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[en] The greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation potentials of number of selected Biomass Energy Technologies (BETs) have been assessed in Vietnam. These include Biomass Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (BIGCC) based on wood and bagasse, direct combustion plants based on wood, co-firing power plants and Stirling engine based on wood and cooking stoves. Using the Long-range Energy Alternative Planning (LEAP) model, different scenarios were considered, namely the base case with no mitigation options, replacement of kerosene and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) by biogas stove, substitution of gasoline by ethanol in transport sector, replacement of coal by wood as fuel in industrial boilers, electricity generation with biomass energy technologies and an integrated scenario including all the options together. Substitution of coal stoves by biogas stove has positive abatement cost, as the cost of wood in Vietnam is higher than coal. Replacement of kerosene and LPG cookstoves by biomass stove also has a positive abatement cost. Replacement of gasoline by ethanol can be realized after a few years, as at present the cost of ethanol is more than the cost of gasoline. The replacement of coal by biomass in industrial boiler is also not an attractive option as wood is more expensive than coal in Vietnam. The substitution of fossil fuel fired plants by packages of BETs has a negative abatement cost. This option, if implemented, would result in mitigation of 10.83 million tonnes (Mt) of CO2 in 2010
[en] The power cost and optimum plant size for power plants using three biomass fuels in western Canada were determined. The three fuels are biomass from agricultural residues (grain straw), whole boreal forest, and forest harvest residues from existing lumber and pulp operations (limbs and tops). Forest harvest residues have the smallest economic size, 137 MW, and the highest power cost, $63.00 MWh-1 (Year 2000 US$). The optimum size for agricultural residues is 450 MW (the largest single biomass unit judged feasible in this study), and the power cost is $50.30 MWh-1. If a larger biomass boiler could be built, the optimum project size for straw would be 628 MW. Whole forest harvesting has an optimum size of 900 MW (two maximum sized units), and a power cost of $47.16 MWh-1 without nutrient replacement. However, power cost versus size from whole forest is essentially flat from 450 MW ($47.76 MWh-1) to 3150 MW ($48.86 MWh-1), so the optimum size is better thought of as a wide range. None of these projects are economic today, but could become so with a greenhouse gas credit. All biomass cases show some flatness in the profile of power cost vs. plant capacity. This occurs because the reduction in capital cost per unit capacity with increasing capacity is offset by increasing biomass transportation cost as the area from which biomass is drawn increases. This in turn means that smaller than optimum plants can be built with only a minor cost penalty. Both the yield of biomass per unit area and the location of the biomass have an impact on power cost and optimum size. Agricultural and forest harvest residues are transported over existing road networks, whereas the whole forest harvest requires new roads and has a location remote from existing transmission lines. Nutrient replacement in the whole forest case would make power from the forest comparable in cost to power from straw
[en] Highlights: • We develop water consumption and withdrawals coefficients for coal power generation. • We develop life cycle water footprints for 36 coal-based electricity generation pathways. • Different coal power generation technologies were assessed. • Sensitivity analysis of plant performance and coal transportation on water demand. - Abstract: This paper aims to develop benchmark coefficients for water consumption and water withdrawals over the full life cycle of coal-based power generation. This study considered not only all of the unit operations involved in the full electricity generation life cycle but also compared different coal-based power generating technologies. Overall this study develops the life cycle water footprint for 36 different coal-based electricity generation pathways. Power generation pathways involving new technologies of integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) or ultra supercritical technology with coal transportation by conventional means and using dry cooling systems have the least complete life cycle water-demand coefficients of about 1 L/kW h. Sensitivity analysis is conducted to study the impact of power plant performance and coal transportation on the water demand coefficients. The consumption coefficient over life cycle of ultra supercritical or IGCC power plants are 0.12 L/kW h higher when conventional transportation of coal is replaced by coal-log pipeline. Similarly, if the conventional transportation of coal is replaced by its transportation in the form of a slurry through a pipeline, the consumption coefficient of a subcritical power plant increases by 0.52 L/kW h
[en] There is considerable focus on oil sands transportation fuel production. However, most studies focus on greenhouse gas emissions; there is limited work on understanding the life cycle water footprint. This study is an effort to address this gap. The main objective of this study is to develop water demand coefficients of the complete life cycle of oil sands transportation fuel production. Water demand coefficients include consumption and withdrawals, which were estimated for different oil sands unit operations pathways for production in Alberta, Canada. The pathways include three key operations, bitumen extraction, upgrading, and refining. The water consumption coefficients for the complete life cycle range from 2.08 to 4.19 barrels of water (bblW) per barrel of refined oil (bblBUR) and 2.87–5.16 bblW/bblBUR for water withdrawals coefficients. The lower limit for water demand coefficients is found in refined and upgraded in situ steam assisted gravity drainage recovery and the higher amount in refined and upgraded surface mining recovery. A sensitivity analysis was conducted through Monte Carlo simulations to study the uncertainty of the water demand coefficients. The water consumption coefficient for oil sands extraction at a 90% probability was found to be 0.34–2.8 bblW/bblB, upgrading be 0.87 bblW/bblU, and refining to be 1.52 bblW/bblR. - Highlights: • The life cycle water footprint for oil sands-based transportation fuel was studied. • Water footprints for bitumen extraction, upgrading, and refining were developed. • The water consumption coefficients for the complete life cycle of oil sands ranges from 2.08 to 4.19 bbl/bbl refined oil. • Surface mining has a higher water consumption coefficient than steam-assisted gravity drainage.
[en] In this article, we present an in-depth review of the phenomenon of negative magnetization (or magnetization sign reversal) with an up-to-date literature. We have described numerous experimental examples of the phenomenon, involving a variety of magnetically ordered systems, where it does not arise due to diamagnetism. The present review discusses physics principles for the sign reversal of magnetization under the following mechanisms: (a) negative exchange coupling among ferromagnetic sublattices, (b) negative exchange coupling among canted antiferromagnetic sublattices, (c) negative exchange coupling among ferromagnetic/canted-antiferromagnetic and paramagnetic sublattices, (d) imbalance of spin and orbital moments, and (e) interfacial exchange coupling between ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic phases. We have put forward the roles of crystal structure, crystallite type (single crystal, bulk polycrystalline, thin film, and nanoparticle), lattice defect, electronic or chemical phase separation, magnetic anisotropy, and magnetic exchange interactions in the magnetization reversal. This review validates the mean field theory, given by L. Néel (1948), for an explanation of the negative magnetization under the category (a). We also bring out the necessity of further theoretical work to account for the other categories, (b)–(e). The present review also describes the importance of various magnetization measurement protocols for the occurrence of the magnetization reversal. Finally, we have pointed out the tunability aspect of the phenomenon. We conclude that the practical utilization of this phenomenon in magnetic memory, and magnetocaloric and spin resolving devices might be realized by choosing appropriate and well characterized materials whose compensation temperature can be tuned to room temperature
[en] Highlights: • Water consumption and withdrawals coefficients for renewable power generation were developed. • Six renewable energy sources (biomass, nuclear, solar, wind, hydroelectricity, and geothermal) were studied. • Life cycle water footprints for 60 electricity generation pathways were considered. • Impact of cooling systems for some power generation pathways was assessed. - Abstract: Renewable energy technology-based power generation is considered to be environmentally friendly and to have a low life cycle greenhouse gas emissions footprint. However, the life cycle water footprint of renewable energy technology-based power generation needs to be assessed. The objective of this study is to develop life cycle water footprints for renewable energy technology-based power generation pathways. Water demand is evaluated through consumption and withdrawals coefficients developed in this study. Sixty renewable energy technology-based power generation pathways were developed for a comprehensive comparative assessment of water footprints. The pathways were based on the use of biomass, nuclear, solar, wind, hydroelectricity, and geothermal as the source of energy. During the complete life cycle, power generation from bio-oil extracted from wood chips, a biomass source, was found to have the highest water demand footprint and wind power the lowest. During the complete life cycle, the water demand coefficients for biomass-based power generation pathways range from 260 to 1289 l of water per kilowatt hour and for nuclear energy pathways from 0.48 to 179 l of water per kilowatt hour. The water demand for power generation from solar energy-based pathways ranges from 0.02 to 4.39 l of water per kilowatt hour, for geothermal pathways from 0.04 to 1.94 l of water per kilowatt hour, and for wind from 0.005 to 0.104 l of water per kilowatt hour. A sensitivity analysis was conducted with varying conversion efficiencies to evaluate the impact of power plant performance on water demand. Cooling systems used in power generation plants were also studied and include once-through, recirculating, dry, and hybrid cooling. When only the power generation stage is considered, hydroelectricity and nuclear power generation with once-through cooling systems showed the highest water consumption (68 l of water per kilowatt hour) and water withdrawals coefficients (178 l of water per kilowatt hour), respectively.
[en] Highlights: • Water consumption and withdrawals coefficients for gas-fired power generation. • Life cycle water footprints for 18 gas-fired electricity generation pathways. • Different gas-fired power generation technologies were assessed. • Sensitivity analysis on water demand for upstream and power generation stages. - Abstract: The key objective of this paper is to develop a benchmark for water demand coefficients of the complete life cycle of natural gas-fired power generation. Water demand coefficients include water consumption and water withdrawals for various stages of natural gas production as well as for power generation from it. Pathways were structured based on the unit operations of the types of natural gas sources, power generation technologies, and cooling systems. Eighteen generic pathways were developed to comparatively study the impacts of different unit operations on water demand. The lowest life cycle water consumption coefficient of 0.12 L/kW h is for the pathway of conventional gas with combined cycle technology, and dry cooling. The highest life cycle consumption coefficient of 2.57 L/kW h is for a pathway of shale gas utilization through steam cycle technology and cooling tower systems. The water consumption coefficient for the complete life cycle of cogeneration technology is in the range 0.07–0.39 L/kW h and for withdrawals ranged 0.10–14.73 L/kW h.
[en] This study estimated the greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) and net energy ratio (NER) for producing hydrogenation-derived renewable diesel (HDRD) from canola and camelina in Western Canada. Using 1 MJ of energy in the HDRD produced as the functional unit, a variety of scenarios were evaluated to account for variations in allocation methods, co-products, oilseed yield, N2O emission factor, and land use change (LUC). In producing HDRD, the farming stage and the oil conversion stage (i.e. the HDRD production stage) are the most energy and emission intensive. For canola based HDRD, the GHGs and NERs lie in the ranges of 33–94 gCO2e/MJ and 1.2–2.2 MJ/MJ respectively. For camelina based HDRD, the GHGs and NERs range from 30 – 82 gCO2e/MJ and 1.0–2.3 MJ/MJ respectively. In the base scenario (mass allocation; oilseed meal and propane fuel gas co-products; average yield; 0.76% N2O emission factor; LUC ignored), HDRD from camelina (38 gCO2e/MJ, 2.0 MJ/MJ) is environmentally superior to HDRD from canola (48 gCO2e/MJ, 1.7 MJ/MJ) due to lower agricultural inputs and higher yield for camelina. Considering all of the scenarios examined, HDRD from both crops appears to be more sustainable than fossil diesel. - Highlights: • This study estimates the net energy ratio and greenhouse gas emissions in production and utilization of renewable diesel. • The life cycle approach has been used in this study using canola and camelina as feedtocks. • Several scenarios were developed to study the impacts of variations in unit operations on net energy ratio and emissions. • HDRD from both crops appears to be more sustainable than fossil diesel
[en] Highlights: • Development of a techno-economic model for UCG-CCS and SMR-CCS. • Estimation of H2 production costs with and without CCS for UCG and SMR. • UCG is more economical for H2 production with CCS. • SMR is more cost efficient for H2 production without CCS. • Cost competiveness is highly sensitive to the IRR differential between UCG and SMR. - Abstract: This paper examines the techno-economic viability of hydrogen production from underground coal gasification (UCG) in Western Canada, for the servicing of the oil sands bitumen upgrading industry. Hydrogen production for bitumen upgrading is predominantly achieved via steam methane reforming (SMR); which involves significant greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions along with considerable feedstock (natural gas) cost volatility. UCG is a formidable candidate for cost-competitive environmentally sustainable hydrogen production; given its negligible feedstock cost, the enormity of deep coal reserves in Western Canada and the favourable CO2 sequestration characteristics of potential UCG sites in the Western Canadian sedimentary basin (WCSB). Techno-economic models were developed for UCG and SMR with and without CCS, to estimate the cost of hydrogen production including delivery to a bitumen upgrader. In this paper, at base case conditions, a 5% internal rate of return (IRR) differential between UCG and SMR was considered so as to account for the increased investment risk associated with UCG. The cost of UCG hydrogen production without CCS is estimated to be $1.78/kg of H2. With CCS, this increases to range of $2.11–$2.70/kg of H2, depending on the distance of the site for CO2 sequestration from the UCG plant. The SMR hydrogen production cost without CCS is estimated to be $1.73/kg of H2. In similar fashion to UCG, this rises to a range of $2.14 to $2.41/kg of H2 with the consideration of CCS. Lastly, for hydrogen production without CCS, UCG has a superior cost competitiveness in comparison to SMR for an IRR differential less than 4.6%. This competitive threshold rises to 5.4% for hydrogen production with CCS
[en] The demand for hydrogen in conventional and unconventional oil refining industries is considerable. Currently, the predominant source of hydrogen is from fossil fuel production pathways, in particular, steam methane reforming (SMR), which incurs a significant greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions footprint. Thus, alternative environmentally benign sources of hydrogen will be needed in oil refinery complexes the world over, if their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions footprint is to be reduced materially. In this paper, an integrated data-intensive techno-economic model is developed to provide a credible estimate of hydropower-hydrogen production costs in Western Canada. The minimum hydrogen production cost for the hydropower-hydrogen plant amounts to $2.43/kg H_2 – this corresponds to an electrolyser farm with 90 units of a 3496 kW (760 Nm"3/h) rated electrolyser. This cost is competitive with SMR/SMR coupled with carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) production costs, which vary from $1.87/kg H_2 to $2.60/kg H_2. This point is buttressed by the fact that if existing hydropower plants are used (hence negating hydropower capital costs), the minimum production cost amounts to $1.18/kg H_2. Hydrogen from hydro power, under the techno-economic conditions considered here, is competitive compared to SMR. - Highlights: • An integrated hydropower-hydrogen plant model is developed. • Plant configurations were considered in a liberalized electricity market. • Optimum electrolyser farm size is 3496 kW × 90 units. • Minimum H_2 cost achieved varies from $1.18/kg H_2 – $2.43/kg H_2. • Hydrogen from hydropower is competitive with SMR/SMR-CCS.


Planetary Sciences Research
The Titan Haze Simulation Experiment on COSmIC
Project Participants (BAERI): Ella Sciamma-O’Brien
Titan is the largest satellite of Saturn and is the only object in the outer solar system with a dense (1.5 bar at the surface) atmosphere mostly made of nitrogen like Earth. In Titan’s atmosphere, a complex organic chemistry induced by UV radiation and electron bombardment occurs between its main constituents, nitrogen (N2 – 95-98%) and methane (CH4 – 2-5%), and leads to the formation of larger molecules and subsequently solid aerosols, producing the orange haze surrounding Titan.
The Titan Haze Simulation (THS) experiment was developed at the NASA Ames COSmIC facility to investigate the chemical pathways that link the molecules resulting from the first steps of the N2-CH4 chemistry (C2H2, C2H4, HCN…) to the formation of benzene and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as precursors to solid aerosols in Titan’s atmosphere. In the THS, the chemistry is simulated at Titan-like temperature (150-200 K) by a plasma generated in the stream of a supersonic expansion. Because the gas is accelerated to supersonic speed in the expansion, the residence time of the gas in the active region of the pulsed plasma discharge is ~3 µs resulting in a truncated chemistry that allows to control how far the chain of chemical reactions progresses, depending on the precursors present in the initial gas mixture. This way, we can probe the first and intermediate steps of the chemistry as well as specific chemical pathways by injecting different N2-CH4-based gas mixtures in the plasma, with or without the addition of heavier precursors present as trace elements on Titan (C2H2, C2H4, C2H6, C6H6…). Both the gas- and solid phases can be characterized: the gas phase by mass spectrometry and cavity ring down spectroscopy (CRDS), both highly sensitive in situ diagnostics; and the solid phase by ex situ scanning electron microscopy, infrared spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and x-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy.
- The study of the gas phase by mass spectrometry has demonstrated the unique capability of the COSmIC/THS to simulate the first and intermediate steps as well as specific chemical pathways in Titan’s atmospheric chemistry.
- A plasma emission spectroscopic analysis using experimental data and a model by Biloiu et al. (2007) has demonstrated that the temperature of the neutrals remains low (~200 K) in the plasma discharge.
- The SEM study of the morphology of the grains has shown that more complex mixtures produce larger grains and aggregates. This result is in agreement with the gas phase analysis. The SEM images have also shown major differences in the morphology of the grains and aggregates, depending on the initial gas mixture. The observed changes in the fractal dimension of the aggregates have shown the need to further investigate the potential changes in morphology of Titan’s aerosols depending on the atmospheric composition, which varies with altitude. This strongly impacts microphysical models used to interpret Cassini’s observational data.
- The mid-infrared spectroscopic analysis in the 4000 to 700 cm−1 (2.5–20 μm) range has highlighted changes in the nitrogen chemistry (its abundance, and how it is incorporated in the solid phase) depending on the initial gas mixture, as well as an increase in aromatic abundances when benzene is present. A comparison to Cassini VIMS observational data has shown that the THS tholins produced in simpler mixtures, i.e., containing higher abundance of nitrogen combined with nitrogen incorporation deep in the molecular structure, are more representative of Titan’s aerosols)
Publications and Presentations:
The Titan Haze Simulation (THS) experiment on COSmIC. Part II. Ex-situ analysis of aerosols produced at low temperature, Icarus, Volume 289, 214-226 (2017).
The Titan Haze Simulation experiment on COSmIC: Probing Titan’s atmospheric chemistry at low temperature, Icarus, Volume 243, 325-336 (2014).
The coupling of a reflectron time-of-flight mass spectrometer with a cosmic simulation chamber: A powerful new tool for laboratory astrophysics, International Journal of Mass Spectrometry, Volume 300, 26-30 (2011).


Robobees: Insect-like robots are creating a buzz
Researchers at the Autonomous Vehicle Laboratory at the University of Maryland are using a $12 million grant to study the way insects, birds, snakes, and bats navigate and communicate.
Their Micro Air Vehicles, or MAVs, could be used to carry out dangerous air surveillance and save lives on the ground.
Joseph Conroy, an engineer at the Maryland Lab, says, “We would like these vehicles to emulate the insects’ ability to go through an environment without hitting obstacles.”
Conroy is manning the robots for now, but he says the goal is for the MAVs to be completely independent.
“As a biologist, I am studying how insects fly in their environments,” says Jason Vance, “so that we can develop strategies by which to program these autonomous flyers to be able to respond to their environment.”
The enthusiasts are studying everything from the motion of a honeybee to the precise flapping of wings…to finally producing microchips which function just like an insect’s brain.


A steam turbine is a machine that exploits the thermal energy of steam at high pressure. This kind of turbine converts thermal energy into useful mechanical energy through an expansion thermodynamic transformation. The steam turbine transforms the internal energy of steam into rotational kinetic energy.
The steam turbine has ultimately prevailed over the steam engine thanks to the best thermal efficiency and the best power/weight ratio.
Maximum efficiency occurs when the steam expansion is an ideal process. In this case, the steam pressure decreases and becomes mechanical work in an infinite number of stages (multi-stage turbine).
One way to classify the different types of turbines is according to their degree of reaction:
Action turbines: The expansion is carried out on a fixed set of blades.
Reaction turbines: The expansion can be carried out on the fixed blades and the moving turbine blades.
The steam leaves the turbine as a saturated vapor at a lower temperature and pressure than it entered. Afterward, it is sent to the condenser to be cooled.
The modern steam turbine was invented in 1884 by Sir Charles Parsons.
What Are the Uses of Steam Turbines?
There are different uses of turbines, depending on how you want to use steam energy.
1. Thermal Power Plants and Electricity Generation
Steam turbine generators can produce electrical power, due to the turbine generates rotary motion. Some examples are nuclear power plants, coal-fired power plants (fossil fuel), and some solar thermal power plants.
Together, all thermal power plants generate about 80% of the world's electricity - in the United States, it is about 85%.
In this case, they work in ideal regimes since the generators have to rotate at a constant speed.
Furthermore, the steam turbine can also function as the motor of an electric generator. The main advantage is that it does not require any mechanical member that transforms the reciprocating movement into a rotary one.
As nuclear reactors operate at lower temperatures and with less gas pressure than thermal power plants, they usually run at half the rotation speed.
2. Industrial Processes
Another field in which steam turbines are used is in plants such as refineries, paper mills, and other plants where high levels of process steam are required.
The plant can be designed in such a way that it makes use of the steam turbine to obtain a synergy between:
That of electrical energy or mechanical work.
3. Steam Turbines for Transportation
Steam turbines are also used as marine engines on ships, where the limited dimensions are an advantage. Propulsion steam turbine locomotives were also built, but their diffusion was minimal.
In ships, steam turbine-based propulsion has multiple advantages over internal combustion engines:
The smaller size and weight for the same power
However, a steam turbine is only efficient at high rotational speeds. It requires precise and complex transmissions (and at a high cost).
An alternative is the use of turbo-electric propulsion. In this system, the turbines generate electrical energy as in a power plant. The energy obtained is used to electric power motors that drive the propellers.
Basic Steam Turbine Structures
The steam turbine consists of two main parts:
The rotor with blades is the moving part of the turbine.
The stator with nozzles is a fixed part.
A reaction stage is a row of fixed nozzles followed by a row of moving nozzles.
In the direction of steam flow, axial steam turbines are distinguished. The steam flow moves along the turbine's axis, and radial, in which the movement of steam flow is perpendicular, and the rotor blades are parallel to the axis of rotation.
According to the number of cylinders, turbines are subdivided into single-cylinder and two-three-four-five-cylinder. The multi-cylinder turbine allows large available thermal enthalpy differences by placing a large number of pressure stages, using high-quality materials in the high-pressure pars, and bifurcating the steam flow in the medium and low-pressure parts. Such a turbine turns out to be more expensive, heavy, and complicated. Therefore, multi-casing turbines are used in powerful steam turbine plants.
According to the number of shafts, single-shaft, double-shaft, less often three-shaft, connected by a typical thermal process or by a standard gear transmission (reducer), are distinguished. The shafts' arrangement can be either coaxial or parallel - with an independent structure of the shafts' axes.
A limit regulator (safety regulator) is installed at the shaft's front end, which automatically stops the turbine when the speed increases by 10-12% above the nominal.
An impulse turbine has fixed nozzles that orient the steam flow into high-speed jets.


THE PUBLICATION of the report and recommendations of Scotland’s Climate Assembly, on 23 June this year, could hardly have been more timely. Within days, shocking stories of unprecedented high temperatures across the north-western United States and western Canada began to dominate the news agenda, as cities such as Vancouver – famous for its temperate climate – endured temperatures in the high forties Celsius, braking all previous Canadian heat records by four or five degrees, damaging infrastructure not built to withstand such heat, and leading to the deaths of dozens of vulnerable people. The report also came at the end of one of the most remarkable years in human history, when a global pandemic itself probably caused in part by environmental breakdown, and by increasing habitat destruction for forest species, offered a foretaste of the scale of change that our societies will have to undertake, if we are to have a chance of reducing global carbon emissions to zero by 2050. Working from home, travelling much less, flying very rarely, focussing more closely on our local neighbourhoods, and using electronic communications in new and inventive ways – these changes were all forced on us by the pandemic, and are all likely to play a strong part in future low-carbon lifestyles.
Creative Carbon Scotland 7th July 2021 read more »


The NGL rock characterisation facility is one of the foremost geomechanics and rock physics laboratories in the world.
NGL’s rock characterisation facilities help to understand properties in rocks such as fluid flow, strength and the physical changes of the rock under different conditions.
Much of the equipment, including the autonomous and true triaxial cells, has been custom-designed by CSIRO researchers whose engineering proficiency has contributed to the development of this equipment over a period of 20 years. The in-house design means that the equipment is flexible and can be further adapted to suit the experiment requirements and clients’ needs.
Australian Resources Research Centre, Kensington, Perth
The rock characterisation equipment is used during site characterisation to better understand the capability of reservoirs to store CO2 and develop baseline data. It is also used once CO2 has been injected to monitor changes and movement of the injected CO2.
The rock characterisation facilities are also useful for analysis in the following fields:


A GRSL special stream – 2019
– Du Bo, Wuhan University, China (Lead Guest Associate Editor)
– Xiaoqiang Lu, Xi’an Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
– Lizhe Wang, Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
– Lefei Zhang, Wuhan University, China
– Jocelyn Chanussot, Institut Universtaire de France (IUF), France
The past decades have witnessed many achievements in the cognitive science. Lots of them have been modeled by computing science and spread widely into application fields and showed many promising results. For examples, Marr’s three level theory (Computational level, representation and Algorithmic level and Implementation level) was becoming important fundamental disciplines for many vision system designations and AI algorithm developments; it has been proved that the receptive fields of simple cells in mammalian primary visual cortex can be characterized as being spatially localized, oriented and band pass as well as a learning algorithm that attempts to find sparse linear codes for natural scenes is very similar to those found in the primary visual cortex; deep learning theory who assumes their layers mimics different level of abstraction or composition function of human brains has attract more and more attentions of researchers and industrial communities including remote sensing. Based on many of these progresses, the tide of cognitive computing sharing many attributes with the field of artificial intelligence is rising.
In remote sensing community, the data with complex temporal, spectral and spatial characteristics make their acquisition and interpretation very difficult. Cognitive Computing can link data analysis and adaptive information interaction to adjust content for a particular type of audience. By Cognitive Computing, we will be guide by modeling, simulating and evaluating human cognitive elements and propose new algorithms inspired by knowledge on how humans behave. It will greatly promote remote sensing acquisition and interpretation when it is based on more accurate models of how the human brain or mind senses, reasons, and responds to stimulus. Cognitive Computing is open a new way to the research of remote sensing acquisition and interpretation. It is both the opportunity and challenge for remote sensing communities.
With these issues in mind, it is time to present the current state-of-the-art cognitive computing research on remote sensing image acquisition and interpretation.
The topics to be covered are as follows:
- Fundamental theories related to cognitive computing, such as cognitive science (attention, learning, memory, language and etc. ) and computing model ( such as data representation, feature selection, compressive sensing, deep learning, language understanding and reference, etc.);
- Cognitive computing based Remote sensing data acquisition such as fusion, restoration, reconstruction, image recovery, hyperspectral image un-mixing, assimilation;
- Cognitive computing-based Remote sensing data interpretation such as image classification, image segmentation, image change detection, image registration, target detection or tracking, scenes understanding, image retrieval and etc.;
- Applications of cognitive computing to agriculture remote sensing, environment remote sensing, land cover, hydrology, forest, ocean, Earth surface processes and etc.
- Intelligent analysis of multiple types of remote sensing data and the corresponding applications.
Submission open: January 1, 2019
Submission close: April 30, 2019


Nubra is a tri-armed valley located to the north east of Ladakh valley. Diskit the capital of Nubra is about 150 km north of Leh town, the capital of Ladakh district, India. Local scholars say that its original name was Ldumra (the valley of flowers). The Shyok River meets the Nubra or Siachan River to form a large valley that separates the Ladakh and Karakoram Ranges. The Shyok river is a tributary of the Indus river. The average altitude of the valley is about 10,000 ft. i.e. 3048 meters above the sea level. The common way to access this valley is to travel over the Khardung La pass from Leh town. Foreign nationals are required to get a Protected area permit to visit the Nubra Valley. Since 1st May 2014 Indian citizens are no longer required to get an Inner Line Permit to visit the valley.
Diskit town in the valley has become the congregation center for people of the region. Diskit is the headquarters of the Nubra Valley and thus has a lot of government offices with basic facilities. It is also connected by road with Leh. The 32 meter Maitreya Buddha statue is the landmark of Nubra Valley and is maintained by the Diskit Monastery.
Along the Nubra or Siachan River lie the villages of Sumur, Kyagar (called Tiger by the Indian Army), Tirith, Panamik, Turtuk and many others. The sam standing monastery is between Kyagar and Sumur villages, and Panamik is noted for its hot springs. Across the Nubra or Siachan River at Panamik, is the isolated Ensa Gompa.
On the Shyok (pronounced Shayok) River, the main village, Diskit, is home to the dramatically positioned Diskit Monastery which is built in 1420 AD. Hundar was the capital of the erstwhile Nubra kingdom in the 17th century and is home to the Chamba Gompa. Between Hundar and Diskit lie several kilometers of sand dunes, and (two-humped) Bactrian camels graze in the neighboring “forests” of sea buckthorn. Non-locals are not allowed below Hundar village into the Balti area, as it is a border area. The beautiful village of Baigdandu is also located in this area. There is a marked presence of people with startling blue eyes, auburn hair and rosy cheeks as against the typical mongoloid features of the Ladakhis. Local lore has it that they were a Greek tribe who came in search of Jesus Christ’s tomb and eventually settled here. Baigdandu is also known for the goats that give you the famous Pashmina shawls.
The main road access to the Nubra Valley is over Khardung La pass which is open throughout the year. Its status as the highest motorable road in the world is no longer accepted by most authorities. An alternative route, opened in 2008, crosses the Wari La from Sakti to the east of Khardung La, connecting to the main Nubra road system via Agham and Khalsar along the Shyok River. There are also trekkable passes over the Ladakh Range from the Indus Valley at various points. Routes from Nubra to Baltistan and Yarkand, though historically important, have been closed since 1947 and 1950 respectively.
The valley was open for tourists till Hunter (the land of sand dunes) until 2010. The region beyond Hunder gives way to a greener region of Ladakh because of its lower altitude. The village of Turtuk which was unseen by tourists till 2010 is a virgin destination for people who seek peace and an interaction with a tribal community of Ladakh. The village is stuffed with apricot trees and children. The local tribe, Balti, follows its age old customs in their lifestyle and speak a language which is just spoken and not written. For tourists, Turtuk offers serene camping sites with environment-friendly infrastructure.


LSTD 4273 - Jazz and the Global Community
Why is it cool?
In the 19th century, New Orleans was a thriving community of people from everywhere on earth. Its flourishing markets and fluid mix of color made it one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the country – and the perfect birthplace for what would eventually become America’s most distinctive music genre.
The jazz (originally called jass) that first appeared in New Orleans developed in a brass band tradition that emphasized a solid ground beat and collective polyphonic improvisation on a common melody. It was a combination of European influences and the Blues that came together to form an entirely new sound. Soon after its rise to popularity in the South, it traveled to Chicago, San Francisco and New York before spreading rapidly throughout the rest of the world. Today, jazz is known as American music that gained international attention and still remains popular to this day.
Like all music, jazz is an expression of, and an influence on, the society and culture of which it is a part. Jazz in the Global Community is, of course, a class about jazz. It discusses its social history and its relationship to world cultures and the international community. Although jazz is no longer the most popular music in the United States, as it once was, its history and the issues surrounding its nature stand at the heart of a diverse America that has borrowed from cultures and traditions all over the world.
Students in this class leave with a rich appreciation of America’s classical jazz and the many forms that derive from it. They also develop a deep understanding of the current issues surrounding multicultural debates in American life. By exploring the very roots of these issues from anthropological, sociological and human relations perspectives, students become well versed in what was truly one of the world’s first global languages – jazz music.


Python is a widely used general-purpose, high-level programming language.
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pro Clear syntax
Python's syntax is very clear and readable, making it excellent for beginners. The lack of extra characters like semicolons and curly braces reduces distractions, letting beginners focus on the meaning of the code. Significant whitespace also means that all code is properly and consistently indented.
The language also uses natural english words such as 'and' and 'or', meaning that beginners need to learn fewer obscure symbols. On top of this, Python's dynamic type system means that code isn't cluttered with type information, which would further distract beginners from what the code is doing.
Pro Easy to get started
On top of the wealth of tutorials and documentation, and the fact that it ships with a sizeable standard library, Python also ships with both an IDE (Integrated Development Environment: A graphical environment for editing running and debugging your code); as well as a text-based live interpreter. Both help users to get started trying out code immediately, and give users immediate feedback that aids learning.
Pro Lots of tutorials
Python's popularity and beginner friendliness has led to a wealth of tutorials and example code on the internet. This means that when beginners have questions, they're very likely to be able to find an answer on their own just by searching. This is an advantage over some languages that are not as popular or covered as in-depth by its users.
Pro Good documentation
The Python community has put a lot of work into creating excellent documentation filled with plain english describing functionality. Contrast this with other languages, such as Java, where documentation often contains a dry enumeration of the API.
As a random example, consider GUI toolkit documentation - the tkinter documentation reads almost like a blog article, answering questions such as 'How do I...', whereas Java's Swing documentation contains dry descriptions that effectively reiterate the implementation code. On top of this, most functions contain 'Doc Strings', which mean that documentation is often immediately available, without even the need to search the internet.
Pro Comes with extensive libraries
Python ships with a large standard library, including modules for everything from writing graphical applications, running servers, and doing unit testing. This means that beginners won't need to spend time searching for tools and libraries just to get started on their projects.
Pro Support of several programming paradigms
Python supports more than one programming paradigm.There is much debate amongst programmers over which programming paradigm is best. Python supports three 'styles' of programming:
- Procedural programming.
- Object orientated programming.
- Functional programming.
All three styles can be seamlessly interchanged and can be learnt in harmony in Python rather than being forced into one point of view.
Pro Active and Helpful User Community
comp.lang.python is particularly active and helpful, but StackExchange is another good option.
Pro Good introduction to datatypes
Python's built-in support and syntax for common collection types such as lists, dictionaries, and sets, as well as supporting features like list comprehensions, foreach loops, map, filter, and others, makes their use much easier to get into for beginners. Python's support for Object Orient Programming, but with dynamic typing, also makes the topic of Data Structures much more accessible, as it takes the focus off of more tedious aspects, such as type casting and explicitly defined interfaces.
Python's convention of only hiding methods through prefacing them with underscores further takes the focus off of details such as Access Modifiers common in languages such as Java and C++, allowing beginners to focus on the core concepts, without much worry for language specific implementation details.
Pro One right way to do things
One of the Guiding Principles of Python is that there should be only one obvious way to do things. This is helpful for beginners because it means that there is likely a best answer for questions about how things should be done.
Pro Advanced community projects
There are outstanding projects being actively developed in Python. Projects such as the following to name a random four:
- Django: a high-level Python Web framework that encourages rapid development and clean, pragmatic design.
- iPython: a rich architecture for interactive computing with shells, a notebook and which is embeddable as well as wrapping and able to wrap libraries written in other languages.
- Mercurial: a free, distributed source control management tool. It efficiently handles projects of any size and offers an easy and intuitive interface.
- PyPy: a fast, compliant alternative implementation of the Python language (2.7.3 and 3.2.3) with several advantages and distinct features including a Just-in-Time compiler for speed, reduced memory use, sandboxing, micro-threads for massive concurrency, ...
When you move on from being a learner you can still stay with Python for those advanced tasks.
Pro Can use in any domains
Scientific, network, game, graphic, animation.
Pro Cross Platform
installs and works on every major operating systems if not already installed by default (linux, macos)
Pro Easy to find jobs
Python's popularity also means that it's commonly in use in production at many companies - it's even one of the primary languages in use at Google. Furthermore, as a concise scripting language, it's very commonly used for smaller tasks, as an alternative to shell scripts.
Python was also designed to make it easy to interface with other languages such as C, and so it is often used as 'glue code' between components written in other languages.
Pro Libraries for scientific computing, data mining and machine learning
Pro Best chances of earning most money
Pro Very similar to pseudo-code
When learning Computer Science concepts such as algorithms and data structures, many texts use pseudo-code. Having a language such as Python whose syntax is very similar to pseudo-code is an obvious advantage that makes learning easier.
Con Language fragmentation
A large subset of the Python community still uses / relies upon Python 2, which is considered a legacy implementation by the Python authors. Some libraries still have varying degrees of support depending on which version of Python you use. There are syntactical differences between the versions.
Con No compile-time checking of types
Con Significant whitespace
While proper formatting is essential for any programmer, beginners often have trouble understanding the need and lack the discipline to do it. Add to that all those editors that randomly convert N spaces (usually 8) to tabs and you get an instant disaster.
Con Does not teach you about data types
Since Python is a dynamically typed language, you don't have to learn about data types if you start using Python as your first language. Data types being one of the most important concepts in programming. This also will cause trouble in the long run when you will have to (inevitably) learn and work with a statically typed language because you will be forced to learn the type system from scratch.
Con Abstraction to the point of hinderance
Python is abstracted far enough that if it's your first language, it will be harder to pick up lower level languages later versus going the other direction.
Con Might not be very future-proof
Lots of features that will probably be crucial as time goes (good support for parallelism for example) are missing or are not that well-supported in Python.
Heavily relies on assignment, with no distinction between defining the variable and assigning the value. This makes it necessary to introduce rather complex environmental model of computation.


On Sept. 18, Raji Swaminathan’s Gr. 7 science students performed an experiment in speed, velocity and motion, and also studied Newton’s laws of motion. “This lab helps students to investigate motion such as walking at a constant velocity away or towards a sensor, speeding up or slowing down and standing at rest,” Swaminathan said. “They use a Vernier motion detector and LoggerPro software to achieve this.” Students first made a prediction of different types of motion graphically and tried to simulate their predictions on the computer and see how closely they matched. “This lab helps them to understand that on a position-versus-time graph, a straight line going up or down represents constant velocity, a horizontal line is when a student is at rest and a curve represents changing speed.” The students also learned that walking more quickly creates a steeper slope on the graph, which helps them to understand that the slope of the position-versus-time graph indicates speed.


The Infamous W Gang & Lonely H
Rationale: Children need to be able to comprehend text as they read. In order to do this, they must learn how to develop comprehension strategies of their own. This lesson will help children to develop a basic strategy that will enable them to comprehend the text they are reading. Once this strategy is learned, students will enjoy reading because they will learn as they read their textbooks and follow the plot of the story in leisure time reading.
Materials: Classroom history textbook and a passage from a class favorite
Chapter on The Alamo or The Boxcar Children
1) Procedure: I will introduce the lesson by reminding the children
that the main purpose of reading is comprehension or understanding what
we read. Understanding information presented to them in books is essential
for learning to take place. The children should already be familiar with
silent reading benefits such as reading at a pace at which you can understand
the material. Have the children read a section from their history book
with the expectation that they will have to answer a few questions when
they finish reading.
2) Today I will share with you something one of my teachers shared with me when I
needed to learn to understand what I had been reading. My teacher told me about "The Infamous W Gang and Lonely H." This is a gang of questions I should ask about the book I am reading. These questions are Who? What?, When?, Where? and lonely How? The last one is lonely because he does not start with a W. The children should begin to ask themselves these questions as they read so that they can begin to understand the content of the passage they are reading. Now have the children read the passage from the history book as you read the passage out loud and ask the "W Gang and Lonely H" questions as appropriate for the passage. Examples: Who are the main characters in this story? What is happening and what are the main characters doing? When are the events taking place? Where are the events taking place? How did these events affect us today? This will model the strategy for the children.
3) Now read a chapter from the class favorite book. Instruct the children to ask them
selves the "W Gang and Lonely H" questions as they listen to you read. They should be able to answer your questions after you read the passage. They will be surprised to find out how much more they remember and understand about the passage from the book. Their questions should include: Who is the passage about? What is happening in the passage? When and where did the passage take place? Why did certain events take place? and How did certain events take place? Actively discuss questions and answers after you have read the passage. Praise the children lavishly for correct usage of the strategy to encourage future use of "W Gang and Lonely H" strategy.
4) For assessment purposes, pass out an article from an appropriate source for the
children to read silently. Have the children write answers to the "W Gang and Lonely H" questions. Check students work for accuracy as compared to the actual text. Discuss the results as a class. The children will be surprised to find out how well they can understand new material just by applying this strategy.
Pressley, M., Johnson, C.J., Symons, S., McGoldrick, J., & Kurita, J. (1989)
Strategies That Improve Children's Memory and Comprehension of Text.
The Elementary School Journal, Volume 90, Number 1.
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The Milky Way, tapestry, 1898 by Frida Hansen. Wool, cotton, silk, transparent weaving technique. 260 x 330 cm. Museum fur Kunst und Gewerbe, Hamburg, Germany.
Frida Hansen (aka frederikke Bolette) was a Norwegian textile designer - 1855-1931. In the 1870's she studied painting, winning a prize at the World's Columbian Expo in Chicago in 1893 which enabled her to study textile design in Cologne in 1894 and in 1895 to study under Pierre Cecile Puvis de Chavannes in Paris. In 1900 she became a member of the Societe Nationale des Beaux-Arts and was represented at the Paris World Expo by her famous tapestry The Milky Way. Hansen perfected the technique of transparent weaving, which lends her figures an almost ghost-like quality. She was influenced both by Japonisme and the Pre-Raphaelites, and stood squarely within the Art Nouveau tradition in her thematic material. (Gabriele Fahr-Becker)


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Safety considerations of E.coli DH5α
Most E.coli strains are harmless and normally part of human gut flora. However, environmental strains such as serotype O157:H7 can cause serious food poisoning in humans. The genetic set up of the E.coli laboratory strain DH5α has been engineered in such a way, that it can be considered as a safe laboratory strain, if standard safety protocols are followed. Moreover E.coli is one of the most used laboratory strains and requires only a biosafety level 1 laboratory. This fact alone eliminates most safety issues with regard to laboratory applications like in our case.
The genetic characteristics of the DH5α strains are:
F- endA1 glnV44 thi-1 recA1 relA1 gyrA96 deoR nupG Φ80dlacZΔM15 Δ(lacZYA-argF)U169, hsdR17(rK- mK+), λ–
Amongst the most important genetic modifications is F-, which denotes the strain´s inability to develop F-pili. This prevents transfer of genetic information by horizontal gene transfer. Another important genetic modification is recA1, making the DH5α strain recombination deficient, preventing recombination of the plasmid into the E.coli genome so that the plasmid inserts are more stable. This leaves DH5α also very sensitive to UV-light as a result of the strains inability to undergo recombination, thereby impairing its DNA repair mechanism.
With regard to its prospective use as a biosensor within industrial, environmental, medical or food applications safety aspects have to be reconsidered and implemented in product development strategies. For example if our E.coli biosensor would be deployed as an oral drug it will be necessary to prevent the bacteria spreading to other parts of the human body or giving rise to an immune response. A possible solution to these problems could be to encapsulate the bacteria in some way or/and to limit the number of bacteria reproduction cycles.
We have a local biosafety group at our institution, and they have advised us to follow standard safety protocols for genetic engineering and molecular biology that are the standard practice at our institution. None of the BioBricks submitted in this project comprise any elevated danger of researcher safety, public safety, or environmental safety, if the standard practice is followed.
Other safety measures
At the institute all equipment used for bacteria are cleaned with cetyl and autoclaved. This treatment kill the bacteria but the DNA might still be intact. In order for the DNA to be inactivated more autoclaves would be needed. Another way to inactivate DNA is by using chlorine. However, this raises an issue with regard to nature.
When working in a class II laboratory it is important to handle all waste carefully. This means that everything should be autoclaved.
The Department for systems biology have developed an safety protocol that we have all read, signed and followed during the duration of our project. This applies to the given laws and regulation.


Miscellaneous Mechanical Components
Makeup valve -
The makeup valve is a valve that introduces fresh water into the
collection basin to maintain the desired collecting basin water
The overflow is a drain that prevents the collecting basin from
The partition is a baffle within a multicell cooling tower that is
used to prevent air and/or water flow between adjacent cells.
The plenum is the internal cooling tower area between the drift
eliminators and the fans.
Speed reducer -
The speed reducer is a right-angle gear box that transmits
power to the fan while reducing the driver speed to that
required for optimal fan performance.
The sump is a depressed portion of the collecting basin from
which cold water is drawn to be returned to the connected
system. The sump usually contains strainer screens, antivortex
devices, and a drain or cleanout connection.
Distribution system -
The distribution system is that portion of a cooling tower that
distributes water over the fill area. It usually consists of one or
more flanged inlets, flow control valves, internal headers,
distribution basins, spray branches, metering orifices, and other
Forced Draft Cooling Towers
Forced draft cooling towers are very similar to induced draft cooling towers. The primary
difference is that the air is blown in at the bottom of the tower and exits at the top. Forced draft
cooling towers are the forerunner to induced draft cooling towers. Water distribution problems
and recirculation difficulties discourage the use of forced draft cooling towers.
Natural Convection Cooling Towers
Natural convection cooling towers, illustrated in Figure 12, use the principle of convective flow
to provide air circulation. As the air inside the tower is heated, it rises through the tower. This
process draws more air in, creating a natural air flow to provide cooling of the water. The basin
at the bottom of the tower is open to the atmosphere. The cooler, more dense air outside the


Sweden may be facing the phase out of nuclear power following agreement by the country’s Social Democrats and their junior coalition partner, the Green Party, to set up an energy commission tasked with achieving a 100% renewable electricity system….The parties said in separate, but identical statements that nuclear power should be replaced with renewable energy and energy efficiency. The goal, they said, should be at least 30 TWh of electricity from renewable energy sources by 2020. A goal for 2030 has yet to be set, they added. Support for offshore wind and solar power are needed “in addition”, they said.
Nuclear power “should bear a greater share of its economic cost”, they said. “Safety requirements should be strengthened and the nuclear waste fee increased.” Waste management in Sweden is undertaken by SKB while safety regulations are set by the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority. Both of these operate independently of government. State-owned utility Vattenfall’s plan to build a new nuclear power plant has been “interrupted”and the company will lead the country’s energy system towards a higher share for renewable energy, they said.
Excerpt from Sweden faces future without nuclear, World Nuclear Association, October 12014


When using a thermometer, we need to mark a scale on the tube wall with numbers on it. We have to define a temperature scale. A temperature scale is a way to measure temperature relative to a starting point (0 or zero) and a unit of measurement.
These numbers are arbitrary, and historically many different schemes have been used. For example, this was done by defining some physical occurrences at given temperatures—such as the freezing and boiling points of water — and defining them as 0 and 100, respectively.
There are several scales and units exist for measuring temperature. The most common are:
Kelvin Scale – Absolute Temperature
Kelvin temperature scale is the base unit of thermodynamic temperature measurement in the International System (SI) of measurement. The Kelvin scale was determined based on the Celsius scale but with a starting point at absolute zero. Temperatures in the Kelvin scale are 273 degrees less than in the Celsius scale. The kelvin is defined as the fraction 1⁄273.16 of the thermodynamic temperature of the triple point of water. By international agreement, the triple point of water has been assigned a value of 273.16 K (0.01 °C; 32.02 °F) and partial vapor pressure of 611.66 pascals (6.1166 mbar; 0.0060366 atm). In other words, it is defined such that the triple point of water is exactly 273.16 K.
Note that the unit on the absolute scale is Kelvins, not degrees Kelvin. It was named in honor of Lord Kelvin, who had a great deal to do with temperature measurement and thermodynamics development.
The absolute temperature scale that corresponds to the Celsius scale is called the Kelvin (K) scale, and the absolute scale that corresponds to the Fahrenheit scale is called the Rankine (R) scale. The zero points on both absolute scales represent the same physical state. The relationships between the absolute and relative temperature scales are shown in the following equations.
Kelvin – Celsius
K = °C + 273.15
°C = K – 273.15
Rankine – Fahrenheit
R = °F + 460
°F = R – 460
Such a scale has as its zero point. The coldest theoretical temperature is called absolute zero, at which the thermal motion of atoms and molecules reaches its minimum. This is a state at which the enthalpy and entropy of a cooled ideal gas reach its minimum value, taken as 0. Classically, this would be a state of motionlessness, but quantum uncertainty dictates that the particles still possess finite zero-point energy. Absolute zero is denoted as 0 K on the Kelvin scale, −273.15 °C on the Celsius scale, and −459.67 °F on the Fahrenheit scale.
Absolute Zero and Third Law of Thermodynamics
Third law of thermodynamics states:
The entropy of a system approaches a constant value as the temperature approaches absolute zero.
Based on empirical evidence, this law states that the entropy of a pure crystalline substance is zero at the absolute zero of temperature, 0 K and that it is impossible using any process, no matter how idealized, to reduce the temperature of a system to absolute zero in a finite number of steps. This allows us to define a zero point for the thermal energy of a body.


I see a crisis facing the world today. It is fundamentally one of identification. People identify themselves with limited characteristics such as gender, race, religion and nationality, forgetting their basic identity as part of the universal spirit. These limited identifications lead to conflict on a personal level and globally.
Every individual is much more than the sum of these limited identifications. The highest identification we can make is that we are part of Divinity, and only secondly are we human beings and members of the human family. In divine creation, the whole of the human race is united.
Along with the proper identification of our true nature, we need to return to the values that are the essence of all major traditions. Religion has three aspects: values, rituals and symbols. The moral and spiritual values are common to all traditions, and the symbols and practices--those rituals and customs that form a way of life within a religion--are what distinguish one tradition from another and give each their charm. The symbols and practices are like a banana skin, and the spiritual values--the quest for truth and awareness of our divinity--are the banana. However, people in every tradition have thrown away the banana and are holding on to the skin!
This distinction between value and ritual and symbol was made in ancient times. The Sanskrit term smriti refers to those practices that are appropriate to time and place, those things that are time-bound. Shruti refers to those values that are timeless.
In the right order of things, what is time-bound is secondary to what is timeless, or eternal. However, in all the traditions, we find the order inverted. People tend to honor what is time-bound (the symbols and practices--those things which give them an individual identity) more than the values, which are timeless. Then fanaticism flourishes and the differences have to be defended. We can see this today in the wars taking place around the world in the name of religion. If we could focus on the values, the larger truth that the symbol represents, then most of the conflict in the world would be resolved.
Symbols vary between religions because they relate to the relative factors of location, environment and time. The crescent moon and star on the flag of Islam was chosen by people living in a desert region, where evening is a pleasant relief from the scorching heat of the day. The sun was chosen as a religious symbol in Japan and in Tibet where it gives welcome warmth and a feeling of elevation. Symbols are relative, but they are intended to lead us to something beyond the symbol, to the essence of religion. We need to reach for the deeper values and not be distracted by the apparent differences.
Practices are also time-bound, dictating how you should dress, what name you are to take, what you can eat, how many wives you may have, how a person should be punished if they make some mistake. In all traditions you find practices like these that were necessary at the time they were instituted, but they may no longer serve a good purpose today. In the Koran , it is prescribed that if someone steals, their hand must be cut off. At one time a Christian who wanted to be religious had to take a vow of poverty. Jains were not allowed to touch money (this dilemma was solved by having someone accompany them to carry their money for them). Jews could do no work on the Sabbath. Those who follow this rule today cannot turn on a light switch.
Human values are social and ethical norms common to all cultures and societies as well as religions. They represent a melding of social progress, justice and spiritual growth.
The timeless values are:
- a deep caring for all life
- a responsible attitude toward the planet
- compassion and love
- friendliness and compassion
- generosity and sharing
- integrity, honesty and sincerity
- moderation in one's activity
- commitment and responsibility
- peace, contentment, enthusiasm
Much of the misery that has come into the world in the name of religion can be avoided by reintroducing these shared values. And it is not necessary to use guilt and fear to promote these values. You will find in the history of all the religious systems in the world that guilt and fear were used to control people, but such discipline is not needed today. At this time we need only to cultivate love and understanding.
(From the booklet, One God, One Truth, One World)


TYPES OF DC MOTORS
Figure 9 Torque-vs-Speed for a Series-Wound Motor
Since the armature and field in a
series-wound motor are connected
in series, the armature and field
currents become identical, and the
torque can be expressed as shown
in Equation (6-8).
The torque-vs-speed characteristics
of a series-wound motor with a
constant voltage source are shown
in Figure 9.
As the speed
decreases, the torque for a series-
wound motor increases sharply. As load is removed from a series motor, the speed will increase
sharply. For these reasons, series-wound motors must have a load connected to prevent damage
from high speed conditions.
Series-Wound Motor Applications
The advantage of a series-wound motor is that it develops a large torque and can be operated at
low speed. It is a motor that is well-suited for starting heavy loads; it is often used for industrial
cranes and winches where very heavy loads must be moved slowly and lighter loads moved more
The compounded motor is desirable for a variety of applications because it combines the
characteristics of a series-wound motor and a shunt-wound motor. The compounded motor has
a greater torque than a shunt motor due to the series field; however, it has a fairly constant speed
due to the shunt field winding. Loads such as presses, shears, and reciprocating machines are
often driven by compounded motors.


Battery theory is summarized below.
Battery Theory Summary
The purpose of a battery is to store chemical energy and to convert this
chemical energy into electrical energy when the need arises.
A voltaic cell develops a potential difference when electrodes of two different
metals are immersed in an electrolyte. One electrode accumulates a positive
charge. The potential difference is due to the difference in charge between
the two electrodes.
The chemical equation for a lead-acid battery during discharge is:
The chemical equation for a lead-acid battery during charge is:
When a lead-acid battery is discharged, electrolyte and the active material on
the plates of the battery are consumed to produce water and lead sulphate.
When a lead-acid battery is charged, electrical energy is added to the battery,
causing the water and lead sulphate to be consumed and produce electrolyte
and active material.
Since specific gravity of a lead-acid battery decreases proportionally during
discharge, the value of specific gravity at any given time is an approximate
indication of the batterys state of charge.


The Republic,by Plato (Author), Robin Waterfield (Translator) ,the focal work of one of the West’s most prominent savants, The Republic of Plato is a perfect work of art of understanding and feeling, the best of the Socratic exchanges, and one of the incredible books of Western culture. This new interpretation catches the sensational authenticity, wonderful magnificence, scholarly essentials, and enthusiastic intensity of Plato at the stature of his forces. Deftly meshing three principle strands of contention into a masterful entire – the moral and political, the tasteful and supernatural, and the otherworldly – Plato investigates in The Republic the components of the perfect network, where profound quality can be accomplished in an equalization of intelligence, boldness, and restriction.
About the Series: For more than 100 years Oxford World’s Classics has made accessible the broadest range of writing from around the world. Each reasonable volume mirrors Oxford’s promise to grant, giving the most exact content in addition to an abundance of other significant highlights, including master presentations by driving specialists, voluminous notes to clear up the content, state-of-the-art reference indices for further examination, and substantially more.
Titles: hence Republic. The book, however, is not by any stretch of the imagination a treatise on republicanism or Republicanism. Nevertheless, the title is immovable.
In this translation, Republic is about morality what it is and
how it fulfill one’s life as a human being. Some readers, however, may have encountered translations which make it a treatise on ‘justice’, But Aristotle says (Nicomachean Ethics 1129 b —113a) that dikaiosune the Greek word involved—refers to something which encompasses all the various virtues and is almost synonymous with ‘virtue’ in general; my own experience of the relevant Greek words confirms that Aristotle is not indulging in special pleading to make some philosophical point. To most people, ‘justice’ means (roughly) ‘acting fairly and impartially towards others’: this is a part, but not the whole, of dikaiosune. There were times when the translation ‘justice’ would have sat better in the text, but I found it preferable to use a single equivalent throughout, so as not to mislead a Greekless reader.
Plato’s Life in its Contemporary Political Setting
Plato was born in Athens in 427 BC and died there in 347. Although the sources for details of his life are unreliable, the story that he considered a political career is not implausible, since many high-born young men like him did just that. His formative political experiences, however, soon put him off. He grew up during the Peloponnesian War (431 —404), in which Athens took on her long-standing rival Sparta and lost. This was a ‘world war’ in the sense that—what with Athens’ and Sparta’s allies and subjects—it involved almost all the known civilized world; and it was a war in which Plato’s native city excelled in the kinds of stupidities and atrocities that are usual in war. For most of the conflict, Athens was a democracy. If a modern liberal were to accuse Plato of betraying signs of contempt for the masses and for their power-hungry leaders, Plato would respond that he knew what they were capable of Reading Thucydides’ account of the war, one is occasionally reminded of the worst excesses of the French Revolution or of pol Pot’s regime.
Of course, Plato also saw democracies enact sensible laws, but he knew that the system was capable of terrible abuse, and he knew the instability of a system where decrees could be repealed almost as soon as they were made. There is a joke about a distressed would-be philanthropist who found that although he loved humanity, he loathed people. In Plato’s case, the tale might be inverted: although it is clear that he disliked the masses as a mass, there is little evidence that he felt the same about individuals just because of their class. In a famous episode in Meno, he demonstrates that in terms of intellectual capacity Meno’s slave is the equal of Meno.
In Britain in the 1930s political opinions became highly polarized between fairly extreme versions of right-wing and left-wing thought. A great many people—including Philby, Burgess, Maclean, and Blunt—felt that they had to side with one extreme or the other. In the Athens of Plato’s time it was equally difficult to be neutral: the choice lay between democracy and Athens on the one hand, oligarchy and Sparta on the other by birth and upbringing, Plato would have been inclined towards oligarchy. Oligarchy twice had an opportunity to show its colors in Athens during Plato’s youth. In 411 a moderate oligarchy was established, but was overthrown just as it was drifting towards
extremism, and before too many allies seized the chance to secede. More importantly, in 404, immediately following Athens down fall in the war, a government of thirty leaders took control, who counted among their number several relatives and many friends of Plato’s family. The Thirty embarked upon a reign of terror, however, until they were overthrown the following year in a democratic counter-revolution.
Some time in the dying years of the fifth century Plato joined the circle of followers of Socrates, and Socrates became the decisive philosophical influence on Plato’s life and thinking. The details and extent of that influence cannot be gone into here; there are, in any case, a number of good and available accounts of Socratic thought and Plato’s intellectual development. Suffice it to say, in the present context, that Plato loved and admired Socrates above all others—and that in 399 the restored democracy of Athens put Socrates to death on charges of irreligion and corrupting the minds of the city’s youth. Plato’s disillusionment with politics was now complete, and he devoted the rest of his life to philosophy. He began—along with others from Socrates’ circle—to write dialogues with Socrates as
the protagonist. To what extent the historical Socrates is accurately reflected in these works is a matter of endless and fascinating debate. It is certain, however, that by the time he wrote Republic Plato had already gone beyond history and was using ‘Socrates’ to voice views which were increasingly taking on a distinctive Platonic hue.
This carries us ahead of our story, however. During the 390s Plato’s reputation as a writer and thinker was spreading through the Greek world. In those days powerful ‘tyrants’ (the word did not necessarily mean that they ruled unpopularly and by force) liked to embellish their own and their state’s prestige by inviting famous artists to live in their territory under their patronage. In 388 Plato accepted such an invitation from Dionysius I of Syracuse in Sicily. We do not know details of the sojourn, which was short and bitter. Did he hope to use philosophy to influence politics? His friend the Pythagorean philosopher Archytas was a powerful political figure in Argument in southern Italy, and may have been a model.
Some time after returning from Sicily, Plato established a philosophical community in Athens, which came to be called the Academy since it occupied a grove sacred to the local hero Academus. Philosophers and budding philosophers from all over the Greek world came and lived hire, sometimes for much of their life. In modern terms, it was part research university, part religious community.
As near as we can estimate, Republic was written in the 370s, when Plato had already completed getting on for twenty shorter works. Republic was to be far more ambitious, in scope and in length. Subsequent visits to Syracuse in 367 and 361, to tutor the new young king Dionysius II, may have briefly kindled some hopes that the other-worldly political ideas of the book might be partially realizable; but if so, such hopes were soon dashed. Plato’s interest in real politics resurfaced in later works such as Statesman and Laws, but it is arguable that at the time of writing Republic he was thoroughly disillusioned with real politics.


A conventional wisdom among creolists is that creole is a sociohistorical term only: that creole languages share a particular history entailing adults rapidly acquiring a language usually under conditions of subordination, but that structurally they are indistinguishable from other languages. The articles by John H. McWhorter collected in this volume demonstrate that this is in fact untrue.
Creole languages, while complex and nuanced as all human languages are, are delineable from older languages as the result of their having come into existence only a few centuries ago. Then adults learn a language under untutored conditions, they abbreviate its structure, focusing upon features vital to communication and shaving away most of the features useless to communication that bedevil those acquiring the language non-natively. When they utilize their rendition of the language consistently enough to create a brand-new one, this new creation naturally evinces evidence of its youth: specifically, a much lower degree of the random accretions typical in older languages, which only develop over vast periods of time.
The articles constitute a case for this thesis based on both broad, cross-creole ranges of data and focused expositions referring to single creole languages. The book presents a general case for a theory of language contact and creolization in which not only transfer from source languages but also structural reduction plays a central role, based on facts whose marginality of address in creole studies has arisen from issues sociopolitical as well as scientific. For several decades the very definition of the term creole has been elusive even among creole specialists. This book attempts to forge a path beyond the inter- and intra-disciplinary misunderstandings and stalemates that have resulted from this, and to demonstrate the place that creoles might occupy in other linguistic subfields, including typology, language contact, and syntactic theory.
Tell us what do you think about Defining Creole.


Store Catalogue | Books | Books & Field Guides | New & Recommended Titles | GeoBritannica: Geological landscapes and the British peoples
GeoBritannica concerns the geological legacy of Britain, an inheritance bequeathed by its bedrock to the peoples who have lived on the island for the eleven millennia since the Ice Ages. The authors explain the geological foundations of the landscape and the raw materials it provides. They show how this geology has been utilised by society and by individuals in creative acts of the imagination. The reader will discover how regional environments and interests have been tackled by geologists in endeavours as diverse as mining, quarrying, architecture, literature and the visual arts. The authors provide a modern interpretation of the geological history of Britain and place this in its historic, social and artistic contexts.
© Geo Supplies Ltd


Last week Argonne National Laboratory held an Energy Slam featuring four Argonne researchers to debate non-fossil energy sources. If you missed the webcast, here's a great recap. Each presenter had 10 minutes to give the case for their energy source and then the audience voted by clapping for their favorite.
- The 1957 Disneyland episode Our Friend the Atom
- Reliable, efficient, near-zero emissions
- Lowest mortality rate of ANY electricity source
- Doesn't need back-up fossil plant (like wind and solar)
- Lowest carbon emitting and no greenhouse gases
Wind - Guenter Conzelmann, head of Argonne’s Wind Power Technologies and Analysis Program
- Zero fuel, no waste
- Doesn't run the risk of major nuclear accidents
- 23 fold increase in wind capacity over the last 15 years (globally)
- Wind is variable because of weather but we can manage it
- 70% of everything that goes into a wind turbine is made in the U.S.
Biofuels - Jennifer Dunn, head of Argonne’s Biofuel Life Cycle Analysis Team
- The other sources only work if we can electrify the transportation sector
- Hard to beat the energy density of liquid fuels
- We can convert landfill waste to biofuel
- Not just corn ethanol, but also waste and energy crops, algae, oil crops, and soy
- Lots of interest for biofuels in aviation, both military and commercial
Solar - Seth Darling, nanoscientist who focuses on solar energy conversion
- All energy is actually solar energy (except man-made nuclear)
- Feasible to use about 2% of land in U.S. for solar
- Solar prices have been coming down drastically
- Can design solar panels into architecture
- Can design grid to handle variability and utilize energy storage
- Democratization of energy because you don't need a utility and can sell back to grid
Watch the full video of the Argonne Energy Slam here.
Which energy source gets your vote?


Following the German invasion of France in May 1940, the well-respected eight-four-year old was asked to form a government. Seeing the French army defeated, the “Hero of Verdun” asked for an armistice. On 22 June, 50 miles north-east of Paris, the French officially surrendered, the ceremony taking place in the same spot and in the same railway carriage that the Germans had surrendered to the French on 11 November 1918.
Northern France, as dictated by the terms of the surrender, would be occupied by the Germans, whilst southern France, 40 per cent of the country, would remain nominally independent with its own government based in the spa town of Vichy in central France, 200 miles south of Paris. Pétain would be its Head of State. A small corner of south-eastern France, around Nice, was entrusted to Italian control; Italy having entered the war on the 10 June.
In October 24th 1940 at Montoire, Philippe Pétain met Hitler, and although Pétain resisted Hitler’s demands that France should participate in the attack on Britain, photographs of the two men shaking hands were soon seen across the world – evidence of Vichy’s complicity with the Nazis and him personally as a traitor to France.
On 15 August 1945, Pétain was tried for his collaboration with the Nazis and convicted. The 89-year-old Marshal was sentenced to death by firing squad. De Gaulle however stepped in and taking into account Pétain’s age and his First World War record, commuted Pétain’s death sentence to life imprisonment. Pétain was imprisoned, in relative luxury, on the island of Île d’Yeu, on the Atlantic coast of France. Increasingly frail, he needed constant care. He died on 23 July 1951, aged 95.
Pétain is buried in a Marine cemetery (Cimetière communal de Port-Joinville) near the prison. Calls are sometimes made to re-inter his remains in the grave prepared for him in Verdun. In February 1973, Pétain’s coffin was stolen from the Île d’Yeu cemetery by extremists who demanded that President Georges Pompidou consent to his interment in the Douaumont cemetery among the war dead. Authorities retrieved the coffin a few days later, and Pétain was ceremoniously reburied with a Presidential wreath on his coffin, but on the Île d’Yeu as before.


Tilt-up construction is a method of erecting buildings by tilting concrete panels up to form their exterior. These panels can be created on-site and are strong and durable because of their reinforced concrete composition.
The whole process provides speed-related and cost saving benefits, which is why many people use tilt-up construction when building new properties. Keep reading to find out more about the benefits of tilt-up construction.
Safe and Durable
Tilt-up construction is done using high-quality concrete and metallic support structures. Individuals can enjoy peace of mind knowing these materials are reliable. The concrete is poured on-site and the walls are very durable and long-lasting, so the entire building is as strong as it can be. Concrete is the preferred building material when it comes to tilt-up construction because of its durability, safety, and relatively low cost in comparison with other building materials.
Quick Build Time
Another great advantage of tilt-up construction is the reduced building time. Remember that the walls of your building are designed and put into place on site. There are little to no materials to ship to your building location and once the walls are hardened, they are lifted into place using cranes. The whole process takes a short amount of time in comparison with other building methods. Some construction materials may take weeks, months, or even years to be delivered. Tilt-up construction allows project managers and engineers to save time and complete a complex building quickly and efficiently.
Concrete is a material with significant insulation properties. It doesn’t allow the temperature inside the building to fluctuate depending on the exterior weather conditions. Tilt-up construction projects also involve using other types of insulating materials (e.g., molded expanded polystyrene, expanded polystyrene, and extruded polystyrene) that work well alongside concrete. As a result, you will pay less for your energy bill and you will enjoy a warm house during the winter months and a cool interior living space during hot summer days.
Small Labor Cost and Materials
Another benefit of tilt-up construction projects is that the cost of labor and materials is kept at a minimum. A small group of workers is sufficient to put the concrete walls into place and lift them upwards, so the roof can be attached. At the same time, you don’t need to use complex metal alloys or a high amount of steel to build your property. As a result, you can allocate more resources toward building and improving interior amenities and finishes.
Additionally, the crane operators can be hired for a few days to lift up the walls, so you won’t need to pay them a monthly salary to participate in this construction project. This further reduces the overall costs of your tilt-up construction project.
At US Framing, we strive to deliver exceptional construction and framing services to our clients. We have decades of experience in this business and work with clients all over the United States. Contact us today to learn more about the benefits of tilt-up construction and how this construction method can be tailored to your preferences and needs.


Tips to Control Pest and Disease in Greenhouse
Before planting a crop in the Greenhouse, it is necessary to take care of the potential way of preventing such as pest, insects, virus & potential disease. We must be aware of how to control Pest and Disease in Greenhouse.
There are Ten–twelve types of insects, some viruses, bacteria, and many types of fungi are found to be annoying in the greenhouse crops.
Insects include Leaf Miner, Thrips, red mites, cyclamen mites, caterpillar, nematode, snail, mealy bugs. Most of the insect pests damage the crops by sucking juice; and the caterpillar, the snails, the larvae like insects, tender buds, flowers and fruits eat them badly and cause damage.
Bacterial diseases spread in healthy plants due to juice-sucking insects. Viruses cause the growth of a plant, leaves become barked, and different colours, lines, circles are seen on them.
Crop Plant suddenly dies because of bacteria. The warm and damp environment in the polyhouse is nutritious for the growth of many types of fungi.
Such fungi attack crops on the leaves, rashes, roots, and damage them in large quantity. Due to various types of pests and diseases, there was a decline in crop production; also, the quality of the flowers.
If you follow all four important tips to control Pest and Disease in Greenhouse, then your greenhouse profit must be increased.
1) Take This Precautions
There are many types of insects and fungi in the external environment. They are entered by air, open or torn sides, torn roofs, ceilings, open spaces, open doors, and clothes inside of the workers.
Many types of insects or other insects enter the greenhouse through the seedlings from outside. If the pests or diseases produced by such insects are brought in, then in the favourable environment, the growth of this insect & pest increases and spread to other healthy plants.
While avoiding this risk, take the seedlings from the nursery, which is suitable for taking care of it, without taking it inside the greenhouse, and keeping it aside, take preventive spray. If there is a weed in the greenhouse area, it is more likely that there are many types of pests and fungi.
After getting wind or getting a chance, the insects of pests or fungi enter the greenhouse from these weeds. For this, the surrounding area of the greenhouse needs to be weed-free and clean.
Many garbage collections in the greenhouse, eg. It is used to throw out old leaves, broken branches, thrown mounds, buds, bud blossoms, etc. near the greenhouse.
There is a possibility of this kind of garbage can grow on it, and it is possible to enter the greenhouse. Therefore, make such habit of disposal of such wastes away from the greenhouse. If the curtain of the greenhouse is broken, then correct it immediately.
Probably have to sit tightly locked in the inside of the curtains. If the wind is strong, then the curtains of that direction should be covered. While entering the greenhouse, possibly separate, use clean clothes. Go inside the back door immediately after coming in or out.
Read more about Gerbera cultivation in polyhouse
2) Taking Care of the Media
Preparation to prevent the access to pests and diseases in the greenhouse starts with selecting the medium to increase the crop. Most of the components are extracted from the soil, sand, manure, paddy husk, etc. to make the medium available.
Many types of fungi and nematode can be imported into the greenhouse from the soil. First of all, choose the source of such factors carefully. They should also maintain their quality as usual. Farmyard Manure must be old, well-rotten, and paddy husk you should bring it fresh.
If all the ingredients needed for the mixing of the mixture are in place, then mix them in the right quantity, spread it in the greenhouse and apply the soil sterilization process. By this sterilization process, the medium can be free from pests, diseases, and weeds; But it does not always mean free from pests, diseases, and weeds.
Take Special care When weeds are growing, they not only compete with the main crops for all needs but also home for many insects and pathogens.
Since only the main crop is being sprayed, the insects that fly on it easily move on the weeds and reduce the effects of the medicines that they will move back. To prevent this, weeding should be done to remove all the weeds grown in the greenhouse.
3) Monitor Time to Time
If the insect and pathogens are found early in the greenhouse, they can prevent their spread by taking immediate action. For this, apply the habit of observing crop in the greenhouse.
Ask experts to get information about pests or diseases found on cropped plants, to detect insects or to detect symptoms of diseases.
Focus more on certain types of greenhouse place such as crop at greenhouse corner, crop near the door. Use yellow, sticky cards and magnifying glass to check if there are insects in the greenhouse.
4) Spraying & Drenching – Pest and Disease Control in Greenhouse
To control the pests and diseases in the greenhouse, there are generally two ways to take measures.
Either there is careful monitoring of the crop every day while growing, and where there is a sense of pest & disease, by spraying or drenching on the infected & surrounding crop.
In other measures, the pesticides and fungicide are sprayed in greenhouses specific time interval due to insect pests, diseases or not as precautions.


Use a measuring cup to measure how much of each ingredient you need to use in the recipe. Many measuring cups are labeled in cups, ounces and milliliters.
There is also an automatic type called an electric can opener.
Use a peeler to peel (remove the skin from) fruits and vegetables.
Use a grater to grate or shred food into small pieces.
A colander is often used to drain (remove the extra water) from cooked pasta.
Sieve / Strainer
A sieve or strainer is often used to separate liquids from solids.
A whisk is used for mixing.
A ladle is used for serving soup.
A pan is often used for frying food (cooking in oil).
A pot is often used for boiling food (cooking in water). The top part of the pot is called a lid or cover. It can be made of metal or glass.
Oven mitt & Potholder
An oven mitt (on the left) and a potholder (on the right) help protect your hands when you touch hot pots and pans.
Baking pan & Cookie sheet
A baking pan is used for baking (cooking things in the oven) foods such as cake and cookies. A flatter version is called a cookie sheet:
You can use tongs to pick up food.
Utensils (Knife, Spoon, Fork)
You use a knife, fork, and spoon to eat food. Together, these items are called utensils.
You can serve soup, salad, or fruit in a bowl.
You can serve food on a plate.
You can put leftovers (food that you will save for later) in a plastic container.
Sandwich bag / Ziploc bag
You can also preserve food in a sandwich bag. One very popular brand of sandwich bags is Ziploc, so some people call these Ziploc bags.


The principles of operation of a hydraulic actuator are like those of the pneumatic actuator. Each
uses some motive force to overcome spring force to move the valve. Also, hydraulic actuators
can be designed to fail-open or fail-closed to provide a fail-safe feature.
Electric Solenoid Actuators
A typical electric solenoid actuator is shown in Figure 38. It consists of a coil, armature, spring,
Figure 38 Electric Solenoid Actuator
The coil is connected to an external current supply. The spring rests on the armature to force
it downward. The armature moves vertically inside the coil and transmits its motion through the
stem to the valve.
When current flows through the coil, a magnetic field forms around the coil. The magnetic field
attracts the armature toward the center of the coil. As the armature moves upward, the spring
collapses and the valve opens. When the circuit is opened and current stops flowing to the coil,
the magnetic field collapses. This allows the spring to expand and shut the valve.


While all of us have come to regard the lottery as a mere chance of luck or, in other words, ‘gambling’, there are mathematical theories out there that claim that it is indeed possible to predict the probability of the winning lottery numbers.
Law Of Large Numbers
Mathematician Renato Gianella claims that it is completely possible to predict the probability of numbers appearing with more frequency than other numbers. His study using complicated probability theories reveals that it is possible to predict patterns thus selecting the higher chance numbers. The study suggests that not every combination of numbers have the equal chance of recurring.
Mr. Gianella claims that this probability can applied to any lottery globally, seeing the lottery not as a mere gambling but rather as a ‘probabilistic theory’, where previous draws dictate the probability of certain combination of winning numbers.
Lottery And Expected Value
Another theory draws upon the mathematical expected and average value. This theory claims that if you, like most players out there, play the lottery for a long time buying single tickets – you are most likely going to lose.
However the story behind the Cash WinFall demonstrate how to play the lottery for a long time and not lose – using the mathematical theory of expected value.
First, let’s define the expected value. If we assume that the cost of the ticket is $2, and you have one in 200 chances of winning $300, then it would mean that the ticket expected value is $1.50 from mathematical point of view. However to the player the ticket value is either $0 or $300.
In 2012, when the Massachusetts state launched Cash WinFall draw in order to attract more players, with rolldown rule. This means that when the Jackpot exceeded $2 million and there was no winner, then the money from the winning pool was given to lower-tier winners that had won five or four numbers. That increased the expected value of $2 ticket to $5.63.
So three syndicates were formed, that collectively purchased hundreds of thousands of tickets during the rolldown, so their ROI constituted 10-15%.
So, as you can see, there are many possibilities of winning the lottery with math skills, and although it does not provide foolproof 100% chance of winning, you CAN drastically improve your chances of winning if not Jackpot, but at least a lower-tier prize. So if you are pretty good at math, monitor the winning lottery numbers and try to come up with your own recipe for success.


Brushing your teeth, flossing and regularly visiting your dentist are the best ways to keep your smile bright. Read on to find out why dental hygiene is so important.
Behind one oral disease another may be lurking!
Did you know that oral health problems may have a significant impact on your quality of life? Over time, in fact, they can affect your sense of physical, psychological and social well being. For example, you might change the way you eat, speak or act with others to avoid pain or hide a problem you are having.
That is why, oral diseases like gingivitis or ulcers should not be taken lightly. They must be treated as soon as possible. Moreover, research has shown a link between oral diseases and other health problems, such as diabetes .
The 6 golden rules of oral hygiene
To reduce the risk of oral diseases, you should:
- brush your teeth after each meal and, most importantly, before bedtime;
- floss before going to bed to remove any food debris lodged between your teeth;
- see your dentist at least twice a year;
- eat a healthy diet (avoid sugary and acidic foods);
- regularly examine the inside of your mouth looking for signs of disease (e.g. red, painful, shiny, swollen or bleeding gums; white or red plaques; numbness or thickness in the tongue, roof of the mouth, gums and cheeks, etc.);
- avoid using tobacco products (e.g. cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco). Nicotine patches might help you quit smoking ). Talk to your doctor or pharmacist.
Do you have questions about oral hygiene products? Just ask your pharmacist to guide you in the right direction.