Tag Archive: 'Latest Omnet++ Projects'
Situational awareness is a critical component in a post-disaster recovery operation for assessment of needs and identification of available resources at different parts of a disaster-affected area. This information, in turn, may help the relief agencies to appropriately coordinate, manage and channelize their resources. A major hindrance in developing such global situational awareness is the […]
A novel static external network equivalencing method for protection studies on Iran Transmission Grid
In this paper, a novel static external network reduction appropriate for fault studies and relay coordination in transmission system is proposed. By applying the proposed method to IEEE 14-bus network and Hormozgan Transmission Network, its major advantages, simplicity and accuracy (less than 5% error) have been confirmed in comparison with accurate classic and approximate engineering […]
Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN) has become an important part of the wireless communication world in the past decade leading to the need for efficient antennas for In-, Onand Off-Body links. The design of such antennas depends critically on the understanding of their interaction with the host body, and thus on the propagation of waves […]
This paper addresses the area of heterogeneous wireless relaying vehicular clouds. We devise an advanced vehicular relaying technique for enhanced connectivity in densely populated urban areas. We investigate the performance of a transmission scheme over a Long-Term Evolution-Advanced (LTE-A) network where vehicles act as relaying cooperating terminals for a downlink session between a base station […]
Openflow is a step towards a more flexible data plane. In Openflow-based deployments, packet forwarding model relies on a set of pipelined tables. However, supporting multiple hardware tables is challenging while having serious limitations. In this paper, we investigate a novel approach to packet forwarding design that tailors Openflow forwarding paths according to the underlying […]
The emerging smart utility networks (SUN) provide two-way communications between smart meters and smart appliances to achieve low power usage, low cost and high reliability. Because SUN are composed of dense wireless devices, signal interference between the devices is an inevitable problem. This paper presents a precoder design that can reduce the effects of interference […]
1.4 mA (70 mV) peak-to-peak drive of 1.25 Gb/s frequency modulated laser for WDM coherent access networks
A new laser suitable for access-systems with FM efficiency up to 7 GHz/mA and negligible amplitude modulation is presented. It enables 1.25/2.5 Gb/s operations with extremely low driving signals: 70 mVpk-pk and 250 mVpk-pk respectively.
This paper presents a risk-based advanced distribution network management system (NMS) aimed at maximizing wind energy harvesting while simultaneously managing congestion and voltages. The NMS allows the adoption of multi-minute control cycles so the volume of actions from on-load tap changers (OLTCs) and distributed generation (DG) plants can be reduced while effectively catering for the […]
Relay, power and subchannel allocations for underlay non LOS OFDM-based cognitive networks under interference temperature
In this paper, we consider the case where two communicating cognitive radio users are not near to each other or have no direct line of sight(LOS). Some secondary users don’t need the entire spectrum available to them because of their traffic demand being low. If we are able to use this unused spectrum to relay […]
A Novel En-Route Filtering Scheme Against False Data Injection Attacks in Cyber-Physical Networked Systems
In Cyber-Physical Networked Systems (CPNS), the adversary can inject false measurements into the controller through compromised sensor nodes, which not only threaten the security of the system, but also consume network resources. To deal with this issue, a number of en-route filtering schemes have been designed for wireless sensor networks. However, these schemes either lack […]


Purse-sized pooches make for great travel companions and fashion statements, but one woman was arrested Friday after using her tote to steal a $2,000 puppy from a St. Paul pet store.
The 18-year-old woman was a regular at Petland in the Sun Ray shopping center in St. Paul, so she didn't raise suspicions when she came in Friday night, the Pioneer Press reports.
Just minutes after she left, though, staff noticed a $2,000 Yorkie-poo was missing, the Associated Press reports.
The woman had applied for a job at the store, so the store manager and owner tracked her down at her residence using the address on file. The puppy was returned safely, and police arrested her.
The woman apologized, telling police she felt sorry for the puppy and wanted to take it home, the Pioneer Press notes.
She was in police custody Friday night for felony theft. No charges are filed yet.


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This Bites (on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee) is taking on Mother’s Day weekend with a three-brunch punch. That’s three local places to take your mom for a great brunch on Sunday, May 12. They include the three-course affair at Crazy Water in Walker’s Point, the buffet at the Iron Horse Hotel (500 W. Florida St.), also in Walker’s Point, and I.d. at the Delafield Hotel. Of course, there are loads of other places and since this is a big dining holiday, I’d recommend jumping on that reservation pronto.
The Mother’s Day brunch at the Iron Horse features desserts by the Third Ward’s Batches Bakery (401 E. Erie St.), which closed its storefront on May 10 but will continue to make all the pastries and desserts for its brother-restaurants DanDan, EsterEv and Fauntleroy, and the Iron Horse Hotel, for which JVR hospitality group (formed by the DanDan owners) is now consulting.
In the world of local plant-based dining, we have a few vegan dinners to share with you – one is at Balzac Wine Bar on May 14; the other is at Lazy Susan on May 16. There’s a new vegan pop-up food truck in town, called Maya Ophelia’s. The owners do plant-based versions of Mexican, Puerto Rican and Filipino dishes in pop-up locations like the Bay View bar Lost Whale and at Walker’s Point’s Boone & Crockett (taking over the Taco Moto truck). Learn more about what they make and where you might find Maya Ophelia’s.

domain: geography


The lightweight Lotus Elan had a heavy influence on sports cars, says Jules Christian
Having been involved in motoring journalism for more years than I’d care to remember, you get to drive all sorts of vehicles, from the completely exotic to the absolutely mundane.
Inevitably some stand out more than others and one of those for me was not in the supercar group of an AC Cobra, Lamborghini Miura, Porsche 959 or Ferrari 512BB, but a little 1960s sports car called the Lotus Elan.
The original Elan was designed by Colin Chapman, the owner of Lotus Cars and a successful racing car builder, whose revolutionary thinking in automotive design included introducing aerodynamics and the mid-engine layout, which won him seven Formula 1 constructor titles between 1962 and 1978.
With an aeronautical engineering background, he is accredited with applying to both motor-racing and production car design, his famous basic philosophy: “Adding power makes you faster on the straights. Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere.”
It was this approach that was applied to the first Lotus Elan roadster, which in 1962, with its steel chassis and plastic fibreglass body was an incredible 250kg lighter than, for example, an MGB or Sunbeam Alpine in the day. It was also far more technically advanced, initially with a 1,558cc engine and then almost immediately with a 1,600, upgraded with the famous Lotus twin cam head. It had disc brakes all round, rack and pinion steering and four-wheel independent suspension with additional supporting rear struts, which he invented and are used on most cars today.
A pioneer of monocoque construction – a bodyshell with sub-frames added on – Chapman designed the bodyshell of the Elan to be an integral part of the stress structure of the car, so that although it had a chassis, the strength of the car was spread throughout the vehicle. The result was a true driver’s sports car that had exceptional handling, roadholding, steering, acceleration, braking and comfort.
In such a small light car, the performance by 1967 and the SE Sprint model was outrageous. With over 125bhp and 0-60mph (0-96km/h) in around 6.5 seconds, it could easily outflank, up to about 90mph (144km/h), most supercars of the day. On open country roads it was a dream with incredibly positive steering, balance and excellent gear ratios. You just could not believe the speed at which you could take corners on a road you knew well. The Elan basically seemed to defy logic and gave you an adrenalin buzz every time you drove it.
During its 11-year production run, the Lotus Elan was subtly upgraded with a better interior and increased performance, with little done to its rust free body shell. As well as the roadster with optional removable hardtop, there were Coupe versions and SE (Special Equipment) editions. There was also the stylish and more luxurious, but not so popular, +2 model.
The legacy of the original Lotus Elan lives on, with many of its highly respected engineering innovations reflected in the cars of today. The rebirth of the small sports roadster in the 1990s, for example, with the introduction of the Honda MX5, owed much of its inspiration to this little Lotus British Classic. Respect indeed, when the designer of the McLaren F1 supercar, Gordon Murray, said that his only disappointment with the F1 was that he could not give it the perfect steering of the Lotus Elan.


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Joburg Noir is a collection of writings about memories, legends, loss, jokes, stories, myths and experiences by twenty-two gifted and versatile authors in South Africa. It makes the reader experience present-day Johannesburg as if one were in the past. The stories seek to understand, reconstruct, reinvent and recover this city space of loss, joy, deprivation, resistance and possibility by revealing its complex dynamics. They are funny, shocking, violent, absurd, strangely tender and memorable.
Their lasting resonance lies in the fact that they invoke the joys and traumas of the past and present, making the two to co-exist and interlock. After reading this uncompromising and gritty anthology, the reader is bound to feel like a time-traveller who has voyaged into a magical alternate city and a reality that was either misnamed or not named at all. The intention is to help the readers to delve into their own memories in search of pictures of their sweet childhood and fractured identities.
Niq Mhlongo (Editor)
Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review.

domain: literature


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RBI Governor Urjit Patel voted for interest rate hike citing inflation risks and related uncertainties while his deputy Viral Acharya felt there was no alternative to it by 25 basis points, as per the minutes of the MPC meeting released today.
The power sector is unlikely to get any relief in the near future from its outstanding debt of Rs 1.8 lakh crore, as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has refused the Finance Ministry’s request to give forbearance to the sector.
A rise in trade deficit due to higher crude oil prices widened India’s current account deficit (CAD) for 2017-18, Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) data showed on Wednesday.
Rising oil prices and accelerating growth in vast swathes of the economy created a situation akin to a “tug of war”, prompting the Indian central bank to raise benchmark rates for the first time in more than four years, Asia’s richest banker Uday Kotak said Tuesday.
Citing the rise in global crude oil prices as a risk to consumer inflation, the Reserve Bank of India’s MPC has hiked its inflation projection for FY19.
Hardening domestic fuel prices are likely to weigh on the Reserve Bank’s rate setting panel, Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), at its 3-day meet from June 4. This is the first time that the MPC will meet for three days due to “administrative exigencies”.
Rise in oil prices may lead to inflationary trends in the country, forcing the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to hike rates by 0.25 per cent in the August policy review, foreign brokerages said today.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has recently recommended stricter norms for non-performing assets (NPAs) recognition by banks.
Just as the Indian economy was limping back to normalcy after an elongated period of subdued growth, oil prices have thrown a spanner in the works right on cue.
India’s current account deficit (CAD) is set to widen due to higher oil prices which could lead to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issuing a fresh tranche of NRI bonds to shore up its foreign exchange reserves, Bank of America-Merrill Lynch (BofA-ML) India economist Indranil Sen Gupta said in a note on Thursday.

domain: news


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Amoïbaios…20 mars 2003
Composition for saxophon sopranino, soprano, alto (D. Kientzy) and double bass.
This music can be played as the second movement of Amoïbaios. The rules of composition beetwen the two soloists are similar. But it was impossible for me to be mindless in front of the barbarity.


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For an album that is devoid of sampling, subscribing to an almost arrogant adherence to live instrumentation, Daft Punk‘s new album is incredibly archival. The title Random Access Memories is fitting and descriptive. As on 2001’s Discovery, the French duo are still passionately in love with the music they grew up with — aren’t we all? As traditionally dispassionate and antiseptic as
the French people robots are, this record is supremely warm, soulful and human. It functions almost as an antidote to 2005’s bleak and mechanical Human After All.
Furthermore, Random Access Memories is remarkable in its complexity. It is at once contemporary and regressive, post-modern yet unironic and powerful while mellow. It’s the sound of two guys flexing their muscles in a genre in which they are sought-after experts. At some point, dance music left the clubs and established dominion over the charts and Daft Punk use Random Access Memories to instruct listeners; without being didactic, they show where the music they’re dancing to came from, what it should sound like and what it could sound like.
Give Life Back To Music opens like the libretto of a stage epic. A vocodered voice commands you to “Let the music of your life give life back to music” accompanied by the trademark sound of Nile Rodgers’ guitar. That sound, since the 1970s, has been sharp, tight, clean and rhythmic. It is neither wholly disco nor R&B or rock, a sound that bleeds cool and has the rest of the music following its intricate and funky lead.
The opener is as infectious as anything on the 12 tracks that follow, full of spirit and celebration. Daft Punk aren’t making dance music so much as they’re making music that makes you want to dance. They’re saying that music is supposed to make you wanna dance. These guys were studio geeks before they were DJs, musicians before they were geeks and delinquents before that. Who better to show you how to have a good time?
Giorgio By Moroder is something utterly unique. The title subject, disco legend Giorgio Moroder, tells his story in a weathered, accented voice, articulating a mission statement that Daft Punk have adopted as their own: “I wanted to do an album with the sounds of the ’50’s, the sounds of the ’60’s, of the ’70’s and then have a sound of the future.” He warmly introduces himself – “My name is Giovanni Giorgio, but everybody calls me Giorgio” – followed by the drop of a sharp, arpeggiated synth line. It oscillates as the instrumentation begins to slowly build. Another interlude from Moroder and things ascend to an awesome height. Sharp and pounding drums give way to a gorgeous string arrangement before things are brought back down for a vinyl scratch solo accompanied by a groovy wandering bass…and then a blitzing guitar solo, bring back those string arrangements too. Powerful, unique and glorious.
Random Access Memories is a romantic album in the most explicit sense of the word. Songs such as The Game Of Love, Within and the Julian Casablancas-collaboration Instant Crush deal with love and heartbreak in a brash and teenage way without ever sounding saccharine or overwrought. This is conducive to one of the album’s grandest achievements, which is a lack of irony despite being, at its core, a post-modern record.
On the more animated tracks – Lose Yourself to Dance, Touch and first single Get Lucky – the guitars flick and bounce, the beats pound and charge, the bass wanders, strolls and shimmies and the synths now punctuate the groove rather than taking their place at the forefront of the music. Daft Punk is now an ensemble sound rather than the funky cacophony emanating from a 909 and an 808, though there’s still plenty of that funky cacophony.
The songs Beyond, Motherboard and the especially ambitious, Daryl Braithwaite-sampling Contact function as lush suites of electronic noise, mobilising beats and rhythms, and sharp, retro synth, with opulent orchestral furnishings for good measure. These are true electronic symphonies, examples of a robotic language with a human accent.
“Disco sucks” — believe it or not, this is one of the most racist statements of the 20th Century. It belongs on the proverbial “wrong side of history” along with signs indicating coloured drinking fountains. The “movement” was spearheaded by rock and country DJ Steve Dahl who organised an anti-disco rally at Comiskey Park in Chicago, the city that would later serve as the womb for house music. Under the guise of a promotional stunt, rally attendees were encouraged to bring disco records – which had moved from underground gay clubs to the suburbs with the success of Saturday Night Fever – to the stadium to be demolished with explosives.
One of the ushers at Comiskey Park was a young man by the name of Vince Lawrence, who five years later would produce the first house song ever with friend Jesse Saunders. Lawrence watched as 50,000 people filed into the stadium carrying stacks of vinyl. “What I noticed,” he said, “was people were bringing records and some of the records were disco records…and some of those records were just black records, they weren’t disco. They were just black records, R&B records…and that got accepted and blown up along with Donna Summer and Anita Ward.”
It is funny how we as human beings ascribe an almost omnipotent power to music, no matter how goofy and lighthearted the form it may ultimately take. A country DJ launched a violent backlash against dance music because it was made by black people for gay people to get down to, conservative religious websites keep lists of music they deem incendiary and even “evil,” the US Congress spends taxpayer money on hearings about a single lyric in one rap song, heavy metal is said to be able to make you shoot up schools or commit suicide, and though these are examples of people being reactionary and misguided, it stems from the awe we collectively feel when in the presence of music. Because the truth is that no-one quite understands it.
What Random Access Memories is is a sonic treatise on this ineffable might that music possesses, the power contained inside of a chord that we all seem to agree is there. In a way that is enjoyable and entertaining, it presents it as a variegated and sweeping canvas replete with beauty, harmony and joy, as well as something that is organic and, alas, human.
Listen: Daft Punk – Random Access Memories
Daft Punk – Random Access Memories tracklist
1. “Give Life Back to Music” (featuring Nile Rodgers and Paul Jackson, Jr.) – 4:34
2. “The Game of Love” (instrumental) – 5:21
3. “Giorgio by Moroder” (featuring Giorgio Moroder) – 9:04
4. “Within” (featuring Chilly Gonzales) – 3:48
5. “Instant Crush” (featuring Julian Casablancas) – 5:37
6. “Lose Yourself to Dance” (featuring Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers) – 5:53
7. “Touch” (featuring Paul Williams) – 8:18
8. “Get Lucky” (featuring Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers) – 6:07
9. “Beyond” (lyrics by Paul Williams) – 4:50
10. “Motherhood” (instrumental) – 5:41
11. “Fragments of Time” (featuring Todd Edwards) – 4:39
12. “Doin’ It Right” (featuring Panda Bear) – 4:11
13. “Contact” (featuring DJ Falcon) – 6:21
Photos: Daft Punk Saint Laurent Shoot

domain: artistic


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Chairman CC CPRF
NATO: Wolf in a Sheep’s Skin
Why should Russia join the North Atlantic Alliance?
Against the background of the global crisis into which Russia was sucked deeper than other leading countries dangerous new phenomena can be observed in the policy of our country’s leadership. I am referring to plans of further sell-off of strategic enterprises, commercialization of education, healthcare and culture and the drive to bring Russia into the World Trade Organization.
Recently, the long stalled negotiations on Russia’s entry into NATO were suddenly resumed. Pro-government experts and journalists are at pains to prove that it is a necessary step. Chairman of the Board of the Modern Development Institute (INSOR), Mr Yurgens, publicly aired the idea of dragging Russia into NATO at an international forum in Yaroslavl in September. The Chairman of INSOR’s Board of Trustees is the Russian President. Could it mean that Mr Yurgens launched his initiative with a nod from the Presidential Administration? The Russian President himself intends to take part in the NATO summit in Lisbon on November 19-20. During a recent meeting with NATO’s Secretary-General Anders Rasmussen, Dmitry Medvedev said that the Lisbon meeting would not only “give a fresh start to the relations between NATO and Russia but will mark modernization of the mutual relations”. There is nothing new about these “fresh starts”. The road to rapprochement with the West on capitulation terms was opened by Mikhail Gorbachev with his “universal human values”. Flirting with the US and its allies had dire consequences for our country. However, Russian leaders have failed to draw any lessons from that.
Yeltsin agreed to the first wave of NATO expansion towards the Russian borders. He backed NATO’s aggression against Yugoslavia, our own ally in Europe. But towards the end of Yeltsin’s rule it became clear that the “partners” had been cynically leading us by our noses. Incensed, Yeltsin sanctioned the famous march of a Russian airborne troops company towards Pristina, the capital of Kosovo, but that was it. Before long Mr Putin started everything from scratch.
One of the first steps of the new President was to have the State Duma ratify the infamous START-II Treaty that could lead to the dismantling of our heavy missiles. Russia’s strategic nuclear forces were only saved because the US Congress refused to ratify the Treaty. The Russian authorities then gave a virtual consent to the second wave of NATO expansion, this time to the Baltic countries. Soon, under the pretext of taking part in an international anti-terrorist coalition, Mr Putin effectively contributed to the establishment of NATO bases in Central Asia. Simultaneously vital Russian bases on Cuba and in Vietnam were liquidated.
However, after six years of tireless efforts aimed at strengthening the relations with NATO, Mr Putin suddenly discovered that the West did not intend to reciprocate but continued to present ever new demands, threatening to take the Russian leadership to international court over its war in Chechnya. So in February 2007 the Russian President delivered his famous anti-NATO Munich speech in which he expressed profound indignation over the perfidy of the “partners”. Now President Medvedev is being egged on to follow the same path. Some major preparatory steps have been taken on the eve of NATO’s Lisbon session. Another “disarmament” treaty with the US has been signed. Moscow has backed tougher sanctions against Iran and tore up the contract to supply defensive anti-aircraft systems to Teheran. Some ill-advised verbal attacks were made on North Korea. The relations with Belarus were aggravated without any cause. A big gift was presented to Norway, the closest US NATO ally, which was given control over large parts of the Barents Sea over which our country has never recognized foreign sovereignty. Now it looks as if the relations between Russia and NATO are going to be taken to a new level as a step towards joining that aggressive bloc.
NATO: From European to Global Policeman
It will be recalled that the Alliance was created on April 4, 1949 allegedly to protect Europe against an invasion of the “Red hordes” from the East. And yet one of NATO’s leaders admitted at the time that the bloc’s true aim was “to keep America in, Germany down and Russia out”.
The Soviet Union has been destroyed. It would seem that there was no reason for NATO to exist any more. But the alliance lives on and indeed is expanding and building up its muscle. The true meaning of the preservation of NATO was highlighted by the brazen interventions against friendly Yugoslavia and then in Iraq and Afghanistan. It became clear that NATO is still an instrument that promotes the global ambitions of the US and its allies. As a matter of fact Western strategists agree that NATO’s role is growing.
The balance of forces in the world is changing rapidly. In 1999 when the NATO members enthusiastically adopted a new Strategic Concept which turned NATO from a defensive European alliance into an offensive bloc with a world-wide zone of action there was no resistance to this, and it had never been expected. Russia lay in the ruins of “reforms”, while China had yet to assert its political and economic might.
Today, as the crisis has shown, the writ of the world oligarchy whose centers are North America and Europe, is shrinking. Under the influence of Communist China the countries of Asia, whose role until recently has been to supply natural resources and cheap labour for Europe and the US, are emerging as key factors in world politics. Similar processes are taking place in Latin America. The countries of the “black continent” until recently a boundless field for plunder by transnational corporations (TNCs) are uniting in an anti-colonial African Union. The Middle East and the Islamic world as a whole are locked in tough confrontation with the West.
The fight for leadership is intensifying. The economic crisis further weakens the capitalist system. The international oligarchy comprises the planet’s wealthiest people, more than 500 powerful TNCs which have a capital of 16 trillion dollars and account for more than 25% of the world industrial output. That “elite” has no intention of relinquishing its hegemony over the planet gained during centuries of wars of conquest. Hence the new series of military conflicts, an aggressive stance with regard to Iran and the DPRK and the growing pressure on China.
The West seeks greater consolidation in order to perpetuate its dominance. While in the 1990s the issue of whether NATO had any meaning was debated, today the oligarchy, concerned about the changing balance of forces in the world, is vigorously building up NATO as world policeman. It sets the task of deploying systems of global control over land and sea surfaces and being able to deliver strikes on any spot in the planet. NATO is emerging as a supranational body which seeks to overturn the system of international law that took shape after the Second World War and subjugate the UN.
Back in 1993 Zbigniew Brzezinski in his book “Out of Control” openly declared that if America wanted to control the world, as it did, then it must establish its preeminence over Eurasia, especially over the ‘Western periphery’ (the European Union), its heartland (Russia), the Middle East, Central Asia and its oil reserves. According to prominent American analyst John Kaminski, American troops are not fighting for freedom. This is a fight for corporate profits… the army exists to capture and plunder other countries and peoples.
At the Lisbon meeting its participants are to approve a new NATO strategic concept to replace the one adopted in May 1999 when the bloc declared it had the right to global interventions. The new concept is likely to confirm that NATO will continue its expansion to the East. It will keep the American tactical nuclear weapons in Europe. It will create a European missile defense system together with the US which obviously is directed against Russia.
The oligarchic capital, aware of the threat to its world hegemony coming from Asia, Latin America and the Middle East, is trying to counterattack. But its resources continue to shrink.
Russia is being dragged into the war in Afghanistan
What is NATO’s greatest worry? The fact that it does not have enough “cannon fodder” for its colonial expeditions. NATO is feverishly casting about for allies. There are today about 150,000 troops from 47 countries deployed in Afghanistan. Many former Soviet republics have been dragged in: Estonia has sent 160 troops, Latvia 170, Lithuania 245, Azerbaijan 90, Armenia 40, Ukraine 15 and Georgia 925.
Our recent Warsaw Treaty allies have been presented with demands to increase their contribution. Thus, Poland has 2630 troops in Afghanistan, Romania has 1750, Hungary 360, Bulgaria 540, the Czech Republic 500 and Slovakia 300. Even Mongolia has been made to send almost 200 of its soldiers there. Is there any doubt that Russia would be asked to make a more “worthy” contribution to the “fight for democracy” in Afghanistan?
What is the meaning of Article 5 of the NATO Charter? It means that all the bloc’s members must come to the defense of any other member that has been attacked. The nature of the attack is not spelled out. It could well mean the “terrorist threat” which is being made such great play of in the West. Those who are dragging Russia into NATO must understand that Russia will be obliged to protect the alliance’s collective interests. And not only in Afghanistan…
Apparently Washington reasonably believes it inadmissible that the Russian government is still evading doing what is the “sacred duty” of all the US partners, i.e. fighting for American interests. Ever louder calls for intervention in Iran are heard in Washington. More and more “cannon fodder” will be needed.
The Western public rejects the futile war in the Middle East, especially since the “noble” goals of “fighting international terrorism” are fast losing their luster and the cost and the number of coffins flown from Afghanistan are soaring. It is therefore extremely important for the NATO leaders to create the impression that this war has broad international support. In general, this is a favourite American trick: having its allies share responsibility for its colonial adventures. This was the case in Korea in the 1950s and in Vietnam in the 1960s. This is what is happening in Afghanistan.
The NATO Secretary General is openly speaking about sending Russian helicopter pilots to that country and in a meeting at the Pentagon several months ago the US Secretary of Defense raised with Mr Serdyukov, the Russian Defense Minister, the question of sending Russian airborne and special units to Afghanistan. We have not heard a resolute refusal of the Russian side to do so.
On the other hand, we know that Russia-NATO military ties were fully restored during the trip to the bloc’s Brussels headquarters by the chief of the General Staff N.Makarov early this year. Several agreements were signed on regular command-and-staff exercises to practice troop compatibility and interoperability, to exchange servicemen for training and other activities aimed at integrating the Russian armed forces into NATO structures.
Western strategists agree to admit Russia to the alliance only as a rank-and-file member, making it clear that the bloc has only one boss, the US. Russia would turn from a dangerous rival to be kept out of Europe into a docile vassal. In other words, the formula is changing. Now NATO’s main purpose is “to keep the US in and Germany and Russia down”.
Consequences of Russia’s entry into NATO
If our country joins the alliance its independence in world affairs will be dramatically diminished. It will have to coordinate its actions with the NATO top brass, or, in practical terms, seek its permission for every international initiative. It will get a “common enemy”. We should all be aware that in the event Russia joins NATO our southern and far eastern borders may first become zones of high tension and then a field of battle.
Like all other members of the alliance, Russia will face “friendly occupation” with the appearance on our territory of NATO bases and rapid deployment forces, and free transportation of NATO military supplies across its territory. As a result of this transformation Russia’s Eurasian geopolitical role will change. So for Russia to join NATO would mean a prologue to its self-destruction.
For the Russian economy the move would sound the death knell for our military-industrial complex which has long been the mainspring of spectacular scientific and technological achievements and had the most advanced forms of organization of labour. We will inevitably be forced to switch to NATO standards and to buy foreign military hardware. The process is in full swing. We have already bought English rifles, Israeli drones, Italian armored vehicles and a “contract of the century” will see the Russian Navy buy French helicopter carriers that it has absolutely no need for. General Ivashov estimates that in the coming years Russia will get at least 30% of its military hardware from NATO countries and from Israel.
Meanwhile the virtual halt of the production of TU-2004 and IL-96 planes means that we are not only becoming totally dependent on the West for passenger planes, but also that we will soon be unable to produce our military transport planes. In the event of conflict we will have no spare parts or capacity to repair passenger planes which have always been a standby reserve.
The destructive “reform” of the Armed Forces falls into the same pattern. It is associated with the name of Mr Serdyukov. But apparently his activity has the support of the country’s leadership. Sad experience of such “reforms” exists. The once strong armies of the former Warsaw Treaty countries – Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania – have now been turned into “contingents” totally incapable of defending their countries and their populations but providing mercenaries for America’s colonial wars.
The same fate was suffered by the once powerful People’s Army of Yugoslavia. After the government coup in October 2000 when power in Belgrade was seized by the pro-Western forces a series of “reforms” of the Yugoslavian Army turned it into a pale shadow of the real force which only recently was capable of repelling NATO’s land invasion.
The Russian authorities have destroyed the science and the defense industry they had inherited from the USSR to such an extent that we have lost the capacity to produce enough of our own armaments, let alone develop new ones. The army which was once feared by its enemies, demoralized and disarmed by the “reformers”, is no longer able to defend Russia.
Reorganization of the Armed Forces structure, the adoption of the brigade system, purchases of foreign military hardware, joint exercises in the US and Europe, refusal to admit cadets and attendees to military higher education institutions is nothing if not a drive to prepare a military module for docking whatever remains of the Russian Army and Navy with the expeditionary forces of the US and NATO.
The message is clear: Russia voluntarily forfeits its status of a leading world power and becomes subordinate to the most aggressive forces. Does our victorious people deserve such treatment?
Can one trust NATO’s friendliness?
Facts are stubborn things. They attest that NATO is quietly continuing to prepare an invasion of Russia. Our troops on the European theatre are outnumbered by 10-12 times by those of NATO. In Europe alone NATO has 36 divisions, 120 brigades, 11,000 tanks, 23,000 pieces of ordinance and 4500 war planes. What is the purpose of having such huge military might? To fight international terror which today is held up as the main justification for the existence of NATO?
Meanwhile specialists believe that 70% of all the operational activities, exercises, command-and-staff games conducted by NATO rehearse entry into the initial period of a large-scale war, waged to gain air superiority and carry out offensive operations. Today NATO has no other enemy against whom large-scale operations could be launched, except Russia. One can safely say therefore that NATO wants to occupy us.
NATO is building up its presence everywhere. Russia is being strategically surrounded. A belt of states unfriendly to Russia is being created. US bases are springing up in Poland, Bulgaria and Romania on the Black Sea coast. The Baltic countries are already under NATO control. Naval bases and military airfields capable of hosting up to 200 war planes at any one time, including nuclear carrying planes, have been modernized there. And yet Estonia is within 200 km of Leningrad. NATO aviation can launch its missiles even without entering our air space.
Ukraine and Moldavia are waiting in the anteroom to join NATO. Georgia is already in NATO’s pocket. Azerbaijan is gradually drifting towards NATO. The bloc’s air bases are located in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. The new members of the alliance, including the Baltic countries, are not limited in deploying nuclear weapons on their territories, are not covered by the CFE limitations, which makes it possible to create strike groups on their territories.
There is constant work to establish control over our Northern Fleet, Russia’s most powerful group of marine nuclear forces. NATO uses tracking stations in Norway and the Baltic countries, and radio electronic monitoring posts on Spitzbergen. Acoustic buoys, satellites and Orion reconnaissance planes track all the movements of our nuclear submarines. NATO’s reconnaissance aviation along our borders is becoming more and more active.
What is behind the attempts to drag Russia into NATO?
The Russian elite has long been trying to become part of the world oligarchy. But it has been given to understand that the only pass to the “club” is through the NATO military organization. The message behind it is, first fight for us, spill the blood of your citizens for the sake of Western values and then we will think about admitting you to the “club”.
The “sudden” surge of interest in joining NATO is further proof of the fact that the elites of Russia and the NATO countries have the same class nature. The group that rules Russia today is not so much modernizing as “Westernizing” Russia.
Preparation for “Westernization” has been underway for a long time. Russia’s pro-Western elite keeps saying that Russia has no enemies. With the exception of mythical “international terrorists”. Our foreign policy makers refuse to admit the obvious fact that the West’s historical goals have not changed and that Russia is still seen as a source of cheap commodities and a market for goods that have outlived their sell-buy date.
The march of NATO columns through Red Square on Victory Day on May 9, 2010, a day sacred to all Russians, has shown that NATO and Russian elites are moving towards becoming “soul mates.” They are trying to impress upon us that the people which was the first to send its son – Yuri Gagarin – into outer space is only capable of picking up crumbs off Western tables. The comeback of rabid liberalism when more than 900 enterprises, including some strategic ones, are about to be privatized, means that the country’s national security is sacrificed for the sake of gain and selfish interests.
Incidentally, the Russian elite continues to display inconsistency. While strongly opposing the admission of Ukraine and Georgia to NATO, Moscow suddenly declares that it intends to join the bloc itself. Russia’s Military Doctrine names NATO as our main enemy. Are we going to integrate into our main enemy’s organization? Of course, under Russia’s Yeltsin constitution, the President determines the country’s foreign policy. At the same time, the Russian leaders should not forget the constitutional principle which says that the source of power in Russia is its people. Apparently a sharp change of the country’s historical course requires the consent of the people. The mechanism for getting such consent is well known. It is the referendum.
If the present Russian authorities feel that they are infallible, let them put the question of joining NATO to a referendum. The chances are that they will not do so. They know very well that the people preserve in their genes the memory of the previous “visits” to Russia by our European neighbours, be it in the form of the Polish intervention during the Time of Troubles, Napoleon’s great army or Hitler’s hordes with SS legions which represented almost all the present NATO countries.
Russia has already paid for its security with millions of lives in the Second World War having liberated Europe from fascism. To strengthen Russia’s security we should not beg to be admitted to NATO, but develop our industry, education and science. We must revive our armed forces. We must restore the circle of our friends and allies among the member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Collective Security Treaty Organization. Above all, we must seek to create a union of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine which would bring together the potential of the three Slavic peoples. This is the most reliable guarantee of our security. This has been the case for centuries in our common state. So it will be in the future.


text:
Gusarica is the public beach of Komiža. It was named after the church of Our Lady of Pirate which was built on the beach on the west side of Komiža (16th to 18th century. According to the legend it was robbed by pirates who stole the portrait of “Our Lady”. Shortly after they ransacked the church their boat was destroyed in a big storm, and the waves brought the portrait back to the beach in front of the church. It was found by women from Komiža who washed their clothes on the well in front of the church. This Renaissance three-part church holds lots of historical information: the oldest organ in Dalmatia from the year 1670 are found there, and there is a well of water under the main altar in the church.
On this beach you have everything you need: access for people with disabilities, changing rooms, toilets, a cafe and restaurant, mini golf, showers, diving center manta, Hotel Biševo that offers different kinds of wellness programmes, and the mass int he church for those looking for the spiritual .The beach is only 5 minutes from the town center.

domain: history


text:
In case you’ve failed to notice, it’s nearly Mother’s Day, so what better way to celebrate that by snuggling down with your little people with a mummy-themed book.
Here are three magnificent mummy books currently available in my 3 for £10 offer:
I Love My Mummy
A rhyming ode to mummies everywhere, I Love My Mummy by Giles Andreae and Emma Dodd is a fun story book perfect for sharing with even the littlest of people. It’s written by the man who brought you ‘Giraffes Can’t Dance’ and it will definitely make you chuckle. My favourite line has to be: “I like to watch her brush her hair, and dance round in her underwear!” Come on, don’t tell me you don’t do that too?!
You can watch me read I Love My Mummy on my YouTube channel.
The Mummy Shop
When one boy’s mummy makes him tidy his room, help her in the supermarket AND tells him it’s time for bed when he’s only just started playing, he was cross; so cross in fact that when he sees an ad in the paper the next day for The Mummy Shop, he gives them a call. But he soon finds out he had the perfect mummy all along.
This is a great book for older littlies who will sit through a slightly longer story. I love the bright illustrations from the fabulous Lauren Beard.
My Mummy is Magic
One of my newest titles, My Mummy is Magic follows a little one and their mum as they find magic in the simplest of things.
I particularly like this book for two reasons:
- Because the main character could be either a boy or a girl
- The Mummy is shown going to work – I don’t see this very often in children’s books and it’s not only important for role modelling, but also to reassure your little people that you’ll always come back for them. These are the lines I love: “I think my mummy’s magic – and everybody knows. They need my mummy’s magic, and so off to work she goes. There are times I really miss her, and I wish that she would stay…but just like magic soon she’s back, as though she never went away!”
What about Grandma?
Want to get Grandma in on the act? My little people are currently enjoying How to Hide a Lion from Grandma – a brilliant follow up to How to Hide a Lion by Helen Stephens.
All the stories mentioned are among over 80 quality children’s books available to buy on my 3 for £10 deal.
Amanda Overend set up Books & Pieces to make buying quality children’s books easy and affordable. She lives in Leicestershire with her three little boys (and one big one!).


text:
Financial Planning in Toledo and Northwest Ohio is a Process, Not a Product
Put simply, financial planning integrates your resources with your goals and objectives. It also will provide direction and discipline to people looking for guidance on what to do and where to put their finances. Without direction and discipline, people typically make impulsive, random decisions: they buy insurance, invest in that “hot” stock, or adopt the latest tax strategy, often compounding problems that are difficult to reverse. Our advisors can help you to create a financial plan that works for your unique needs.
What are the Steps to Creating a Financial Plan?
Once we determine what your financial goals are, the next step is to develop a plan to determine whether you are staying on track to meet those goals. It allows you to see if and when you need to make adjustments to your spending, how long you need to save before you can afford something. The different parts of a financial plan include budgeting, investing, retirement planning, estate planning, tax planning, and risk management. Not all plans will include all of these parts, but most will as they are important for future financial success.
The timing of your financial plan depends on your financial goals. Some plans can stretch over a designated period of time while some can continue with no end. Financial plans are also meant to be flexible to account for life changes, expected or not such as marriage, children, a new home, a death in the family, etc.
Our Certified Financial Planners in Toledo are Here to Give You the Tools Necessary to Set You Up for Financial Success
No matter what your financial goals are, we work with you to ensure they are attainable goals. Setting unrealistic goals can cause more financial harm if not executed properly. We help to identify key financial issues concerning those goals and prepare a list of strategies for achieving those goals. We will then meet with you periodically to review your plan and make any adjustments needed with any changes that may have occurred within your life.
Bottom line: We are here for you. Contact our experienced financial planners today to schedule a consultation to review your current finances and begin setting your plan in motion.
Financial Planning Software
Our financial planning software that utilizes all your data to create a comprehensive financial plan projection. Within this software, a portal will be made available to you to upload and store important financial documents. It will also give you access to your financial plan for your review at any time. Once our planning relationship has started, we will send you a personalized link to begin your online experience.
Consultation is free
You will never be charged for your financial plan without first signing an agreement. Charges for Financial Plans may vary based on the scope of the plan and you will never be charged for any changes unless recreating the whole plan occurs. We are not here to nickel and dime you but are here to help you achieve your goals.

domain: economics


deserve reliable components.
- Soft Termination Passive Components
- Chip Beads
In automotive applications, high reliability electronic components that have the durability required for mechanical strength and are able to withstand rapid changes in temperature are required more than ever. To meet such needs, TDK offers products that use resin electrodes(soft termination) to improve the connection reliability of capacitors, inductors, and chip beads. Products with resin electrodes absorb both board flexure stress and stress from the expansion and contraction of solder joints due to thermal shock, thereby improving connection reliability over products with conventional electrodes.
- High-frequency power inductors for automobiles
- HPL Series
- TFM Series
- BCL Series
TDK power inductors are the best choice for ECUs operating at high frequencies in advanced vehicles such as xEVs and ADAS. The HPL series is suitable for the high current / low inductance requirements of high power ECUs such as for ADAS image processing. The TFM series covers the medium range and offers ideal lineups for the primary and secondary sides of ECUs in ADAS. The BCL series can accommodate high inductance values and is suitable for low power ECUs such as sensors and body applications.
- NTC thermistors
- NTCG Series
NTC thermistors are used for temperature measurement and compensation in every field of electronics applications. In automotive applications, they are mainly used as temperature sensors (for intake, exhaust, cooling water and lubricating oil) and their importance has increased with the spread of electric vehicles. TDK's NTCG series are automotive grade chip NTC thermistors that can be used in severe temperature environments from -40 ° C to 125 °C / 150 °C. They can detect critical temperatures reliably in the drive systems of electric vehicles as well as anomalies in electronic circuits.


Is it possible to define a loop at the beginning of an experiment? I am using 3 identical routine (all called stimuli); however they are each surrounded by a separate loop. When the experiment starts, a line of code chooses which of these 3 routines appears (each loop reads from a different csv file)
The code component of the stimuli routine has a line that says if MyCount=3 end the loop, which shows up in each of the 3 stimuli routines. However, the experiment crashes if the first or second routines are chosen (error: name of loop is not defined) because the experiment technically hasn’t seen each name of the loop. In other words, the experiment only works if the last of the 3 identical routines is chosen first. Does anyone have any recommendations on keeping the same routine (need one routine for analysis purposes) while also making sure the loops are defined at the start of the experiment?
If you only want to show one of the three sets of stimuli, there is no need to use three identical routines with different condition files. Just make the condition file a variable that you set before you loop over your stimuli.
if cond == 1:
condFile = "condition1.xlsx"
elif cond == 2:
condFile = "condition2.xlsx"
elif cond == 3:
condFile = "condition3.xlsx"
Or you could put all the stimuli in one condition file and use the Selected rows parameter of the loop to display only selected rows.
Or you could set the nReps-parameter to 0 using a variable in case you don’t want to run the loop.
Best wishes Jens
Update: above solution (using the condition file as a variable) did exactly what i needed worked! Thank you!
Originally, I was using 3 identical routine because of them had a different variable in the nReps section which is how they were randomly chosen at the start of each loop.
Follow up, if I decided to use one xlsx file, would it possible to also specify the rows in this if statement (ex: if cond ==1: only read rows 1-12 in the condition file). In other words, the xlsx file would contain 3 different categories of images.
I had originally done this by defining a variable in the begin experiment tab (ex: TargetRows=‘1:12’) and then entering this variable in the selected rows section of the loop. However, I don’t believe this will work since i have 3 different categories of a variables within the rows of each excel file.


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AutoLoc dual exhaust flame thrower kit is a must have for all hot rods. This kit can make up to 20 foot flames shoot out your exhaust on command. The main control box will control two spark plug for optimal performance on single exhaust vehicles. Easy installation and detailed instruction ensures compatibility with most exhaust systems. The kit includes control box, activation button, wire loom, and wire diagram. Please note the kit does not include the coil and spark plug needed for installation. Some vehicles may require additional parts.
Product Title: Autoloc FLAME2 Dual Exhaust Flame Thrower Kit
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text:
Chayam is a brand that specializes in exotic teas to promote good health without compromising on taste. Each blend has the finest & 100 % natural ingredients. nothing artificial. They view tea as a natural and healthy beverage that leads people to a healthy lifestyle.
Chayam sources the freshest tea directly from the farms to craft them into unique blends like dessert teas, and herbal and wellness teas. Stay healthy and drink good tea.

domain: food


text:
Toronto, ON – A 22 year old man with Asperger’s syndrome demanded an apology from Doug Ford for remarks the mayoral candidate made in May regarding a group home for adults on the autism spectrum. More on this story and how Ford has annoyed many of his consituants can be read on Autism Daily Newscast here.
Evan Carter, a George Brown College marketing student, criticized Ford for stating that an assisted living care home for those with autism had “ruined” the Etobicoke neighborhood it is located in. Carter’s comments were in response to Ford previously stating that there had been an increase of local crime in the area since the group home had opened.
The Councillor then went on to say that neighbors residing near the home had complained and had suggested that it be relocated.
Ford’s comments drew the ire of individuals and families of those affected by autism including Carter who felt that the remarks were both unfounded and discriminatory.
Carter opted to take the opportunity to voice his displeasure and demanded an apology at a recent electoral debate saying:
“I never usually get offended about stuff but the fact that you reduced people like me to animals and common criminals is insulting.”
Ford ultimately refused to apologize, stating that while he sympathized with Carter, he felt that the media had misled city residents with respect to the issue.
The original article by hereon the Global News website can be read

domain: sociology


§ 38. Mr. Alexander
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will seek to ensure that in the case of any further marketing initiative taken by the Milk Marketing Board similar to that for Lymeswold cheese there is adequate production to meet demand.
§ Mr. Peter Walker
I am delighted that with Lymeswold Dairy Crest has created a new milk product which has attracted such tremendous public demand. I understand that everything possible is being done to increase production of Lymeswold to meet the substantial demand for it in the shops.


US 3323356 A
Description (OCR text may contain errors)
Julie 6, 1967 ARIAS 3,323,356
APPARATUS FOR POSITIONING AND LOADING A TEST SPECIMEN Filed July 7, 1 964 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS H ALAN ARIAS ATTORNEYS 4 APPARATUS FOR POSITIONING-AND LOADING A TEST SPECIMEN Filed July 7, 1964 A. ARIAS June 6,. 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. A/LAN ARIAS AU ATTORNEYS June 6, 1967 A. ARIAS 3,323,356
APPARATUS FOR POSITIONING AND LOADING A TEST SPECIMEN Filed July 7, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. 3
INVENTOR ALAN ARIAS ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,323,356 APPARATUS FOR POSITIONING AND LOADING A TEST SPECIMEN Alan Arias, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Filed July 7, 1964, Ser. No. 380,960 3 Claims. (Cl. 73-100) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for Governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.
The present invention relates to apparatus for testing materials and, more particularly, to apparatus for testing by bending at high temperatures and in a vacuum or inert atmosphere, metallic and non-metallic solid materials. The tests are performed by subjecting the specimen to three or four point loading.
The modulus of rupture of flexural strength for a prismatic bar of material with freely supported ends is defined by the equation where S is the modulus of rupture in units of force per unit area, P is the force at rupture applied to the beam or rod at midspan, L is the moment arm, b is the width of the beam, and h is the height of the beam. Similar equations for other cross-sections are well known to one skilled in this art.
The modulus of rupture is a useful criterion for comparison of the relative strengths of brittle materials up to temperatures at which the materials deform plastically. Oxides, carbides, borides, and many other ceramic type materials are commonly tested in this manner. The ease with which the test specimens can be prepared, the speed with which the test can be carried out, and the relative simplicity of the test equipment for room temperature testing, among other factors, account for the popularity of this testing method. High temperature testing for the modulus of rupture has, in common with other testing procedures, the disadvantage that time is required for heating and cooling the furnace as well as for loading and unloading the test specimens.
The modulus of elasticity in tension of a beam or rod is defined by the equation where E equals Youngs modulus of elasticity in p.s.i., 6s is the deflection at midspan in inches, L is the span between the support rods, I is the moment of inertia of the cross-section of the beam of bar stock, and P is the load in pounds required to produce the deflection. Similar equations for other types of loading are well known in this art.
The general purpose of this invention is to provide for a testing apparatus from which can be determined either the modulus of elasticity or the modulus of rupture of a specimen.
An object of the present invention is to provide for a new and improved apparatus for measuring or determining the modulus of elasticity.
Another object is to provide for a new and improved apparatus for measuring or determining the modulus of rupture.
A further object of this invention is to provide for an apparatus for performing the above-mentioned tests in a vacuum or inert atmosphere.
Another object of this invention is to provide for an apparatus for performing the above-mentioned tests at a high temperature.
Yet, still another object of this invention is to provide for a new and improved apparatus for performing the above-mentioned test at high temperatures and at which a large number of specimens can be tested in the same run without opening the heating furnace in which the test apparatus is contained.
Yet, still another purpose of this invention is to provide for a new and improved apparatus for performing the above-mentioned test at a high temperature wherein successive pieces can be tested without necessitating the heating and cooling of the heating element.
Another object of this invention is to provide for a more accurate means of measuring the modulus of rupture or modulus of elasticity.
A still further object of this invention is to provide for a new and improved way of holding a plurality of test pieces on a modulus of ruptured testing device.
Another object of this invention is to provide for a material test device in which the temperature can be more accurately measured.
A still further object of this invention is to provide for an improved furnace on which is mounted a modulus of rupture or a modulus of elasticity testing device.
Still another object of this invention is to provide for a device for determining the plastic deformation in bending at any temperature of a solid material.
Yet still another object of this invention is to provide for a new and improved modulus of elasticity or modulus of rupture testing device in which the test specimens can be interchanged or removed while the testing device is mounted Within the furnace.
Still another object of this invention is to provide for a new and improved testing device for use in a heating chamber wherein heat losses in the device and chamber are greatly reduced.
Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the figures thereof and wherein:
FIG. 1 is a diagramatic view of the furnace portion of the apparatus including a modulus of rupture testing device mounted thereon.
FIG. 2 is a pictorial view partly in section and partly broken away of the modulus of rupture testing portion of the apparatus.
FIG. 3 is a pictorial view partly broken away and partly in section of the modulus of elasticity test portion of the apparatus.
Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, there is shown in FIG. 1 a high temperature vacuum furnace generally referred to as reference number 11. As shown in FIG. 1, the high temperature vacuum furnace or heating element is induction heated by a graphite susceptor 21. The furnace is mounted between cross head 22 and a base plate 23. The furnace 11 is supported by four legs 25 of adjustable height which are bolted to the base plate. To reduce heat losses, the
furnace is further provided with carbon susceptor extensions 26. These extensions reduce heat losses because of the low thermal and electrical conductivity of carbon compared with that of graphite. The graphite susceptor 21 and the carbon extension 26 rest on a water cooled bottom plate 27 and are kept in position by means of pins (which are not shown). The susceptor 21 is located inside a fused silica tube 28 which fits into annular grooves 29 in the water-cooled top and bottom plates. Silicon rubber gaskets 31 which are positioned in these grooves seal 'the heating chamber airtight. Carbon black insulation 32 fills the annular space between the susceptor assembly and the silica tube. Glass or graphite cloth backed by a segmented graphite ring prevents the carbon black insulation from being blown out during evacuation of the furnace. The furnace connects to a vacuum system through a port 33 in a water cooled manifold 34 that is welded to the top plate. Four thick tie rods 41 between the bottom and top plates align the furnace and insure a rigid assembly. Power is provided trough a water-cooled induction coil 42 which is wrapped around the silica tube. The test portion 51 of the device rests on a carbon block insulator 52 which in turn rests on the water cooled bottom plunger 53. A Teflon bellows assembly 54 located between the bottom plunger and the bottom plate provides vacuum tightness without appreciable effect on the vertical motions of the bottom plunger and prevents it from rotating. A threaded collar 55 allows vertical adjustments of the bottom plunger. A lead counter weight 56 balances the atmospheric pressure on the plunger when the furnace is under vacuum.
The force required to break the test specimen is transmitted from the crosshead 22 to the tester through a watercooled top plunger 35 and a carbon rod 36. Couplings between the top plunger and the carbon rod and between the carbon rod and the tester complete the force-transmitting link. The flat lower portion of an actuator 37 fits loosely into a slot in an adapter 38, which is attached to an actuator extension rod 72. The actuator assembly allows transmission of rotational motion to the tester without interfering with its vertical motions.
A thermocouple tube 57 extends inside the testing element 51 to determine the specimen temperatures; temperatures can also be determined by sighting through a prism 59 in the furnace cover and a sighting hole 102 in the housing of the test device. Cross head motions are sensed by a deflectometer 58 connected to the top of the plunger through an adjustable length link. In addition to its use in connection with rupture testing and elasticity testing, the furnace may also be used as a hot press, a tensile tester, or a compression tester.
Referring now to FIG. 2 there is shown a modulus of rupture testing device which can be used in conjunction with the furnace or heating element described above and which is mounted on the furnace as shown in FIG. 1. The modulus of rupture testing device is of the center point loading type and is provided with a magazine for storing the specimens, a means for moving the specimens into position, and a means for removing the broken specimens. The testing device can be made entirely of graphite. It could also be made from tungsten or other suitable materials.
The housing 61 is generally cylindrical in configuration. The cover 62 is bolted to the housing 61 by means of bolts 63. The load is applied to specimen W through a push rod 64 which slides up and down in the center hole of the cover 62. The push rod 64 is prevented from rotating by a set screw 65, which is mounted on the housing and which extends into a longitudinal groove 66 in the push rod 64. The specimens W rest on the rods 67 which are seated in V grooves on the base member 68. These rods 67 are secured to the base 68 by means of pins (which are not shown). The V grooves in the base are accurately machined to provide a predetermined span between the longitudinal axis of the rods. A carriage 71 is slidable on a track cut in the base member 68. This carriage 71 is actuated by rotating an actuator extension rod 72 which transmits the motion to the carriage through arm 73 and stud 74. Stud 7 is screwed into the carriage 71. The arm 73 is secured to the actuator extension rod 72 by means of a pin (not shown). The reciprocating motion of carriage 71 is limited by a groove cut in the base on which the stud 74 moves.
The magazine for storage of the specimens is formed by a rear wall 81, a front wall 82, and two side frames 83 and 84. These sides frame 83 and 84 are provided with vertical grooves on which the front and rear walls 81 and 82 of the magazine fit. The side frames 83 and 84 are held in place bylong bolts 85, 86, 87 and 88 which pass through the cover 62, the base 68 and screw into the bottom of the housing 8-9. The rear wall 82 is provided with an opening which just allows passage of section '91 of the carriage. The bottom piece in the stack of specimens in the magazine rests on the rods 67. In this position the bottom piece is too high to pass through the opening in the rear wall, but it can pass through a bottom opening in the front wall when pushed by vertical surface 92 of the carriage. The side cover 61 is held in place by means of pins 101. This cover 61 prevents broken specimen pieces from entering the space between the apparatus and the susceptor wall, and at the same time provides for a black-body enclosure for more acurate optical temperature measurements through a sighting hole 102 located in the cover 62. The side cover 61 can be further provided with a hole 103 through which a thermocouple tube may be inserted. The magazine is filled with the test bars either through the rear by removing the lid and rear wall or through the bottom opening in the front wall with the aid of a spatula.
The apparatus operates as follows: With the testing device installed in the furnace as shown in FIG. 1, and with the specimen in the position shown in FIG. 2, a load is applied to the specimen at midspan by the push rod which is actuated by the cross head until the specimen breaks. The motion of the cross head is reversed until it returns to its original position. As the actuator is rotated, the vertical surface of the carriage pushes the bottom test bar in the magazine through the bottom opening of the front wall. This new specimen pushes the broken specimen to the edge of the rods 67 from where it falls to the bottom of the housing. At the end of its forward travel, surface 91 of the carriage will be touching the rear wall of the magazine while the new test bar will be in its test position under the push rod and ready for breaking. While the carriage wa pushing the specimen into test position, the bottom specimen in the stack dropped onto a horizontal surface of the carriage but was prevented from moving with the carriage by the front wall. When the motion of the carriage is reversed, this test bar will drop onto the rods and the apparatus is ready for a repetition of the sequence described above.
Referring now to FIG. 3, there is shown a somewhat modified version of the test portion of the device for use in performing a modulus of elasticity test on a specimen. This testing device is mounted within the furnace in the same manner as the modulus of rupture testing device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. This testing device is substantially similar to the testing shown in FIG. 2. This device is also preferably made entirely of graphite. The test specimens W W are bent by pushing at the midspan of the specimen with a push rod 201 attached to the cross head of the tensile machine through collars, rods, and couplings, in the same manner as the modulus of rupture testing device. The push rod 201 is prevented from rotating by means of a set screw 202. Either two specimens or a specimen and a standard are located on two rods 203 and 204 that are attached to the carriage 205 by means of graphite pins 206. This carriage 205 can move back and forth in a track 207 cut in the base when actuated by the arm 208 attached to the actuator extension rod 309 which, just ,as in the case of the modulus of rupture apparatus, can be rotated from outside the furnace so that either one or the other of the test bars are in the bending position under the push rod. The rods 203, 204, on which the test specimen bars W W ride, move back and forth with the carriage 205 in V grooves 211, 212 in the base 213. The test bars W W are separated from each other and from the carriage by means of locating pins 214 and 215. The temperature can be determined by means of a thermocouple inserted in thermocouple hole 216.
The above device can be used to determine the static elastic modulus of elasticity of materials at all temperatures within the elastic range of the material. This device differs from known prior art devices for determining the modulus of elasticity in that other devices required a plurality of three gauges in order to determine the deflection of the specimen. Another feature of this device is that the amount of deflection of the bar at the midspan can be preset by means of a set screw 208 threading into the carriage under the midspan of the test bar. In addition, either one specimen can be tested against a standard or two specimens tested at the same time. The device can also be used to determine plastic deformation of materials or creep as a function of temperature by comparing the position of the midspan with respect to that of another specimen of the same dimensions used as a reference or standard.
Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. As for example, the test device could be made out of steel in which case the various members could be welded or riveted or fastened together by other means.
It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.
What is claimed is:
1. A device for measuring the modulus of elasticity of bar specimens comprising: a generally hollow cylindrical housing, a vertically disposed inwardly extending slidable push rod mounted on said housing, said push rod having a longitudinal groove, a screw member mounted on said housing and engageable with said groove for limiting axial rotation of said push rod, a horizontally disposed base member mounted within said housing, said base member having a plurality of longitudinal disposed V- shaped grooves, -a plurality of rods mounted within said grooves, a longitudinal reciprocating carriage assembly mounted on said rods, said carriage assembly including a vertically disposed stud, a vertically disposed actuator rod mounted on said housing and extending into said housing and being operatively connected to said reciprocating carriage, said actuator rod being axially rotatable for transmitting reciprocating motion to the carriage, said carriage assembly being adapted to hold at least one test specimen.
2. A device according to claim 1 wherein each of said elements is fabricated from graphite.
3. In a material testing apparatus of the type wherein a force is applied to the central portion of a test specimen supported at opposed end portions, the improvement comprising a housing, a vertically disposed inwardly extending slidable push rod mounted on said housing for engaging said central portion of said test specimen, said push rod having a longitudinal groove, a screw member mounted on said housing and engageable with said groove for limiting axial rotation of said push rod, a horizontally disposed base member in said housing having a plurality of longitudinal disposed grooves, a plurality of rods positioned in said grooves for engaging said opposed end portions of said test specimen, a longitudinal reciprocating carriage assembly within said housing having a vertically disposed stud, a vertically disposed actuator rod mounted on said housing and extending into said housing and being operatively connected to said reciprocating carriage, said actuator rod being axially rotatable for transmitting reciprocating motion to the carriage, said carriage assembly being adapted to move one specimen away from said push rod while moving another test specimen beneath said push rod.
References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,404,584 7/1946 Liska et a1. 73l00 X 2,450,880 10/1948 Chatten et a1. 7312 2,699,862 1/1955 Walter 214- RICHARD C. QUEISSER, Primary Examiner.
J. W. MYRACLE, Assistant Examiner


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HSBC economists do not expect the dollar to be significantly affected by the Fed’s rate cuts planned for 2024.
Moderate USD Strength Ahead
Our view of modest USD strength in 2024 is not based on a predicted calamity, either for the US economy or others. As such, the impact of Fed easing on the USD falls into the realm of uncertainty, rather than that of a USD bullish haven.
If rate cuts occur in parallel with slowing US inflation, US real interest rates are likely to remain positive, which would provide support for the dollar.
Shallow cuts could help the US economy regain momentum and keep the dollar supported.
Source: Fx Street
I am Joshua Winder, a senior-level journalist and editor at World Stock Market. I specialize in covering news related to the stock market and economic trends. With more than 8 years of experience in this field, I have become an expert in financial reporting.


Vancouver’s Rainbow Concert Band celebrates its 25th anniversary with its concert A Rainbow of Dance Music.
Twenty-five years since they first performed at The Cultch, the Rainbow Concert Band returns to perform an evening of toe-tapping music featuring a selection of songs to dance to, and songs about dances.
“You’ll hear everything from a Minuet to the Samba with classics and new favourites to be enjoyed by all,” say organizers. “Some of the songs will feature dancers, and for others we will have the dance floor open, if you choose to join in on the fun.”
Formed in 1990 shortly after Vancouver hosted the Gay Games, the Rainbow Concert Band is the first and only concert band of its kind in Canada.


Lend Lease has started construction on the first of 500 new homes in the regeneration of Elephant & Castle.
Work has begun on the landmark 37-storey tower comprising 284 new homes, One The Elephant.
Trafalgar Place, a 235-unit development on the site of the former Heygate Estate, is due to begin later this week.
The developments are the latest step in the £1.5bn regeneration of Elephant & Castle, which is being delivered by Lend Lease in partnership with Southwark Council.
It is set to provide around 3,000 new homes as well as shops, restaurants, community facilities and public spaces over the next 15 years.
Lend Lease is delivering the regeneration using its integrated property model. As well as funding and developing the homes, it is also acting as the main contractor.
Lend Lease project director Pascal Mittermaier said: “Today is another decisive step in the continuing transformation of Elephant & Castle into one of the most vibrant, well-connected and desirable places to live in the capital.”
“The new homes at One The Elephant and Trafalgar Place will be some of the most sustainable and energy efficient places to live in Britain and will showcase the latest innovations and building practices.”
He added that the homes would incorporate sustainable technologies to make them 30 per cent more energy efficient than current regulations require and use 30 per cent less water than the average London household.
The first new homes are scheduled for completion in autumn 2015.
Leader of Southwark Council Peter John said: “We’ve been able to imagine the transformation of Elephant & Castle for some time, but it’s only now as work begins that local people will get a really clear picture of what a fantastic destination it is going to become.
“Work has already begun on our new leisure centre, and as we start to see new homes appear, our vision for Elephant & Castle will be there for all to see,” he added.
Lend Lease is also delivering the International Quarter, a new £2bn commercial district at Stratford City in the Olympic Park which will include 350 new homes.


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When Manteca Unified School District officials return to work this morning after a three-day weekend off, they will be met by Leo Bennett-Cauchon outside the West Louise Avenue entrance to the property.
Parents and guardians of students in Manteca Unified School District are being alerted about individuals claiming to be Microsoft representatives and telling the students they need their remote access to their personal computers.
Supporters of Weston Ranch High School principal Jose Fregoso nearly filled the room during the Manteca Unified Board of Trustees meeting Tuesday night. There were some detractors too, but they were outnumbered by the former.
The incensed mother of the child who is at the center of the investigation in connection with Manteca Unified special education teacher Leo Benet-Cauchon is talking about filing a lawsuit against the school district if the situation that is "threatening my son's well being is not resolved quickly."