ Black","public_title":"White \/ Black","options":["White \/ Black"],"price":129900,"weight":136078,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_quantity":51,"inventory_management":"shopify","inventory_policy":"deny","barcode":""},{"id":12717467729986,"title":"Pistol Matte \/ Blue","option1":"Pistol Matte \/ Blue","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"698","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":true,"featured_image":{"id":4250497515586,"product_id":1455227109442,"position":3,"created_at":"2018-09-26T09:59:41-07:00","updated_at":"2018-10-01T05:50:55-07:00","alt":"SONDORS Fold X (OCTOBER SHIPPING - US\/Canada Only) - SONDORS Electric Bikes","width":5472,"height":3648,"src":"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1439\/6088\/products\/Fold_X_7_-_Pistol_Matte-Blue.jpg?v=1538398255","variant_ids":[12717467729986]},"available":true,"name":"SONDORS Fold X (EARLY NOVEMBER SHIPPING - US\/Canada Only) - Pistol Matte \/ Blue","public_title":"Pistol Matte \/ Blue","options":["Pistol Matte \/ Blue"],"price":129900,"weight":136078,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_quantity":35,"inventory_management":"shopify","inventory_policy":"deny","barcode":""},{"id":12717467762754,"title":"Black \/ Silver","option1":"Black \/ Silver","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"699","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":true,"featured_image":{"id":4250497450050,"product_id":1455227109442,"position":2,"created_at":"2018-09-26T09:59:37-07:00","updated_at":"2018-10-01T05:50:55-07:00","alt":"SONDORS Fold X (OCTOBER SHIPPING - US\/Canada Only) - SONDORS Electric Bikes","width":4946,"height":3937,"src":"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1439\/6088\/products\/Fold_X_7_-_Black-Silver.jpg?v=1538398255","variant_ids":[12717467762754]},"available":true,"name":"SONDORS Fold X (EARLY NOVEMBER SHIPPING - US\/Canada Only) - Black \/ Silver","public_title":"Black \/ Silver","options":["Black \/ Silver"],"price":129900,"weight":136078,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_quantity":47,"inventory_management":"shopify","inventory_policy":"deny","barcode":""}],"images":["\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1439\/6088\/products\/Fold_X_7_-_White-Black.jpg?v=1538398255","\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1439\/6088\/products\/Fold_X_7_-_Black-Silver.jpg?v=1538398255","\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1439\/6088\/products\/Fold_X_7_-_Pistol_Matte-Blue.jpg?v=1538398255"],"featured_image":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1439\/6088\/products\/Fold_X_7_-_White-Black.jpg?v=1538398255","options":["Color"],"content":"\u003cp\u003eThe folding bike everyone’s been waiting for has been taken to the eXtreme, and is \u003cspan style=\"color: #990000;\"\u003eavailable with SHIPPING IN EARLY NOVEMBER\u003c\/span\u003e. SONDORS Fold X has a 48V 14 Ah battery, that nearly doubles your range, and paired with a 500W motor it offers eXtreme torque, towing capacity, and hill-climbing power like never-before seen in a SONDORS. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSONDORS Fold X is the latest game-changer in transportation, and its durable, versatility and eye-catching design are what make it a SONDORS. SONDORS Fold X the ideal choice for eXtremely smart, convenient transportation no matter where you live. In two simple folds and less than ten seconds, SONDORS Fold X is ready for effortless stowage in just about any space.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSuperbly sturdy and versatile, SONDORS Fold X is like no other folding electric bike on the market - built with both the city living and off-road adventures in mind, SONDORS Fold X is prepared to vanquish virtually any terrain mother nature can throw at you.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe instant you ride SONDORS Fold X, you know you've never experienced anything like it. With SONDORS Fold X, you have the freedom of full-electric power with a simple press of a thumb throttle, or the option of minimal-effort cycling with electric pedal assist.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYou can expect to be turn heads with Fold X’s flawless styling and eXtreme performance while finding SONDORS Fold X eXtraordinarily adaptable, portable and convenient. Effortlessly slide SONDORS Fold X into the trunk of a car or along your side on the bus or train, and reach your destination in style without breaking a sweat.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis eXtremely stunning, foldable electric bike has set the precedent in portable transportation, and is the perfect extension to your current SONDORS collection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #990000;\"\u003eOrder now and your SONDORS Fold X will ship in Early November 2018\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFOLD X FRAME\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSONDORS Fold durable, 100% forged aluminum frame is a one-size-fits-most, and weighs in at just 6 pounds - offering a total bike weight of 50 pounds.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFOLD X BATTERY\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eUnique to SONDORS, Fold X offers a proprietary cylinder battery design, with the largest capacity ever offered by SONDORS. This 48 V 14 Ah lithium-ion battery boasts Panasonic, LG or Samsung cells, and the SONDORS Fold X proprietary cylinder design, making it ingeniously slender, lightweight, and a perfect fit for SONDORS Fold X.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFOLD X MOTOR\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSONDORS Fold X proudly boasts power never before seen in a SONDORS. Paired with SONDORS Fold X 48 V 14 Ah lithium-ion battery, this 500W motor offers eXtreme hill-climbing, acceleration, and towing capacity to power your daily adventure. And with speeds up to 20 mph, SONDORS Fold X will add eXtra smiles to your miles.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFOLD X 7-SPEED SHIFTER \u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGenuine Shimano® 7-Speed gear cassette with grip shifter. This feature gives SONDORS Fold X an additional 7 manual gears for increased hill-climbing power, further range variation, and greater terrain adaptability. It’s like getting two SONDORS in one.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFOLD X TIRES\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSONDORS Fold X is a work of art - and its tires are no exception. Measuring in at a 20 x 4.0 inches, Fold X tires keep it solid while enhancing overall appearance, flexibility and handling.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFOLD X LCD SCREEN\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSONDORS Fold X includes an LCD screen - this feature supplies Fold X with five levels of electric pedal assist plus added torque for increased hill-climbing power, greater range, and improved towing capacity. In addition, the Fold X LCD screen provides a digital display offering accurate battery level, speed and distance traveled.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFOLD X RANGE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith the use of the included Fold X 48V 14.0 Ah lithium-ion battery along with electric pedal assist, many riders can experience a varied battery range of up to 40-60 miles*. When using straight electric power (without pedaling), the range can fluctuate up to 30 miles*.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e*Range estimates are contingent upon rider and towing weight, riding style, wind speed and terrain.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eFOLD \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSHIPPING AND DELIVERY INCLUDED (EARLY NOVEMBER 2018)\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou can rest assured, each component of your new SONDORS is carefully wrapped in heavy-duty protective materials and packed with love in our famous SONDORS ultra-thick, 7-layered \"motorcycle-grade\" box. The purchase of your new SONDORS includes hand delivery to your door via U.P.S. ground shipping for oversized packages within the contiguous United States.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #990000;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePLEASE NOTE:\u003c\/strong\u003e Shipments to Alaska, Hawaii and Canada will incur an extended area surcharge at checkout. (Alaska and Hawaii: $59.00 \/ Canada: $99.00 USD)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #990000;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIMPORTANT:\u003c\/strong\u003e All SONDORS shown here are available for delivery in \u003cstrong\u003eU.S. and Canada ONLY. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan color=\"#c92323\"\u003eFor SONDORS available in E.U., Norway and Switzerland, visit \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan color=\"#c92323\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sondors.com\/collections\/europe\" style=\"color: #990000;\"\u003eSONDORS Europe Collection\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e"}
Installing an electric bike kit is easy to do, can be done in just an hour or so and can last for many years if done right initially. Deciding on the right electric bike conversion kit, the one that suits your riding style and your bike best, is the most important decision you’ll make during this process. Good news... you’ve come to the right place!
{"id":10390350990,"title":"SONDORS Fold X (In-Stock US\/Canada Only)","handle":"sondors-fold-x","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe folding bike everyone’s been waiting for has been taken to the eXtreme. SONDORS Fold X has a 48V 14 Ah battery, that nearly doubles your range, and paired with a 500W motor it offers eXtreme torque, towing capacity, and hill-climbing power like never-before seen in a SONDORS. SONDORS Fold X is the latest game-changer in transportation, and its durable, versatile and eye-catching design are what make it a SONDORS. SONDORS Fold X the ideal choice for eXtremely smart, convenient transportation no matter where you live. In two simple folds and less than ten seconds, SONDORS Fold X is ready for effortless stowage in just about any space.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSuperbly sturdy and versatile, SONDORS Fold X is like no other folding electric bike on the market - built with both the city living and off-road adventures in mind, SONDORS Fold X is prepared to vanquish virtually any terrain mother nature can throw at you.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe instant you ride SONDORS Fold X, you know you've never experienced anything like it. With SONDORS Fold X, you have the freedom of full-electric power with a simple press of a thumb throttle, or the option of minimal-effort cycling with electric pedal assist.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYou can expect to be turn heads with Fold X’s flawless styling and eXtreme performance while finding SONDORS Fold X eXtraordinarily adaptable, portable and convenient. Effortlessly slide SONDORS Fold X into the trunk of a car or along your side on the bus or train, and reach your destination in style without breaking a sweat.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis eXtremely stunning, foldable electric bike has set the precedent in portable transportation, and is the perfect extension to your current SONDORS collection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFOLD X FRAME\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSONDORS Fold durable, 100% forged aluminum frame is a one-size-fits-most, and weighs in at just 6 pounds - offering a total bike weight of 50 pounds.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFOLD X BATTERY\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eUnique to SONDORS, Fold X offers a proprietary cylinder battery design, with the largest capacity ever offered by SONDORS. This 48 V 14 Ah lithium-ion battery boasts Panasonic, LG or Samsung cells, and the SONDORS Fold X proprietary cylinder design, making it ingeniously slender, lightweight, and a perfect fit for SONDORS Fold X.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFOLD X MOTOR\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSONDORS Fold X proudly boasts power never before seen in a SONDORS. Paired with SONDORS Fold X 48 V 14 Ah lithium-ion battery, this 500W motor offers eXtreme hill-climbing, acceleration, and towing capacity to power your daily adventure. And with speeds up to 20 mph, SONDORS Fold X will add eXtra smiles to your miles.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFOLD X SHIFTER UPGRADE OPTION\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGenuine Shimano 7-Speed gear cassette with grip shifter. This feature gives SONDORS Fold X an additional 7 gears for increased hill-climbing power, further range variation, and greater terrain adaptability. It’s like getting two SONDORS in one.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFOLD X TIRES\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSONDORS Fold X is a work of art - and its tires are no exception. Measuring in at a 20 x 4.0 inches, Fold X tires keep it solid while enhancing overall appearance, flexibility and handling.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFOLD X LCD SCREEN UPGRADE INCLUDED\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSONDORS Fold X includes an LCD screen ($150 Value) - this option supplies Fold X with five levels of electric pedal assist plus added torque for increased hill-climbing power, even greater range, and improved towing capacity. In addition, the Fold X LCD screen provides a digital display offering accurate battery level and distance traveled.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFOLD X RANGE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith the use of the included Fold X 48V 14.0 Ah lithium-ion battery along with electric pedal assist, many riders can experience a varied battery range of up to 40-60 miles*. When using straight electric power (without pedaling), the range can fluctuate up to 30 miles*.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e*Range estimates are contingent upon rider and towing weight, riding style, wind speed and terrain.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003e\u003cb\u003eFOLD SHIPPING AND DELIVERY\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou can rest assured, each component of your new SONDORS is carefully wrapped in heavy-duty protective materials and packed with love in our famous SONDORS ultra-thick, 7-layered \"motorcycle-grade\" box. The purchase of your new SONDORS includes hand delivery to your door via U.P.S. ground shipping for oversized packages within the contiguous United States.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePLEASE NOTE: Shipments to Alaska, Hawaii and Canada will incur an extended area surcharge at checkout. (Alaska and Hawaii: $59.00 \/ Canada: $99.00 USD)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #990000;\"\u003eIMPORTANT: \u003cstrong\u003eAll SONDORS shown here are available for delivery in U.S. and Canada ONLY.\u003c\/strong\u003e For SONDORS available in Europe visit \u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sondors.com\/collections\/europe\" style=\"color: #990000;\"\u003eSONDORS Euro\u003c\/a\u003epe\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2017-04-30T13:57:22-07:00","created_at":"2017-04-19T12:23:59-07:00","vendor":"SONDORS Electric Bikes","type":"Electric Bike","tags":["48v","500w","Battery","bike","fat tire","gear","ion","lithium","motor","shimano","sondors","tire","x"],"price":112900,"price_min":112900,"price_max":122900,"available":true,"price_varies":true,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":12489776300098,"title":"Yellow\/Orange \/ 5-Speed Electric Pedal Assist + Shimano 7-Speed Gear Shifter","option1":"Yellow\/Orange","option2":"5-Speed Electric Pedal Assist + Shimano 7-Speed Gear Shifter","option3":null,"sku":"694","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":true,"featured_image":{"id":4019826884674,"product_id":10390350990,"position":14,"created_at":"2018-08-08T10:55:45-07:00","updated_at":"2018-08-13T05:26:27-07:00","alt":"SONDORS Fold X (In-Stock US\/Canada Only) - 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SONDORS Fold X has a 48V 14 Ah battery, that nearly doubles your range, and paired with a 500W motor it offers eXtreme torque, towing capacity, and hill-climbing power like never-before seen in a SONDORS. SONDORS Fold X is the latest game-changer in transportation, and its durable, versatile and eye-catching design are what make it a SONDORS. SONDORS Fold X the ideal choice for eXtremely smart, convenient transportation no matter where you live. In two simple folds and less than ten seconds, SONDORS Fold X is ready for effortless stowage in just about any space.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSuperbly sturdy and versatile, SONDORS Fold X is like no other folding electric bike on the market - built with both the city living and off-road adventures in mind, SONDORS Fold X is prepared to vanquish virtually any terrain mother nature can throw at you.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe instant you ride SONDORS Fold X, you know you've never experienced anything like it. With SONDORS Fold X, you have the freedom of full-electric power with a simple press of a thumb throttle, or the option of minimal-effort cycling with electric pedal assist.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYou can expect to be turn heads with Fold X’s flawless styling and eXtreme performance while finding SONDORS Fold X eXtraordinarily adaptable, portable and convenient. Effortlessly slide SONDORS Fold X into the trunk of a car or along your side on the bus or train, and reach your destination in style without breaking a sweat.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis eXtremely stunning, foldable electric bike has set the precedent in portable transportation, and is the perfect extension to your current SONDORS collection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFOLD X FRAME\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSONDORS Fold durable, 100% forged aluminum frame is a one-size-fits-most, and weighs in at just 6 pounds - offering a total bike weight of 50 pounds.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFOLD X BATTERY\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eUnique to SONDORS, Fold X offers a proprietary cylinder battery design, with the largest capacity ever offered by SONDORS. This 48 V 14 Ah lithium-ion battery boasts Panasonic, LG or Samsung cells, and the SONDORS Fold X proprietary cylinder design, making it ingeniously slender, lightweight, and a perfect fit for SONDORS Fold X.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFOLD X MOTOR\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSONDORS Fold X proudly boasts power never before seen in a SONDORS. Paired with SONDORS Fold X 48 V 14 Ah lithium-ion battery, this 500W motor offers eXtreme hill-climbing, acceleration, and towing capacity to power your daily adventure. And with speeds up to 20 mph, SONDORS Fold X will add eXtra smiles to your miles.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFOLD X SHIFTER UPGRADE OPTION\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGenuine Shimano 7-Speed gear cassette with grip shifter. This feature gives SONDORS Fold X an additional 7 gears for increased hill-climbing power, further range variation, and greater terrain adaptability. It’s like getting two SONDORS in one.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFOLD X TIRES\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSONDORS Fold X is a work of art - and its tires are no exception. Measuring in at a 20 x 4.0 inches, Fold X tires keep it solid while enhancing overall appearance, flexibility and handling.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFOLD X LCD SCREEN UPGRADE INCLUDED\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSONDORS Fold X includes an LCD screen ($150 Value) - this option supplies Fold X with five levels of electric pedal assist plus added torque for increased hill-climbing power, even greater range, and improved towing capacity. In addition, the Fold X LCD screen provides a digital display offering accurate battery level and distance traveled.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFOLD X RANGE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith the use of the included Fold X 48V 14.0 Ah lithium-ion battery along with electric pedal assist, many riders can experience a varied battery range of up to 40-60 miles*. When using straight electric power (without pedaling), the range can fluctuate up to 30 miles*.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e*Range estimates are contingent upon rider and towing weight, riding style, wind speed and terrain.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003e\u003cb\u003eFOLD SHIPPING AND DELIVERY\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou can rest assured, each component of your new SONDORS is carefully wrapped in heavy-duty protective materials and packed with love in our famous SONDORS ultra-thick, 7-layered \"motorcycle-grade\" box. The purchase of your new SONDORS includes hand delivery to your door via U.P.S. ground shipping for oversized packages within the contiguous United States.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePLEASE NOTE: Shipments to Alaska, Hawaii and Canada will incur an extended area surcharge at checkout. (Alaska and Hawaii: $59.00 \/ Canada: $99.00 USD)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #990000;\"\u003eIMPORTANT: \u003cstrong\u003eAll SONDORS shown here are available for delivery in U.S. and Canada ONLY.\u003c\/strong\u003e For SONDORS available in Europe visit \u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sondors.com\/collections\/europe\" style=\"color: #990000;\"\u003eSONDORS Euro\u003c\/a\u003epe\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e"}
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{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Variations in the relative proportions of microheterogeneous forms of plasma glycoproteins in pregnancy and disease.
Using lectin affinity crossed immunoelectrophoresis with concanavalin A in the first dimension and electroendosmotic elution with sugar in the second dimension, the microheterogeneity of a range of plasma proteins was examined. Of the five chosen proteins, alpha 1-protease inhibitor and caeruloplasmin displayed complex patterns, with more than four components. Alpha 1-Antichymotrypsin was composed of three or four components whilst alpha 1-acid glycoprotein and alpha 2-HS glycoprotein displayed two, three or four components. The number of components seen in these proteins depended on the serum sample origin. In pregnancy and in patients receiving exogenous aestrogen the relative proportions of the components of all five proteins were altered in the direction of less con A binding; however alpha 1-acid glycoprotein and alpha 1-antichymotrypsin showed the greater change. In acute disorders the proportions of protein components of alpha 1-antichymotrypsin and alpha 1-acid glycoprotein were altered towards a higher level of con A binding components. There is no significant alteration in con A binding associated with the chronic inflammatory response to cancer and rheumatoid arthritis. There was a general reduction of con A binding in all five plasma proteins in conditions when there was a high blood aestrogen level. This decreased affinity for con A was independent of the overall effect of the aestrogen on the serum concentration of the plasma protein. These results suggest that the glycosylation of plasma proteins is probably under the same regulatory system.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
|
Q:
Why size of classes is larger in case of virtual inheritance?
Virtual base class is a way of preventing multiple instances of a given class appearing in an inheritance hierarchy when using multiple inheritance . Then for the following classes
class level0 {
int a;
public :
level0();
};
class level10:virtual public level0 {
int b;
public :
level10();
};
class level11 :virtual public level0 {
int c;
public :
level11();
};
class level2 :public level10,public level11 {
int d;
public:
level2();
};
I got following sizes of the classes
size of level0 4
size of level10 12
size of level11 12
size of level2 24
but when I removed virtual from inheritance of level10 and level11 I got following output
sizeof level0 4
sizeof level10 8
sizeof level11 8
sizeof level2 20
If virtual inheritance prevents multiple instances of a base class, then why size of classes is greater in case of virtual inheritance?
A:
Because when using virtual inheritence, the compiler will create* a vtable to point to the correct offsets for the various classes, and a pointer to that vtable is stored along with the class.
"Will create" -- vtables are not dictated by the Standard, but the behaviors implied by virtual inheritence is. Most compilers use vtables to implement the functionality dictated by the Standard.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "StackExchange"
}
|
An online backlash greeted Ivanka Trump on Sunday, after the president’s daughter tweeted a picture of herself cuddling her two-year-old son at the same time widespread news reports detailed children being taken from their mothers by US border agents.
Trump’s tweet was captioned “My <3! #SundayMorning
The comedian Patton Oswalt was one of thousands to draw a connection between the tweet and the separation of families at the border under policies pursued by the Trump administration.
“Isn’t it the just the best to snuggle your little one – knowing exactly where they are, safe in your arms?” Oswalt wrote. “It’s the best. The BEST. Right, Ivanka? Right?”
Outraged reaction to Trump’s tweet included responses by many mothers who asked the first daughter to contemplate being forcibly separated from her child.
“You’re a mother of 3,” wrote a user with the Twitter handle @litbrit. “So am I. Imagine someone in an ICE uniform takes away your precious baby, and you never get to see him or her ever again. This is what’s going on, thanks to your Dad’s policy. DO SOMETHING.”
Brian Klaas, a fellow at the London School of Economics and former Democratic strategist, wrote: “This is so unbelievably tone deaf, given that public outrage is growing over young kids being forcibly ripped from the arms of their parents at the border – a barbaric policy that Ivanka Trump is complicit in supporting.”
Previously, families suspected of crossing the border illegally were allowed to stay together until their cases were resolved. In early May, attorney general Jeff Sessions announced a “zero tolerance” policy on illegal immigration.
A Department of Homeland Security official told Reuters: “Those apprehended will be sent directly to federal court under the custody of the US Marshals Service, and their children will be transferred to the custody of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement.”
On Friday Laura St John of the Florence Project, an Arizona nonprofit that provides legal services to migrant families, told Chris Hayes of MSNBC the policy had been in effect for months, directing border agents to separate children as young as one year old from their parents.
In April, a New York Times report concluded that “more than 700 children have been taken from adults claiming to be their parents since October, including more than 100 children under the age of four”. The Times also reported that the Department of Health and Human services had lost track of almost 1,500 migrant children placed with US sponsors after showing up at the border alone.
In a tweet on Saturday, Donald Trump, who as president guides the application of immigration laws, blamed Democrats for the separation policy.
“Put pressure on the Democrats to end the horrible law that separates children from there [sic] parents once they cross the Border into the US,” he wrote.
The reasoning by which the president held Democrats responsible for a policy announced and followed by his own administration was unclear.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Possibly reduced prevalence of peripapillary crescents in ocular hypertension.
We studied optic disc photographs from 137 healthy subjects and 195 subjects with ocular hypertension. The prevalence of peripapillary crescents was lower among hyperopes than among myopes (p less than 0.05). Moreover, the ocular hypertensive subjects had a statistically significant tendency toward a hyperopic median refraction (p less than 0.01). In keeping with this, we observed a lower prevalence rate of crescents in the ocular hypertensive group (35%) than among the healthy subjects (41%). This difference is in the expected direction and magnitude if the absence of a crescent decreases the risk of glaucomatous damage from elevated intraocular pressure, but the number of subjects was too small to obtain statistical significance; however, the evidence is suggestive. Further study, such as in a large population survey or by comparison of two groups with matched genetic heritage, is needed to substantiate the relation between the presence of a crescent and increased risk of glaucomatous damage.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
|
Iran says it's building copy of captured US drone - thematt
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20120422/D9U9U0A80.html
======
shin_lao
There is a world of difference between reverse engineering some of the
software to decipher some logs and understanding everything there is to
understand to build a fac-similé.
While Persians are clearly clever and educated, I submit they lack the
industrial infrastructure to build a drone.
Let's keep in mind they currently have trouble properly refining their oil...
~~~
lotux
To give you an idea about us (Iran) have a look here,
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Iranian_Americans> , you can skip to
Business/Technology section if you like, we survived a devastating war and
more than 30 years of crippling sanctions that continues today. and I have to
say we have pretty good infrastructure that you have no idea about it, which
is good.
------
rollypolly
There were many codes and characters. But we deciphered
them by the grace of God
Excuse me if I doubt any of the claims in this article.
~~~
_interrupt
So apparently, God is on everybody's side and has the set of all encryption
keys.
~~~
kmfrk
The oldest MITM trick in the book.
------
smoyer
During the cold war it was common to segment data so that the compromise of a
single agent wouldn't cause too much damage. I doubt there's too much concern
over the data the drone contains, but the hardware is state-of-the-art and
perhaps it should also have an accident (maybe the centrifuges could teach it
how to self destruct ... Or a North Korean rocket will accidentally fall on
it).
I guess I'm waiting to see how much of this information is verified by someone
outside the Iranian government (hmmm ... And the U.S. Government).
------
sycren
Would it have been better for Iran to have said nothing or is this only to
provoke the US & alies?
------
ams6110
There's always the chance that the drone was "lost" deliberately, in order to
give the Iranians something useless to waste a lot of time on, or to
deliberately mislead them on the true capabilities of the device.
~~~
eternalban
I believe it was and it was a clear signal from a certain influential clique
in the US defense establishment -- where [did] Leon work before? -- to the
Israelis that USA will not allow any nation to dictate its strategic posture
or present it a fait accompli.
~~~
larsbot
Could you explain your reasoning? How is the US purposefully losing a drone in
Iran somehow a signal to the Israelis? Surely Israel already knew that we were
capable of / already flying drone over Iran considering their use in two of
Iran's neighbors (Iraq and Afghanistan).
~~~
eternalban
2 pairs of shoes:
1 Put yourself in the shoes of US commanders unhappy about the possibility of
one day waking up and seeing little blips heading toward Iran. You would have
2 choices and they are both lousy. Business is good. Oil is flowing. Who wants
it all to go up in smoke? Certainly not America.
2 Put yourself in an Israeli analyst's shoes/head and rewind date to day of
release of footage. 3 possibilities, 1 obviously unlikely, and other 2 just
"shocking". (And I leave that for you to divine).
Now, I assert that US president and commanders are sleeping easier, and that
Israelis are no longer so glib about sending aircraft over IRI and taking US
involvement for granted. After all, if IRGC can bring down America's drone,
Israeli F16s could also fall off the sky near the borders of Iran ... by the
"grace of God" ...
------
lotux
don't take it personally, you decrypt someone else code , we decrypt yours, so
there will be one to decrypt ours again. is all about decryption ;)
------
googoobaby
Perhaps they'll build it out of oil drums like their SAM systems? I don't
think Iran is capable of putting together a decent steel drum band much less
stealth drones.
~~~
johansch
I was under the impression that Iran has a pretty decent higher education
system. And that it includes female students as well - with a noticably high
percentage of female students in fields that are male-dominated in the west,
like computer science.
No idea how they are doing in mechanical/aeronautical engineering though.
~~~
lolcraft
Iran is under an international embargo on military supplies, thought. The GP
might be overstating the case or trolling, but I suppose getting the materials
to build a replica, communication gear and fuel will be difficult for the
iranians. Specially when some western country with the biggest military-
industrial complex of the world is angry at you because you broke one of their
toys.
------
zotz
Wow. Will it kill civilians and crash like the original?
------
rsanchez1
They better watch out before they insert their USB cable into the drone's
port. The last time they inserted without protection, they caught Stuxnet.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
}
|
Q:
Combining information from multiple studies to estimate the mean and variance of normally distributed data - Bayesian vs meta-analytic approaches
I have reviewed a set of papers, each reporting the observed mean and SD of a measurement of $X$ in its respective sample of known size, $n$. I want to make the best possible guess about the likely distribution of the same measure in a new study that I am designing, and how much uncertainty is in that guess. I am happy to assume $X \sim N(\mu, \sigma^2$).
My first thought was meta-analysis, but the models typically employed focus on point estimates and corresponding confidence intervals. However, I want to say something about the full distribution of $X$, which in this case would also including making a guess about the variance, $\sigma^2$.
I have been reading about possible Bayeisan approaches to estimating the complete set of parameters of a given distribution in light of prior knowledge. This generally makes more sense to me, but I have zero experience with Bayesian analysis. This also seems like a straightforward, relatively simple problem to cut my teeth on.
1) Given my problem, which approach makes the most sense and why? Meta-analysis or a Bayesian approach?
2) If you think the Bayesian approach is best, can you point me to a way to implement this (preferably in R)?
Related question
EDITS:
I have been trying to work this out in what I think is a 'simple' Bayesian manner.
As I stated above, I am not just interested in the estimated mean, $\mu$, but also the variance,$\sigma^2$, in light of prior information, i.e. $P(\mu, \sigma^2|Y)$
Again, I know nothing about Bayeianism in practice, but it didn't take long to find that the posterior of a normal distribution with unknown mean and variance has a closed form solution via conjugacy, with the normal-inverse-gamma distribution.
The problem is reformulated as $P(\mu, \sigma^2|Y) = P(\mu|\sigma^2, Y)P(\sigma^2|Y)$.
$P(\mu|\sigma^2, Y)$ is estimated with a normal distribution; $P(\sigma^2|Y)$ with an inverse-gamma distribution.
It took me a while to get my head around it, but from these links(1, 2) I was able, I think, to sort how to do this in R.
I started with a data frame made up from a row for each of 33 studies/samples, and columns for the mean, variance, and sample size. I used the mean, variance, and sample size from the first study, in row 1, as my prior information. I then updated this with the information from the next study, calculated the relevant parameters, and sampled from the normal-inverse-gamma to get the distribution of $\mu$ and $\sigma^2$. This gets repeated until all 33 studies have been included.
# Loop start values values
i <- 2
k <- 1
# Results go here
muL <- list() # mean of the estimated mean distribution
varL <- list() # variance of the estimated mean distribution
nL <- list() # sample size
eVarL <- list() # mean of the estimated variance distribution
distL <- list() # sampling 10k times from the mean and variance distributions
# Priors, taken from the study in row 1 of the data frame
muPrior <- bayesDf[1, 14] # Starting mean
nPrior <- bayesDf[1, 10] # Starting sample size
varPrior <- bayesDf[1, 16]^2 # Starting variance
for (i in 2:nrow(bayesDf)){
# "New" Data, Sufficient Statistics needed for parameter estimation
muSamp <- bayesDf[i, 14] # mean
nSamp <- bayesDf[i, 10] # sample size
sumSqSamp <- bayesDf[i, 16]^2*(nSamp-1) # sum of squares (variance * (n-1))
# Posteriors
nPost <- nPrior + nSamp
muPost <- (nPrior * muPrior + nSamp * muSamp) / (nPost)
sPost <- (nPrior * varPrior) +
sumSqSamp +
((nPrior * nSamp) / (nPost)) * ((muSamp - muPrior)^2)
varPost <- sPost/nPost
bPost <- (nPrior * varPrior) +
sumSqSamp +
(nPrior * nSamp / (nPost)) * ((muPrior - muSamp)^2)
# Update
muPrior <- muPost
nPrior <- nPost
varPrior <- varPost
# Store
muL[[i]] <- muPost
varL[[i]] <- varPost
nL[[i]] <- nPost
eVarL[[i]] <- (bPost/2) / ((nPost/2) - 1)
# Sample
muDistL <- list()
varDistL <- list()
for (j in 1:10000){
varDistL[[j]] <- 1/rgamma(1, nPost/2, bPost/2)
v <- 1/rgamma(1, nPost/2, bPost/2)
muDistL[[j]] <- rnorm(1, muPost, v/nPost)
}
# Store
varDist <- do.call(rbind, varDistL)
muDist <- do.call(rbind, muDistL)
dist <- as.data.frame(cbind(varDist, muDist))
distL[[k]] <- dist
# Advance
k <- k+1
i <- i+1
}
var <- do.call(rbind, varL)
mu <- do.call(rbind, muL)
n <- do.call(rbind, nL)
eVar <- do.call(rbind, eVarL)
normsDf <- as.data.frame(cbind(mu, var, eVar, n))
colnames(seDf) <- c("mu", "var", "evar", "n")
normsDf$order <- c(1:33)
Here is a path diagram showing how the $E(\mu)$ and $E(\sigma^2)$ change as each new sample is added.
Here are the desnities based on sampling from the estimated distributions for the mean and variance at each update.
I just wanted to add this in case it is helpful for someone else, and so that people in-the-know can tell me whether this was sensible, flawed, etc.
A:
The two approaches (meta-analysis and Bayesian updating) are not really that distinct. Meta-analytic models are in fact often framed as Bayesian models, since the idea of adding evidence to prior knowledge (possibly quite vague) about the phenomenon at hand lends itself naturally to a meta-analysis. An article that describes this connection is:
Brannick, M. T. (2001). Implications of empirical Bayes meta-analysis for test validation. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86(3), 468-480.
(the author uses correlations as the outcome measure for the meta-analysis, but the principle is the same regardless of the measure).
A more general article on Bayesian methods for meta-analysis would be:
Sutton, A. J., & Abrams, K. R. (2001). Bayesian methods in meta-analysis and evidence synthesis. Statistical Methods in Medical Research, 10(4), 277-303.
What you seem to be after (in addition to some combined estimate) is a prediction/credibility interval that describes where in a future study the true outcome/effect is likely to fall. One can obtain such an interval from a "traditional" meta-analysis or from a Bayesian meta-analytic model. The traditional approach is described, for example, in:
Riley, R. D., Higgins, J. P., & Deeks, J. J. (2011). Interpretation of random effects meta-analyses. British Medical Journal, 342, d549.
In the context of a Bayesian model (take, for example, the random-effects model described by equation 6 in the paper by Sutton & Abrams, 2001), one can easily obtain the posterior distribution of $\theta_i$, where $\theta_i$ is the true outcome/effect in the $i$th study (since these models are typically estimated using MCMC, one just needs to monitor the chain for $\theta_i$ after a suitable burn-in period). From that posterior distribution, one can then obtain the credibility interval.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "StackExchange"
}
|
Entries in Project REACH
(1)
iStockphoto/Thinkstock (NEW YORK) -- Fighting homelessness with technology seems to be a trend this month.
On the heels of an effort to equip homeless people with 4G routers, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, in conjunction with the Department of Housing and Urban Development and Jon Bon Jovi’s Soul Foundation, has launched a project to create an app to fight the national issue of homeless veterans.
The organizations have launched Project REACH (Real-time Electronic Access for Caregivers and the Homeless), an app-creation contest, which asks mobile and website developers to create an app that will help homeless veterans find health clinics, food banks and housing.
“We all use tablets, smartphones, laptops to check the scores of games. … What if we could use the technology to help the homeless people on the corner,” Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan said in a meeting with journalists.
The project is now calling on the help of application developers to create an app that would help connect homeless people with medical care, shelter and food banks. The app is meant for volunteers, rather than the actual homeless individuals, because many of them don’t have phones themselves.
Bon Jovi was very clear about that point during the meeting: “The expectation here is that we reach caregivers and volunteers [with the app]. Say, if you are out on a street team, for example.”
He explained that he sees the need for this sort of app everyday at the Soul Kitchen, his restaurant in New Jersey that serves free food to those who cannot afford it.
The app competition begins March 22 and finalists will be announced in August. The grand prize winner will be awarded $25,000 on Nov. 9, the same day that volunteers should have another tool in their digital charity belts to help homeless veterans on the streets.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Several systems are used to facilitate oil and gas exploration and production operations. One example is a hydraulic fracturing (or “frac”) system, which pumps fluid to a wellhead for the purpose of propagating factures in a formation through which a wellbore extends, the wellhead being the surface termination of the wellbore. In some cases, components of the hydraulic fracturing system unexpectedly need to be replaced, raising safety issues and increasing cost and downtime. In other cases, the overall configuration of a proposed system is deficient because one or more of the components that have been selected to be part of the system have relatively short useful remaining operational lives. These relatively short operational lives may be due, at least in part, to the operational parameters at the locations in the system where the components are expected to be positioned. Therefore, what is needed is an apparatus or method that addresses the foregoing issues, among others.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
}
|
{#sp1 .136}
{#sp2 .137}
{#sp3 .138}
{#sp4 .139}
{#sp5 .140}
{#sp6 .141}
{#sp7 .142}
{#sp8 .143}
{#sp9 .144}
|
{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Central"
}
|
Evidence-based guidelines for pediatric emergencies.
An increasing number of clinical guidelines are being developed to provide high-quality and consistent standards of care, most of which are based on a specific diagnosis. In a pediatric emergency department, the diagnosis may not be known on presentation and the junior doctors are usually the first to assess a patient and will need to establish the diagnosis and execute a management plan. In these circumstances, problem-based guidelines are useful to clinicians and provide a decision pathway by which a clinician can develop a working diagnosis and then follow a guideline for the particular disease. More experienced clinicians may find guidelines for individual diseases or conditions to be of more use. High-quality evidence for either of these styles of guidelines is not readily available and may require extrapolation from the literature focusing on adults or a consensus approach to inform discussions and the development of the recommendations. Due to the complexity of the process it must be systematic, transparent and open to scrutiny. The cost of developing a guideline in a systematic transparent process is high and it is, therefore, essential to ensure the implementation of the guidelines with as much rigor as the development itself. This review discusses the challenges encountered while developing and implementing pediatric emergency guidelines and concludes with the authors' suggestions for future research in this area.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
|
This past week, a couple of volunteers at Zion National Park, in Utah, came upon a drone, equipped with its very own onboard camera, buzzing over a herd of bighorn. The sheep bounded away and, in the ensuing mayhem, several lambs were separated from their mothers. The volunteer spotted the offending filmmakers nearby and shooed them away. The park issued a statement reminding visitors that the use of unmanned aerial vehicles is strictly prohibited and punishable by a jail sentence of up to five months and/or a five-thousand-dollar fine.
Zion is not alone in its protest of drones. Just days before Zion’s declaration, Yosemite National Park, in California, had reminded visitors that drones of any type were unwelcome. Photo hobbyists have flocked to Yosemite and turned the park’s most popular vistas into buzzy air shows, much to the irritation of the park’s keepers. Last fall, the multimedia artist Jim Bowers—who owns four photography drones, and holds the Guinness World Record for building the world’s largest working timepiece—travelled to Yosemite with his DJI Phantom to do a little of what he calls “hit and run filming.” He flew a drone above the park’s Half Dome, Yosemite Village, Mariposa Grove, El Capitan Meadow, and Bridalveil Fall, and collected enough footage for an eight-minute video. Shot in a style reminiscent of “The Endless Summer,” it follows the Phantom as it swoops over trees, skims along crystalline waters, and, in one particularly daring shot, slips under a bridge.
In 2008, I worked as an interpretive park ranger in Acadia National Park, in Maine. The iPhone had just had its first birthday, and those of us in the Park Service were trying to figure out whether to install cell-phone towers to support the new technology. The debate split along the expected lines: those who championed convenience and efficiency versus those who prioritized the “spirit” of the parks. Could a park simultaneously let one connect and disconnect? Cell-phone towers could allow hikers in distress to call for help, for example, but they could also spoil the beautiful vistas that made the climb worthwhile in the first place. There was also an access issue: Should nature be brought to the masses through gadgets like webcams or shareable cell-phone photography, or should parks cater to the rugged individualist who spurns those things?
For Scott Gediman, a veteran ranger at Yosemite, that question is somewhat absurd. Why would he, upon admiring a herd of sheep or bison, tweet the finding so that everybody would come stampeding for a view? As we spoke over the phone, he recalled a passage in Edward Abbey’s “Desert Solitaire,” a paean to the West’s wide, open vistas: “What can I tell them? Sealed in their metallic shells like molluscs on wheels, how can I pry the people free? The auto as tin can, the park ranger as opener.”
For park rangers, conservationists, and nature enthusiasts prone to outlandish metaphor, the drone is today’s tin can. There have been countless others: loop roads, scenic overlooks, paved parking lots, off-roading, motorboats, and helicopters, to name a few. The national park is the strangest of conceits—a corralled wilderness unique, until recently, to the United States. In preserving in perpetuity our most photogenic landscapes, and decreeing that humans do not belong, the parks have become places to visit and exit. And the tin can has become woven into the ethos of the park, the ranger its ever wary warden.
Sheridan Steele, the superintendent of Acadia National Park, saw his first drone last month, when a professor at a nearby college flew one around the park headquarters to demonstrate its capabilities. As he watched the thing buzz around, Steele was struck by two thoughts in quick succession: first, that the gadget would make an excellent search-and-rescue vehicle, much cheaper than a helicopter; and, second, that he needed to squelch any drone population growth.
Steele spends a lot of time thinking about how to keep the park relevant—to younger audiences, to people of color, to visitors with disabilities. These days, he’s considering installing a video billboard that provides visitors with stock nature scenes as they idle in traffic along the park’s congested loop road. These sorts of compromises happen in all parks, as rangers and administrators balance the practical with the aesthetic or the spiritual. But Steele, like the staff of Zion and Yosemite before him, draws the line at drones. “I think that’s not the kind of experience people want,” he said.
The national parks have had their share of follies, like the culling of Yellowstone’s then unpopular gray-wolf population in the early twentieth century. They’ve also sometimes given in to modern luxuries. (The well-heeled residents of Mount Desert Island, home to Acadia, successfully banned automobiles from the isle until finally caving to the siren call of the Ford Model T.) But a technology, once unleashed, is like an invasive species: good at procreating and hard to snuff out. Steele says that the vision of drones swarming around Cadillac Mountain, Acadia’s signature attraction, makes him queasy. Even he understands that there will most likely come a time when drones are seen as a necessary nuisance, but he’d at least like to require the next generation of Ansel Adamses to get a permit.
_
Above: Yosemite Falls. Photograph by Richard Price/Getty.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2"
}
|
/*
* Copyright 2011 The LibYuv Project Authors. All rights reserved.
*
* Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style license
* that can be found in the LICENSE file in the root of the source
* tree. An additional intellectual property rights grant can be found
* in the file PATENTS. All contributing project authors may
* be found in the AUTHORS file in the root of the source tree.
*/
#include "libyuv/scale.h"
#include <assert.h>
#include <string.h>
#include "libyuv/cpu_id.h"
#include "libyuv/planar_functions.h" // For CopyPlane
#include "libyuv/row.h"
#include "libyuv/scale_row.h"
#ifdef __cplusplus
namespace libyuv {
extern "C" {
#endif
static __inline int Abs(int v) {
return v >= 0 ? v : -v;
}
#define SUBSAMPLE(v, a, s) (v < 0) ? (-((-v + a) >> s)) : ((v + a) >> s)
// Scale plane, 1/2
// This is an optimized version for scaling down a plane to 1/2 of
// its original size.
static void ScalePlaneDown2(int src_width, int src_height,
int dst_width, int dst_height,
int src_stride, int dst_stride,
const uint8* src_ptr, uint8* dst_ptr,
enum FilterMode filtering) {
int y;
void (*ScaleRowDown2)(const uint8* src_ptr, ptrdiff_t src_stride,
uint8* dst_ptr, int dst_width) =
filtering == kFilterNone ? ScaleRowDown2_C :
(filtering == kFilterLinear ? ScaleRowDown2Linear_C : ScaleRowDown2Box_C);
int row_stride = src_stride << 1;
if (!filtering) {
src_ptr += src_stride; // Point to odd rows.
src_stride = 0;
}
#if defined(HAS_SCALEROWDOWN2_NEON)
if (TestCpuFlag(kCpuHasNEON)) {
ScaleRowDown2 = filtering == kFilterNone ? ScaleRowDown2_Any_NEON :
(filtering == kFilterLinear ? ScaleRowDown2Linear_Any_NEON :
ScaleRowDown2Box_Any_NEON);
if (IS_ALIGNED(dst_width, 16)) {
ScaleRowDown2 = filtering == kFilterNone ? ScaleRowDown2_NEON :
(filtering == kFilterLinear ? ScaleRowDown2Linear_NEON :
ScaleRowDown2Box_NEON);
}
}
#endif
#if defined(HAS_SCALEROWDOWN2_SSSE3)
if (TestCpuFlag(kCpuHasSSSE3)) {
ScaleRowDown2 = filtering == kFilterNone ? ScaleRowDown2_Any_SSSE3 :
(filtering == kFilterLinear ? ScaleRowDown2Linear_Any_SSSE3 :
ScaleRowDown2Box_Any_SSSE3);
if (IS_ALIGNED(dst_width, 16)) {
ScaleRowDown2 = filtering == kFilterNone ? ScaleRowDown2_SSSE3 :
(filtering == kFilterLinear ? ScaleRowDown2Linear_SSSE3 :
ScaleRowDown2Box_SSSE3);
}
}
#endif
#if defined(HAS_SCALEROWDOWN2_AVX2)
if (TestCpuFlag(kCpuHasAVX2)) {
ScaleRowDown2 = filtering == kFilterNone ? ScaleRowDown2_Any_AVX2 :
(filtering == kFilterLinear ? ScaleRowDown2Linear_Any_AVX2 :
ScaleRowDown2Box_Any_AVX2);
if (IS_ALIGNED(dst_width, 32)) {
ScaleRowDown2 = filtering == kFilterNone ? ScaleRowDown2_AVX2 :
(filtering == kFilterLinear ? ScaleRowDown2Linear_AVX2 :
ScaleRowDown2Box_AVX2);
}
}
#endif
#if defined(HAS_SCALEROWDOWN2_DSPR2)
if (TestCpuFlag(kCpuHasDSPR2) && IS_ALIGNED(src_ptr, 4) &&
IS_ALIGNED(src_stride, 4) && IS_ALIGNED(row_stride, 4) &&
IS_ALIGNED(dst_ptr, 4) && IS_ALIGNED(dst_stride, 4)) {
ScaleRowDown2 = filtering ?
ScaleRowDown2Box_DSPR2 : ScaleRowDown2_DSPR2;
}
#endif
if (filtering == kFilterLinear) {
src_stride = 0;
}
// TODO(fbarchard): Loop through source height to allow odd height.
for (y = 0; y < dst_height; ++y) {
ScaleRowDown2(src_ptr, src_stride, dst_ptr, dst_width);
src_ptr += row_stride;
dst_ptr += dst_stride;
}
}
static void ScalePlaneDown2_16(int src_width, int src_height,
int dst_width, int dst_height,
int src_stride, int dst_stride,
const uint16* src_ptr, uint16* dst_ptr,
enum FilterMode filtering) {
int y;
void (*ScaleRowDown2)(const uint16* src_ptr, ptrdiff_t src_stride,
uint16* dst_ptr, int dst_width) =
filtering == kFilterNone ? ScaleRowDown2_16_C :
(filtering == kFilterLinear ? ScaleRowDown2Linear_16_C :
ScaleRowDown2Box_16_C);
int row_stride = src_stride << 1;
if (!filtering) {
src_ptr += src_stride; // Point to odd rows.
src_stride = 0;
}
#if defined(HAS_SCALEROWDOWN2_16_NEON)
if (TestCpuFlag(kCpuHasNEON) && IS_ALIGNED(dst_width, 16)) {
ScaleRowDown2 = filtering ? ScaleRowDown2Box_16_NEON :
ScaleRowDown2_16_NEON;
}
#endif
#if defined(HAS_SCALEROWDOWN2_16_SSE2)
if (TestCpuFlag(kCpuHasSSE2) && IS_ALIGNED(dst_width, 16)) {
ScaleRowDown2 = filtering == kFilterNone ? ScaleRowDown2_16_SSE2 :
(filtering == kFilterLinear ? ScaleRowDown2Linear_16_SSE2 :
ScaleRowDown2Box_16_SSE2);
}
#endif
#if defined(HAS_SCALEROWDOWN2_16_DSPR2)
if (TestCpuFlag(kCpuHasDSPR2) && IS_ALIGNED(src_ptr, 4) &&
IS_ALIGNED(src_stride, 4) && IS_ALIGNED(row_stride, 4) &&
IS_ALIGNED(dst_ptr, 4) && IS_ALIGNED(dst_stride, 4)) {
ScaleRowDown2 = filtering ?
ScaleRowDown2Box_16_DSPR2 : ScaleRowDown2_16_DSPR2;
}
#endif
if (filtering == kFilterLinear) {
src_stride = 0;
}
// TODO(fbarchard): Loop through source height to allow odd height.
for (y = 0; y < dst_height; ++y) {
ScaleRowDown2(src_ptr, src_stride, dst_ptr, dst_width);
src_ptr += row_stride;
dst_ptr += dst_stride;
}
}
// Scale plane, 1/4
// This is an optimized version for scaling down a plane to 1/4 of
// its original size.
static void ScalePlaneDown4(int src_width, int src_height,
int dst_width, int dst_height,
int src_stride, int dst_stride,
const uint8* src_ptr, uint8* dst_ptr,
enum FilterMode filtering) {
int y;
void (*ScaleRowDown4)(const uint8* src_ptr, ptrdiff_t src_stride,
uint8* dst_ptr, int dst_width) =
filtering ? ScaleRowDown4Box_C : ScaleRowDown4_C;
int row_stride = src_stride << 2;
if (!filtering) {
src_ptr += src_stride * 2; // Point to row 2.
src_stride = 0;
}
#if defined(HAS_SCALEROWDOWN4_NEON)
if (TestCpuFlag(kCpuHasNEON)) {
ScaleRowDown4 = filtering ?
ScaleRowDown4Box_Any_NEON : ScaleRowDown4_Any_NEON;
if (IS_ALIGNED(dst_width, 8)) {
ScaleRowDown4 = filtering ? ScaleRowDown4Box_NEON : ScaleRowDown4_NEON;
}
}
#endif
#if defined(HAS_SCALEROWDOWN4_SSSE3)
if (TestCpuFlag(kCpuHasSSSE3)) {
ScaleRowDown4 = filtering ?
ScaleRowDown4Box_Any_SSSE3 : ScaleRowDown4_Any_SSSE3;
if (IS_ALIGNED(dst_width, 8)) {
ScaleRowDown4 = filtering ? ScaleRowDown4Box_SSSE3 : ScaleRowDown4_SSSE3;
}
}
#endif
#if defined(HAS_SCALEROWDOWN4_AVX2)
if (TestCpuFlag(kCpuHasAVX2)) {
ScaleRowDown4 = filtering ?
ScaleRowDown4Box_Any_AVX2 : ScaleRowDown4_Any_AVX2;
if (IS_ALIGNED(dst_width, 16)) {
ScaleRowDown4 = filtering ? ScaleRowDown4Box_AVX2 : ScaleRowDown4_AVX2;
}
}
#endif
#if defined(HAS_SCALEROWDOWN4_DSPR2)
if (TestCpuFlag(kCpuHasDSPR2) && IS_ALIGNED(row_stride, 4) &&
IS_ALIGNED(src_ptr, 4) && IS_ALIGNED(src_stride, 4) &&
IS_ALIGNED(dst_ptr, 4) && IS_ALIGNED(dst_stride, 4)) {
ScaleRowDown4 = filtering ?
ScaleRowDown4Box_DSPR2 : ScaleRowDown4_DSPR2;
}
#endif
if (filtering == kFilterLinear) {
src_stride = 0;
}
for (y = 0; y < dst_height; ++y) {
ScaleRowDown4(src_ptr, src_stride, dst_ptr, dst_width);
src_ptr += row_stride;
dst_ptr += dst_stride;
}
}
static void ScalePlaneDown4_16(int src_width, int src_height,
int dst_width, int dst_height,
int src_stride, int dst_stride,
const uint16* src_ptr, uint16* dst_ptr,
enum FilterMode filtering) {
int y;
void (*ScaleRowDown4)(const uint16* src_ptr, ptrdiff_t src_stride,
uint16* dst_ptr, int dst_width) =
filtering ? ScaleRowDown4Box_16_C : ScaleRowDown4_16_C;
int row_stride = src_stride << 2;
if (!filtering) {
src_ptr += src_stride * 2; // Point to row 2.
src_stride = 0;
}
#if defined(HAS_SCALEROWDOWN4_16_NEON)
if (TestCpuFlag(kCpuHasNEON) && IS_ALIGNED(dst_width, 8)) {
ScaleRowDown4 = filtering ? ScaleRowDown4Box_16_NEON :
ScaleRowDown4_16_NEON;
}
#endif
#if defined(HAS_SCALEROWDOWN4_16_SSE2)
if (TestCpuFlag(kCpuHasSSE2) && IS_ALIGNED(dst_width, 8)) {
ScaleRowDown4 = filtering ? ScaleRowDown4Box_16_SSE2 :
ScaleRowDown4_16_SSE2;
}
#endif
#if defined(HAS_SCALEROWDOWN4_16_DSPR2)
if (TestCpuFlag(kCpuHasDSPR2) && IS_ALIGNED(row_stride, 4) &&
IS_ALIGNED(src_ptr, 4) && IS_ALIGNED(src_stride, 4) &&
IS_ALIGNED(dst_ptr, 4) && IS_ALIGNED(dst_stride, 4)) {
ScaleRowDown4 = filtering ?
ScaleRowDown4Box_16_DSPR2 : ScaleRowDown4_16_DSPR2;
}
#endif
if (filtering == kFilterLinear) {
src_stride = 0;
}
for (y = 0; y < dst_height; ++y) {
ScaleRowDown4(src_ptr, src_stride, dst_ptr, dst_width);
src_ptr += row_stride;
dst_ptr += dst_stride;
}
}
// Scale plane down, 3/4
static void ScalePlaneDown34(int src_width, int src_height,
int dst_width, int dst_height,
int src_stride, int dst_stride,
const uint8* src_ptr, uint8* dst_ptr,
enum FilterMode filtering) {
int y;
void (*ScaleRowDown34_0)(const uint8* src_ptr, ptrdiff_t src_stride,
uint8* dst_ptr, int dst_width);
void (*ScaleRowDown34_1)(const uint8* src_ptr, ptrdiff_t src_stride,
uint8* dst_ptr, int dst_width);
const int filter_stride = (filtering == kFilterLinear) ? 0 : src_stride;
assert(dst_width % 3 == 0);
if (!filtering) {
ScaleRowDown34_0 = ScaleRowDown34_C;
ScaleRowDown34_1 = ScaleRowDown34_C;
} else {
ScaleRowDown34_0 = ScaleRowDown34_0_Box_C;
ScaleRowDown34_1 = ScaleRowDown34_1_Box_C;
}
#if defined(HAS_SCALEROWDOWN34_NEON)
if (TestCpuFlag(kCpuHasNEON)) {
if (!filtering) {
ScaleRowDown34_0 = ScaleRowDown34_Any_NEON;
ScaleRowDown34_1 = ScaleRowDown34_Any_NEON;
} else {
ScaleRowDown34_0 = ScaleRowDown34_0_Box_Any_NEON;
ScaleRowDown34_1 = ScaleRowDown34_1_Box_Any_NEON;
}
if (dst_width % 24 == 0) {
if (!filtering) {
ScaleRowDown34_0 = ScaleRowDown34_NEON;
ScaleRowDown34_1 = ScaleRowDown34_NEON;
} else {
ScaleRowDown34_0 = ScaleRowDown34_0_Box_NEON;
ScaleRowDown34_1 = ScaleRowDown34_1_Box_NEON;
}
}
}
#endif
#if defined(HAS_SCALEROWDOWN34_SSSE3)
if (TestCpuFlag(kCpuHasSSSE3)) {
if (!filtering) {
ScaleRowDown34_0 = ScaleRowDown34_Any_SSSE3;
ScaleRowDown34_1 = ScaleRowDown34_Any_SSSE3;
} else {
ScaleRowDown34_0 = ScaleRowDown34_0_Box_Any_SSSE3;
ScaleRowDown34_1 = ScaleRowDown34_1_Box_Any_SSSE3;
}
if (dst_width % 24 == 0) {
if (!filtering) {
ScaleRowDown34_0 = ScaleRowDown34_SSSE3;
ScaleRowDown34_1 = ScaleRowDown34_SSSE3;
} else {
ScaleRowDown34_0 = ScaleRowDown34_0_Box_SSSE3;
ScaleRowDown34_1 = ScaleRowDown34_1_Box_SSSE3;
}
}
}
#endif
#if defined(HAS_SCALEROWDOWN34_DSPR2)
if (TestCpuFlag(kCpuHasDSPR2) && (dst_width % 24 == 0) &&
IS_ALIGNED(src_ptr, 4) && IS_ALIGNED(src_stride, 4) &&
IS_ALIGNED(dst_ptr, 4) && IS_ALIGNED(dst_stride, 4)) {
if (!filtering) {
ScaleRowDown34_0 = ScaleRowDown34_DSPR2;
ScaleRowDown34_1 = ScaleRowDown34_DSPR2;
} else {
ScaleRowDown34_0 = ScaleRowDown34_0_Box_DSPR2;
ScaleRowDown34_1 = ScaleRowDown34_1_Box_DSPR2;
}
}
#endif
for (y = 0; y < dst_height - 2; y += 3) {
ScaleRowDown34_0(src_ptr, filter_stride, dst_ptr, dst_width);
src_ptr += src_stride;
dst_ptr += dst_stride;
ScaleRowDown34_1(src_ptr, filter_stride, dst_ptr, dst_width);
src_ptr += src_stride;
dst_ptr += dst_stride;
ScaleRowDown34_0(src_ptr + src_stride, -filter_stride,
dst_ptr, dst_width);
src_ptr += src_stride * 2;
dst_ptr += dst_stride;
}
// Remainder 1 or 2 rows with last row vertically unfiltered
if ((dst_height % 3) == 2) {
ScaleRowDown34_0(src_ptr, filter_stride, dst_ptr, dst_width);
src_ptr += src_stride;
dst_ptr += dst_stride;
ScaleRowDown34_1(src_ptr, 0, dst_ptr, dst_width);
} else if ((dst_height % 3) == 1) {
ScaleRowDown34_0(src_ptr, 0, dst_ptr, dst_width);
}
}
static void ScalePlaneDown34_16(int src_width, int src_height,
int dst_width, int dst_height,
int src_stride, int dst_stride,
const uint16* src_ptr, uint16* dst_ptr,
enum FilterMode filtering) {
int y;
void (*ScaleRowDown34_0)(const uint16* src_ptr, ptrdiff_t src_stride,
uint16* dst_ptr, int dst_width);
void (*ScaleRowDown34_1)(const uint16* src_ptr, ptrdiff_t src_stride,
uint16* dst_ptr, int dst_width);
const int filter_stride = (filtering == kFilterLinear) ? 0 : src_stride;
assert(dst_width % 3 == 0);
if (!filtering) {
ScaleRowDown34_0 = ScaleRowDown34_16_C;
ScaleRowDown34_1 = ScaleRowDown34_16_C;
} else {
ScaleRowDown34_0 = ScaleRowDown34_0_Box_16_C;
ScaleRowDown34_1 = ScaleRowDown34_1_Box_16_C;
}
#if defined(HAS_SCALEROWDOWN34_16_NEON)
if (TestCpuFlag(kCpuHasNEON) && (dst_width % 24 == 0)) {
if (!filtering) {
ScaleRowDown34_0 = ScaleRowDown34_16_NEON;
ScaleRowDown34_1 = ScaleRowDown34_16_NEON;
} else {
ScaleRowDown34_0 = ScaleRowDown34_0_Box_16_NEON;
ScaleRowDown34_1 = ScaleRowDown34_1_Box_16_NEON;
}
}
#endif
#if defined(HAS_SCALEROWDOWN34_16_SSSE3)
if (TestCpuFlag(kCpuHasSSSE3) && (dst_width % 24 == 0)) {
if (!filtering) {
ScaleRowDown34_0 = ScaleRowDown34_16_SSSE3;
ScaleRowDown34_1 = ScaleRowDown34_16_SSSE3;
} else {
ScaleRowDown34_0 = ScaleRowDown34_0_Box_16_SSSE3;
ScaleRowDown34_1 = ScaleRowDown34_1_Box_16_SSSE3;
}
}
#endif
#if defined(HAS_SCALEROWDOWN34_16_DSPR2)
if (TestCpuFlag(kCpuHasDSPR2) && (dst_width % 24 == 0) &&
IS_ALIGNED(src_ptr, 4) && IS_ALIGNED(src_stride, 4) &&
IS_ALIGNED(dst_ptr, 4) && IS_ALIGNED(dst_stride, 4)) {
if (!filtering) {
ScaleRowDown34_0 = ScaleRowDown34_16_DSPR2;
ScaleRowDown34_1 = ScaleRowDown34_16_DSPR2;
} else {
ScaleRowDown34_0 = ScaleRowDown34_0_Box_16_DSPR2;
ScaleRowDown34_1 = ScaleRowDown34_1_Box_16_DSPR2;
}
}
#endif
for (y = 0; y < dst_height - 2; y += 3) {
ScaleRowDown34_0(src_ptr, filter_stride, dst_ptr, dst_width);
src_ptr += src_stride;
dst_ptr += dst_stride;
ScaleRowDown34_1(src_ptr, filter_stride, dst_ptr, dst_width);
src_ptr += src_stride;
dst_ptr += dst_stride;
ScaleRowDown34_0(src_ptr + src_stride, -filter_stride,
dst_ptr, dst_width);
src_ptr += src_stride * 2;
dst_ptr += dst_stride;
}
// Remainder 1 or 2 rows with last row vertically unfiltered
if ((dst_height % 3) == 2) {
ScaleRowDown34_0(src_ptr, filter_stride, dst_ptr, dst_width);
src_ptr += src_stride;
dst_ptr += dst_stride;
ScaleRowDown34_1(src_ptr, 0, dst_ptr, dst_width);
} else if ((dst_height % 3) == 1) {
ScaleRowDown34_0(src_ptr, 0, dst_ptr, dst_width);
}
}
// Scale plane, 3/8
// This is an optimized version for scaling down a plane to 3/8
// of its original size.
//
// Uses box filter arranges like this
// aaabbbcc -> abc
// aaabbbcc def
// aaabbbcc ghi
// dddeeeff
// dddeeeff
// dddeeeff
// ggghhhii
// ggghhhii
// Boxes are 3x3, 2x3, 3x2 and 2x2
static void ScalePlaneDown38(int src_width, int src_height,
int dst_width, int dst_height,
int src_stride, int dst_stride,
const uint8* src_ptr, uint8* dst_ptr,
enum FilterMode filtering) {
int y;
void (*ScaleRowDown38_3)(const uint8* src_ptr, ptrdiff_t src_stride,
uint8* dst_ptr, int dst_width);
void (*ScaleRowDown38_2)(const uint8* src_ptr, ptrdiff_t src_stride,
uint8* dst_ptr, int dst_width);
const int filter_stride = (filtering == kFilterLinear) ? 0 : src_stride;
assert(dst_width % 3 == 0);
if (!filtering) {
ScaleRowDown38_3 = ScaleRowDown38_C;
ScaleRowDown38_2 = ScaleRowDown38_C;
} else {
ScaleRowDown38_3 = ScaleRowDown38_3_Box_C;
ScaleRowDown38_2 = ScaleRowDown38_2_Box_C;
}
#if defined(HAS_SCALEROWDOWN38_NEON)
if (TestCpuFlag(kCpuHasNEON)) {
if (!filtering) {
ScaleRowDown38_3 = ScaleRowDown38_Any_NEON;
ScaleRowDown38_2 = ScaleRowDown38_Any_NEON;
} else {
ScaleRowDown38_3 = ScaleRowDown38_3_Box_Any_NEON;
ScaleRowDown38_2 = ScaleRowDown38_2_Box_Any_NEON;
}
if (dst_width % 12 == 0) {
if (!filtering) {
ScaleRowDown38_3 = ScaleRowDown38_NEON;
ScaleRowDown38_2 = ScaleRowDown38_NEON;
} else {
ScaleRowDown38_3 = ScaleRowDown38_3_Box_NEON;
ScaleRowDown38_2 = ScaleRowDown38_2_Box_NEON;
}
}
}
#endif
#if defined(HAS_SCALEROWDOWN38_SSSE3)
if (TestCpuFlag(kCpuHasSSSE3)) {
if (!filtering) {
ScaleRowDown38_3 = ScaleRowDown38_Any_SSSE3;
ScaleRowDown38_2 = ScaleRowDown38_Any_SSSE3;
} else {
ScaleRowDown38_3 = ScaleRowDown38_3_Box_Any_SSSE3;
ScaleRowDown38_2 = ScaleRowDown38_2_Box_Any_SSSE3;
}
if (dst_width % 12 == 0 && !filtering) {
ScaleRowDown38_3 = ScaleRowDown38_SSSE3;
ScaleRowDown38_2 = ScaleRowDown38_SSSE3;
}
if (dst_width % 6 == 0 && filtering) {
ScaleRowDown38_3 = ScaleRowDown38_3_Box_SSSE3;
ScaleRowDown38_2 = ScaleRowDown38_2_Box_SSSE3;
}
}
#endif
#if defined(HAS_SCALEROWDOWN38_DSPR2)
if (TestCpuFlag(kCpuHasDSPR2) && (dst_width % 12 == 0) &&
IS_ALIGNED(src_ptr, 4) && IS_ALIGNED(src_stride, 4) &&
IS_ALIGNED(dst_ptr, 4) && IS_ALIGNED(dst_stride, 4)) {
if (!filtering) {
ScaleRowDown38_3 = ScaleRowDown38_DSPR2;
ScaleRowDown38_2 = ScaleRowDown38_DSPR2;
} else {
ScaleRowDown38_3 = ScaleRowDown38_3_Box_DSPR2;
ScaleRowDown38_2 = ScaleRowDown38_2_Box_DSPR2;
}
}
#endif
for (y = 0; y < dst_height - 2; y += 3) {
ScaleRowDown38_3(src_ptr, filter_stride, dst_ptr, dst_width);
src_ptr += src_stride * 3;
dst_ptr += dst_stride;
ScaleRowDown38_3(src_ptr, filter_stride, dst_ptr, dst_width);
src_ptr += src_stride * 3;
dst_ptr += dst_stride;
ScaleRowDown38_2(src_ptr, filter_stride, dst_ptr, dst_width);
src_ptr += src_stride * 2;
dst_ptr += dst_stride;
}
// Remainder 1 or 2 rows with last row vertically unfiltered
if ((dst_height % 3) == 2) {
ScaleRowDown38_3(src_ptr, filter_stride, dst_ptr, dst_width);
src_ptr += src_stride * 3;
dst_ptr += dst_stride;
ScaleRowDown38_3(src_ptr, 0, dst_ptr, dst_width);
} else if ((dst_height % 3) == 1) {
ScaleRowDown38_3(src_ptr, 0, dst_ptr, dst_width);
}
}
static void ScalePlaneDown38_16(int src_width, int src_height,
int dst_width, int dst_height,
int src_stride, int dst_stride,
const uint16* src_ptr, uint16* dst_ptr,
enum FilterMode filtering) {
int y;
void (*ScaleRowDown38_3)(const uint16* src_ptr, ptrdiff_t src_stride,
uint16* dst_ptr, int dst_width);
void (*ScaleRowDown38_2)(const uint16* src_ptr, ptrdiff_t src_stride,
uint16* dst_ptr, int dst_width);
const int filter_stride = (filtering == kFilterLinear) ? 0 : src_stride;
assert(dst_width % 3 == 0);
if (!filtering) {
ScaleRowDown38_3 = ScaleRowDown38_16_C;
ScaleRowDown38_2 = ScaleRowDown38_16_C;
} else {
ScaleRowDown38_3 = ScaleRowDown38_3_Box_16_C;
ScaleRowDown38_2 = ScaleRowDown38_2_Box_16_C;
}
#if defined(HAS_SCALEROWDOWN38_16_NEON)
if (TestCpuFlag(kCpuHasNEON) && (dst_width % 12 == 0)) {
if (!filtering) {
ScaleRowDown38_3 = ScaleRowDown38_16_NEON;
ScaleRowDown38_2 = ScaleRowDown38_16_NEON;
} else {
ScaleRowDown38_3 = ScaleRowDown38_3_Box_16_NEON;
ScaleRowDown38_2 = ScaleRowDown38_2_Box_16_NEON;
}
}
#endif
#if defined(HAS_SCALEROWDOWN38_16_SSSE3)
if (TestCpuFlag(kCpuHasSSSE3) && (dst_width % 24 == 0)) {
if (!filtering) {
ScaleRowDown38_3 = ScaleRowDown38_16_SSSE3;
ScaleRowDown38_2 = ScaleRowDown38_16_SSSE3;
} else {
ScaleRowDown38_3 = ScaleRowDown38_3_Box_16_SSSE3;
ScaleRowDown38_2 = ScaleRowDown38_2_Box_16_SSSE3;
}
}
#endif
#if defined(HAS_SCALEROWDOWN38_16_DSPR2)
if (TestCpuFlag(kCpuHasDSPR2) && (dst_width % 12 == 0) &&
IS_ALIGNED(src_ptr, 4) && IS_ALIGNED(src_stride, 4) &&
IS_ALIGNED(dst_ptr, 4) && IS_ALIGNED(dst_stride, 4)) {
if (!filtering) {
ScaleRowDown38_3 = ScaleRowDown38_16_DSPR2;
ScaleRowDown38_2 = ScaleRowDown38_16_DSPR2;
} else {
ScaleRowDown38_3 = ScaleRowDown38_3_Box_16_DSPR2;
ScaleRowDown38_2 = ScaleRowDown38_2_Box_16_DSPR2;
}
}
#endif
for (y = 0; y < dst_height - 2; y += 3) {
ScaleRowDown38_3(src_ptr, filter_stride, dst_ptr, dst_width);
src_ptr += src_stride * 3;
dst_ptr += dst_stride;
ScaleRowDown38_3(src_ptr, filter_stride, dst_ptr, dst_width);
src_ptr += src_stride * 3;
dst_ptr += dst_stride;
ScaleRowDown38_2(src_ptr, filter_stride, dst_ptr, dst_width);
src_ptr += src_stride * 2;
dst_ptr += dst_stride;
}
// Remainder 1 or 2 rows with last row vertically unfiltered
if ((dst_height % 3) == 2) {
ScaleRowDown38_3(src_ptr, filter_stride, dst_ptr, dst_width);
src_ptr += src_stride * 3;
dst_ptr += dst_stride;
ScaleRowDown38_3(src_ptr, 0, dst_ptr, dst_width);
} else if ((dst_height % 3) == 1) {
ScaleRowDown38_3(src_ptr, 0, dst_ptr, dst_width);
}
}
#define MIN1(x) ((x) < 1 ? 1 : (x))
static __inline uint32 SumPixels(int iboxwidth, const uint16* src_ptr) {
uint32 sum = 0u;
int x;
assert(iboxwidth > 0);
for (x = 0; x < iboxwidth; ++x) {
sum += src_ptr[x];
}
return sum;
}
static __inline uint32 SumPixels_16(int iboxwidth, const uint32* src_ptr) {
uint32 sum = 0u;
int x;
assert(iboxwidth > 0);
for (x = 0; x < iboxwidth; ++x) {
sum += src_ptr[x];
}
return sum;
}
static void ScaleAddCols2_C(int dst_width, int boxheight, int x, int dx,
const uint16* src_ptr, uint8* dst_ptr) {
int i;
int scaletbl[2];
int minboxwidth = dx >> 16;
int boxwidth;
scaletbl[0] = 65536 / (MIN1(minboxwidth) * boxheight);
scaletbl[1] = 65536 / (MIN1(minboxwidth + 1) * boxheight);
for (i = 0; i < dst_width; ++i) {
int ix = x >> 16;
x += dx;
boxwidth = MIN1((x >> 16) - ix);
*dst_ptr++ = SumPixels(boxwidth, src_ptr + ix) *
scaletbl[boxwidth - minboxwidth] >> 16;
}
}
static void ScaleAddCols2_16_C(int dst_width, int boxheight, int x, int dx,
const uint32* src_ptr, uint16* dst_ptr) {
int i;
int scaletbl[2];
int minboxwidth = dx >> 16;
int boxwidth;
scaletbl[0] = 65536 / (MIN1(minboxwidth) * boxheight);
scaletbl[1] = 65536 / (MIN1(minboxwidth + 1) * boxheight);
for (i = 0; i < dst_width; ++i) {
int ix = x >> 16;
x += dx;
boxwidth = MIN1((x >> 16) - ix);
*dst_ptr++ = SumPixels_16(boxwidth, src_ptr + ix) *
scaletbl[boxwidth - minboxwidth] >> 16;
}
}
static void ScaleAddCols0_C(int dst_width, int boxheight, int x, int,
const uint16* src_ptr, uint8* dst_ptr) {
int scaleval = 65536 / boxheight;
int i;
src_ptr += (x >> 16);
for (i = 0; i < dst_width; ++i) {
*dst_ptr++ = src_ptr[i] * scaleval >> 16;
}
}
static void ScaleAddCols1_C(int dst_width, int boxheight, int x, int dx,
const uint16* src_ptr, uint8* dst_ptr) {
int boxwidth = MIN1(dx >> 16);
int scaleval = 65536 / (boxwidth * boxheight);
int i;
x >>= 16;
for (i = 0; i < dst_width; ++i) {
*dst_ptr++ = SumPixels(boxwidth, src_ptr + x) * scaleval >> 16;
x += boxwidth;
}
}
static void ScaleAddCols1_16_C(int dst_width, int boxheight, int x, int dx,
const uint32* src_ptr, uint16* dst_ptr) {
int boxwidth = MIN1(dx >> 16);
int scaleval = 65536 / (boxwidth * boxheight);
int i;
for (i = 0; i < dst_width; ++i) {
*dst_ptr++ = SumPixels_16(boxwidth, src_ptr + x) * scaleval >> 16;
x += boxwidth;
}
}
// Scale plane down to any dimensions, with interpolation.
// (boxfilter).
//
// Same method as SimpleScale, which is fixed point, outputting
// one pixel of destination using fixed point (16.16) to step
// through source, sampling a box of pixel with simple
// averaging.
static void ScalePlaneBox(int src_width, int src_height,
int dst_width, int dst_height,
int src_stride, int dst_stride,
const uint8* src_ptr, uint8* dst_ptr) {
int j, k;
// Initial source x/y coordinate and step values as 16.16 fixed point.
int x = 0;
int y = 0;
int dx = 0;
int dy = 0;
const int max_y = (src_height << 16);
ScaleSlope(src_width, src_height, dst_width, dst_height, kFilterBox,
&x, &y, &dx, &dy);
src_width = Abs(src_width);
{
// Allocate a row buffer of uint16.
align_buffer_64(row16, src_width * 2);
void (*ScaleAddCols)(int dst_width, int boxheight, int x, int dx,
const uint16* src_ptr, uint8* dst_ptr) =
(dx & 0xffff) ? ScaleAddCols2_C:
((dx != 0x10000) ? ScaleAddCols1_C : ScaleAddCols0_C);
void (*ScaleAddRow)(const uint8* src_ptr, uint16* dst_ptr, int src_width) =
ScaleAddRow_C;
#if defined(HAS_SCALEADDROW_SSE2)
if (TestCpuFlag(kCpuHasSSE2)) {
ScaleAddRow = ScaleAddRow_Any_SSE2;
if (IS_ALIGNED(src_width, 16)) {
ScaleAddRow = ScaleAddRow_SSE2;
}
}
#endif
#if defined(HAS_SCALEADDROW_AVX2)
if (TestCpuFlag(kCpuHasAVX2)) {
ScaleAddRow = ScaleAddRow_Any_AVX2;
if (IS_ALIGNED(src_width, 32)) {
ScaleAddRow = ScaleAddRow_AVX2;
}
}
#endif
#if defined(HAS_SCALEADDROW_NEON)
if (TestCpuFlag(kCpuHasNEON)) {
ScaleAddRow = ScaleAddRow_Any_NEON;
if (IS_ALIGNED(src_width, 16)) {
ScaleAddRow = ScaleAddRow_NEON;
}
}
#endif
for (j = 0; j < dst_height; ++j) {
int boxheight;
int iy = y >> 16;
const uint8* src = src_ptr + iy * src_stride;
y += dy;
if (y > max_y) {
y = max_y;
}
boxheight = MIN1((y >> 16) - iy);
memset(row16, 0, src_width * 2);
for (k = 0; k < boxheight; ++k) {
ScaleAddRow(src, (uint16 *)(row16), src_width);
src += src_stride;
}
ScaleAddCols(dst_width, boxheight, x, dx, (uint16*)(row16), dst_ptr);
dst_ptr += dst_stride;
}
free_aligned_buffer_64(row16);
}
}
static void ScalePlaneBox_16(int src_width, int src_height,
int dst_width, int dst_height,
int src_stride, int dst_stride,
const uint16* src_ptr, uint16* dst_ptr) {
int j, k;
// Initial source x/y coordinate and step values as 16.16 fixed point.
int x = 0;
int y = 0;
int dx = 0;
int dy = 0;
const int max_y = (src_height << 16);
ScaleSlope(src_width, src_height, dst_width, dst_height, kFilterBox,
&x, &y, &dx, &dy);
src_width = Abs(src_width);
{
// Allocate a row buffer of uint32.
align_buffer_64(row32, src_width * 4);
void (*ScaleAddCols)(int dst_width, int boxheight, int x, int dx,
const uint32* src_ptr, uint16* dst_ptr) =
(dx & 0xffff) ? ScaleAddCols2_16_C: ScaleAddCols1_16_C;
void (*ScaleAddRow)(const uint16* src_ptr, uint32* dst_ptr, int src_width) =
ScaleAddRow_16_C;
#if defined(HAS_SCALEADDROW_16_SSE2)
if (TestCpuFlag(kCpuHasSSE2) && IS_ALIGNED(src_width, 16)) {
ScaleAddRow = ScaleAddRow_16_SSE2;
}
#endif
for (j = 0; j < dst_height; ++j) {
int boxheight;
int iy = y >> 16;
const uint16* src = src_ptr + iy * src_stride;
y += dy;
if (y > max_y) {
y = max_y;
}
boxheight = MIN1((y >> 16) - iy);
memset(row32, 0, src_width * 4);
for (k = 0; k < boxheight; ++k) {
ScaleAddRow(src, (uint32 *)(row32), src_width);
src += src_stride;
}
ScaleAddCols(dst_width, boxheight, x, dx, (uint32*)(row32), dst_ptr);
dst_ptr += dst_stride;
}
free_aligned_buffer_64(row32);
}
}
// Scale plane down with bilinear interpolation.
void ScalePlaneBilinearDown(int src_width, int src_height,
int dst_width, int dst_height,
int src_stride, int dst_stride,
const uint8* src_ptr, uint8* dst_ptr,
enum FilterMode filtering) {
// Initial source x/y coordinate and step values as 16.16 fixed point.
int x = 0;
int y = 0;
int dx = 0;
int dy = 0;
// TODO(fbarchard): Consider not allocating row buffer for kFilterLinear.
// Allocate a row buffer.
align_buffer_64(row, src_width);
const int max_y = (src_height - 1) << 16;
int j;
void (*ScaleFilterCols)(uint8* dst_ptr, const uint8* src_ptr,
int dst_width, int x, int dx) =
(src_width >= 32768) ? ScaleFilterCols64_C : ScaleFilterCols_C;
void (*InterpolateRow)(uint8* dst_ptr, const uint8* src_ptr,
ptrdiff_t src_stride, int dst_width, int source_y_fraction) =
InterpolateRow_C;
ScaleSlope(src_width, src_height, dst_width, dst_height, filtering,
&x, &y, &dx, &dy);
src_width = Abs(src_width);
#if defined(HAS_INTERPOLATEROW_SSSE3)
if (TestCpuFlag(kCpuHasSSSE3)) {
InterpolateRow = InterpolateRow_Any_SSSE3;
if (IS_ALIGNED(src_width, 16)) {
InterpolateRow = InterpolateRow_SSSE3;
}
}
#endif
#if defined(HAS_INTERPOLATEROW_AVX2)
if (TestCpuFlag(kCpuHasAVX2)) {
InterpolateRow = InterpolateRow_Any_AVX2;
if (IS_ALIGNED(src_width, 32)) {
InterpolateRow = InterpolateRow_AVX2;
}
}
#endif
#if defined(HAS_INTERPOLATEROW_NEON)
if (TestCpuFlag(kCpuHasNEON)) {
InterpolateRow = InterpolateRow_Any_NEON;
if (IS_ALIGNED(src_width, 16)) {
InterpolateRow = InterpolateRow_NEON;
}
}
#endif
#if defined(HAS_INTERPOLATEROW_DSPR2)
if (TestCpuFlag(kCpuHasDSPR2)) {
InterpolateRow = InterpolateRow_Any_DSPR2;
if (IS_ALIGNED(src_width, 4)) {
InterpolateRow = InterpolateRow_DSPR2;
}
}
#endif
#if defined(HAS_SCALEFILTERCOLS_SSSE3)
if (TestCpuFlag(kCpuHasSSSE3) && src_width < 32768) {
ScaleFilterCols = ScaleFilterCols_SSSE3;
}
#endif
#if defined(HAS_SCALEFILTERCOLS_NEON)
if (TestCpuFlag(kCpuHasNEON) && src_width < 32768) {
ScaleFilterCols = ScaleFilterCols_Any_NEON;
if (IS_ALIGNED(dst_width, 8)) {
ScaleFilterCols = ScaleFilterCols_NEON;
}
}
#endif
if (y > max_y) {
y = max_y;
}
for (j = 0; j < dst_height; ++j) {
int yi = y >> 16;
const uint8* src = src_ptr + yi * src_stride;
if (filtering == kFilterLinear) {
ScaleFilterCols(dst_ptr, src, dst_width, x, dx);
} else {
int yf = (y >> 8) & 255;
InterpolateRow(row, src, src_stride, src_width, yf);
ScaleFilterCols(dst_ptr, row, dst_width, x, dx);
}
dst_ptr += dst_stride;
y += dy;
if (y > max_y) {
y = max_y;
}
}
free_aligned_buffer_64(row);
}
void ScalePlaneBilinearDown_16(int src_width, int src_height,
int dst_width, int dst_height,
int src_stride, int dst_stride,
const uint16* src_ptr, uint16* dst_ptr,
enum FilterMode filtering) {
// Initial source x/y coordinate and step values as 16.16 fixed point.
int x = 0;
int y = 0;
int dx = 0;
int dy = 0;
// TODO(fbarchard): Consider not allocating row buffer for kFilterLinear.
// Allocate a row buffer.
align_buffer_64(row, src_width * 2);
const int max_y = (src_height - 1) << 16;
int j;
void (*ScaleFilterCols)(uint16* dst_ptr, const uint16* src_ptr,
int dst_width, int x, int dx) =
(src_width >= 32768) ? ScaleFilterCols64_16_C : ScaleFilterCols_16_C;
void (*InterpolateRow)(uint16* dst_ptr, const uint16* src_ptr,
ptrdiff_t src_stride, int dst_width, int source_y_fraction) =
InterpolateRow_16_C;
ScaleSlope(src_width, src_height, dst_width, dst_height, filtering,
&x, &y, &dx, &dy);
src_width = Abs(src_width);
#if defined(HAS_INTERPOLATEROW_16_SSE2)
if (TestCpuFlag(kCpuHasSSE2)) {
InterpolateRow = InterpolateRow_Any_16_SSE2;
if (IS_ALIGNED(src_width, 16)) {
InterpolateRow = InterpolateRow_16_SSE2;
}
}
#endif
#if defined(HAS_INTERPOLATEROW_16_SSSE3)
if (TestCpuFlag(kCpuHasSSSE3)) {
InterpolateRow = InterpolateRow_Any_16_SSSE3;
if (IS_ALIGNED(src_width, 16)) {
InterpolateRow = InterpolateRow_16_SSSE3;
}
}
#endif
#if defined(HAS_INTERPOLATEROW_16_AVX2)
if (TestCpuFlag(kCpuHasAVX2)) {
InterpolateRow = InterpolateRow_Any_16_AVX2;
if (IS_ALIGNED(src_width, 32)) {
InterpolateRow = InterpolateRow_16_AVX2;
}
}
#endif
#if defined(HAS_INTERPOLATEROW_16_NEON)
if (TestCpuFlag(kCpuHasNEON)) {
InterpolateRow = InterpolateRow_Any_16_NEON;
if (IS_ALIGNED(src_width, 16)) {
InterpolateRow = InterpolateRow_16_NEON;
}
}
#endif
#if defined(HAS_INTERPOLATEROW_16_DSPR2)
if (TestCpuFlag(kCpuHasDSPR2)) {
InterpolateRow = InterpolateRow_Any_16_DSPR2;
if (IS_ALIGNED(src_width, 4)) {
InterpolateRow = InterpolateRow_16_DSPR2;
}
}
#endif
#if defined(HAS_SCALEFILTERCOLS_16_SSSE3)
if (TestCpuFlag(kCpuHasSSSE3) && src_width < 32768) {
ScaleFilterCols = ScaleFilterCols_16_SSSE3;
}
#endif
if (y > max_y) {
y = max_y;
}
for (j = 0; j < dst_height; ++j) {
int yi = y >> 16;
const uint16* src = src_ptr + yi * src_stride;
if (filtering == kFilterLinear) {
ScaleFilterCols(dst_ptr, src, dst_width, x, dx);
} else {
int yf = (y >> 8) & 255;
InterpolateRow((uint16*)row, src, src_stride, src_width, yf);
ScaleFilterCols(dst_ptr, (uint16*)row, dst_width, x, dx);
}
dst_ptr += dst_stride;
y += dy;
if (y > max_y) {
y = max_y;
}
}
free_aligned_buffer_64(row);
}
// Scale up down with bilinear interpolation.
void ScalePlaneBilinearUp(int src_width, int src_height,
int dst_width, int dst_height,
int src_stride, int dst_stride,
const uint8* src_ptr, uint8* dst_ptr,
enum FilterMode filtering) {
int j;
// Initial source x/y coordinate and step values as 16.16 fixed point.
int x = 0;
int y = 0;
int dx = 0;
int dy = 0;
const int max_y = (src_height - 1) << 16;
void (*InterpolateRow)(uint8* dst_ptr, const uint8* src_ptr,
ptrdiff_t src_stride, int dst_width, int source_y_fraction) =
InterpolateRow_C;
void (*ScaleFilterCols)(uint8* dst_ptr, const uint8* src_ptr,
int dst_width, int x, int dx) =
filtering ? ScaleFilterCols_C : ScaleCols_C;
ScaleSlope(src_width, src_height, dst_width, dst_height, filtering,
&x, &y, &dx, &dy);
src_width = Abs(src_width);
#if defined(HAS_INTERPOLATEROW_SSSE3)
if (TestCpuFlag(kCpuHasSSSE3)) {
InterpolateRow = InterpolateRow_Any_SSSE3;
if (IS_ALIGNED(dst_width, 16)) {
InterpolateRow = InterpolateRow_SSSE3;
}
}
#endif
#if defined(HAS_INTERPOLATEROW_AVX2)
if (TestCpuFlag(kCpuHasAVX2)) {
InterpolateRow = InterpolateRow_Any_AVX2;
if (IS_ALIGNED(dst_width, 32)) {
InterpolateRow = InterpolateRow_AVX2;
}
}
#endif
#if defined(HAS_INTERPOLATEROW_NEON)
if (TestCpuFlag(kCpuHasNEON)) {
InterpolateRow = InterpolateRow_Any_NEON;
if (IS_ALIGNED(dst_width, 16)) {
InterpolateRow = InterpolateRow_NEON;
}
}
#endif
#if defined(HAS_INTERPOLATEROW_DSPR2)
if (TestCpuFlag(kCpuHasDSPR2)) {
InterpolateRow = InterpolateRow_Any_DSPR2;
if (IS_ALIGNED(dst_width, 4)) {
InterpolateRow = InterpolateRow_DSPR2;
}
}
#endif
if (filtering && src_width >= 32768) {
ScaleFilterCols = ScaleFilterCols64_C;
}
#if defined(HAS_SCALEFILTERCOLS_SSSE3)
if (filtering && TestCpuFlag(kCpuHasSSSE3) && src_width < 32768) {
ScaleFilterCols = ScaleFilterCols_SSSE3;
}
#endif
#if defined(HAS_SCALEFILTERCOLS_NEON)
if (filtering && TestCpuFlag(kCpuHasNEON) && src_width < 32768) {
ScaleFilterCols = ScaleFilterCols_Any_NEON;
if (IS_ALIGNED(dst_width, 8)) {
ScaleFilterCols = ScaleFilterCols_NEON;
}
}
#endif
if (!filtering && src_width * 2 == dst_width && x < 0x8000) {
ScaleFilterCols = ScaleColsUp2_C;
#if defined(HAS_SCALECOLS_SSE2)
if (TestCpuFlag(kCpuHasSSE2) && IS_ALIGNED(dst_width, 8)) {
ScaleFilterCols = ScaleColsUp2_SSE2;
}
#endif
}
if (y > max_y) {
y = max_y;
}
{
int yi = y >> 16;
const uint8* src = src_ptr + yi * src_stride;
// Allocate 2 row buffers.
const int kRowSize = (dst_width + 31) & ~31;
align_buffer_64(row, kRowSize * 2);
uint8* rowptr = row;
int rowstride = kRowSize;
int lasty = yi;
ScaleFilterCols(rowptr, src, dst_width, x, dx);
if (src_height > 1) {
src += src_stride;
}
ScaleFilterCols(rowptr + rowstride, src, dst_width, x, dx);
src += src_stride;
for (j = 0; j < dst_height; ++j) {
yi = y >> 16;
if (yi != lasty) {
if (y > max_y) {
y = max_y;
yi = y >> 16;
src = src_ptr + yi * src_stride;
}
if (yi != lasty) {
ScaleFilterCols(rowptr, src, dst_width, x, dx);
rowptr += rowstride;
rowstride = -rowstride;
lasty = yi;
src += src_stride;
}
}
if (filtering == kFilterLinear) {
InterpolateRow(dst_ptr, rowptr, 0, dst_width, 0);
} else {
int yf = (y >> 8) & 255;
InterpolateRow(dst_ptr, rowptr, rowstride, dst_width, yf);
}
dst_ptr += dst_stride;
y += dy;
}
free_aligned_buffer_64(row);
}
}
void ScalePlaneBilinearUp_16(int src_width, int src_height,
int dst_width, int dst_height,
int src_stride, int dst_stride,
const uint16* src_ptr, uint16* dst_ptr,
enum FilterMode filtering) {
int j;
// Initial source x/y coordinate and step values as 16.16 fixed point.
int x = 0;
int y = 0;
int dx = 0;
int dy = 0;
const int max_y = (src_height - 1) << 16;
void (*InterpolateRow)(uint16* dst_ptr, const uint16* src_ptr,
ptrdiff_t src_stride, int dst_width, int source_y_fraction) =
InterpolateRow_16_C;
void (*ScaleFilterCols)(uint16* dst_ptr, const uint16* src_ptr,
int dst_width, int x, int dx) =
filtering ? ScaleFilterCols_16_C : ScaleCols_16_C;
ScaleSlope(src_width, src_height, dst_width, dst_height, filtering,
&x, &y, &dx, &dy);
src_width = Abs(src_width);
#if defined(HAS_INTERPOLATEROW_16_SSE2)
if (TestCpuFlag(kCpuHasSSE2)) {
InterpolateRow = InterpolateRow_Any_16_SSE2;
if (IS_ALIGNED(dst_width, 16)) {
InterpolateRow = InterpolateRow_16_SSE2;
}
}
#endif
#if defined(HAS_INTERPOLATEROW_16_SSSE3)
if (TestCpuFlag(kCpuHasSSSE3)) {
InterpolateRow = InterpolateRow_Any_16_SSSE3;
if (IS_ALIGNED(dst_width, 16)) {
InterpolateRow = InterpolateRow_16_SSSE3;
}
}
#endif
#if defined(HAS_INTERPOLATEROW_16_AVX2)
if (TestCpuFlag(kCpuHasAVX2)) {
InterpolateRow = InterpolateRow_Any_16_AVX2;
if (IS_ALIGNED(dst_width, 32)) {
InterpolateRow = InterpolateRow_16_AVX2;
}
}
#endif
#if defined(HAS_INTERPOLATEROW_16_NEON)
if (TestCpuFlag(kCpuHasNEON)) {
InterpolateRow = InterpolateRow_Any_16_NEON;
if (IS_ALIGNED(dst_width, 16)) {
InterpolateRow = InterpolateRow_16_NEON;
}
}
#endif
#if defined(HAS_INTERPOLATEROW_16_DSPR2)
if (TestCpuFlag(kCpuHasDSPR2)) {
InterpolateRow = InterpolateRow_Any_16_DSPR2;
if (IS_ALIGNED(dst_width, 4)) {
InterpolateRow = InterpolateRow_16_DSPR2;
}
}
#endif
if (filtering && src_width >= 32768) {
ScaleFilterCols = ScaleFilterCols64_16_C;
}
#if defined(HAS_SCALEFILTERCOLS_16_SSSE3)
if (filtering && TestCpuFlag(kCpuHasSSSE3) && src_width < 32768) {
ScaleFilterCols = ScaleFilterCols_16_SSSE3;
}
#endif
if (!filtering && src_width * 2 == dst_width && x < 0x8000) {
ScaleFilterCols = ScaleColsUp2_16_C;
#if defined(HAS_SCALECOLS_16_SSE2)
if (TestCpuFlag(kCpuHasSSE2) && IS_ALIGNED(dst_width, 8)) {
ScaleFilterCols = ScaleColsUp2_16_SSE2;
}
#endif
}
if (y > max_y) {
y = max_y;
}
{
int yi = y >> 16;
const uint16* src = src_ptr + yi * src_stride;
// Allocate 2 row buffers.
const int kRowSize = (dst_width + 31) & ~31;
align_buffer_64(row, kRowSize * 4);
uint16* rowptr = (uint16*)row;
int rowstride = kRowSize;
int lasty = yi;
ScaleFilterCols(rowptr, src, dst_width, x, dx);
if (src_height > 1) {
src += src_stride;
}
ScaleFilterCols(rowptr + rowstride, src, dst_width, x, dx);
src += src_stride;
for (j = 0; j < dst_height; ++j) {
yi = y >> 16;
if (yi != lasty) {
if (y > max_y) {
y = max_y;
yi = y >> 16;
src = src_ptr + yi * src_stride;
}
if (yi != lasty) {
ScaleFilterCols(rowptr, src, dst_width, x, dx);
rowptr += rowstride;
rowstride = -rowstride;
lasty = yi;
src += src_stride;
}
}
if (filtering == kFilterLinear) {
InterpolateRow(dst_ptr, rowptr, 0, dst_width, 0);
} else {
int yf = (y >> 8) & 255;
InterpolateRow(dst_ptr, rowptr, rowstride, dst_width, yf);
}
dst_ptr += dst_stride;
y += dy;
}
free_aligned_buffer_64(row);
}
}
// Scale Plane to/from any dimensions, without interpolation.
// Fixed point math is used for performance: The upper 16 bits
// of x and dx is the integer part of the source position and
// the lower 16 bits are the fixed decimal part.
static void ScalePlaneSimple(int src_width, int src_height,
int dst_width, int dst_height,
int src_stride, int dst_stride,
const uint8* src_ptr, uint8* dst_ptr) {
int i;
void (*ScaleCols)(uint8* dst_ptr, const uint8* src_ptr,
int dst_width, int x, int dx) = ScaleCols_C;
// Initial source x/y coordinate and step values as 16.16 fixed point.
int x = 0;
int y = 0;
int dx = 0;
int dy = 0;
ScaleSlope(src_width, src_height, dst_width, dst_height, kFilterNone,
&x, &y, &dx, &dy);
src_width = Abs(src_width);
if (src_width * 2 == dst_width && x < 0x8000) {
ScaleCols = ScaleColsUp2_C;
#if defined(HAS_SCALECOLS_SSE2)
if (TestCpuFlag(kCpuHasSSE2) && IS_ALIGNED(dst_width, 8)) {
ScaleCols = ScaleColsUp2_SSE2;
}
#endif
}
for (i = 0; i < dst_height; ++i) {
ScaleCols(dst_ptr, src_ptr + (y >> 16) * src_stride, dst_width, x, dx);
dst_ptr += dst_stride;
y += dy;
}
}
static void ScalePlaneSimple_16(int src_width, int src_height,
int dst_width, int dst_height,
int src_stride, int dst_stride,
const uint16* src_ptr, uint16* dst_ptr) {
int i;
void (*ScaleCols)(uint16* dst_ptr, const uint16* src_ptr,
int dst_width, int x, int dx) = ScaleCols_16_C;
// Initial source x/y coordinate and step values as 16.16 fixed point.
int x = 0;
int y = 0;
int dx = 0;
int dy = 0;
ScaleSlope(src_width, src_height, dst_width, dst_height, kFilterNone,
&x, &y, &dx, &dy);
src_width = Abs(src_width);
if (src_width * 2 == dst_width && x < 0x8000) {
ScaleCols = ScaleColsUp2_16_C;
#if defined(HAS_SCALECOLS_16_SSE2)
if (TestCpuFlag(kCpuHasSSE2) && IS_ALIGNED(dst_width, 8)) {
ScaleCols = ScaleColsUp2_16_SSE2;
}
#endif
}
for (i = 0; i < dst_height; ++i) {
ScaleCols(dst_ptr, src_ptr + (y >> 16) * src_stride,
dst_width, x, dx);
dst_ptr += dst_stride;
y += dy;
}
}
// Scale a plane.
// This function dispatches to a specialized scaler based on scale factor.
LIBYUV_API
void ScalePlane(const uint8* src, int src_stride,
int src_width, int src_height,
uint8* dst, int dst_stride,
int dst_width, int dst_height,
enum FilterMode filtering) {
// Simplify filtering when possible.
filtering = ScaleFilterReduce(src_width, src_height,
dst_width, dst_height, filtering);
// Negative height means invert the image.
if (src_height < 0) {
src_height = -src_height;
src = src + (src_height - 1) * src_stride;
src_stride = -src_stride;
}
// Use specialized scales to improve performance for common resolutions.
// For example, all the 1/2 scalings will use ScalePlaneDown2()
if (dst_width == src_width && dst_height == src_height) {
// Straight copy.
CopyPlane(src, src_stride, dst, dst_stride, dst_width, dst_height);
return;
}
if (dst_width == src_width && filtering != kFilterBox) {
int dy = FixedDiv(src_height, dst_height);
// Arbitrary scale vertically, but unscaled horizontally.
ScalePlaneVertical(src_height,
dst_width, dst_height,
src_stride, dst_stride, src, dst,
0, 0, dy, 1, filtering);
return;
}
if (dst_width <= Abs(src_width) && dst_height <= src_height) {
// Scale down.
if (4 * dst_width == 3 * src_width &&
4 * dst_height == 3 * src_height) {
// optimized, 3/4
ScalePlaneDown34(src_width, src_height, dst_width, dst_height,
src_stride, dst_stride, src, dst, filtering);
return;
}
if (2 * dst_width == src_width && 2 * dst_height == src_height) {
// optimized, 1/2
ScalePlaneDown2(src_width, src_height, dst_width, dst_height,
src_stride, dst_stride, src, dst, filtering);
return;
}
// 3/8 rounded up for odd sized chroma height.
if (8 * dst_width == 3 * src_width &&
dst_height == ((src_height * 3 + 7) / 8)) {
// optimized, 3/8
ScalePlaneDown38(src_width, src_height, dst_width, dst_height,
src_stride, dst_stride, src, dst, filtering);
return;
}
if (4 * dst_width == src_width && 4 * dst_height == src_height &&
(filtering == kFilterBox || filtering == kFilterNone)) {
// optimized, 1/4
ScalePlaneDown4(src_width, src_height, dst_width, dst_height,
src_stride, dst_stride, src, dst, filtering);
return;
}
}
if (filtering == kFilterBox && dst_height * 2 < src_height) {
ScalePlaneBox(src_width, src_height, dst_width, dst_height,
src_stride, dst_stride, src, dst);
return;
}
if (filtering && dst_height > src_height) {
ScalePlaneBilinearUp(src_width, src_height, dst_width, dst_height,
src_stride, dst_stride, src, dst, filtering);
return;
}
if (filtering) {
ScalePlaneBilinearDown(src_width, src_height, dst_width, dst_height,
src_stride, dst_stride, src, dst, filtering);
return;
}
ScalePlaneSimple(src_width, src_height, dst_width, dst_height,
src_stride, dst_stride, src, dst);
}
LIBYUV_API
void ScalePlane_16(const uint16* src, int src_stride,
int src_width, int src_height,
uint16* dst, int dst_stride,
int dst_width, int dst_height,
enum FilterMode filtering) {
// Simplify filtering when possible.
filtering = ScaleFilterReduce(src_width, src_height,
dst_width, dst_height, filtering);
// Negative height means invert the image.
if (src_height < 0) {
src_height = -src_height;
src = src + (src_height - 1) * src_stride;
src_stride = -src_stride;
}
// Use specialized scales to improve performance for common resolutions.
// For example, all the 1/2 scalings will use ScalePlaneDown2()
if (dst_width == src_width && dst_height == src_height) {
// Straight copy.
CopyPlane_16(src, src_stride, dst, dst_stride, dst_width, dst_height);
return;
}
if (dst_width == src_width) {
int dy = FixedDiv(src_height, dst_height);
// Arbitrary scale vertically, but unscaled vertically.
ScalePlaneVertical_16(src_height,
dst_width, dst_height,
src_stride, dst_stride, src, dst,
0, 0, dy, 1, filtering);
return;
}
if (dst_width <= Abs(src_width) && dst_height <= src_height) {
// Scale down.
if (4 * dst_width == 3 * src_width &&
4 * dst_height == 3 * src_height) {
// optimized, 3/4
ScalePlaneDown34_16(src_width, src_height, dst_width, dst_height,
src_stride, dst_stride, src, dst, filtering);
return;
}
if (2 * dst_width == src_width && 2 * dst_height == src_height) {
// optimized, 1/2
ScalePlaneDown2_16(src_width, src_height, dst_width, dst_height,
src_stride, dst_stride, src, dst, filtering);
return;
}
// 3/8 rounded up for odd sized chroma height.
if (8 * dst_width == 3 * src_width &&
dst_height == ((src_height * 3 + 7) / 8)) {
// optimized, 3/8
ScalePlaneDown38_16(src_width, src_height, dst_width, dst_height,
src_stride, dst_stride, src, dst, filtering);
return;
}
if (4 * dst_width == src_width && 4 * dst_height == src_height &&
filtering != kFilterBilinear) {
// optimized, 1/4
ScalePlaneDown4_16(src_width, src_height, dst_width, dst_height,
src_stride, dst_stride, src, dst, filtering);
return;
}
}
if (filtering == kFilterBox && dst_height * 2 < src_height) {
ScalePlaneBox_16(src_width, src_height, dst_width, dst_height,
src_stride, dst_stride, src, dst);
return;
}
if (filtering && dst_height > src_height) {
ScalePlaneBilinearUp_16(src_width, src_height, dst_width, dst_height,
src_stride, dst_stride, src, dst, filtering);
return;
}
if (filtering) {
ScalePlaneBilinearDown_16(src_width, src_height, dst_width, dst_height,
src_stride, dst_stride, src, dst, filtering);
return;
}
ScalePlaneSimple_16(src_width, src_height, dst_width, dst_height,
src_stride, dst_stride, src, dst);
}
// Scale an I420 image.
// This function in turn calls a scaling function for each plane.
LIBYUV_API
int I420Scale(const uint8* src_y, int src_stride_y,
const uint8* src_u, int src_stride_u,
const uint8* src_v, int src_stride_v,
int src_width, int src_height,
uint8* dst_y, int dst_stride_y,
uint8* dst_u, int dst_stride_u,
uint8* dst_v, int dst_stride_v,
int dst_width, int dst_height,
enum FilterMode filtering) {
int src_halfwidth = SUBSAMPLE(src_width, 1, 1);
int src_halfheight = SUBSAMPLE(src_height, 1, 1);
int dst_halfwidth = SUBSAMPLE(dst_width, 1, 1);
int dst_halfheight = SUBSAMPLE(dst_height, 1, 1);
if (!src_y || !src_u || !src_v || src_width == 0 || src_height == 0 ||
src_width > 32768 || src_height > 32768 ||
!dst_y || !dst_u || !dst_v || dst_width <= 0 || dst_height <= 0) {
return -1;
}
ScalePlane(src_y, src_stride_y, src_width, src_height,
dst_y, dst_stride_y, dst_width, dst_height,
filtering);
ScalePlane(src_u, src_stride_u, src_halfwidth, src_halfheight,
dst_u, dst_stride_u, dst_halfwidth, dst_halfheight,
filtering);
ScalePlane(src_v, src_stride_v, src_halfwidth, src_halfheight,
dst_v, dst_stride_v, dst_halfwidth, dst_halfheight,
filtering);
return 0;
}
LIBYUV_API
int I420Scale_16(const uint16* src_y, int src_stride_y,
const uint16* src_u, int src_stride_u,
const uint16* src_v, int src_stride_v,
int src_width, int src_height,
uint16* dst_y, int dst_stride_y,
uint16* dst_u, int dst_stride_u,
uint16* dst_v, int dst_stride_v,
int dst_width, int dst_height,
enum FilterMode filtering) {
int src_halfwidth = SUBSAMPLE(src_width, 1, 1);
int src_halfheight = SUBSAMPLE(src_height, 1, 1);
int dst_halfwidth = SUBSAMPLE(dst_width, 1, 1);
int dst_halfheight = SUBSAMPLE(dst_height, 1, 1);
if (!src_y || !src_u || !src_v || src_width == 0 || src_height == 0 ||
src_width > 32768 || src_height > 32768 ||
!dst_y || !dst_u || !dst_v || dst_width <= 0 || dst_height <= 0) {
return -1;
}
ScalePlane_16(src_y, src_stride_y, src_width, src_height,
dst_y, dst_stride_y, dst_width, dst_height,
filtering);
ScalePlane_16(src_u, src_stride_u, src_halfwidth, src_halfheight,
dst_u, dst_stride_u, dst_halfwidth, dst_halfheight,
filtering);
ScalePlane_16(src_v, src_stride_v, src_halfwidth, src_halfheight,
dst_v, dst_stride_v, dst_halfwidth, dst_halfheight,
filtering);
return 0;
}
// Deprecated api
LIBYUV_API
int Scale(const uint8* src_y, const uint8* src_u, const uint8* src_v,
int src_stride_y, int src_stride_u, int src_stride_v,
int src_width, int src_height,
uint8* dst_y, uint8* dst_u, uint8* dst_v,
int dst_stride_y, int dst_stride_u, int dst_stride_v,
int dst_width, int dst_height,
LIBYUV_BOOL interpolate) {
return I420Scale(src_y, src_stride_y,
src_u, src_stride_u,
src_v, src_stride_v,
src_width, src_height,
dst_y, dst_stride_y,
dst_u, dst_stride_u,
dst_v, dst_stride_v,
dst_width, dst_height,
interpolate ? kFilterBox : kFilterNone);
}
// Deprecated api
LIBYUV_API
int ScaleOffset(const uint8* src, int src_width, int src_height,
uint8* dst, int dst_width, int dst_height, int dst_yoffset,
LIBYUV_BOOL interpolate) {
// Chroma requires offset to multiple of 2.
int dst_yoffset_even = dst_yoffset & ~1;
int src_halfwidth = SUBSAMPLE(src_width, 1, 1);
int src_halfheight = SUBSAMPLE(src_height, 1, 1);
int dst_halfwidth = SUBSAMPLE(dst_width, 1, 1);
int dst_halfheight = SUBSAMPLE(dst_height, 1, 1);
int aheight = dst_height - dst_yoffset_even * 2; // actual output height
const uint8* src_y = src;
const uint8* src_u = src + src_width * src_height;
const uint8* src_v = src + src_width * src_height +
src_halfwidth * src_halfheight;
uint8* dst_y = dst + dst_yoffset_even * dst_width;
uint8* dst_u = dst + dst_width * dst_height +
(dst_yoffset_even >> 1) * dst_halfwidth;
uint8* dst_v = dst + dst_width * dst_height + dst_halfwidth * dst_halfheight +
(dst_yoffset_even >> 1) * dst_halfwidth;
if (!src || src_width <= 0 || src_height <= 0 ||
!dst || dst_width <= 0 || dst_height <= 0 || dst_yoffset_even < 0 ||
dst_yoffset_even >= dst_height) {
return -1;
}
return I420Scale(src_y, src_width,
src_u, src_halfwidth,
src_v, src_halfwidth,
src_width, src_height,
dst_y, dst_width,
dst_u, dst_halfwidth,
dst_v, dst_halfwidth,
dst_width, aheight,
interpolate ? kFilterBox : kFilterNone);
}
#ifdef __cplusplus
} // extern "C"
} // namespace libyuv
#endif
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Github"
}
|
Downtown Guntersville Historic District
The Downtown Guntersville Historic District is a historic district in Guntersville, Alabama. The district includes most of the central business district of Guntersville, as well as some houses. The town was founded in the 1820s as a port on the Tennessee River. Most of the town was destroyed during the Civil War, although the Henry-Jordan House was spared. The business district began to rebuild after the war, and development was spurred in the late 19th and early 20th century by the Nashville, Chattanooga, and St. Louis Railway and by manufacturing firms. The opening of Guntersville Dam by the Tennessee Valley Authority in 1939 turned Guntersville into a peninsula, and created tourism and recreation opportunities on the new lake. Many commercial buildings were constructed after World War II until 1964, in contrast to many small-town downtown areas. Popular architectural styles from the time are represented, including elaborately decorated Victorian, simpler commercial brick styles, and post-war streamlined styles. Notable contributing properties in the district are the Albert G. Henry, Jr., House, the Henry-Jordan House, and the Guntersville Post Office, all of which are individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The district was listed on the National Register in 2012.
References
Category:National Register of Historic Places in Marshall County, Alabama
Category:Historic districts in Marshall County, Alabama
Category:Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Alabama
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Wikipedia (en)"
}
|
The data we collect from you is name, address,
telephone numbers and possibly bank account details.
We use this data so we can fulfil our legal and
contractual obligations.
Third Parties we
share your information with.
We are a SSAIB (Security Systems and
Alarms Inspection Board) accredited company. As part of that accreditation we are obliged to provide you with a Certificate of Conformity for your installed system. We share your personal
details with them in order to issue that certificate. Details of how the SSAIB use your information can be found here https://ssaib.org/page/privacy-policy---home-owner
We will not share your details with any other
third party unless legally obliged to do so.
How long will the data be stored?
We keep your personal data for as long as we
have a reasonable business need and for the purpose of satisfying any legal, accounting or reporting requirements.
Your rights in
relation to your personal information
Under certain circumstances, by law you have
the right to:
• Request access to your personal information
(commonly known as a "data subject access request"). This enables you to receive a copy of the personal information we hold about you and to check that we are lawfully processing
it.
• Request correction of the personal
information that we hold about you. This enables you to have any incomplete or inaccurate information we hold about you corrected.
• Request erasure of your personal information.
This enables you to ask us to delete or remove personal information where there is no good reason for us continuing to process it. You also have the right to ask us to delete or remove your personal
information where you have exercised your right to object to processing (see below).
• Object to processing of your personal
information where we are relying on a legitimate interest (or those of a third party) and there is something about your particular situation which makes you want to object to processing on this
ground. You also have the right to object where we are processing your personal information for direct marketing purposes.
• Request the restriction of processing of your
personal information. This enables you to ask us to suspend the processing of personal information about you, for example if you want us to establish its accuracy or the reason for processing
it.
• Request the transfer of your personal
information to another party.
If you have any problems with the way that we are handling your personal data, you should contact the
Information Commissioner’s Officer (ICO).
The ICO can be contacted by telephone on 0303 123 113 - Monday to Friday, between 9am and 5pm - or by email at casework@ico.org.uk. You can also visit the ICO’s website by following this link: https://ico.org.uk/.
Where is the data stored?
The data is only stored in the United
Kingdom.
Changes to this privacy notice
We keep this privacy notice under regular
review and any updates are posted on this page. This privacy notice was last updated on 15/5/2018.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Welsh phonology
The phonology of Welsh is characterised by a number of sounds that do not occur in English and are rare in European languages, such as the voiceless alveolar lateral fricative and several voiceless sonorants (nasals and liquids), some of which result from consonant mutation. Stress usually falls on the penultimate syllable in polysyllabic words, while the word-final unstressed syllable receives a higher pitch than the stressed syllable.
Consonants
Welsh has the following consonant phonemes:
Symbols in parentheses are either allophones, or found only in loanwords. The sound generally occurs in loanwords, e.g. sw ('zoo'), although this is usually realised as in northern accents, e.g. . The postalveolar affricates and occur mainly in loanwords, e.g. ('chips') and ('jelly'), but also in some dialects as developments from and , e.g. from ('devil'). The voiceless nasals occur mostly word-initially, as a consequence of nasal mutation. Initial (or ) is colloquially realised as in the south, e.g. ('six') pronounced .
results from when preceded by , often as a result of h-prothesis of the radical word, e.g. 'language' becomes 'her language'. It also occurs in some Northern dialects as the cluster in place of intervocalic in words like ('out') where it is pronounced rather than the more common (and standard) .
The stops are distinguished from by means of aspiration more consistently than by voicing, as are actually devoiced in most contexts. This devoiced nature is recognised in the spelling of as , although is orthographically for historical reasons.
The fricatives may also be devoiced in some contexts, but are distinguished from by having a shorter frication length than the latter. There is a tendency in the spoken language not to pronounce these voiced fricatives in certain contexts, e.g. ('next') realised as or ('up') from ('mountain'). Historically, this occurred so often with the voiced velar fricative that it disappeared entirely from the language. Some speakers realise the voiceless lateral fricative as a voiceless palatal fricative in some or all contexts. The occurrence and distribution of the phoneme varies from area to area. Very few native words are pronounced with by all speakers, e.g. ('talk'), although it appears in borrowings, e.g. ('shop'). In northern accents, it can occur when precedes or , e.g. ('I went'). In some southern dialects it is produced when follows or , e.g. ('month'). The voiceless fricative is realised as uvular except by some southwestern speakers, who produce the sound in the velar region as .
The phoneme is reportedly pronounced as a voiced uvular fricative by some speakers in Dyfed and Gwynedd, in a pronunciation known as tafod tew ('thick tongue').
In northern Welsh, the alveolar lateral approximant is consistently velarised or "dark" in all positions, but remains unvelarised or "clear" in the south.
Vowels
The vowel phonemes of Welsh are as follows:
The vowels and survive from Old Welsh only in northern dialects; in southern dialects, these vowels have become and respectively. In all dialects, the contrast between long and short vowels is found in stressed word-final syllables (mainly monosyllabic words), whereas in some southern dialects, the contrast is found in stressed non-word-final syllables in addition.
The vowel does not occur in the final syllable of words (except a few monosyllabic proclitics). It is always pronounced short except when emphasised in the name of the letter .
The long counterpart to short is sometimes misleadingly transcribed . This is often found in solely quality-distinctive transcriptions to avoid using a length mark. The actual pronunciation of long is , which makes the vowel pair unique in that there is no significant quality difference. Regional realisations of may be or in north-central and (decreasingly) south-eastern Wales or sporadically as in some southern areas undoubtedly under the influence of English.
The diphthongs containing occur only in northern dialects; in southern dialects is replaced by , are merged with , and are merged with . There is a general tendency in the South to simplify diphthongs in everyday speech, e.g. Northern corresponding to in the South, or Northern and Southern .
Stress and pitch
Stress in polysyllabic words occurs most commonly on the penultimate syllable, more rarely on the final syllable (e.g. verbs ending in -áu). Exceptions can arise in relation to borrowings from foreign words, such as and (both stressed on the first syllable). According to its positioning, related words or concepts (or even plurals) can sound quite different, as syllables are added to the end of a word and the stress moves correspondingly:
{| border="0" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="1"
| style="text-align: left;" | || style="text-align: left;" | || style="text-align: left;" |
|-
|
| style="text-align: left;" | || "article, essay"
|-
|
| style="text-align: left;" | || "writing"
|-
|
| style="text-align: left;" | || "secretary"
|-
|
| style="text-align: left;" | || "female secretary"
|-
|
| style="text-align: left;" | || "female secretaries"
|}
Note also how adding a syllable to to form changes the pronunciation of the second . This is because the pronunciation of depends on whether or not it is in the final syllable.
Stress on penultimate syllables is characterised by a low pitch, which is followed by a high pitch on the (unstressed) word-final syllable. In words where stress is on the final syllable, that syllable also bears the high pitch. This high pitch is a remnant of the high-pitched word-final stress of early Old Welsh (derived from original penultimate stress in Common Brittonic by the loss of final syllables); the stress shift from final to penultimate occurred in the Old Welsh period without affecting the overall pitch of the word.
See also
Welsh orthography
References
Category:Welsh grammar
Category:Language phonologies
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Wikipedia (en)"
}
|
Thanks Thrashie - the Whipps products are a big exxy, so I kept looking and found these wheelchair ramps, which can be separated. They are each 15 inches wide and 69 inches long.here they are as individual ramps. What appeals to me is the potential to use them without modification, as the surface looks arse -friendly. I will enquire what they look like on the inderside, as used upside down, with crescent-shaped openings in that outside rail, we can have horizontal location nailed, andthen just need tie-downsAt under $250 complete, we are looking at a very attractive solution!
Just contacted them. The price on their website is $220, getting better all the time. Underneath are some reinforcing pieces, plus it is thicker on the bottom to support the hinges, so using them up the right way seems to be the go. Whether a 2 inch high "wall" at the back of a 15 inch wide bench would be uncomfortable is a moot point.
Whether a 2 inch high "wall" at the back of a 15 inch wide bench would be uncomfortable is a moot point.
get a jigsaw (or some kind of saw) and just cut the wall off.
Ramps look good and very solid with minimal modifications (But where is the fun in that).
The easiest way to get a clean removal cut would be to find some one handy with a tablesaw with a 60 plus carbide tip blade. They would be able to set the blade to 1/8" above the thicknes of the lip. Make sure they wear safty goggles as the guard will have to be removed for this operation and the aluminum chips will ruin your day without goggles.
We cut aluminum all day long with power equipment intended for wood. It cuts clean and can be debured with a metal file or even a hand sander.
Hi folks, I've been following this discussion for a few days as I eagerly wait for my new TI to arrive.I work at Duke and frequently see gurneys and backboards used to lift heavy injured victims. I can't help but think a couple of these would work as haka bench seats! What do you think?-Kid
Kid,The aka span on a TI is 1.4m and an AI 1.5m. I've tried 20mm plywood and it bends like a banana over those spans. You would need to add a truss of some sort. There are fibreglass 'scoop' spineboards available that might handle those spans but they are heavy and expensive.
I went fishing today my fishing partner had to cancel at the last moment and there was zero wind in the forcast. so I rigged for solo fishing with out the sails.
I spent six hours fishing (not catching) and never sat anywhere other than the Haka. I could not believe how much it reminded me of catamaran sailing sitting high and dry with my feet against the side of the hull or dangling in the water.
The ATV ramp Haka was exceptionally stiff making it easy to stand up and walk around on. I was also suprised to learn that they float
After six hours I decided a seat cushion is in my future, also thought of a solution for where to put the paddle when using the haka and adding a method of preventing the Hakas from accadently coming loose in rough conditions.
I can't wait for the wind to return so I can sail from the Hakas, I think the Hakas have just replaced my tramps, I wish I had tried the Hakas a long time ago.
But, I don't think the paddle will stay where you have it positioned in any larger chop or waves. If you can protect the leading edge of the paddle (mount it further back) then maybe, as long as a wave doesn't then come down on the rear of the paddle (following wave). I'm sure you will figure it out.
I can tell you that, when you are sailing, you'll be moving around more on the boards for sure, so the lack of padding won't be so painfully obvious. Butt, cushions will help...
The paddle works quite well bungied or clipped to the outside Aka arm, (next to the bench). If you install locking clips or straps, you'll find that it can serve as a nice grab rail while you're hiking out.
Over time you may find it useful to screw, bolt or weld on "attachments" of your choosing.
But, I don't think the paddle will stay where you have it positioned in any larger chop or waves. If you can protect the leading edge of the paddle (mount it further back) then maybe, as long as a wave doesn't then come down on the rear of the paddle (following wave). I'm sure you will figure it out.
Looks really sharp!
Bob & Nohuhu ,I had not thought of a wave coming down on the boat, being land locked we do not experience large wave action very often. In anticopation of fall and winter waves or a visit to a salty body of water (if i am lucky) do either of you have pics of a paddle mounting arrangement that can handle large wave action and looks OEM?
If your waves don't normally get very large, then hopefully your idea for paddle holder should work well for you. I'm not the best for suggesting locations for use with your Haka as I haven't used one myself yet.
I do know in rough seas my paddle has been dislodged anywhere a wave can get leverage under (or over) one of it's blades without it being protected. In rough conditions, I mount my paddles (a single blade 'T' grip, and the Hobie double) like the picture below (a very old picture with an old test Sprayskirt). This is not optimal for use with a Haka but maybe it will give you some ideas.
In calmer conditions, I often just use the Hobie OEM aka paddle holder(s) for the double blade paddle like most people.
I've visited your city a couple of times in the past when a friend lived there. Nice place.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
"""Module progress tests"""
import unittest
from mock import Mock
from xblock.field_data import DictFieldData
from xmodule import x_module
from xmodule.progress import Progress
from . import get_test_system
class ProgressTest(unittest.TestCase):
''' Test that basic Progress objects work. A Progress represents a
fraction between 0 and 1.
'''
not_started = Progress(0, 17)
part_done = Progress(2, 6)
half_done = Progress(3, 6)
also_half_done = Progress(1, 2)
done = Progress(7, 7)
def test_create_object(self):
# These should work:
prg1 = Progress(0, 2) # pylint: disable=unused-variable
prg2 = Progress(1, 2) # pylint: disable=unused-variable
prg3 = Progress(2, 2) # pylint: disable=unused-variable
prg4 = Progress(2.5, 5.0) # pylint: disable=unused-variable
prg5 = Progress(3.7, 12.3333) # pylint: disable=unused-variable
# These shouldn't
self.assertRaises(ValueError, Progress, 0, 0)
self.assertRaises(ValueError, Progress, 2, 0)
self.assertRaises(ValueError, Progress, 1, -2)
self.assertRaises(TypeError, Progress, 0, "all")
# check complex numbers just for the heck of it :)
self.assertRaises(TypeError, Progress, 2j, 3)
def test_clamp(self):
self.assertEqual((2, 2), Progress(3, 2).frac())
self.assertEqual((0, 2), Progress(-2, 2).frac())
def test_frac(self):
prg = Progress(1, 2)
(a_mem, b_mem) = prg.frac()
self.assertEqual(a_mem, 1)
self.assertEqual(b_mem, 2)
def test_percent(self):
self.assertEqual(self.not_started.percent(), 0)
self.assertAlmostEqual(self.part_done.percent(), 33.33333333333333)
self.assertEqual(self.half_done.percent(), 50)
self.assertEqual(self.done.percent(), 100)
self.assertEqual(self.half_done.percent(), self.also_half_done.percent())
def test_started(self):
self.assertFalse(self.not_started.started())
self.assertTrue(self.part_done.started())
self.assertTrue(self.half_done.started())
self.assertTrue(self.done.started())
def test_inprogress(self):
# only true if working on it
self.assertFalse(self.done.inprogress())
self.assertFalse(self.not_started.inprogress())
self.assertTrue(self.part_done.inprogress())
self.assertTrue(self.half_done.inprogress())
def test_done(self):
self.assertTrue(self.done.done())
self.assertFalse(self.half_done.done())
self.assertFalse(self.not_started.done())
def test_str(self):
self.assertEqual(str(self.not_started), "0/17")
self.assertEqual(str(self.part_done), "2/6")
self.assertEqual(str(self.done), "7/7")
self.assertEqual(str(Progress(2.1234, 7)), '2.12/7')
self.assertEqual(str(Progress(2.0034, 7)), '2/7')
self.assertEqual(str(Progress(0.999, 7)), '1/7')
def test_add(self):
'''Test the Progress.add_counts() method'''
prg1 = Progress(0, 2)
prg2 = Progress(1, 3)
prg3 = Progress(2, 5)
prg_none = None
add = lambda a, b: Progress.add_counts(a, b).frac()
self.assertEqual(add(prg1, prg1), (0, 4))
self.assertEqual(add(prg1, prg2), (1, 5))
self.assertEqual(add(prg2, prg3), (3, 8))
self.assertEqual(add(prg2, prg_none), prg2.frac())
self.assertEqual(add(prg_none, prg2), prg2.frac())
def test_equality(self):
'''Test that comparing Progress objects for equality
works correctly.'''
prg1 = Progress(1, 2)
prg2 = Progress(2, 4)
prg3 = Progress(1, 2)
self.assertEqual(prg1, prg3)
self.assertNotEqual(prg1, prg2)
# Check != while we're at it
self.assertNotEqual(prg1, prg2)
self.assertEqual(prg1, prg3)
class ModuleProgressTest(unittest.TestCase):
''' Test that get_progress() does the right thing for the different modules
'''
def test_xmodule_default(self):
'''Make sure default get_progress exists, returns None'''
xmod = x_module.XModule(Mock(), get_test_system(), DictFieldData({'location': 'a://b/c/d/e'}), Mock())
prg = xmod.get_progress()
self.assertEqual(prg, None)
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Github"
}
|
Packing Service, Inc. (PSI) has been a leading professional shrink-wrapping and Palletizing Company since 2003, with over 12 years experience and a 97% customer satisfaction rate. We at PSI pride ourselves in being members of the Better Business Bureau since 2007. Each and every one of our palletizing crew must have experience providing on-site shrink-wrapping and palletizing services for at least one year before they can work with our company. We are professionals and we will only work with other professionals who are serious about offering only the best in shrink wrapping and palletizing services nationwide. Whether you require us to palletize boxes, palletize machinery, or palletize furniture, our team of professionals can handle any job and any size item, in a fraction of the time it will take those other guys. We only use quality wooden pallets, built strong and for the purpose of either domestic or international Shipping Services. As with all our services, our shrink-wrapping and palletizing will always be provided within our one guaranteed flat rate quote. We will never provide you an estimate that will fluctuate. We provide only flat rate quotes for each and every service we offer!
A pallet, often referred to as a "skid", is a flat wooden transporting structure that serves as a foundation for your items to be lifted by a forklift, pallet jack, front loader or other jacking device. Palletizing your belongings is among the safest and most secure ways to transport large or bulky items over long distance, because of the way they are handled. PSI's shrink-wrapping service is among the best in the transport industry, only using quality grade shrink-wrap applied with the utmost care when gathering your belongings.
Being a professional shrink-wrapping and palletizing company, PSI can handle any size job and ship your items both domestically and internationally. Our Shipping methods and all the materials we use are top quality as we are professionals and you deserve nothing less than the best for your hard-earned money.
Check out our palletizing systems:
* We place the strongest and heaviest pieces on the bottom and go as high as we can (optimum height is 5-6 ft tall).* We strap your items to the pallet (usually 40"x48" or 40"x40").* Ensure the Shrink Wrap Palletizing also grabs all sides of the pallet.* Cover the top of your pallet with shrink-wrap to keep your cargo clean and safe.* 2 to 4 layers of shrink wrap are applied for added support and safety.
We as a leading professional shrink-wrap on-site palletizing services company as well as our palletizing crew understand the importance of safety and take it upon ourselves to place your items on quality wooden pallets, securely wrapping item(s), strapping them down to the pallet and shrink-wrapping them directly to each pallet preparing them for shipping. When requesting shrink-wrap palletizing services, always inform the company providing you the services whether the items will be shipped domestically or internationally as international shipments require heat-treated wood and this will prevent you from wasting valuable time and money. Regardless if you must palletize boxes, palletize furniture or palletize machinery with our company, we do not provide estimates, no hidden costs, no extra charges, no misunderstandings and no time charges at all. We only provide guaranteed flat rate quotes! Call or email PSI now for a flat rate quote:
Life happens. A long distant loved one past away, leaving only precious mementos; after a natural disaster, you need to pack up and move to an entirely new country; domestic issues have led you to thinking about a new home. … Continue reading →
Moving out should be easy, but sometimes, the circumstances are not. One might lose a loved one and now must move away for a new home. Divorce, familial issues, sudden emergencies, you name it. A new business must close their … Continue reading →
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{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Glycaemic activity of (III)-beta-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phoshate complex and its presence in yeast extracts.
Two main stable chromium complexes were detected in the aqueous extract of Cr-rich yeast using high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) separation on a reversed-phase RP-8 column and atomic absorption spectrometric detection of chromium. However, the complexes could not be separated and purified sufficiently to allow their reliable identification. Both complexes behaved like ionic or very polar substances with a weak affinity to the reverse-phase column. Yeast extract was then spiked with some synthetic Cr complexes which were prepared considering known data (UV spectra, molecular mass, etc.) on candidates glucose tolerance factor (GTF) compounds. Among the complexes tested, attention was paid especially to the complex of Crm with beta-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP), which accompanies one of two Cr complexes in yeast extract during the HPLC separation. The complex with a Cr:NADP stoichiometric ratio 1:2 has not previously been reported. The complex was tested for its glycaemic activity using glucose tolerance test on rabbits. Significant hyperglycaemia was caused in the animals. Considering the NADP is generally present in tissues of nearly all living organisms, its complexes with transient metals could play a very important role in oxidation-reduction processes of metabolic pathways.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
|
The proposed bill, inspired by outrage at the light sentencing of Brock Turner , would require mandatory prison time for similar attacks in the future
This article is more than 4 years old
This article is more than 4 years old
The prosecutor in the Stanford sexual assault case is pushing to make prison a mandatory punishment for people who attack unconscious victims, proposing legislation inspired by the global outrage at the light sentencing of former student Brock Turner.
Stanford sexual assault: records show judge's logic behind light sentence Read more
The Santa Clara County district attorney’s office – which prosecuted the former Stanford swimmer, who was convicted of sexually assaulting an unconscious woman on campus – announced on Wednesday a new bill that would prevent judges from allowing defendants like Turner to avoid prison.
Speaking outside the courthouse in Palo Alto near Stanford’s campus, the district attorney Jeff Rosen read from the victim’s emotional impact statement, which went viral earlier this month and sparked widespread debates about sexual violence on college campuses.
“We’ve read her letter. Now let’s give her back something beyond worldwide sympathy and anger” Rosen said. “Let’s give her a legacy that will send the next Brock Turner to prison.”
The legislation, which multiple northern California lawmakers are co-sponsoring, would make the penalties for Turner’s offenses the same as the punishments for assault involving a conscious victim – a minimum of three years in state prison.
“Sexually assaulting an unconscious person is as serious as sexually assaulting a conscious person and there should be no distinction,” Rosen said.
Turner, a 20-year-old from Dayton, Ohio, was convicted of three felonies for the 18 January 2015 sexual assault outside a fraternity by a dumpster. Two witnesses biking by intervened after they saw Turner “thrusting” on top of the motionless woman, according to police.
Brock Turner's statement blames sexual assault on Stanford ‘party culture’ Read more
Turner was convicted of assault with intent to commit rape of an intoxicated woman, sexually penetrating an intoxicated person with a foreign object and sexually penetrating an unconscious person with a foreign object.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Brock Turner in court. Photograph: Karl Mondon/AP
The minimum sentence Turner faced was two years in state prison, but the law allowed the judge, Aaron Persky, to give a lighter sentence if he believed it was an “unusual case where the interests of justice would best be served” by probation.
Persky chose a sentence of probation and six months in county jail, and Turner will only have to spend three months behind bars. In his controversial decision, the judge cited Turner’s age and lack of criminal record and said there was “less moral culpability” because he was intoxicated at the time.
Persky is now facing a recall campaign led by a Stanford professor, and lawmakers have called for an investigation. He was also removed from a similar sexual assault case, and a juror in the Turner case has since slammed Persky’s sentencing decision.
Rosen said he is not supporting the recall campaign. “I believe in judicial independence. The judge got it wrong in this case, but he had the right to give that sentence.”
Stanford sexual assault case: victim impact statement in full Read more
In the wake of the backlash against Persky, public defenders have expressed support for him, arguing it is critical that judges have discretion to issue lighter sentences and that harsher penalties and mandatory punishments will only exacerbate mass incarceration.
Sajid Khan, a deputy public defender in Santa Clara county who published a petition in support of Persky, said he opposed Rosen’s bill on Wednesday.
“It’s disappointing, and it’s a slippery slope,” he said. “My concern is that it’s a one-size-fits-all type of punishment scheme that does not permit taking into account unique circumstances of a particular case and of a particular offender.”
Khan said he worried the legislation could pave the way for new bills that would increase prison time for other offenses.
“When we start to go down that path for mandatory minimums for any crime, we again perpetuate policies that result in mass incarceration.”
|
{
"pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2"
}
|
List of Australia national rugby union team test match results
A list of all international Test matches played by the Wallabies.
Legend
1890s
1900s
1910s
1920s
Notes:
1930s
1940s
1950s
1960s
1970s
1980s
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990s
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000s
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010s
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020s
2020
See also
List of Australia national rugby union team records
References
Australia
Matches
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Wikipedia (en)"
}
|
Background
==========
Lung cancer is a malignant carcinoma with high morbidity and mortality in Chinese population. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for approximately 80% of all lung cancers. The synthetical therapy has been developed remarkably, however the efficacy on locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC is still poor. Recently, the molecular-targeted therapy with gefitinib shows favorable performance. Gefitinib is a tyrosine kinase (TK) inhibitor of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). It blocks signal pathways involved in proliferation and survival of cancer cells \[[@B1]\], and displays activity against malignant tumors. Two large randomised phase II studies (IDEAL1 and 2) in patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC after failure of platinum-based chemotherapy showed a higher response rate of gefitinib (12%-18%) \[[@B2],[@B3]\]. Compared to docetaxel, gefitinib showed superior progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate (ORR), better tolerability, and similar quality of life (QOL) improvement rates in pretreated NSCLC \[[@B4]\]. Gefitinib was also effective and safe in Chinese patients with recurrent advanced NSCLC \[[@B5]\].
In 2006, Niho et al. reported response rate of 30%, median survival time (MST) of 13.9 months and 1-year survival rate of 55% in advanced NSCLC after first-line single agent treatment with gefitinib\[[@B6]\]. Some other groups also reported that first-line single agent treatment with gefitinib may have better effect in patients with advanced NSCLC than standard first-line chemotherapy \[[@B7]-[@B10]\]. Gefitinib showed clinical benefits for EGFR mutation NSCLC patients with extremely poor performance status (PS)\[[@B11],[@B12]\]. The large randomized trial (IPASS research) which compared gefitinib with carboplatin/paclitaxel in patients with advanced NSCLC demonstrated superiority of gefitinib relative to carboplatin/paclitaxel in terms of PFS, ORR, tolerability, and QOL improvement rates. However, the overall survival (OS) and disease-related symptom improvement rates were similar \[[@B13]\]. In 2009, Kim et al. demonstrated that compared to pre-gefitinib eras, the survival of advanced NSCLC patients was significantly improved in post-gefitinib eras in Korea \[[@B14]\].
However, the present data regarding first-line treatment with single agent gefitinib against NSCLC in Chinese population are not sufficient. Here, we conducted a study of single agent treatment with gefitinib in 45 patients with advanced NSCLC in order to assess its efficacy and toxicity in Chinese patients.
Materials and methods
=====================
Patients
--------
45 patients with histologically or cytologically confirmed stage IIIB or IV NSCLC received gefitinib as first-line treatment between July 2006 and Oct 2008 at the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University. All of these patients were treated initially and had at least one measurable focus according to standard Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) \[[@B15]\]. These 45 patients consisted of 19 males and 26 females with median age around 61.8 years (range: 30-78). 17 patients had smoking history. In terms of tumor histologic types, the patients included 26 adenocarcinomas, 4 bronchioloalveolar carcinomas, 10 squamous cell carcinomas and 5 adenosquamous carcinomas. According to American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging manual, 14 patients were in stage IIIB and 31 patients in stage IV. The Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (ECOG-PS) value was less than 2 in 32 patients, and 3 - 4 in 13 patients (Table [1](#T1){ref-type="table"}). All patients provided written informed consent before enrollment. This protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Boards of the participating centers.
######
Clinical material and efficacy of the 45 patients
Characters NO. CR, n (%) PR, n (%) SD, n(%) PD, n (%)
------------------ ----- ----------- ----------- ---------- -----------
Gender
Male 19 0 15.8(3) 36.8(7) 47.4(9)
Female 26 0 46.1(12) 38.5(10) 15.4(4)
Age(year)
\< 70 35 0 34.3(12) 37.1(13) 28.6(10)
≥70 10 0 30.0(3) 40.0(4) 30.0(3)
Smoking status
Smokers 17 0 17.6(3) 41.2(7) 41.2(7)
Non-smokers 28 0 42.9(12) 35.7(10) 21.4(6)
Tumor histology
Adeno. 26 0 38.5(10) 42.3(11) 19.2(5)
BAC 4 0 75.0(3) 25.0(1) 0.0(0)
Squamous 10 0 10.0(1) 30.0(3) 60.0(6)
Adenosquamous 5 0 20.0(1) 40.0(2) 40.0(2)
Stage
IIIb 14 0 28.6(4) 50.0(7) 21.4(3)
IV 31 0 35.4(11) 32.3(10) 32.3(10)
Brain metastasis 4 0 75.0(3) 25.0(1) 0.0(0)
PS value
≤ 2 32 0 37.5(12) 37.5(12) 25.0(8)
3\~4 13 0 23.0(3) 38.5(5) 38.5(5)
Therapy
-------
Gefitinib (AstraZeneca Company) was administered orally 250 mg daily, 28 days as a cycle. The treatment was continued until disease progression or intolerable toxicity.
Observation index
-----------------
We conducted a thorough physical examination on each patient to acquaint with the health status (PS method). Blood routine, hepatic and renal function, electrocardiogram, PET/CT or CT were examined. These indexes were reexamined regularly during the trial, and the image examination was performed after the first one cycle. After that, the image examination was conducted once two cycles. The follow-up of patients by telephone or outpatient service for 1 year was performed.
Evaluative standards
--------------------
Tumor response was assessed as complete response (CR), partial response (PR), stable disease (SD), or progression disease (PD) in accordance with the standard of RECIST \[[@B15]\]. A CR was defined as the complete disappearance of all clinically detectable tumors for at least 4 weeks. A PR was defined as an at least 30% decrease in the sum of the longest diameters of the target lesions for more than 4 weeks without new area of malignant disease. PD indicated an at least 20% increase in the sum of the longest diameter of the target lesions or a new malignant lesion. Stable disease was defined as insufficient shrinkage to qualify for PR and insufficient increase to qualify for PD. An objective response rate (ORR) indicated the proportion of patients achieved CR and PR, while a disease control rate (DCR) indicated the proportion of patients achieved CR, PR and SD. Progression-free survival (PFS) was measured from Day 1 of treatment until the first objective or clinical sign of disease progression. Overall survival (OS) was measured from Day 1 of treatment until the date of death. The alteration of patients\' symptoms including appetite, fatigue, cough, dyspnea, hemoptysis and pain referencing to Lung Cancer Symptom Scale (LCSS) \[[@B16]\] was observed. Symptomatic remission was considered if the score over 25 points. Symptom remission time means the span from initial administration to symptom remission. Adverse effects including 5 degrees (0-IV) were evaluated following the standard enacted by the World Health Organization in 1981.
Statistical considerations
--------------------------
The data was analyzed by SPSS11.5. Intergroup comparison was conducted by X2 checking. Survival analyses were performed by Kaplan-Meier method. Survival deviation was calculated by Log-Rank test. All P-values were considered significant if P ≤ 0.05.
Results
=======
Clinical efficacy
-----------------
All of these patients were eligible. None of the patients achieved CR. 15 patients (33.3%) achieved PR and 17 patients (37.8%) had stable disease (SD). 13 patients (28.9%) developed progressive disease (PD). ORR and DCR was 33.3% and 71.1% respectively. Subset analysis according to basic traits of the patients was shown in Table [1](#T1){ref-type="table"}. Table [2](#T2){ref-type="table"} showed that the efficacy of gefitinib therapy correlated with gender, tumor histology (P \< 0.05). However, other factors such as age, smoking status, disease stage, and ECOG-PS didn\'t correlate with the efficacy of gefitinib therapy.
######
Gradational analysis of ORR and DCR
Characters ORR(%) P value DCR(%) P value
----------------- -------- --------- -------- ---------
Gender
Male 13.3 0.033 52.6 0.019
Female 40.0 84.6
Age(year)
\< 70 34.3 1.000 71.4 1.000
≥70 30.0 70.0
Smoking status
Smokers 17.6 0.082 58.8 0.281
Nonsmokers 42.9 78.6
Tumor histology
Adeno. And BAC 43.3 0.044 83.3 0.027
Non-adeno. 13.3 46.7
Stage
IIIb 28.6 0.909 78.6 0.699
IV 35.5 67.7
PS value
≤ 2 37.5 0.561 75.5 0.589
3\~4 23.1 61.5
It is notable that there were 4 patients with brain metastasis in this trial, including 3 cases of PR and 1 case of SD. Brain metastatic focuses disappeared in 2 patients of PR, and their primary tumor reduced. One of them expressed headache palliative at the day 1. The primary and metastatic tumors of one patient reduced two weeks later.
Remission of symptoms
---------------------
In this trial, except 5 patients whose PS = 0, 29 of the other 40 patients (72.5%) achieved palliative symptoms such as fatigue, cough, pain, etc. Remission time arranged from 1 to 14 days, median remission time was 8 days.
Overall survival
----------------
MST of the 45 patients was 15.3 months by Oct 15, 2008, (95% CI 11.22-19.38). OS arrange from 7.4 to 23 months, and the patient who had the longest OS was still alive at the most recent follow-up. The 1-year survival rate was 50%. The Kaplan-Meier survival curve was showed in Figure [1](#F1){ref-type="fig"}. The MST of patients with adenocarcinoma and non-adenocarcinoma was 17.1 months (95%CI 14.79-19.41) and 11.2 months (95%CI 8.67-13.73), respectively. The MST of patients with adenocarcinoma was remarkably longer than that of non-adenocarcinoma (P = 0.0149) (Figure [2](#F2){ref-type="fig"}). Other factors such as gender, smoking status, etc., had no obvious effects on survival (Smokers indicated current or former smokers, and nonsmokers was defined as persons who had never smoked.).
{#F1}
{#F2}
Progression-free survival time
------------------------------
The median PFS was 6.0 months, (95% CI 4.36-7.64). Kaplan-Meier curve of PFS was showed in Figure [3](#F3){ref-type="fig"}.
{#F3}
Toxicity and adverse effects
----------------------------
As shown in Table [3](#T3){ref-type="table"}, the most common toxicities of gefitinib treatment were rash (53.3%) and diarrhea (33%). In addition, 26.7% and 22.2% of the patients showed dehydration and pruritus of skin. 6.7% of the patients showed Grade 2 or 3 hepatic toxicity. 4.4% of the patients (2 persons) showed oral ulcer. No patients developed interstitial lung disease (ILD). Most of the toxicity was grade 1 to 2, and remitted after treatment. Grade 3 rash of one patient was remitted by reducing the dose of gefitinib. The relationship between rash and OS is showed in Figure [4](#F4){ref-type="fig"}.
######
Assessment of toxicity (case, %)
Toxicity Grade(WHO)
-------------------------------- ------------ ---------- -------- -------- ------
Rash 21(46.7) 19(42.2) 4(8.9) 1(2.2) 0(0)
Pruritus 35(77.8) 10(22.2) 0 0 0
Dry skin 33(73.3) 11(24.4) 1(2.2) 0 0
Diarrhea 30(66.7) 13(28.9) 2(4.4) 0 0
Oral ulcer 43(95.6) 2(4.4) 0 0 0
Nausea/vomit 37(82.2) 8(17.8) 0 0 0
Hepatic toxicity 42(93.3) 1(2.2) 2(4.4) 0 0
Interstitial lung Disease(ILD) 45(100.0) 0 0 0 0
{#F4}
Discussion
==========
Because of high morbidity and mortality, investigators pay more attentions to the therapy of lung cancer in recent years. Platinum-based combination chemotherapy has been the standard first-line therapy for advanced NSCLC. However, it brings about severe adverse effects such as vomiting, renal toxicity, cytopenia, etc.. Recently, molecular-targeted agents have been introduced in the treatment of NSCLC. Gefitinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor of EGFR, has been allowed to treat NSCLC clinically. The second-line treatment with gefitinib has response rate, survival benefit and safety not inferior to chemotherapy. Two trials in patients who previously failed platinum-based chemotherapy, IDEAL-1 and 2, revealed a favorable ORR (12-18%), a DCR of 50%, and good tolerability of gefitinib treatment \[[@B2],[@B3]\]. Gefitinib have been suggested to have better efficacy in patients of females or non-smokers, patients with adenocarcinoma (particularly with bronchioloalveolar carcinoma), patients with previous immune/endocrine therapy, and patients with a PS of 0 or 1\[[@B2]\]. A trial about the treatment of NSCLC patients from Asia with gefitinib resulted in an ORR more than 25% and a DCR more than 60% \[[@B17]\]. Recently, Lee et al. \[[@B5]\] demonstrated that, as second-line therapy, gefitinib has superior PFS, better tolerability, and similar QOL improvement rates compared to docetaxel.
Nowadays, more and more clinical investigations have been carried out to evaluate the efficacy of gefitinib as first-line treatment of advanced NSCLC. Niho et al.\[[@B6]\] reported a response rate of 27% with gefitinib treatment in 40 patients with advanced NSCLC. Yang et al.\[[@B18]\] from Taiwan reported that first-line treatment with gefitinib in 196 patients with NSCLC achieved an ORR of 42%, a DCR of 61%, and a 1-year survival rate of 47.5%. A large phase III trial IPASS, which was designed to compare gefitinib as first-line treatment of NSCLC patients with standard chemotherapy, demonstrated superiority of gefitinib in terms of 12-month rates of PFS (24.9% vs. 6.7%, P \< 0.05), ORR (43.0% vs. 32.2%, P = 0.0001), and tolerability profile compared with carboplatin plus paclitaxel. Recently, Maemondo et al.\[[@B9]\] reported that the gefitinib group had a significantly longer median PFS (10.8 months vs. 5.4 months; P \< 0.001), as well as a higher response rate (73.7% vs. 30.7%, P \< 0.001) than the standard chemotherapy group. A study conducted in Japan also showed a longer PFS in gefitinib group than the cisplatin plus docetaxel group (9.2 months vs. 6.3 months, P \< 0.0001) \[[@B10]\]. In our study of first-line treatment with gefitinib in Chinese patients with advanced NSCLC, we obtained an ORR of 33.3%, a DCR of 71.1%, a median PFS of 6.0 months, and a median OS of 15.3 months. These results were compatible with the reports aforementioned.
The IPASS study suggested that gefitinib would be efficacious in first-line treatment of locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC patients with adenocarcinoma who have never or seldom smoked \[[@B13]\]. Consistent with this result, we found that females and patients with adenocarcinoma (including bronchioloalveolar caicinoma) were more sensitive to gefitinib. Although the response rate of gefitinib in non-smokers seemed higher than that in smokers, the result had no statistical significance due to the small sample size. The OS of patients with adenocarcinoma was longer than that of patients with non-adenocarcinoma (17.1 months vs. 11.2 months, P = 0.0149). However, other factors such as gender and smoking status have no obvious correlation to OS. In addition, we found that the OS of patients with rash was longer than that of patients without rash, and a longer OS was coupled with greater rash. Because there were few cases with grade 2 or more serious rash, this result needs to be verified further. Moreover, our study showed favorable efficacy of gefitinib in patients with brain metastasis.
Gefitinib is well tolerated in advanced NSCLC. The common adverse effects of gefitinib were skin rash, diarrhea, anorexia, elevated aminotransferase lever, and interstitial lung disease, etc \[[@B9]-[@B11],[@B19]\]. Similarly, mild toxicities including skin rash (53.3%), diarrhea (33%), Grade 2 or 3 hepatic toxicity (6.7%), and oral ulcer (4.4%) were observed in our study. No patients developed ILD. Since the tolerance of gefitinib in NSCLC is better than chemotherapy, and gefitinib could provide clinical benefits for patients with extremely poor PS \[[@B11],[@B12]\], it may be a better choice to treat patients who can\'t tolerate chemotherapy compared to best supportive care (BSC).
It has been recently reported that the sensitivity and survival benefit of gefitinib treatment was higher in NSCLC patients with EGFR mutations than the patients without EGFR mutations \[[@B20]-[@B22]\]. Chinese patients of lung cancer have a higher frequency of EGFR mutations than American patients. As a result, Chinese patients were much more sensitive to gefitinib than Americans \[[@B23]\]. Besides mutations, gene copy number and polymorphism of EGFR were also related to the responsiveness of gefitinib in advanced NSCLC \[[@B24],[@B25]\]. EGFR mutations of NSCLC patients can be detected using plasma and pleural effusion samples, which provides a noinvasive method to predict the efficacy of gefitinib in advanced NSCLC \[[@B26]\]. Detecting the mutations of EGFR plays an important role in guiding the first-line treatment with gefitinib in patients with advanced NSCLC. Besides EGFR mutations, the favorable PFS after gefitinib treatment was also associated with high levels of serum surfactant protein D (SP-D) \[[@B27]\]. In future studies, we will investigate the molecules which affect and (or) can be used to predict the efficacy of gefitinib in NSCLC.
Conclusions
===========
Single agent treatment with gefitinib is effective in patients with advanced NSCLC, and well tolerated in Chinese patients. Gefitinib could be used as first-line treatment for specific subgroups of NSCLC such as females, non-smokers, and patients with adenocarcinoma.
Abbreviations
=============
NSCLC: non-small-cell lung cancer; TK: tyrosine kinase; EGFR: epidermal growth factor receptor; CR: complete response; PR: partial response; SD: stable disease; PD: progression disease; PFS: progression-free survival; ORR: objective response rate; QOL: quality of life; PS: performance status; ECOG-PS: Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status; DCR: disease control rate; OS: overall survival; RECIST: Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors; LCSS: Lung Cancer Symptom Scale; MST: median survival time; ILD: interstitial lung disease; BSC: best supportive care; TTP: time to progression; SP-D: serum surfactant protein D
Competing interests
===================
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
Authors\' contributions
=======================
YQS contributed to conception and design, and gave final approval of the version to be published. ZXW contributed to conception and design. YMY acquired the data and revised the manuscript critically for important intellectual content. YTG acquired the data and drafted the manuscript. YFS acquired the data. XLH and WL contributed to statistic analysis. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
Acknowledgements
================
This work was supported by grants from the Jiangsu Provincial Natural Science Foundation (NO. BK2008477), the Scientific Research Foundation for the Returned Overseas Chinese Scholars, State Education Ministry 2009 (IA09), and the open project program of the Health Bureau of Jiangsu province (XK18 200904).
|
{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Central"
}
|
On Wednesday we started this little trip down Facebook lane. I promised you we’d finish Friday and I think we’re a few hours late but it’s still fresh press so it is all good. Enjoy the rest and feel free to share your thoughts.
The Armchair Critic
Ah, the armchair critic. This particular guy I have to be honest and admit I have fallen into this category multiple times. Fortunately I have patient and kind friends who gently help me realize that perhaps I’m not the expert (In certain categories.) as much as I’d like to be. I will never be the President of the United States. Nor would I want to be. Or the head coach for whatever college or professional team. I wouldn’t want that job either.
We all know the Armchair Critic. This is the guy who is so quick to criticize people who are actually trying to make a difference. It may not be what they think is the best, but if you take bias opinions out, and the emotional pull of “being right” you are left with the notion that professionals have a lot of critics. Most of which don’t have the talent to lace the shoes of the pros.
They litter your newsfeed with how awful a politician is. And like the Debater never checks Snopes before posting disparaging “facts” about whatever horrible thing they’ve done now. The Armchair politician, critic, coach…it doesn’t matter, he takes full advantage of having the luxury to never ever have to step up to the plate himself.
So what’s the issue? We understand the need to vent from time to time of your frustrations of politics when they go awry. Or to vent from time to time of the social injustices that we see spread across the headlines. We get it. The Armchair Critic takes it to whole new level. Suddenly he knows all the in-betweens. Criticizes people as though he’s been on the front lines himself. And all of his online friends hear it daily.
And other than being a critic, one could ask what is being done about the issue? One would think that’d be an important question to ask. What are you, Armchair Critic, doing about your situation? Where is your cause? Remember in the last blog post we mentioned actually taking up a cause? Yeah, doing something about an issue is way hotter. Girls love guys who dive into their work. Remember that old archetype of the hero saving people, and the girl of the story just digs it? What if the people are your cause? Jump in, take some hits, and go for it. Or, sit and bitch about something that A) you have no control over. B) Have no incentive to rise to the cause. C) Not even close to being an expert in. Which do you think sounds more attractive? We’ll let you do the math.
How do you fix this? Understand, first, that each of us falls somewhat, if not entirely into these names listed. Myself included. Which is why it’s important to take a step back and look past the need for that second class payoff of human validation. A wise friend once told me, “All politicians, priests, pastors, coaches, and professionals are either God or the Devil in the eyes of men. Few fall in-between. But once you understand that most people truly want to do their best, and we remove our bias, and understand they are more than likely doing their best; you can then see them for who they truly are.” We could also add that in all truth, we couldn’t handle that job. Truth be told, we should ask ourselves a lot of questions. Like the ones I mentioned above, and ask yourself if you’re just finger pointing. A good indicator is if you truly believe, for example, our country is in trouble because of them! Whoever “them” might be. Who was it who told me, “It takes two to tango.” Something to consider for all of us.
Negative Neil
Negative Neil is a combination of a few people here. Btw, if your name is Neil, this is pure coincidence. Unless you’re negative 95% of the time, then yes this is specifically about you. Neil here is a combination of The Debater, the Dramateer, and the Armchair Critic. But he simplifies. Which is sorta good. Sorta.
You see, in his eyes, the World is rubbish. Everything is rubbish. Life is rubbish. Job is rubbish. Family and marriage is rubbish. And if you post something on your own wall, trying to be positive, he will come in with something to counter it. Not just once in a while. ALL THE TIME. This is the guy who even his closest friends have to say, “Can you just chill out with the negative, we understand your life sucks right now.”
This guy is different than say, your friend who really did have Life take a big steaming load on him and had to vent a little. Or vent for a few days for that matter. Negative Neil vents all day long. Every single day. Sometimes even tries to be funny about it unsuccessfully.
So what’s the issue? I learned VERY fast in the coaching business that people run from negativity. That is, negativity from other people. Sort of like the guy who hasn’t showered in ten weeks noticing the guy who hasn’t showered in five. Again, in general, people run from negativity. That level of consistency can wear a person out. I remember a while back while dating this girl, everything that we talked about was negative. Everything. I went home feeling poisoned. That was the last I saw her.
Most people can tolerate a good chunk of negativity. But let’s say you go on a few dates, and everything that comes out of your mouth ends on a bad note. It won’t be long before she moves on, if she hasn’t already in her own mind. Sometimes they just want to be polite and let you down easy.
How do you fix this? I know that it is sometimes very hard to stay positive. And I know, times do get tough and it is even often impossible to do it all the time! Monitor your words. Have a friend repeat back to you what you said so you can hear for yourself. Sometimes hearing it, how it sounds from someone else, helps us realize just how negative we can sound. Do your best to live with your cup half full for a bit. May feel awkward at first, and fake, but remember, not everyone knows what you’ve been through. Use it to empower you, not bring yourself and others down.
The Pot Stirrer
This is a toxic combination of the Dramateer, Debater, and Negative Neil, with a side salad of the other names mentioned. The Pot Stirrer lives off of the accelerated emotion of people arguing over the internet. Often they post a controversial news link just to stir up the crowd, and then argue for the sake of keeping the argument going.
Aside from that, the Pot Stirrer plays chameleon. They send messages to friends, about other friends so they can watch the events unfold. Not always so careful about how discreet they are, they’re usually found out.
So what’s the issue? A better question is, “What isn’t the issue?” I find if someone is eager to speak toxicity about everyone else, you can wager they’re doing the same to you. I always lose my trust in them. As far as attraction is concerned, most people you want to date will run from this quality. It is both distrusting and reeks of childishness.
How do you fix this? If you find yourself, similar to the Dramateer, in the middle of toxic relationships, and can never seem to avoid them, there is a good chance you’re part of them. It takes a hard look in the mirror to take a look at the situations and why you feel compelled to tell “Sam” what “Joe” said about him. Then turn around and tell “Joe” what “Sam’s” response was.
One way to take care of this; if you have friends that you know are not getting along, then doesn’t talk about that friend. It is as simple as refusing to take part in gossip. If they want a message sent, then let them send the message themselves, in person. People respect someone who refuses to be a part of the poison.
The Racist, Bigot, Sexist
I placed all three here because they all belong in the same boat really. Each has their own flavor of ignorance, but isn’t put off by allowing those around them to experience it. I have to bring them up because though they seem few and far between, each shows up from time to time. And when they do, it is common they are left to their ignorance without any questions asked.
They leave slandering comments that put genders, races, groups, and “types” on a lower class level than themselves. Justified by, “observation,” they get away with it as no one tells them otherwise.
So what’s the issue? Where to start on this? Let’s just get this out; that more needs to be done to bring awareness to this level of ignorance. Majority of which is bred out of fear. I’ve seen it against homosexuality, against religions, against women, and a multitude of races. There really isn’t a quicker way to show the world your personal level of ignorance than to be blatantly blind to it.
As far as attraction is concerned, most people you will want to date will be sensitive to one or more areas. Usually more. And they will cut you off like a dead limb at the first racist, bigoted, or sexist comment.
How do you fix this? A friend once encouraged me to seek out all forms of media. Learn all sides of the coin, even the side it balances on. Never assume that “truth” is the same as “fact.” And more importantly, just because others may agree with you, that doesn’t mean you or your idea is right. Be willing to unlearn unhealthy ideas about other cultures, peoples, and creeds. Be willing to KNOW those people and learn. You will learn more from doing that level of homework than a lifetime of ignorance.
And finally, to wrap them all up together, look in the mirror. Though we encourage you not to be overcritical of yourself, and to be encouraging, we also encourage you to work on yourself. Be willing to take those steps and know what you can and cannot control. And be willing to let go of toxic or poisonous ideas. Piece by piece, we can encourage and coach others to do the same.
When I was a senior in High School, I ended up having to take an underclassman Algebra class. Mainly to make up for credits due to some car accident I was in that year that put me in a troubled teen hospital. But that’s another story. I hated Math. At that point in my life I hated a lot of things about school, life, people, and math.
Because my previous class was so close to this particular one, I was always the first there and I’d sit in the back. I was the only senior in that class and yes, I felt dumb. I struggled with Algebra and all forms of number issues. I always remember one kid who’d come into the room shortly after me. Probably a sophomore or possibly a freshman. I remember him because he was the poster child for stereotypical nerds. Big glasses, usually wore slacks, sometimes even a bow-tie..and yes…a pocket protector. In fact, as I’m writing this article I got out my year book, and there he is, in a bow-tie with his massive glasses. I guess he was a sophomore after all.
He usually tried to sit near the front and avoid contact with another boy who’d come in fourth or fifth or sometimes right after him. The other, kid, much larger, would stare him down and go sit a desk or two side-by-side with him. Never said anything but I recognized the larger boy because he was on the Junior Varsity football team and I had seen him hanging around that crowd a lot. Seemed decent enough, but the first time I saw him glare down the nerdy boy it struck me as odd. What could he have possibly against him?
That tiny moment, that predator stare, I recognized it immediately. I knew it because I remember that being done to me by other people. The predator stalks its prey, to feel powerful, or better about themselves, or to prove something. Whatever the case, I remembered that look all too well and it hit something in me. Like a switch going off. The predator was so focused it didn’t see the other eyes in the back of the room watching. Or it didn’t care. Either way that boy was now on my radar.
A few days passed and nothing ever came of it until later in the week I saw that look in the larger kid again. Teacher was out in the hall or wherever teachers go for 6 or 7 minutes between classes. But in he stalked, glaring down at the boy who would even look up. Then he just stopped, right in front of his desk and stood there. I knew what the boy sitting there felt like. This larger, “tougher,” boy just staring you down and you’re on eggshells, processing what to do to not look weak, but not make him upset as to take it out on you.
I watched, eagerly, because of all of the things I mentioned above that I hated…I hated bullies the most. A violent, sociopathic, non-healthy, sort of hate. (I had issues, judge as you will.) And as I watched the bully started to say something. To this day I don’t even remember what he was saying. I do remember he bumped the smaller kid’s desk with his leg and got all wild-eyed. The smaller kid answered meekly and was holding his pencil. I remember because I could see his hand shaking.
I’d had enough and said, “Is there a ****’n problem?” They both looked up at me shocked. I hadn’t spoken a word to anyone in that class since the 1st day. At first the bully had a look like, “who would dare?” then his skin turned pale. Then he made a statement about how he was just joking around and they were just friends. Funny how even in High School that excuse is still used.
I wasn’t a big kid, I was very scrappy and still fairly underdeveloped for my age, but at that point I didn’t care much for the rest of my school year. I begged God above to give me the chance to go crazy on this bully. Instead the bully sulked over to his seat still glaring at the other boy and muttered something under his breath. Coward. I spoke again, “He obviously doesn’t think so, if I ever see or hear of you bothering him again, you’ll have me as a problem.” He insisted he was joking to which I countered with telling him to shut his mouth along with other colorful words. From then on, in that class anyway, I was the predator watching his every move, not needing to ever speak again.
Later, after the end of the school year I was at a party at a friend’s house when a girl I had recognized approached me. She was an upper classman to me when I was still in High School. She thanked me for sticking up for her little brother. She then told me how that boy had bothered her little brother from 7th grade until his sophomore year relentlessly. Teachers never took the parent’s complaints too seriously and the torment would continue. After that little intervention, he never bothered her brother again. That is all it took.
I bring this up not to pat myself on the back, the world knows I have delivered my share of shame and detestable actions. I bring this up because I was reminded of this incident today as I read the headlines of yet another kid being bullied. Anymore you don’t have to look far and we had even written an about this some time ago.
Recently a boy had asked Santa to bring a Christmas present early. That present is to stop his sister from being bullied any further. No longer did he wish for a remote control car or helicopter, but instead to intervene on behalf of his sister. It has pierced his heart and he no longer knows where to go. I know many parents are doing their best, but so many questions need to be asked and so many children need to know this is not okay.
How do we begin to stand up for others? How do we fill the gap? In our seminars we mentioned how men, true masculine, mature, men, are protectors and defenders of those who cannot fend for themselves. No matter what race, gender, creed, or orientation. My grandfather once told me that some courage is standing up for what is right, or for someone else, when no one else will. I’m not sure how to close this except with one last question; what will you do to fill the gap, to stand for someone else? What will you do?
Years ago when deciding to be a part of Full 1mpact, I envisioned a place where guys could be a part of something where they could grow in a stable environment. I saw a place that teaches everything from health and sexuality, to true masculinity. In that vision was a group that decided we would not be fooled by pop-media, nor would we bow down to broken belief systems that are harmful to everyone. That choice was spawned by my own journey through myths, lies, and half-truths that pepper a boy’s growing up experience.
In that journey I had to literally swim through information and misinformation from one study group to another or from one men’s guru, to another. But this has never stopped. Every bit of information I find, I keep. Good or bad. The reason is simple; I want to help where I needed help during my life span. That vision I mentioned? Yeah, the one where guys learn about real masculinity? We can’t teach that if we don’t understand or haven’t experienced the triumphs or failures ourselves. Recently we’ve been going through the Man Myths curriculum, in doing so we’ve had to once again swim through the video guru’s and leaders to find some gold. In doing so, I’ve stumbled across a myriad of misinformation. It is no wonder boys have such a misunderstanding as to the steps to manhood.
I going to write about three recent videos I came across while exploring the net on men’s leaders, guru’s, teachers, mentors, etc. I am not going to mention their name, business, name of company or ministry. This isn’t to slander them as an individual. This is also not to do a comparison of us to them. This is simply to point out some teachings I came across that I believe are damaging. I believe most of these guys are earnest in their teachings and really believe they are helping. I also don’t want to give them anymore web traffic than needed if I can help it. I’m writing this to give an alternate viewpoint.
Video Guru #1:
In the search for helping guys create that spark of attraction with women I had to dig through endless amounts of material form world renown pickup artists to attraction gurus. Most are misunderstood in the nature of their teachings, but many are just trying to help guys with absolutely rubbish dating skills. They teach guys who just have no idea where to start but would really like to be with a girl. Thus bringing me, Guru 1.
The main teachings: Guru 1 has a huge reputation in the pickup artist community and has even had several reality shows to back up his skills. He teaches guys scripted techniques on how to talk to women to create the attraction. Just as important he also teaches perfect body language to project to a girl to create attraction and uses sociological and psychological techniques that have been long considered controversial, despite how effective those techniques might be. His shtick is that the scripts work and has even had boot camp contests for men, where the guy who picks up a girl fastest with his scripted techniques wins a trip to his mansion and other prizes.
The Issue: I have read cover to cover, most of this man’s books. He comes from a place of fierce female rejection and humiliation at a young age when he just wanted to be with a beautiful girl. So he tries to spare men that same pain. The issue at hand is that it’s scripted. I’m not talking pick-up lines or lame jokes, I am talking about well thought out and planned scripts with body language and everything. As though you are an actor in a movie. And that is the problem.
Men are taught that this is all they need to know. Many master the techniques and do very well with the ladies. There are also blogs about where to go after you’ve gotten her home a few times. How then do you develop an actual relationship? You see, the script only teaches you how to create a cardboard cutout of a man, display it, and hope the girl doesn’t see behind it.
As a teacher he hasn’t taught the guys internal steps to great character, how to treat a woman for long-term romance, or how to communicate that direction if that is where your interest is. In a recent article sex expert, Timaree Schmit, posted; “When Can We Bang?” http://sexwithtimaree.com/2013/01/30/when-can-we-bang/ she covers the importance of a pure line of communication. Something we’ve also stressed at Full 1mpact. There is nothing wrong with honest communications about your intentions.
On a side note, as I said previously, I have read this man’s material. I believe for guys who are just starting to test the waters in talking to beautiful, attractive, women, this is a good way to get their feet wet and actually obtain some confidence to try talking to women using these techniques. Sort of like a starter kit. But for guys who want deep game, this shouldn’t by any means be permanent. Let’s move on.
Video Guru #2:
The main teachings: He believes too many men put women on a pedestal. (I agree.) However he also refers to a woman’s attitude when disagreeing with your attempts of “attraction” as a “bitch attitude” and warns against it. Like Guru 1, he teaches forms of body language that is linked to the sub-conscious and therefore comes across as much stronger and more persuasive, if not purely manipulative. He often refers to women in derogatory form and is applauded by his audience.
He does side courses on confidence, but it is usually peppered with what I call “comparison confidence” where your confidence is derived from something inferior about someone else. In his main teaching he makes these three claims: 1. He can get you laid faster than any other teaching guru. 2. The women won’t know what to do about you. (This I actually agree, but from the sheer shock of offense spewed their way.) 3. You will learn to be a true Alpha-Male.
The Issue: Where do I begin? Guru 2 also comes from a background of deep seeded rejection stemming all the way from his mother, he admits in a video interview from 2004. His teachings dive straight into the fountain of misogynistic fortitude. Though he deeply believes he is helping young men get “laid the easy way,” he is constantly teaching from a platform of “Us against Them.” He constantly degrades women and hints at Rape Culture with his subconsciously persuasive “touch” body language where he has taught that an innocent pat on the butt is okay if it’s done correctly. Where I come from that can be considered sexual assault.
Putting anyone, (Women, Men, a specific race) in a place of “lesser than you,” helps no one. It stems from lack of understanding, and reaps destructive relationships. It also promotes the mistreatment of women and men you see lesser than yourself. To me, that is bullying and is not an okay attribute.
Guru 2’s Alpha Male Club teachings; A true man never has to compare or prove himself to anyone but himself. And a supposed “alpha” never has to belittle other men as a way of making themselves as higher status. There is little I find helpful about Guru 2’s teachings. The majority is offensive and comes across really manipulative.
Video Guru #3:
The Main Teachings: This gentleman is a teacher who often teaches in men’s seminars on helping boys become men and does a fairly decent job of pointing out boy behavior that continues into adulthood. He also identifies the struggle with modern time’s inability to distinctly identify real manhood or masculinity. Often uses the media as an example of how marketing targets young men in their ads. “Real men buy this,” or “Real men want this thing,” and then young men go out and buy those very objects in hoping to be “real men.”
He goes into detail about how real men skip adolescents and understand 5 basic sociological changes that move them straight into adulthood. Guru 3 also teachings men on becoming givers, and not takers and those real men don’t need to acquire large school debts or credit card debts buying toys. He then calls people out for enabling a long list of unattractive boy behavior. And those people are mothers, sisters, and girlfriends to these boys. Because they’re enabling and allowing this behavior.
The Issue: Though I find myself agreeing on the behavior aspect of his teachings and also the increasing inability of guys to identify what it takes to be a real man, I am afraid that Guru 3 speaks in half-truths. Though he successfully labels the five major sociological changes boys have made over the centuries that helped step them into manhood, it is taught as, “Do these five things, and you will be a man.” It comes across as though it is just that simple. But it isn’t that simple, especially when the majority of masculinity stems from the internal, not the external.
When he teaches on boy behaviors that carry into adulthood, he uses a tactic I refer to as shame teaching. This is a tactic used where you make fun of the people doing the undesired behavior, usually in your audience, explain the undesired scenario, and teach it in a way that shames the people that may have done said behavior. I’ve seen this style in the corporate world, I’ve seen in done by my own teachers, my peers in middle school when I didn’t go out for a sport, and I’ve done it myself to others. It is relatively ineffective, and doesn’t give the steps a person needs to improve if they lack the skills or tools.
He preaches on to say men should know their vocation and just go into it without acquiring school debt. I find this impossible if you believe your calling is a doctor, psychologist, lawyer….the list goes on. I do not believe most people can pay for extensive schooling with cash, nor do I believe anyone is less of a man for needing loans to finish school. This has NOTHING to do with masculinity.
Lastly, Guru 3 calls out the guys for their cowardice behavior, their unattractive behavior, and then calls out the people who’ve enabled such behavior. Moms and girlfriends. The women of these boys’ lives. He fails to mention the Fathers role in all of this. So he solely places the finger on women as the enablers of that behavior in the upbringing of the boy to a man. This creates a woman dishonoring attitude and a chance to use them as an excuse for such behavior.
Though I will agree that a mom, as a parent, is responsible for raising their own children, the father’s role is just as crucial if not more so in laying out the steps of walking into manhood. (Which Guru 3 also fails to mention.) In the hours of shame teaching, making fun of men who have no confidence, and scapegoating the issues; he also fails in giving distinct steps to take to help with any of the issues he has with guys. He is, however, happy to go on rants at how many of the men in his congregation irritate and frustrate him.
One of my long time mentors, Eben Pagan, once taught a seminar on teaching useful information. He said, “As a teacher you can never assume your audience even knows the basics of what you know. That assumption will not interpret the way you want it to and you will lose your listeners.” Without practical steps to take, tools, and useful advice one becomes just another opinion on a matter that would probably be useful if had the vehicle to get there. And that is what we always strive to do at our seminars; to give you the proper steps to take that anyone can apply to their lives for improvement. Until next time.
We want to thank everyone who attended our very first live seminar today. We appreciate the support! Our goal is to reach as many guys as possible and create a positive impact on everyone involved. Here is a small clip thanks to Man of Mystery for his video support.
In preparation for our January 9th event, the first of many free seminars, we want to do something a little fun. What if we were able to offer our services to a few fictional characters we have seen in movies? Granted, the movie wouldn’t have had the drama it did and it is that very drama that makes most movies enjoyable. But what if, what if we could have helped and how would we have done this? Imagine if Emperor Commodus was secure with his identity, or what if Fisher from 21 got out of his own ego and worked as a team? Yeah, we’re not sure what would’ve happened either, probably wouldn’t have made as good of a movie, but hey, sometimes these fictional characters exist in people we know. (Disclaimer: We are not saying every case is curable or that we are therapists since several characters were in need of some serious therapy sessions.) WARNING: Movie Spoilers Ahead.
Movie: Gladiator
Character: Emperor Commodus
Storyline: In short, Emperor Commodus smothers his father to death and takes over as ruler of Rome; he condemns Maximus to death for not giving him total loyalty. Maximus rises up through the gladiator ranks and outshines the Emperor of Rome. This provokes him to try numerous times to kill Maximus in the arena with no avail. Finally he decides to fight Maximus himself after stabbing the gladiator in the side with a shiv to give the Emperor the advantage. Still doesn’t work out for him as he is forced to taste that shiv for himself in one final fight.
Issue at hand: Where do we start? This guy is teaming with self-destructive habits and esteem. Chronic father issues aside, he falls victim to his own agenda and aspirations. He desires to be the greatest ruler of Rome and tries desperately to fill the shoes of his father. He constantly compares himself to other great men, unsure of his own identity, and disguises his quest to fill the void of genuine love in his life with the ambition of building a greater Rome and being loved in the eyes of the people. And that is just the surface or tip of the iceberg so to speak.
How Full 1mpact Address This: Let’s pretend for a moment that Commodus decides to get professional help for his lack of a father growing up and what issues rose to surface from that. Yeah. So how could we help?
Step 1: Help him identify the great qualities that are inside of him that he respects in other men. Doing this he begins to realize that he doesn’t have to fill someone else’s shoes or compare himself to another man. He can be his own man without an ambition. This will also show him he has no reason to be jealous of Maximus and he can be a true brother and friend or ally. This security would also help him in dealing with bureaucratic politicians who would otherwise look down upon him for his lack of knowledge or experience.
Step 2: Help him realize he doesn’t need everyone’s approval. By introducing him to the “Man Myths” series he’d understand that pleasing everyone is just as impossible as it is taxing on the spirit. It is also manipulative. Manipulative in what ways? The idea that, if he does something for people, that they should love him. That is buying love, or fishing for approval. None of it works and men often get trapped into this especially when trying to attract a woman. He would need to realize the great paradox, to put in motion things that would help Rome’s best interest in his opinion, but understand not everyone will approve or love him for it. And be comfortable with that rather than threatened.
Step 3: Though this ties into number two, it is still very relevant. And that is to help him begin to start loving himself in a non-narcissistic, but healthy, manner. This way he isn’t searching everywhere else for his needs. He’d begin to understand the core of whomever and whatever he wants to be is deep inside him first. Everything else will fall into line.
How will this all help him? The father issue is the big obvious, and that goes without question that if the issue isn’t resolved it’d be hard to get anywhere. Inside of that, he has two iconic men he is comparing himself to constantly and competing with. It’s kind of like an amateur boxer deciding he’s going to compete and go twelve rounds with Mike Tyson. That just never works out very well and you end up feeling jaded and tortured. (And very sore.)
By identifying his own core virtues that make him strong in his own identity he has no need to compare. He is solid with the belief he can be his own man and be iconic in his own way. In doing so he could very well restore many broken relationships he already has. With those relationships restored he could then understand and enjoy real love, not manufactured or manipulated love. Or even demanded love, as we see later on in the film as he begins to spiral more out of control.
Movie: Legends of the Fall
Character: Alfred Ludlow
Storyline: In Legends of the Fall we follow the Ludlow; The Colonel, three brothers, and Susanna, as they survive through seasons of trials of losing loved ones. Tristan tries to wrestle with his inner wildness as Alfred tries to wrestle with his own identity as well; all the while each of them misses their brother Samuel that they lost in WWI. All of the characters wrestle with love, historic battles, and seasons.
Issue At Hand: Alfred tries hard to be a people pleaser, at the same time win the hand of Susanna, whose heart is still with Tristan. Alfred blames and resents Tristan for Samuels’s death as well as Tristan’s success and popularity. He also resents that Tristan allows himself to abide by own rules and is loved regardless. Alfred goes on to pursue Susanna through persuasion and manipulation, blaming Tristan. At the same time he becomes a successful politician and lives near his mother where he believes he’ll be accepted more.
How does Full 1mpact address this?: This one isn’t as extensive as Mr. Commodus, and in fact is quite common. I would even say half of the men we’ve encountered have had trouble similar to that of Alfred here.
Step 1: Alfred is a people pleaser first and foremost. He even says it himself at Susanna’s funeral. “I followed all of the rules, man’s and God’s. And you, you followed none of them. And they all loved you more. Samuel, Father, and my… even my own wife.” So our job is to get him to identify that life isn’t so much about rules, or even “Everyone’s” rules. Again we have a guy who, out of insecurity, is comparing his love level to that of another man. “What am I doing wrong?” is often the question at hand. Tristan had to wrestle his own demons, while Alfred spent time pleasing everyone else which led to his work as a politician. We would show him that he cannot please everyone. He needs to make the choice to identify with his own demons, traits, skills, and character then go from there. Build up from the core and decide his own set of rules and follow those.
Step 2: Help him to understand he needs to take responsibility for himself, and his own actions. Yes, very basic, but nonetheless very profound. Like I said earlier, Alfred is a common scene in many guys, and so is the desire to pass responsibility. Alfred blames Tristan for Samuel’s death, for Susanna being alone, for breaking all the rules, and doesn’t take a moment to realize what it is he is doing to add to the poison. The Colonel, Alfred’s father, even says, “Samuel decided for himself to be a soldier, and soldiers are killed…” trying to get Alfred to understand it has nothing to do with the fact he is trying to pursue Tristan’s fiancé. He fails to understand that he made the choice to try and persuade Susanna to be with him. And that he himself became a people pleaser and manipulator. Taking responsibility takes the power back to you, saying, “I have the power to make choices, good or bad, and the power to own up to them.” Passing responsibility to someone else says, “They have the power to decide how much love I get, or who accepts me, or my path in life.” By passing the responsibility, one also passes on their own personal power.
Step 3: Teach him to attract a woman who loves him, not his brother. A major issue of resentment was his wife still very much was in love with Tristan, even though Tristan knew it would never work. The old Tristan died, and the new was born. She never got passed that. And despite that fact, Alfred still “persuades” her to marry him instead. He manipulates her by offering her security, but the issue remains. The issue is never addressed to the point where she realizes she cannot be happy without Tristan. (An issue within itself.) So she commits suicide. A man should never have to persuade or manipulate love. Had Alfred been his own man, comfortable and secure within himself and addressed his own personal demons in his own way, he could have found someone who’d compliment his character as he compliments hers. He’d be able to attract someone who loves him for who he is not his brother.
How will all of this help him?: Again he’d be secure in himself, and begin identifying his own demons to address rather than trying to place blame on his brother. And rather than be someone who fishes for acceptance he accepts himself and puts the former aside. Also, he’d understand more fully the dynamic of attraction between a man and a woman. Rather than being jaded because a woman isn’t solely attracted to a comfortable lifestyle, he’d be secure in knowing that he had the power to attract a woman himself rather than compare himself to another man.
Movie: The Holiday
Character: Jasper
Storyline: Ah, you didn’t think I’d go without a Christmassy movie this time of year did you? In the Holiday Iris is still in love with a guy who is marrying another woman, a man who has, in the past, used her and eventually told her that their love is like “a round peg in a square hole, it just doesn’t fit.” In order to get away from it all she swaps houses for the Holiday with a woman in California. Here she begins to see from afar that the “love” she had with Jasper was pure venom.
Issue at Hand: Though Jasper’s overall role in the film is pretty much a scant few scenes, his role is huge. He is a womanizer, but not just a womanizer; he likes to keep them on an emotional string. Interestingly enough, he knows perfectly how to bait the hook and cast it. He understands attraction, and he fully understands manipulation. And sadly, men like this rarely see themselves needing help from Full 1mpact when in fact they may need it the most.
How does Full 1mpact address this?: We’d begin by first seeing how willing Jasper would be to see what exactly he is creating with his actions. And also allow him to understand himself a little better and his “need” to control multiple women. By control we mean using manipulation tactics.
Step 1: Rather than calling him a womanizer and kicking his ass for his douchebag behavior, sometimes a more subtle approach is needed. And that is to get him to identify that his actions are harmful. I had a guy once ask, “Well what if I wasn’t married?” My question immediately was, “Do all of the women in your life know about one another, and if so, are they okay with this?” If the answer is no, then you, my friend are causing harm. You are being dishonest at someone else’s expense. It isn’t that Full 1mpact is all about monogamy, or against multiple relationships, so much as we are about honesty. Honesty fills the gaps. His actions are harmful in that when the truth is told, people are severely hurt. His actions are at another person’s expense. In the series, “Kill the Boy” that is typical “boy-behavior” in that his actions benefit him, and him alone.
Step 2: Help him understand he needs to make a choice. Either get married, or don’t. Either seals the deal, and commit to a life devoted to one woman, or if Jasper still feels he needs to live in the dating circuit, by all means, do so. But choose and commit to that choice. And not at the expense of other people. He’d be better respected if he could commit to a lifestyle, or commit to changing that lifestyle when the time is right rather than hook and bait women.
Step 3: Help him to identify his need to control and manipulate the emotions of women, and keep them on a string for when he thinks he needs them later. Pop Psychology would suggest this is a major mother issue at work here. Possibly, or any number of possibilities without fully knowing the entire backstory. But more than likely there is a deeper, more sinister work at hand. Probably a wound inside that he hasn’t faced or wrestled with. You see, though his actions seem light-hearted, “hey I just want to have some fun, be with some ladies, no harm, no foul here.” They are actually very aggressive towards women. His aggression is in the form of emotionally baiting women and dishonesty. Though we are not therapists here at Full 1mpact, we do have access to them and would suggest to him the need to see one. Otherwise he poses the possibility of damaging every relationship with women he is in.
How does all of this help him? Hopefully by identifying his “boy-behavior” he can begin to address new habits and actions and commit to who he wants to be without another person’s expense. The previous lifestyle of using women to manipulate creates such a state of inner turmoil and drama; he’d appreciate the peace of just “being” with someone. The freedom of allowing the cards to fall where they may is so liberating, especially to a relationship. Meaning, we allow the other person to be whoever they wish. Or be with, whomever they wish.
Movie: Magnolia
Character: Frank T.J. Mackey
Storyline: Two parallel and intercut stories dramatize men about to die: both are estranged from a grown child, both want to make contact, and neither child wants anything to do with dad. Earl Partridge’s son Frank is a charismatic misogynist; Jimmy Gator’s daughter is a cokehead and waif. A mild and caring nurse intercedes for Earl, reaching the son; a prayerful and upright beat cop meets the daughter, is attracted to her, and leads her toward a new calm. (Taken from IMDB since our explanation was too lengthy.)
Issues at hand: Let us move aside the easy, pop psychology, father and mother issues. Those two are obvious from the get-go and anyone who took basic human behavior or basic Psyche 101 can see that plain as day. So we move to his actions. He leads a men’s self-development program to help guys get women and be “better men.” Hmm…sound familiar? It’s obvious he has taken some profound pain and wreckage and compiled it into success in his own life. You see the wreckage in spat throughout the film, until the end when it pours over, still unresolved. Frank leads his followers down his own path in which he clearly brags about following what he preaches during an interview. But the poison appears that he is leading men out of defense with an, “Us against them,” attitude. He makes women the enemy, not a companion, through clear emotional manipulation techniques in order to gain control. Sound familiar? *coughJaspercough* He teaches other hurt men, who are seeking clear answers, to follow suite. In the industry of dating advice, pick-up artists, and men’s development this can sometimes show up. Rather than leading men through his past pain, he is leading them within it. Meaning, he leads them as a result of the pain in a defensive manner than puts men against women in an aggressive stage where you “tame” her. We could write an entire 20 page article on just this fictional character alone since there are a few like him. Yes, a few men’s help gurus who teach similar to Frank’s philosophies.
How does Full 1mpact address this?: This could pose a challenge for one main reason, and that is Frank sees himself as a leader of men. He puts himself out as a messiah in a way to men searching to have a level of success with women where they failed or were hurt in the past. Rather than showing them a path that benefits both parties, he serves only to fuel their wounds with aggressive, sociopathic, and manipulative motives. Frank believes he is right, and his followers feed that belief system. Full 1mpact would have to hit him where it hurts, and show him those wounds could heal. (After passing him a number to one of our many therapists.)
Step 1: We’d have to demonstrate first-hand the ability to attract women at no one’s expense. Show him, in the field that not only can it be done, but it can be done quite effectively. Also demonstrate to him that true masculinity is not threatened by true femininity. They complement one another. In order to show him this we’d allow him free consultation with one of our field experts to work with him. Considering he’d take any of our advice we’d have to show him we’re not a threat, as women are not a threat.
Step 2: Take him to The Man Myths 101 Boot Camp. Why? His ideas of masculinity shown on film suggest he’s adopted lies of true manhood and masculinity. To say the least, he’s even quoted his own “how to” chapter entitled, “How to fake like you are nice and caring.” The message here is telling men not to be either one. To pretend and put up a cardboard cut out of whom you want them to see you as. One of the myths is that men shouldn’t show emotion or be caring. There is a difference between being overly emotional and “too caring,” and being in touch with both. At the boot camp he’d be forced to address all of the above issues and consider them. He’d also be forced to compare his ideas of masculinity to what is real and what is myth.
Step 3: Work WITH his organization. Huh? Did I just write that? Why would Full 1mpact work with an organization that alienates and manipulates women? The character of Frank T.J. Mackey is a master at men’s emotions, not just women’s. He understands what motivates men, and how to push the pain button to get them in his seminars. And he already has masses of true believers. By side-saddling with him we’d agree to revamp his seminars considering he’d let us in. After steps one and two, he’d be questioning the authenticity of his organization and how to proceed further in a more positive direction. Imagine if he went public and apologized for his previous theories. His organization would double, with not only the support of men, but also women. Working with Full 1mpact would be win/win for both parties.
Movie: Just Friends
Character: Chris Brander
Storyline: Chris Brander has always been friends with Jamie Palamino, but now decides it is time to take his relationship to the next step. The problem is, is that Jamie still wants to be ‘Just Friends’. When he runs away and moves to L.A., he becomes an attractive music manager, who everyone wants. When he ends up back home, to his surprise, he encounters Jamie again, and sets out to be more than ‘Just Friends’ this time. Curtsey of IMDB
Issue at Hand: The friend-zone. Ah, yes the evil, inevitable, friend-zone that so many of us have encountered over the years. You buy her gifts, flowers, write her poems and give her free artwork, and yet…you’re friend-zoned. Why can’t a girl just love a guy for who he is, and why can’t a guy just wear his heart on his sleeve? Especially when you show her that you’re always there for her no matter what, and then show her you can give her whatever she needs? Well, we’re about to answer that question for you. But first, let’s identify that the Chris Brander we’re talking about in this film is prior to him leaving for Los Angeles.
How would Full 1mpact address this?: This is one of the most common issues men run into with a girl they like. We would show Chris how to create attraction by first creating his own boundaries. Then we’d follow up by showing him the difference between the good guy and the nice guy.
Step 1: Get him OUT of the “friend behavior set” as soon as possible. At the beginning of the film it is possibly too late for our friend Chris. He’s friend-zoned himself so solid he might as well go and get his nails done with her. Whether he is friend-zoned or not at this point is irrelevant since the skill set he would learn of identifying the zone would help him with future endeavors.
Step 2: Help him to understand the difference between identifying her great qualities and honoring her, as opposed to putting her on a pedestal. In the film, at the beginning you see him with what some would consider a shrine of her. That level of “devotion” puts unrealistic expectations on her, as well as him and sets him up for failure. (As he finds out in the film.) It is okay to see great qualities in a woman, but it is something else entirely to make her the center of your universe and source of your happiness. As romantic and poetic as it sounds, when you make someone the source of your happiness you objectify them and place an expectation on them to provide you that happiness. Whether you realize it or not. Happiness should always come from within, not without.
Step 3: Full 1mpact would set him up with the confidence package. Yes, that confidence is what we’d work on in order to help him stay out of the friend-zone. You see, if he had the level of confidence he needed, he’d take the risk of putting his neck out there and saying directly what his intentions are. Guys who friend-zone themselves take the easy way, or what they believe is the less painful route. With the belief they’ll sneak in through the back door and “show her” how caring they really are by “always being there,” often the only message they are relaying is, “I’m a great friend,” and nothing more. With confidence in his arsenal, Chris Brander would be able to not only deliver that message, but be able to follow through in the future.
I hope you enjoyed this as we pulled apart some of our favorite flicks with some serious, and hopefully some humorous musings with these fictional characters. We understand that without those characters, these stories just wouldn’t be the same and would never take away from the writer’s hard work in putting those stories together. If you want any information about Full 1mpact, seminar dates, or consultation information, please email us at full1mpact@yahoo.com or find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Full1mpact . Thank you for taking your time out to read this and have a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy Chanukah, Happy Kwanzaa, and Happy New Year, we will see you on January 9th. –William M. Jeffries
It has been quite some time since the last update on the blog here. A lot has happened since then and now. We put Full 1mpact in a brief hiatus in order to really focus on our future material, and the up and coming seminars we want to have. Those of us who are familiar with the inner workings of Full 1mpact understood we needed to get back to basics. What are the basics?
The basics are the core essential truths we believe that help us become more impactful in our own lives. Truths that diffuse the myths we’ve been taught growing up. Truths that help us define ourselves and one another and shed light on lies we once believed. If I am allowed to say what I believe Full 1mpact is, I would say it is a launch pad for men to have a greater impact in their own lives, and to the lives around them. Isn’t that what everyone wants?
On January 9th, 2013, Full 1mpact is opening its doors for the first time to the entire public. This is also why we decided to get laser focused and refine our material for all of you. We will be introducing to you, The Man Myths, which is a collective work of material that been put together to de-myth much of what we were raised to believe. If you think back to what we’ve been taught all of our lives, since day one, then you understand that this is the basics. Yet the basics are not so basic after all.
What if I told you everything you were taught to believe on masculinity can be summed up into three main categories? And what if, of those three categories, only one of them truly holds the key to pure masculinity? Was that something we were taught growing up? Not to me it wasn’t. And not to 95% of the men I interviewed prior to this study. Neither were the men online who I researched in forums, in person, and in case-studies. Basics. We need to get back to basics. To the core.
Why do we need to get back to the core of our beliefs or belief system? What if I told you that whatever it is you believe filters everything you see, judge, and interpret? Everything. Now, what if what we, as men, were taught about masculinity, and being a “real man,” was a lie? Or a half truth. And that false belief now filters how we perceive everything around us. Can you begin to see where I’m heading with this?
When I was growing up I did not have a father to show me even a sliver of what a real man was about. Or even a theory of what that might look like. I was blasted with what my peers believed was masculine, the media’s ideas, and tried to match that with my tiny physique that was the stereotypical weakling. With no guidance I had no choice but to accept the norms. Later through a lot of pain I would be forced to map it out myself. Sound familiar? This is what most guys do not talk about. We hide our ignorance because we’re unsure, and we like to appear certain. But guess what? We have some keys that will help. Now you can be certain!
On January 9th, 2013, at 7pm, Full 1mpact will be meeting at the Pasadena Library Auditorium for a free seminar that de-myths much of what we were taught growing up. And we will show you how to overcome old beliefs, and how to recognize them. We will also show you how this can be good or bad for your friendships, relationships, and ability to attract a woman or keep a woman.
It has now been roughly over a week since I headed two hours South to the amazing, Comic Con. Yes, it is as amazing as people say. Yes, it will kick your ass. And yes, it is as every bit crazy as people say it is. To me, it is like Christmas, my birthday, and Thanksgiving rolled into one, just without the weight gain of the three. To me, it is a fan-boy dream come true, and gives me hope for future geek media and entertainment. Allow me to indulge a bit as to why. And why this topic is on a men’s development blog. But first, let me tell you what I saw.
Day one I saw the mass of one hundred and eighty thousand people gather for one event that most of us would agree is pretty spectacular. Yes I’m biased, but bear with me. I trekked across the exhibitor’s hall a dozen or more times probably walking the distance of ten miles in one day. Unless you’ve been there, you know that is no exaggeration. I seriously trekked ten flippin’ miles each day I was there. My legs and I are finally talking again. I saw celebrities, wrestlers, and writers, oh my. To me, that first day is like unwrapping your gifts at Christmas. Or your Birthday gifts if you don’t celebrate Christmas. Either way…FUN!
The rest of the days there are like enjoying those gifts you just unwrapped. You see people of every color, creed, and background all enjoying similar interests as yourself. You see people who enjoy the art. You see people who enjoy the games that won’t come out for another year, maybe two. You see movie trailers before anyone else, you see sneak previews to many things you love in the fantasy world of entertainment. Generally the sci-fi, fantasy, and super hero movement of entertainment. And you see people who enjoy the hobby of costuming their favorite heroes and villains. Some could walk onto the set of a movie…others perhaps should have stayed at home and not burned their image into the retinas of those who witnessed it. I’m only half kidding on that one.
I’ve been drawn to sci-fi, fantasy, and comics books since I can remember. I was barely three when Star Wars first hit theaters and I remember loving it. I always loved Batman, and anything with knights in it. Better yet, anything with a good guy versus a bad guy where somehow the good guy making it out okay. Or barely okay. At Comic-Con I not only get to see the new modern take on the good versus evil, but also the nostalgia of when I grew up with toys and comics from that era displayed. To me it allows the kid to come out and play, all the while allowing the adult to sit back and smile; wanting to be part of the entire scene and making that level of impact.
Last year we wrote a similar article about Comic Con and the importance of understanding the things you enjoyed as a child and not confusing the boy-man issue with your inner fun child-like side. This year I’d like to expand that a bit and go on to explore the many sides of a “Man.” There are strong, physically dominating men, there are wise men, there are philosophical men, there are logical men, political men, and men from every spectrum. With true men, the only difference is the path. Deep inside, every true man has strong character, despite whatever path he has chosen in this life. Much like the heroes we grew up watching on t.v. or the movies.
Growing up I idolized Batman, Zorro, Han Solo, and G.I. Joe. Batman because he was/is an unstoppable self-made force. He had an answer for everything. A back up plan for a backup plan. Zorro is a swashbuckling hero who helps his people from an oppressive governing body. He, like Batman, has two identities and fights for good. Han Solo, though he acts like he doesn’t care and is as cocky as they get, fights for good. He is courageous, snarky, and not exactly predictable. G.I. Joe I loved…well because it’s G.I. Joe and COBRA was just evil, simply put.
These would be my heroes as I grew up and faced life. Sometimes not having someone to stick up for you, you had to stick up for yourself and be the hero in your own movie. Growing up I drew strength from their character, and their choices. Even their mistakes. Their stories stayed with me well into present day adulthood and live on now.
As an artist I drew my heroes, and my villains, in great detail, imagining other untold stories. I would spend hours drawing them out, perfecting their battle scenes and heroic stances. But one thing always remained the same, good always won in the end. To this day I believe this. Good will find a way to win. In modern day, evil is everywhere. Just watch the evening news and be inundated with sensationalized media about every corrupt thing on Earth. That part is easy. The hard part is believing that beneath it all, hidden from common view, just like a story, good is finding a way to overcome it.
In the midst of writing this article the Aurora tragedy of the Batman theater shooting has happened. Though it is hard to see it now I believe good is finding a way through all of this. Was the man behind the killings evil? Without a doubt. So where is the good in all of this? How is it working? Why can’t we see it yet? Maybe we have to look for it. When I would read Batman comics he would look for a way to solve a crime. What clues led him to the Riddler? How hard would he search? And why did he never give up? Good will come of it. You just have to look for it. It isn’t always shiny. It isn’t always obvious. It never has to be in the limelight and often chooses not to. But it is there. Trust me.
Sometimes we become jaded with humanity. I know I can at times. But as I searched for my own journey and began to find my own identity as a man, there is one lesson that stuck with me and gave me hope over many others. It was at a seminar, and the speaker had us make a list of things we hated in other men, and then make a list of men, either fictional or existing; then write what we admired about those men. Part of my childhood came back as I wrote down, Zorro, the Lone Ranger, Batman,…then I began writing down real people in my life. My pastor. My grandpa. A best friend’s father who took me in when I just finished my bout with drug abuse. He and his wife treated me as their own. He didn’t have to. But he did. I wrote down all of their heroic characteristics. All of them. I filled four notebook pages.
After that the speaker told us to examine each list. The attributes we hated, and the ones we loved the most. The he said something remarkable that changed me forever. He said, “with the ones you hate, that is more than likely something within yourself you hate now, or at one time hated. That is why you recognize it.” For the most part. There are always exceptions. But then he said, “The heroes and men you admire, those attributes you see deep within yourself that is probably already there, you just have to tap into it.” For me, it broke a lifelong bondage of never feeling good enough or adequate enough.
Though at times I do struggle with childhood programming of inferiority, I champion on, knowing deep inside, there is a self-made hero wanting to do good and impact others in a positive way. How do I know this? Because I saw the same hero in men and women who impacted me. They were strong, persistent, courageous, brave, full of faith, and most importantly full of love. They trained other side-kicks with the best of their superhuman ability, to do good. Simply, to do good.
With that said, to summarize, if you take away anything from this article have it be simply this; Comic-Con is freaking awesome! Superheroes are awesome! It is okay to enjoy and love the things you did as a kid and to reflect back to simpler times. It is okay to let the kid out to play once in a while! Good will triumph over evil. Even it isn’t always obvious, it champions every day. The good you see in others, the things you see that make a champion, IS INSIDE OF YOU! You just have to look for it! Look for the good. Look for the super hero. They’re there, inside, waiting to conquer evil and take you to places in your life you have never been to before. You just have to look.
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Diffuse light lowers the light intensity for my plants
Natural Food Planet, located in the Agropark, in Queretaro, Mexico, began its operations in 2013 and is currently producing TOV tomatoes. Florencio Espinola, who is in charge of production, was already an experienced screen user prior to his start with Natural Food Planet, and understood the importance behind using screens to maintain the desired greenhouse climate.
“The decision to install a light-diffusing HARMONY 4145 screen was initially to reduce the amount of heating needed in the winter and to create shade in the summer” Florencio notes.
In June and July, in the beginning stages of cultivation, the screen needs to occupy 80-90% of the growing space in peak radiation hours, during which time the transplanting is done. Because the crop is brought in from the nursery, it’s often difficult for the plants to adapt to the new environment. Natural Food Planet’s Harmony screen makes this transition much smoother and creates better growing conditions for the crop.
Following the two to three week transplanting process, the use of the screen is gradually decreased as the plant grows big enough to adopt on its own to the climate.
“With the use of the screen we’ve also seen irrigation benefits, having a lower inside greenhouse temperature translate into needing less irrigation for our plants. Nothing works in excess now”, Florencio adds.
When going from winter to spring, there is a very sudden change in the climate and the plant– which is just sprouting– and tends to become overstressed and unable to adapt to seasonal changes in a rapid manner. The operations Harmony screen allows the plant to maintain an optimum climate during this time period.
“From October to February when night temperatures can drop to as low as 8°C (46°F), we need the screen to save on heating and to prevent condensation buildup directly on the plant. Most of the water that falls on to the screen is defogged with side screens and extractors.“
"For better shade uniformity we prefer to use our mobile screen over whitewashing. With the screen the crop is more even, this was especially noticeable in our last cycle when we experienced several cloudy periods."
Florencio concludes, “We believe that with our Harmony screen we have better production and higher quality fruits for exportation, the difference being whether we whitewashed or weren’t using a screen”.
Grower Profile
Florencio EspinolaGrower
Company: Natural Food Planet
Location: Queretaro, Mexico
Crop: TOV Tomatoes
Greenhouse set-up: Plastic, side ventilation
What climate was needed: A climate that's cool during the day and warm in the evening.
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Dai Fujikura
Dai Fujikura ( Fujikura Dai; born 27 April 1977) is a Japanese-born composer of contemporary classical music.
Biography
Dai Fujikura was born in 1977 in Osaka, Japan. He moved to London when he was 15 to study at Dover College as a music scholar to complete his secondary education. His initial ambition was to compose music for cinema. Studying the music of Pierre Boulez, György Ligeti and Tōru Takemitsu at Trinity College of Music provoked a gestalt shift: Dai became an aspiring contemporary composer, whose extensive knowledge of cinematography gave his music a fresh, individual voice. Imagining sounds as image produced music with considerable dramatic structure and strength. By the end of his second year he had already won the Serocki International Composers Competition. Before graduating, Dai's music had been broadcast on many European radio stations, won several other prizes, and had been performed by a list of illustrious ensembles and soloists including: Orkest de Volharding, the London Sinfonietta, Colin Currie and Harry Sparnaay.
Despite this fortuitous start, and the strength of early works such as Frozen Heat, Cari4nics and Eternal Escape, Dai wanted to develop his technique. A visit to Darmstadt, where he first heard Japanese traditional music, and a Masters with Edwin Roxburgh at the Royal College of Music helped Dai embrace this musical heritage, composing works like Okeanos Breeze for a mix of Japanese and Western Instruments. Whilst at the RCM he was also mentored by Péter Eötvös, writing Fifth Station for the London Sinfonietta.
This period denotes an important phase in the development of Dai's music. He experiments with spatial separation, a technique where he breaks up the traditional seating of the orchestra, sometimes placing them around the auditorium for both aural and dramatic effect. The first orchestral work using this technique was Calling Timbuktu (2nd prize Takemitsu Competition 2003) has been performed by the Tokyo Philharmonic and BBC Symphony Orchestras. Also he starts to experiment with video, writing teki and moromoro for solo piano and film. Research into spatial separation, and cinematographic musical structures continued at King's College London under George Benjamin, leading to a PhD.
A portrait concert by the Philharmonia Orchestra (part of the RFH Music of Today series with Martyn Brabbins), retrospectives in New York and Chicago, work with Ensemble Modern, Klangforum Wien, and a subsequent major commission for Vast Ocean at Donaueshingen Music Days with Eotvos launched Dai as a major new voice of the European avant-garde.
Pierre Boulez, with whom he first worked whilst writing Stream State for Orchestra (Premiered at the Lucerne Festival, and receiving five other performances in 2006 alone) was a major supporter of his work: Dai was one of only two people asked to write a piece for the official Boulez 80th birthday celebrations at Cite de la Musique (Code 80). Subsequent commissions include two pieces for Ensemble Intercontemperain, (one celebrating their 30th birthday), a new work for twelve percussionists for the 2006 Lucerne Festival, a major orchestral and electronic work commissioned by IRCAM and Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, and a piano concerto for Noriko Ogawa and the Philharmonia Orchestra.
Prizes
1st Prize in the Serocki International Composers' Competition (1998)
The Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival Young Composers' Award (1998)
2nd prize in the Toru Takemitsu Composition Award (2003)
The Royal Philharmonic Composition Prize (2004)
Internationaler Wiener Composition Prize (the Claudio Abbado composition award) in 2005
Hindemith Prize (2007)
Performances
February 2004 "Fifth Station", premiered by the London Sinfonietta, conducted by Martyn Brabbins.
October 2005, Eötvös conducted the world premiere of "Vast Ocean" for trombone, orchestra and live electronics.
September 2005, Pierre Boulez conducted the world premiere of the Lucerne Festival Academy's commission, "Stream State" for orchestra.
August 2006, BBC Proms debut, "Crushing Twister",
2006, Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s "Music Now" series.
Commissions and performances from Ensemble Modern, Asko Ensemble and Nieuw Ensemble, Hochschule für Musik "Hanns Eisler", Klangforum Wien, OKEANOS, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Peter Manning Camerata, Spoleto Festival, Ensemble Intercontemporain, International Contemporary Ensemble, BIT20 Ensemble, Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, New Japan Philharmonic, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra.
Works (Selection)
Opera
The Gold-Bug, children's opera (in English/German) based on Edgar Alan Poe's short story (2018)
Solaris, an opera based on the novel, with an English-language libretto by Saburo Teshigawara (2015)
Orchestra works
Rare Gravity (2013) for orchestra
Mina (2011/2012) for five soloists and orchestra
Tocar y Luchar (2010) for orchestra
Atom (2009) for orchestra
Ampere (2008) for piano and orchestra
Vast Ocean (2005) for orchestra and live electronics
Stream State (2008) for orchestra
Ensemble works
Grasping (2011) for string orchestra
ice (2009/2010) for chamber ensemble
Double Bass Concerto (2009/2010) for double bass and chamber orchestra
Phantom Splinter (2009) for oboe, clarinet, bassoon and live-electronic
Frozen Heat (2008) for 13 musicians
Chamber music
Minina (2013) for five instruments
wind skein (2013) for oboe, clarinet, alto saxophone, bass clarinet and bassoon
being as one (2013) for soprano, bass clarinet and violoncello. Text: Harry Ross
Phantom Splinter Lite (2009) for oboe, clarinet, bassoon and electronic feed
String quartett no. 2 flare (2009/2010)
References
External links
Composer's website
Publisher's website
Website of US distribution partner
Interview with TimeOut London
Category:1977 births
Category:21st-century classical composers
Category:21st-century Japanese musicians
Category:Alumni of King's College London
Category:Alumni of Trinity College of Music
Category:Japanese classical composers
Category:Japanese expatriates in the United Kingdom
Category:Japanese male classical composers
Category:Living people
Category:Musicians from Osaka
Category:People educated at Dover College
Category:People from Osaka
Category:21st-century male musicians
|
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Q:
Why does a BigDecimal scale changes if accessed through an association?
I have two Ruby on Rails models Farm and Harvest. A farm belongs to a harvest. Here are the models:
class Farm < ActiveRecord::Base
acts_as_singleton
belongs_to :harvest
validates :harvest, presence: true, allow_blank: true
serialize :harvest_time, Tod::TimeOfDay
validates :harvest_time, presence: true, allow_blank: true
validates :hash_rate, presence: true
validates_with HashRateValidator
end
class Harvest < ActiveRecord::Base
belongs_to :user
validates :user, presence: true
validates :date, presence: true
validates :amount, presence: true
validates :identifier, presence: true
validates :amount, numericality: { :greater_than => 0 }
end
There is only one Farm (accomplished thanks to the acts as singleton gem). Every time a harvest is done the harvest association from the farm changes, since it always have to point to the latest harvest. Since I am using a Farm as a singleton model I update the Farm using the following code:
@harvest = Harvest.new(
:date => DateTime.now,
:amount => amount,
:identifier => new_identifier,
:user => current_user,
:assigned => false
)
if @harvest.save
Farm.instance.update_attributes(:harvest => @harvest)
byebug
The weird thins is that the values of the harvest amount ans the amount from the harvest assigned to the farm do not match after this:
(byebug) Farm.instance.harvest.amount
435.435
(byebug) @harvest.amount
435.435345343
(byebug) Farm.instance.harvest.id
12
(byebug) @harvest.id
12
The amount decimal is suposed to have scale to 8 and precision to 6 (from the migration), here is the relevant part of the schema.rb file:
create_table "harvests", force: :cascade do |t|
t.datetime "date"
t.decimal "amount", precision: 6, scale: 8
t.integer "identifier"
t.datetime "created_at", null: false
t.datetime "updated_at", null: false
...
end
So, what's going on here? The amount should be the exact same value!
A:
I figured it out. Scale and precision did not make sense. Precision is the amount of digits on the BigDecimal amount, scale is the amount of those digits that appear to the right the decimal point. Since precision was set to 6 scale could not accommodate 8 digits after the decimal point. So when the number came from the database it was truncated, when it came from memory it had all its digits after the decimal point. I fixed it by setting precision to 18 and scale to 8, which means 18 digits in total and 8 of those appearing to the right of the decimal points.
Sqlite allowed the incoherent precision => 6 and scale => 8. Postgres did not.
|
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|
512 F.2d 1155
Israel LOPEZ LOPEZ, Plaintiff-Appellee,v.SECRETARY OF HEALTH, EDUCATION AND WELFARE, Defendant-Appellant.
No. 74-1085.
United States Court of Appeals, First Circuit.
Argued Feb. 3, 1975.Decided March 13, 1975.
Morton Hollander, Atty., Dept. of Justice, with whom Carla A. Hills, Asst. Atty. Gen., New York City, Julio Morales Sanchez, U. S. Atty., San Juan, P. R., Stephen F. Eilperin, and Stanton R. Koppel, Attys., Dept. of Justice, Washington, D. C., were on brief, for defendant-appellant.
Hector Reichard, Aguadilla, P. R., for plaintiff-appellee.
Before COFFIN, Chief Judge, ALDRICH and CAMPBELL, Circuit Judges.
LEVIN H. CAMPBELL, Circuit Judge.
1
The Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare has filed an appeal from the district court's remand order in an action brought by a Social Security claimant to review the Secretary's denial of Social Security disability benefits. 42 U.S.C. §§ 405(g), 423(d)(1). We have noted a threshold question of appealability, but upon further consideration are persuaded the matter is properly before us either on appeal, see, e. g., Cohen v. Perales, 412 F.2d 44, 48-49 (5th Cir. 1969), rev'd on other grounds sub nom., Richardson v. Perales, 402 U.S. 389, 91 S.Ct. 1420, 28 L.Ed.2d 842 (1971), or under authority of the All Writs Act, 28 U.S.C. § 1651. See Schlagenhauf v. Holder, 379 U.S. 104, 85 S.Ct. 234, 13 L.Ed.2d 152 (1964); La Buy v. Howes Leather Co., 352 U.S. 249, 77 S.Ct. 309, 1 L.Ed.2d 290 (1957); 9 Moore's Federal Practice 312-13. We accordingly proceed to the merits.
2
Lopez filed a claim for Social Security Disability Insurance Benefits in 1971, stating that he could no longer work as his left kidney had been removed and his right was damaged and caused him constant pain. The Social Security Administration, after interviewing and examining him and reviewing his medical records, denied his claim initially and on reconsideration. Lopez then requested and was granted a hearing, at which time a hearing examiner considered all the evidence de novo. The hearing examiner, after examining the medical evidence and hearing the testimony of Lopez and a vocational expert, ruled that while he could no longer work as a cement mason, he could still do jobs of a light and sedentary nature. Finding that such jobs existed in significant numbers in the Puerto Rico economy,1 the hearing examiner ruled that Lopez had not shown himself to be disabled within the meaning of the Act. 42 U.S.C. § 423(d). Upon Lopez' request for review, the Appeals Council of the Social Security Administration upheld the hearing examiner's decision, the decision then becoming the final decision of the Secretary.
3
In overruling the decision of the Secretary, the district court apparently accepted the hearing examiner's finding that Lopez could perform light and sedentary tasks but nevertheless held that "the Secretary failed to sustain the burden of showing that there is employment available which plaintiff is able to perform ...." The court made plain its belief that it was incumbent upon the Secretary to establish that claimants such as Lopez, poorly skilled and residing in an area of high unemployment, have a realistic opportunity of being hired for those positions the Social Security Administration finds them competent to perform. Otherwise they are to be deemed disabled for purposes of the Act. In reaching this conclusion the district court erroneously relied upon a line of cases, interpreting "disability" before Congress added statutory language restricting the definition of that term. With the Social Security Amendments of 1967 Congress clearly foreclosed such prior interpretations. Pub.L.No. 90-248 § 158(b), 81 Stat. 821 (1968). The current law requires that
4
"an individual ... shall be determined to be under a disability only if his physical or mental impairment or impairments are of such severity that he is not only unable to do his previous work but cannot, considering his age, education, and work experience, engage in any other kind of substantial gainful work which exists in the national economy, regardless of whether such work exists in the immediate area in which he lives, or whether a specific job vacancy exists for him, or whether he would be hired if he applied for work."
5
42 U.S.C. § 423(d)(2) (emphasis supplied). Nothing could be more clear. Considerations derived from local hiring practices, employer preferences for physically superior workers, and the claimant's actual chances of being hired are irrelevant in determining disability, and must be disregarded. Cf. H.R.Rep. No. 544, 90th Cong., 1st Sess., 29-30 (1967); S.Rep. No. 744, 90th Cong., 1st Sess., 48-49 (1967), U.S.Code Cong. & Admin.News 1967, p. 2834. As this court has previously stated, the statutory scheme is not an "ancillary unemployment compensation device". Reyes-Robles v. Finch, 409 F.2d 84, 86 (1st Cir. 1969). It is not necessary that the Secretary demonstrate that a particular claimant would actually be hired, or even that there is a realistic chance of his being so. It is sufficient that he show that there are specific jobs in the national economy which a claimant is capable of performing. "Disability" as provided in the Act, although defined by reference to concepts similar to employability, is actually a term of art looking to the physical and mental capacity to engage in certain activities, regardless of whether the opportunity for any such activity actually exists.
6
Every Circuit considering the question has reached the same result as that reiterated here,2 and we are doing no more than amplify principles we discussed as recently as last year. Hernandez v. Weinberger, 493 F.2d 1120, 1122 (1st Cir. 1974).
7
Since the district court's order remanding to the Secretary was premised upon an incorrect legal standard, it is hereby vacated. We cannot determine whether the district court found the Secretary's decision, considered apart from questions of actual employability, supported by substantial evidence. We therefore direct the district court, applying now the appropriate statutory standard, to determine whether or not the Secretary's decision that Lopez was not disabled is supported by substantial evidence.
8
So ordered.
1
The Act requires that to be disabled claimants must be unable to engage in "substantial gainful work ... which exists in significant numbers either in the region where such individual lives or in several regions of the country." 42 U.S.C. § 423(d)(2)(A) (emphasis supplied)
2
Torske v. Richardson, 484 F.2d 59 (9th Cir. 1973), cert. denied, 417 U.S. 933, 94 S.Ct. 2646, 41 L.Ed.2d 237 (1974); Chavies v. Finch, 443 F.2d 356 (9th Cir. 1971); Whiten v. Finch, 437 F.2d 73 (4th Cir. 1971); Gentile v. Finch, 423 F.2d 244 (3d Cir. 1970); Martin v. Finch, 415 F.2d 793 (5th Cir. 1969); Wright v. Gardner, 403 F.2d 646 (7th Cir. 1968); Mullins v. Gardner, 396 F.2d 139 (6th Cir. 1968)
|
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ABSTRACT Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a devastating neurodevelopmental disorder of undetermined etiology and without effective therapeutics. Recent advances in genomic approaches have led to the identification of over 65 ASD risk genes. Despite the genetic heterogeneity of ASD, several lines of evidence suggest that these genes share common molecular underpinnings. Therefore, we hypothesize that these genes will converge upon shared phenotypes when inhibited in model organisms and that these phenotypes will be the most central to the neuropathology of ASD. Identifying such convergent phenotypes requires a high-throughput system for modifying many ASD genes in parallel and assaying their effect(s) on embryonic brain development. Here we propose to leverage the diploid vertebrate tetrapod, Xenopus tropicalis, and the CRISPR/Cas9 system to identify convergent phenotypes among ASD genes during brain development. By injecting Cas9 protein and a single guide RNA (sgRNA) against an ASD gene at the two-cell stage, animals will be generated in which exactly half the body (separated by the midline) is mutant, allowing for direct comparison of mutant and control cells in the same animal. This will be performed for approximately 65 ASD risk genes, and the effects of ASD gene loss will be assayed by imaging neurons throughout embryogenesis using fluorescent reporters and by in situ RNA hybridization for neuronal cell fate specification markers. By employing fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS), next generation RNA sequencing, and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), convergent transcriptional signatures of ASD gene loss will be characterized. The biological pathways indicated by these convergent signatures will be validated through targeted manipulation of key genes. Importantly, the validated biological pathways may provide clues about the observed convergent phenotypes. By combining the high-throughput capability of the CRISPR/Cas9 system and a tractable vertebrate model organism with a reliably-associated set of ASD genes, this study aims to understand the neuropathology of ASD at a critical developmental period, which should provide critical insights into the etiology of this disorder.
|
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"pile_set_name": "NIH ExPorter"
}
|
In an otherwise unremarkable case involving a homeowner's personal injury dispute, a Florida appeals court judge recently issued a remarkable dissent on the evils of mandatory binding arbitration. It opens with a somewhat sarcastic how-to guide for home manufacturers who want to deprive consumers of their judicial remedies and then launches into a critique of the state of the law. Here's an excerpt:
What we have begun to see is that virtually all consumer transactions, no matter the size or type, now contain an arbitration clause. And with every reinforcing decision, these clauses become ever more brazenly loaded to the detriment of the consumer -- who gets to be the arbitrator; when, where, how much it costs; what claims are excluded; what damages are excluded; what statutory remedies are excluded; what discovery is allowed; what notice provisions are required; what shortened statutes of limitation apply; what prerequisites even to the right to arbitrate are thrown up -- not to mention the fairness or accuracy of the decision itself. The drafters have every incentive to load these arbitration clauses with such onerous provisions in favor of the seller because the worst that ever happens, if the consumer has the resources to go to court, is that the offending provisions are severed. The state courts, demoralized by the United States Supreme Court's disapproval, have too often allowed these overreaching provisions to succeed. Most consumers can't read them, won't read them, don't understand them, don't understand their implication and can't afford counsel to help them out. It is the role of the state courts to determine whether an arbitration provision is unconscionable and it is time that we take that responsibility seriously.
This dissent doesn't say anything that hasn't been said many times before, but it does say it forcefully--and at a time when Congress is beginning to take notice. Ultimately, the question isn't whether state courts take their role seriously, but whether federal law should stand in the way, and only Congress can decide that question. (Thanks to Paul Bland for the tip.)
|
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United States Court of Appeals
FOR THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT
___________
No. 04-1672
No. 04-1745
___________
St. John’s Mercy Medical Center, *
*
Plaintiff - Appellee/ *
Cross Appellant, *
* Appeals from the United States
v. * District Court for the
* Eastern District of Missouri.
John Delfino, M.D., *
*
Defendant - Appellant/ *
Cross Appellee. *
___________
Submitted: January 12, 2005
Filed: July 12, 2005
___________
Before LOKEN, Chief Judge, HANSEN and MURPHY, Circuit Judges.
___________
LOKEN, Chief Judge.
Oral surgeon John Delfino appeals the portion of a judgment that partially
vacates a favorable arbitration award. St. John’s Mercy Medical Center (“St. John’s”)
cross-appeals the portion that confirms the remainder of the award. The issue in both
appeals is whether the arbitrator’s decision evidences manifest disregard for law.
Applying the deferential standard of review mandated by the Federal Arbitration Act,
9 U.S.C. § 10, we confirm the arbitrator’s award in its entirety.
I.
An employment agreement between St. John’s and Delfino provided that St.
John’s would indemnify Delfino for “defense costs . . . arising out of . . . professional
services and obligations . . . described in this Agreement.” Another St. John’s
physician, Arthur Misischia, served as Delfino’s assistant director. Delfino and
Misischia entered into a separate agreement relating to their private practice. In 1993,
St. John’s terminated Misischia, and Delfino terminated the separate agreement.
Misischia sued St. John’s, Delfino, and Delfino’s personal corporation, Delfino, P.C.,
alleging various tort claims, including a claim of fraud against Delfino and Delfino,
P.C. relating to the separate agreement.
In October 1995, St. John’s General Counsel wrote a letter “to reflect the
understandings” reached at a meeting between St. John’s and Delfino: St. John’s
accepted Delfino’s tender of his defense; St. John’s agreed to indemnify Delfino (but
not Delfino, P.C.) for all of Misischia’s claims except the fraud claim; St. John’s
would control the defense and retain counsel to represent Delfino; and Delfino would
cooperate in the defense. St. John’s retained a law firm to represent Delfino; Delfino
retained the law firm of Lewis, Rice & Fingersh, L.C. (“Lewis, Rice”) to separately
represent Delfino and Delfino, P.C. on the unindemnified claims. Two years later,
when Delfino and St. John’s parted company, they entered into an Employment
Separation and Release Agreement providing that St. John’s would defend and
indemnify Delfino in the pending Misischia case in accordance with the General
Counsel’s letter. The Agreement provided that it was governed by Missouri law and
that all disputes “shall be settled exclusively by binding arbitration” under the
arbitration rules of the American Health Lawyers Association.
The state trial court dismissed all of Misischia’s claims against St. John’s on
the eve of trial. St. John’s informed Delfino that it would not pay Delfino’s legal
expenses in defending the remaining claims because he was now “unindemnified.”
-2-
Delfino retained Lewis, Rice to defend Delfino and Delfino, P.C. at trial. The jury
found in favor of Misischia on the fraud claim. Delfino demanded that St. John’s pay
nearly $1,500,000 in sundry fees and expenses, including all of Lewis, Rice’s fees for
its defense of Delfino and Delfino P.C. St. John’s refused to pay, and the matter
proceeded to arbitration. The arbitrator concluded that St. John’s breached its duty
to defend by refusing to reimburse Delfino for defense costs incurred after St. John’s
was dismissed one month before trial. The arbitrator awarded Delfino $215,480.82
for fees paid to Lewis, Rice for services prior to the breach, and $359,861.55 for fees
paid for Lewis, Rice services after the breach. The latter amount reflected a 25%
discount to account for post-breach work performed exclusively on the unindemnified
fraud claim. Thus, the total award was $575,342.37.
St. John’s urged the arbitrator to reduce the award by $215,480.82, arguing that
reimbursing Delfino for legal services prior to St. John’s breach was inconsistent with
the arbitrator’s ruling that Delfino was not entitled to reimbursement for his defense
of unindemnified claims. The arbitrator refused to modify the award, explaining:
[St. John’s] makes an excellent point . . . . [St. John’s] must take
responsibility, however, for its termination of its indemnification
approximately one month before the scheduled trial date. . . . Had
Lewis, Rice not been engaged and involved in the litigation previously,
it would have been necessary for that firm to go back and relearn all of
the events which had transpired previously in the lawsuit.
St. John’s then petitioned the district court to vacate the award under the
Federal Arbitration Act. Delfino moved to confirm. St. John’s argued that the
arbitrator manifestly disregarded the law by awarding damages for expenses incurred
prior to the breach. Applying Missouri law, the district court agreed, concluding that
the arbitrator had violated “one of the most bedrock principles of contract law,”
namely, that the purpose of contract damages “is to restore the plaintiff to the position
he would have enjoyed had the defendant not breached the contract.” Therefore, the
-3-
district court vacated that portion of the award. However, the court rejected St.
John’s contention that the arbitrator manifestly disregarded the law by awarding
Delfino damages for post-breach expenses paid by Delfino, P.C. and confirmed the
award of $359,861.55 for Lewis, Rice’s post-breach services. Both parties appeal.
II.
Our review of an arbitration award under the Federal Arbitration Act is
exceedingly limited and deferential. Section 10(a) of the Act provides four statutory
grounds for vacating an award, none of which is at issue in this case. In addition,
drawing on dicta in two Supreme Court cases, this court and most other circuits have
said that an award may be vacated if it “evidences manifest disregard for law.”
Kiernan v. Piper Jaffray Cos., 137 F.3d 588, 594 (8th Cir. 1998) (quotation omitted).
However, while we have frequently referred to this doctrine, we have emphasized that
it is “extremely narrow.” Hoffman v. Cargill, Inc., 236 F.3d 458, 461 (8th Cir. 2001).
In the only reported decision where we granted relief on this ground, we held that,
“[w]here an arbitration panel cites relevant law, then proceeds to ignore it, it is said
to evidence a manifest disregard for the law.” Gas Aggregation Servs., Inc. v.
Howard Avista Energy, LLC, 319 F.3d 1060, 1069 (8th Cir. 2003). That holding
states the limits of the doctrine in this circuit. Thus, St. John’s “bears the burden of
proving that the arbitrators were fully aware of the existence of a clearly defined
governing legal principle, but refused to apply it, in effect, ignoring it.” Stark v.
Sandberg, Phoenix & Von Gontard, 381 F.3d 793, 802 (8th Cir. 2004).1
1
Other circuits have likewise emphasized that manifest disregard is “a doctrine
of last resort” reserved for “those exceedingly rare instances where some egregious
impropriety on the part of the arbitrators is apparent, but where none of the provisions
of the FAA apply.” Wallace v. Buttar, 378 F.3d 182, 189 (2d Cir. 2004). For a useful
debate over whether the doctrine should be further restricted or abandoned entirely,
see the two opinions in George Watts & Son, Inc. v. Tiffany and Co., 248 F.3d 577
(7th Cir. 2001).
-4-
St. John’s argues, and the district court agreed, that the arbitrator’s award
evidences manifest disregard for the “controlling legal principle” that “only those
costs and expenses that occur because of a breach can be recovered as damages for
a breach.” We emphatically disagree. In the first place, the arbitrator did not cite this
relevant law and then ignore it, so the manifest disregard doctrine as defined by this
court does not apply. St. John’s argues that we should expand the doctrine to include
an award that violates a legal principles that is “so obvious and readily identifiable
that a lawyer of twenty years experience should know it without having to be told.”
We refuse to do so, mindful of the strong federal policy favoring certainty and finality
in arbitration.
Moreover, even if the arbitrator’s decision had noted this principle of contract
law, his award does not reflect its manifest disregard. The arbitrator found that the
timing of St. John’s breach -- one month before trial -- increased the damages caused
by the breach. St. John’s does not, and could not, challenge that logical finding. The
arbitrator then measured this incremental damage by the fees charged by Lewis, Rice
prior to the breach, finding this to be a reasonable estimate of the fees a new lawyer
hired after the breach would have charged to become sufficiently familiar with the
protracted Misischia litigation to effectively try the case. The arbitrator’s task was
to resolve a dispute over St. John’s contractual duty to reimburse Delfino for all
“costs,” as broadly defined in the Separation Agreement, arising out of “the Misischia
Matter.” It was clearly within his remedial authority to estimate in this manner the
incremental damages caused by the untimely nature of the breach. See Rule 6.06 of
the American Health Lawyers Association arbitration rules (“arbitrator may grant any
remedy or relief that the arbitrator deems just and equitable and within the scope of
the arbitration agreement of the parties”). As the Supreme Court emphasized in a
related context:
where it is contemplated that the arbitrator will determine remedies for
contract violations he finds, courts have no authority to disagree with his
-5-
honest judgment in that respect . . . . [A]s long as the arbitrator is even
arguably acting within the scope of his authority, that a court is
convinced he committed serious error does not suffice to overturn his
decision.
United Paperworkers Int’l Union v. Misco, Inc., 484 U.S. 29, 38 (1987). The district
court erred in substituting its remedial judgment for that of the arbitrator.
In the cross appeal, St. John’s argues that the entire award must be vacated
because it evidences manifest disregard for the principle of Missouri corporate law
that a shareholder has no “standing” to recover damages suffered solely by the
corporation. This argument is, in a word, frivolous -- so contrary to arbitration law,
corporate law, contract law, the governing agreements, and common sense that it
warrants no further discussion.
For the foregoing reasons, the judgment of the district court is reversed in part
and the case is remanded with directions to enter an order confirming the arbitrator’s
award in its entirety.
______________________________
-6-
|
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Contact Us
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Our experienced financial advisors believe in face to face meetings and personalised service. To chat to one of our experienced advisors about how they can help your business implement group income protection, please do not hesitate to contact us on 01928 237 521, or complete our online enquiry form and we will be in touch.
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We'd be more than happy in the future to recommend your services and company Damain , you made things so easy for us and we're really grateful to yourself , and to Cal for putting us in touch with you...
Damian, you're a legend...THANKS so much for getting us into our own home..!! we just have to pay for it now..!!!
All the very best
Vinny & Renuka
Vincent Edwards, North West Training Council
I have worked with Peter French for many years now and he always provides very detailed analysis for any recommendations he makes. He is very personable and always offers appropriate advice which has led to sound investment decisions based on my circumstances at the time. I would highly recommend him.
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From our positive experience I would recommend Tina Feuer as our adviser. Tina is always courteous, friendly, and efficient, and listens to the needs of her client. She is always well prepared, easy to reach, and ensures the job is well done.
She has for many years now provided us with clear, concise information on any topic being discussed, and has always made sure it both met our needs, and was within budget. Any more complicated queries, she has, and would always endeavour to answer.
We would not have managed to achieve some of the wonderful things we have this last few years (and some still yet to come) without her. We consider her a part of our family, so a very, very, big thank you Tina.
As secondary testament to the service she gives, my two sons and their wives have also chosen to use her as their advisor too as they set off on their own paths, with first time mortgages and associated protection and insurances.
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"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
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Characteristics of pesticide use in a pesticide applicator cohort: the Agricultural Health Study.
Data on recent and historic pesticide use, pesticide application methods, and farm characteristics were collected from 35,879 restricted-use pesticide applicators in the first 2 years of the Agricultural Health Study, a prospective study of a large cohort of private and commercial licensed pesticide applicators that is being conducted in Iowa and North Carolina. (In Iowa, applicators are actually "certified," while in North Carolina they are "licensed"; for ease of reference the term license will be used for both states in this paper.) Commercial applicators (studied in Iowa only) apply pesticides more days per year than private applicators in either state. When the types of pesticides being used by different groups are compared using the Spearman coefficient of determination (r2), we find that Iowa private and Iowa commercial applicators tend to use the same type of pesticides (r2=0.88). White and nonwhite private applicators tended to use the same type of pesticides (North Carolina r2=0.89), as did male and female private applicators (Iowa r2=0.85 and North Carolina r2=0.84). There was less similarity (r2=0. 50) between the types of pesticides being used by Iowa and North Carolina private applicators. A greater portion of Iowa private applicators use personal protective equipment than do North Carolina private applicators, and pesticide application methods varied by state. This heterogeneity in potential exposures to pesticides between states should be useful for subsequent epidemiologic analyses using internal comparison groups.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Q:
What is the logic behind when JavaScript throws a ReferenceError?
I've been using JavaScript for years but have been trying to increase my deep, under-the-hood type knowledge of the language lately. I'm a bit confused about what the logic is behind when JavaScript throws a ReferenceError.
For example, none of these throw a referenceError, but still write undefined to the console:
function foobar(foo)
{
var bar = foo;
console.log(bar);
}
foobar();
or
var foo = undefined;
var bar = foo;
console.log(bar);
or
var foo;
var bar = foo;
console.log(bar);
but this obviously does throw a ReferenceError error on the first line without writing to the console:
var bar = foo;
console.log(bar);
So it seems that having a variable in a parameter list or declaring it will stop a referenceError from being thrown - even though the variable is still 'undefined'.
Does anyone know what's going on under the hood or what the hard and fast rules are surrounding this? Does anyone know why these aren't considered referenceErrors?
A:
There's a difference in using a variable that exists but has an undefined value, and using a variable that doesn't exist and was never declared.
The latter will create a reference error as you're trying to reference something that doesn't exists and has not been declared.
On the other hand, when you do
var foo;
foo does exists, and it has been declared, it's value is just undefined, so you can still reference it without throwing an error.
In other words, trying to reference a variable that hasn't been declared will throw a reference error, while referencing declared variables will never throw a reference error, regardless of wether or not a value has been set for that variable.
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{
"pile_set_name": "StackExchange"
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if you're nobody 'til somebody kills you isn't suicide making something of yourself?
1,976 shares
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"pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2"
}
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As soon as the last pick is drawn teams begin forging deals with prospects who did not hear their names called. Every team hopes to find the next Kurt Warner or Tony Romo. Players who were overlooked during the draft are then given a single opportunity to succeed.
Teams are limited during the draft to the picks they have in each round, along with the picks acquired through trades and the compensatory system. As a result, NFL teams sign anywhere from 5 to over 20 undrafted free agents on top of their draft selections. Although the majority of these players fizzle out before the regular season, occasionally teams find a diamond in the rough.
New York Giants signings
In 2018, the New York Giants signed 11 total undrafted free agents, with 4 ultimately making the 53-man roster. This year, following their draft, the Giants have signed 13 undrafted free agents. Not all these selections will make it to the 53-man roster.
So below are the players I believe have the best chance of proceeding.
James O’Hagan, Center, Buffalo
James O’Hagan earned the #1 pass blocking grade among draft-eligible centers in 2016 and 2017. Furthermore, he was ranked #4 in pass blocking, while also ranking #1 in run blocking among centers in 2018. With only 6 centers being drafted in this year’s draft, O’Hagan fell beyond the 7 rounds. O’Hagan was eruptive on the offensive line, but his struggles to finish blocks were exposed. Nevertheless, he finished tied for first with the lowest pressure rate allowed among draft-eligible centers.
O’Hagan will compete against Evan Brown, who has yet to play in a regular season game. Considering O’Hagan has held his own during minicamp while being aligned against first-round pick Dexter Lawrence, I’d say he has the upper-hand so far.
New UDFA signing and New York Giants center James O’Hagan finished tied last season with the draft class’ lowest pressure rate allowed among centers. pic.twitter.com/YvgjCIfciP — Pro Football Focus (@PFF) May 1, 2019
Paul Adams, Offensive Tackle, Missouri
Looking for further depth on the offensive line, the Giants signed offensive tackle Paul Adams out of Missouri. Adams, a three-year starter at right tackle, was projected to be selected in the third day of the draft. Adams provides strong blocking and effective movement skills. However, inconsistencies in pass protection lead analysts to believe Adams should shift over to guard. While he battles for a roster position, look for Adams to give both spots a shot. With this flexibility, Adams can provide depth to two positions of need for the Giants.
Josiah Tauaefa, Linebacker/Defensive End, UTSA
This prospect could benefit from being in the right place at the right time. With only two defensive ends currently listed on the roster, look for the Giants to address this need in late free agency. However, if no top players sign, look for Josiah Tauaefa to compete for a roster spot at DE. Tauaefa has collegiate experience both at linebacker and DE, providing an asset to Bettcher’s 3-4 defense. Although Tauaefa was limited his sophomore season due to a knee injury things changed during his junior year. He earned Freshmen All-American Honors and was an honorable mention in the All-Conference USA. What the USTA linebacker lacks in discipline and confidence, he makes up for in physicality and movement. If he cleans up his game during minicamp, he can take advantage of a lack of depth on the roster. Look for him to at least make the practice squad.
CJ Conrad, Tight End, Kentucky
CJ Conrad was projected as an early day 3 draft pick prior to his health concerns. Doctors have cleared him. However, some teams preferred not to take the risk. As a receiver, Conrad had an 81% completion rate. However, Conrad struggled with runs after the catch, separation skills, and quickness down the field. Conrad could be effective as a #2 tight end, as well as in an H-back and fullback role. If Conrad can outperform current fullback Elihjaa Penny in the preseason, he could contend for a roster spot.
Eric Dungey, Quarterback, Syracuse
I can already hear the screeches of Giants fans freaking out if they spend another roster spot on a quarterback who may not be a proper successor to Eli Manning. But hear me out. Eric Dungey (NOT the son of Tony Dungey) was an effective mobile QB in Syracuse. Although he had 9 interceptions to go along with his 18 touchdowns his senior year, Dungey also had 15 rushing touchdowns. Furthermore, Dungey has drawn several comparisons to Taysom Hill out of the New Orleans Saints as a utility player.
This idea is not very far-fetched once you consider the success of the Saints’ offense in recent years. While the Saints are using Hill in about 10% of their offensive plays, do not look for Dungey to have a similar presence. However, what if Head Coach Pat Shurmer wanted to bring in some offensive ingenuity? With the loss of Odell Beckham Jr., the Giants have to find other ways to spark their offense. In comes Dungey, who could fill that third QB roster spot. If Shurmer and Giants offensive coordinator Mike Shula decide to get creative, they could consider using Dungey for utility roles. Shula preaches not wanting to be predictable when calling offensive plays. If creativity is what he wants, Dungey could by a key source of ingenuity for the offense.
Side Notes
It should be noted UFAs Nate Harvey and Jacob Thieneman have been placed on the reserve/injured list. Both players suffered non-contact knee injuries during the rookie minicamp.
I was a huge fan of Thieneman, especially considering he was effective while blitzing. With defensive coordinator James Bettcher often using his defensive backs for the blitz, he would have liked a defensive back with previous success in a system similar to his own. I hope he gets a chance to show the skills he has once he recovers from his injury.
Both Reggie White Jr. and Alex Wesley are intriguing wide receiver prospects. However, considering the current depth at wide receiver, it’s hard to imagine either making the 53-man roster without the help of injuries. If that’s the case, I’d consider White Jr. first, due to the upper-hand, he has on Wesley in size and ball-handling skills.
For a quick summary regarding the New York Giants’ undrafted free agents, check out TempTheRat’s recent podcast.
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An avian model for the study of acute hemolytic anemia in the domestic fowl (Gallus domesticus).
Acute hemolytic anemia was experimentally induced in chickens with the oxidant chemical phenylhydrazine. From results of the graded doses trial, subcutaneously injected 6 mg/100 g body weight single dose was designated as standardised. The anemic response, characterized by marked reductions in hemoglobin, packed cell volume and total erythrocyte count, was perceptible on day 1 post-injection. Peak anemia was observed on day 3. Compensatory erythropoiesis was discernible on day 5. The hematological profile indicated near complete recovery on day 11 post-injection. This avian model is proposed for study of the basic mechanisms of hemolytic anemia in chickens.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Q:
Google App Engine Cron Job
I have created a cron.xml file and a servlet which describes the job.
Now when i compile and login as an admin, local development dashboard doesn't show Cron Jobs link.
A:
Local development server does not have the Cron Jobs link neither does it execute cron jobs. The actual appengine will show cron jobs and will execute them.
You can manually execute cron jobs on local server by visiting their urls. e.g.
http://localhost:8888/FindReservedBooksTask.
BTW the cron.xml file should be in the war/WEB-INF directory.
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"pile_set_name": "StackExchange"
}
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514 F.2d 382
In-Cho CHUNG, Appellant in No. 74-1875,v.Lawrence PARK, Individually and as President of MansfieldState College, etal., Appellants in No. 74-1876.
Nos. 74-1875, 74-1876.
United States Court of Appeals,Third Circuit.
Argued March 3, 1975.Decided April 11, 1975.
Martin M. Fine, Fine, Eisenbeis & Felix, Williamsport, Pa., for appellant in No. 74-1875 and cross-appellee in No. 74-1876.
Robert F. Nagel, Deputy Atty. Gen., Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, Pa., for appellees in No. 74-1875 and cross-appellants in No. 74-1876.
Before ADAMS, ROSENN and WEIS, Circuit Judges.
OPINION OF THE COURT
ADAMS, Circuit Judge.
1
The principal issue on this appeal is whether Dr. In-Cho Chung, a professor at Mansfield State College, was denied procedural due process when his employment was terminated (1) without his being afforded a hearing prior to the decision by the administration that termination was warranted, and (2) by imposing the burden of proof on Dr. Chung, in the hearing that was afforded, to show that the decision to terminate was unreasonable, arbitrary or capricious.
2
Dr. Chung was employed as a biology professor at Mansfield State College for five academic years, between September 1967 and June 1972. Before the end of each year he was offered and accepted a position for the following year.1 On December 6, 1971, Dr. Park, the president of the college, recommended to the board of trustees that Dr. Chung's contract not be renewed for the 1972 school year, and notified Dr. Chung of the following reasons for the decision:
3
1. Those most knowledgeable about Dr. Chung's teaching record and his contributions to the biology department had not given him favorable recommendations;
4
2. There was significant concern among the students about the quality of Dr. Chung's teaching;
5
3. The department could not assign him his full share of teaching responsibilities; and
6
4. Dr. Chung had refused to cooperate with the department and his colleagues in efforts to identify and resolve the above problems.
7
After receiving notification of termination, Dr. Chung, through counsel, negotiated with the State Attorney General's Office and eventually agreed to submit the issue of the validity of his termination to a neutral arbitration panel. Detailed specifications for the hearing were agreed upon by counsel for Dr. Chung and the Attorney General's Office.2
8
Prior to the hearing Dr. Chung was more fully notified of the reasons for his termination when he was provided with copies of all documents relied on by the college in reaching its decision to terminate.
9
It was explicitly agreed by Chung's attorney and the Attorney General that the issue before the arbitration panel would be: "Was the action taken by the administration at Mansfield State College on December 6, 1971 not to grant continuing employment status to the complainant, arbitrary, capricious, or discriminatory?"The hearing panel was composed of three individuals whose impartiality has not been questioned, including two professors teaching at colleges other than Mansfield and a local attorney who served as chairman. Dr. Chung was vigorously represented at the hearing by counsel, who was permitted to cross-examine the adverse witnesses, to challenge evidence presented by the college, and to present any written evidence or oral testimony he wished. A transcript of the eight-day hearing was prepared and provided to Dr. Chung. After presentation of the evidence the panel received briefs and proposed findings of fact, and then wrote an opinion.
10
The panel found, in substance, that: (1) the evidence clearly supported the conclusion that the reasons stated in the President's letter had factual bases; (2) Dr. Chung had failed to produce evidence indicating any bias, prejudice, or discrimination against him; and (3) the record clearly indicated that many persons associated with the college went to extreme lengths to identify and seek solutions for Dr. Chung's teaching problems, but that Dr. Chung's lack of cooperation intensified as time went on so that Dr. Park had only one choice to discharge the plaintiff.
11
Dr. Chung sought review of the panel's decision in the District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.3 The district court held that Dr. Chung had gained tenure after his third year of employment, but that the hearing provided to Dr. Chung fully satisfied the college's tenure regulations and the requirements of due process.4 Accordingly, the district court entered judgment for defendants.
12
On appeal Dr. Chung contends (1) that the procedures followed by the college in terminating his employment did not accord with those outlined in the college tenure regulations, and that such irregularity constituted a breach of his contract; and (2) that he was denied due process by the procedure followed by the college.
13
The Commonwealth filed a cross-appeal, contending that the district court erred in holding that Dr. Chung had tenure and in failing to hold that the defendant had a valid defense of sovereign immunity.
A. DR. CHUNG'S CONTRACTUAL RIGHTS
14
Even assuming, arguendo, that Dr. Chung did have tenure and was contractually entitled to a hearing which scrupulously complied with the procedures outlined in the college tenure regulations, we cannot say that the district court erred in finding that Dr. Chung waived any contractual rights to which he was entitled. Under Pennsylvania law, contractual rights may be waived by a subsequent agreement between the parties. Betterman v. American Stores Co., 367 Pa. 193, 80 A.2d 66, cert. denied 342 U.S. 827, 72 S.Ct. 49, 96 L.Ed. 625 (1951). The district court's finding that the parties had reached such a subsequent agreement when, after extensive negotiations, they specifically stipulated to the hearing procedures actually employed, is not clearly erroneous.5 In any event, the district court found, as a fact, that the hearing satisfied the college's tenure regulations.
B. DR. CHUNG'S DUE PROCESS RIGHTS
15
Dr. Chung's principal contention on appeal is that the hearing before the arbitration panel failed to satisfy the requirements of due process.6 The Supreme Court has indicated that in pre-termination hearings,7 such as the one provided in this case, the person being deprived of his "property interest" is entitled to minimum procedural safeguards which are adapted to the particular characteristics of the interests involved and the limited nature of the controversy. These safeguards may include: (1) written notice of the grounds for termination; (2) disclosure of the evidence supporting termination; (3) the right to confront and cross-examine adverse witnesses; (4) an opportunity to be heard in person and to present witnesses and documentary evidence; (5) a neutral and detached hearing body; and (6) a written statement by the fact finders as to the evidence relied upon. See Morrisey v. Brewer, 408 U.S. 471, 92 S.Ct. 2593, 33 L.Ed.2d 484 (1972); Goldberg v. Kelly, 397 U.S. 254, 90 S.Ct. 1011, 25 L.Ed.2d 287 (1970).
16
Whether or not Dr. Chung was entitled, under the circumstances here, to this panoply of protective devices, he was, in fact, afforded all of these safeguards in his termination hearing. He argues, however, that he is entitled to more protection than these procedures provided him, under the concept that a hearing must be held at a meaningful time and in a meaningful manner in order to satisfy due process. Armstrong v. Manzo, 380 U.S. 545, 85 S.Ct. 1187, 14 L.Ed.2d 62 (1965).
17
More particularly, Dr. Chung asserts that the college made the decision to terminate before giving him a hearing and then placed the burden of proof on him to show that the decision of the administration to terminate was arbitrary, capricious or discriminatory. This procedure, Dr. Chung contends, does not comport with due process according to the rule of Goldberg v. Kelly, 397 U.S. 254, 90 S.Ct. 1011, 25 L.Ed.2d 287 (1970). He would have us hold that due process in the present case required that a hearing be held before any decision to terminate was reached by the administration, and that the burden of proof at such a hearing should have been on the administration to show that the decision to terminate was justified.
18
Due process does not impose such strictures on professorial pre-termination proceedings. Unlike some legal rules, due process is protean in nature. The determination of what process is due depends on appropriate accommodation of the competing interests involved. Goss v. Lopez, --- U.S. ---, 95 S.Ct. 729, 42 L.Ed.2d 725 (1975); Cafeteria Workers v. McElroy, 367 U.S. 886, 895, 81 S.Ct. 1743, 6 L.Ed.2d 1230 (1961).
19
Thus, we must here weigh the professor's interest in avoiding an unreasonable termination against the college's interest in having an efficient process for identifying and ridding itself of incompetent faculty members. In accommodating these interests we are cognizant of the Supreme Court's admonition that:
20
Judicial interposition in the operation of the public school system of the Nation raises problems requiring care and restraint. . . . By and large, public education in our Nation is committed to the control of state and local authorities.
21
Epperson v. Arkansas, 393 U.S. 97, 104, 89 S.Ct. 266, 270, 21 L.Ed.2d 228 (1968).
22
To determine what process is due we have reviewed the guidelines enunciated in Morrisey v. Brewer, 408 U.S. 471, 92 S.Ct. 2593, 33 L.Ed.2d 484 (1972) and Goldberg v. Kelly, 397 U.S. 254, 90 S.Ct. 1011, 25 L.Ed.2d 287 (1970), but have found nothing in these cases which suggests that Dr. Chung was entitled to have a hearing prior to a decision by the college to terminate, or to have the college bear the burden of proof at the hearing that was actually held after the decision to terminate.
23
Indeed, Perry v. Sindermann, 408 U.S. 593, 603, 92 S.Ct. 2694, 33 L.Ed.2d 570 (1972), states that the function of the hearing procedure is to inform the professor of the grounds for his non-retention and to allow him to challenge their sufficiency. Thus Sindermann suggests that a post-decision hearing in which a professor has the burden of proof is adequate to satisfy due process. Moreover, the administration of the internal affairs of a college and especially the determination of professional competency is a matter peculiarly within the discretion of a college administration.
24
Due process should not be employed to insure that this exercise of discretion is "wise" but only that it is not unreasonable, arbitrary or capricious.8 If the procedure used by the college is adequate to prevent unreasonable, arbitrary or capricious termination decisions, it satisfies due process.9 The procedure used in this case was sufficient for these purposes.10 Dr. Chung was fully informed of the grounds for his termination prior to the hearing, and had a full opportunity to prove to a neutral arbitration panel that the termination was unreasonable, arbitrary or capricious, but failed to do so.
25
Accordingly, the judgment of the district court will be affirmed.11
1
On January 12, 1970, the president of the college offered a fourth probationary year to Dr. Chung, but notified him that some students had complained they had difficulty understanding him; that there were disappointingly small enrollments in his classes; and that a tenure decision was being delayed because a new chairman was being appointed for the biology department
2
The agreed specifications provided that:
(a) The hearing would be public.
(b) Admissibility of evidence would be within the discretion of the panel chairman subject to general considerations of relevancy and materiality.
(c) A written transcript would be kept.
(d) Both parties would present written evidence or oral testimony and would have the right to cross-examine.
(e) Both parties would be represented by counsel.
(f) The panel would submit a written statement of its findings of fact and conclusions.
(g) The complainant would have the right to appeal the decision of the hearing panel pursuant to the Pennsylvania Administrative Agency Law, 71 P.S. § 1710.1 et seq.
(h) The initial burden would rest on the complainant to establish a prima facie case of arbitrariness, caprice, or discrimination.
(i) The college would be required to present written evidence to support its decision after the complainant established his prima facie case.
(j) The burden of persuasion would rest on the complainant to establish his case by a preponderance of the evidence.
3
Although Dr. Chung did not seek review in the Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, he could have done so pursuant to the Pennsylvania Administrative Agency Law, Pa.Stat.Ann., tit. 71, § 1710.1 et seq. Indeed, his agreement with the Attorney General specifically so provided
4
Pennsylvania law is controlling on the contract issue, which was within the pendent jurisdiction of the district court. See United Mine Workers v. Gibbs, 383 U.S. 715, 86 S.Ct. 1130, 16 L.Ed.2d 218 (1966)
5
See Fed.R.Civ.P. 52(a)
6
In deciding the due process claim, we assume, without deciding, that Dr. Chung had tenure. Although courts traditionally avoid constitutional questions whenever possible, resolution of the state contract law question here would not enable us to avoid deciding a constitutional question, for even were we to determine that Dr. Chung did not have tenure, we would nevertheless still have to address the difficult constitutional question not briefed by the parties whether Dr. Chung had an expectancy of continued employment which amounted to a sufficient property interest to entitle him to procedural due process protection. See Perry v. Sindermann, 408 U.S. 593, 92 S.Ct. 2694, 33 L.Ed.2d 570 (1972)
7
A pre-termination hearing is not a hearing held prior to any decision to terminate, as Dr. Chung suggests, but rather a hearing held prior to a termination of benefits. See Goldberg v. Kelly, 397 U.S. 254, 90 S.Ct. 1011, 25 L.Ed.2d 287 (1970). In the present case, any hearing held prior to the end of the academic year would be a pre-termination hearing
8
We recognize that in some situations the standard of review employed here might be inadequate. See, e. g., Morrisey v. Brewer, 408 U.S. 471, 92 S.Ct. 2593, 33 L.Ed.2d 484 (1972); Goldberg v. Kelly, 297 U.S. 254, 90 S.Ct. 1011, 25 L.Ed.2d 287 (1970). Those situations, however, are distinguishable from the present case, because they involved a different type of interest and a different type of decision making. Here we are not dealing with a decision whether Dr. Chung satisfied a specific set of statutory or administrative conditions which would have entitled him to continuing employment. Rather, we are concerned with an exercise of discretion by the college administration as to whether Dr. Chung was competent to perform the duties of a professor. By its nature this type of decision cannot be adjudged as correct or erroneous, but only as reasonable or unreasonable. Moreover, Dr. Chung's property interest here would not seem to be of the same critical magnitude as the liberty involved in Morrisey or the sole available means of subsistence involved in Goldberg. The difference in the nature of the interests implicated affects the procedural requisites for the hearing. Boddie v. Connecticut, 401 U.S. 371, 378, 91 S.Ct. 780, 28 L.Ed.2d 113 (1971)
9
Johnson v. Board of Regents, 377 F.Supp. 227, 239 (W.D.Wis.1974); see Moynahan Properties, Inc. v. Lancaster Village Cooperative, Inc., 496 F.2d 1114, 1118 (7th Cir. 1974)
10
The district court also determined that "the conclusion of the hearing panel would have supported the termination of a tenured-professor at Mansfield State College."
11
The district court held that the appellees, by their general appearance, waived the defense of sovereign immunity. In light of our decision we do not reach the waiver issue
|
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1. Introduction {#sec1-sensors-18-02788}
===============
Since the concept of multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) radar has been proposed in recent years, it has drawn a great attention of scholars in the field of radar research \[[@B1-sensors-18-02788],[@B2-sensors-18-02788]\]. Since the MIMO radar transmits the orthogonal waveform and has different arrangement of transmit-receive array, MIMO radar can obtain both spatial diversity and waveform diversity at the same time \[[@B3-sensors-18-02788]\]. For angle estimation, MIMO radar has better parameter estimation performance than the conventional phased array radar, especially for the estimation of joint direction-of-departure (DOD) and direction-of-arrival (DOA) \[[@B4-sensors-18-02788]\]. The study of MIMO radar is mainly divided into two categories: (1) statistical MIMO radar \[[@B5-sensors-18-02788],[@B6-sensors-18-02788]\], which can obtain the spatial diversity gain of both transmit and receive arrays for improving the detection and parameter estimation performance; and (2) collocated MIMO radar \[[@B7-sensors-18-02788]\], which uses the orthogonality of the transmitted waveforms to form a large virtual array aperture for obtaining the corresponding waveform diversity gain. Thus, in the latter, the degrees of freedom (DOFs) are raised and the aperture of MIMO radar is enlarged. This literature focuses on the research of collocated MIMO radar.
In bistatic MIMO radar, the estimation of joint DOD and DOA is an important problem, and many popular algorithms have been proposed for this issue. Yan et al. \[[@B8-sensors-18-02788]\] proposed the Capon method, and Gao et al. \[[@B9-sensors-18-02788]\] proposed the multiple signal classification (MUSIC) method. These two methods belong to the spatial spectral method. A spatial spectral function is firstly constructed and then the angles can be estimated from the spatial spectrum. The advantage of the spatial spectrum methods is that they can realize the automatic matching between the DOD and DOA, and the accuracy of angle estimation is high. The disadvantage is that the computational complexity is large due to the two-dimensional spatial spectral searching. To remove the process of the spatial spectral searching, the estimation method of signal parameter via rotational invariance techniques (ESPRIT) is utilized to estimate the angles of targets in MIMO radar \[[@B10-sensors-18-02788]\]. This method achieves the rotation invariance features for estimating DOD and DOA by dividing the virtual array into different subarrays, but this method cannot realize the automatic pairing between the transmit and receive angles. Then, the automatically-paired ESPRIT method is proposed in \[[@B11-sensors-18-02788]\]. In Reference \[[@B12-sensors-18-02788]\], the calculation procedure of ESPRIT algorithm is transformed into the real-valued domain by using unitary transformation, which reduces the computational complexity of ESPRIT algorithm without the performance loss. However, the algorithms mentioned above rely on the ideal transmit and receive arrays. Since the receive and transmit arrays cannot be accurately compensated, there exists the mutual coupling between the array elements \[[@B13-sensors-18-02788]\]. In view of the mutual coupling of receive and transmit array elements in MIMO radar, several methods are proposed, such as MUSIC-like and ESPRIT-like algorithms \[[@B14-sensors-18-02788],[@B15-sensors-18-02788]\]. The ESPRIT-like algorithm \[[@B14-sensors-18-02788]\] utilizes the banded symmetric Toeplitz structure of the mutual coupling matrix in the uniform linear array to remove the effect of unknown mutual coupling, but it leads the loss of array aperture. Using inherent characteristics of the signals is considered as a possible way to compensate the aperture loss. Fortunately, the strictly noncircular signals, such as binary phase shift keying (BPSK) and M-ary amplitude shift keying (MASK), have been widely used in the field of communication and radar systems for aperture extension \[[@B16-sensors-18-02788],[@B17-sensors-18-02788]\]. In view of using the noncircular characteristic of signal to improve the accuracy of DOA estimation, many algorithms have been developed \[[@B18-sensors-18-02788],[@B19-sensors-18-02788],[@B20-sensors-18-02788]\]. The robust DOA estimation method with the unknown mutual coupling is investigated in \[[@B18-sensors-18-02788]\], which takes the noncircular characteristic of the signal into account for eliminating the influence of mutual coupling. Then, the loss of array aperture is partly compensated by using the noncircular structure of these signals. On the other hand, all algorithms mentioned above need to stack the received data into a special structure matrix, which ignores the inherence multidimensional structure of signal. To utilize the inherent multidimensional structure of the signals, many methods have been developed \[[@B21-sensors-18-02788],[@B22-sensors-18-02788],[@B23-sensors-18-02788],[@B24-sensors-18-02788],[@B25-sensors-18-02788]\]. A multi-SVD algorithm is developed to estimate DOD and DOA in MIMO radar \[[@B21-sensors-18-02788]\], and the estimation performance is improved remarkably. Considering the mutual coupling in transmit and receive arrays, the subspace estimation method based on unitary tensor decomposition is introduced in \[[@B23-sensors-18-02788]\]. The algorithm converts the tensor subspace into a new real-valued tensor through using the unitary transformation while eliminating the influence of mutual coupling. Then, the estimation of DOD and DOA is obtained by using tensor-based subspace, and it can achieve better angle estimation accuracy with lower computational burden. In addition, the DODs and DOAs can be estimated in the coexistence of mutual coupling and spatial colored noise \[[@B25-sensors-18-02788]\]. According to the above analysis, these algorithms only utilize the noncircularity and inherent multidimensional structure of strictly noncircular signals separately in the case of unknown mutual coupling.
In this paper, we develop a tensor-based angle estimation scheme for strictly noncircular sources in the presence of unknown mutual coupling in bistatic MIMO radar. This method not only takes the multidimensional structure of the signals into account, but also uses the noncircular characteristics of the signals. Firstly, the proposed method uses the band symmetric Toeplitz structure of mutual coupling matrix to remove the influence of unknown mutual coupling. Then, a novel augmented tensor is constructed to utilize both the noncircularity and inherent multidimensional structure of strictly noncircular signals. Afterwards, the higher order SVD (HOSVD) technique of tensor decomposition is utilized to formulate a tensor-based signal subspace. Finally, the estimation of DODs and DOAs are obtained by utilizing the rotational invariance technique, where the DODs and DOAs are matched automatically. Due to the exploitation of inherent multidimensional structure and enlarged array aperture, the proposed method has better angle estimation performance than other algorithms in the presence of mutual coupling. The experiment results are carried out to prove the advantages of the proposed method.
The summary is as follows. [Section 2](#sec2-sensors-18-02788){ref-type="sec"} gives some basic concepts of tensor and the tensor-based signal model. The proposed method is developed in [Section 3](#sec3-sensors-18-02788){ref-type="sec"}. [Section 4](#sec4-sensors-18-02788){ref-type="sec"} discusses the comments and specific analysis of the proposed method. Simulation results are given in [Section 5](#sec5-sensors-18-02788){ref-type="sec"}. The conclusion of the proposed algorithm is given in [Section 6](#sec6-sensors-18-02788){ref-type="sec"}.
Notation: ${( \cdot )}^{H}$, ${( \cdot )}^{T}$, ${( \cdot )}^{- 1}$ and ${( \cdot )}^{*}$ indicate conjugate-transpose, transpose, inverse, and conjugate, respectively. $\otimes$ and $\odot$ represent the Kronecker product and Khatri--Rao product, respectively. ${diag}( \cdot )$ is the diagonalization operation, and ${Toeplitz}(\mathbf{r})$ means the symmetric Toeplitz matrix constructed by the vector $\mathbf{r}$. ${vec}( \cdot )$ indicates the vectorization operation. $\arg(\gamma)$ represents the phase of $\gamma$, $\mathbf{I}_{K}$ denotes a $K \times K$ identity matrix, $0_{L \times K}$ is the $L \times K$ zero matrix, and $\mathbf{\Gamma}_{K}$ represents a matrix with ones on its anti-diagonal and zeros elsewhere.
2. Tensor Basic Concepts and Tensor-Based Signal Model {#sec2-sensors-18-02788}
======================================================
2.1. Tensor Basic Concepts {#sec2dot1-sensors-18-02788}
--------------------------
In this section, the basic concepts and operational rules of tensor are introduced. More information about tensor can be obtained from previous articles \[[@B26-sensors-18-02788],[@B27-sensors-18-02788]\].
*(Mode-n matrix unfolding). Let*$\mathcal{X} \in \mathbb{C}^{I_{1} \times I_{2} \times \cdots \times I_{N}}$*be a tensor, and the mode-n matrix unfolding of a tensor*$\mathcal{X}$*is indicated by*${\lbrack\mathcal{X}\rbrack}_{(n)}$*. The*$(i_{1},i_{2},\ldots,i_{N})$*th element of*$\mathcal{X}$*maps to the*$(i_{n},j)$*th element of*${\lbrack\mathcal{X}\rbrack}_{n}$*, where*$j = 1 + \mathsf{\Sigma}_{k = 1,k \neq n}^{N}(i_{k} - 1)J_{k}$*with*$J_{k} = \mathsf{\Pi}_{m = 1,m \neq n}^{k - 1}I_{m}$.
*(Mode-n tensor-matrix product). The mode-n product of*$\mathcal{X} \in \mathbb{C}^{I_{1} \times I_{2} \times \cdots \times I_{N}}$*with a matrix*$\mathbf{A} \in \mathbb{C}^{J_{n} \times I_{n}}$*is denoted by*$\mathcal{Y} = \mathcal{X} \times_{n}\mathbf{A}$*, where*$\mathcal{Y} \in \mathbb{C}^{I_{1} \times I_{2} \times \cdots I_{n - 1} \times J_{n} \times I_{n + 1} \times \cdots \times I_{N}}$*and*${\lbrack\mathcal{Y}\rbrack}_{{}_{i_{1},\cdots,i_{n - 1},j_{n},j_{n + 1,}\cdots i_{N}}} =$$\sum\limits_{i_{n} = 1}^{I_{n}}{{\lbrack\mathcal{Y}\rbrack}_{{}_{i_{1},\cdots,i_{n},\cdots i_{N}}} \cdot {\lbrack\mathbf{A}\rbrack}_{j_{n},i_{n}}}$.
*(The properties of the mode product). The mode-n tensor-matrix product satisfies the following properties* $$\left\{ \begin{array}{l}
{\mathcal{X} \times_{n}\mathbf{A} \times_{m}\mathbf{B} = \mathcal{X} \times_{m}\mathbf{A} \times_{n}\mathbf{B},\quad m \neq n} \\
{\mathcal{X} \times_{n}\mathbf{A} \times_{n}\mathbf{B} = \mathcal{X} \times_{n}(\mathbf{AB}),\quad m = n} \\
\end{array} \right.$$ $$\left\lbrack {\mathcal{X} \times_{1}\mathbf{A}_{1} \times_{2}\mathbf{A}_{2} \times \cdots \times_{N}\mathbf{A}_{N}~} \right\rbrack_{(n)} = \mathbf{A}_{n} \cdot {\lbrack\mathcal{X}\rbrack}_{(n)} \cdot {\lbrack\mathbf{A}_{N} \otimes \ldots \otimes \mathbf{A}_{n + 1} \otimes \mathbf{A}_{n - 1} \otimes \ldots \otimes \mathbf{A}_{2} \otimes \mathbf{A}_{1}\rbrack}^{T}$$
*(Tensor decomposition). The HOSVD of a tensor*$\mathcal{X} \in \mathbb{C}^{I_{1} \times I_{2} \times \cdots \times I_{N}}$*is given by*$$\mathcal{X} = \mathcal{G} \times_{1}\mathbf{U}_{1} \times_{2}\mathbf{U}_{2} \times_{3}\ldots \times_{N}\mathbf{U}_{N}$$*where*$\mathcal{G} \in \mathbb{C}^{I_{1} \times I_{2} \times \cdot \cdot \cdot \times I_{N}}$*is the core tensor, and*$\mathbf{U}_{n} \in \mathbb{C}^{I_{n} \times I_{n}}(n = 1,2,3, \cdot \cdot \cdot ,N)$*is a unitary matrix, which is consist of the left singular vectors of*${\lbrack\mathcal{X}\rbrack}_{(n)}$.
*(Mode-n concatenation of two tensors). The mode-n concatenation of two tensors*$\mathcal{X} \in \mathbb{C}^{I_{1} \times I_{2} \times \cdots \times I_{N}}$*and*$\mathcal{Y} \in \mathbb{C}^{I_{1} \times I_{2} \times \cdots \times I_{N}}$*is denoted as*$\mathcal{F} = \lbrack\mathcal{X}\bot_{n}\mathcal{Y}\rbrack$*, where*$\mathcal{F} \in \mathbb{C}^{I_{1} \times I_{2},\cdots, \times 2I_{N} \times ,\cdots \times I_{N}}$.
2.2. Tensor-Based Signal Model {#sec2dot2-sensors-18-02788}
------------------------------
Consider a narrowband bistatic MIMO radar, which consists of an $M$-element transmit array and an $N$-element receive array, both of which are composed of half-wavelength spaced uniform linear arrays (ULAs). At the transmit array, $M$ transmit antennas emit $M$ mutual orthogonal strictly noncircular signals, such as BPSK modulated signals. Assume that there are $K$ independent Swerling I targets with low speed in the far field. For the transmit and the receive arrays, the transmit and receive angles of the $K$ target are denoted as $\varphi_{k}$ and respectively. The reflected signals are collected by the receive antennas and dealt with matched filters formed by the transmitted orthogonal waveforms. Then, the output of the received signal can be expressed as \[[@B19-sensors-18-02788],[@B20-sensors-18-02788],[@B21-sensors-18-02788]\]. $$\overline{\mathbf{X}}(t_{l}) = \mathbf{A}_{r}\sum(t_{l})\mathbf{A}_{t}^{T} + \mathbf{N}(t_{l}),~l = 1,2,\cdots,L$$ where $\overline{\mathbf{X}}(t_{l}) \in \mathbb{C}^{N \times M}$ is the received data at the $l$th snapshots, $\mathbf{A}_{r} = \left\lbrack \mathbf{a}_{r}(\theta_{1}),\mathbf{a}_{r}(\theta_{2}),\cdots,\mathbf{a}_{r}(\theta_{K})\rbrack \in \mathbb{C}^{N \times K} \right.$ is the receive steering matrix consisting of receive steering vector $\mathbf{a}_{r}(\theta_{k}) = \lbrack 1,\exp(j\pi\sin\theta_{k}),\cdots,$$\exp(j\pi(N - 1)\sin\theta_{k})\rbrack^{T}$, $\mathbf{A}_{t} = \left\lbrack \mathbf{a}_{t}(\varphi_{1}),\mathbf{a}_{t}(\varphi_{2}),\cdots,\mathbf{a}_{t}(\varphi_{K})\rbrack \in \mathbb{C}^{M \times K} \right.$ is the transmit steering matrix consisting of the transmit steering vector $\mathbf{a}_{t}(\varphi_{k}) = {\lbrack 1,\exp(j\pi\sin\varphi_{k}),\cdots,\exp(j\pi(M - 1)\sin\varphi_{k})\rbrack}^{T}$. $\sum(t_{l}) = diag(\mathbf{s}(t_{l})) \in \mathbb{C}^{K \times K}$ is the strictly noncircular signal data with $\mathbf{s}(t_{l}) = {\lbrack\mathbf{s}_{1}(t_{l}),\mathbf{s}_{2}(t_{l}),\cdots,\mathbf{s}_{K}(t_{l})\rbrack}^{T}$ at the $l$th snapshots, and the noncircular signal vector $\mathbf{s}(t_{l})$ satisfies with $\mathbf{s}(t_{l}) = \Delta\mathbf{s}_{c}(t_{l})$ where $\Delta = diag(\lbrack\exp(j\phi_{1}),\exp(j\phi_{2}),\cdots,$$\exp(j\phi_{K})\rbrack)$ with the arbitrary phases $\phi_{k}(k = 1,2,\cdots,K)$ is assumed to be different for each source, and $\mathbf{s}_{c}(t_{l}) = \mathbf{s}_{c}^{*}(t_{l})$, $\mathbf{N}(t_{l}) \in \mathbb{C}^{N \times M}$ is the additional Gaussian white noise matrix.
On account of the radiation effect between the antenna elements, the effect of mutual coupling will be produced \[[@B13-sensors-18-02788]\], and the mutual coupling between antenna elements of uniform linear array can be expressed as banding symmetric Toeplitz matrix, which is called mutual coupling matrix. The mutual coupling coefficient between two antennas in a ULA is inversely proportional to the distance between them, and the mutual coupling coefficient decreases with the increase of the distance, and vice versa \[[@B14-sensors-18-02788]\]. Assume that there are $P + 1$ nonzero mutual coupling coefficients for both transmit and receive arrays, and $P$ is satisfied with $\min\left\{ M,N \right\} > 2P$. Taking the influence of mutual coupling into account, the received signal in Equation (4) can be expressed as $$\mathbf{X}(t_{l}) = \lbrack\mathbf{C}_{r}\mathbf{A}_{r}\rbrack\sum(t_{l}){\lbrack\mathbf{C}_{t}\mathbf{A}_{t}\rbrack~}^{T} + \mathbf{N}(t_{l})$$ where $\mathbf{C}_{t} = {toeplitz}(\lbrack\mathbf{c}_{t}^{T},0_{1 \times (M - P - 1)}\rbrack) \in C^{M \times M}$ and $\mathbf{C}_{r} = {toeplitz}(\lbrack\mathbf{c}_{t}^{T},0_{1 \times (N - P - 1)}\rbrack) \in C^{N \times N}$ are the mutual coupling matrices with $\mathbf{c}_{t} = \lbrack c_{t0},c_{t1}, \cdot \cdot \cdot ,c_{tP}\rbrack$ and $\mathbf{c}_{r} = \lbrack c_{r0},c_{r1}, \cdot \cdot \cdot ,c_{rP}\rbrack$, $\mathbf{c}_{ip}(i = r,t;p = 0,1,2, \cdot \cdot \cdot ,P)$ is the $P + 1$ nonzero mutual coupling coefficients, which satisfy with $\left. 0 < \middle| c_{ip} \middle| < , \cdot \cdot \cdot , < \middle| c_{i1} \middle| < \middle| c_{i0} \middle| = 1 \right.$. The mutual coupling matrices have the banded symmetric Toeplitz structure. In other words, the mutual coupling matrix $\mathbf{C}_{i}(i = r,t)$ can be expressed as $$\mathbf{C}_{i} = \left\lbrack \begin{array}{lllllllll}
c_{i0} & c_{i1} & \cdots & c_{ip} & & & & & \\
c_{i1} & c_{i0} & c_{i1} & \cdots & c_{ip} & & & 0 & \\
\vdots & \ddots & \ddots & \ddots & \vdots & \ddots & & & \\
c_{ip} & \cdots & c_{i1} & c_{i0} & c_{i1} & \cdots & c_{ip} & & \\
& \ddots & \vdots & \ddots & \ddots & \ddots & & \ddots & \\
& & c_{ip} & \cdots & c_{i1} & c_{i0} & c_{i1} & \cdots & c_{ip} \\
& & & \ddots & \vdots & \ddots & \ddots & \ddots & \vdots \\
& & 0 & & c_{ip} & \cdots & c_{i1} & c_{i0} & c_{i1} \\
& & & & & c_{ip} & \cdots & c_{i1} & c_{i0} \\
\end{array} \right\rbrack$$
According to the basic concepts and operational rules of tensor, the received signal $\mathbf{X}(t_{l})(l = 1,2,\cdots,L)$ can be seen as different slices of a third-order tensor along the direction of snapshot (the third-dimension). By collecting $L$ snapshots, a third-order tensor data $\mathcal{X} \in \mathbb{C}^{N \times M \times L}$ is formed as $$\lbrack\mathcal{X}_{:,:,l~}\rbrack = \mathbf{X}(t_{l}),l = 1,2,\cdots,L$$ where $\lbrack\mathcal{X}_{:,:,l}\rbrack$ is the $l$th slice of the tensor along the third-dimension. According to the definition of Mode-$n$ matrix unfolding, the relationship between the tensor-based data model and matrix-based data model is expressed as $${\lbrack\mathcal{X}\rbrack~}_{(3)}^{T} = \lbrack{\overline{\mathbf{A}}}_{t} \odot {\overline{\mathbf{A}}}_{r}\rbrack\mathbf{S} + \mathbf{N} = \lbrack{\overline{\mathbf{A}}}_{t} \odot {\overline{\mathbf{A}}}_{r}\rbrack\Delta\mathbf{S}_{c} + \mathbf{N}$$ where ${\overline{\mathbf{A}}}_{t} = \mathbf{C}_{t}\mathbf{A}_{t}$, ${\overline{\mathbf{A}}}_{r} = \mathbf{C}_{r}\mathbf{A}_{r}$ is the transmit-receive steering matrix, $\mathbf{S} = \lbrack\mathbf{s}(t_{1}),\mathbf{s}(t_{2}),\cdots,\mathbf{s}(t_{L})\rbrack \in \mathbb{C}^{K \times L}$ is the signal matrix, and $\mathbf{S}_{c} = \lbrack\mathbf{s}_{c}(t_{l}),\mathbf{s}_{c}(t_{2}),\cdots,\mathbf{s}_{c}(t_{L})\rbrack \in \mathbb{R}^{K \times L}$ satisfies with $\mathbf{S}_{c} = \mathbf{S}_{c}^{*}$. $\mathbf{N} = \lbrack{vec}(\mathbf{N}(t_{l})),$ ${vec}(\mathbf{N}(t_{l})),\cdots,{vec}(\mathbf{N}(t_{L}))\rbrack \in \mathbb{C}^{MN \times L}$ is the noise matrix.
3. Tensor-Based Angle Estimation Method with Unknown Mutual Coupling {#sec3-sensors-18-02788}
====================================================================
In this section, a tensor-based angle estimation algorithm is investigated for capturing the noncircularity and inherent multidimensional structure of the received signal to improve the accuracy of angle estimation in the case of unknown mutual coupling.
3.1. Mutual Coupling Elimination {#sec3dot1-sensors-18-02788}
--------------------------------
In Equation (7), the mutual coupling affects the transmit direction matrix ${\overline{\mathbf{A}}}_{t}$ and the receive direction matrix ${\overline{\mathbf{A}}}_{r}$, therefore the Vandermonde structure of ${\overline{\mathbf{A}}}_{t}$ and ${\overline{\mathbf{A}}}_{r}$ are destroyed. Fortunately, the mutual coupling matrices are banded symmetric Toeplitz. It can extract two sub-matrices from transmit and receive direction matrices to elimination the influence of mutual coupling. By defining two choice matrices $$\begin{array}{l}
{\mathbf{J}_{1} = \lbrack 0_{(N - 2P) \times P~},I_{(N - 2P)},0_{(N - 2P) \times P}\rbrack} \\
{\mathbf{J}_{2} = \lbrack 0_{(M - 2P) \times P},I_{(M - 2P)},0_{(M - 2P) \times P}\rbrack} \\
\end{array}$$ based on the characteristics of the mutual coupling matrix, we have $$\left\{ \begin{array}{l}
{{\hat{\mathbf{a}}}_{r}(\theta_{k}) = \mathbf{J}_{1}{\overline{\mathbf{a}}}_{r}(\theta_{k}) = \beta_{rk~}{\widetilde{\mathbf{a}}}_{r}(\theta_{k})} \\
{{\hat{\mathbf{a}}}_{t}(\varphi_{k}) = \mathbf{J}_{2}{\overline{\mathbf{a}}}_{t}(\varphi_{k}) = \beta_{tk}{\widetilde{\mathbf{a}}}_{t}(\varphi_{k})} \\
\end{array} \right.$$ where $\beta_{tk} = 1 + {\sum_{p = 1}^{p}{2c_{tp}\cos(p\pi\sin\varphi_{k})}}$, $\beta_{rk} = 1 + {\sum_{p = 1}^{p}{2c_{rp}\cos(p\pi\sin\theta_{k})}}$. ${\overline{\mathbf{a}}}_{t}(\varphi_{k})$ and ${\overline{\mathbf{a}}}_{r}(\theta_{k})$ are the transmit and receive steering vectors with mutual coupling, respectively. ${\widetilde{\mathbf{a}}}_{r}(\theta_{k})$ and ${\widetilde{\mathbf{a}}}_{t}(\varphi_{k})$ are the column vectors of the first $\widetilde{N} = N - 2P$ and $\widetilde{M} = M - 2P$ elements of $\mathbf{a}_{r}(\theta_{k})$ and $\mathbf{a}_{t}(\varphi_{k})$. It can be clearly seen from Equation (9) that parameters $\beta_{tk}$ and $\beta_{rk}$ are constant for each target, which means that the direction matrices $\mathbf{\hat{A}}_{r}(\theta) = \lbrack{\hat{\mathbf{a}}}_{r}(\theta_{1}),{\hat{\mathbf{a}}}_{r}(\theta_{2}), \cdot \cdot \cdot ,{\hat{\mathbf{a}}}_{r}(\theta_{K})\rbrack$ and $\mathbf{\hat{A}}_{t}(\theta) = \lbrack{\hat{\mathbf{a}}}_{t}(\theta_{1}),{\hat{\mathbf{a}}}_{t}(\theta_{2}), \cdot \cdot \cdot ,{\hat{\mathbf{a}}}_{t}(\theta_{K})\rbrack$ are the Vandermonde matrices \[[@B23-sensors-18-02788]\]. Therefore, the effect of mutual coupling is removed after. The procedure of decoupling in Equation (9) can be extended to the tensor domain in Equation (7):$$\hat{\mathcal{X}} = \mathcal{X}_{\times 1~}J_{1 \times 2}J_{2} = \mathcal{I}_{K \times 1}\mathbf{\hat{A}}_{r \times 2}\mathbf{\hat{A}}_{t \times 3}\mathbf{S} + \hat{\mathcal{N}}$$ where $\hat{\mathcal{N}} = \mathcal{N}_{\times 1}J_{1 \times 2}J_{2}$ is a part of $\mathcal{N}$, the tensor noise $\hat{\mathcal{N}}$ has the same properties as the $\mathcal{N}$.
Then, according to the definition Mode-$n$ matrix unfolding, the mode-3 matrix unfolding of $\hat{\mathcal{X}} \in \mathbb{C}^{2\widetilde{N} \times \widetilde{M} \times L}$ is written as $${\lbrack\hat{\mathcal{X}}\rbrack~}_{(3)}^{T} = \lbrack{\hat{\mathbf{A}}}_{t} \odot {\hat{\mathbf{A}}}_{r}\rbrack\mathbf{S} + \hat{\mathbf{N}} = \lbrack{\hat{\mathbf{A}}}_{t} \odot {\hat{\mathbf{A}}}_{r}\rbrack\Delta\mathbf{S}_{c} + \hat{\mathbf{N}}$$
From the above analysis, we can see that ${\hat{\mathbf{A}}}_{t}$ and ${\hat{\mathbf{A}}}_{r}$ have Vandermonde structure. It can be shown that the mutual coupling effect has been removed in the tensor domain.
3.2. Tensor Augmentation and Signal Subspace Estimation {#sec3dot2-sensors-18-02788}
-------------------------------------------------------
To utilize the noncircular property of the signal in the tensor domain, a special augmented tensor is constructed by the tensor-based forward and backward smoothing technique:$$\mathcal{Y} = \left\lbrack \hat{\mathcal{X}}\bot_{1}({\hat{\mathcal{X}}}^{*} \times_{1}\mathsf{\Gamma}_{\widetilde{N}} \times_{2}\mathsf{\Gamma}_{\widetilde{M}}) \right\rbrack~$$
Then, according to the definition Mode-$n$ matrix unfolding, the mode-3 matrix unfolding of $\mathcal{Y} \in \mathbb{C}^{2\widetilde{N} \times \widetilde{M} \times L}$ is written as $${\lbrack\mathcal{Y}\rbrack~}_{(3)}^{T} = \lbrack\mathbf{\hat{A}}_{t} \odot \mathbf{\overset{‿}{A}}_{r}\rbrack\mathbf{S}_{c} + \hat{\mathbf{N}}$$ where $\mathbf{\overset{‿}{A}}_{r} = {\lbrack{(\mathbf{\hat{A}}_{r}^{1})}^{T},{(\mathbf{\hat{A}}_{r}^{2})}^{T}\rbrack}^{T} \in \mathbb{C}^{2\widetilde{M}\widetilde{N} \times K}$ denotes the extended steering matrix, where ${\hat{\mathbf{A}}}_{r}^{1} = {\hat{\mathbf{A}}}_{r}\Delta$ and ${\hat{\mathbf{A}}}_{r}^{2} = {\hat{\mathbf{A}}}_{r}\Delta^{*}\mathbf{D}_{t}\mathbf{D}_{r}$ with $\mathbf{D}_{t} = {diag}(\lbrack\exp( - j\pi(\widetilde{M} - 1)\sin\varphi_{1}),\exp( - j\pi(\widetilde{M} - 1)\sin\varphi_{2}),\cdots,\exp( - j\pi(\widetilde{M} - 1)\sin\varphi_{K})\rbrack)$ and $\mathbf{D}_{r} = {diag}(\lbrack\exp( - j\pi(\widetilde{N} - 1)\sin\theta_{1}),\exp( - j\pi(\widetilde{N} - 1)\sin\theta_{2}),\cdots,\exp( - j\pi(\widetilde{N} - 1)\sin\theta_{K})\rbrack)$, $\hat{\mathbf{N}}$ is the modified noise matrix. It is easy to know from Equation (13) that the available array aperture is twice the model in Equation (11). It can be found that the augmented tensor $\mathcal{Y}$ not only considers the multidimensional structure of tensor, but also captures the noncircularity of the signal and enlarges the virtual aperture of the array. Thus, a better performance of parameter estimation is expected to be achieved in the proposed method. Based on the augmented tensor in Equation (12), the HOSVD method is applied to the augmented tensor $\mathcal{Y}$: $$\mathcal{Y} = \mathcal{G} \times_{1}\mathbf{E}_{1} \times_{2}\mathbf{E}_{2} \times_{3}\mathbf{E}_{3}$$ where $\mathbf{E}_{1} \in \mathbb{C}^{2\widetilde{N} \times 2\widetilde{N}}$, $\mathbf{E}_{2} \in \mathbb{C}^{\widetilde{M} \times \widetilde{M}}$ and $\mathbf{E}_{3} \in \mathbb{C}^{L \times L}$ are unitary matrices, which are made up of the left singular of the mode-$n(n = 1,2,3)$ of matrix unfolding of $\mathcal{Y}$ as ${\lbrack\mathcal{Y}\rbrack}_{(n)} = \mathbf{E}_{n}\mathsf{\Lambda}_{n}\mathbf{V}_{n}^{H}$, respectively. $\mathcal{G} \in \mathbb{C}^{2\widetilde{N} \times \widetilde{M} \times L}$ represents the core tensor. Because there are $K$ sources, $\mathcal{Y}$ is rank-$K$ tensor. Then, a subspace tensor is achieved by using the truncated HOSVD of $\mathcal{Y}$, which is shown as $$\mathcal{Y}_{s} = \mathcal{G}_{s} \times_{1}\mathbf{E}_{s1~} \times_{2}\mathbf{E}_{s2}$$ where $\mathbf{E}_{sn}(n = 1,2,3)$ is made up of the column vectors of $\mathbf{E}_{n}$ corresponding to the largest $K$ singular values, and $\mathcal{G}_{s} = \mathcal{Y} \times_{1}\mathbf{E}_{s1}^{H} \times_{2}\mathbf{E}_{s2}^{H} \times_{3}\mathbf{E}_{3s}^{H}$ denotes the signal component of $\mathcal{G}$. Then, according to the definition of Mode-$n$ tensor-matrix product, substituting $\mathcal{G}_{s}$ into Equation (15) yields $$\mathcal{Y}_{s} = \mathcal{Y} \times_{1}(\mathbf{E}_{s1~}\mathbf{E}_{s1}^{H}) \times_{2}(\mathbf{E}_{s2}\mathbf{E}_{s2}^{H}) \times_{3}\mathbf{E}_{3s}^{H}$$
Then, the tensor-based signal subspace is given by using the mode-3 matrix unfolding of $\mathcal{Y}_{s}$, and according to the properties of the mode product, the tensor-based signal subspace is shown as $${\overline{\mathbf{U}}}_{s} = {\lbrack\mathcal{Y}_{s}\rbrack~}_{(3)}^{T} = (\mathbf{E}_{s2}\mathbf{E}_{s2}^{H} \otimes \mathbf{E}_{s1}\mathbf{E}_{s1}^{H}){\lbrack\mathcal{Y}_{s}\rbrack}_{(3)}\mathbf{E}_{3s}^{*}$$
After using some simplification in \[[@B21-sensors-18-02788],[@B23-sensors-18-02788],[@B24-sensors-18-02788]\], the tensor based signal subspace is written as $$\mathbf{\overline{U}}_{s} = (\mathbf{E}_{s2~}\mathbf{E}_{s2}^{H} \otimes \mathbf{E}_{s1}\mathbf{E}_{s1}^{H})\mathbf{U}_{s}$$ where $\mathbf{U}_{s}$ is the signal subspace of ${\lbrack\mathcal{Y}_{s}\rbrack}_{(3)}$, which can be estimated by truncating SVD of ${\lbrack\mathcal{Y}_{s}\rbrack}_{(3)}$ as ${\lbrack\mathcal{Y}_{s}\rbrack}_{(3)} \approx \mathbf{U}_{s}\mathsf{\Lambda}_{s}\mathbf{V}_{s}^{H}$. According to Equation (18), it is shown that the $\mathbf{\overline{U}}_{s}$ and $\mathbf{U}_{s}$ span to the same subspace, which means that the tensor based signal subspace ${\overline{\mathbf{U}}}_{s}$ and augmented steering matrix $\overset{‿}{\mathbf{A}} = {\hat{\mathbf{A}}}_{t} \odot {\overset{‿}{\mathbf{A}}}_{r}$ also span to the same subspace. Thus, there is a nonsingular matrix $\mathbf{T}$ satisfied with $\mathbf{\overline{U}}_{s} = \overset{‿}{\mathbf{A}}\mathbf{T}$, and the estimation of DODs and DOAs can be achieved from this tensor-based signal subspace.
3.3. Joint DOD and DOA Estimation {#sec3dot3-sensors-18-02788}
---------------------------------
Noting that $\mathbf{\hat{A}}_{t}$ has Vandermonde structure, there exists the following rotation invariance equation \[[@B10-sensors-18-02788],[@B11-sensors-18-02788]\] $$\prod_{2}\overset{‿}{\mathbf{A}} = \prod_{1}\overset{‿}{\mathbf{A}}\mathbf{\Phi}_{t}~$$ where $\mathbf{\Phi}_{t} = {diag}(\lbrack\exp(j\pi\sin\varphi_{1}),\exp(j\pi\sin\varphi_{2}),\cdots,\exp(j\pi\sin\varphi_{k})\rbrack)$ is s rotational invariance factor matrix that contains the desired information of DOAs. $\prod_{1} = \mathbf{J}_{3} \otimes \mathbf{I}_{2\widetilde{N}}$ and $\prod_{2} = \mathbf{J}_{4} \otimes \mathbf{I}_{2\widetilde{N}}$ are selection matrices with $\mathbf{J}_{3} = \lbrack\mathbf{I}_{\widetilde{M} - 1},\mathbf{O}_{(\widetilde{M} - 1) \times 1}\rbrack$ and $\mathbf{J}_{4} = \lbrack\mathbf{O}_{(\widetilde{M} - 1) \times 1},\mathbf{I}_{\widetilde{M} - 1}\rbrack$, respectively. Simultaneously, both $\mathbf{\hat{A}}_{r}^{1}$ and $\mathbf{\hat{A}}_{r}^{2}$ have Vandermonde-like structures in ${\overset{‿}{\mathbf{A}}}_{r}$. There is another rotation invariance equation:$$\prod_{4}\overset{‿}{\mathbf{A}} = \prod_{3}\overset{‿}{\mathbf{A}}\mathbf{\Phi}_{r}~$$ where $\mathbf{\Phi}_{r} = {diag}(\lbrack\exp(j\pi\sin\theta_{1}),\exp(j\pi\sin\theta_{2}),\cdots,\exp(j\pi\sin\theta_{k})\rbrack)$ contains the desired information of DODs. $\prod_{3} = \mathbf{I}_{2\widetilde{M}} \otimes \mathbf{J}_{5}$ and $\prod_{4} = \mathbf{I}_{2\widetilde{M}} \otimes \mathbf{J}_{6}$ are the selection matrices with $\mathbf{J}_{5} = \lbrack\mathbf{I}_{\widetilde{N} - 1},\mathbf{O}_{(\widetilde{N} - 1) \times 1}\rbrack$ and $\mathbf{J}_{6} = \lbrack\mathbf{O}_{(\widetilde{N} - 1) \times 1},\mathbf{I}_{\widetilde{N} - 1}\rbrack$, respectively. Utilizing the relationship between the augmented steering matrix and tensor-based signal subspace shown as $\mathbf{\overline{U}}_{s} = \overset{‿}{\mathbf{A}}\mathbf{T}$, the following rotational invariance property can be achieved, which is shown as $${\prod_{2}\mathbf{\overline{U}}_{s} = \prod_{1}\mathbf{\overline{U}}_{s}\mathbf{\Psi}_{t}}{\prod_{4}\mathbf{\overline{U}}_{s} = \prod_{3}\mathbf{\overline{U}}_{s}\mathbf{\Psi}_{r}~}$$ where $\mathbf{\Psi}_{t} = \mathbf{T}\mathbf{\Phi}_{t}\mathbf{T}^{- 1}$ and $\mathbf{\Psi}_{r} = \mathbf{T}\mathbf{\Phi}_{r}\mathbf{T}^{- 1}$. The least squares (LS) or the total least squares (TLS) technique is applied to Equation (21) for estimating $\mathbf{\Psi}_{t}$ and $\mathbf{\Psi}_{r}$. Then, the estimation of $\mathbf{\Phi}_{t}$ can be obtained through the EVD of $\mathbf{\Psi}_{t}$, and supposing $\mathbf{\overline{T}}$ be the eigenvector matrix of $\mathbf{\Psi}_{t}$. To achieve the estimation of the DOAs paired with the estimated DODs, calculate the $\mathbf{\Phi}_{r}$ via $\mathbf{\overline{T}}\mathbf{\Psi}_{r}\mathbf{\overline{T}}^{- 1}$. Finally, the DODs and DOAs are derived as $${{\hat{\mathsf{\varphi}}}_{p} = \arcsin\lbrack\arg(u_{k})/\pi\rbrack}{{\hat{\mathsf{\theta}}}_{p} = \arcsin\lbrack\arg(v_{k})/\pi\rbrack~}$$ where $u_{k}$ and $v_{k}$ are the $k$th diagonal elements of $\mathbf{\Phi}_{t}$ and $\mathbf{\Phi}_{r}$, respectively.
4. Remarks and Algorithm Analysis {#sec4-sensors-18-02788}
=================================
4.1. Related Remarks {#sec4dot1-sensors-18-02788}
--------------------
*If a signal has only the in-phase component and the orthogonal component is zero, the signal is called a noncircular signal. The difference between a noncircular signal and a circular signal is whether the elliptic covariance is equal to zero. For a noncircular signal, the elliptic covariance is not equal to zero, which means that more information can be used. Therefore, the number of available array elements can be increased by reconstructing the receiving data matrix of noncircular signals.*
*The methods proposed in \[[@B14-sensors-18-02788],[@B15-sensors-18-02788]\] are also based on Equation (7), but these two methods ignore the multidimensional and noncircular characteristics of the measurement tensor*$\mathcal{Y}$, *so the estimation performance is not satisfactory. Additionally, the methods proposed in \[[@B19-sensors-18-02788],[@B22-sensors-18-02788]\] utilize the noncircular characteristics and multidimensional structure of signals respectively. However, both methods are completely invalid under the condition of mutual coupling.*
*For the tensor-based signal model in Equation (6), the method in \[[@B23-sensors-18-02788]\] investigates the way to remove the influence of mutual coupling in tensor domain for improving the performance. On the other hand, based on the matrix-based signal model in Equation (7), the noncircularity of signals is utilized to enlarge the array aperture after removing the effect of mutual coupling in \[[@B18-sensors-18-02788]\]. It has been shown that the existing methods consider the noncircularity and inherent multidimensional structure of strictly noncircular signals separately with unknown mutual coupling. However, the proposed algorithm utilizes the noncircularity and the inherent multidimensional structure simultaneously, which results in more accurate signal subspace estimation and excellent angle estimation performance. The experiment results will show its advantage.*
4.2. Computation Complexity {#sec4dot2-sensors-18-02788}
---------------------------
According to Golub et al. \[[@B28-sensors-18-02788]\], it is known that for a $M \times N$ dimensional matrix, the $K$ rank truncating SVD decomposition requires $O(MNK)$ complexity. The computational complexity of the algorithm proposed in this paper is mostly concentrated on the high order singular value decomposition of the tensor $\mathcal{Y}$. In other words, the three-dimensional SVD decomposition is used for the tensor $\mathcal{Y}$, so the corresponding computational complexity is $O(6\widetilde{M}\widetilde{N}K)$. On the other hand, the computational complexity of the Tensor unitary ESPRIT algorithm in \[[@B23-sensors-18-02788]\] is $O(\widetilde{M}\widetilde{N}K{3/4})$. Thus, the algorithm proposed in this paper has higher computational burden than Tensor unitary ESPRIT algorithm, but it has superior angle estimation performance.
5. Simulation Results {#sec5-sensors-18-02788}
=====================
In this part, some numerical experiments are carried out to prove that the proposed algorithm has superior angle estimation performance. ESPRIT-like algorithm \[[@B14-sensors-18-02788]\], Tensor unitary ESPRIT algorithm \[[@B23-sensors-18-02788]\] and Cramer--Rao bound (CRB) \[[@B14-sensors-18-02788]\] were compared with the proposed method. In these simulations, the bistatic MIMO radar is made up of $M = 8$ transmit antennas and $N = 10$ receive antennas, both of which are composed of half-wavelength spaced uniform linear arrays (ULAs). Unless stated otherwise, it was assumed that there are $K = 3$ uncorrelated targets, located at $(\varphi_{1},\theta_{1}) = (5^{{^\circ}}, - 8^{{^\circ}})$, $(\varphi_{2},\theta_{2}) = ( - 5^{{^\circ}},15^{{^\circ}})$ and $(\varphi_{3},\theta_{3}) = (10^{{^\circ}}, - 5^{{^\circ}})$. The root mean square error (RMSE) was utilized to achieve the evaluation of angle estimation performance, which is expressed as $${RMSE} = \sqrt{\frac{1}{2{QK}}{\sum\limits_{k = 1}^{K}{\sum\limits_{i = 1}^{Q}{\lbrack{({\hat{\varphi}}_{k,i} - \varphi_{k})}^{2} + {({\hat{\theta}}_{k,i} - \theta_{k})}^{2}\rbrack}}}}$$ where ${\hat{\varphi}}_{k,i}$ and ${\hat{\theta}}_{k,i}$ are the estimation of DOD $\varphi_{k}$ and DOA $\theta_{k}$ for the *i*th Monte Carlo trial, respectively. the total number of Monte Carlo trials was assumed as $Q$, and $Q = 500$ was used in the following simulations. The other parameter is the probability of the successful detection (PSD) expressed as ${PSD} = \left( D/Q \right) \times 100\%$, where $D$ represents the total number of successful times and a successful trial requires the absolute error of all the experiment results are smaller than $\min\lbrack{({\hat{\varphi}}_{k} - \varphi_{k})}_{k = 1}^{K},{({\hat{\theta}}_{k} - \theta_{k})}_{k = 1}^{K}\rbrack$. For the mutual coupling parameters, there are two cases: (1) $P = 1$ with $c_{t} = \lbrack 1,0.1185 + j0.058\rbrack$ and $c_{r} = \lbrack 1,0.1520 + j0.0248\rbrack$; and (2) $P = 2$ with $c_{t} = \lbrack 1,0.72 + j0.03,0.18 + j0.072\rbrack$ and $c_{r} = \lbrack 1,0.58 + j0.0145,0.13 + j0.0482\rbrack$.
In the first simulation, we investigated the estimation results of the proposed method, and the SNR versus RMSE in two different situations ([Figure 1](#sensors-18-02788-f001){ref-type="fig"}, [Figure 2](#sensors-18-02788-f002){ref-type="fig"} and [Figure 3](#sensors-18-02788-f003){ref-type="fig"}). The number of snapshots is $L = 100$. [Figure 1](#sensors-18-02788-f001){ref-type="fig"} shows the estimation results of the proposed algorithm with SNR = 0 dB in Case (1). We can clearly see that DODs and DOAs were correctly identified and matched accurately, which verifies the validity of the proposed algorithm. [Figure 2](#sensors-18-02788-f002){ref-type="fig"} depicts the RMSE versus SNR with different methods in Case (1). At the same time, [Figure 3](#sensors-18-02788-f003){ref-type="fig"} depicts the RMSE versus SNR in Case (2). In [Figure 2](#sensors-18-02788-f002){ref-type="fig"}, the angle estimation performance of the proposed method is clearly superior to the Tensor unitary ESPRIT algorithm and the ESPRIT-like algorithm, and the performance of the proposed algorithm is close to the Cramer--Rao bound (CRB). That is because the proposed method not uses the multidimensional structure of the signal, but also utilizes the noncircularity characteristics. Other methods only consider the noncircular structure or tensor multidimensional structure. In addition, the performance of the Tensor unitary ESPRIT method is better than the ESPRIT-like method, because the Tensor unitary ESPRIT method considers the multidimensional structure of the signal and obtains superior estimation performance with unknown mutual coupling. Similar conclusions can be achieved from [Figure 3](#sensors-18-02788-f003){ref-type="fig"}, which means that the proposed method can obtain superior performance in both cases.
In the second simulation, we analyzed the angle estimation performance of different algorithms in the presence of $K = 2$ targets, where the two targets are located at $(\varphi_{1},\theta_{1}) = (10^{{^\circ}}, - 5^{{^\circ}})$ and $(\varphi_{2},\theta_{2}) = (5^{{^\circ}},0^{{^\circ}})$. The number of snapshots was $L = 100$ and the mutual coupling in [Figure 4](#sensors-18-02788-f004){ref-type="fig"} is set as Case (1). At the same time, [Figure 5](#sensors-18-02788-f005){ref-type="fig"} depicts the RMSE versus SNR in Case (2). [Figure 4](#sensors-18-02788-f004){ref-type="fig"} depicts the RMSE versus SNR with different algorithms for two targets. In [Figure 4](#sensors-18-02788-f004){ref-type="fig"}, the performance of our proposed method is still superior to that of Tensor unitary ESPRIT method and ESPRIT-like method. In addition, the estimation performance of Tensor unitary ESPRIT method is superior to that of ESPRIT-like method. Similar conclusions can be achieved from [Figure 5](#sensors-18-02788-f005){ref-type="fig"}, which means that the proposed method can obtain superior performance in both cases.
The third simulation indicates the RMSE versus SNR of different transmit--receive array configurations for $K = 3$ targets in Case (1). As shown in [Figure 6](#sensors-18-02788-f006){ref-type="fig"}, the angle estimation performance of all the three algorithms improved with the increasing of the elements of transmit and receive arrays, in which the configuration of transmit--receive array is $M = 6,N = 8$ and $M = 8,N = 10$, respectively. The main reason is that more spatial diversity gain of MIMO radar was obtained with more transmit and receive arrays. Finally, the spatial resolution of the proposed method is improved.
The fourth simulation describes the RMSE versus snapshots of different algorithms for $K = 3$ targets, where SNR = 0 dB and the mutual coupling is set as Case (1). In [Figure 7](#sensors-18-02788-f007){ref-type="fig"}, the performance of all algorithms improved with more snapshots. The performance of our proposed algorithm is superior to that of several other methods in general, but the performance of the Tensor unitary ESPRIT method is slightly better than the proposed method under very low snapshots, which is because the Tensor unitary ESPRIT method increases the number of snapshots effectively by spatial smoothing. When the number of snapshots is greater than a specific threshold, the performance of the proposed method is superior to that of Tensor unitary ESPRIT method and ESPRIT-like method, and is very close to CRB. In addition, the performance of the Tensor unitary ESPRIT method is close to the performance of the ESPRIT-like method under the condition of large snapshot number, but it is still inferior to the proposed method.
The fifth simulation depicts the probability of successful detection of several algorithms versus SNR for $K = 3$ targets, where the number of snapshots was $L = 100$ and the mutual coupling is set as Case (1). In [Figure 8](#sensors-18-02788-f008){ref-type="fig"}, all algorithms can achieve 100% accuracy at high SNR region, but the accuracy of the proposed method can reach 100% faster at certain SNR. In other words, in the same case of SNR, the proposed algorithm has a higher PSD than other algorithms. That is mainly because the proposed algorithm can reasonably utilize the noncircular characteristics and multidimensional structure characteristics of signals to promote the performance of angle estimation.
6. Conclusions {#sec6-sensors-18-02788}
==============
In this paper, a tensor-based angle estimation approach is proposed for strictly noncircular signals with unknown mutual coupling in MIMO radar. The proposed algorithm can capture both noncircularity and multidimensional structure of signals via formulating a novel augmented tensor. Meanwhile, it can remove the influence of unknown mutual coupling in the tensor domain. As a result, the proposed method has superior angle estimation to the existing subspace-based methods. The advantage of the proposed algorithm is clearly demonstrated using numerical experiments.
Y.G. wrote the manuscript, and X.W. provided the idea of the manuscript. M.H. and C.S. assisted in performing the experiments and analyzing the results. W.W. gave some useful suggestions to revise the paper. C.C. and G.B. gave some helpful suggestions to improve the performance and presentation.
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (61701144, 61661019), Nature Science Foundation of Beijing Municipality (4174084), the Program of Hainan Association for Science and Technology Plans to Youth R&D Innovation (QCXM201706), the scientific research projects of University in Hainan Province (Hnky2018ZD-4), the major Science and Technology Project of Hainan Province (ZDKJ2016015), the Natural Science Foundation of Hainan Province (617024), and the Scientific Research Setup Fund of Hainan University (KYQD(ZR) 1731).
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
{#sensors-18-02788-f001}
{#sensors-18-02788-f002}
{#sensors-18-02788-f003}
{#sensors-18-02788-f004}
{#sensors-18-02788-f005}
{#sensors-18-02788-f006}
{#sensors-18-02788-f007}
{#sensors-18-02788-f008}
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Beidler, Kyle. 2007. Sense of place and new urbanism: Towards a holistic understanding of place and form. Dissertation, College of Architecture and Urban Studies, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA.
Beidler, Kyle. 2002. Towards an Understanding of the Horizontal Landscape: A Phenomenological Study of Sense of Place in Chautauqua Park, Des Moines, Iowa. Master's Thesis, Landscape Architecture and Community and Regional Planning, Iowa State University, Ames, IA
Organizations
The American Society of Landscape Architects
The Southwestern Pennsylvania Sustainable Lands Partnership
Presentations
Beidler, Kyle, and Lauren Panton. 2013. Improving site engineering instruction: A comparison across multiple data sets. Paper read at the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture Annual Conference: Space*Time / Place*Duration, March 27 - 30, 2013, at the University of Texas (Austin, TX).
Morrison, Julia, and Kyle Beidler. 2013. Chatham Village: A look at spatial experiences through time. Paper read at the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture Annual Conference: Space*Time / Place*Duration, March 27 - 30, 2013, at the University of Texas (Austin, TX).
Beidler, Kyle, and Lauren Panton. 2012. The effects and assessment benefits of digital 'mastery quizzes' on student performance in site engineering. Paper read at the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture Annual Conference: Finding Center Landscape + Values, March 28 - 31, 2012, at the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign, IL).
London, Alan, and Kyle Beidler. 2012. A place for soldiers on the mall: The landscape narrative of the Korean War Veterans Memorial. Paper read at the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture Annual Conference: Finding Center Landscape + Values, March 28 - 31, 2012, at the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign, IL).
Cardasis, Dean, and Kyle Beidler. 2011. Reflections on suburbia: Extrapolating healthier spatial principles for house and garden. Paper read at the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture Annual Conference: Urban/Nature, March 30 - April 2, 2011, at Los Angeles, CA.
Beidler, Kyle. 2009. Sense of place and New Urbanism: Towards a holistic understanding of place & form. Paper read at the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture Annual Conference: Teaching + Learning Landscape, January 14 - 17, 2009, at Tucson, AZ.
Beidler, Kyle. 2007. Development of sense of place in a nontraditional automobile suburb. Paper read at Congress of New Urbanism; CNU XV - New Urbanism and the Old City, May 17 - 20, 2007, at Philadelphia, PA.
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Nabeshima Katsushige
(December 4, 1580 – May 7, 1657) was a Japanese daimyō of the early Edo period. Born to Nabeshima Naoshige, he became lord of Saga-han.
Biography
Katsushige was born in Saga, the son of Nabeshima Naoshige. At the time, Naoshige was a senior retainer of the Ryuzōji clan. For a time he became the adopted son of Egami Ietane, the 2nd son of Ryūzōji Takanobu; however, he would soon return to his natal family.
In 1597, he joined his father in Korea in the defensive action at Ulsan. During the Sekigahara Campaign he sided with the western faction, attacking Fushimi Castle and An'nōzu Castle. Katsushige did not take part in the main action at Sekigahara, and submitted to Tokugawa Ieyasu very quickly afterward.
Confirmed as daimyo of Saga in 1607, he ruled until 1657.
See also
Hatase Buemon
References
Genealogy of the Nabeshima of Saga
Short biography
Category:1580 births
Category:1657 deaths
Category:Daimyo
Category:People from Saga Prefecture
Category:Nabeshima clan
Category:Deified Japanese people
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{
"pile_set_name": "Wikipedia (en)"
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Persistence of serum antibodies elicited by Haemophilus influenzae type b-tetanus toxoid conjugate vaccine in infants vaccinated at 3, 5 and 12 months of age.
Eighty-five children received three injections of a vaccine consisting of Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) capsular polysaccharide (CPS) conjugated to tetanus toxoid (TT) (Hib-TT) at 3, 5 and 12 months of age according to the vaccination schedule for Swedish children. Diphtheria-tetanus toxoid vaccine was concurrently injected at another site. Two dosages, 7.5 and 15 micrograms, of Hib CPS were studied. No serious reactions occurred. Hib-TT elicited fewer local reactions than diphtheria-tetanus toxoid vaccine. Significant increases in Hib CPS serum antibodies occurred after all injections in both dosage groups with virtually no differences between the two groups. After the first and second injections geometric mean serum antibody concentrations of both dosage groups combined increased to 0.49 and 3.71 micrograms/ml and 81 and 99% of the vaccinees, respectively, had concentrations greater than 0.15 micrograms/ml. After the third dose geometric mean concentrations increased to 13.7 micrograms/ml and all had concentrations greater than 0.15 micrograms/ml. The geometric mean Hib CPS antibody concentrations decreased to 1.24 micrograms/ml 18 months after the third injection, but 97% still had concentrations greater than 0.15 micrograms/ml. The rise of Hib CPS antibodies was mostly in the IgG class. The most pronounced increase was seen in the IgG1 subclass but there were also increase in IgG2 and IgG3. Protective concentrations of TT antibodies were found in all postimmunization sera. In conclusion Hib-TT is safe and immunogenic in infants and should be protective from 6 to 30 months and probably longer thereafter.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Why Some Countries Are Poor and Others Rich - mouzogu
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-4V3HR696k
======
sumedh
When I was living in India, I used to see my dad praying 1 or 2 hours a day, I
used to see my friends waiting in a queue for many hours just to visit their
god in a temple. I used to wonder isn't this a complete waste of time from
society's point of view.
If all these people could use that time to do something productive, it would
help the country. I remember my aunt telling me that only God can fix India's
problems, when I disagreed she was pissed off.
I wanted to be a hero and fix India's problems but then I took the easy way
out and moved to a developed country.
~~~
vmorgulis
> I wanted to be a hero and fix India's problems but then I took the easy way
> out and moved to a developed country.
Not so easy way :-)
The video says that 20% of the wealth is cultural. I guess it's more. Western
countries are probably so successful because they inherited the greek and
roman culture.
Some countries in Asia (like Japan) switched from feudalism to capitalism in
few decades.
The difficulties of Africa could be explained by the lack of the writing
(unless it's a consequence). The society is more flat than vertical.
------
known
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_mobility](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_mobility)
!=
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_mobility](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_mobility)
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{
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
}
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Weird Video Problem
I installed that flat out game and i loaded the update and the graphics looked like crap. I thought it was just with that game but gta / call od duty and all my others games looked messed up. So i formatted my pc and thought it would of fixed it but it did'nt, heres a screen shot of my fitness program thats messed up :
This does seem to imply that some hardware has gone bad in your system, but it could be software related. What type of video card do you have? Have you loaded the latest drivers from the manufacturer? Also, try reseating your video card - power the system down, pull the card out, put it back in. If that doesn't fix it, see if it could possibly be a RAM problem - try swapping out the RAM, or, if you have more than one stick of RAM in the machine already, try alternating between sticks.
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Increased association of glycoprotein 120-CD4 with HIV type 1 coreceptors in the presence of complex-enhanced anti-CD4 monoclonal antibodies.
CD4-specific monoclonal antibodies (CG1, CG7, and CG8), which bind with a 5- to 10-fold higher avidity to preformed CD4-gp120 complexes than to CD4, were previously shown to recognize newly identified conformational epitopes in the D1-CDR3 region of CD4. In the current study, these and other complex-enhanced MAbs were tested in three separate assays of HIV-1 coreceptor (CXCR4/CCR5) recruitment. In these assays, the CD4-specific MAbs CG1, -7, and -8 stabilized the association of coreceptor, gp120, and CD4 in trimolecular complexes. In contrast, the gp120-specific, complex-enhanced MAbs 48d and 17b were inhibitory. These data suggest that conformational changes in the CDR3 region of CD4-D1, induced by gp120 binding, may be involved in coreceptor association and thus play a positive role in the HIV-1 cell fusion process.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
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Brazil summons Canadian ambassador over spying allegations
Brazil summoned the Canadian ambassador Monday to express its “indignation” over allegations Canada has spied on the South American country’s ministry of mines and energy.
The meeting took place Monday morning in Brasilia, the day after a TV news report on the allegations.
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff had earlier asked her foreign minister to demand clarifications from the Canadian government.
Fantastico, an investigative news program on Brazil’s Globo TV, reported that Canadian spies from Communications Security Establishment Canada had used email and phone metadata to map internal communications within Brazil’s Mines and Energy Ministry through a software program called Olympia.
According to the CSEC website, the agency's mandate is to "acquire and use information from the global information infrastructure for the purpose of providing foreign intelligence, in accordance with Government of Canada intelligence priorities."
On Monday, Brazil’s Foreign Ministry said the Canadian ambassador was summoned to "transmit the indignation of the Brazilian government and demand explanations."
Brazilian Mines and Energy Minister Edison Lobao told Globo that "Canada has interests in Brazil, and above all in the mining sector. I can’t say if the spying served corporate interests or other groups."
The Brazilian TV report, which did not indicate whether emails were read or phone calls listened to, was based on documents that appeared to be CSEC PowerPoint presentations.
One of the authors of the Globo report was Glenn Greenwald, who has spent the past four months reporting on leaks by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden. Greenwald is based in Rio de Janeiro, and also works with The Guardian newspaper in London.
In an email to CTV News, Lauri Sullivan, Senior Communications Advisor for the CSEC, said the agency "does not comment on foreign intelligence gathering activities, and under the law, this organization cannot target Canadians."
On Monday, Rousseff tweeted that espionage is “unacceptable among countries that claim to be partners,” and that the foreign minister “will demand explanations from Canada,”
In a tweet, Rousseff said industrial espionage appears to be behind the alleged spying.
On Monday afternoon, Keith Murphy, CEO of Defence Intelligence, an Ottawa-based information security company, told Power Play’s Don Martin that he believes economic interests are at the root of the alleged espionage.
“What we’ll probably never be told is whether this was going to be passed off to corporate interest or whether it was strictly for government use,” he said.
He added that the alleged collected data is also being shared with the United States.
“It’s scary a little bit the level of co-operation between the agencies,” Murphy said. “Now we’ve got solid proof from some of the slides that were released to say that not only had Canada penetrated these systems, but they are actively sharing that data with the U.S.”
Andrew Cohen, a professor of journalism and international affairs at Carleton University, told CTV News Channel, that while the extent of Canada’s involvement isn’t known at this point, this isn't a surprising development.
"The idea that we might be doing this shouldn’t be surprising anymore," Cohen said. "We are emerging as a player in the world, with serious interests – economic, political, commercial in places – and this is what big boys and girls do, and so I’m not terribly surprised, but I don’t know the extent of this – nobody does."
“The whole story doesn’t make any sense. We do have an intelligence gathering capability as we should, but it’s not meant to be spying industrially on a country -- especially on a country that we’re supposed to be having good relations with,” Mulcair said.
“We should come clean as to what we have been doing. The Brazilian president calling to the Canadian government to account is serious, having our ambassador called in as he was today is serious, so we’ve got to give the proper reaction,” Mulcair added.
According to Canada’ Department of Foreign Affairs website, Brazil is currently Canada’s 11th largest trading partner, with $2.6 billion in exports, including fertilizers, mineral fuels and oils, machinery and paper. Imports, which amount to $4 billion, include mineral fuels and oils, sugars, machinery, iron and steel.
And in 2012, Brazil was Canada’s seventh highest source of foreign direct investment, with almost $16 billion in cumulative stocks.
In a news conference on Monday, Canadian Defense Minister Rob Nicholson refused to comment on foreign intelligence, but said he is confident that Canada’s relationship with Brazil will remain strong.
In June, Canada deployed 34 peacekeeping troops to Haiti to work with a Brazilian battalion as part of the United Nations Stabilization Mission to Haiti.
"This is part of a wide range of activities that we have with Brazil and I have complete confidence that will continue," Nicholson said in response to the mission.
Photos
Fantastico, an investigative news program on Brazil’s Globo TV, reported that Canadian spies from Communications Security Establishment Canada had used email and phone metadata to map internal communications within Brazil’s Mines and Energy Ministry through a software program called Olympia.
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Q:
A* Search - least number of hops?
I'm trying to create an A* pathfinding algorithm, however I'm having a little trouble getting off the ground with it. A little background:
I am by no means versed in pathfinding algorithms, however I did touch upon this subject a couple years ago (I've since forgotten everything I've learned). I play EVE Online, which is an online game about internet spaceships. The developers release data dumps for static information (items in game, solar system locations, etc). I am trying to find the shortest route from solar system A to solar system B.
Take a look at this map: http://evemaps.dotlan.net/map/UUA-F4 That is one region in the game, with each node being a system. I would like to compute the shortest distance between any two of those systems.
My issue: everything that I've read online about A* is talking about incorporating the distance between two nodes (for example, the distance between two cities) to help compute the shortest path. That doesn't help my case, as I'm more interested in the number of hops (node 1 > node 2 > node 3) rather than the distance between those hops. I do not know how to modify the A* algorithm to incorporate this.
The information that I have in the database:
A list of all systems and their neighbors (so, systemX links with systemA and systemB)
x, y, and z coordinates of all systems in a 3D grid
If anyone can point me in the right direction, that would be great. I'm looking to use this in PHP, however I've also started to work in Python a bit so that'll work too.
Example data can be provided on request if needed.
EDIT
As some have pointed out, the 'cost' associated with each jump would simply be 1. However, with A*, you also need a heuristic that estimates the distance from the current node to the target node. I'm not exactly sure how to go about determining this value, as I'm not sure of the remaining hops. As stated, I do have the 3D coordinates (x,y,z) for every node, but I'm not sure if this could give any insight as the physical distance between each node is not of concern. I do know that no path spans more than 99 hops.
EDIT 2
MySQL data for the example region.
to -> from data: http://pastebin.com/gTuwdr7h
System information (x,y,z cooridinates if needed): http://pastebin.com/Vz3FD3Kz
A:
If the number of "hops" is what matters to you, then consider that to be your distance, meaning that if the two locations are connected by a single hop, the distance is one.
For A*, you'll need two things:
The costs from one location to each neighbor, in your case, this seems to be constant (hops).
An heuristic, that estimates the cost of going from your current "node" or location to the goal. How you can estimate this depends a lot on your problem. It's important that your heuristic doesn't *over*estimates the true cost, or else A* won't be able to guarantee the best result.
A:
Take the upper part of the linked graph:
Assume that the lines represent 2 way (i.e., you can go to or from any linked node) and that the black lines are a 'cost' of 1 and the red lines are a 'cost' of 2.
That structure can be represented by the following Python data structure:
graph = {'Q-KCK3': {'3C-261':1, 'L-SDU7':1},
'L-SDU7': {'Q-KCK3':1, '3C-261':1,'4-IPWK':1},
'3C-261': {'4-IPWK':1,'9K-VDI':1,'L-SDU7':1,'U8MM-3':1},
'U8MM-3': {'9K-VDI':1,'3C-261':1, '9K-VDI':1, 'Q8T-MC':2},
'Q8T-MC': {'U8MM-3':2, 'H55-2R':1, 'VM-QFU':2},
'H55-2R': {'Q8T-MC':1, '9XI-OX':1, 'A3-PAT':1, 'P6-DBM':1},
'P6-DBM': {'A3-PAT':1, 'H55-2R':1},
'A3-PAT': {'P6-DBM':1, 'H55-2R':1, '9XI-OX':1,'YRZ-E4':1},
'YRZ-E4': {'A3-PAT':1},
'VM-QFU': {'IEZW-V':1, 'PU-128':2},
'IEZW-V': {'VM-QFU':1, 'PU-128':1, 'B-DX09':1},
'PU-128': {'VM-QFU':1, 'B-DX09':1, 'IEZW-V':1},
'B-DX09': {'IEZW-V':1, 'PU-128':1, '1TS-WIN':1},
'1TS-WIN': {'B-DX09':1, '16-31U':1},
'16-31U': {'1TS-WIN':1}
}
Now you can define a recursive function to navigate that data:
def find_all_paths(graph, start, end, path=[]):
path = path + [start]
if start == end:
return [path]
if start not in graph:
return []
paths = []
for node in graph[start]:
if node not in path:
newpaths = find_all_paths(graph, node, end, path)
for newpath in newpaths:
paths.append(newpath)
return paths
def min_path(graph, start, end):
paths=find_all_paths(graph,start,end)
mt=10**99
mpath=[]
print '\tAll paths:',paths
for path in paths:
t=sum(graph[i][j] for i,j in zip(path,path[1::]))
print '\t\tevaluating:',path, t
if t<mt:
mt=t
mpath=path
e1='\n'.join('{}->{}:{}'.format(i,j,graph[i][j]) for i,j in zip(mpath,mpath[1::]))
e2=str(sum(graph[i][j] for i,j in zip(mpath,mpath[1::])))
print 'Best path: '+e1+' Total: '+e2+'\n'
Now demo:
min_path(graph,'Q-KCK3','A3-PAT')
min_path(graph,'Q-KCK3','16-31U')
Prints:
All paths: [['Q-KCK3', '3C-261', 'U8MM-3', 'Q8T-MC', 'H55-2R', 'P6-DBM', 'A3-PAT'], ['Q-KCK3', '3C-261', 'U8MM-3', 'Q8T-MC', 'H55-2R', 'A3-PAT'], ['Q-KCK3', 'L-SDU7', '3C-261', 'U8MM-3', 'Q8T-MC', 'H55-2R', 'P6-DBM', 'A3-PAT'], ['Q-KCK3', 'L-SDU7', '3C-261', 'U8MM-3', 'Q8T-MC', 'H55-2R', 'A3-PAT']]
evaluating: ['Q-KCK3', '3C-261', 'U8MM-3', 'Q8T-MC', 'H55-2R', 'P6-DBM', 'A3-PAT'] 7
evaluating: ['Q-KCK3', '3C-261', 'U8MM-3', 'Q8T-MC', 'H55-2R', 'A3-PAT'] 6
evaluating: ['Q-KCK3', 'L-SDU7', '3C-261', 'U8MM-3', 'Q8T-MC', 'H55-2R', 'P6-DBM', 'A3-PAT'] 8
evaluating: ['Q-KCK3', 'L-SDU7', '3C-261', 'U8MM-3', 'Q8T-MC', 'H55-2R', 'A3-PAT'] 7
Best path: Q-KCK3->3C-261:1
3C-261->U8MM-3:1
U8MM-3->Q8T-MC:2
Q8T-MC->H55-2R:1
H55-2R->A3-PAT:1 Total: 6
All paths: [['Q-KCK3', '3C-261', 'U8MM-3', 'Q8T-MC', 'VM-QFU', 'IEZW-V', 'B-DX09', '1TS-WIN', '16-31U'], ['Q-KCK3', '3C-261', 'U8MM-3', 'Q8T-MC', 'VM-QFU', 'IEZW-V', 'PU-128', 'B-DX09', '1TS-WIN', '16-31U'], ['Q-KCK3', '3C-261', 'U8MM-3', 'Q8T-MC', 'VM-QFU', 'PU-128', 'B-DX09', '1TS-WIN', '16-31U'], ['Q-KCK3', '3C-261', 'U8MM-3', 'Q8T-MC', 'VM-QFU', 'PU-128', 'IEZW-V', 'B-DX09', '1TS-WIN', '16-31U'], ['Q-KCK3', 'L-SDU7', '3C-261', 'U8MM-3', 'Q8T-MC', 'VM-QFU', 'IEZW-V', 'B-DX09', '1TS-WIN', '16-31U'], ['Q-KCK3', 'L-SDU7', '3C-261', 'U8MM-3', 'Q8T-MC', 'VM-QFU', 'IEZW-V', 'PU-128', 'B-DX09', '1TS-WIN', '16-31U'], ['Q-KCK3', 'L-SDU7', '3C-261', 'U8MM-3', 'Q8T-MC', 'VM-QFU', 'PU-128', 'B-DX09', '1TS-WIN', '16-31U'], ['Q-KCK3', 'L-SDU7', '3C-261', 'U8MM-3', 'Q8T-MC', 'VM-QFU', 'PU-128', 'IEZW-V', 'B-DX09', '1TS-WIN', '16-31U']]
evaluating: ['Q-KCK3', '3C-261', 'U8MM-3', 'Q8T-MC', 'VM-QFU', 'IEZW-V', 'B-DX09', '1TS-WIN', '16-31U'] 10
evaluating: ['Q-KCK3', '3C-261', 'U8MM-3', 'Q8T-MC', 'VM-QFU', 'IEZW-V', 'PU-128', 'B-DX09', '1TS-WIN', '16-31U'] 11
evaluating: ['Q-KCK3', '3C-261', 'U8MM-3', 'Q8T-MC', 'VM-QFU', 'PU-128', 'B-DX09', '1TS-WIN', '16-31U'] 11
evaluating: ['Q-KCK3', '3C-261', 'U8MM-3', 'Q8T-MC', 'VM-QFU', 'PU-128', 'IEZW-V', 'B-DX09', '1TS-WIN', '16-31U'] 12
evaluating: ['Q-KCK3', 'L-SDU7', '3C-261', 'U8MM-3', 'Q8T-MC', 'VM-QFU', 'IEZW-V', 'B-DX09', '1TS-WIN', '16-31U'] 11
evaluating: ['Q-KCK3', 'L-SDU7', '3C-261', 'U8MM-3', 'Q8T-MC', 'VM-QFU', 'IEZW-V', 'PU-128', 'B-DX09', '1TS-WIN', '16-31U'] 12
evaluating: ['Q-KCK3', 'L-SDU7', '3C-261', 'U8MM-3', 'Q8T-MC', 'VM-QFU', 'PU-128', 'B-DX09', '1TS-WIN', '16-31U'] 12
evaluating: ['Q-KCK3', 'L-SDU7', '3C-261', 'U8MM-3', 'Q8T-MC', 'VM-QFU', 'PU-128', 'IEZW-V', 'B-DX09', '1TS-WIN', '16-31U'] 13
Best path: Q-KCK3->3C-261:1
3C-261->U8MM-3:1
U8MM-3->Q8T-MC:2
Q8T-MC->VM-QFU:2
VM-QFU->IEZW-V:1
IEZW-V->B-DX09:1
B-DX09->1TS-WIN:1
1TS-WIN->16-31U:1 Total: 10
If you want the minimum number of hops, just modify min_path to return the shortest list length rather than the minimum total cost of the hops. Or, make the cost of each hop 1.
Have a look at my previous answer regarding trains.
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235 B.R. 231 (1999)
In re Stephen L. VECCHITTO, Debtor.
Martin W. Hoffman, Trustee, Plaintiff,
v.
Stephen L. Vecchitto, Vecchitto, Schnidman, Macca & Company, P.C., Defendants.
Bankruptcy No. 93-22346. Adversary No. 95-2187.
United States Bankruptcy Court, D. Connecticut.
March 30, 1999.
*232 *233 Martin W. Hoffman, Hank D. Hoffman, and Walter J. Onacewicz, Law Offices of Martin W. Hoffman, West Hartford, CT, for Trustee-Plaintiff.
David A. Netburn, Michael D. O'Connell, and Julia B. Morris, O'Connell, Flaherty & Attmore, LLC., Hartford, CT, for Defendants.
MEMORANDUM OF DECISION
ROBERT L. KRECHEVSKY, Bankruptcy Judge.
I.
ISSUE
The dominant issue in this adversary proceeding is the proper value to be placed upon 220 shares of stock of a closely-held corporation. Martin W. Hoffman, Esq., trustee ("the trustee") in the Chapter 7 case of Stephen L. Vecchitto, the debtor ("the debtor"), on July 12, 1995, filed a three-count complaint against the debtor, a certified public accountant, and against Vecchitto, Schnidman, Macca & Company, P.C. ("VSM"), a corporate firm of licensed certified public accountants. In Count I, the trustee contends that the debtor's estate included as an asset 220 shares of stock in a corporate firm of licensed certified public accountants known as Vecchitto, Macca & Glotzer, P.C. ("VMG"); that in his schedules, the debtor listed the stock as having no value and claimed the stock as an exemption to the value of $3,808; that the trustee has objected to the exemption claim; and that the stock has a value of at least $242,000 to be turned over to the trustee.[1] In Count II, the trustee alleges that, post-petition, VMG sold its assets to VSM, and the debtor received a 30% stock interest in VSM, which interest became property of the debtor's estate and should be turned over to the trustee. Count III asserts that the sale of VMG's assets to VSM was a post-petition avoidable transfer and their value is recoverable from the defendants.
The complaint seeks a judgment against the debtor and VSM for $242,000 or the value of the debtor's interest in VMG or VSM and the avoidance of the transfer of the debtor's interest in VMG to VSM. The defendants deny any liability to the trustee, contending that the stock had no value and, thus, all of the counts of the complaint must fail. A hearing on the complaint concluded on December 30, 1998, after which the parties submitted their memoranda of law.
II.
BACKGROUND
A.
When the debtor filed his Chapter 7 bankruptcy case on June 14, 1993, he was employed as an accountant by VMG. He testified that the filing of the bankruptcy petition was caused by real estate investments which were rendered valueless by the then recent downturn in the Hartford real estate market. He scheduled as an asset 220 shares of stock in VMG. Carmen Macca, CPA ("Macca"), VMG's corporate secretary, held the remaining 780 shares of VMG stock. VMG, on September 1, 1993, sold most of its assets, in an arm's length transaction with Schnidman & Company P.C. to merge their accounting practices, to the defendant, VSM, a newly-formed entity.[2] Macca executed a *234 corporate resolution representing that a two-thirds vote of VMG shareholders affirmed the sale. The sale price for VMG's account receivables and equipment was $200,050, to be paid by VSM's assumption of two VMG bank debts totaling $190,486 and the payment of $9,564 cash to VMG. VMG used the cash to pay other existing VMG obligations. No party noticed the trustee of this sale.
The debtor testified that he invested $10,000 in VSM and received 30% of VSM's stock. Three years later, on September 1, 1996, the debtor left VSM's employ and received $10,000 for his stock interest. At the same time, he signed a non-competition agreement with VSM which runs to August 30, 2001. The total compensation to be paid the debtor under this agreement is $225,000, payable in 48 monthly installments after an initial payment of $18,500.
B.
On or about January 1, 1988, the debtor and Macca, as the sole VMG shareholders, entered into a Shareholders' Agreement ("Agreement") "to restrict the transfer of the stock of the Corporation by the Shareholders in such a manner so as to provide for an orderly disposition of the stock of any Shareholder who voluntarily ceases to be an employee of the Corporation, dies, becomes disabled, retires or desires to dispose of his stock." Agreement at 1. Paragraph 2.1 of the Agreement provided:
If a Shareholder shall resign, retire or otherwise terminate his employment as an employee of the Corporation, other than by death or disability, the other Shareholder shall have the option to purchase all or any part of the Stock owned by such Shareholder (the "Resigning Shareholder"). The other Shareholder shall have sixty (60) days after such resignation, retirement, or other termination of employment to exercise such option and purchase all or any part of the Stock, owned by the Resigning Shareholder. The Corporation shall redeem, within thirty (30) days after the expiration of such sixty (60) day period, all of the Stock owned by the Resigning Shareholder which has not been purchased by the other Shareholder.
Paragraph 2.2, of the Agreement provided:
The purchase price of the stock to be purchased or redeemed pursuant to this Article 2 shall be equal to the Adjusted Net Book Value of the Corporation, as hereinafter defined, multiplied by a percentage determined under Section 2.4, and multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the total number of shares of the Stock to be purchased and the denominator of which is the total number of the issued and outstanding shares of the common stock of the Corporation as of the date of such purchase.
The Agreement does not contain any mandatory non-competition agreement to be executed by the departing stockholder, and the Agreement terminated on VMG's bankruptcy, receivership, corporate liquidation or dissolution. At the time of the filing of his petition, the debtor was 36 years old and capable of continuing in his practice as, in fact, he did during the next three years.
The trustee presented Alec R. Bobrow, CPA, ("Bobrow") to testify as a duly-qualified expert on the fair market value of the debtor's 220 shares of VMG stock as of June 14, 1993, the date of the Chapter 7 filing. Bobrow valued the 220 shares of stock at $397,825. Bobrow's written appraisal ("Bobrow Appraisal"), received into evidence, defined "fair market value" as "that price, stated in money or money's worth, at which an asset would change hands between a willing seller and a willing buyer, neither being under a compulsion to act, and both having full knowledge of all relevant facts." (Bobrow Appraisal at 1.) Bobrow acknowledged that "traditionally" *235 there are three principal approaches to be employed to determine fair market value: (1) component asset-based valuation, (2) cash-flow-based valuation and (3) market formula-based valuation. (Bobrow Appraisal at 2.) Bobrow purposely used none of the three "traditional" methods, but relied solely on the formula and methodology described in the Agreement to calculate the stock's fair market value. He readily conceded that none of the triggering events under Par. 2.2 of the Agreement had occurred on June 14, 1993 or thereafter namely, the debtor had neither resigned, retired nor terminated his employment with VMG. His conclusion was that if stockholders have entered into a stock-purchase agreement, "[n]eedless to say, [such agreement], if binding on the parties, will serve as the basis for valuation." (Bobrow Appraisal at 2.)
The defendants do not contest that Bobrow used the appropriate calculations contained in the Agreement to arrive at his valuation, if the Agreement controls. The debtor testified that even if the Agreement provisions were to control, VMG had no means to satisfy such obligation.
The defendants presented Walter C. King, CPA, ("King"), as their duly-qualified stock valuation expert witness. King, using the same definition of fair market value as Bobrow in his written appraisal ("King Appraisal"), received into evidence, valued the VMG shares of stock at zero after considering a market-value approach, an adjusted net-asset approach and an income-valuation approach. He rejected the use of the Agreement as a means of establishing fair market value because the Agreement mandated neither purchase of the debtor's stock upon his filing a bankruptcy petition nor purchase from the bankruptcy trustee. (King Appraisal at 16.) King also rejected the market-value approach because of the absence of a non-competition agreement to prevent the debtor from soliciting clients.
Under the income-valuation approach, which values a business "in one lump sum, including tangible and intangible assets by applying a capitalization rate to representation earnings," King determined that VMG had no value after deducting salaries. (King Appraisal at 11.) Likewise, the adjusted net-asset method, which "substitutes market values for balance sheet carrying amounts and arrives at the fair market value of the adjusted net assets", resulted in VMG showing a deficit so that the value of shares was zero. (King Appraisal at 14.)
III.
CONTENTIONS OF THE PARTIES
The trustee contends that, on the date the bankruptcy petition was filed, the terms of the Agreement fixed the value of the debtor's VMG stock at $397,825. Since the debtor exempted only $3,808 of the stock's value, the trustee seeks to recover the balance of $394,017 for the benefit of the bankruptcy estate, or, alternatively, the value of the debtor's interest in VSM, claiming that it constituted proceeds, product, offspring, rents, or profits of the debtor's stock in VMG.
The defendants do not dispute the accuracy of Bobrow's calculations under the formulas of the Agreement. They contend, however, that such calculations are irrelevant to the issue before the court the determination of the fair market value of the debtor's VMG stock on the petition date because the terms of the Agreement would have applied only if the debtor had retired, resigned, or otherwise terminated his employment with VMG while the Agreement was in effect, and that he did not do so. The defendants contend that, under any of the generally accepted methods of valuation, the fair market value of the VMG stock on the petition date was zero.
IV.
DISCUSSION
A. RELEVANCE OF THE AGREEMENT
The trustee's reliance on the formulas contained in the Agreement is misplaced. *236 Shareholder agreements which impose, under certain circumstances, obligations on a shareholder to sell and ultimately on the corporation to buy shares are executory contracts[3] for purposes of the Bankruptcy Code. See In re Parkwood Realty Corp., 157 B.R. 687, 689 (Bankr.W.D.Wash.1993) (holding that stockholder agreement is an executory contract). Section 365(d)(1)[4] gives the Chapter 7 trustee 60 days after the order for relief is entered in which to assume or reject executory contracts; at the end of that 60-day period, all executory contracts not assumed by the trustee are deemed rejected. This automatic rejection "constitutes a breach of such contract ... immediately before the date of the filing of the petition." 11 U.S.C. § 365(g). The provisions of the Agreement, therefore, are deemed not to have been in effect on the valuation date of June 14, 1993.
The debtor's bankruptcy petition (Exhibit 12) indicates that he did not schedule the Agreement as an executory contract. The debtor's failure to schedule the Agreement does not toll the running of the 60-day period, see, e.g., Cheadle v. Appleatchee Riders Ass'n (In re Lovitt), 757 F.2d 1035, 1041 (9th Cir.1985), cert. denied, 474 U.S. 849, 106 S.Ct. 145, 88 L.Ed.2d 120 (1985) (holding that, under the Bankruptcy Act, trustee has an affirmative duty to investigate for unscheduled executory contracts and that the statutory presumption of rejection of such contracts not assumed within 60 days is conclusive); Carrico v. Tompkins (In re Tompkins), 95 B.R. 722, 724 (9th Cir. BAP 1989) (quoting Lovitt and adopting its holding in a Chapter 7 case under the Bankruptcy Code); Affordable Efficiencies, Inc. v. Bane (In re Bane), 228 B.R. 835, 840 (Bankr.W.D.Va. 1998) (same). The trustee, apparently, became aware of the existence of the Agreement well before the commencement of this proceeding.
The court concludes that the trustee has not established that the formulas of the Agreement, and Bobrow's calculations based on those formulas, are relevant to the value of the debtor's VMG stock on the date the bankruptcy petition was filed; it, therefore, rejects Bobrow's testimony as to the value of the stock. In addition, the trustee presented no credible evidence to support use of the Agreement as a proxy for the fair market value of the debtor's VMG stock.
B. FAIR MARKET VALUE
The reports of both expert witnesses utilized the same definition of fair market value. Both experts agreed as to the three approaches generally used to determine the fair market value of an asset, in this instance, the debtor's stock in VMG. See supra part II.B.
Having relied exclusively on the formulas in the Agreement, Bobrow testified that he made no attempt to determine the fair market value of the stock on any of the traditional bases. King testified as to market value under each of the three approaches, based on VMG's financial statements for the last full calendar year preceding the filing of the debtor's bankruptcy petition.[5]
*237 1. Market-Value Approach
As previously noted, King rejected this method for valuing the stock. He testified that the debtor was a "rainmaker" and that when such a person leaves a firm without a non-compete agreement, it leaves the firm's client base completely vulnerable; he concluded that, under these circumstances, the probability that the clients of a departing shareholder would follow him elsewhere was so substantial that, in his opinion, the unprotected client base was of inconsequential value to VMG. Although King's report included market value calculations based on comparisons with the sales of several closely-held accounting firms, he rejected the use of such data because the firms were not sufficiently comparable to VMG, VMG held no non-compete agreements, had litigation pending against it, was under investigation, and had experienced declining revenues.
2. Adjusted Net-Asset Approach
Having concluded, under the facts presented, especially the absence of a non-compete agreement, that the value of VMG's client base was negligible, King used the fair market value of VMG's other assets accounts receivable, furniture, fixtures, and equipment and liabilities estimated settlement value of threatened litigation, and payoff value of debt to determine that, as of June 14, 1993, VMG had a negative net worth.
Although some of the litigation pending when the bankruptcy petition was filed in 1993 has subsequently settled, King's determination of fair market value correctly utilized the estimated settlement value as of June 14, 1993, rather than the amounts for which the suits actually settled years later. The fair market value of the stock on June 14, 1993 is the price a buyer would be willing to pay to acquire it on that date; it is, therefore, properly determined prospectively as of that date, without the benefit of later hindsight.
3. Income-Valuation Approach
Under this approach, the fair market value of the company is equal to the present value of VMG's expected net-income stream. King calculated (a) a cash-flow multiple, taking into account his assumptions about various risks including those based on company size, expected growth, and the type of business, and multiplied it by (b) VMG's representative earnings, its expected net income "normalized" by substituting industry averages for the actual amounts of the principals' salaries.
King based his estimate of VMG's representative earnings on its average normalized earnings for 1989-91. Although figures were available for 1992 and a portion of 1993, King noted that those amounts were distorted as a result of adjustments regarding the disposition of assets and cessation of business. He testified that, in his judgment, the earnings for 1989-91, reduced by 25% to take into account pre-petition erosion of VMG's client base, were more indicative of expected future earnings. Because the representative earnings were not sufficient to provide the two principals with salaries equal to the industry average, the net income was zero. The present value of the net income, the fair market value of VMG, was, therefore, also zero, as was the value of the debtor's 22% share of VMG.
C. VALUE OF GOODWILL
The court finds King's expert opinion that the debtor's stock had no market value supported by credible testimony. The trustee relies on In re Prince, 85 F.3d 314 (7th Cir.1996), to discredit King's opinion. Prince involved a Chapter 11 debtor *238 who was the sole shareholder of a professional corporation through which he operated his practice as an orthodontist. In Prince, the only issue was whether, in the absence of a non-compete agreement, the valuation of the debtor's stock on the date of plan confirmation should exclude, as a matter of law, any component for goodwill. Prince, 85 F.3d at 317 ("[T]he bankruptcy court found virtually every issue of fact in this case to be undisputed and distilled the valuation down to one issue of law: whether Dr. Prince's personal goodwill should be included in the calculation of the stock's value.") (emphasis added). The court held that goodwill was not excluded as a matter of law; that the amount of goodwill to be included depended upon the probability that the debtor would leave his own firm to compete with it, taking his patient base with him. However, the court was "not asked on appeal to review the district court's application of law to the facts because the factual consequences hinging upon whether Dr. Prince's goodwill is treated as part of the stock value are undisputed. Both parties agree that if Dr. Prince's goodwill is excluded ... the worth of the stock is limited to the ... physical assets. On the other hand, assuming that Dr. Prince's goodwill is properly included in the stock value, the Princes do not assert error in the bankruptcy court's numerical computation of the goodwill's value." Prince, 85 F.3d at 319.
In the present proceeding, goodwill is not being excluded as a matter of law. Rather, the question is one of fact: what value, if any, to place on the goodwill asset of a professional corporation when nothing prevents either or both of the shareholders from leaving to compete with it, taking their client bases with them.
King testified that, in his opinion, the absence of a covenant not-to-compete put VMG at substantial risk of losing its client base. Based on his assessment of this risk, King valued VMG's client base as zero under his market-based and asset-based calculations, and, in his income-based valuation, he reduced the three-year average earnings utilized by 25% to account for erosion of the client base. The court finds no conflict between the valuations based on King's opinions of the risks associated with the lack of non-compete agreements and the holding of Prince. The Prince court discussed the need to take into account the probability that the shareholder would leave to compete and the impact such action would have on the expected future earnings of the firm. The possibility of a shareholder competing "affected the value of the stock: the higher the probability of him competing, the lower the expected future cash flows to the stock." Prince, 85 F.3d at 321.
V.
CONCLUSION
The court finds that the value of the debtor's VMG stock on the bankruptcy petition date, was zero, or, in any event, less than the $3,808 exemption claimed by the debtor. Since the stock was fully exempt, the court concludes that the trustee is not entitled to any of the recoveries he seeks. The action will be dismissed with prejudice, and judgment will enter for the defendants.
JUDGMENT
This action came on for trial before the Court, Honorable Robert L. Krechevsky, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge, presiding, and the issues having been duly tried, and the Court having issued a memorandum of even date, it is
ORDERED, ADJUDGED AND DECREED that the plaintiff take nothing, and that the action be dismissed on the merits.
NOTES
[1] On October 22, 1993, the trustee filed an objection to the debtor's amended claim of exemption of the stock "as to any amount in excess of the statutory amounts allowed." On November 11, 1993, when the trustee's objection came on for hearing, counsel for the trustee appeared and requested that the hearing be marked off the calendar. No further action on the objection appears of record, although the trustee in his post-trial brief makes the following statement: "Pursuant to an oral order of this Court, the Trustee's objection to exemption was merged with this law suit." (Trustee Brief at 3.)
[2] The principals of VSM, all CPAs, and their initial stock ownership were as follows:
John Schnidman 35%
Debtor 30% William Schuck 10%
Macca 20% Bruce Del Conte 5%
[3] An executory contract is "a contract on which performance remains due to some extent on both sides." Eastern Air Lines, Inc. v. Ins. Co. of the State of Pennsylvania (In re Ionosphere Clubs, Inc.), 85 F.3d 992, 998 (2d Cir.1996) (citations and internal quotation marks omitted).
[4] Section 365 provides, in relevant part:
(d)(1) In a case under chapter 7 of this title, if the trustee does not assume or reject an executory contract or unexpired lease of residential real property or of personal property of the debtor within 60 days after the order for relief, or within such additional time as the court, for cause, within such 60-day period, fixes, then such contract or lease is deemed rejected.
11 U.S.C. § 365(d)(1).
[5] The trustee argues that King should have used VMG's May 31, 1993 internal financial statements, rather than the December 31, 1992 figures. King testified that he tended to be wary of interim financial statements, prepared primarily for internal use, of closelyheld businesses; that a number of significant adjustments are made only at the end of the year, and that the internal figures relied on the book, rather than market, value of several assets, including the accounts receivable. Because the year-end figures were those relied upon in the preparation of the company's tax returns, King testified that he had more confidence in their accuracy, and the court credits this testimony.
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The production of 1-amino-propanediol-2,3 by the addition of ammonia to glycidol (glycidol) was first described by L. Knorr and E. Knorr (Ber. deutsch. Chem. Ges. vol. 32, pages 750-757 (1899)). The authors employed thereby one part by weight of glycidol with 100 parts by weight of 25% aqueous ammonia and then obtained after working up by distillation 1-amino-propanediol-2,3 in a yield of 44% based on the glycidol employed. The weight ratio of glycidol to aqueous ammonia (25%)=1:100 means a mole ratio of glycidol to ammonia=1:109.
This method of production of 1-amino-propanediol-2,3 was examined by K. Baum and W. T. Maurice (J. Org. Chem. Vol. 27, pages 2231-2233 (1962), in which case under the same conditions they obtained a yield of 68% of theory. This better yield is based on the fact that the first mentioned authors distilled the reaction product at 235.degree.-250.degree. C./320 mmHg, while the last mentioned authors carefully distilled, namely at 80.degree.-106.degree. C./0.1-0.15 mmHg and therewith did not cause loss through thermal decomposition.
While the last named process also brings about better yields compared to the process of Knorr (loc. cit.), the amounts of aqueous ammonia supplied to the cycle represents a considerable load in the industrial carrying out of the process.
Besides, it requires a very large reaction space because of the above-mentioned molar ratio of glycidol to ammonia, as well as a distillation plant for the concentration of the diluted aqueous ammonia solution supplied to the cycle.
The object of the invention, therefore, is the development of a process for the production of 1-amino-propanediol-2,3 in good yields and in an industrially simple manner.
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{
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
}
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Q:
Teachable AI Chatbot
I'm starting on AI chatbots and don't know where to actually start.
what I've imagined is something like this:
Empty chat bot that doesn't know anything
Learns when user asks question and if the bot doesn't know the answer, it'd ask for it
Records all the data learned and parse synonymous questions
Example procedure:
User: what is the color of a ripped mango?
Bot: I don't know [to input answer add !@: at the start]
User: !@:yellow
User: do you know the color of ripped mango?
Bot: yellow
A:
Chatbots, or conversational dialogue systems in general, will have to be able to generate natural language and as you might expect, this is not something trivial. The state-of-the-art approaches usually mine conversations of human-human conversations (such as for example conversations on chat platforms like Facebook or Twitter, or even movie dialogs, basically things which are available in large quantities and resemble natural conversation). These conversations are then for example labelled as question-answer pairs, possibly using pretrained word embeddings.
This is an active area of research in the field of NLP. An example category of used systems is that of "End-to-End Sequence-to-Sequence models" (seq2seq). However, basic seq2seq models have a tendency to produce repetitive and therefore dull responses. More recent papers try to address this using reinforcement learning, as well as techniques like adversarial networks, in order to learn to choose responses. Another technique that improves the system is to extend the context of the conversation by allowing the model to see (more) prior turns, for example by using a hierarchical model.
If you don't really know where to start, I think you will find all the basics you will need in this free chapter of "Speech and Language Processing." by Daniel Jurafsky & James H. Martin (August 2017). Good luck!
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{
"pile_set_name": "StackExchange"
}
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Built in 1981 it is one of the first buildings of the third generation. This mid-rise building has 16 floors.
Les Miroirs consists of several buildings which surround a central square. For the cladding curtain wall in athermal glass is used, as well as South African black granite.
Les Miroirs is formed by a complex of eight buildings, connected to each other. The two front buildings are the highest and best known though.
In the past there were plans for a higher version (some 100 metres high). This building was planned then for the area where now the Grande Arche is located. This version is not bad however.
Side view of the high part of the building.
It's a glass building. I like the reflection.
These two buildings form just a part of the entire building, which extends a lot further.
Front view.
In this picture the cladding looks a bit outdated.
The last (early morning) picture shows the location of the building, close to Tour Kvaerner (and Tour Descartes).
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{
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ATTENDANCE
On Time, All Day, Every Day!
Make school attendance a habit rather than a choice!
One of the most important things your children can do to achieve academic success is also one of the most basic; going to to school every day. In fact, research has shown that it usually takes students three days to catch up with school work for every day they have missed. By making your child’s school attendance a priority, you will be taking an important step in supporting your child’s success in school, and setting a good example!
WASHINGTON LAW
What does Washington State Law say?
Washington law requires children from age 8 to 17 to attend a public school, private school, or to receive home-based instruction (homeschooling). Youth who are 16 or older may be excused from attending public school if they have graduated or acquired a GED. Washington’s truancy law, often termed the “Becca Bill”, is intended to curb school truancy before it becomes habitual. The law requires many things of schools, but only requires one thing of students: attend school! If a student does not attend school the law requires the school district to take action.
ON TIME, ALL DAY, EVERY DAY!
Benefits of Daily Attendance
Performance: By attending class regularly, your child is more likely to keep up with the daily lessons and assignments, and take quizzes and tests on time.
Achievement: students who attend school regularly are more likely to pass reading and math assessments than students who don’t attend school regularly.
Being part of the school community: Just by being present at school, your child is learning how to be a good citizen by participating in the school community, learning valuable social skills, and developing a broader world view.
The importance of education: Your commitment to school attendance will also send a message to your child that education is a priority for your family, going to school every day is a critical part of educational success, and that it’s important to take your responsibilities seriously including going to school.
WARNING SIGNS
Some of the most common reasons for skipping school are oversleeping, wanting to hang out with friends, and being rebellious. However, a student’s refusal to attend school may also be the result of some of the following issues:
Behind in schoolwork
Leaving home and /or returning at irregular hours
Inappropriate school attire
Early morning personal phone calls
Refusing to go to school
Vague health complaints
Changes in behavior and routine
Unaware of school calendar, class schedule and assignments
Never receiving mail from school
Failing grades
Keeping close company with non‐school attending friends
Complaints of conflict with teacher and peers
Evidence of alcohol and/or drug use
HOW DOES THE KELSO SCHOOL DISTRICT TAKE ACTION?
Guided by State law the District follows a set of interventions
created to support students and families.
One (1) or Two (2) Unexcused Absences
After a single unexcused absence, the school will contact parents, which is generally done by phone or letter. After a second unexcused absence, the school is required to schedule a conference with the parent and student to discuss solutions to the truancy.
Five (5) Unexcused Absences
If a student accumulates five unexcused absences in a month, the school may take more intense absences to end the truancy. The school may file a petition with the Cowlitz Courty Court, enter into a written truancy agreement with the family, or reference the family to a Truancy Project,.
Seven (7) and Ten (10) Unexcused Absences
Court action is required when a student accumulates seven absences in a month or ten in a year. The truancy law requires that school districts file a petition in Superior Court against the student, parent, or both.
Court Action
The first hearing in any truancy action is the “preliminary hearing.” At the preliminary hearing, the court will hear the evidence from the school district, the parents and student to determine whether the truancy allegation is more likely than not true. If true, the court will enter a written order directing the student to go to school.
If the student successfully obeys the court order and goes to school without any unexcused absences, most likely they will not be called back to court for any additional hearings.
Students and parents who willfully violate the court order and continue to have unexcused absences will be summoned back to court for a “contempt hearing.” When a student or parent is held in contempt, the court may impose coercive sanctions to correct the student’s attendance issues. The court may order a student to write a report, do community service, or spend time in juvenile detention. The court may require a parent to do community service or even be issued fines for $25 for each day of their child’s truancy. Children are entitled to legal counsel once they face the threat of confinement.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Help your child get to school on time every day. Babysitting, problems with a car or late bus, and the weather are not permissible reasons to miss school. Coming to school late will also be noted on your child’s permanent record, and will make it difficult for your child to stay caught up with the first lessons of each morning.
Follow the school’s guidelines and attendance policy, and report excused absences immediately. At the beginning of the school year, review the school’s rules and make sure you understand whom you need to call if your child is going to be absent.
Take an active role. Stay involved with your child’s daily experiences at school by asking how the school day went, and then listening carefully to what your child shares with you both the successes and struggles. Make it a point to meet your child’s teacher and friends.
Locate potential sources of anxiety. If your child frequently appears upset or reluctant to go to school and cannot tell you why, schedule an appointment with his or her teacher or school counselor to talk about possible sources of the anxiety.
Try to limit the amount of time that your child misses school due to medical appointments or illness. If possible, avoid scheduling doctor’s appointments during the school day. Allow your child to stay home only in the case of contagious or severe illnesses.
Schedule family events with your child’s school schedule in mind. Plan holiday celebrations or family trips during weekends or school vacations. In the case of family emergencies or unexpected trips, talk to your child’s teacher as far in advance as possible and set up a way that your child can work ahead or bring important homework on the trip.
Plan ahead. Encourage your child to prepare for the next school day by laying out clothes the night before and helping to fix lunches.
Promote good health. Make sure that your child eats a balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables, and has opportunities to exercise every day through a sports team or playtime outside.
Create a restful environment. Make sure that your child can relax before bedtime by doing something quiet like reading rather than do something stimulating, like watching television. Ensure that your child gets enough quality sleep ideal amounts range from 8 to 12 hours.
TRANSLATE THIS PAGE
Kelso School District #458 complies with all federal rules and regulations and does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups listed in Title 36 of the United States Code. The following employee(s) has been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination: Tim Peterson, Director of Human Resources, the school district's Title VII Officer and ADA Coordinator. People of disability may request reasonable accommodation in the hiring process by contacting, Tim Peterson, Director of Human Resources, 601 Crawford Street, Kelso, WA 98626 or (360) 501-1924.
Inquiries regarding compliance procedures regarding students may be directed to Don Iverson, Director of Student Services, the school district’s Title IX Coordinator or Denise Freund, Director of Special Programs, the school district’s Section 504 Coordinator, 601 Crawford Street, Kelso, WA 98626 (360) 501-1900.
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---
abstract: 'This is a survey of the historical development of the Spectral Standard Model and beyond, starting with the ground breaking paper of Alain Connes in 1988 where he observed that there is a link between Higgs fields and finite noncommutative spaces. We present the important contributions that helped in the search and identification of the noncommutative space that characterizes the fine structure of space-time. The nature and properties of the noncommutative space are arrived at by independent routes and show the uniqueness of the Spectral Standard Model at low energies and the Pati–Salam unification model at high energies.'
title: |
A survey of spectral models of gravity\
coupled to matter
---
Dedicated to Alain Connes
Introduction
============
In 1988, at the height of the string revolution, there appeared an alternative way to think about the structure of space-time, based on the breathtaking progress in the new field of noncommutative geometry. Despite the success of string theory in incorporating gravity, consistency of the theory depended on the existence of supersymmetry as well as six or seven extra dimensions. Enormous amount of research was carried out to obtain the Standard Model from string compactification, which even up to day did not materialize. Most compactifications start in ten dimensions with the Yang–Mills gauge group $E_{8}\times E_{8}$ requiring a very large number of fields to become massive at high energies. In a remarkable paper, Alain Connes laid down the blue print of a new innovative approach to uncover the origin of the Standard Model and its symmetries [@C90]. The foundation of this approach was based on noncommutative geometry, a field he founded few years before [@C85] (see also [@C94]). Alain realized that by making space slightly noncommutative by tensoring the four dimensional space with a space of two points, one gets a parallel universe where the distance between the two sheets is of the order of $10^{-16}$ cm, with the unexpected bonus of having the Higgs scalar field mediating between them. Although this looked similar to the idea of Kaluza–Klein, there were essential differences, mainly in avoiding the huge number of the massive tower of states as well as obtaining the Higgs field in a representation which is not the adjoint. Soon after this work inspired similar approaches also based on extending the four-dimensional space to become noncommutative [@Dub88; @DKM89; @DKM89b; @DKM90; @CFF92].
In this survey we will review the key developments that allowed noncommutative geometry to deepen our understanding of the structure of space-time and explain from first principles why and how nature dictates the existence of the elementary particles and their fundamental interactions. In Section 2 we will start by reviewing the pioneering work of Alain Connes [@C90] introducing the basic mathematical definitions and structures needed to define a noncommutative space. We summarize the characteristic ingredients in the construction of the Connes–Lott model and later generalizations by others. We then consider how to develop the analogue of Riemannian geometry for non-commutative spaces, and to incorporate the gravitational field in the Connes–Lott model. In Section 3 we present a breakthrough in the development of noncommutative geometry with the introduction of the reality operator which led to the definition of KO dimension of a noncommutative space. With this it became possible to present the reconstruction theorem of Riemannian geometry from noncommutative geometry. Section 4 covers the formulation and applications of the spectral action principle where the spectrum of the Dirac operator plays a dominant role in the study of noncommutative spaces. This key development allowed to obtain the dynamics of the Standard Model coupled to gravity in a non-ambiguous way, and to study geometric invariants of noncommutative spaces. We then show that incorporating right-handed neutrinos with the fundamental fermions forces a change in the algebra of the noncommutative space and the use of real structures to impose simultaneously the reality and chirality conditions on fundamental states, singling out the KO dimension to be 6. We show in detail how the few requirements about KO dimension, Majorana masses for right-handed neutrinos and the first order condition on the Dirac operator, singles out the geometry of the Standard Model. In Section 5 we present a classification of finite noncommutative spaces of KO dimension 6 showing the almost uniqueness of the Standard spectral model. In Section 6 we give a prescription of constructing spectral models from first principles and show that the spectral Standard Model agrees with the available experimental limits, provided that the scale giving mass to the right-handed neutrinos is promoted to a singlet scalar field. We then show that there exists a more general case where the first order condition on the Dirac operator is removed, the singlet scalar fields become part of a larger representation of the Pati–Salam model. The Standard Model becomes a special point in the spontaneous breaking of the Pati–Salam symmetries. In Section 6 we show that a different starting point where a Heisenberg like quantization condition in terms of the Dirac operator considered as momenta and two possible Clifford-algebra valued maps from the four-dimensional manifold to two four-spheres $S^{4}$ result in noncommutative spaces with quantized volumes. The Pati–Salam model and its various truncations are uniquely determined as the symmetries of the spaces solving the constraint. Section 7 contains the conclusions and a discussion of possible directions of future research.
### Acknowledgements {#acknowledgements .unnumbered}
The work of A. H. C. is supported in part by the National Science Foundation Grant No. Phys-1518371. He also thanks the Radboud Excellence Initiative for hosting him at Radboud University where this research was carried out. We would like to thank Alain Connes for sharing with us his insights and ideas.
Early days of the spectral Standard Model
=========================================
The first serious attempt to utilize the ideas of noncommutative geometry in particle physic was made by Alain Connes in 1988 in his paper “Essay on physics and noncommutative geometry” [@C90]. He observed that it is possible to change the structure of the (Euclidean) space-time so that the action functional gives the Weinberg-Salam model. The main emphasis was on the conceptual understanding of the Higgs field, which he calls, the black box of the standard model. The qualitative picture was taken to be of a two-sheeted Euclidean space-time separated by a distance of the order of $10^{-16}$ cm. In order to simplify the presentation, and to easily follow the historical development, we will use a uniform notation, representing old results in a new format. It is therefore more efficient to start with the basic definitions.
Noncommutative spaces and differential calculus
-----------------------------------------------
A noncommutative space is determined from the spectral data $\left(
\mathcal{A},\mathcal{H},D,\gamma,J\right) $ where $\mathcal{A}$ is an associative algebra with unit element $1$ and involution \*, $\mathcal{H}$ a Hilbert space carrying a faithful representation $\pi$ of the algebra, $D$ is a self-adjoint operator on $\mathcal{H}$ with $\left( D^{2}+1\right) ^{-1}$ compact, $\gamma$ is the unitary chirality operator and $J$ an anti-unitary operator on $\mathcal{H}$, the reality structure. The operator $J$ was introduced later in 1994 [@C95].
In the model proposed in 1988, there were ambiguities in defining the algebra and the action on the Hilbert space. These were rectified in the 1990 paper [@CL91] with John Lott, in what became known as the Connes–Lott model. In order to appreciate the enormous progress made over the years, we will summarize this model in a simplified presentation. A more detailed account can be found in the early reviews [@VG93; @MGV98; @Kas93; @Kas96; @KasS96; @KasS97]. Note that at around the same time a derivation based differential calculus was introduced by others in [@Dub88; @DKM89; @DKM89b; @DKM90] with many similarities to the model proposed by Connes in 1988.
We first need to first introduce new ingredients. Given a unital involutive algebra $\mathcal{A}$, the universal differential algebra over $\mathcal{A}$ is defined as $$\Omega^{\ast}\left( \mathcal{A}\right) ={\displaystyle\bigoplus\limits_{n=0}^{\infty}}
\Omega^{n}\left( \mathcal{A}\right)$$ where we set $\Omega^{0}\left( \mathcal{A}\right) =\mathcal{A}$, and take$$\Omega^{n}\left( \mathcal{A}\right) =\left\{
{\displaystyle\sum\limits_{i}}
a_{0}^{i}da_{1}^{i}da_{2}^{i}\cdots da_{n}^{i},\qquad a_{j}^{i}\in
\mathcal{A},\quad\forall i,j\right\} ,\quad n=1,2,\cdots$$ Here $da$ denotes an equivalence class of $\mathcal{A}$, modulo the following relations $$d\left( a\cdot b\right) =da\cdot b+a\cdot db,\qquad d1=0,\qquad d^{2}=0$$ An element of $\Omega^{n}\left( \mathcal{A}\right) $ is called a form of degree $n.$ One forms can be considered as connections on a line bundle whose space of sections is given by the algebra $\mathcal{A}$. A one form $\rho
\in\Omega^{1}\left( \mathcal{A}\right) $ is expressed in the form$$\rho={\displaystyle\sum\limits_{i}}
a^{i}db^{i},\qquad a^{i},b^{i}\in\mathcal{A}$$ and since $d1=0,$ we may impose the condition ${\displaystyle\sum\limits_{i}}
a^{i}b^{i}=1,$ without any loss in generality. We say that $\left(
\mathcal{H},D\right) $ is a Dirac K-cycle for $\mathcal{A}$ if and only if there exists an involutive representation $\pi$ of $\mathcal{A}$ on $\mathcal{H}$ satisfying $\pi\left( a\right) ^{\ast}=\pi\left( a^{\ast}\right) $ with the properties that $\pi\left( a\right) $ and $\left[ D,\pi\left(
a\right) \right] $ are bounded operators on $\mathcal{H}$ for all $a\in\mathcal{A}$. The K-cycle is called even if there exists a chirality operator $\gamma$ such that $\gamma D=-D\gamma,$ $\gamma=\gamma^{-1}=\gamma^{\ast}$ and $\left[ \gamma,\pi\left( a\right) \right] =0,$ otherwise it is odd. The action of $\pi$ on $\Omega^{\ast}\left(
\mathcal{A}\right) $ is defined as $$\pi\left(
{\displaystyle\sum\limits_{i}}
a_{0}^{i}da_{1}^{i}\cdots da_{n}^{i}\right) ={\displaystyle\sum\limits_{i}}
\pi\left( a_{0}^{i}\right) [D,\pi\left( a_{1}^{i}\right) ]\cdots\lbrack
D,\pi\left( a_{n}^{i}\right) ]$$ The space of auxiliary fields is defined by $$\mathrm{Aux}=\ker\pi+d\,\ker\pi$$ where $$\ker\pi={\displaystyle\bigoplus\limits_{n=0}^{\infty}}
\left\{
{\displaystyle\sum\limits_{i}}
a_{0}^{i}da_{1}^{i}\cdots da_{n}^{i}\,:\pi\left(
{\displaystyle\sum\limits_{i}}
a_{0}^{i}da_{1}^{i}\cdots da_{n}^{i}\right) =0\right\}$$ and $$d\ker\pi={\displaystyle\bigoplus\limits_{n=0}^{\infty}}
\left\{
{\displaystyle\sum\limits_{i}}
da_{0}^{i}da_{1}^{i}\cdots da_{n}^{i}\,:\pi\left(
{\displaystyle\sum\limits_{i}}
a_{0}^{i}da_{1}^{i}\cdots da_{n}^{i}\right) =0\right\}$$ The integral of a form $\alpha\in\Omega^{\ast}\left( \mathcal{A}\right) $ over a noncommutative space of metric dimension $d$ is defined by setting$${\displaystyle\int}
\alpha=\mathrm{Tr}_{w}\left( \pi\left( \alpha\right) D^{-d}\right)$$ where $\mathrm{Tr}_{w}$ is the Dixmier trace.
Two-sheeted spacetime
---------------------
A simple extension of space-time is taken as a product of continuous four-dimensional manifold times a discrete set of two points. The algebra is $\mathcal{A}=\mathcal{A}_{1}\otimes\mathcal{A}_{2}$ acting on the Hilbert space $\mathcal{H}=\mathcal{H}_{1}\otimes\mathcal{H}_{2}$ where $\mathcal{A}_{1}=C^{\infty}\left( M\right) $ and $\mathcal{A}_{2}=M_{2}\left(
\mathbb{C}\right) \oplus M_{1}\left( \mathbb{C}\right) ,$ the algebra of $2\times2$ and $1\times1$ matrices. The Hilbert space is that of spinors of the form $$L=\left(
\begin{array}
[c]{c}l\\
e
\end{array}
\right)$$ where $l$ is a doublet and $e$ is a singlet. The spinor $L$ satisfies the chirality condition $\gamma_{5}\otimes\Gamma_{1}L=L$ where $\Gamma
_{1}=\mathrm{diag}\left( 1_{2},-1\right) $ is a grading operator. From this we deduce that $l$ is a left-handed spinor and $e$ is right handed, and we thus write $l=\left(
\begin{array}
[c]{c}\nu_{L}\\
e_{L}\end{array}
\right) $ and $e=e_{R}.$ The Dirac operator is given by $D=D_{1}\otimes1+\gamma_{5}\otimes D_{2}$ where $D_{1}=\gamma^{\mu}\partial_{\mu}$ and $D_{2}$ is the Dirac operator on $\mathcal{A}_{2}$ such that $$D_{l}=\left(
\begin{array}
[c]{cc}\gamma^{\mu}\partial_{\mu}\otimes1_{2}\otimes1_{3} & \gamma_{5}\otimes
M_{12}\otimes k\\
\gamma_{5}\otimes M_{21}\otimes k^{\ast} & \gamma^{\mu}\partial_{\mu}\otimes1\otimes1_{3}\end{array}
\right)$$ where $M_{21}=M_{12}^{\ast}$ and $k$ is a $3\times3$ family mixing matrix representing Yukawa couplings for the leptons. The $1\times2$ matrix $M_{12}$ turns out to be the vev of the Higgs field and is taken as $M_{12}=\mu\left(
\begin{array}
[c]{c}0\\
1
\end{array}
\right) =H_{0}.$ The elements $a\in\mathcal{A}$ have the representation $a=\left(
\begin{array}
[c]{cc}a_{1} & 0\\
0 & a_{2}\end{array}
\right) $ where $a_{1},$ $a_{2}$ are $2\times2$ and $1\times1$ unitary valued functions. A quick calculation shows that the self-adjoint one-form $\rho$ has the representation$$\pi_{1}\left( \rho\right) =\left(
\begin{array}
[c]{cc}A_{1}\otimes1_{3} & \gamma_{5}\otimes H\otimes k\\
\gamma_{5}\otimes H^{\ast}\otimes k^{\ast} & A_{2}\otimes1_{3}\end{array}
\right)$$ where $$\begin{aligned}
A_{1} & =\gamma^{\mu}{\displaystyle\sum\limits_{i}}
a_{1}^{i}\partial_{\mu}b_{1}^{i},\qquad A_{2}=\gamma^{\mu}{\displaystyle\sum\limits_{i}}
a_{2}^{i}\partial_{\mu}b_{2}^{i},\\
H & =H_{0}+{\displaystyle\sum\limits_{i}}
a_{1}^{i}H_{0}b_{2}^{i}.\end{aligned}$$ The quarks are introduced by taking for the finite space a bimodule structure relating two algebras $\mathcal{A}$ and $\mathcal{B}$ where the algebra $\mathcal{B}$ is taken to be $M_{1}\left( \mathbb{C}\right) \oplus
M_{3}\left( \mathbb{C}\right) $ commuting with the action of $\mathcal{A}.$ In addition, the mass matrices in the Dirac operator are taken to be zero when acting on elements of $\mathcal{B}.$ The one-form $\eta\in\Omega^{1}\left(
\mathcal{B}\right) $ has the simple form $B_{1}\mathrm{diag}\left(
1_{2},1\right) $ where $B_{1}$ is a gauge field associated with $M_{1}\left(
\mathbb{C}\right) .$ The Hilbert space for the quarks is $$Q=\left(
\begin{array}
[c]{c}q_{L}\\
u_{R}\\
d_{R}\end{array}
\right) ,\qquad q_{L}=\left(
\begin{array}
[c]{c}u_{L}\\
d_{L}\end{array}
\right)$$ The representation of $a\in\mathcal{A}$ is $a\rightarrow\left( a_{1},a_{2},\overline{a}_{2}\right) $ where $a_{1}$ and $a_{2}$ are a $2\times2$ and $1\times1$ complex valued functions. The Dirac operator acting on the quark Hilbert space is $$D_{q}=\left(
\begin{array}
[c]{ccc}\gamma^{\mu}\left( \partial_{\mu}+\cdots\right) \otimes1_{2}\otimes1_{3} &
\gamma_{5}\otimes M_{12}\otimes k^{\prime} & \gamma_{5}\otimes\widetilde{M}_{12}\otimes k^{^{\prime\prime}}\\
\gamma_{5}\otimes M_{12}^{\ast}\otimes k^{\prime\ast} & \gamma^{\mu}\left(
\partial_{\mu}+\cdots\right) \otimes1_{3} & 0\\
\gamma_{5}\otimes\widetilde{M}_{12}^{\ast}\otimes k^{^{\prime\prime}\ast} &
0 & \gamma^{\mu}\left( \partial_{\mu}+\cdots\right) \otimes1_{3}\end{array}
\right)$$ where $k^{\prime}$ and $k^{\prime\prime}$ are $3\times3$ family mixing matrices and $\widetilde{M}_{12}=\mu\left(
\begin{array}
[c]{c}1\\
0
\end{array}
\right) .$ The one form in $\Omega^{1}\left( \mathcal{A}\right) $ has then the representation $$\pi_{q}\left( \rho\right) =\left(
\begin{array}
[c]{ccc}A_{1}\otimes1_{3} & \gamma_{5}\otimes H\otimes k^{\prime} & \gamma_{5}\otimes\widetilde{H}\otimes k^{^{\prime\prime}}\\
\gamma_{5}\otimes H^{\ast}\otimes k^{\prime\ast} & A_{2}\otimes1_{3} & 0\\
\gamma_{5}\otimes\widetilde{H}^{\ast}\otimes k^{^{\prime\prime}\ast} & 0 &
\overline{A}_{2}\otimes1_{3}\end{array}
\right)$$ where $\widetilde{H}_{a}=\epsilon_{ab}H^{b}.$ When acting on the algebra $\mathcal{B}$ the Dirac operator has zero mass matrices and the one-form $\eta$ in $\Omega^{1}\left( \mathcal{B}\right) $ has the representation $\pi_{q}\left( \eta\right) =B_{2}\mathrm{diag}\left( 1_{2},1\right) $ where $B_{2}$ is the gauge field associated with $M_{3}\left( \mathbb{C}\right) .$ Imposing the unimodularity condition on the algebras $\mathcal{A}$ and $\mathcal{B}$ would then relate the $U\left( 1\right) $ factors in both algebras so that $\mathrm{tr}\left( A_{1}\right) =0,$ $A_{2}=B_{1}=-\mathrm{tr}\left( B_{2}\right) \equiv\frac{i}{2}g_{1}B$. With these we can then write $$\begin{aligned}
A_{1} & =-\frac{i}{2}g_{2}\sigma^{a}A_{a}\\
B_{2} & =-\frac{i}{6}g_{1}B-\frac{i}{2}g_{3}V^{i}\lambda_{i}$$ where $g_{1},$ $g_{2}$ and $g_{3}$ are the $U\left( 1\right) ,$ $SU\left(
2\right) $ and $SU\left( 3\right) $ gauge coupling constants, $\sigma^{a}$ and $\lambda^{i}$ are the Pauli and Gell-Mann matrices respectively. The fermionic actions for the leptons and quarks are then given by $$\begin{aligned}
\left\langle L,\left( D+\rho+\eta\right) L\right\rangle & ={\displaystyle\int}
d^{4}x\sqrt{g}\left( \overline{L}\left( D_{l}+\pi_{l}\left( \rho\right)
+\pi_{l}\left( \eta\right) \right) L\right) \\
\left\langle Q,\left( D+\rho+\eta\right) Q\right\rangle & ={\displaystyle\int}
d^{4}x\sqrt{g}\left( \overline{Q}\left( D_{q}+\pi_{q}\left( \rho\right)
+\pi_{q}\left( \eta\right) \right) Q\right)\end{aligned}$$ These terms can be easily checked to reproduced all the fermionic terms of the Standard Model.
The bosonic action is the sum of the square of curvatures in both the lepton and quark sectors. These are given by $$\begin{aligned}
I_{l} & =\mathrm{Tr}\left( C_{l}\left( \theta_{\rho}+\theta_{\eta}\right)
^{2}D_{l}^{-4}\right) \\
I_{q} & =\mathrm{Tr}\left( C_{q}\left( \theta_{\rho}+\theta_{\eta}\right)
^{2}D_{q}^{-4}\right)\end{aligned}$$ where $$\theta_{\rho}\equiv d\rho+\rho^{2}$$ is the curvature of $\rho,$ and $C_{l}$ and $C_{q}$ are constant elements of the algebra. Since the representation $\pi$ has a kernel, the auxiliary fields must be projected out. This step mainly affects the potential. After some algebra one can show that the bosonic action given above reproduces all the bosonic interactions of the Standard Model with the same number of parameters. If one assumes that $C_{l}$ and $C_{q}$ belong to the center of the algebra, then one can get fixed values for the top quark mass and Higgs mass. The main advantage of the noncommutative construction of the Standard Model is that one gets a geometrical understanding of the origin of the Higgs field and a unification of the gauge and Higgs sectors. One sees that the Higgs fields are the components of the one form along discrete directions.
Constructions beyond the Standard Model
---------------------------------------
The early constructions of the Standard Model provided encouragements to look further into noncommutative spaces. The construction was also complicated with some ambiguities such as the independence of the lepton and quark sectors, the construction of the Higgs potential and projecting out the auxiliary fields. It was then natural to ask whether it is possible to go beyond the Standard Model. In particle physics the route taken was to consider larger groups such as $SU\left( 5\right) $ or $SO(10)$ which contains $U\left( 1\right)
\times SU\left( 2\right) \times SU\left( 3\right) $ as a subgroup. The main advantage of GUT is that the fermionic fields are unified in one or two representations, the most attractive possibility being $SO(10)$ where the spinor representation $16_{s}$ contains all the known fermions in addition to the right-handed neutrino. The simplicity in the fermionic sector did not make the theory more predictive because of the arbitrariness of the Higgs sector. There are many possible Higgs representations that can break the symmetry spontaneously from $SO(10)$ to $SU\left( 3\right) \times U\left( 1\right)
.$ In the noncommutative construction the Higgs sector is more constrained which was taken as an encouragement to explore the possibility of considering larger matrix algebras. As an example if one arranges the leptons in the form $L=\left(
\begin{array}
[c]{c}l_{L}\\
l_{R}\end{array}
\right) $ where $l=\left(
\begin{array}
[c]{c}\nu\\
e
\end{array}
\right) $ then the corresponding algebra will be $M_{2}\left( \mathbb{C}\right) \oplus M_{2}\left( \mathbb{C}\right) .$ A natural possibility is then to consider a discrete space of four points and where the fermions are arranged in the format $\psi=\left(
\begin{array}
[c]{c}l_{L}\\
l_{R}\\
l_{L}^{c}\\
l_{R}^{c}\end{array}
\right) $ and the representation $\pi$ acting on $\mathcal{A}$ is given by $\pi\left( a\right) =\mathrm{diag}\left( a_{1},a_{2},\overline{a}_{1},\overline{a}_{2}\right) $ where $a_{1},$ $a_{2}$ are $2\times2$ complex matrices. The resulting model has $SU\left( 2\right) _{L}\times SU\left(
2\right) _{R}\times U\left( 1\right) _{B-L}$ with the Higgs fields in the representations $\left( 2,2\right) ,$ $\left( 3,1\right) +\left(
1,3\right) $ of $SU\left( 2\right) _{L}\times SU\left( 2\right) _{R}.$ We can summarize the steps needed to construct noncommutative particle physics models. First we specify the fermion representations then we choose the number of discrete points and the symmetry between them. From this we deduce the appropriate algebra and the map $\pi$ acting on the Hilbert space of spinors. Finally we write down the Dirac operator acting on elements of the algebra and choose the mass matrices to correspond to the desired vacuum of the Higgs fields.
To illustrate these steps consider the chiral space-time spinors $P_{+}\psi$ to be in the $16_{s}$ representation of $SO(10),$ where $P_{+}$ is the $SO(10)$ chirality operator, and the number of discrete points to be four. The Hilbert space is taken to be $\Psi=\left(
\begin{array}
[c]{c}P_{+}\psi\\
P_{+}\psi\\
P_{-}\psi^{c}\\
P_{-}\psi^{c}\end{array}
\right) $ where $\psi^{c}=BC\overline{\psi}^{T},$ $C$ being the charge conjugation matrix while $B$ is the $SO\left( 10\right) $ conjugation matrix. The finite algebra is taken to be $\mathcal{A}_{2}=P_{+}\left(
\mathsf{Cliff\,SO}\left( 10\right) \right) P_{+},$ and the finite Hilbert space $\mathcal{H}_{2}=\mathbb{C}^{32}.$ Let $\pi_{0}$ denote the representation of the algebra $\mathcal{A}$ on the Hilbert space $\mathcal{H}$ and let $\overline{\pi}_{0}$ denote the anti representation defined by $\overline{\pi}_{0}\left( a\right) =B\overline{\pi_{0}\left( a\right)
}B^{-1}.$ We then define $\pi\left( a\right) =\pi_{0}\left( a\right)
\oplus\pi_{0}\left( a\right) \oplus\overline{\pi}_{0}\left( a\right)
\oplus\overline{\pi}_{0}\left( a\right) .$ The Dirac operator is taken to be $$\left(
\begin{array}
[c]{cccc}\gamma^{\mu}\partial_{\mu}\otimes1_{32}\otimes1_{3} & \gamma_{5}\otimes
M_{12}\otimes K_{12} & \gamma_{5}\otimes M_{13}\otimes K_{13} & \gamma
_{5}\otimes M_{14}\otimes K_{14}\\
\gamma_{5}\otimes M_{12}^{\ast}\otimes K_{12}^{\ast} & \gamma^{\mu}\partial_{\mu}\otimes1_{32}\otimes1_{3} & \gamma_{5}\otimes M_{23}\otimes
K_{23} & \gamma_{5}\otimes M_{24}\otimes K_{24}\\
\gamma_{5}\otimes M_{13}^{\ast}\otimes K_{13}^{\ast} & \gamma_{5}\otimes
M_{23}^{\ast}\otimes K_{23}^{\ast} & \gamma^{\mu}\partial_{\mu}\otimes
1_{32}\otimes1_{3} & \gamma_{5}\otimes M_{34}\otimes K_{34}\\
\gamma_{5}\otimes M_{14}^{\ast}\otimes K_{14}^{\ast} & \gamma_{5}\otimes
M_{24}^{\ast}\otimes K_{24}^{\ast} & \gamma_{5}\otimes M_{34}^{\ast}\otimes
K_{34}^{\ast} & \gamma^{\mu}\partial_{\mu}\otimes1_{32}\otimes1_{3}\end{array}
\right)$$ where the $K_{mn}$ are $3\times3$ family mixing matrices commuting with $\pi\left( a\right) .$ We may impose the exchange symmetries $1\leftrightarrow2$ and $3\leftrightarrow4$ so that $M_{12}=M_{12}^{\ast
}=\mathcal{M}_{0},$ $M_{13}=M_{14}=M_{23}=M_{24}=\mathcal{N}_{0},$ $M_{34}=M_{34}^{\ast}=B\overline{\mathcal{M}}_{0}B^{-1}.$ Computing $\pi\left( \rho\right) $ we get$$\pi\left( \rho\right) =\left(
\begin{array}
[c]{cccc}A & \gamma_{5}\mathcal{M}K_{12} & \gamma_{5}\mathcal{N}K_{13} & \gamma
_{5}\mathcal{N}K_{14}\\
\gamma_{5}\mathcal{M}K_{12}^{\ast} & A & \gamma_{5}\mathcal{N}K_{23} &
\gamma_{5}\mathcal{N}K_{24}\\
\gamma_{5}\mathcal{N}^{\ast}K_{13}^{\ast} & \gamma_{5}\mathcal{N}^{\ast}K_{23}^{\ast} & B\overline{A}B^{-1} & \gamma_{5}B\overline{\mathcal{M}}B^{-1}K_{34}\\
\gamma_{5}\mathcal{N}^{\ast}K_{14}^{\ast} & \gamma_{5}\mathcal{N}^{\ast}K_{24}^{\ast} & \gamma_{5}B\overline{\mathcal{M}}B^{-1}K_{34}^{\ast} &
B\overline{A}B^{-1}\end{array}
\right)$$ where $$\begin{aligned}
A & =P_{+}{\displaystyle\sum\limits_{i}}
a^{i}\gamma^{\mu}\partial_{\mu}b^{i}P_{+}\\
\mathcal{M}+\mathcal{M}_{0} & =P_{+}{\displaystyle\sum\limits_{i}}
a^{i}\mathcal{M}_{0}b^{i}P_{+}\\
\mathcal{N}+\mathcal{N}_{0} & =P_{+}{\displaystyle\sum\limits_{i}}
a^{i}\mathcal{N}_{0}B\overline{b}^{i}B^{-1}P_{-}$$ One sees immediately that the Higgs fields $\mathcal{M}$ and $\mathcal{N}$ are in the $16_{s}\times16_{s}$ and $16_{s}\times\overline{16}_{s}$ representations. Equating the action of $A$ on $\psi$ and $\psi^{c}$ will reduce it to an $SO\left( 10\right) $ gauge field. Specifying $\mathcal{M}_{0}$ and $\mathcal{N}_{0}$ determines the breaking pattern of $SO\left(
10\right) .$ One can then proceed to construct the bosonic sector and project out the auxiliary fields to determine the potential. There are very limited number of models one can construct. These models, however, will suffer the same problems encountered in the GUT construction, mainly that of low unification scale of $10^{14}$ Gev implying fast rate of proton decay which is ruled out experimentally.
Coupling matter to gravity
--------------------------
The dynamics of the gravitational force is based on Riemannian geometry. It is therefore natural to study the nature of the gravitational field in noncommutative geometry. The original attempt [@CFF93; @CFG95] was based on generalizing the basic notions of Riemannian geometry, notably the theory of linear connections on differential forms. (Note that an alternative route that takes vector fields as a starting point ends with a derivation based differential calculus as in [@Dub88] ([*cf.*]{} [@Mad95]). In line with the Connes–Lott model, we will instead take differential forms as our starting point. For more details we also refer to the exposition in [@Lnd97 Sect. 10.3]).
First one defines the metric as an inner product on a cotangent space. Then one shows that every cycle over $\mathcal{A}$ yields a notion of cotangent bundle associated with $\mathcal{A}$ and a Riemannian metric on the cotangent bundle $\Omega_{D}^{1}\left( \mathcal{A}\right) .$ With the connection $\nabla$ the Riemann curvature of $\nabla$ on $\Omega_{D}^{1}\left( \mathcal{A}\right) $ is defined by $R\left( \nabla\right) :=-\nabla^{2}$ and the torsion by $T=d-m\circ\nabla$ where $m$ is the tensor product. Requiring $\nabla$ to be unitary and the torsion to vanish we obtain the Levi–Civita connection. If $\Omega_{D}^{1}\left( \mathcal{A}\right) $ is a finitely generated module, then it admits a basis $e^{A},$ $A=1,2,\cdots,N,$ and the connection $\omega_{B}^{A}\in\Omega_{D}^{1}\left( \mathcal{A}\right) $ is defined by $\nabla e^{A}=-\omega_{B}^{A}\otimes e^{B}.$ The components of the torsion $T\left( \nabla\right) $ are defined by $T^{A}=T\left( \nabla\right)
e^{A}$ then $T^{A}\in\Omega_{D}^{2}\left( \mathcal{A}\right) $ is given by $$T^{A}=de^{A}+\omega_{B}^{A}e^{B}$$ Similarly, components of the curvature $R_{B}^{A}\in\Omega_{D}^{2}\left(
\mathcal{A}\right) $ satisfy the defining property that $R\left( \nabla\right) e^{A}=R_{B}^{A}\otimes e^{B}$ so that $$R_{B}^{A}=d\omega_{B}^{A}+\omega_{C}^{A}\omega_{B}^{C}.$$ The analogue of the Einstein–Hilbert action is then $$I\left( \nabla\right) :=\kappa^{-2}\left\langle R_{B}^{A}e^{B},e_{A}\right\rangle$$ where $\kappa^{-1}$ is the Planck scale. Computing this action for the product space $M_{4}\times Z_{2}$ one finds that $$I\left( \nabla\right) =2{\displaystyle\int\limits_{M}}
d^{4}x\sqrt{g}\left( \kappa^{-2}r-2\partial_{\mu}\sigma\partial^{\mu}\sigma\right)$$ where $r$ is the scalar curvature of the Levi–Civita connection of the Riemannian manifold $M_{4}$ coupled to a scalar field $\sigma.$ Applying this construction to the Connes–Lott model is rather involved because the two sheets are not treated symmetrically, being associated with two different algebras. The complication arise because the projective module is not free and the basis $e^{A}$ is constrained. The Einstein–Hilbert action in this case is given by $$I\left( \nabla\right) =2{\displaystyle\int\limits_{M}}
d^{4}x\sqrt{g}\left( \kappa^{-2}\frac{3}{2}r-2\left( 3+\lambda\right)
\partial_{\mu}\sigma\partial^{\mu}\sigma+c\left( \lambda\right) e^{-2\sigma
}\right)$$ where $\lambda=\mathrm{Tr}\left( kk^{\ast}\right) ^{2}-1.$ To understand the significance of the field $\sigma$, we note that by examining the Dirac operator one finds that the field $\phi=e^{-\kappa\sigma}$ now replaces the weak scale. Thus quantum corrections to the classical potential will depend on $\sigma,$ thus the vev of $\sigma$ could be determined from the minimization equations.
The spectral action principle
=============================
Despite the success of the Connes–Lott model and the generalizations that followed in giving a geometrical meaning to the Higgs field and unifying it with the gauge fields, it was felt that the construction is not satisfactory. The first unpleasant feature was the use of the bimodule structure to introduce the $SU\left( 3\right) $ symmetry and the second is the use of unimodularity condition to get the correct hypercharge assignments to the particles. Another major problem was the existence of mirror fermions as a consequence of the fact that the conjugation operator on fermions gives independent fields. In addition, there was arbitrariness in the construction of the potential in the bosonic sector associated with the step of eliminating the auxiliary fields.
Real structures on spectral triples {#sect:st}
-----------------------------------
The first breakthrough came in 1995 with the publication of Alain Connes’ paper “Noncommutative geometry and reality” [@C95]. In this paper, the notion of real structure is introduced, motivated by Atiyah’s KR theory and Tomita’s involution operator $J.$ A hint for the necessity of the reality operator can be taken from physics. We have seen that space-time spinors, which are elements of the Hilbert space satisfy a chirality condition. The charge conjugation operator, when acting on these spinors, produces a conjugate element, which in general is independent. It is possible to replace the chirality condition, with a reality one, known as the Majorana condition which equates the two. Imposing both conditions, chirality and reality, simultaneously can only occur in certain dimensions. The action of the anti-linear isometry $J$ on the algebra $\mathcal{A}$ satisfies the commutation relation $\left[ a,b^{\mathrm{o}}\right] =0,$ $\forall
a,b\in\mathcal{A}$ where$$b^{\mathrm{o}}=Jb^{\ast}J^{-1},\qquad\forall b\in\mathcal{A}$$ so that $b^{\mathrm{o}}\in$ $\mathcal{A}^{\mathrm{o}}.$ This gives a bimodule, using the representation of $\mathcal{A}\otimes\mathcal{A}^{\mathrm{o}}$, given by $$a\otimes b^{\mathrm{o}}\rightarrow aJb^{\ast}J^{-1},\qquad\forall
a,b\in\mathcal{A}$$ We define the fundamental class $\mu$ of the noncommutative space as a class in the $KR$-homology of the algebra $\mathcal{A}\otimes\mathcal{A}^{\mathrm{o}}$ having the involution $$\tau\left( a\otimes b^{\mathrm{o}}\right) =b^{\ast}\otimes\left( a^{\ast
}\right) ^{\mathrm{o}},\qquad\forall a,b\in\mathcal{A}$$ The $KR$-homology cycle implements the involution $\tau$ given by $$\tau\left( w\right) =JwJ^{-1},\qquad\forall w\in\mathcal{A}\otimes
\mathcal{A}^{\mathrm{o}}$$ These imply that the $KR$-homology is periodic with period $8$ and the dimension $n$ modulo $8$ is determined from the commutation rules $$J^{2}=\varepsilon,\qquad JD=\varepsilon^{\prime}DJ,\qquad J\gamma
=\varepsilon^{\prime\prime}\gamma J$$ where $\varepsilon,$ $\varepsilon^{\prime},$ $\varepsilon^{\prime\prime}\in\left\{ -1,1\right\} $ are given as function of $n$ modulo $8$ according to the table$$\begin{tabular}
[c]{l|llllllll}$n$ & $0$ & $1$ & $2$ & $3$ & $4$ & $5$ & $6$ & $7$\\
\hline
$\varepsilon$ & $1$ & $1$ & $-1$ & $-1$ & $-1$ & $-1$ & $1$ & $1$\\
$\varepsilon^{\prime}$ & $1$ & $-1$ & $1$ & $1$ & $1$ & $-1$ & $1$ & $1$\\
$\varepsilon^{\prime\prime}$ & $1$ & & $-1$ & & $1$ & & $-1$ &
\end{tabular}$$ It is not surprising that this table agrees with the one obtained by classifying in which dimensions a spinor obey the Majorana and Weyl conditions. The intersection form $K_{\ast}\left( \mathcal{A}\right) \times
K_{\ast}\left( \mathcal{A}\right) \rightarrow\mathbb{Z}$ is obtained from the Fredholm index of $D$ in $K_{\ast}\left( \mathcal{A}\otimes
\mathcal{A}^{\mathrm{o}}\right) .$ Using the Kasparov intersection product, Poincare duality is formulated in terms of the invertibility of $\mu$ and that $D$ is an operator of order one implies the condition$$\left[ \left[ D,a\right] ,b^{\mathrm{o}}\right] =0,\qquad\forall
a,b\in\mathcal{A}$$ Next we consider automorphisms of the algebra $\mathcal{A}$ denoted by $\mathrm{Aut}\left( \mathcal{A}\right) .$ This comprises both of inner and outer automorphisms. Inner automorphisms $\mathrm{Int}\left( \mathcal{A}\right) $ is a normal subgroup of $\mathrm{Aut}\left( \mathcal{A}\right) $ defined by $$\alpha\left( f\right) =ufu^{\ast},\qquad\forall f\in\mathcal{A},\qquad
u\,u^{\ast}=u^{\ast}u=1$$ The group $\mathrm{Aut}^{+}\left( \mathcal{A}\right) $ of automorphisms of the involutive algebra $\mathcal{A}$ are implemented by a unitary operator $U$ in $\mathcal{H}$ commuting with $J$ satisfying $$\alpha\left( x\right) =UxU^{-1}\,\,\qquad\forall x\in\mathcal{A}$$ For Riemannian manifolds $M$, this plays the role of the group of diffeomorphisms $\mathrm{Diff}^{+}\left( M\right) ,$ which preserves the $K$-homology fundamental class of $M.$ Let $\mathcal{E}$ be a finite projective, hermitian right $\mathcal{A}$-module, and define the algebra $\mathcal{B}=\mathrm{End}\left( \mathcal{A}\right) $ as the Morita equivalence of the algebra $\mathcal{A}$ with a hermitian connection $\nabla$ on $\mathcal{E}$ defined as the linear map $\nabla:\mathcal{E\rightarrow
E\otimes}_{\mathcal{A}}\Omega_{D}^{1}$ satisfying $$\begin{aligned}
\nabla\left( \zeta a\right) & =\left( \nabla\zeta\right) a+\zeta\otimes
da,\qquad\forall\zeta\in\mathcal{E},\,a\in\mathcal{A}\\
d\left( \zeta,\eta\right) & =\left( \zeta,\nabla\eta\right) -\left(
\nabla\zeta,\eta\right) ,\qquad\forall\zeta,\,\eta\in\mathcal{E}$$ where $da=\left[ D,a\right] $ and $\Omega_{D}^{1}$ is the bimodule of operators of the form $$A={\displaystyle\sum\limits_{i}}
a_{i}\left[ D,b_{i}\right] ,\qquad a_{i},b_{i}\in\mathcal{A}$$ Since any algebra is Morita equivalent to itself with $\mathcal{E}=\mathcal{A},$ applying the construction given above yields the inner deformation of the spectral geometry. The unitary equivalence is implemented by the representation $u\rightarrow\widetilde{U}=u\left( Ju\,J^{-1}\right)
=u\left( u^{\mathrm{o}}\right) ^{\ast}$ so that the Dirac operator that includes inner fluctuations$$D_{A}=D+A+JAJ^{-1}$$ where $A=A^{\ast}$ transforms as $D_{A}\rightarrow\widetilde{U}D_{A}\widetilde{U}^{-1}$ provided that $$A\rightarrow u\,Au^{\ast}+u\left[ D,u^{\ast}\right]$$ This will ensure that the inner product $$\left( \Psi,D_{A}\Psi\right)$$ is invariant under the transformation $\Psi\rightarrow\widetilde{U}\Psi.$ This expression will then take care of all fermionic interactions which, as will be seen in the next section, removes the arbitrariness in specifying the action of the connection on the Hilbert space.
The spectral action principle
-----------------------------
The next breakthrough came a year later in 1996 in the work of Chamseddine and Connes entitled “The spectral action principle” [@CC96]. The basic observation is that for a noncommutative space defined by spectral data, the emphasis is shifted from the coordinates $x$ of a geometric space to the spectrum $\Sigma
\sqsubset\mathbb{R}$ of the operator $D$. We postulate the following hypothesis$$\text{The physical action depends only on }\Sigma$$ The existence of Riemannian manifolds which are isospectral but not isometric shows that the spectral action principle is stronger than the usual diffeomorphism invariance. In the usual Riemannian case the group $\mathrm{Diff}\left( M\right) $ of diffeomorphisms of $M$ is canonically isomorphic to the group $\mathrm{Aut}\left( \mathcal{A}\right) $ of automorphisms of the algebra $\mathcal{A}=C^{\infty}\left( M\right) .$ To each $\varphi\in\mathrm{Diff}\left( M\right) $ one associates the algebra preserving map $\alpha_{\varphi}:\mathcal{A}\rightarrow\mathcal{A}$ given by $$\alpha_{\varphi}\left( f\right) =f\circ\varphi^{-1}\qquad\forall f\in
C^{\infty}\left( M\right) =\mathcal{A}$$ The prescription to determine the bosonic action with some cutoff energy scale $\Lambda$ is to first replace the Hilbert space $\mathcal{H}$ by the subspace $\mathcal{H}_{\Lambda}$ defined by $$\mathcal{H}_{\Lambda}=\mathrm{range\,}\chi\left( \frac{D}{\Lambda}\right)$$ where $\chi$ is a suitable smooth positive function, restricting both $D$ and $\mathcal{A}$ to this subspace maintaining the commutation relations for the algebra. This procedure is superior to the lattice approximation because it does respect the geometric symmetry group. The [*spectal action functional*]{} is then given by the $$\operatorname{Tr}\chi\left( \frac D \Lambda \right).$$ For a noncommutative space which is a tensor product of a continuous manifold times a discrete space, the functional $\operatorname{Tr}\chi\left( \frac{D}{\Lambda}\right) $ can be expanded in an asymptotic series in $\Lambda$, rendering the computation amenable to a heat kernel expansion. This procedure will be illustrated in the next section. More general methods to analyze the spectral action have also been developed, see [@FGLV98] for an early result and also the recent book [@EI18]. An interpretation of the spectral action as the von Neumann entropy of a second-quantized spectral triple has been found recently in [@CCS18] ([*cf.*]{} [@DK19]).
To summarize, the breakthroughs carried out in the short period 1995-1996, defining the reality operator $J$ and developing the spectral action principle will allow to remove the ambiguities encountered before in the construction of the noncommutative spectral Standard Model.
The spectral Standard Model
===========================
At the time that the spectral action was formulated, it was clear that this principle forms a unifying framework for gravity and particle physics of the Standard Model. As said, this led to much activity ([*cf.*]{} [@SUW02]) in the years that followed. Also shortcomings of the approach were pointed out quite quickly, such as the notorious fermion-doubling problem [@LMMS97; @GIS98]. This doubling —or actually, quadrupling— was due to the incorporation of left-right, particle-anti-particle degrees of freedom both in the continuum spinor space and in the finite noncommutative space. At the technical level this was a crucial starting point, allowing for a product geometry to describe gravity coupled to the Standard Model.
Nevertheless, it was a somewhat disturbing feature which, together with the apparent arbitrariness of the choice of a finite geometry and the abscence of neutrino mixing in the model, led Connes to eventually resolve these problems in [@C06]. At the same time John Barrett [@Bar06] arrived at the same conclusion (see also the recent uniqueness result [@Bes19]), even though his motivation came from the desire to have noncommutative geometry with a Lorentzian signature.
The crucial insight in both of these works is that one should allow for a KO-dimension for the finite space $F$ which is different from the metric dimension (which is zero). More specifically, the KO-dimension of the finite space should be 6 (modulo 8), so that the product of the continuum $M$ with $F$ is 10 modulo 8. The precise structure of the spectral Standard Model (see Section \[sect:spectr-SM\]) is then best understood using the classification of all irreducible finite noncommutative geometries of KO-dimension 6 which we now briefly recall.
Classification of irreducible geometries {#sect:irr}
----------------------------------------
In [@CC07b] Chamseddine and Connes classified [*irreducible*]{} finite real spectral triples of KO-dimension 6. This lead to a remarkably concise list of spectral triples, based on the matrix algebras $M_N(\C) \oplus M_N(\C)$ for some $N$. We remark that earlier classification results were obtained [@Kra97; @PS98] which were also exploited in a search Beyond the Standard Model (see Remark \[rem:beyond-sm\] below).
A finite real spectral triple $(A,H,D;J, \gamma)$ is called [*irreducible*]{} if the triple $(A,H,J)$ is irreducible. More precisely, we demand that:
1. The representations of $A$ and $J$ in $H$ are irreducible;
2. The action of $A$ on $H$ has a separating vector.
We will prove the main result of [@CC07b] using an alternative approach which is based on [@Sui14 Sect. 3.4].
\[thm:irr-geom\] Let $(A,H,D;J,\gamma)$ be an irreducible finite real spectral triple of KO-dimension 6. Then there exists a positive integer $N$ such that $A \simeq M_N(\C) \oplus M_N(\C)$.
Let $(A,H,D;J,\gamma)$ be an arbitrary finite real spectral triple. We may then decompose $$A= \bigoplus_{i=1}^N M_{n_i}(\C), \qquad H = \bigoplus_{i,j=1}^N \C^{n_i} \otimes( \C^{n_j})^\circ \otimes V_{ij},$$ with $V_{ij}$ corresponding to the multiplicities as before. Now each $\C^{n_i} \otimes \C^{n_j}$ is an irreducible representation of $A$, but in order for $H$ to support a real structure $J:H \to H$ we need both $\C^{n_i} \otimes (\C^{n_j})^\circ$ and $\C^{n_j} \otimes (\C^{n_i})^\circ$ to be present in $H$. Moreover, an old result of Wigner [@Wig60] for an anti-unitary operator with $J^2 =1$ assures that already with multiplicities $\dim V_{ij}=1$ there exists such a real structure. Hence, the irreducibility condition (1) above yields $$H = \C^{n_i} \otimes (\C^{n_j})^\circ \oplus \C^{n_j} \otimes (\C^{n_i})^\circ,$$ for some $i,j \in \{ 1,\ldots, N\}$. Then, let us consider condition (2) on the existence of a separating vector. Note first that the representation of $A$ in $H$ is faithful only if $A= M_{n_i}(\C) \oplus M_{n_j}(\C)$. Second, the stronger condition of a separating vector $\xi$ then implies $n_i = n_j$, as it is equivalent to $A' \xi = H$ for the commutant $A'$ of $A$ in $H$. Namely, since $A' = M_{n_j}(\C) \oplus M_{n_i}(\C)$ with $\dim A' = n_i^2 + n_j^2$, and $\dim H = 2n_i n_j$ we find the desired equality $n_i=n_j$.
With the complex finite-dimensional algebras $A$ given as a direct sum $M_N(\C) \oplus M_N(\C)$,[^1] the additional demand that $H$ carries a symplectic structure $I^2=-1$ yields real algebras of which $A$ is the complexification. We see that this requires $N=2k$ so that one naturally considers triples $(A,H,J)$ for which $$\label{eq:classif}
A= M_{k}(\bH) \oplus M_{2k}(\C); \qquad H= \C^{2(2k)^2}.$$
Noncommutative geometry of the Standard Model {#sect:spectr-SM}
---------------------------------------------
The above classification of irreducible finite geometries of KO-dimension 6 forms the starting point for the derivation of the Standard Model from a noncommutative manifold [@CCM07]. Hence, it is based on the matrix algebra $M_N(\C) \oplus M_N(\C)$ for $N \geq 1 $. Let us make the following two additional requirements on the irreducible finite geometry $(A,H_F,D_F;J_F,\gamma_F)$:
1. The finite-dimensional Hilbert space $H_F$ carries a symplectic structure $I^2 = -1$;
2. the grading $\gamma_F$ induces a non-trivial grading on $A$, by mapping $$a \mapsto \gamma_F a \gamma_F,$$ and selects an even subalgebra $A^\ev \subset A$ consisting of elements that commute with $\gamma_F$.
But the first demand sets $A=M_k(\bH) \oplus M_{2k}(\C)$, represented on the Hilbert space $\C^{2(2k)^2}$. The second requirement sets $k \geq 2$; we will take the simplest $k=2$ so that $H_F = \C^{32}$. [^2] Indeed, this allows for a $\gamma_F$ such that $$\begin{aligned}
A^\ev &= \bH_R \oplus \bH_L \oplus M_4(\C), \nn
\intertext{where $\bH_R$ and $\bH_L$ are two copies (referred to as {\em right} and {\em left}) of the quaternions; they are the diagonal of $M_2(\bH) \subset A$. The Hilbert space can then be decomposed according to the defining representations of $A^\ev$, }
\label{eq:HF-PS}
H_F &= (\C^2_R \oplus \C^2_L) \otimes (\C^4)^{\circ} \oplus \C^4 \otimes ( (\C^2_R)^{\circ} \oplus (\C^2_L)^{\circ}).
\intertext{According to this direct sum decomposition, we write }
\label{eq:dirac-sm}
D_F&= \begin{pmatrix} {S}&{T^*}\\ {T}&{\bar S} \end{pmatrix}
$$ Moreover, $J_F$ is the anti-unitary operator that flips the two 16-dimensional components in Equation .
The key result is that if we assume that $T$ is non-trivial, then the first-order condition selects the maximal subalgebra of the Standard Model, that is to say, $A_F= \C \oplus \bH \oplus M_3(\C)$.
[[@CCM07 Prop. 2.11]]{} \[prop:subalg-sm\] Up to $*$-automorphisms of $A^\ev$, there is a unique $*$-subalgebra $A_F\subset A^\ev$ of maximal dimension that allows $T \neq 0$ in . It is given by $$A_F = \left\{ \left( q_\lambda, q , \begin{pmatrix} q &0 \\ 0&m \end{pmatrix} \right): \lambda \in \C, q \in \bH_L, m \in M_3(\C) \right\} \subset \bH_R \oplus \bH_L \oplus M_4(\C),$$ where $\lambda \mapsto q_\lambda$ is the embedding of $\C$ into $\bH$, with $$q_\lambda = \begin{pmatrix} \lambda & 0 \\ 0 & \bar\lambda \end{pmatrix}.$$ Consequently, $A_F \simeq \C \oplus \bH \oplus M_3(\C)$.
The restriction of the representation of $A$ on $H_F$ to the subalgebra $A_F$ gives a decomposition of $H_F$ into irreducible (left and right) representations of $\C$, $\H_L$ and $M_3(\C)$. For instance, $$\label{eq:decomp-subalg}
(\C^2_R \oplus \C^2_L) \otimes (\C^4)^{\circ} \leadsto (\C \oplus \overline \C \oplus \C^2_L) \otimes \left ((\C)^\circ \oplus (\C^3)^\circ \right).$$ and similarly for $\C^4 \otimes ( (\C^2_R)^{\circ} \oplus (\C^2_L)^{\circ})$. In order to connect to the physics of the Standard Model, let us introduce an orthonormal basis for $H_F$ that can be recognized as the fermionic particle content of the Standard Model, and subsequently write the representation of $A_F$ in terms of this basis.
We let the subspace of $H_F$ displayed in Equation be represented by basis vectors $\{ \nu_R ,e_R, (\nu_L,e_L)\}$ of the so-called [*lepton space*]{} $H_l$ and basis vectors $\{ u_R,d_R,(u_L,d_L)\}$ of the [*quark space*]{} $H_q$. Their reflections with respect to $J_F$ are the [*anti-lepton space*]{} $H_{\bar l}$ and the [*anti-quark space*]{} $H_{\bar q}$, spanned by $\{ \bar{\nu_R} ,\bar{e_R}, (\bar{\nu_L},\bar{e_L})\}$ and $\{\bar{u_R}, \bar{d_R},( \bar{u_L},\bar{d_L})\}$, respectively. The three colors of the quarks are given by a tensor factor $\C^3$ and when we take into account [*three generations*]{} of fermions and anti-fermions by tripling the above finite-dimensional Hilbert space we obtain $$\begin{aligned}
H_F := \left( H_l \oplus H_{\bar l} \oplus H_q \oplus H_{\bar q} \right)^{\oplus3} .\end{aligned}$$ Note that $H_l = \C^4$, $H_q=\C^4 \otimes \C^3$, $H_{\bar l} = \C^4$, and $H_{\bar q} = \C^4 \otimes \C^3$.
An element $a=(\lambda,q,m)\in A_F$ acts on the space of leptons $H_l$ as $q_\lambda \oplus q$, and acts on the space of quarks $H_q$ as $(q_\lambda \oplus q) \otimes 1_3$. For the action of $a$ on an anti-lepton $\bar l\in H_{\bar l}$ we have $a\bar l = \lambda 1_4\bar l$, and on an anti-quark $\bar q\in H_{\bar q}$ we have $a\bar q = (1_4 \otimes m) \bar q$.
The $\Z_2$-grading $\gamma_F$ is such that left-handed particles have eigenvalue $+1$ and right-handed particles have eigenvalue $-1$. The anti-linear operator $J_F$ interchanges particles with their anti-particles, so $J_F f = \bar f$ and $J_F \bar f = f$, with $f$ a lepton or quark.
The first indication that the subalgebra $A_F$ is relevant for the Standard Model —to say the least— comes from the fact that the Standard Model gauge group can be derived from the unitaries in $A_F$. We restrict to the [*unimodular gauge group*]{}, $$\mathrm{SU}(A_F) = \left\{ u \in A_F: u^* u = uu^* = 1, \det(u) = 1\right\}$$ where $\det$ is the determinant of the action of $u$ in $H_F$. It then follows that, up to a finite abelian group we have $$\mathrm{SU}(A_F) \sim U(1) \times SU(2) \times SU(3)$$ and the hypercharges are derived from the unimodularity condition to be the usual ones: $$\begin{aligned}
\begin{array}{l|cccccccc}
\text{Particle} & \nu_R & e_R & \nu_L & e_L & u_R & d_R & u_L & d_L \\
\hline
\text{Hypercharge} & 0 & -2 & -1 & -1 & \frac43 & -\frac23 & \frac13 & \frac13 \\
\end{array}\end{aligned}$$
Let us now turn to the form of the finite Dirac operator, and see what we can say about the components of the matrix $D_F$ as displayed in . Recall that we are looking for a self-adjoint operator $D_F$ in $H_F$ that commutes with $J_F$, anti-commutes with $\gamma_F$, and fulfills the first-order conditions with resepct to $A_F$: $$[[D,a],J b J^{-1}]=0; \qquad (a,b \in A_F).$$ We also require that $D_F$ commutes with the subalgebra $\C_F = \{ (\lambda,\lambda,0) \} \subset A_F$ which physically speaking corresponds to the fact that the photon remains massless. Then it turns out [@C06 Theorem 1] (see also [@CCM07 Theorem 2.21]\[page:moduli-dirac\]) that any $D_F$ that satisfies these assumptions is of the following form: in terms of the decomposition of $H_F$ in particle ($H_l^{\oplus 3} \oplus H_q^{\oplus 3}$) and anti-particles ($H_{\bar l}^{\oplus 3} \oplus H_{\bar q}^{\oplus 3}$) the operator $S$ is $$\begin{aligned}
S_l &:= \left.S\right|_{H_l^{\oplus 3}} = \begin{pmatrix} 0&0&Y_\nu^*&0 \\0&0&0&Y_e^*\\ Y_\nu&0&0&0\\ 0&Y_e&0&0\end{pmatrix} ,
\label{eq:yukawa-l} \\
S_q \otimes 1_3 &:= \left.S\right|_{H_q^{\oplus 3}} =\begin{pmatrix} 0&0&Y_u^*&0 \\0&0&0&Y_d^* \\Y_u&0&0&0 \\0&Y_d&0&0\end{pmatrix} \otimes1_3 ,\label{eq:yukawa-q}\end{aligned}$$ where $Y_\nu$, $Y_e$, $Y_u$ and $Y_d$ are some $3\times3$ matrices acting on the three generations, and $1_3$ acting on the three colors of the quarks. The symmetric operator $T$ only acts on the right-handed (anti)neutrinos, so it is given by $T\nu_R = Y_R\bar{\nu_R}$, for a certain $3\times3$ symmetric matrix $Y_R$, and $Tf=0$ for all other fermions $f\neq\nu_R$. Note that $\nu_R$ here stands for a vector with $3$ components for the number of generations.
The above classification result shows that the Dirac operators $D_F$ give all the required features, such as mixing matrices for quarks and leptons, unbroken color and the see-saw mechanism for right-handed neutrinos. Let us illustrate the latter in some more detail. The mass matrix restricted to the subspace of $H_F$ with basis $\{\nu_L, \nu_R, \bar{\nu_L}, \bar{\nu_R}\}$ is given by $$\begin{aligned}
\begin{pmatrix} 0&Y_\nu^*&Y_R^*&0 \\ Y_\nu&0&0&0\\ Y_R&0&0&\bar Y_\nu^* \\ 0&0&\bar Y_\nu&0\end{pmatrix} .\end{aligned}$$ Suppose we consider only one generation, so that $Y_\mu = m_\nu$ and $Y_R = m_R$ are just scalars. The eigenvalues of the above mass matrix are then given by $$\begin{aligned}
\pm \frac12 m_R \pm \frac12 \sqrt{{m_R}^2 + 4{m_\nu}^2} .\end{aligned}$$ If we assume that $m_\nu \ll m_R$, then these eigenvalues are approximated by $\pm m_R$ and $\pm\frac{{m_\nu}^2}{m_R}$. This means that there is a heavy neutrino, for which the Dirac mass $m_\nu$ may be neglected, so that its mass is given by the Majorana mass $m_R$. However, there is also a light neutrino, for which the Dirac and Majorana terms conspire to yield a mass $\frac{{m_\nu}^2}{m_R}$, which is in fact much smaller than the Dirac mass $m_\nu$. This is called the *seesaw mechanism*. Thus, even though the observed masses for these neutrinos may be very small, they might still have large Dirac masses (or Yukawa couplings).
Of course, in the physical applications one chooses $Y_\nu, Y_e$ to be the [*Yukawa mass matrices*]{} and $Y_R$ is the [*Majorana mass matrix*]{}. There has been searches for additional conditions to be satisfied by the spectral triple $(A_F,H_F,D_F)$ to further constrain the form of $D_F$, see for instance [@BBB15; @BF18; @KL18; @DAS18; @DS18].
The gauge and scalar fields as inner fluctuations
-------------------------------------------------
We here derive the precise form of internal fluctuations $A_\mu$ for the above spectral triple of the Standard Model (following [@CCM07 Sect. 3.5] or [@Sui14 Sect. 11.5]).
Take two elements $a=(\lambda,q,m)$ and $b=(\lambda',q',m')$ of the algebra $\A = C^\infty(\C\oplus\bH \oplus M_3(\C))$. According to the representation of $A_F$ on $H_F$, the inner fluctuations $A_\mu = -ia\partial_\mu b$ decompose as $$\begin{aligned}
\Lambda_\mu &:= -i\lambda\partial_\mu\lambda'; \qquad
\Lambda_\mu' := -i\bar\lambda\partial_\mu\bar\lambda'
\intertext{on $\nu_R$ and $e_R$, respectively, and as }
Q_\mu &:= -iq\partial_\mu q';\qquad
V_\mu' := -im\partial_\mu m'\end{aligned}$$ acting on $(\nu_l,e_L)$ and $H_{\bar q}$, respectively. On all other components of $H_F$ the gauge field $A_\mu$ acts as zero. Imposing the hermiticity $\Lambda_\mu=\Lambda_\mu^*$ implies $\Lambda_\mu\in\R$, and also automatically yields $\Lambda_\mu' = -\Lambda_\mu$. Furthermore, $Q_\mu = Q_\mu^*$ implies that $Q_\mu$ is a real-linear combination of the Pauli matrices, which span $i\,su(2)$. Finally, the condition that $V_\mu'$ be hermitian yields $V_\mu' \in i\,u(3)$, so $V_\mu'$ is a $U(3)$ gauge field. As mentioned above, we need to impose the unimodularity condition to obtain an $SU(3)$ gauge field. Hence, we require that the trace of the gauge field $A_\mu$ over $H_F$ vanishes, and we obtain $$\begin{aligned}
\left.\operatorname{Tr}\right|_{H_{\bar l}}\big( \Lambda_\mu 1_4 \big) + \left.\operatorname{Tr}\right|_{H_{\bar q}}\big( 1_4\otimes V_\mu' \big) = 0 \quad\Longrightarrow\quad \operatorname{Tr}(V_\mu') = - \Lambda_\mu .\end{aligned}$$ Therefore, we can define a traceless $SU(3)$ gauge field $V_\mu$ by $\bar V_\mu := - V_\mu' - \frac13 \Lambda_\mu$. The action of the gauge field $B_\mu = A_\mu - J_FA_\mu J_F^{-1}$ on the fermions is then given by $$\begin{aligned}
\left.B_\mu\right|_{H_l} &= \begin{pmatrix} 0&0& \\ 0&-2\Lambda_\mu& \\ &&Q_\mu-\Lambda_\mu1_2\end{pmatrix} , \notag\\
\label{eq:Gauge_field_SM}
\left.B_\mu\right|_{H_q} &= \begin{pmatrix} \frac43\Lambda_\mu1_3+V_\mu&0& \\ 0&-\frac23\Lambda_\mu1_3+V_\mu& \\ &&(Q_\mu+\frac13\Lambda_\mu1_2)\otimes1_3+1_2\otimes V_\mu\end{pmatrix} .\end{aligned}$$ for some $U(1)$ gauge field $\Lambda_\mu$, an $SU(2)$ gauge field $Q_\mu$ and an $SU(3)$ gauge field $V_\mu$.
Note that the coefficients in front of $\Lambda_\mu$ in the above formulas are precisely the aforementioned (and correct!) hypercharges of the corresponding particles.
Next, let us turn to the scalar field $\phi$, which is given by $$\begin{aligned}
\label{eq:higgs_field_SM}
\left.\phi\right|_{H_l} &= {
\left(\!\!\!\begin{array}{c@{~}c}0&Y^*\\#3&0\\\end{array}\!\!\!\right)
} , & \left.\phi\right|_{H_q} &= {
\left(\!\!\!\begin{array}{c@{~}c}0&X^*\\#3&0\\\end{array}\!\!\!\right)
} \otimes1_3 , & \left.\phi\right|_{H_{\bar l}} &= 0 , & \left.\phi\right|_{H_{\bar q}} &= 0 ,\end{aligned}$$ where we now have, for complex fields $\phi_1,\phi_2$, $$\begin{aligned}
Y &= {
\left(\!\!\!\begin{array}{c@{~}c}Y_\nu\phi_1&-Y_e\bar\phi_2\\#3&Y_e\bar\phi_1\\\end{array}\!\!\!\right)
} , & X &= {
\left(\!\!\!\begin{array}{c@{~}c}Y_u\phi_1&-Y_d\bar\phi_2\\#3&Y_d\bar\phi_1\\\end{array}\!\!\!\right)
} . \end{aligned}$$ The scalar field $\Phi$ is then given by $$\begin{aligned}
\label{eq:Higgs_field_SM}
\Phi = D_F + {
\left(\!\!\!\begin{array}{c@{~}c}\phi&0\\#3&0\\\end{array}\!\!\!\right)
} + J_F{
\left(\!\!\!\begin{array}{c@{~}c}\phi&0\\#3&0\\\end{array}\!\!\!\right)
}J_F^* = {
\left(\!\!\!\begin{array}{c@{~}c}S+\phi&T^*\\#3&\bar{(S+\phi)}\\\end{array}\!\!\!\right)
} .\end{aligned}$$ Finally, one can compute that the action of the gauge group $\mathrm{SU}(A_F)$ by conjugation on the fluctuated Dirac operator $$\begin{aligned}
D_\omega = \dirac\otimes 1 + \gamma^\mu\otimes B_\mu + \gamma_M\otimes\Phi\end{aligned}$$ is implemented by $$\begin{gathered}
\Lambda_\mu \mapsto \Lambda_\mu - i \lambda\partial_\mu\bar\lambda , \quad
Q_\mu \mapsto qQ_\mu q^* - iq\partial_\mu q^* , \quad
\bar V_\mu \mapsto m\bar V_\mu m^* - im\partial_\mu m^* , \\
H \mapsto \bar\lambda\,q H ,\end{gathered}$$ for $\lambda\in C^\infty\big(M,U(1)\big)$, $q\in C^\infty\big(M,SU(2)\big)$ and $m\in C^\infty\big(M,SU(3)\big)$ and we have written the [*Higgs doublet*]{} as $$H:= {
\left(\!\!\!\begin{array}{c}\phi_1+1\\#2\\\end{array}\!\!\!\right)
}$$ For the detailed computation we refer to [@CCM07 Sect. 3.5] or [@Sui14 Prop. 11.5].
Summarizing, the gauge fields derived take values in the Lie algebra $u(1) \oplus su(2) \oplus su(3)$ and transform according to the usual Standard Model gauge transformations. The scalar field $\phi$ transforms as the Standard Model Higgs field in the defining representation of $SU(2)$, with hypercharge $-1$.
Spectral action
---------------
The spectral action for the above spectral Standard Model has been computed in full detail in [@CCM07 Section 4.2] and confirmed in [*e.g.*]{} [@Sui14 Theorem 11.10]. Since it would lie beyond the scope of the present review, we refrain from repeating this computation. Instead, we summarize the main result, which is that the Lagrangian derived from the spectral action is $$\begin{aligned}
S_B= \int &\Bigg( \frac{48\chi_4\Lambda^4}{\pi^2} - \frac{c\chi_2\Lambda^2}{\pi^2} + \frac{d\chi(0)}{4\pi^2} + \left(\frac{c\chi(0)}{24\pi^2} - \frac{4\chi_2\Lambda^2}{\pi^2} \right) s - \frac{3\chi(0)}{10\pi^2} (C_{\mu\nu\rho\sigma})^2 \notag\\
&\quad+ \frac14 Y_{\mu\nu} Y^{\mu\nu} + \frac14 W_{\mu\nu}^a W^{\mu\nu,a} + \frac14 G_{\mu\nu}^i G^{\mu\nu,i} + \frac{b\pi^2}{2a^2\chi(0)} |H|^4 \notag\\
&\quad- \frac{2a\chi_2\Lambda^2 - e\chi(0)}{a\chi(0)} |H|^2 + \frac{1}{12} s |H|^2 + \frac12 |D_\mu H|^2 \Bigg) \sqrt{g} d^4x ,\end{aligned}$$ where $\chi_j = \int_0^\infty \chi(v) v^{j-1} dv$ are the moments of the function $\chi$, $j>0$, $s=-R$ is the scalar curvature, $Y_{\mu\nu}, W_{\mu\nu}$ and $G_{\mu\nu}$ are the field strengths of $Y_\mu, Q_\mu$ and $V_\mu$, respectively and the covariant derivative $D_\mu H$ is given by $$\begin{aligned}
\label{eq:Higgs_kin_gauge}
D_\mu H = \partial_\mu H + \frac12 i g_2 W_\mu^a \sigma^a H - \frac12 i g_1 Y_\mu H .\end{aligned}$$ Moreover, we have defined the following constants $$\begin{aligned}
\label{eq:abcde_SM}
a &= \operatorname{Tr}\big(Y_\nu^*Y_\nu + Y_e^*Y_e + 3Y_u^*Y_u + 3Y_d^*Y_d\big) , \notag\\
b &= \operatorname{Tr}\big((Y_\nu^*Y_\nu)^2 + (Y_e^*Y_e)^2 + 3(Y_u^*Y_u)^2 + 3(Y_d^*Y_d)^2\big) , \notag\\
c &= \operatorname{Tr}\big(Y_R^*Y_R\big) , \\
d &= \operatorname{Tr}\big((Y_R^*Y_R)^2\big) , \notag\\
e &= \operatorname{Tr}\big(Y_R^*Y_R Y_\nu^*Y_\nu\big) . \notag\end{aligned}$$ The normalization of the kinetic terms imposes a relation between the coupling constants $g_1,g_2,g_3$ and the coefficients $\chi_0$, of the form $$\begin{aligned}
\label{eq:couplings_norm}
\frac{\chi(0)}{2\pi^2} {g_3}^2 = \frac{\chi(0)}{2\pi^2} {g_2}^2 = \frac{5\chi(0)}{6\pi^2} {g_1}^2 = \frac14 .\end{aligned}$$ The coupling constants are then related by $$\begin{aligned}
{g_3}^2 = {g_2}^2 = \frac53 {g_1}^2 ,\end{aligned}$$ which is precisely the relation between the coupling constants at unification, common to grand unified theories (GUT). We shall further discuss this in Section \[sect:pheno\].
Fermionic action in KO-dimension 6
----------------------------------
As already announced above, the shift to KO-dimension 6 for the finite space solved the fermion doubling problem of [@LMMS97]. Let us briefly explain how this works, following [@C06].
The crucial observation is that in KO-dimension $2 \equiv 4+6 \mod 8$ the following pairing $$( \psi, \psi') \mapsto (J \psi, D_\omega \psi')$$ is a skew-symmetric form on the $+1$-eigenspace of $\gamma$ in $\H$. This skew-symmetry is in concordance with the Grassmann nature of fermionic fields $\psi$, guaranteeing that the following action functional is in fact non-zero: $$S_F = \frac 12 \langle J \xi , D_A \xi \rangle$$ for $\xi$ a Grassmann variable in the $+1$-eigenspace of $\gamma$.
This then solves the fermion doubling, or actually quadrupling as follows. First, the restriction to the chiral subspace of $\gamma$ takes care of a factor of two. Then, the functional integral involving anti-commuting Grassman variables delivers a Pfaffian, which takes care of a square root. That this indeed works has been worked out in full detail for the case of the Standard Model in [@CCM07 Section 4.4.1] or [@Sui14 Section 11.4].
Phenomenological consequences {#sect:pheno}
-----------------------------
The first phenomenological consequence one can derive from the spectral Standard Model is an upper bound on the mass of the top quark. In fact, the appearance of the constant $a$ in both the fermionic and the bosonic action allows to derive $$\begin{aligned}
\label{eq:masses_ferm_W}
\operatorname{Tr}\big(m_\nu^*m_\nu + m_e^*m_e + 3m_u^*m_u + 3m_d^*m_d\big) = 2{g_2}^2{v}^2 = 8 {M_W}^2 .\end{aligned}$$ It is natural to assume that the mass $m_{\text{top}}$ of the top quark is much larger than all other fermion masses, except possibly a Dirac mass that arises from the seesaw mechanism as was described above. If we write $m_\nu = \rho m_{\text{top}}$ then the above relation would yield the constraint $$\begin{aligned}
\label{eq:top_mass}
m_{\text{top}} \lesssim \sqrt\frac8{3+\rho^2} M_W .\end{aligned}$$ The relations between the coupling constants and $\chi(0)$ suggests that we have grand unification of the coupling constants. Moreover, from the action functional we see that the quartic Higgs coupling constant $\lambda$ is related to $\chi(0)$ as well via $$\lambda = 24 \frac{b}{a^2} g_2^2.$$ Thus, the spectral Standard Model imposes relations between the coupling constants and bounds on the fermion masses. These relations were used in [@CCM07] as input at (or around) grand unification scale $\Lambda_\GUT$, and then run down using one-loop renormalization group equations to ’low energies’ where falsifiable predictions were obtained.
![Observed and expected exclusion limits for a Standard Model Higgs boson at the 95-percent confidence level for the combined CDF and DZero analyses. (Fermilab) []{data-label="fig:fermilab"}](fermilab.jpg)
In fact, the mass of the top quark can indeed be found to get an acceptable value, however, for the Higgs mass it was found that $$167 \operatorname{GeV}\leq m_h \leq 176 \operatorname{GeV}.$$ Given that there were not much models in particle physics around that could produce falsifiable predictions, it is somewhat ironical that the first exclusion results on the mass of the Higgs that appeared in 2009 from Fermilab hit exactly this region. See Figure \[fig:fermilab\]. And, of course, with the discovery of the Higgs at $m_h \approx 125.5 \operatorname{GeV}$ in [@ATLAS12; @CMS12] one could say that the spectral Standard Model was not in a particularly good shape at that time.
Beyond the Standard Model with noncommutative geometry
======================================================
Even though the incompatibility between the spectral Standard Model and the experimental discovery of the Higgs with a relatively low mass was not an easy stroke at the time, it also led to a period of reflection and reconsideration of the premises of the noncommutative geometric approach. In fact, it was the beginning of yet another exciting chapter in our story on the spectral model of gravity coupled with matter. As we will see in this and the next chapter, once again the input from experiment is taken as a guiding principle in our search for the spectral model that goes Beyond the Standard Model.
\[rem:beyond-sm\] We do not pretend to give a complete overview of the literature here, but only indicate some of the highlights and actively ongoing research areas.
Other searches beyond the Standard Model with noncommutative geometry include [@ISS04; @Ste06; @Ste07; @Ste09; @Ste09b; @Ste13], adopting a slightly different approach to almost-commutative manifolds as we do.
There is another aspect that was studied is the connection between supersymmetry and almost-commutative manifolds. It turned out to be very hard —if not impossible— to combine the two. A first approach is [@Cha94] and more recently the intersection was studied in [@BroS10; @BroS11; @BBS16].
Resilience of the spectral Standard Model
-----------------------------------------
In 2012 it was realized how a small correction of the spectral Standard Model gives an intriguing possibility to go beyond the Standard Model, solving at the same time a problem with the stability of the Higgs vacuum given the measured low mass $m_h$. This is based on [@CC12], but for which some of the crucial ingredients surprisingly enough were already present in the 2010 paper [@CC10].
Namely, in the definition of the finite Dirac operator $D_F$ of Equation \[eq:dirac-sm\], we can replace $Y_R$ by $Y_R \sigma$, where $\sigma$ is a real scalar field on $M$. Strictly speaking, this brings us out of the class of almost-commutative manifolds $M \times F$, since part of $D_F$ now varies over $M$ and this was the main reason why it was disregarded before. However, since from a physical viewpoint there was no reason to assume $Y_R$ to be constant, it was treated as a scalar field already in [@CC10]. This was only fully justified in subsequent papers (as we will see in the next subsections) where the scalar field $\sigma$ arises as the relic of a spontaneous symmetry breaking mechanism, similar to the Higgs field $h$ in the electroweak sector of the Standard Model. We will discuss a few of the existing approaches in the literature in the next few sections. For now, let us simply focus on the phenomenological consequences of this extra scalar field.
Thus we replace $Y_R$ by $Y_R \sigma$ and analyze the additional terms in the spectral action. The scalar sector becomes $$\begin{gathered}
S_H' := \int_M \bigg( \frac{bf(0)}{2\pi^2} |H|^4 - \frac{2af_2\Lambda^2}{\pi^2} |H|^2 +\frac{ef(0)}{\pi^2} \sigma^2|H|^2\\
-\frac{cf_2\Lambda^2}{\pi^2} \sigma^2 + \frac{df(0)}{4\pi^2} \sigma^4 + \frac{af(0)}{2\pi^2} |D_\mu H|^2 + \frac{1}{4 \pi^2} f(0) c ( \partial_\mu \sigma)^2 \bigg) \sqrt{g} dx,\end{gathered}$$ where we ignored the coupling to the scalar curvature.
We exploit the approximation that $m{_{\scriptscriptstyletop}}$, $m_\nu$ and $m_R$ are the dominant mass terms. Moreover, as before we write $m_\nu = \rho m{_{\scriptscriptstyletop}}$. That is, the expressions for $a,b,c,d$ and $e$ in now become $$\begin{aligned}
a &\approx m{_{\scriptscriptstyletop}}^2 (\rho^2 +3),\\
b &\approx m{_{\scriptscriptstyletop}}^4 (\rho^4 +3),\\
c & \approx m_R^2,\\
d&\approx m_R^4,\\
e&\approx \rho^2 m_R^2 m{_{\scriptscriptstyletop}}^2. \end{aligned}$$ In a unitary gauge, where $H = \begin{pmatrix} h \\ 0 \end{pmatrix}$, we arrive at the following potential: $$\L{_{\scriptscriptstylepot}}(h,\sigma) = \frac{1}{24} \lambda_h h^4 + \frac12 \lambda_{h \sigma} h^2 \sigma^2 + \frac14 \lambda_\sigma \sigma^4 - \frac{4 g_2^2}{\pi^2} f_2 \Lambda^2 (h^2 + \sigma^2),$$ where we have defined coupling constants $$\begin{aligned}
\label{eq:scalar-couplings}
\lambda_h &= 24 \frac{\rho^4 + 3}{(\rho^2+3)^2} g_2^2,&
\lambda_{h \sigma} &= \frac{8 \rho^2}{\rho^2 +3} g_2^2,&
\lambda_\sigma &= 8 g_2^2.\end{aligned}$$ This potential can be minimized, and if we replace $h$ by $v+h$ and $\sigma$ by $w+ \sigma$, respectively, expanding around a minimum for the terms quadratic in the fields, we obtain: $$\begin{aligned}
\L{_{\scriptscriptstylepot}}(v+h,w+\sigma)|{_{\scriptscriptstyle\text{quadratic}}} &= \frac16 v^2 \lambda_h v^2 + 2 vw \lambda_{h \sigma} \sigma h + w^2 \lambda_\sigma \sigma^2 \\
&= \frac12 \begin{pmatrix} h & \sigma \end{pmatrix} M^2 \begin{pmatrix} h \\ \sigma \end{pmatrix},\end{aligned}$$ where we have defined the mass matrix $M$ by $$M^2 = 2 \begin{pmatrix} \frac16 \lambda_h v^2 & \lambda_{h \sigma} vw \\ \lambda_{h \sigma} vw & \lambda_\sigma w^2 \end{pmatrix}.$$ This mass matrix can be easily diagonalized, and if we make the natural assumption that $w$ is of the order of $m_R$, while $v$ is of the order of $M_W$, so that $v \ll w$, we find that the two eigenvalues are $$\begin{aligned}
m_+^2 &\sim 2 \lambda_\sigma w^2 + 2 \frac{\lambda_{h \sigma}^2}{\lambda_\sigma} v^2,\\
m_-^2 &\sim 2 \lambda_h v^2 \left( \frac16 - \frac{\lambda_{h \sigma}^2}{\lambda_h \lambda_\sigma}\right).\end{aligned}$$ We can now determine the value of these two masses by running the scalar coupling constants $\lambda_h, \lambda_{h \sigma}$ and $\lambda_\sigma$ down to ordinary energy scalar using the renormalization group equations for these couplings that were derived in [@GLPR10], referring to [@CC12; @Sui14] for full details.
![A contour plot of the Higgs mass $m_h$ as a function of $\rho^2$ and $t = \log (\Lambda{_{\scriptscriptstyleGUT}}/M_Z)$. The red line corresponds to $m_h = 125.5~\operatorname{GeV}$.[]{data-label="fig:higgsmass"}](higgsmass.png)
The result varies with the chosen value for $\Lambda_\GUT$ and the parameter $\rho$. The mass of $\sigma$ is essentially given by the largest eigenvalue $m_+$ which is of the order $10^{12}~ \operatorname{GeV}$ for all values of $\Lambda_\GUT$ and the parameter $\rho$. The allowed mass range for the Higgs, [*i.e.*]{} for $m_-$, is depicted in Figure \[fig:higgsmass\]. The expected value $m_h=125.5 ~\operatorname{GeV}$ is therefore compatible with the above noncommutative model. Moreover, without the $\sigma$ the $\lambda_h$ turns negative at energies around $10^{12} \operatorname{GeV}$. Furthermore, this calculation implies that there is a relation (given by the red line in the Figure) between the ratio $m_\nu/m{_{\scriptscriptstyletop}}$ and the unification scale $\Lambda_\GUT$.
Pati–Salam unification and first-order condition {#sect:patisalam}
------------------------------------------------
In order to see how we one can use the noncommutative geometric approach to go beyond the Standard Model it is important to trace our steps that led to the spectral Standard Model in the previous Section. The route started with the classification of the algebras of the finite space ([*cf.*]{} Equation ). The results show that the only algebras which solve the fermion doubling problem are of the form $M_{2a}(\mathbb{C})\oplus M_{2a}(\mathbb{C})$ where $a$ is an even integer. An arbitrary symplectic constraint is imposed on the first algebra restricting it from $M_{2a}(\mathbb{C})$ to $M_{a}(\mathbb{H}).$ The first non-trivial algebra one can consider is for $a=2$ with the algebra $$M_{2}(\mathbb{H})\oplus M_{4}(\mathbb{C}).$$ Coincidentally, and as explained in the introduction, the above algebra comes out as a solution of the two-sided Heisenberg quantization relation between the Dirac operator $D$ and the two maps from the four spin-manifold and the two four spheres $S^{4}\times S^{4}$ [@CCM14; @CCM15]. This removes the arbitrary symplectic constraint and replaces it with a relation that quantize the four-volume in terms of two quanta of geometry and have far reaching consequences on the structure of space-time. We will come back to this in the last Section.
The existence of the chirality operator $\gamma$ that commutes with the algebra breaks the quaternionic matrices $M_{2}(\mathbb{H})$ to the diagonal subalgebra and leads us to consider the finite algebra $$\mathcal{A}_{F}=\mathbb{H}_{R}\oplus\mathbb{H}_{L}\oplus M_{4}(\mathbb{C}).$$ This algebras is the simplest candidate to search for new physics beyond the Standard Model. In fact, the inner automorphism group of $\mathcal{A=C}^{\infty}\left(
M\right) \otimes\mathcal{A}_{F}$ is recognized as the Pati–Salam gauge group $SU(2)_{R}\times SU(2)_{L}\times SU(4)$, and the corresponding gauge bosons appear as inner perturbations of the (spacetime) Dirac operator [@CCS13b]. Thus, we are considering a spectral Pati–Salam model as a candidate beyond the Standard Model. Let us further analyze this model and its phenomenological consequences.
An element of the Hilbert space $\Psi\in\mathcal{H}$ is represented by $$\Psi_{M}=\left(
\begin{array}
[c]{c}\psi_{A}\\
\psi_{A^{^{\prime}}}\end{array}
\right) ,\quad\psi_{A^{\prime}}=\psi_{A}^{c}$$ where $\psi_{A}^{c}$ is the conjugate spinor to $\psi_{A}.$ Thus all primed indices $A^{\prime}$ correspond to the Hilbert space of conjugate spinors. It is acted on by both the left algebra $M_{2}\left( \mathbb{H}\right) $ and the right algebra $M_{4}\left( \mathbb{C}\right) $. Therefore the index $A$ can take $16$ values and is represented by $$A=\alpha I$$ where the index $\alpha$ is acted on by quaternionic matrices and the index $I$ by $M_{4}\left( \mathbb{C}\right) $ matrices. Moreover, when the grading breaks $M_{2}\left( \mathbb{H}\right) $ into $\mathbb{H}_{R}\oplus\mathbb{H}_{L}$ the index $\alpha$ is decomposed to $\alpha
=\overset{.}{a},a$ where $\overset{.}{a}=\overset{.}{1},\overset{.}{2}$ (dotted index) is acted on by the first quaternionic algebra $\ \mathbb{H}_{R}$ and $a=1,2$ is acted on by the second quaternionic algebra $\ \mathbb{H}_{L}$. When $M_{4}\left( \mathbb{C}\right) $ breaks into $\mathbb{C}\oplus M_{3}\left( \mathbb{C}\right) $ (due to symmetry breaking or through the use of the order one condition as in [@CC07b]) the index $I$ is decomposed into $I=1,i$ and thus distinguishing leptons and quarks, where the $1$ is acted on by the $\mathbb{C}$ and the $i$ by $M_{3}\left(
\mathbb{C}\right) .$ Therefore the various components of the spinor $\psi
_{A}$ are $$\begin{aligned}
\psi_{\alpha I} & =\left(
\begin{array}
[c]{cccc}\nu_{R} & u_{iR} & \nu_{L} & u_{iL}\\
e_{R} & d_{iR} & e_{L} & d_{iL}\end{array}
\right) ,\qquad i=1,2,3\\
& =\left( \psi_{\overset{.}{a}1},\psi_{\overset{.}{a}i},\psi_{a1},\psi
_{ai}\right) ,\qquad a=1,2,\quad\overset{.}{a}=\overset{.}{1},\overset{.}{2}\nonumber\end{aligned}$$ This is a general prediction of the spectral construction that there is $16$ fundamental Weyl fermions per family, $4$ leptons and $12$ quarks.
The (finite) Dirac operator can be written in matrix form$$D_{F}=\left(
\begin{array}
[c]{cc}D_{A}^{B} & D_{A}^{B^{^{\prime}}}\\
D_{A^{^{\prime}}}^{B} & D_{A^{^{\prime}}}^{B^{^{\prime}}}\end{array}
\right) ,\label{eq:dirac}$$ and must satisfy the properties $$\gamma_{F}D_{F}=-D_{F}\gamma_{F}\qquad J_{F}D_{F}=D_{F}J_{F}$$ where $J_{F}^{2}=1.$ A matrix realization of $\gamma_{F}$ and $J_{F}$ are given by $$\gamma_{F}=\left(
\begin{array}
[c]{cc}G_{F} & 0\\
0 & -\overline{G}_{F}\end{array}
\right) ,\qquad G_{F}=\left(
\begin{array}
[c]{cc}1_{2} & 0\\
0 & -1_{2}\end{array}
\right) ,\qquad J_{F}=\left(
\begin{array}
[c]{cc}0_{4} & 1_{4}\\
1_{4} & 0_{4}\end{array}
\right) \circ\mathrm{cc}$$ where $\mathrm{cc}$ stands for complex conjugation. These relations, together with the hermiticity of $D$ imply the relations $$\left( D_{F}\right) _{A^{^{\prime}}}^{B^{^{\prime}}}=\left( \overline
{D}_{F}\right) _{A}^{B}\,\qquad\left( D_{F}\right) _{A^{^{\prime}}}^{B}=\left( \overline{D}_{F}\right) _{B}^{A^{\prime}}$$ and have the following zero components [@CC10] $$\begin{aligned}
\left( D_{F}\right) _{aI}^{bJ} & =0=\left( D_{F}\right) _{\overset{.}{a}I}^{\overset{.}{b}J}\\
\left( D_{F}\right) _{aI}^{\overset{.}{b}^{\prime}J^{\prime}} & =0=\left(
D_{F}\right) _{\overset{.}{a}I}^{b^{\prime}J\prime}$$ leaving the components $\left( D_{F}\right) _{aI}^{\overset{.}{b}J}$, $\left( D_{F}\right) _{aI}^{b^{\prime}J^{\prime}}$ and $\left(
D_{F}\right) _{\overset{.}{a}I}^{\overset{.}{b}^{\prime}J^{\prime}}$ arbitrary. These restrictions lead to important constraints on the structure of the connection that appears in the inner fluctuations of the Dirac operator. In particular the operator $D$ of the full noncommutative space given by $$D=D_{M}\otimes1+\gamma_{5}\otimes D_{F}$$ gets modified to $$D_{A}=D+A_{\left( 1\right) }+JA_{\left( 1\right) }J^{-1}+A_{\left(
2\right) }$$ where $$A_{\left( 1\right) }={\displaystyle\sum}
a\left[ D,b\right] ,\,\qquad A_{2}={\displaystyle\sum}
\widehat{a}\left[ A_{\left( 1\right) },\widehat{b}\right] ,\qquad
\widehat{a}=JaJ^{-1}$$
We have shown in [@CCS13b] that components of the connection $A$ which are tensored with the Clifford gamma matrices $\gamma^{\mu}$ are the gauge fields of the Pati–Salam model with the symmetry of $SU\left( 2\right) _{R}\times
SU\left( 2\right) _{L}\times SU\left( 4\right) .$ On the other hand, the non-vanishing components of the connection which are tensored with the gamma matrix $\gamma_{5}$ are given by $$\left( A\right) _{aI}^{\overset{.}{b}J}\equiv\gamma_{5}
\Sigma _{aI}^{\overset{.}{b}J},\qquad\left( A\right) _{aI}^{b^{\prime}J^{\prime}}=\gamma_{5}H_{aIbJ},\qquad\left( A\right)
_{\overset{.}{a}I}^{\overset{.}{b}^{\prime}J^{\prime}}\equiv\gamma
_{5}H_{\overset{.}{a}I\overset{.}{b}J}$$ where $H_{aIbJ}=H_{bJaI}$ and $H_{\overset{.}{a}I\overset{.}{b}J}=H_{\overset{.}{b}J\overset{.}{a}I}$, which is the most general Higgs structure possible. These correspond to the representations with respect to $SU\left( 2\right) _{R}\times SU\left( 2\right) _{L}\times SU\left(
4\right) :$$$\begin{aligned}
\Sigma_{aI}^{\overset{.}{b}J} & =\left( 2_{R},2_{L},1\right) +\left(
2_{R},2_{L},15\right) \\
H_{aIbJ} & =\left( 1_{R},1_{L},6\right) +\left( 1_{R},3_{L},10\right) \\
H_{\overset{.}{a}I\overset{.}{b}J} & =\left( 1_{R},1_{L},6\right) +\left(
3_{R},1_{L},10\right)\end{aligned}$$ We note, however, that the inner fluctuations form a semi-group and if a component $\left( D_{F}\right) _{aI}^{\overset{.}{b}J}$ or $\left(
D_{F}\right) _{aI}^{b^{\prime}J^{\prime}}$ or $\left( D_{F}\right)
_{\overset{.}{a}I}^{\overset{.}{b}^{\prime}J^{\prime}}$ vanish, then the corresponding $A$ field will also vanish. We can distinguish three cases: 1) Left-right symmetric Pati–Salam model with fundamental Higgs fields $\Sigma_{aI}^{\overset{.}{b}J},$ $H_{aIbJ}$ and $H_{\overset{.}{a}I\overset{.}{b}J}.$ In this model the field $H_{aIbJ}$ should have a zero vev. 2) A Pati–Salam model where the Higgs field $H_{aIbJ}$ that couples to the left sector is set to zero which is desirable because there is no symmetry between the left and right sectors at low energies. 3) If one starts with $\left( D_{F}\right) _{aI}^{\overset{.}{b}J}$ or $\left( D_{F}\right)
_{aI}^{b^{\prime}J^{\prime}}$ or $\left( D_{F}\right) _{\overset{.}{a}I}^{\overset{.}{b}^{\prime}J^{\prime}}$ whose values are given by those that were derived for the Standard Model, then the Higgs fields $\Sigma
_{aI}^{\overset{.}{b}J},$ $H_{aIbJ}$ and $H_{\overset{.}{a}I\overset{.}{b}J}$ will become composite and expressible in terms of more fundamental fields $\Sigma_{I}^{J},$ $\Delta_{\overset{.}{a}J}$ and $\phi_{\overset{.}{a}}^{b}$ . We refer to this as the composite model. It has the scalar field $\sigma$ discussed in the previous section as a remnant after spontaneous symmetry breaking [@CCS13b]. In fact, contrary to some claims in the literature it is possible to perform the potential analysis in this case in unitarity gauge and arrive at the conclusion that the field content contains the scalar field $\sigma$ ([*cf.*]{} Appendix \[app:potential\]).
Depending on the precise particle content we may determine the renormalization group equations of the Pati–Salam gauge couplings $g_{R},g_{L},g$. In [@CCS15] we have run them to look for unification of the coupling $g_{R}=g_{L}=g$. The boundary conditions are taken at the intermediate mass scale $\mu=m_{R}$ to be the usual (e.g. [@Moh86 Eq. (5.8.3)]) $$\frac{1}{g_{1}^{2}}=\frac{2}{3}\frac{1}{g^{2}}+\frac{1}{g_{R}^{2}},\qquad
\frac{1}{g_{2}^{2}}=\frac{1}{g_{L}^{2}},\qquad\frac{1}{g_{3}^{2}}=\frac
{1}{g^{2}},\label{eq:couplings-relations}$$ in terms of the Standard Model gauge couplings $g_{1},g_{2},g_{3}$. At the mass scale $m_{R}$ the Pati–Salam symmetry is broken to that of the Standard Model, and we take it to be the same scale that is present in the see-saw mechanism. It should thus be of the order $10^{11}-10^{13}$GeV. What we have found in [@CCS15] (and this was confirmed by others in [@AMST15]) is that in all three cases it is possible to achieve grand unification of the couplings, while connecting to Standard Model physics in the broken, low-energy phase. An example of a running of the gauge coupling is illustrated in Figure \[fig:ps-running\].
![Running of the gauge couplings of the Standard Model gauge couplings (below scale $m_R \approx 10^{11} \operatorname{GeV}$) and the Pati–Salam gauge coupling (above scale $m_R$) in case 2.[]{data-label="fig:ps-running"}](PSrunningNoOrder1.png)
Grand symmetry and twisted spectral triples
-------------------------------------------
In [@DLM14] the next-to-next case[^3] in the list of irreducible geometries in Equation was considered: $k=4$. Thus, one considers $$A_G = M_4(\bH) \oplus M_8(\C); \qquad H_F := \C^{128}.$$ where $128$ is exactly the number of spinor and internal degrees of freedom combined (including the aforementioned fermion quadruplication). The geometry is then $$\left( C^\infty(M,A_G), L^2(M) \otimes H_F, D_M + \gamma_M D_F \right)$$ where one has to assume that the spinor bundle on $M$ has been trivialized to gather the spinor and internal fermionic degrees of freedom in a single Hilbert space $H_F$.
Note that the above geometry is not a direct product of the continuum with a discrete space. In fact, both the algebra and the Dirac operator $D_M$ contain spinor indices. As a consequence the commutator $[D_M, a]$ can become unbounded, thus challenging one of the basic axioms of spectral triples. Instead, it is possible to guarantee that [*twisted*]{} commutators are bounded so that this example fits in the general framework of twisted spectral triples developed in [@CM08]. In [@DM14] the authors identify an inner automorphism $\rho = R (\cdot )R$ of $A_G$ such that $$[D,a]_\rho = D a - \rho (a) D$$ is bounded.
An interesting question that arises at this point is how to generate inner fluctuations of twisted spectral triples. This was analyzed in full detail from a mathematical viewpoint in [@LM16; @LM17]. One of the intriguing aspects is the self-adjointness of the Dirac operator under fluctuations (even gauge transformations): for this to be respected one has to impose a compatibility between the twist and the fluctuation.
An alternative route was suggested in [@DFLM17]. Namely, one may drop the above condition of self-adjointness and instead look for operators that are Krein-self-adjoint, using the Krein structure on the Hilbert space that is induced by the operator $R$ (defining the twist $\rho$). This will have an intriguing appearance of the Lorentzian structure (given by the Krein inner product) from a purely algebraic and Euclidean starting point. Here we also refer to the nice overview given in [@Liz18].
Algebraic constraints on the finite geometry
--------------------------------------------
An interesting question to consider —in particular in light of theories that go Beyond the Standard Model— is whether one can [*derive*]{} the restricted form of the Dirac operator $D_F$ in . We highlight a few approaches to this question that are present in the literature.
First of all, as mentioned already on page , the form of the $D_F$ in terms of the matrices $Y_\nu, Y_e, Y_u, Y_d$ and $Y_R$ as in Equations and appears naturally in the study of moduli of finite Dirac operators. The only constraint (in addition to the usual conditions layed out in Section \[sect:st\]) there was that the photon remained massless.
An attempt was made to make the latter condition less [*ad hoc*]{} is [@BF13; @BF14; @BF18]. They proposed to generalize noncommutative geometry to non-associative noncommutative geometry, thus allowing for non-associative algebras. The crucial idea —which goes back to Eilenberg— is to combine the (differential) algebra and (Hilbert space) bimodule into a single algebra, and understand the conditions such as commutant property and first-order conditions as consequences of associativity of the pertinent algebra $B$. However, this associativity is a strong constraint and accordingly further restrict the geometry described by $D_F$. Note that non-associative algebras have also been used in the context of noncommutative geometry and particle physics to predict the number of families (to be three) [@TD18]
Another approach to analyzing the form of the Dirac operator $D_F$ by imposing algebraic conditions is taken by [@Dab17; @DAS18]. Here the authors adopt the principle that, similar to differential forms in the continuum, the finite Hilbert space should be a Morita equivalence between $A$ and the Clifford algebra generated by $A_F$ and $D_F$. One finds that the aforementioned form of $D_F$ does not satisfy this condition but additional entries in $D_F$ should be non-zero. This gives rise to a model Beyond the Standard Model: an analysis of the phenomenological consequences is performed in [@KL18; @DS18]. In [@Ayd19] it was then found that this model does not exhibit grand unification of the Standard Model couplings.
Volume quantization and uniqueness of SM
========================================
In the classification of finite noncommutative spaces we arrived at the result that the algebra $\mathcal{A}_{F}=\left( \mathbb{H}_{R}\mathbb{\oplus H}_{L}\right) \oplus M_{4}\left( \mathbb{C}\right) $ was the first possibility out of many of the form $\mathcal{A}_{F}=\left( M_{n}\left(
\mathbb{H}\right) _{R}\mathbb{\oplus}M_{n}\left( \mathbb{H}\right)
_{L}\right) \oplus M_{4n}\left( \mathbb{C}\right) $. in addition we made an assumption, that seemed arbitrary, of the existence of antilinear isometry that reduced the algebra $M_{4n}\left( \mathbb{C}\right) $ to $\left(
M_{n}\left( \mathbb{H}\right) _{R}\mathbb{\oplus}M_{n}\left( \mathbb{H}\right) _{L}\right) $. It is necessary to have a stronger evidence of the uniqueness of our conclusions that helps us to avoid making the above mentioned assumptions. Surprisingly, the new evidence came in the process of solving a seemingly completely independent problem, encoding low dimensional geometries, and in particular dimension four.
Higher form of Heisenberg’s commutation relations
-------------------------------------------------
Starting with the simple example of one dimensional geometries, consider the equation $$U^{\ast}\left[ D,U\right] =1,\qquad U^{\ast}U=1$$ where $D$ is self-adjoint operator. Assuming that the one dimensional space is a closed curve parameterized by coordinate $x$ and the Dirac operator to be $D=-i\frac{d}{dx}+\alpha$ the above equation simplifies to $$-iU^{\ast}dU=dx$$ Writing $U=e^{in\theta}$ we obtain $dx=nd\theta.$ Integrating both sides implies that the length of the one dimensional curve is an integer multiple of $2\pi$, the length of $S^1$$${\displaystyle\oint\limits_{C}}
dx=n\left( 2\pi\right)$$ To adopt this construction to higher dimensions, we note that we can characterize the circle $S^{1}$ by the equation $Y^{A}Y^{A}=1,$ $A=1,2$, $Y^{A\ast}=Y^{A}.$ Assembling the two coordinates $Y^{1},$ $Y^{2}$ in one matrix, define $Y=Y^{A}\Gamma_{A},$ where $\Gamma_{A},$ $A=1,2$ are taken to be $2\times2.$ In addition we identify $\Gamma_{1}=\sigma_{1},$ $\Gamma
_{2}=\sigma_{2},$ the Pauli matrices, and define $\Gamma=-i\Gamma_{1}\Gamma_{2}=\sigma_{3}$ so that $\Gamma_{+}=\frac{1}{2}\left( 1+\Gamma\right)
$ is a projection operator. We notice that we can write $$Y=\left(
\begin{array}
[c]{cc}0 & Y^{1}-iY^{2}\\
Y^{1}+iY^{2} & 0
\end{array}
\right) =\left(
\begin{array}
[c]{cc}0 & U^{\ast}\\
U & 0
\end{array}
\right)$$ where $U=Y^{1}-iY^{2}$ and $U^{\ast}U=1.$ The expression $$\left\langle \Gamma_{+}Y\left[ D,Y\right] \right\rangle =1\label{oned}$$ where $\left\langle {}\right\rangle $ is defined to be the trace over the Clifford algebra defined by $\Gamma_{A},$ gives back the equation $U^{\ast
}\left[ D,U\right] =1.$
For higher dimensional geometries we consider a Riemannian manifold with dimension $n$ and where the algebra $\mathcal{A}$ is taken to be $C^{\infty
}\left( M\right) ,$ the algebra of continuously differentiable functions, while the operator $D$ is identified with the Dirac operator given by $$D_{M}=\gamma^{\mu}\left( \frac{\partial}{\partial x^{\mu}}+\omega_{\mu
}\right) ,$$ where $\gamma^{\mu}=e_{a}^{\mu}\gamma^{a}$ and $\omega_{\mu}=\frac{1}{4}\omega_{\mu bc}\gamma^{bc}$ is the $SO(n)$ Lie-algebra valued spin-connection with the (inverse) vielbein $e_{a}^{\mu}$ being the square root of the (inverse) metric $g^{\mu\nu}=e_{a}^{\mu}\delta^{ab}e_{b}^{\nu}.$ The gamma matrices $\gamma^{a}$ are anti-hermitian $\left( \gamma^{a}\right) ^{\ast
}=-\gamma^{a}$ that define the Clifford algebra $\left\{ \gamma^{a},\gamma
^{b}\right\} =-2\delta^{ab}.$ The Hilbert space $\mathcal{H}$ is the space of square integrable spinors $L^{2}\left( M,S\right) .$ The chirality operator $\gamma$ in even dimensions is then given by $$\gamma=\left( i\right) ^{\frac{n}{2}}\gamma^{1}\gamma^{2}\cdots\gamma^{n}$$ Starting with manifolds of dimension $2$ we first define the two sphere by the equation $Y^{A}Y^{A}=1,$ $A=1,2,3$, $Y^{A\ast}=Y^{A}.$ Assembling the three coordinates $Y^{1},$ $Y^{2},$ $Y^{3}$ in one matrix, defining $Y=Y^{A}\Gamma_{A},$ where $\Gamma_{A},$ $A=1,2,3$ are taken to be $2\times2$ Pauli matrices. Notice that in this case $\Gamma\equiv-i\Gamma_{1}\Gamma_{2}\Gamma_{3}=1$ and to generalize equation (\[oned\]) to two dimensions the factor $\Gamma$ can be dropped, and we write instead$$\frac{1}{2!}\left\langle Y\left[ D,Y\right] ^{2}\right\rangle =\gamma
\label{heisenberg2}$$ The reason we have to include the chirality operator $\gamma$ on the two dimensional manifold $M$ is that the Dirac operator $D$ appears twice yielding a product of the form $\gamma_{1}\gamma_{2}=-i\gamma.$ A simple calculation shows that the above equation in component form is given by $$\frac{1}{2!}\epsilon^{\mu\nu}\epsilon_{ABC}Y^{A}\partial_{\mu}Y^{B}\partial_{\nu}Y^{C}=\det\left( e_{\mu}^{a}\right)$$ which is a constraint on the volume form of $M_{2}.$ This implies that the volume of $M_{2}$ will be an integer multiple of the area of the unit $2$-sphere$$\begin{aligned}
{\displaystyle\int\limits_{M_{2}}}
d^{2}x\sqrt{g} & ={\displaystyle\int}
\epsilon_{ABC}Y^{A}dY^{B}dY^{C}\\
& =n(4\pi)\end{aligned}$$ where $n$ is the winding number. An example of a map $Y$ with winding number $n$ is $$Y\equiv Y^{1}+iY^{2}=\frac{2z^{n}}{\left\vert z\right\vert ^{2n}+1},\qquad
Y^{3}=\frac{\left\vert z\right\vert ^{2n}-1}{\left\vert z\right\vert ^{2n}+1},\qquad z=x^{1}+ix^{2}$$ From this we deduce that the pullback $Y^{\ast}\left( w_{n}\right) $ is a differential form that does not vanish anywhere. This in turn implies that the Jacobian of the map $Y$ does not vanish anywhere, and that $Y$ is a covering of the sphere. The sphere is simply connected, and on each connected component $M_{j}\subset M_{n}$, the restriction of the map $Y$ to $M_{j}$ is a diffeomorphism, implying that the manifold must be disconnected, with each piece having the topology of a sphere. To allow for two dimensional manifolds with arbitrary topology, our first observation is that condition (\[heisenberg2\]) involves the commutator of the Dirac operator $D$ and the coordinates $Y.$ In momentum space $D$ is the Feynman-slashed $\gamma^{\mu
}p_{\mu}$ momentum and $Y$ are the Feynman-slashed coordinates. This suggests that the quantization condition is a higher form of Heisenberg commutation relation quantizing the phase space formed by coordinates and momenta. We first notice that although the quantization condition is given in terms of the noncommutative data, the operator $J$ is the only one missing. We therefore modify the condition to take $J$ into account. The operator $J$ transforms $Y$ into its commutant $Y^{\prime}=iJYJ^{-1}$ so that $\left[ Y,Y^{\prime
}\right] =0$. Thus let $Y=Y^{A}\Gamma_{A}$ and $Y^{\prime}=iJYJ^{-1}$ and $\Gamma_{A}^{\prime}=iJ\Gamma_{A}J^{-1}$ so that we can write $$Y=Y^{A}\Gamma_{A},\qquad Y^{\prime}=Y^{\prime A}\Gamma_{A}^{\prime},$$ satisfying $Y^{2}=1$ and $Y^{\prime2}=1$ with the Clifford algebras $C_{\pm}$$$\begin{aligned}
\left\{ \Gamma_{A},\Gamma_{B}\right\} & =2\,\delta_{AB},\ \quad(\Gamma
_{A})^{\ast}=\Gamma_{A}\label{Cplus}\\
\left\{ \Gamma_{A}^{\prime},\Gamma_{B}^{\prime}\right\} & =-2\,\delta
_{AB},\ \quad(\Gamma_{A}^{\prime})^{\ast}=-\Gamma_{A}^{\prime}\label{Cminus}$$ We immediately see that the Clifford algebra $C_{+}=M_{2}\left(
\mathbb{C}\right) $ and $C_{-}=\mathbb{H}.$ We then define the projection operator $e=\frac{1}{2}\left( 1+Y\right) $ satisfying $e^{2}=e$ and similarly $e^{\prime}=\frac{1}{2}\left( 1+Y^{\prime}\right) $ satisfying $e^{\prime2}=e^{\prime}.$ From the tensor product of $E=ee^{\prime}$ satisfying $E^{2}=E,$ we construct $Z=2E-1$ satisfying $Z^{2}=1$ and allowing us to write $$\frac{1}{2}\left\langle Z\left[ D,Z\right] ^{2}\ \right\rangle =\gamma$$ A straightforward calculation reveals that this relation splits as the sum of two non-interfering parts$$\frac{1}{2}\left\langle Y\left[ D,Y\right] ^{2}\right\rangle +\frac{1}{2}\left\langle Y^{\prime}\left[ D,Y^{\prime}\right] ^{2}\right\rangle
=\gamma$$ which in component form reads$$\frac{1}{2!}\epsilon^{\mu\nu}\epsilon_{ABC}\left( Y^{A}\partial_{\mu}Y^{B}\partial_{\nu}Y^{C}+Y^{^{\prime}A}\partial_{\mu}Y^{^{\prime}B}\partial_{\nu}Y^{^{\prime}C}\right) =\det\left( e_{\mu}^{a}\right)$$ We will show later, when considering the four dimensional case that this modification allows to reconstruct two dimensional manifolds of arbitrary topology from the pullbacks of the maps $Y,$ $Y$’.
For three dimensional manifolds $\gamma=1$ and in analogy with the one-dimensional case we write $$\frac{1}{3!}\left\langle \Gamma_{+}Y\left[ D,Y\right] ^{3}\right\rangle
=1\label{universal}$$ where $Y=Y^{A}\Gamma_{A},$ $A=1,\ldots4,$ $Y^{2}=1,$ $Y=Y^{\ast},$ $\Gamma
_{A}$ are $4\times4$ Clifford algebra matrices $C_{+}$ where $\left\{
\Gamma_{A},\Gamma_{B}\right\} =2\,\delta_{AB}$. In this representation of the $\Gamma$ matrices we have $\Gamma=\Gamma_{5}=\Gamma_{1}\Gamma_{2}\Gamma
_{3}\Gamma_{4}=\left(
\begin{array}
[c]{cc}1_{2} & 0\\
0 & -1_{2}\end{array}
\right) $ so that $\Gamma_{+}=\frac{1}{2}\left( 1+\Gamma\right) $ is a projection operator. In $d=3,$ we can write $$Y=Y^{A}\Gamma_{A}=\left(
\begin{array}
[c]{cc}0 & U^{\ast}\\
U & 0
\end{array}
\right)$$ where $U$ is a unitary $2\times2$ matrix such that it could be written in the form $U=\exp\left( i\left( \alpha_{0}1+\alpha_{a}\sigma^{a}\right) \right)
$ so that $U^{\ast}U=1$. It is easy to check that $\left\langle Y\left[
D,Y\right] ^{3}\right\rangle =0$ and that the component form of the above relation is $$\det\left( e_{\mu}^{a}\right) =\frac{1}{3!}\epsilon^{\mu\nu\rho}\mathrm{Tr}\left( U^{\ast}\partial_{\mu}UU^{\ast}\partial_{\nu}UU^{\ast
}\partial_{\rho}U\right)$$ whose integral is the winding number of the $SU(2)$ group manifold. Again, using the reality operator $J$ we act on the Clifford algebra $Y^{\prime}=iJYJ^{-1}$ so that $\left[ Y,Y^{\prime}\right] =0$, then $\Gamma_{A}^{\prime}=iJ\Gamma_{A}J^{-1}$ satisfies $\left\{ \Gamma_{A}^{\prime
},\Gamma_{B}^{\prime}\right\} =-2\,\delta_{AB},$ $(\Gamma_{A}^{\prime})^{\ast}=-\Gamma_{A}^{\prime}$. Forming the projection operators $e=\frac
{1}{2}\left( 1+Y\right) ,$ $e^{\prime}=\frac{1}{2}\left( 1+Y^{\prime
}\right) $, we form the tensor product $E=ee^{\prime}$ we define the field $Z=2E-1,$ and thus the two sided relation becomes $$\frac{1}{3!}\left\langle \Gamma_{+}\Gamma_{+}^{\prime}Z\left[ D,Z\right]
^{3}\right\rangle =1$$ A lengthy calculation shows that the component form of this relation separates into two parts without interference terms$$\begin{aligned}
\det\left ( e_{\mu}^{a}\right) & =\frac{1}{3!}\epsilon^{\mu\nu\rho}\bigg(
\mathrm{Tr}\left( U^{\ast}\partial_{\mu}UU^{\ast}\partial_{\nu}UU^{\ast
}\partial_{\rho}U\right)\\
&\qquad \qquad +\mathrm{Tr}\left( U^{^{\prime}\ast}\partial_{\mu
}U^{\prime}U^{^{\prime}\ast}\partial_{\nu}U^{\prime}U^{^{\prime}\ast}\partial_{\rho}U^{\prime}\right) \bigg)\end{aligned}$$ Finally, for four dimensional manifolds the Clifford algebras $C_{+}$ and $C_{-}$ defined as in (\[Cplus\]) (\[Cminus\]) with $\Gamma_{A},$ $\Gamma_{A}^{\prime}$, $A=1,\cdots,5$ are known to be given by $C_{+}=M_{2}\left( \mathbb{H}\right) $ and $C_{-}=M_{4}\left(
\mathbb{C}\right) .$ The quantization condition takes the same form as the two dimensional case$$\frac{1}{4!}\left\langle Z\left[ D,Z\right] ^{4}\ \right\rangle
=\gamma\label{Heisenberg}$$ This relation separates into two non-interfering terms $$\frac{1}{4!}\left\langle Y\left[ D,Y\right] ^{4}\ \right\rangle +\frac
{1}{4!}\left\langle Y^{\prime}\left[ D,Y^{\prime}\right] ^{4}\ \right\rangle
=\gamma$$ the component form of which is given by $$\begin{aligned}
\det\left( e_{\mu}^{a}\right) &=\frac{1}{4!}\epsilon^{\mu\nu\kappa\lambda
}\epsilon_{ABCDE}\bigg( Y^{A}\partial_{\mu}Y^{B}\partial_{\nu}Y^{C}\partial_{\kappa}Y^{D}\partial_{\lambda}Y^{E}\\
&\qquad \qquad \qquad +Y^{^{\prime}A}\partial_{\mu
}Y^{^{\prime}B}\partial_{\nu}Y^{^{\prime}C}\partial_{\kappa}Y^{^{\prime}D}\partial_{\lambda}Y^{^{\prime}E}\bigg)\end{aligned}$$ One can verify that similar considerations fail when the dimension of the manifold $n>4$ as there are interference terms between the $Y$ and $Y^{\prime
}.$ Integrating both sides imply$${\displaystyle\int\limits_{M_{4}}}
d^{4}x\sqrt{g}=\frac{8}{3}\pi^{2}\left( N+N^{\prime}\right)$$ where $N$, $N^{\prime}$ are the winding numbers of the two maps $Y,$ $Y^{\prime}.$ An example of a map $Y$ with winding number $n$ is given by $$\begin{aligned}
Y & \equiv Y^{4}1+Y^{i}e_{i}=\frac{2x^{n}}{x^{n}\overline{x}^{n}+1},\\
Y^{5} & =\frac{x^{n}\overline{x}^{n}-1}{x^{n}\overline{x}^{n}+1},\end{aligned}$$ where $x=x^{4}1+x^{i}e_{i}$ and $e_{i},$ $i=1,2,3$ are the quaternionic complex structures $e_{i}^{2}=-1,$ $e_{i}e_{j}=\epsilon_{ijk}e_{k},$ $i\neq
j.$
Volume quantization
-------------------
Consider the smooth maps $\phi_{\pm}:M_{n}\rightarrow S^{n}$ then their pullbacks $\phi_{\pm}^{\ast}$ would satisfy $$\phi_{+}^{\ast}\left( \alpha\right) +\phi_{-}^{\ast}\left( \alpha\right)
=\omega, \label{integer}$$ where $\alpha$ is the volume form on the unit sphere $S^{n}$ and $\omega\left( x\right) $ is an $n-$form that does not vanish anywhere on $M_{n}.$ We have shown that for a compact connected smooth oriented manifold with $n<4$ one can find two maps $\phi_{+}^{\ast}\left( \alpha\right) $ and $\phi_{-}^{\ast}\left( \alpha\right) $ whose sum does not vanish anywhere, satisfying equation (\[integer\]) such that $\int \omega\in\mathbb{Z}.$ The proof for $n=4$ is more difficult and there is an obstruction unless the second Stieffel–Whitney class $w_{2}$ vanishes, which is satisfied if $M$ is required to be a spin-manifold and the volume to be larger than or equal to five units. The key idea in the proof is to note that the kernel of the Jacobian of the map $Y$ is a hypersurface $\Sigma$ of co-dimension $2$ and therefore $$\dim\Sigma=n-2.$$ We can then construct a map $Y^{\prime}=Y\circ\psi$ where $\psi$ is a diffeomorphism on $M$ such that the sum of the pullbacks of $Y$ and $Y^{\prime}$ does not vanish anywhere. The coordinates $Y$ are defined over a Clifford algebra $C_{+}$ spanned by $\left\{ \Gamma_{A},\Gamma_{B}\right\}
=2\delta_{AB}.$ For $n=2$, $C_{+}=M_{2}\left( \mathbb{C}\right) $ while for $n=4$, $C_{+}=M_{2}\left( \mathbb{H}\right) \oplus M_{2}\left(
\mathbb{H}\right) $ where $\mathbb{H}$ is the field of quaternions. However, for $n=4,$ since we will be dealing with irreducible representations we take $C_{+}=M_{2}\left( \mathbb{H}\right) .$ Similarly the coordinates $Y^{\prime}$ are defined over the Clifford algebra $C_{-}$ spanned by $\left\{ \Gamma_{A}^{\prime},\Gamma_{B}^{\prime}\right\} =-2\delta_{AB}$ and for $n=2$, $C_{-}=\mathbb{H\oplus H}$ and for $n=4$, $C_{-}=M_{4}\left(
\mathbb{C}\right) .$ The operator $J$ acts on the two algebras $C_{+}\oplus
C_{-}$ in the form $J\left( x,y\right) =\left( y^{\ast},x^{\ast}\right) $ (i.e. it exchanges the two algebras and takes the Hermitian conjugate). The coordinates $Z=\frac{1}{2}\left( Y+1\right) \left( Y^{\prime}+1\right)
-1,$ then define the matrix algebras [@CCM14] $$\begin{aligned}
\mathcal{A}_{F} & =M_{2}\left( \mathbb{C}\right) \oplus\mathbb{H},\qquad
n=2\\
\mathcal{A}_{F} & =M_{2}\left( \mathbb{H}\right) \oplus M_{4}\left(
\mathbb{C}\right) ,\qquad n=4.\end{aligned}$$ One, however, must remember that the maps $Y$ and $Y^{\prime}$ are functions of the coordinates of the manifold $M$ and therefore the algebra associated with this space must be $$\begin{aligned}
\mathcal{A} & =C^{\infty}\left( M,\mathcal{A}_{F}\right) \\
& =C^{\infty}\left( M\right) \otimes\mathcal{A}_{F}.\end{aligned}$$ To see this consider, for simplicity, the $n=2$ case with only the map $Y.$ The Clifford algebra $C_{-}=\mathbb{H}$ is spanned by the set $\left\{
1,\Gamma^{A}\right\} ,$ $A=1,2,3,$ where $\left\{ \Gamma^{A},\Gamma
^{B}\right\} =-2\delta^{AB}.$ We then consider functions which are made out of words of the variable $Y$ formed with the use of constant elements of the algebra [@C00] $${\displaystyle\sum\limits_{i=1}^{\infty}}
a_{1}Ya_{2}Y\cdots a_{i}Y,\qquad a_{i}\in\mathbb{H},$$ which will generate arbitrary functions over the manifold which is the most general form since $Y^{2}=1$. One can easily see that these combinations generate all the spherical harmonics. This result could be easily generalized by considering functions of the fields $$Z=\frac{1}{2}\left( Y+1\right) \left( Y^{\prime}+1\right) -1,\qquad
Y\in\mathbb{H},\quad Y^{\prime}\in M_{2}\left( \mathbb{C}\right) ,$$ showing that the noncommutative algebra generated by the constant matrices and the Feynman slash coordinates $Z$ is given by [@C00] $$\mathcal{A}=C^{\infty}\left( M_{2}\right) \otimes\left( \mathbb{H+}M_{2}\left( \mathbb{C}\right) \right) .$$ We now restrict ourselves to the physical case of $n=4.$ Here the algebra is given by $$\mathcal{A}=C^{\infty}\left( M_{4}\right) \otimes\left( M_{2}(\mathbb{H})\mathbb{+}M_{4}\left( \mathbb{C}\right) \right) .$$ The associated Hilbert space is $$\mathcal{H}=L^{2}\left( M_{4},S\right) \otimes\mathcal{H}_{F}.$$ The Dirac operator mixes the finite space and the continuous manifold non-trivially$$D=D_{M}\otimes1+\gamma_{5}\otimes D_{F},$$ where $D_{F\text{ }}$ is a self adjoint operator in the finite space. The chirality operator is $$\gamma=\gamma_{5}\otimes\gamma_{F},$$ and the anti-unitary operator $J$ is given by $$J=J_{M}\gamma_{5}\otimes J_{F},$$ where $J_{M}$ is the charge-conjugation operator $C$ on $M$ and $J_{F}$ the anti-unitary operator for the finite space. Thus an element $\Psi
\in\mathcal{H}$ is of the form $\Psi=\left(
\begin{array}
[c]{c}\psi_{A}\\
\psi_{A^{\prime}}\end{array}
\right) $ where $\psi_{A}$ is a $16$ component $L^{2}\left( M,S\right) $ spinor in the fundamental representation of $\mathcal{A}_{F}$ of the form $\psi_{A}=\psi_{\alpha I}$ where $\alpha=1,\cdots,4$ with respect to $M_{2}\left( \mathbb{H}\right) $ and $I=1,\cdots,4$ with respect to $M_{4}\left( \mathbb{C}\right) $ and where $\psi_{A^{\prime}}=C\psi
_{A}^{\ast}$ is the charge conjugate spinor to $\psi_{A}$ [@CC10]. The chirality operator $\gamma$ must commute with elements of $\mathcal{A}$ which implies that $\gamma_{F}$ must commute with elements in $\mathcal{A}_{F}.$ Commutativity of the chirality operator $\gamma_{F}$ with the algebra $\mathcal{A}_{F}$ and that this $\mathbb{Z}/2$ grading acts non-trivially reduces the algebra $M_{2}\left( \mathbb{H}\right) $ to $\mathbb{H}_{R}\oplus\mathbb{H}_{L}$ [@CCM14]. Thus the $\gamma_{F}$ is identified with $\gamma_{F}=\Gamma^{5}=\Gamma^{1}\Gamma^{2}\Gamma^{3}\Gamma^{4}$ and the finite space algebra reduces to $$\mathcal{A}_{F}=\mathbb{H}_{R}\oplus\mathbb{H}_{L}\oplus M_{4}\left(
\mathbb{C}\right) .$$ This can be easily seen by noting that an element of $M_{2}\left(
\mathbb{H}\right) $ takes the form $\left(
\begin{array}
[c]{cc}q_{1} & q_{2}\\
q_{3} & q_{4}\end{array}
\right) $ where each $q_{i},$ $i=1,\cdots,4,$ is a $2\times2$ matrix representing a quaternion. Taking the representation of $\Gamma^{5}=\left(
\begin{array}
[c]{cc}1_{2} & 0\\
0 & -1_{2}\end{array}
\right) $ to commute with $M_{2}\left( \mathbb{H}\right) $ implies that $q_{2}=0=q_{3},$ thus reducing the algebra to $\mathbb{H}_{R}\oplus
\mathbb{H}_{L}.$ Therefore the index $\alpha=1,\cdots,4$ splits into two parts, $\overset{.}{a}=\overset{.}{1},\overset{.}{2}$ which is a doublet under $\mathbb{H}_{R}$ and $a=1,2$ which is a doublet under $\mathbb{H}_{L}$. The spinor $\Psi$ further satisfies the chirality condition $\gamma\Psi=\Psi$ which implies that the spinors $\psi_{\overset{.}{a}I}$ are in the $\left(
2_{R},1_{L},4\right) $ with respect to the algebra $\mathbb{H}_{R}\mathbb{\oplus H}_{L}\oplus M_{4}\left( \mathbb{C}\right) $ while $\psi
_{aI}$ are in the $\left( 1_{R},2_{L},4\right) $ representation. The finite space Dirac operator $D_{F}$ is then a $32\times32$ Hermitian matrix acting on the $32$ component spinors $\Psi.$ In addition we take three copies of each spinor to account for the three families, but will omit writing an index for the families. At present we have no explanation for why the number of generations should be three. The Dirac operator for the finite space is then a $96\times96$ Hermitian matrix. The Dirac action is then given by [@CCM07] $$\left( J\Psi,D\Psi\right) .$$ We note that we are considering compact spaces with Euclidean signature and thus the condition $J\Psi=\Psi$ could not be imposed. It could, however, be imposed if the four dimensional space is Lorentzian [@Bar06].The reason is that the $KO$ dimension of the finite space is $6$ because the operators $D_{F},$ $\gamma_{F}$ and $J_{F}$ satisfy$$J_{F}^{2}=1,\qquad J_{F}D_{F}=D_{F}J_{F},\qquad J_{F}\gamma_{F}=-\gamma
_{F}J_{F}.$$ The operators $D_{M},$ $\gamma_{M}=\gamma_{5},$ and $J_{M}=C$ for a compact manifold of dimension $4$ satisfy $$J_{M}^{2}=-1,\qquad J_{M}D_{M}=D_{M}J_{M},\qquad J_{M}\gamma_{5}=\gamma
_{5}J_{M}. \label{Euclidean}$$ Thus the $KO$ dimension of the full noncommutative space $\left(
\mathcal{A},\mathcal{H},D\right) $ with the decorations $J$ and $\gamma$ included is $10$ and satisfies $$J^{2}=-1,\qquad JD=DJ,\qquad J\gamma=-\gamma J.$$ We have shown in [@CCM07] that the path integral of the Dirac action, thanks to the relations $J^{2}=-1$ and $J\gamma=-\gamma J$, yields a Pfaffian of the operator $D$ instead of its determinant and thus eliminates half the degrees of freedom of $\Psi$ and have the same effect as imposing the condition $J\Psi=\Psi.$
We have also seen that the operator $J$ sends the algebra $\mathcal{A}$ to its commutant, and thus the full algebra acting on the Hilbert space $\mathcal{H}$ is $\mathcal{A\otimes A}^{o}.$ Under automorphisms of the algebra $$\Psi\rightarrow U\Psi,$$ where $U=u\widehat{u}$ with $u\in\mathcal{A},$ $\widehat{u}\in\mathcal{A}^{o}$ with $\left[ u,\widehat{u}\right] =0$, it is clear that Dirac action is not invariant.
At this point it is clear that we have retrieved all our conclusions we have before arriving at a unique possibility, which is to have a noncommutative space corresponding to the Pati–Salam Model we considered before, and in the special case where the Dirac operator and algebra satisfy the order one condition, the result is the noncommutative space of the Standard Model. We have thus succeeded in obtaining the Pati–Salam Model and Standard Model as unique possibilities starting with the two sided Heisenberg like equation (\[Heisenberg\]) thus eliminating all other possibilities obtained in classifying finite noncommutative spaces of KO dimension $6.$ There is no need to assume the existence of an isometry that reduces the first algebra from $M_{4}\left( \mathbb{C}\right) $ to $M_{2}\left( \mathbb{H}\right) $, and no need to assume that the KO dimension of the finite space to be $6.$ These results are very satisfactory and serve to enhance our confidence of the fine structure of space time as given by the above derived noncommutative space.
Outlook: towards quantization
=============================
Starting with the simple observation that the Higgs field could be interpreted as the link between two parallel sheets separated by a distance of the order of $10^{-16}$ cm it took enormous effort to identify a noncommutative space where the spectrum of the Standard Model could fit. Small deviations from the model, such as the need for a real structure and a KO dimension $6$, were taken as input to fine tune and determine precisely the noncommutative space. The spectral action principle proved to be very efficient way in evaluating the bosonic sector of the theory. Having identified the noncommutative space, the next target was to understand why nature would chose the Standard Model and not any other possibility. A classification of finite spaces revealed the special nature of the the finite part of the noncommutative space identified. Work on encoding manifolds with dimensions equal to four satisfying a higher form of Heisenberg type equation showed that the most general solution of this equation is that of a noncommutative space which is a product of a four-dimensional Riemannian spin-manifold times the finite space corresponding to a Pati–Salam unification model. The Standard Model is a special case of this space where a first order differential condition is satisfied. After a long journey the reasons why nature chose the Standard Model is now reduced to determining solutions of a higher form of Heisenberg equation. With such little input, it is quite satisfying to learn that it is possible to answer many of the questions which puzzled theorists for a long time. We now know why there are 16 fermions per generation, why the gauge group is $SU\left(
3\right) \times SU\left( 2\right) \times U\left( 1\right) ,$ an explanation of the Higgs field and origin of spontaneous symmetry breaking. The Spectral model also predicts a Majorana mass for the right-handed neutrinos and explains the see-saw mechanism. We thus understand unification of all fundamental forces as a geometrical theory based on the spectral action principle of a noncommutative space.
Naturally, there are many questions that are still unanswered, and this motivates the need for further research to address these problems using noncommutative geometry considerations. To conclude, we mention few of the possible directions of future research. One important aspect to consider is the renormalizability properties of the spectral model. Another problem is to study the quantum properties of the Dirac operator and whether it could be related to the pullbacks of the maps used in determining the quanta of geometry. The future of noncommutative geometry in the program of unification of all fundamental interactions looks now to be very promising.
Pati–Salam model: potential analysis {#app:potential}
====================================
We here include the scalar potential analysis for the composite Pati–Salam model, as described in Section \[sect:patisalam\] above.
If there is unification of lepton and quark couplings, then $\rho=1$ so that the $\Sigma^I_J$-field decouples. In that case we have $$\begin{gathered}
\L_{pot} (\phi_{\overset{.}{a}}^{b},\Delta_{\overset{.}{a}I})=
-\mu^2 \phi_{\overset{.}{a}}^{c} \phi_{c}^{\overset{.}{a}}
- \nu^2 \left( \Delta_{\overset{.}{a}K}\overline{\Delta}^{\overset{.}{a}K}\right) ^{2}+ \lambda_{\Sigma}
\phi_{a}^{\overset{.}{c}}
\phi_{\overset{.}{c}}^{b}
\phi_{b}^{\overset{.}{d}}
\phi_{\overset{.}{d}}^{a}
\\
+ \lambda_H \left(\Delta_{\overset{.}{a}K}\overline{\Delta}^{\overset{.}{a}L}\Delta_{\overset{.}{b}L}\overline{\Delta}^{\overset{.}{b}K} \right)^2
+\lambda_{H \Sigma}
\left( \Delta_{\overset{.}{a}J}\overline{\Delta}^{\overset{.}{a}J}\Delta_{\overset{.}{c}I}\overline{\Delta
}^{\overset{.}{d}I}\right) \phi_{b}^{\overset{.}{c}} \phi_{\overset{.}{d}}^{b}\end{gathered}$$ where we have absorbed some constant factors by redefining the couplings $\lambda_H, \lambda_{H \Sigma}$ and $\lambda_\Sigma$.
We choose unitarity gauge for the $\Delta$ and $\phi$-fields, in the following precise sense.
\[lma:unitary-gauge1\] For each value of the fields $\{ \phi_{\dot a}^b, \Delta_{\dot a I}\}$ there is an element $(u_R,u_L,u) \in SU(2)_R \times SU(2)_L \times SU(4)$ such that $$\begin{aligned}
u_R \begin{pmatrix} \phi_{\dot 1}^1 & \phi_{\dot 1}^2 \\[1mm] \phi_{\dot 2}^1 & \phi_{\dot 2}^2
\end{pmatrix} u_L^* & = \begin{pmatrix} h & 0 \\ 0 & \chi \end{pmatrix}
\intertext{and}
u_R \begin{pmatrix} \Delta_{\dot 1 1}& \Delta_{\dot 1 2}& \Delta_{\dot 1 3}& \Delta_{\dot 1 4}\\ \Delta_{\dot 2 1}& \Delta_{\dot 2 2}& \Delta_{\dot 2 3}& \Delta_{\dot 2 4}\end{pmatrix} u^t &= \begin{pmatrix} 1+\delta_0 & 0& 0 & 0 \\ \delta_1 & \eta_1& 0 &0 \end{pmatrix}\end{aligned}$$ where $h ,\delta_0, \delta_1, \eta_1$ are real fields and $\chi$ is a complex field.
Consider the singular value decomposition of the $2 \times 2$ matrix $(\phi_{\dot a}^b)$: $$\begin{pmatrix} \phi_{\dot 1}^1 & \phi_{\dot 1}^2 \\[1mm] \phi_{\dot 2}^1 & \phi_{\dot 2}^2
\end{pmatrix} = U \begin{pmatrix} h & 0 \\ 0 & k \end{pmatrix} V^*$$ for unitary $2 \times 2$ matrices $U,V$ and real coefficients $h,k$. If we define $$\begin{aligned}
u_R &= \begin{pmatrix} 1 & 0 \\ 0 & \det U\end{pmatrix}U^* \in SU(2)_R\\
u_L &= \begin{pmatrix} 1 & 0 \\ 0 & \det V\end{pmatrix} V^*\in SU(2)_L\end{aligned}$$ it follows that $$\begin{aligned}
u_R \begin{pmatrix} \phi_{\dot 1}^1 & \phi_{\dot 1}^2 \\[1mm] \phi_{\dot 2}^1 & \phi_{\dot 2}^2
\end{pmatrix} u_L^* & = \begin{pmatrix} h & 0 \\ 0 & k \det UV^* \end{pmatrix}
=: \begin{pmatrix} h & 0 \\ 0 & \chi \end{pmatrix}.\end{aligned}$$ Next, we consider $\Delta_{\dot aI}$ and write $$\left(\Delta_{\dot aI}\right) = \begin{pmatrix} u_1^* \\ u_2^* \end{pmatrix},\qquad \text{with } u_a^* = \begin{pmatrix} \Delta_{\dot a 1}& \Delta_{\dot a 2}& \Delta_{\dot a 3}& \Delta_{\dot a 4} \end{pmatrix}$$ for $a=1,2$. We may suppose that the vectors $u_1,u_2$ are such that their inner product $u_1^* u_2$ is a real number. Indeed, if this is not the case, then multiply $\Delta_{\dot aI}$ by a matrix in $SU(2)_R$ as follows: $$\begin{pmatrix} u_1^* \\ u_2^* \end{pmatrix}\mapsto
\begin{pmatrix} \alpha & 0 \\ 0 & \alpha^* \end{pmatrix}\begin{pmatrix} u_1^* \\ u_2^* \end{pmatrix} = \begin{pmatrix} \alpha u_1^* \\ \alpha^* u_2^* \end{pmatrix}.$$ Now the inner product is $(\alpha^* u_1)^* \alpha u_2 = (\alpha)^2 u_1^* u_2$ and we may choose $\alpha$ so as to cancel the phase of $u_1^* u_2$. Moreover, this transformation respects the above form of $\phi_{\dot a}^b$ after a $SU(2)_L$-transformation of exactly the same form: $$\begin{pmatrix} h & 0 \\ 0 & \chi \end{pmatrix} \mapsto
\begin{pmatrix} \alpha & 0 \\ 0 & \alpha^* \end{pmatrix} \begin{pmatrix} h & 0 \\ 0 & \chi \end{pmatrix} \begin{pmatrix} \alpha & 0 \\ 0 & \alpha^* \end{pmatrix} ^* = \begin{pmatrix} h & 0 \\ 0 & \chi \end{pmatrix} .$$ Thus let us continue with the vectors $u_1,u_2$ satisfying $u_1^* u_2 \in \R$. We apply Gramm-Schmidt orthonormalization to $u_1$ and $u_2$, to arrive at the following orthonormal set of vectors $\{e_1,e_2\}$ in $\C^4$: $$e_1 = \frac{u_1 }{\| u_1\|}; \qquad e_2 = \frac{u_2 - \frac{u_1^* u_2}{\|u_1\|} u_1}{\|u_2 - \frac{u_1^* u_2}{\|u_1\|} u_1\|}.$$ We complete this set by choosing two additional orthonormal vectors $e_3$ and $e_4$ and write a unitary $4 \times 4$ matrix: $$U = \begin{pmatrix} e_1 & e_2 & e_3 & e_4 \end{pmatrix}$$ The sought-for matrix $u \in SU(4)$ is determined by $$u^t = U \begin{pmatrix} 1_3 & 0 \\ 0 & \det U^* \end{pmatrix}$$ so as to give $$\left(\Delta_{\dot aI}\right) u^t = \begin{pmatrix} u_1^* e_1 & 0 & 0 & 0 \\ u_2^* e_1 & u_2^* e_2 & 0 & 0 \end{pmatrix} =: \begin{pmatrix} 1+\delta_0 & 0 & 0 & 0 \\ \delta_1 & \eta_1 & 0 & 0 \end{pmatrix}\qedhere$$
Note that this is compatible with the dimension of the quotient of the space of field values by the group. Indeed, the fields $\phi_{\dot a}^b$ and $\Delta_{\dot a I}$ span a real 24-dimensional space (at each manifold point). The dimension of the orbit space is then $24- \dim P$ with $P$ a principal orbit of the action of $SU(2)_R \times SU(2)_L \times SU(4)$ on the space of field values. This dimension $ \dim P$ is determined by the dimension of the group and of a principal isotropy group.
First, we see that up to conjugation there is always a $SU(2)$-subgroup of $SU(4)$ leaving $\Delta_{\dot aI}$ invariant: it corresponds to $SU(2)$-transformations in the space orthogonal to the vectors $\Delta_{\dot 1 I}$ and $\Delta_{\dot 2I}$ in $\C^4$. Moreover, one can compute that the isotropy subgroup of the field values $$\begin{pmatrix} \phi_{\dot a}^b \end{pmatrix} = \begin{pmatrix}1 & 0 \\ 0 & 0 \end{pmatrix}; \qquad \begin{pmatrix} \Delta_{\dot a I} \end{pmatrix} = \begin{pmatrix}1 & 0& 0 & 0 \\ 1 & 1 & 0 & 0 \end{pmatrix}$$ is given by $\mathbb Z_2 \times SU(2)$. Hence, the dimension of the principal orbit is $21 - 3 = 18$ so that the orbit space is 6-dimensional. This corresponds to the 4 real fields $h,\delta_0,\delta_1,\eta_1$ and the complex field $\chi$.
We allow for the colour $SU(3)$-symmetry not to be broken spontaneously, hence we only choose unitarity gauge in the $SU(2)_R \times SU(2)_L \times U(1)$-representations. That is, we retain the row vector $\Delta_{\dot 2 I}$ for $I=1,\ldots, 4$ as a variable and write $$\begin{pmatrix} \Delta_{\dot a I} \end{pmatrix} = \begin{pmatrix}\sqrt{w}+\delta_0/\sqrt w & 0& 0 & 0 \\ \delta_1/\sqrt{w} & \eta_1/\sqrt{w} & \eta_2/\sqrt{w} & \eta_3/\sqrt{w} \end{pmatrix}$$ so that $(\eta_i)$ forms a scalar $SU(3)$-triplet field (so-called [*scalar leptoquarks*]{}). The reason for the rescaling with $\sqrt{w}$ is that it yields the right kinetic terms for $\delta_0,\delta_1$ and $\eta$. Indeed, from the spectral action we then have $$\begin{aligned}
\frac{1}{2}\partial_{\mu}H_{\overset{.}{a}I\overset{.}{b}J}\partial^{\mu}H^{\overset{.}{a}I\overset{.}{b}J}
&=\frac{1}{2} \partial_\mu \left(\Delta_{\overset{.}{a}J}\Delta_{\overset{.}{b}I}\right) \partial^\mu \left(\Delta^{\overset{.}{a}J}\Delta^{\overset{.}{b}J}\right)
\\
&\sim \sum_{a=0}^1 \partial_\mu \delta_a \partial^\mu \delta^a + \partial_\mu \eta \partial^\mu \eta^* + \text{ higher order}\end{aligned}$$ The scalar potential becomes in terms of the fields $h,\chi,\delta_0,\delta_1, \eta_i$: $$\begin{aligned}
&\L_{pot}(h,\chi, \delta_0,\delta_1,\eta) = - \mu^2 ( h^2 + |\chi|^2) -\nu^2 \left( (w+ \delta_0)^2 + \delta_1^2 + |\eta|^2 \right)^2 /w^2
\\
\nn &
\quad + \lambda_{H\Sigma} \left( (w+\delta_0)^2 h^2 + (\delta_1^2 + |\eta|^2) |\chi|^2 \right)\left( (w+ \delta_0)^2 + \delta_1^2 + |\eta|^2 \right) /w^2 \\
\nn &
\quad + \lambda_H \left( (w+\delta_0)^4 + 2 (w+ \delta_0)^2 \delta_1^2+ (\delta_1^2 +|\eta|^2)^2 \right)^2/w^4 + \lambda_\Sigma (h^4+ |\chi|^4) \end{aligned}$$ As we are interested in the truncation to the Standard Model, we look for extrema with $\langle \delta_1\rangle =\langle \eta_i\rangle=0$, whilst setting $\langle h \rangle =v, \langle \delta_0 \rangle = 0, \langle \chi \rangle = x$. Note that the symmetry of these vevs is $$\begin{gathered}
\left\{
\left(\begin{pmatrix} \lambda & 0 \\ 0 & \lambda^* \end{pmatrix},
\begin{pmatrix} \lambda^* & 0 \\ 0 & \lambda \end{pmatrix},
\begin{pmatrix} \lambda^* & 0 \\ 0 & m \end{pmatrix}\right): \lambda \in U(1) , m \in SU(3) \right\}
\\\subset SU(2)_R \times SU(2)_L \times SU(4)\end{gathered}$$ In other words, $SU(2)_R \times SU(2)_L \times SU(4)$ is broken by the above vevs to $U(1) \times SU(3)$.
The first derivative of $V$ vanishes for these vevs precisely if $$\begin{aligned}
2v (w^2 \lambda_{H \Sigma} +2v^2 \lambda_\Sigma - \mu^2 ) = 0,\\
4 x^3 \lambda_\Sigma - 2x \mu^2 = 0,\\
4w (2w^2 \lambda_H + v^2 \lambda_{H \Sigma} - \nu^2) =0.\end{aligned}$$ This gives rise to the fine-tuning of $v,w$ as in [@CC12]: $$w^2 \lambda_{H \Sigma} +2v^2 \lambda_\Sigma - \mu^2 , \qquad 2w^2 \lambda_H + v^2 \lambda_{H \Sigma} - \nu^2$$ choosing $\mu$ and $\nu$ such that the solutions $v,w$ are of the desired orders. Moreover, we find that the vev for $\chi$ either vanishes or is equal to $x=\sqrt{\mu^2/2\lambda_\Sigma}$. Note that this latter vev appears precisely at the entry $k^d h$ (or $k^e h$) of the finite Dirac operator, which we have disregarded by setting $\rho=1$.
If $\langle \chi \rangle = x =0$ then the Hessian is (derivatives with respect to $h,\chi,\delta_0,\delta_1, \eta$): $$\left(
\begin{smallmatrix}
8 v^2 \lambda_\Sigma & 0 & 8 v w \lambda_{H \Sigma} & 0 & 0 \\
0 & -2 w^2\lambda_{H\Sigma} -4 v^2 \lambda \Sigma & 0 & 0 & 0 \\
8 v w \lambda_{H\Sigma} & 0 & 32 w^2 \lambda_H & 0 & 0 \\
0 & 0 & 0 & -2 v^2 \lambda_{H\Sigma} & 0 \\
0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & -8 \lambda_H w^2-2 v^2 \lambda_{H\Sigma} w^2 {\bf 1}_3 \\
\end{smallmatrix}
\right)$$ where the ${\bf 1}_3$ is the identity matrix in colour space, corresponding to the $\eta$-field. This Hessian is not positive definite so we disregard the possibility that $\langle \chi \rangle =0$.
If $x=\sqrt{\mu^2/2\lambda_\Sigma}$ then the Hessian is $$\left(\begin{smallmatrix}
8v^2 \lambda_\Sigma & 0 & 8vw \lambda_{H\Sigma} & 0 & 0 \\
0 & 4w^2 \lambda_{H \Sigma}+8v^2 \lambda_\Sigma & 0 & 0 & 0\\
8vw \lambda_{H\Sigma} & 0 & 32 w^2 \lambda_H & 0 & 0 \\
0 & 0 & 0 & w^2 \frac{\lambda_{H \Sigma}^2}{\lambda_\Sigma} & 0 \\
0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & w^2 \frac{ \lambda_{H\Sigma}^2 - 8 \lambda_H \lambda_\Sigma}{\lambda_\Sigma}{\bf 1}_3
\end{smallmatrix}\right)$$ which is positive-definite if $$\label{eq:positive-mass}
\lambda_{H\Sigma}^2 \geq 8 \lambda_H \lambda_\Sigma.$$ Note that this relation may hold only at high-energies. The masses for $\chi$, $\delta_1$ and $\eta$ are then readily found to be: $$\begin{aligned}
m_\chi^2 &= 4w^2 \lambda_{H \Sigma}+8v^2 \lambda_\Sigma,\\
m_{\delta_1}^2 &= w^2 \frac{\lambda_{H \Sigma}^2}{\lambda_\Sigma} ,\\
m_{\eta}^2 &=w^2 \frac{ \lambda_{H\Sigma}^2 - 8 \lambda_H \lambda_\Sigma}{\lambda_\Sigma} .\end{aligned}$$ Under the assumption that $v^2 \approx 10^2 \operatorname{GeV}, w^2 \approx 10^{11} \operatorname{GeV}$ we have $m_\chi^2 \approx 10^{11} \operatorname{GeV}$ and $m_{\delta_1}^2, m_{\eta} \approx 10^{11}\operatorname{GeV}$.
The (non-diagonal) $h$ and $\delta_0$ sector has mass eigenstates as in [@CC12]: $$\begin{gathered}
m_\pm^2 = 16 w^2\lambda_H +4 v^2 \lambda_\Sigma \\\pm 4\sqrt{16 w^{4} \lambda_H^2 + v^4 \lambda_\Sigma^2 + 4v^2 w^2 \left(\lambda_{H \Sigma}^2 - 2 \lambda_H \lambda_\Sigma \right)}\end{gathered}$$ Under the assumption that $v^2 \ll w^2$ we can expand the square root: $$\begin{aligned}
&4 \sqrt{ 16 \lambda_H^2 w^{4} \left(1 + \frac{\lambda_\Sigma^2}{\lambda_H^2}\frac{v^4}{w^{4}} + \frac{\lambda_{H \Sigma}^2 - 2 \lambda_H \lambda_\Sigma}{4\lambda_H^2} \frac{v^2}{w^2}\right)}\\ \nn
&\qquad\approx 16 \lambda_H w^2 \left(1 +\frac{\lambda_{H \Sigma}^2 - 2 \lambda_H \lambda_\Sigma}{8\lambda_H^2} \frac{v^2}{w^2}\right)
\\\nn
&\qquad= 16\lambda_H w^2 +\frac{2\lambda_{H \Sigma}^2}{\lambda_H} v^2
- 4\lambda_\Sigma v^2.\end{aligned}$$ Consequently, $$\begin{aligned}
m_+ &\approx 32 \lambda_H w^2 + 2 \frac{2\lambda_{H \Sigma}^2}{\lambda_H} v^2, \\
m_- &\approx 8 \lambda_\Sigma v^2 \left(1- \frac{\lambda_{H \Sigma}^2}{4\lambda_H \lambda_\Sigma} \right).\end{aligned}$$ which are of the order of $10^{11}$ and $10^2 \operatorname{GeV}$, respectively. This requires that we have at low energies $$\label{eq:positive-higgs-mass}
4\lambda_H \lambda_\Sigma \geq \lambda_{H \Sigma}^2,$$ which fully agrees with [@CC12] when we identify $\delta_0 \equiv \sigma$ and with the couplings related via $$\lambda_H = \frac14 \lambda_\sigma , \qquad \lambda_{H \Sigma} = \frac12 \lambda_{h\sigma}, \qquad \lambda_\Sigma = \frac14 \lambda_h$$ Note the tension between Equations and , calling for a careful study of the running of the couplings in order to guarantee positive mass eigenstates at their respective energies.
We have summarized the scalar particle content of the above model in Table \[table:part-cont\].
$$\begin{array}{c||ccc}
& U(1)_Y & SU(2)_L & SU(3) \\
\hline\hline
\begin{pmatrix}\phi_1^0 \\ \phi_1^+ \end{pmatrix} = \begin{pmatrix} \phi_{\dot 1}^1\\ \phi_{\dot 1}^2 \end{pmatrix} & 1 & 2 & 1 \\[4mm]
\begin{pmatrix}\phi_2^- \\ \phi_2^0 \end{pmatrix} = \begin{pmatrix} \phi_{\dot 2}^1\\ \phi_{\dot 2}^2 \end{pmatrix}& -1 & 2 & 1 \\[4mm]
\delta_0 & 0 & 1 & 1 \\
\delta_1 & -2 & 1 & 1 \\
\eta & -\frac 23& 1 & 3
\end{array}$$
In terms of the original scalar fields $\phi_{\dot a}^b$ and $\Delta_{\dot aI}$ the vevs are of the following form: $$\begin{aligned}
\begin{pmatrix} \phi_{\dot a}^b \end{pmatrix} &= \begin{pmatrix} v & 0 \\ 0 & \sqrt{\mu^2/2 \Lambda_\Sigma}\end{pmatrix}\\
\begin{pmatrix} \Delta_{\dot a I} \end{pmatrix} &= \begin{pmatrix} w & 0 & 0 & 0 \\ 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 \end{pmatrix} .\end{aligned}$$ This shows that there are two scales of spontaneous symmetry breaking: at $10^{11}-10^{12} \operatorname{GeV}$ we have $$SU(2)_R \times SU(2)_L \times SU(4) \to U(1)_Y \times SU(2)_L \times SU(3)$$ and then at electroweak scale (both $v$ and $\mu$) we have $$U(1)_Y \times SU(2)_L \times SU(3) \to U(1)_Q \times SU(3)$$
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[^1]: The case $N=1$ was exploited successfully in [@DS11] for a noncommutative description of abelian gauge theories.
[^2]: Also other algebras that appear in the classification of irreducible geometries of KO-dimension have been considered in the literature: besides the case $N=4$ that we consider here the simplest case $N=1$ is relevant for the noncommutative geometric description of quantum electrodynamics [@DS11] and the case $N = 8$ leads to the ‘grand algebra’ of [@DLM14; @DLM14b].
[^3]: The case $k=3$ was ruled out by physical considerations [@DLM14].
|
{
"pile_set_name": "ArXiv"
}
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The present disclosure relates to solar energy, and more specifically, to dissipating heat from photovoltaic cells illuminated by concentrated solar rays.
Solar power concentrators are often used in photovoltaic systems to increase an output of the photovoltaic cells. New solar concentrators are able to increase a concentration of incident solar energy by up to and beyond 2000 times. A consequence of this concentration is the production of high levels of heat which raises the temperatures of solar cells. However, solar cells must be operated at temperatures that are typically less than about 110° C. in order to prevent heat damage. Another consequence of the solar concentration is a large current density. It is desired to couple this current to a load in a manner that offers as little electrical resistance as possible to avoid dissipating electrical energy as heat.
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{
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
}
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Delayed, denied?
Its been 6 days and I still havent heard from our case worker or her manager. A couple of days ago, I spoke to our case worker who was helping us out with finding an apartment. Actually it was the broker who did most of the helping. The thought of being homeless is terrifying. Its like our lives are being held by a very thin thread here and we have no choice but to wait and wait until someone gets back to us with an answer. This is a nightmare. I cannot relax and all I can think of is what are we going to do next? Are they going to call us back? Will they be helping us or refer us again to another set of people? What the fuck is going on really???? Im getting really frustrated with this. If I dont call I wont know what the hell is going on. And now even if I do call or try to reach these basturds, they totally ignore me. they seem to want to just want to give us the shaft.
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{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
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2017 IL App (3d) 160022
Opinion filed February 17, 2017
_____________________________________________________________________________
IN THE
APPELLATE COURT OF ILLINOIS
THIRD DISTRICT
2017
MARTHA E. PALMER, MICHELE L. ) Appeal from the Circuit Court
GREEN, LUANN L. CLARK, JOEL L. ) of the 10th Judicial Circuit,
WATKINS, MATTHEW B. WATKINS, ) Marshall County, Illinois.
JENNIFER L. MCCARTHY, ASHLEY )
WATKINS, JOHN W. WATKINS, MARY J. )
CARLSON, RICHARD L. WATKINS, )
ROSE M. MURPHY, RONALD P. )
WATKINS, DANIEL B. WATKINS, )
ROBERT J. WATKINS, ALBERT K. )
WATKINS, JAMES L. WATKINS, )
STEPHEN N. WATKINS, JO GREENSLET )
JONES, JANE MARIE GREENSLET, ) Appeal No. 3-16-0022
KENNETH A. GREENSLET, and ) Circuit No. 14-MR-34
JOHN M.GREENSLET, )
)
Plaintiffs-Appellees, )
)
v. )
)
CHRIS E. MELLEN, PAUL H. MELLEN, )
DENNIS L. MELLEN, CYNTHIA A. )
PARRY, and DAVID L. MELLEN, ) Honorable
) Michael P. McCuskey,
Defendants-Appellants. ) Judge, Presiding.
_____________________________________________________________________________
JUSTICE LYTTON delivered the judgment of the court, with opinion.
Justices O’Brien and Schmidt concurred in the judgment and opinion.
_____________________________________________________________________________
OPINION
¶1 Plaintiffs, Martha E. Palmer and other relatives, filed a complaint seeking dissolution of a
family land trust and partnership against the remaining partners, Chris E. Mellen and his siblings.
The trial court granted summary judgment in favor of plaintiffs. On appeal, defendants argue that
the trial court erred in (1) ruling, as a matter of law, that the partnership should be dissolved,
(2) ignoring provisions of the partnership agreement, (3) denying their motion to strike plaintiffs’
affidavits, and (4) ordering the trust property sold at public auction by a named auctioneer. We
affirm.
¶2 In 1977, Albert Leslie Watkins and Rose Frances Watkins (grantors), as husband and
wife, formed the “Watkins Enterprises Land Trust/Partnership Agreement.” Albert passed away
a few months after the partnership agreement was created, and Rose died in 1989. Under the
terms of the agreement, 1112 shares were initially issued to Albert and Rose’s children and their
then-living grandchildren. Their children have since distributed portions of their shares to their
descendents. The partnership’s primary asset is 450 acres of land, of which 280 acres are tillable
and 120 acres are covered in trees and include a cabin.
¶3 The partnership agreement provides that “[w]hen two or more Persons own Shares, a
Partnership shall thereupon be created and be governed, except as otherwise provided in this
Agreement, by the Partnership Act.” Article 2 of the partnership agreement defines the business
of the partnership as “farming and related activities.” Article 9 describes the termination process
and states that the partnership “shall terminate upon the first to occur of the bankruptcy,
receivership or dissolution of the partnership, or the written agreement of all the Shareholders.”
¶4 The trustee of the partnership is assigned certain duties under article 11 of the agreement.
Specifically, section 11.08 states:
2
“The Trustee shall have the following powers and discretions and, except to the extent
inconsistent herewith, any others that may be granted by law:
(a) To sell any portion of the Property for cash or on credit, at public or
private sales; to exchange any portion of the Property for other property; to grant
options to purchase or acquire any portion of the Property and to determine the
prices and terms of sales, exchanges and options.”
¶5 Currently, there are 26 partners under the trust and partnership agreement. Plaintiffs
comprise 21 of the 26 partners and collectively hold 926.67 shares in the partnership (83.33%).
Defendants, the remaining 5 partners, hold 185.33 shares (16.67%). Plaintiffs include two of the
grantors’ three living children, Martha E. Palmer and Joel L. Watkins, 23 grandchildren, and one
great-grandchild. The five defendants are all children of the grantors’ third child, Georga Mellen.
The trustee of the partnership is plaintiff Robert J. Watkins, who is also a partner. According to
the terms of the agreement, the partnership is governed by a management committee made up of
five partners, including defendant Chris Mellen.
¶6 In 2012, several partners indicated to the trustee that they would like to be “bought out”
by the partnership, but the partnership did not have sufficient funds to purchase the partners’
shares. On July 3, 2012, four of the five members of the partnership’s management committee
voted in favor of selling the property at public auction in an attempt to raise funds for the buyout
and to allow any interested partner an equal right to purchase the property. Chris Mellen voted
against the sale and requested, instead, that the property be appraised.
¶ 7 Three appraisals were then completed. They indicated that the entire 450 acres, including
the cabin, were valued at (1) $2,634,000, (2) $3,160,000, and (3) $3,256,000. The appraisals also
3
provided subdivided parcel reports that valued the pasture and timber areas at (1) $3960 per acre,
(2) $3075 per acre, and (3) $3412 per acre.
¶8 Shortly thereafter, Chris Mellen and Paul Mellen made several offers to purchase the
timbered portions of the property or, in the alternative, the entire parcel. The first offer to
purchase the entire parcel proposed a purchase price based on the average of the three appraisals,
$3,016,666, minus the average value of the cabin and 50% of the closing costs for 2012. The
second offer did not include a reduction for 50% of the 2012 closing costs. All of their offers
were rejected by the partners.
¶9 In the summer of 2013, Trustee Watkins began making plans to sell the partnership
property. He contacted Doug Hensley, a local real estate agent and auctioneer, and asked him to
work on a proposal for public auction.
¶ 10 On November 21, 2014, plaintiffs filed a complaint seeking judicial dissolution of the
partnership and supervision of the partnership’s winding up. In the complaint, plaintiffs alleged
that the partnership’s economic purpose has been unreasonably frustrated and that defendants
had engaged in conduct making it impracticable to continue carrying on partnership business. As
such, plaintiffs requested dissolution and a sale of the partnership real estate on the open market
under section 801(5) of the Uniform Partnership Act (1997) (Act) (805 ILCS 206/801(5) (West
2014)). Defendants moved to dismiss the complaint pursuant to sections 2-615 and 2-619 of the
Code of Civil Procedure (735 ILCS 5/2-615, 2-619 (West 2014)).
¶ 11 Plaintiffs filed a motion for summary judgment. Attached to the summary judgment
motion were numerous affidavits submitted by plaintiffs as partners. The affidavits stated that
defendants Chris Mellen and Paul Mellen had verbally and physically intimidated and threatened
individual plaintiffs, were vocally aggressive at committee meetings, and refused to participate in
4
partnership meetings. The affidavits further averred that all five defendants had failed to respond
to any correspondence from the partnership to participate in the business of the partnership.
¶ 12 The trial court denied defendants’ motion to dismiss. Defendants then filed an answer to
the complaint and a response to plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment. In their responsive
pleading, defendants argued that the partnership agreement required the written consent of all the
partners, except for ministerial acts, and that before the real estate could be sold, all of the
partners had to agree that a public sale was appropriate. They also filed a motion to strike the
affidavits attached to plaintiffs’ summary judgment motion, which was denied. Both parties
subsequently filed supplemental affidavits in support of their summary judgment pleadings.
¶ 13 Following arguments by counsel, the trial court granted summary judgment in favor of
plaintiffs. The trial court found that the value of the partnership real estate was decreasing to the
prejudice of the parties and that it was in the best interests of the partners to sell the property. In
reaching its decision, the court noted that relationships among the partners had irreparably
deteriorated and that defendants Chris Mellen and Paul Mellen had engaged in conduct related to
the partnership business that made it “not reasonably practicable” to carry on the business in
partnership with them. The court ruled that the events requiring dissolution under section 801(5)
of the Act had occurred, finding that (1) the economic purpose of the partnership was likely to be
unreasonably frustrated, (2) partners had engaged in conduct related to the partnership business
that made it not reasonably practicable to carry on the business in partnership with that partner,
and (3) it was not otherwise reasonably practicable to carry on the partnership business in
conformity with the partnership agreement.
¶ 14 The trial court ordered that the partnership be dissolved pursuant to section 801(5) of the
Act and that the winding up of the business be subject to judicial supervision as requested under
5
section 803(a). The court further ordered that the land trust property be sold at public auction “by
Gorsuch-Hensley Real Estate and Auction, Inc., or by an alternative suitable auctioneer or agent
selected by the Trustee of the Partnership and approved by the Court.”
¶ 15 ANALYSIS
¶ 16 I
¶ 17 Defendants argue that the trial court erred in dissolving the partnership under section
801(5) of the Act at the summary judgment stage. They claim that the trial court erred in finding
that defendants engaged in conduct related to the partnership making it not reasonably
practicable to carry on business with other partners or in conformity with the land trust
agreement under sections 801(5)(ii) and (iii). They also maintain that dissolution was
inappropriate under section 801(5)(i) because the economic purpose of the business partnership
is still profitable.
¶ 18 Section 801 of the Uniform Partnership Act provides:
“Events causing dissolution and winding up of partnership business. A
partnership is dissolved, and its business must be wound up, only upon the
occurrence of any of the following events:
***
(5) on application by a partner, a judicial determination that:
(i) the economic purpose of the partnership is likely to be
unreasonably frustrated;
(ii) another partner has engaged in conduct relating to the
partnership business which makes it not reasonably practicable to carry on
the business in partnership with that partner; or
6
(iii) it is not otherwise reasonably practicable to carry on
the partnership business in conformity with the partnership
agreement[.]” 805 ILCS 206/801(5) (West 2014).
¶ 19 The Uniform Partnership Act was enacted in Illinois in 2002. See Pub. Act 92-740,
art.VIII, § 801 (eff. Jan. 1, 2003). Prior to the Act, the partnership statute provided that:
“(1) On application by or for a partner the court shall order a dissolution
whenever:
***
(c) a partner has been guilty of such conduct as tends to affect prejudicially the
carrying on of the business,
(d) a partner willfully or persistently commits a breach of the partnership or
agreement, or otherwise so conducts himself in matter relating to the partnership business
that is not reasonably practicable to carry on the business in partnership with him[.]” 805
ILCS 205/32(1) (West 2000).
¶ 20 While there are few cases interpreting section 801(5) of the current act, there are a
number of cases interpreting similar provisions found in section 32(1). Courts interpreting the
pre-2002 statute have held that where the relations among partners had deteriorated to such an
extent that the partners no longer functioned in partnership with each other, the partnership
should be dissolved. See Tembrina v. Simos, 208 Ill. App. 3d 652, 658 (1991); Susman v.
Cypress Venture, 114 Ill. App. 3d 668, 675 (1982). In Tembrina, the court ordered the
dissolution of the partnership. In doing so, the court stated that it was apparent that animosity
existed between the partners and that they were unwilling to cooperate with each other. The
appellate court also took note of the actions of one partner in causing the partnership property to
7
be conveyed into his individual name and failing to pay real estate taxes. Tembrina, 208 Ill. App.
3d at 658; see also Susman, 114 Ill. App. 3d at 675 (when relationship existing between partners
renders it impracticable for them to conduct business beneficially, dissolution is proper).
¶ 21 Courts in other jurisdictions have also interpreted provisions identical to the language of
the Act and have reached similar conclusions. In Kirksey v. Grohmann, 2008 SD 76, 754 N.W.2d
825, plaintiffs sought dissolution under the state’s partnership statute and the South Dakota
Supreme Court discussed what it meant to be “reasonably practicable.” Id. ¶¶ 13-17. The court
recognized that while forced dissolution is a drastic remedy, it is appropriate where the economic
purpose of the company is reasonably frustrated and it is not reasonably practicable to carry on
the partnership business. In that case, four sisters inherited their family’s ranch. They formed a
limited liability company conveying interest in the property to the company in exchange for
equal ownership. Two sisters leased the property at a rate set in the operating agreement, which
had fallen below market value. As a result, the two other sisters wanted to raise rent prices. The
sisters could not communicate regarding the company except through legal counsel, and they
refused to reach an agreement. Id. ¶¶ 7-8.
¶ 22 The court determined that it was not reasonably practicable to carry on company
business, defining “reasonably practicable” under its plain and ordinary usage as “capable of
being done logically and in a reasonable, feasible manner.” Id. ¶ 15. It noted that the sisters did
not trust or cooperate with each other and were unable to conduct business efficiently. The court
agreed that the company business of ranching could carry on despite the sisters’ dissension but
that the unequal distribution of financial gain and the inability to agree on a company vote meant
that “the operation of the company cannot be a reasonable and practicable operation of a
business.” Id. ¶ 27. The court reiterated that the standard set forth was one of reasonable
8
practicability, not impossibility. It concluded that dissolution and the winding up of company
business was an appropriate remedy given the unrelenting impasse the company faced. Id. ¶ 26.
¶ 23 Similarly, in Brennan v. Brennan Associates, 977 A.2d 107 (Conn. 2009), the
Connecticut Supreme Court considered a demand for judicial dissociation of a partner from a
partnership based on language parallel to that in sections 801(5)(ii) and (iii). Id. at 120. Two
partners no longer trusted the third partner, who was the majority shareholder following the
death of the fourth partner. The court found that the mistrust was justified and was relevant in
determining whether the acrimony in the partnership was so pervasive that dissociation was
warranted. Id. at 119-20. The court held that “an irreparable deterioration of a relationship
between partners is a valid basis to order dissolution” and, therefore, was a valid basis for the
alternative remedy of dissociation. Id. at 120.
¶ 24 Here, defendants refused to agree to the sale of the property and will not directly
communicate with plaintiffs. It has become impracticable for plaintiffs to carry on the
partnership with them. Under the terms of the partnership agreement, a unanimous vote is
required for a decision to dissolve, and the partners are unable to reach a unanimous decision.
Moreover, it is undisputed that defendants have harassed individual plaintiffs, refused to
correspond regarding partnership business, and refused to participate in necessary meetings and
voting procedures. It is also undisputed that personal and professional relationships between
defendants and plaintiffs have suffered irreversible damage. Defendants’ tactics have deprived
the majority of the partners of realizing any benefit from the partnership.
¶ 25 Under these circumstances, there is no genuine issue of fact that (1) the partners have
engaged in conduct relating to the partnership that has made it not reasonably practicable to carry
on the business in partnership and (2) it is not otherwise reasonably practicable to carry on the
9
land trust business in conformity with the family’s partnership agreement. Section 801(5) of the
Act clearly denotes that a judicial determination of only one factor is required to support an order
dissolving a partnership. See 805 ILCS 206/801(5)(i)-(iii) (West 2014); Elementary School
District 159 v. Schiller, 221 Ill. 2d 130, 145 (2006) (use of the word “or” is disjunctive and
denotes different alternatives). Accordingly, the trial court did not err in granting summary
judgment in favor of plaintiffs and dissolving the partnership under section 801(5).
¶ 26 II
¶ 27 Defendants also argue that the trial court’s order dissolving the partnership impermissibly
circumvented the language of the agreement. They claim the agreement provides that plaintiffs
can transfer shares back to the partnership as a buyout if they wish to leave the partnership and
the agreement does not contemplate the sale of partnership property unless the partners
unanimously consent.
¶ 28 Partnership agreements may be used to govern relations among and between the partners
in derogation of the Act. However, the statute lists several nonwaivable provisions that cannot be
varied or altered by a partnership agreement, including the requirement to wind up the
partnership business as specified in section 801(5). 805 ILCS 206/103(b) (West 2014); see
generally 1515 North Wells, L.P. v. 1513 North Wells, L.L.C., 392 Ill. App. 3d 863, 868 (2009)
(partnership agreement, stating that general partner could engage in “whatever activities” he
chose, did not contract away the fiduciary duty general partner owed limited partners under the
Act).
¶ 29 Here, the plain language of the partnership agreement demonstrates that defendants’
arguments must fail. No provision in the partnership agreement allows a partner to voluntarily
tender his or her shares back to the partnership or to the other partners in exchange for their value
10
unless that partner receives a bona fide purchase offer for the shares from a person who is not a
descendent of the grantors or a partner dies. Article 7 of the partnership agreement provided that
if a partner receives an offer to purchase his shares from someone other than a descendent of the
grantors, the right of first refusal provision applies. In the event of an interested buyer, the
partner must transmit an offer to both the partnership and the other partners first as provided in
section 7.01 of the agreement. Article 7 also provides for the purchase of partnership shares upon
the occurrence of a “trigger event,” defined as “the death of a [p]artner.” Article 8 describes the
procedure to determine the purchase price of shares sold under the agreement. It does not provide
a partner with the right to force a sale of his shares to the partnership or to the other partners.
Thus, nothing in the agreement gives plaintiffs the ability to force the partnership or the
remaining partners to “buy out” their shares.
¶ 30 Even if the agreement contained a buyout provision or a provision for dissolving the
business and selling the land trust property, certain provisions of the Act cannot be varied or
altered by any partnership agreement, including dissolving the partnership and the winding up of
partnership business as specified in sections 801(4), (5), or (6). See 805 ILCS 206/801(5),
103(b)(7) (West 2014). Thus, the terms of the agreement do not prevent the partners from filing a
petition to judicially dissolve the partnership under section 801(5) of the Act or the court from
entering a dissolution order where a provision in section 801(5) has been met.
¶ 31 III
¶ 32 Defendants next contend that the trial court erred in denying their motion to strike
plaintiffs’ affidavits submitted in support of plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment.
Defendants argue that the affidavits fail to comply with Illinois Supreme Court Rule 191 (eff.
11
Jan. 4, 2013), which requires that such affidavits set forth with particularity the facts upon which
the affiant relied, and should have been stricken by the trial court.
¶ 33 Illinois Supreme Court Rule 191 provides in relevant part:
“Affidavits in support of *** a motion for summary judgment under section 2-1005 of
the Code of Civil Procedure *** shall be made on the personal knowledge of the affiants;
shall set forth with particularity the facts upon which the claim, counterclaim, or defense
is based; shall have attached thereto sworn or certified copies of all documents upon
which the affiant relies; shall not consist of conclusions but of facts admissible in
evidence; and shall affirmatively show that the affiant, if sworn as a witness, can testify
competently thereto.” Ill. S. Ct. R. 191(a) (eff. Jan. 4, 2013).
In general, this court reviews a circuit court's decision on a motion to strike an affidavit for an
abuse of discretion, but when the motion “was made in conjunction with the court's ruling on a
motion for summary judgment,” we employ a de novo standard of review with respect to the
motion to strike. Jackson v. Graham, 323 Ill. App. 3d 766, 773 (2001).
¶ 34 Here, we find no error in the trial court’s denial of defendants’ motion to strike plaintiffs’
affidavits. Plaintiffs’ affidavits established several material facts that were undisputed. They set
forth averments containing specific examples of tenuous situations between the partners. They
also provided facts regarding partnership procedures and committee meetings and plaintiffs’
failed attempts to correspond with defendants. All of the affidavits established that there had
been an irreparable deterioration of the relationship between plaintiffs and defendants as
partners. The trial court’s denial of the motion to strike is affirmed.
¶ 35 IV
12
¶ 36 Last, defendants claim that the trial court erred in ordering that the real estate be sold at
public auction and naming the auctioneer sua sponte.
¶ 37 On application of a partner, the court may, “for good cause shown,” order judicial
supervision of liquidation of the partnership or, as the statute provides, the “winding up” of
partnership business. 805 ILCS 206/803(a) (West 2014). In this case, the trial court found that
good cause had been shown for judicial supervision and ordered that the partnership property be
sold at public auction by Gorsuch-Hensley Real Estate and Auction. Defendants do not challenge
the trial court’s finding of good cause. Accordingly, we find that the trial court’s supervision of
the winding up of business was proper and that its order directing the sale of partnership property
was appropriate. See 805 ILCS 206/803(a) (West 2014).
¶ 38 Defendants also argue that the court erred in specifically naming an individual
auctioneer. The affidavit of Doug Hensley, the auctioneer assigned by the court, demonstrated
that his firm had prepared marketing materials for the auction in 2013 and had entered into a
prior contract with the partnership to conduct the auction. Appointing an auctioneer who was
familiar with the property is financially advantageous to the partnership and its assets. See
Higgins v. Higgins, 72 Ill. App. 2d 179, 190-91 (1966) (economic conditions and financial
benefits are important factors in decisions liquidating partnership property). Under the
circumstances, we find that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in appointing Hensley as
the auctioneer, or in the alternative, providing the trustee with the power to select another
suitable auctioneer.
¶ 39 CONCLUSION
¶ 40 The judgment of the circuit court of Marshall County is affirmed.
¶ 41 Affirmed.
13
|
{
"pile_set_name": "FreeLaw"
}
|
Showrunners tease mysterious plot: Why there are two ships, and their biggest Trek influences
Star Trek type Movie
You’ve seen the trailer. You’ve read our teases. But what is Star Trek: Discovery really about? And why are there two starships in this show, the U.S.S. Discovery and the Shenzhou?
Showrunners Aaron Harberts and Gretchen J. Berg don’t want to give away too much of the plot. The CBS All Access drama is heavily serialized with plenty of twists and turns — particularly in the first few episodes — which makes the storyline difficult to discuss.
But here’s some new intel the duo are ready to reveal about the series, which stars Sonequa Martin-Green as a Starfleet First Officer who was the first human to attend the Vulcan Science Academy.
“Burnham [has] spent a lot of time on Vulcan, but she’s human,” Harberts says. “Sarek [Spock’s father, played by James Frain] plays an important role in her life, which has been completely planned until she makes a very difficult choice that sends her life on a very different path. When we meet her, she’s the First Officer on the Starship Shenzhou [captained by Philippa Georgiou, played by Michelle Yeoh]. And Burnham’s choice that we’re alluding to is most difficult choice you can make — it affects her, affects Starfleet, affects the Federation, it affects the entire universe. That choice leads her to a different ship, the Discovery [helmed by Captain Lorca, played by Jason Isaacs] and there we begin what Gretchen and I call our ‘second pilot.'”
Burham is, of course, the first Trek lead who is not a captain,* so we asked the showrunners what that choice adds to the drama.
“The joy is in the journey,” Berg replied. “The advantage to her not being in charge of the bridge right now is we get to tell stories from a very different point of view. It’s a fresh feeling because we’re not on the bridge all the time. We get access to more parts of the ship.”
Also, the Klingons are heavily involved in the season … and they’re not very friendly.
In addition, we asked the producers which Trek series or film has the biggest influence on the new series.
“There’s a hint of all of them, but in the writers’ room people are so in love with The Original Series and Next Generation, and they talk about the family aspect of those cast members,” Berg said.
Added Harberts: “I think Nicholas Myers’ film are a touchstone, and not just because he’s been on staff with us. His storytelling is complex and intellectual and yet there’s a lot of room for character voices and character work, he’s done such an incredible job with the franchise. In terms of scope and scale, there’s something about Star Trek: The Motion Picture that really speaks to us as well. CBS has allowed us to find a cinematic language that’s wider in scope — our aspect ratio is 2:1 — and it just lends itself to a very lyrical way of telling the story. And just visually speaking, there’s also a little hint in terms of what J.J. Abrams did, a little bit, in terms of some of the visuals.”
Previous: The frustrating longtime guideline that Discovery will ditch.
Previous: First look at a groovy new transporter room
Previous: Discovery star Sonequa Martin-Green torpedos racist trolls
Previous: First look at Jason Isaacs as Discovery’s Captain Lorca.
Previous: Star Trek: Discovery star Sonequa Martin-Green breaks her silence on her mysterious character.
Previous: Star Trek: Discovery producers explain the show’s delays.
Previous: Star Trek: Discovery trailer and premiere date.
Star Trek: Discovery will debut Sunday, Sept. 24 (first on CBS, then shifting to CBS All Access streaming service; Netflix internationally). EW has more to come, follow @jameshibberd for the latest.
* Yes I know, Sisko in DS9 was also not technically a captain but that was only because the show was set on a space station and not on a ship; he was still the highest ranking officer, which amounted to the same thing.
Episode Recaps Previous 10 best Star Trek moments from Patrick Stewart's Jean-Luc Picard By Nick Romano
Star Trek: Discovery reveals 10 playful backstage photos By James Hibberd
Captain Kirk’s Uniform and 16 More Star Trek Props Hitting the Auction Block By David Canfield
Star Trek: Discovery Is Ready to Boldly Go in Premiere Photos By EW Staff
Star Trek: Discovery Exclusive: 24 Photos of the New Series By James Hibberd
18 great pop culture trios By Mary Sollosi Next
|
{
"pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2"
}
|
Leroy Brown (coach)
Leroy N. Brown (July 17, 1887 – ?) was an American football and basketball coach. He was the head football coach at Michigan State Normal College—now known as Eastern Michigan University—in Ypsilanti, Michigan from 1912 to 1913, compiling a record of 6–5–2. He was also the head basketball coach at Michigan State Normal from 1912 to 1914, tallying a mark of 13–6.
Brown lived in Ann Arbor, Michigan. In 1914, he married Alice Steppans.
Head coaching record
Football
Basketball
References
Category:1887 births
Category:Year of death missing
Category:Eastern Michigan Eagles football coaches
Category:Eastern Michigan Eagles football players
Category:Eastern Michigan Eagles men's basketball coaches
Category:People from Clarkston, Michigan
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Wikipedia (en)"
}
|
P-Values and Exploratory Research
Lately I’ve been talking a lot about the question of whether scientists should preregister their research protocols.
One question that often arises in these discussion is: “what about exploratory research?”
The argument goes like this: sure, preregistration is good for confirmatory research – research designed to test a particular hypothesis. However, some research (perhaps most) is exploratory, meaning that it’s about collecting data and seeing where it leads. Exploratory studies
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
[](https://sourcegraph.com/github.com/json-iterator/go?badge)
[](https://pkg.go.dev/github.com/json-iterator/go)
[](https://travis-ci.org/json-iterator/go)
[](https://codecov.io/gh/json-iterator/go)
[](https://goreportcard.com/report/github.com/json-iterator/go)
[](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/json-iterator/go/master/LICENSE)
[](https://gitter.im/json-iterator/Lobby)
A high-performance 100% compatible drop-in replacement of "encoding/json"
You can also use thrift like JSON using [thrift-iterator](https://github.com/thrift-iterator/go)
# Benchmark
Source code: https://github.com/json-iterator/go-benchmark/blob/master/src/github.com/json-iterator/go-benchmark/benchmark_medium_payload_test.go
Raw Result (easyjson requires static code generation)
| | ns/op | allocation bytes | allocation times |
| --------------- | ----------- | ---------------- | ---------------- |
| std decode | 35510 ns/op | 1960 B/op | 99 allocs/op |
| easyjson decode | 8499 ns/op | 160 B/op | 4 allocs/op |
| jsoniter decode | 5623 ns/op | 160 B/op | 3 allocs/op |
| std encode | 2213 ns/op | 712 B/op | 5 allocs/op |
| easyjson encode | 883 ns/op | 576 B/op | 3 allocs/op |
| jsoniter encode | 837 ns/op | 384 B/op | 4 allocs/op |
Always benchmark with your own workload.
The result depends heavily on the data input.
# Usage
100% compatibility with standard lib
Replace
```go
import "encoding/json"
json.Marshal(&data)
```
with
```go
import jsoniter "github.com/json-iterator/go"
var json = jsoniter.ConfigCompatibleWithStandardLibrary
json.Marshal(&data)
```
Replace
```go
import "encoding/json"
json.Unmarshal(input, &data)
```
with
```go
import jsoniter "github.com/json-iterator/go"
var json = jsoniter.ConfigCompatibleWithStandardLibrary
json.Unmarshal(input, &data)
```
[More documentation](http://jsoniter.com/migrate-from-go-std.html)
# How to get
```
go get github.com/json-iterator/go
```
# Contribution Welcomed !
Contributors
- [thockin](https://github.com/thockin)
- [mattn](https://github.com/mattn)
- [cch123](https://github.com/cch123)
- [Oleg Shaldybin](https://github.com/olegshaldybin)
- [Jason Toffaletti](https://github.com/toffaletti)
Report issue or pull request, or email taowen@gmail.com, or [](https://gitter.im/json-iterator/Lobby)
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Github"
}
|
GUWAHATI: At the stroke of midnight Sunday, the Assam government will release the first draft of the much-awaited National Register of Citizens (NRC) with names of 2.24 crore bona fide Indian citizens.Of the 3.28 crore people who had applied for inclusion in the registry, 2.24 crore have found a place in the first draft following verification of their documents. The rest will be considered in the next two drafts, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal told mediapersons on Saturday."As per hon'ble Supreme Court 's order, there will be two more drafts of the NRC and the names of all genuine citizen claimants whose names do not feature in the first publication will be included in it after verification of the pending documents," Sonowal said.Dispelling apprehensions over security, Sonowal said no untoward situation is expected to arise as the district administrations have been conducting public meetings and campaigns to explain to the people the updation procedures.The chief minister also said the media have an important role to play in disseminating correct information to the public."Social media will be monitored closely for misinformation on the NRC draft and strict action will be taken against those attempting to create trouble," he said.Asked about a tentative date for release of the final draft, Sonowal said, "The Assam government is conducting the NRC updation process with the state government machinery, the district deputy commissioners' offices mobilised for it on the orders of the Supreme Court ... The complete draft will be published after verification of all documents of those who had applied for inclusion."The state coordinator for NRC, Prateek Hajela, asserted that "genuine" Indian citizens need not panic if their names have not appeared in the first draft as verification process is yet to be completed."If the name of any genuine Indian citizen does not appear in the first draft, it means the verification process of that person is yet to be completed," Hajela said, adding there will be scope for making claims after the final draft is published.Union home secretary Rajiv Gauba, during his visit to the state, had also said there will be an opportunity for claims and objections after the release of the third draft."Those who do not find their names in the first draft need not worry as there will be opportunities for subsequent investigation and document verification," Gauba had said after reviewing the NRC updation process in Assam.The office of the state coordinator for NRC has made elaborate arrangements for people to check their names in the first draft at NRC sewa kendras across the state from 8am on January 1. They can also check for information online and through SMS services.Assam, which faced influx from Bangladesh since the early 20th century, is the only state having an NRC, first prepared in 1951.According to the Assam government's official website, "The NRC is a register containing names of Indian citizens. The only time that a National Register of Citizens (NRC) was prepared was in 1951 when after conduct of the Census of 1951."It was prepared by recording particulars of all the persons enumerated during that Census, the website said.The issue of updating the NRC of 1951 was first raised by the All Assam Students' Union (AASU) more than three decades ago. The students' body had submitted a memorandum to the Centre on January 18, 1980, two months after launching the anti-illegal foreigners Assam Movement.On November 17, 1999, at an official-level tripartite meeting to review the implementation of the Assam Accord, a decision was taken that the NRC would be updated and the Centre sanctioned Rs 20 lakh for the purpose and released Rs 5 lakh of it to start the exercise.The final decision to update the NRC was taken on May 5, 2005 when the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh chaired a meeting to review the implementation of the accord.Thereafter, the government created a directorate for updating the NRC and the process of computerisation of the voters' list up to 1971 and the NRC of 1951 began.A pilot project that was launched in two revenue circles of Barpeta and Chaygaon was suspended after a violent protest by a few organisations. The state government then formed a group of ministers (GoM) to hold talks with different organisations to draft modalities for updating the NRC.The updation process finally gained momentum after the Supreme Court started monitoring its progress and set December 31 midnight as the date for publication of the first draft of the NRC.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2"
}
|
Q:
Scrap/extract with Java, result from coinmarketcap.com
I need to extract coinmarket cap volume (ex: Market Cap: $306,020,249,332) from top of page with Java, please see picture attached.
I have used jsoup library in Java Eclipse but didn't extract volume. Jsoup extract only other attributes. Probably problem is from a java script library.
Also I have used html unit without success:
import java.io.IOException;
import java.util.List;
import com.gargoylesoftware.htmlunit.WebClient;
import com.gargoylesoftware.htmlunit.html.HtmlAnchor;
import com.gargoylesoftware.htmlunit.html.HtmlPage;
public class Testss {
public static void main(String\[\] args) throws IOException {
String url = "https://coinmarketcap.com/faq/";
WebClient client = new WebClient();
HtmlPage page = client.getPage(url);
List<?> anchors = page.getByXPath("//div\[@class='col-sm-6 text-center'\]//a");
for (Object obj : anchors) {
HtmlAnchor a = (HtmlAnchor) obj;
System.out.println(a.getTextContent().trim());
}
}
}
How can I extract volume from this site with Java?
Thanks!
A:
Check the network tab findout the exact request which is fetching the data, In your case its https://files.coinmarketcap.com/generated/stats/global.json
Also the request URL is the below one
So, Fetching the main URL will not give you what you require, For that you have to fetch the data from the request URL directly and parse it using any JSON library. SimpleJSON I can suggest in one of those.
The JSON data which you will get after hitting the url.
{
"bitcoin_percentage_of_market_cap": 55.95083004655126,
"active_cryptocurrencies": 1324,
"total_volume_usd": 21503093761,
"active_markets": 7009,
"total_market_cap_by_available_supply_usd": 301100436864
}
|
{
"pile_set_name": "StackExchange"
}
|
TechRules, basé en Chine, a dévoilé les concepts de supercar AT96 et GT96 TREV au salon de Genève .
La société chinoise de recherche et développement techrules présente son premier véhicule électrique sur le marché – le «TREV». Le nom, qui signifie ” véhicule électrique à recharge de turbine ”! promet de fournir une autonomie et une efficacité sans précédent avec un système de transmission hybride utilisant une turbogénératrice.
Une micro-turbine pour générer de l’électricité
Le concept utilise une micro-turbine pour générer de l’électricité qui charge les batteries embarquées! cela alimentent ensuite les moteurs. L’air aspiré dans la micro-turbine passe à travers un échangeur de chaleur où la chaleur de l’air d’échappement est_transférée à la prise froide après avoir été_comprimée. L’allumage du mélange air-combustible comprimé et chauffé génère de l’énergie qui est_canalisée vers des vitesses très élevées vers la turbine tournante. Les gaz d’échappement chauds sont_éjectés! ils traversent l’échangeur de chaleur pour assurer que la chaleur est récupérée et transférée à nouveau à l’air froid d’admission.
Motorisation
Les premiers chiffres semblent impressionnants avec une puissance de 768 kW et une autonomie de plus de 2000 km. Le système TREV est une combinaison parfaite des technologies des micro-turbines et des véhicules électriques! déclare William Jin, fondateur et PDG. Il est_très efficace, produit de très faibles émissions et fournit une solution de charge optimale pour les véhicules électriques. Nous pensons que cela pourrait_redéfinir la façon dont la prochaine génération de véhicules électriques est_alimentée.
1 044 ch, 8 600 Nm de couple aux roues, 2,5 s pour le 0 à 100 km/h (comme la Bugatti Chiron ou une F1), 350 km/h en pointe… le tout pour 0,18 l/100 km de consommation et plus de 2 000 kilomètres d’autonomie !
Au salon de l’automobile de Genève 2016, techrules a présenté les concepts avec deux modèles – les «AT96» et les «GT96». Chaque conception offre une configuration alternative du système «TREV» qui pourrait entrer en production en Chine.
Galerie Photos / TechRules AT96 TREV
Derniers contenus
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|
{
"pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2"
}
|
This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article meets our high standards.
The wikiHow Tech Team also followed the article's instructions and validated that they work.
Learn more...
This wikiHow teaches you how to add your Microsoft Exchange account to your iPhone's Mail app.
Steps
Part 1
Adding Exchange to your iPhone's Mail App
1
Open your iPhone's Settings. It's a grey app with gears on it. You'll likely find this app on the Home Screen.
2
Scroll down and tap Mail. This option is roughly one quarter of the way down the page.
3
Tap Accounts. It's at the top of the "Mail" page.
4
Tap Add Account. You'll see this option at the bottom of the list of accounts that are synchronized with your iPhone's Mail app.
5
Tap Exchange. It's near the top of the page. Tapping this option will open an "Exchange" form for you to fill out.
6
Enter your Exchange account details. These will include the following information:
Email - Your Exchange email address.
Password - Your Exchange email password.
Description - Optional summary of the account's purpose.
7
Tap Next. It's in the top-right corner of the screen.
8
Enter your Exchange server information. If you don't have access to this information, you'll need to contact your system administrator for the details:[1]
Domain - The name assigned to the Exchange server by your company.
Username - The username assigned to you by your company.
Password - The password for your Exchange account.
9
Tap Next.
10
Enable or disable components of Exchange. You'll do so by sliding each option's switch right to enable it (the option will turn green) or left to disable it (the option will turn white). You can synchronize the following options:
Mail
Contacts
Calendars
Reminders
Notes
Part 2
Accessing Exchange on iPhone
1
Open Mail. It's a blue app with a white envelope on the front.
2
Scroll down to the "Exchange" section. Its location on the "Mailboxes" page may vary depending on the other email accounts you have synchronized.
If Mail opens to an inbox (e.g., Gmail or iCloud), first tap the "Back" button in the top-left corner of the screen.
3
Tap Inbox. It's directly below the "Exchange" heading. Doing so will take you to your Exchange inbox, where anything you've synchronized will be listed.
How do I know if I'm adding appointments on my iPhone calendar and not my Exchange calendar?
Community Answer
Since the two are synchronized, your iPhone appointments will appear in your Exchange calendar and vice versa. You can also tap "Calendars" at the bottom of the Calendar app's page to see which calendars are displayed; from here, you can un-check the "Exchange" calendar to view just iCloud (or vice versa).
Article Info
This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article meets our high standards.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
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