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|AC/DC - Back in Black|
|Music Disc Reviews DualDisc|
|Written by Jerry Del Colliano|
|Tuesday, 08 February 2005|
It is a rare feat to successfully replace a frontman in rock and roll. Only a few bands have been able to accomplish it without going down in a ball of flames. Genesis and Van Halen come to mind, although Diamond David Lee Roth fans will cringe at the idea that Van Haggar is somehow related to real Van Halen. Upon the death of its original screamer Bon Scott, AC/DC made one of the all-time comebacks in rock and roll history in 1980 with their album Back in Black. As this was designed to be something of a tribute, new vocalist and frontman Brian Johnson sounds almost indistinguishable from Bon Scott, leaving the band poised to return to their three chord glory.
Musically, Back in Black is topnotch, hard-hitting rock and roll that keeps the
melodies simple and the chords predicable. But make no mistake: the formula works. Songs about chicks, bluesy grooves built on 1, 4, 5 chord progressions and solos in the blues pentatonic mode are the makings of many a great rock record, and Back in Black is no exception.
“Hells Bells,” known to San Diego Padres fans as the theme music for their soon-to-be Hall of Fame closer Trevor Hoffman, starts appropriately with a gigantic-sounding bell. As this is a remastered version, one can hear a better, more resolute ringing of the bell, compared to the 16-bit stereo version on CD. “Hells Bells” is a fitting way to start a tribute record, but it struggles to get moving in terms of pace. It’s a well-built rock song but leaves you itching for the next-track button on the remote when jamming Back in Black.
The second cut, “Shoot To Thrill,” is a more upbeat way to get this musical party started and highlights both the band’s ability to rock a song with lots of syncopation, as well as their new singer’s sky-high range. Next, “What Do You Do For Money, Honey” is a wonderfully misogynistic track that struts along courtesy of production by John “Mutt” Lange (long before the influence of his now-wife Shania Twain, who likely doesn’t love this track as much as the Beavis and Butthead crowd, of which I am a proud member).
There might not be a more classic track in the genre of classic rock than the title track of Back in Black. The chord progression is about as easy as they come, the makings of countless guitar lessons over the past 25 years. The riffs that adorn the main riff are stylish and nifty, especially as they are syncopated with what AVRev.com’s Vice President of Content Bryan Dailey says are “drums so easy Jerry can play them” (thanks, Bryan). But the simplicity of the song is part of its charm. “Back in Black” is a rock-solid rocker built on a foundation that is safe and sound in the most tumultuous of musical earthquakes.
The musical and lyrical highlight of Back in Black is yet another classic rock staple, “You Shook Me All Night Long.” Using AC/DC’s proven system of starting songs by adding one instrument after another, this track has a most airy sound, considering the grungy topics of the record. Lyrically, it doesn’t get any better than this track. If only today’s bands could stop whining and crank out songs about smoking hot chicks, records would sell like in the good old days. As Dick Clark is famous for saying, “If it ain’t in the grooves – it ain’t in the grooves.” In this case it is all there and then some.
The DualDisc version of Back in Black features a stereo 20-bit 48 kHz audio track on the DVD side, with a traditional 16-bit 44 kHz version of the album on the CD side. Considering how many millions of copies of Back in Black have been sold on every format from LP to eight-track to CD, this DualDisc seems to exist to get people who want the most from a classic record. Sadly, this disc is only a tiny increment better than the CD I have owned of Back in Black for some years now. There is no question that, on my professionally-calibrated music system, you can hear a difference between the DualDisc and the 16-bit stereo. The problem is, it simply isn’t worth making the investment unless you really love Back in Black. In my case, I do love the record that much and am glad to drop 16 bucks on a recording of this level; however, to get no 5.1 mix nor even a 24-bit stereo track is an insult to the educated music consumer. But, like the idiots who grew up watching Beavis, I will likely march right down to the store to buy the album all over again if they re-release Back in Black with a 5.1 mix.
On the DVD side, along with the 20-bit stereo mix, you will find a video entitled “The Story of Back in Black,” interviews with the band and engineer, in-studio performances of many of the songs and more. Hardcore AC/DC fans will certainly find value in these. Audiophiles will remain bitter that this much bandwidth was wasted on extras when a 5.1 mix could have been added.


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Videos are available at one organized Quant 101 Playlist on YouTube.
Time-series analysis of regressions in Excel (16:22)
Welcome. Today's goal is to review time-series analysis and see changes in regression measures over time.
I'm Paul, and while Excel offers a convenient way to learn how to analyze stocks and portfolios for a single point in time, to go to the next level, we need to build a process that adapts to changes over time.
So here we will introduce two types of regressions common in Finance and focus on one, time-series analysis.
While you don't need to participate in the whole Quant 101 data analysis course to get value from this tutorial, it does open Chapter 5, where our end goal is to use linear algebra to perform portfolio return and risk calculations at scale and move beyond a handful of stocks to potentially thousands. This tutorial and Chapter therefore offers a bridge to statistical programming languages.
If you would like to read the video transcript and see Excel formulas we have an accompanying web page found at the first link in the Description.
Let's look at our plan for the day.
First, we will cover time-series and cross-sectional regressions at a high level.
Second, we focus on the details of a time-series regression over rolling periods.
Third, we make a case for visualizing regression output using a scatter plot.
Fourth, we tack on issues that often arise when using statistics to build financial models.
And in our next episode we will see how linear algebra can help us as the number of stocks grows.
First, as we touched on in our tutorial on linear regression there are two types of regressions commonly used in Finance.
The first, and most common, is called time-series analysis which will be our focus here, where a regression is performed for one security over many different time periods.
Almost everyone has heard of a stock's beta coefficient and it is derived from a time-series linear regression for one stock over multiple time periods, often 60 months.
In a cross-sectional analysis stocks are grouped into categories and we regress performance of those groups for one time period.
You can group stocks by sector, or rank them from cheap to expensive, or even by volatility from high to low. There are numerous ways modelers group and rank stocks. We won't cover cross-sectional regressions in Quant 101 but keep them in mind because they are very common in academia and often employ multi-variable linear regressions.
In fact, some of the most influential academic studies relating to stocks were derived from cross-sectional regressions. The Fama-French 3-factor model comes to mind.
Moving on the Step 2, let's add a couple of details about time-series regressions. These one-security regressions, again for many time periods can be for a stock, mutual fund, ETF, or whatever security you are including in your analysis.
Let's start by scoping out the size of time-series data sets, here and in the real and practical world.
Time-series regressions are typically large in that they extend back in time for many securities. Let me give you an example.
To estimate let's do some math. The data set size, or number of cells, is computed by multiplying the number of dates, multiplied by the number of instruments, multiplied by the number of variables.
Our sample time-series data set is for 60 time periods, multiplied by 6 instruments, times 1 variable and that equals 360 cells. Our variable here is the monthly rate of return.
Now let's do a similar calculation on a model created by a typical third-party risk model provider for a large US equity model, for example.
Here, there might be 60 time periods, times 5,000 stocks, times 30 factors, or 9 million cells.
Rolling periods are the rule when it comes to time-series regressions. In this tutorial we will look at a 15-month lookback period, which is far too short to be worthwhile statistically, but helps to visualize issues that arise.
To build the visuals, let's pull forward thirty returns from our Returns tab.
If you want to follow along with this free-to-download data set see the System Setup tutorial.
Let's bring forward some data. In cell J5 use
=Returns!B7. We are interested in the
stock Merck, so in cell K5 use
=Returns!F7 and in cell
=Returns!G7. Then copy that range of
cells down to row 34. (The table lists the
first 3 rows.)
What we will do here is show a window of time that rolls and monitor how the view changes. This is called a rolling regression. We will calculate the 15-month beta coefficient in column M for the period ending 6/30/04 and starting with the return from 4/30/03.
When we move on to the next month ending July 2004, the previous starting month of April 2003 drops off and our starting month becomes May.
In the middle of the table, so starting with the 15-month period ending
6/30/04 let's calculate beta. In cell M19 run a
making sure the stock Merck is the y-variable and the Market is the
Next, copy that down to cell M34. (The table lists rows 19 to 20)
Here we used the beta coefficient, but you could pull from the regression the alpha, correlation, even R-squared and track changes over time.
We covered how to generate a scatter plot in the tutorial on linear regression so head back there to see how we also added the line of best fit and the formula for the line and R-squared right on the chart.
The formula we typically prefer for Finance is in the form y = a + bx + e because it better aligns with the terms a for alpha and b for beta. The format shown by default in Excel's scatter plot is in a rearranged form y = mx + b where m is the slope and b is the intercept.
So the beta of 1.5088 in the chart lines up with the beta of 1.51 in column M rounded to two decimal places.
We also like to see the R-squared and it was 0.7554, a fairly high figure as we learned in our tutorial on interpreting correlation.
Again, keep in mind this is for one period in time, right? Let's now look another point in time, 15 months later.
So for Exercise 2, let's do the same thing except using the 15-month period ending 9/30/05.
Here we can make two observations, first the beta changed to 1.14 and the R-squared dropped materially to 0.3429.
To expand on that, let's create a line chart showing the change in the beta coefficient over this time-series.
There are several ways to do this and since we are only interested in the Date and Beta columns, I think the fastest way is to select the whole block from J19 to M34 first. Then click the Insert menu, followed by Line and select the first line chart.
Okay, now right-click the chart, then click Select data. In the Select Data Source dialog box click MRK and hit Remove and do the same for Market. From here you can edit this on your end to suit your style.
This chart shows the stock's beta coefficient for 16 time periods using 15-month rolling windows.
So what is the point here? We are attempting to illustrate how beta coefficients can change in time-series models.
See how Merck's beta starts at 1.51 then peaks at 1.73 and then begins its steady, inevitable decline to 1.14 at the end. Of course you never know when beta will peak. No alarm bell goes off, you just need the confidence to identify trends and good forecasting techniques will help.
I also wanted to return to the data point in September 2004 when Merck, underperformed by nearly 22 percent. This is important because resulting statistics can change materially in the presence of a material outlier like this. Notice how the beta changed from 1.40 to 1.62 just with the addition of that one data point.
Of course, estimation periods longer than 15 months are more common, so take these figures with a grain of salt.
The point was to illustrate how outliers can impact financial models if not taken into consideration. This explains why at times models don't perform as you would expect.
For example, a coming tutorial on CAPM will show how important beta is when setting expected returns for stocks to determine what is baked-in to market expectations. A poor estimate of beta can skew the estimate materially, negating a lot of quality work on the alpha side of the equation used as the objective function when optimizing portfolios.
This offers a logical transition to our next topic.
For Step 3 let me offer my case for always visualizing data before using summary statistics to make forecasts for the future. I have found visualizing the data as a first pass ensures that you are using the right test or making adjustments for distributions that don't fit linear models.
Keep in mind, an employer can find anyone to pull statistical measures but a differentiating skill for you is to build your analytical mindset and part of that comes from actually looking at the data.
In Step 4, we will walk through 11 issues associated with estimation of statistical tests. As we go through these consider how visualizing the patterns will help you identify the issues.
I won't dive too deeply into each one here and we covered the first few earlier, but keep these in mind and look up the terms on your free time to get a better feel for each one.
We saw the impact of an outlier earlier with the one month return on Merck's stock when investors were punished by the news of deaths due to the Vioxx drug in September 2004. We can see how the slope of the line of best fit, changed simply due to the inclusion of this one data point.
A curvilinear relationship occurs when there is a curve in the scatter plot. We saw one of these in the financial modeling tutorial on correlation.
The term 'linear' in linear regression means that we need data that can be estimated with a line. Data that takes the shape of a curve can be transformed at times to a linear distribution and visualizing this is often the first way you catch it.
Next, let's cover non-normal distributions. In a previous chapter, recall we created a histogram and it was helpful to see the distribution of returns on stocks.
In Finance, even though the occurence of returns in the tails is more common than the standard normal distribution would say, the assumption is that they are normal. Other factors you measure may not resemble a normal distribution at all and other tests will be more valid.
We talked about hidden variables and the example we used was the correlation between the sales of umbrellas and traffic accidents and how, while the two variables may be highly correlated, there is likely a missing variable, the level of rainfall.
For a related term, spurious correlation. Highly correlated variables may either be due to coincidence, like the hemline theory, or the presence of a third, unseen variable. We saw this in our example of the sale of cars and dishwashers that have high correlation, yet are more dependent on a third variable, economic growth.
Let's cover a few new examples starting with seasonality. Some company financial statements are impacted materially by seasonality.
In the United States, sales for retailers jump during the December holidays. Tax preparation software firms have higher sales in April and firms that sell seeds and fertilizers have higher sales in the springtime.
One method for adjusting for seasonality is to use annualized comparisions.
Next, log-linear patterns may be evident when growth rates are taken into consideration. Sales of a company may not exhibit a linear relationship, but one that is exponential.
The distribution of companies by market capitalization often takes this shape.
Next, autocorrelation, also known as serial-correlation and cross-correlation, is a difficult concept to grasp but very important in the modeling of stocks.
The easiest way to think of it is as a correlation coefficient. We're comfortable with that and we can see two visuals here for regressions over different periods of time of two variables, the return on Merck and the return on the Market, right?
Now, what if you calculated a correlation coefficient except you used Merck returns and regressed that against Merck returns lagged by one period? The result here would allow you to see if returns for one period are correlated with subsequent periods.
The academic literature on the topic is highly debated for returns as one of the assumptions of the Efficicient Market Hypothesis is that equity price returns exhibit no autocorrelation.
In another area autocorrelation is not debated, meaning it is statistically significant and that is in the area of forecasting risk. Higher periods of risk often cluster, so it is common to see significant autocorrelation and appropriate adjustments are made in equity risk models.
Multicollinearity occurs in a multi-variable regression when there is a high correlation between x-variables. We won't work with more than one independent variable in Quant 101 but imagine if we used the S&P 500, a benchmark of large US companies, as one x-variable, and another, like the return on the Russell 2000, a benchmark of small US companies.
In this case multicollinearity may exist because large-cap benchmarks typically have high correlation as rising and falling stock markets often affect all equities at the same time to some degree.
For heteroscedasticity it helps to look at a scatter plot. Imagine in the first chart if the data points further out to the right were further away from the line of best fit, as if it looked like a cone.
What this means is that the variance of the errors, increases or decreases at different points along the distribution. This is another pattern advanced modelers often review so they can make adjustments.
Okay, there you have it, a bunch of issues to look out for.
By way of summary, we went through the important aspects of time-series analysis and discussed how they differ from cross-sectional regressions. Time-series analysis is performed for each stock over multiple periods of time. Also, we covered the size of the data sets provided by third-party risk model providers.
We worked through examples of time-series regressions to see the impact of changes, especially when outliers are present. We also discussed some of the issues that can pop up with regression studies which makes the case for visualization pretty compelling.
For those who have been with us and for those new here what you will find in our tutorials is not only how to perform calculations but also how to analyze the inputs and outputs to make your financial modeling and time-series forecasting more predictive. Really, shouldn't this be the ultimate goal in the end?
In the next episode we will discuss how linear algebra helps financial modelers crunch millions of data points for the purpose of increasing the portfolio manager's confidence in return and risk estimates.
Stay tuned for more free opportunities to learn. Feel free to join us any time and have a nice day.
Examples provided above are best visualized in Excel, I encourage you to also watch the videos as they will speed up the learning process.
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domain: finance


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1025 Connecticut Ave NW
Crosby-Volmer Llc, Washington
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domain: geography


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By now most readers will be familiar with the Miniware TS100 and TS80 soldering irons, compact and lightweight temperature controlled soldering tools that have set a new standard at the lower-priced end of the decent soldering iron market. We know they have an STM32 processor, a USB interface, and an OLED display, and that there have been a variety of alternative firmwares produced for them.
Take a close look at the TS80, and you’ll find the element connector is rather familiar. It’s a 3.5 mm jack plug, something we’re more used to as an audio connector. Surely audio from a soldering iron would be crazy? Not if you are [Joric], who has created a music player firmware for the little USB-C iron. It’s hardly a tour de force of musical entertainment and it won’t pull away the audiophiles from their reference DACs, but it does at least produce a recognisable We Wish You A Merry Christmas as you’ll see from the video below the break.
Since the TS100 arrived a couple of years ago we’ve seen a variety of inventive firmware for it. You may remember [Joric]’s previous triumph of a Tetris game for the iron, but our favourite is probably the TS100 oscilloscope.
Continue reading “Your TS80 – Music Player”
Two months after its surprise reveal at the 2019 East Coast RepRap Festival, the Prusa Mini has started shipping out to the first wave of early adopters. True to form, with the hardware now officially released to the public, the company has begun the process of releasing the design as open source. In their GitHub repository, owners can already find the KiCad files for the new “Buddy” control board and STLs for the machine’s printable parts.
But even so, not everyone feels that Prusa Research has made the Mini as “open” as its predecessors. Some concerned owners have pointed out that according to the documentation for the Buddy board, they’ll need to physically snap off a section of the PCB so they can flash custom firmware images via Device Firmware Upgrade (DFU) mode. Once this piece of the board has been broken off, which the documentation refers to as the Appendix, Prusa Research will no longer honor any warranty claims for the electronic components of the printer.
For the hardcore tinkerers out there, this news may come as something of a shock. Previous Prusa printers have enjoyed a fairly active firmware development community, and indeed, features that started out as user-developed modifications eventually made their way into the official upstream firmware. What’s more, certain hardware modifications require firmware tweaks to complete.
Prusa Research explains their stance by saying that there’s no way the company can verify the safety of community developed firmware builds. If thermal runaway protections have been disabled or otherwise compromised, the results could be disastrous. We’ve already seen it happen with other printers, so it’s hard to fault them for being cautious here. The company is also quick to point out that the installation of an unofficial firmware has always invalidated the printer’s warranty; physically breaking the board on the Mini is simply meant as a way to ensure the user understands they’re about to leave the beaten path.
How much support is a manufacturer obligated to provide to a user who’s modified their hardware? It’s of course an issue we’ve covered many times before. But here the situation is rather unique, as the user is being told they have to literally break a piece off of their device to unlock certain advanced functionality. If Prusa wanted to prevent users from running alternate firmware entirely they could have done so (or at least tried to), but instead they’ve created a scenario that forces the prospective tinkerer to either back down or fully commit.
So how did Prusa integrate this unusual feature into their brand new 32-bit control board? Perhaps more importantly, how is this going to impact those who want to hack their printers? Let’s find out.
Continue reading “Prusa Dares You To Break Their Latest Printer”
It has now been a few months since the launch of the Raspberry Pi 4, and it would only be fair to describe the launch as “rocky”. While significantly faster than the Pi 3 on paper, its propensity for overheating would end up throttling down the CPU clock even with the plethora of aftermarket heatsinks and fans. The Raspberry Pi folks have been working on solutions to these teething troubles, and they have now released a bunch of updates in the form of a new bootloader, that lets the Pi 4 live up to its promise. (UPDATE: Here’s the download page and release notes)
The real meat of the update comes in an implementation of a low power mode for the USB hub. It turns out that the main source of heat on the SoC wasn’t the CPU, but the USB. Fixing the USB power consumption means that you can run the processor cool at stock speeds, and it can even be overclocked now.
There is also a new tool for updating the Pi bootloader, rpi-eeprom, that allows automatic updates for Pi 4 owners. The big change is that booting the Pi 4 over the network or an attached USB device is now a possibility, which is a must if you’re installing the Pi permanently. There are some fixes that caused problems with certain HATs, in which the Pi 4’s 3.3 V line was cycled during a reboot.
With a device as complex as a Raspberry Pi it comes as no surprise that it might ship with a few teething troubles. We’ve already covered some surrounding the USB-C power, for example. And the overheating. Where the Pi people consistently deliver though is in terms of support, both official and from the community, and we’re very pleased to see them come through in this case too.
The regular Hackaday reader might remember the iClicker from our previous coverage of the classroom quiz device, or perhaps you even had some first hand experience with it during your university days. A number of hackers have worked to reverse engineer the devices over the years, and on the whole, it’s a fairly well understood system. But there are still a few gaps in the hacker’s map of the iClicker, and for some folks, that just won’t do.
[Ammar Askar] took it upon himself to further the state of the art for iClicker hacking, and has put together a very detailed account on his blog. While most efforts have focused on documenting and eventually recreating how the student remotes send their responses to the teacher’s base station, he was curious about looking at the system from the other side. Specifically, he wanted to know how the base station was able to push teacher-supplied welcome messages to the student units, and how it informed the clients that their answers had been acknowledged.
He started by looking through the base station’s software update tool to find out where it was downloading the firmware files from, a trick we’ve seen used to great effect in the past. With the firmware in hand, [Ammar] disassembled the AVR code in IDA and got to work piecing together how the hardware works. He knew from previous group’s exploration of the hardware that the base station’s Semtech XE1203F radio is connected to the processor via SPI, so he started searching for code which was interacting with the SPI control registers.
This line of logic uncovered how the radio is configured over SPI, and ultimately where the data intended for transmission is stored in memory. He then moved over to running the firmware image in simavr. Just like Firmadyne allows you to run ARM or MIPS firmware with an attached debugger, this tool allowed [Ammar] to poke around in memory and do things such as simulate when student responses were coming in over the radio link.
At that point, all he had to do was capture the bytes being sent out and decode what they actually meant. This process was complicated slightly by the fact the system uses to use its own custom encoding rather than ASCII for the messages, but by that point, [Ammar] was too close to let something like that deter him. Nearly a decade after first hearing that hackers had started poking around inside of them, it looks like we can finally close the case on the iClicker.
Making a programming jig becomes exponentially more difficult after two pins and who would even consider building one if they were not setting up more than twenty boards? If it were easy for novices to construct jigs, we might all have a quiver of them on the shelf next to our microprocessors. Honestly, a tackle box full of homemade programming fixtures sounds pretty chic. The next advantage to ditching the demo boards is that bare processors take up less room and don’t draw power for unnecessary components like unused voltage regulators and LEDs. [Albert David] improves the return-on-time-investment factor by showing us how to repurpose a WeMos board to program a bare ESP8266 module.
[Albert]’s concept can apply to many other surface-mount chips and modules. The first step is to buy a demo board which hosts a programmable part and remove that part. Since you’ve exposed some solder pads in the process, put pogo pins in their place. Pogo pins are small spring-loaded probes that can be surface mounted or through-hole. We’ve used them for programming gorgeous badges and places where the ESP8266 has already been installed. When you are ready to install your software, clamp your Franken-porcupine to the controller and upload like normal. Rinse, wash, repeat. We even get a view of the clamp [Albert] uses.
eBay is a wondrous land, full of Star Wars memorabilia in poor condition, old game consoles at insane markups, and a surprising amount of DIY electronics. [TheHWCave] found himself tinkering with a common frequency counter kit, and decided to make a few choice improvements along the way (Youtube link, embedded below).
The frequency counter in question is a common clone version of [Wolfgang “Wolf” Büscher]’s minimalist PIC design. Using little more than a PIC16F628 and some seven-segment displays, it’s a competent frequency counter for general use. Clone versions often add a crystal oscillator tester and are available on eBay for a fairly low price.
[TheHWCave] found that the modifications were less than useful, and developed a way to turn the tester components into a more useful signal preamp instead. Not content to stop there, custom firmware was developed to both improve the resolution and also add a tachometer feature. This allows the device to display its output in revolutions per minute as opposed to simply displaying in hertz. By combining this with an optical pickup or other RPM signal, it makes a handy display for rotational speed. If you’re unfamiliar with the theory, read up on our phototachometer primer. If you’re looking to modify your own kit, modified firmware is available on Github.
We’ve seen other eBay kit specials modified before. Being cheap and using commodity microcontrollers makes them a ripe platform for hacking, whether you just want to make a few tweaks or completely repurpose the device.
[Thanks to Acesoft for the tip!]
Continue reading “Hacking A Cheap EBay Frequency Counter”
It might be difficult for modern audiences to believe, but at one point Microsoft Windows fit on floppy disks. This was a simpler time, with smaller hard drives, lower resolution displays, and no hacker blogs for you to leave pessimistic comments on. A nearly unrecognizable era, to be sure. But if you’re one of the people who looks back on these days fondly, you might wonder why we don’t see this tiny graphical operating system smashed into modern hardware. After all, SkiFree sure ain’t gonna play itself.
Well, wonder no more. A hacker by the name of [redsPL] thought that Microsoft’s latest and greatest circa 1992 might do well crammed into the free space remaining on a ThinkPad X200’s firmware EEPROM. It would take a little fiddling, plus the small matter of convincing the BIOS to see the EEPROM as a virtual floppy drive, but clearly those are all minor inconveniences for anyone mad enough to boot their hardware into a nearly 30 year old copy of Visual Basic for a laugh.
The adventure starts when [redsPL] helped a friend install libreboot and coreboot on a stack of old ThinkPads by using the Raspberry Pi as an SPI flasher, a pastime we’re no strangers to ourselves. Once the somewhat finicky software and hardware environment was up and running, it seemed a waste not to utilize it further. Especially given the fact most firmware replacements only fill a fraction of the X200’s 8 MB chip.
Of course, Windows 3.1 was not designed for modern hardware and no proper drivers exist for much of it. Just getting the display resolution up to 1024×768 (and still with only 256 colors) required patching the original video drivers with ones designed for VMWare. [redsPL] wasn’t able to get the sound hardware working, but at least the PC speaker makes the occasional buzz. The last piece of the puzzle was messing around the
xz commands until the disk image was small enough to sneak onto the chip.
Believe it or not, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen Windows from this era running on a (relatively) modern ThinkPad. For whatever reason, these two legends of the computing world seem destined to keep running into each other.
[Thanks to Renard for the tip.]

domain: hobby


Balakrishna virtual message to Hindupuram people amid corona surge
Actor turned politician Balakrishna said the second wave of corona claimed many lives and created disturbance in their families. Addressing to his Hindupuram constituency people in Anantapur district, TDP MLA has suggested people not to come out unnecessarily and asked them to maintain cleanliness and social distance, other covid norms. He has suggested people to take the help from the doctors if needed. He has hit out at YSRCP government alleging that it failed to make proper arrangements to serve the covid infected people. He has demanded the compensation to victim's family.
Corona second wave has hit India like never before. Over 3-4 lakh number of cases are being observed daily in India. Two Telugu states have also been witnessing the impact of the corona virus.


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B&Q Rockwell 200 black charcoal barbecue review
A good charcoal barbecue is ideal for summer entertaining. We review the Rockwell 200 from DIY giant B&Q to see whether it stands up to the test.
All products were chosen independently by our editorial team. This review contains affiliate links and we may receive a commission for purchases made. Please read our affiliates FAQ page to find out more and read about how we write BBC Good Food reviews.
B&Q Rockwell 200 black charcoal barbecue – unavailable
This product is no longer available. For more like this, see our review of charcoal barbecues.
There's no denying the understated design of the B&Q Rockwell 200 is appealing, from the easy-cleaning black powder-coated finish and integrated handle, to the handy storage shelf below. What's more, assembly of the Rockwell was one of the easiest in our charcoal barbecue test.
The Rockwell 200 also has some nice touches when it comes to cooking. A 40cm stainless steel grill splits in two, and there is a handy tool for lifting sections when more coals are needed, plus an adjustable vent in the well-fitting hood controls airflow well.
With only one level for the grill, cooking does require a lot of turning and moving to prevent burning. There is a section which looks like it takes another shelf, but it does not come with this model which is a shame; it would be handy to keep cooked food warm. That said, all the food cooked well with little problems.
Cleaning the outside is easy, as is the inside of the BBQ as long as the bottom is double-lined with foil to lift the ashes out after use. We never found the integrated ignition promised on the website. Other than that, this is a more than acceptable barbecue and perfect for small gardens or patios.
Style: Square kettle
Cooking grill size: 40cm
Height: 100 cm
Hood and Vents: Yes
Wheels and Locks: Wheels, no locks
The best charcoal barbecues
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This review was last updated in March 2020. If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability, please get in touch at email@example.com.
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domain: food


text:
By Paul Seungoh Chung
By Paul Seungoh Chung
By John Turri,Peter D. Klein
By Wendy Doniger,Peter Galison,Susan Neiman
This assortment demonstrates the diversity of methods that a few of the major students of our day take to uncomplicated questions on the intersection of the ordinary and human worlds. The essays specialize in 3 interlocking different types: cause stakes a much bigger territory than the enclosed backyard of common ideas. Nature expands over a much better sector than an everlasting type of the average. And heritage refuses to be restrained to claims of an unencumbered fact of the way issues occurred.
By Jon Stewart
By Tony Richards
Many humans think that happiness and luck can purely turn up after we have entry to remarkable situations reminiscent of actual beauty, cash, nice expertise or big name prestige. these presents will be a lucky bonus. although as such a lot people are traditional, in place of outstanding, it doesn't decrease our entitlement to a lifetime of happiness and achievements. considered one of our best own duties is to discover happiness and good fortune for ourselves. This publication will supply a confirmed approach for everybody to augment their self-image, and to achieve and preserve self-confidence that may final eternally. in case you understand how self-confidence works you may have an excellent gift that provides limitless power for happiness and success…
By Tom Johnson
By Maria Claudia Vanícola,Sergio Guida
By Tracy Thomas
Successful own improvement eludes humans for various purposes. a tremendous cause is they wander away of their personal lives and daily drama because the years go. An accepting nature and being chronic is the foremost to overcoming the terror of fixing your self for the higher.
The leading edge to good fortune is a realistic consultant to winning own improvement and coping with the talents that might swap your own paths forever.
By Errol Lord,Barry Maguire
This quantity goals to supply the beginnings for a thought of weight. The fourteen new essays fall into 3 teams. One set of essays addresses questions on the character of weight. themes comprise the kin among purposes and prerequisites and modifiers, among purposes and different weighted notions resembling commitments, and varied types of the interplay of purposes. A moment set of essays addresses sizeable questions: questions about weight correct to value-first, desire-first, evidence-first and different normative examine courses. a 3rd set of essays applies concerns within the idea of weight to broader moral debates. The publication hence not just makes novel contributions to debates in ethics and epistemology concerning the nature of normative purposes and their weight, it additionally makes a powerful case for the theoretical fruitfulness of the ideology of normative reasons.

domain: literature


text:
Play Steem monsters/Splinterlands and win a Steem Fest Ticket!
@blocktrades and @steemomonsters have decided to join efforts to send one lucky - and skilled at playing the game - player to represent them at Steem Fest with accommodation included and enjoy the greatest Steem Event of the year in Thailand, in early November this year.
This contest is open for everyone and anyone who plays - or wants to play - @steemmonsters, so if you already have some cards you better join the qualifier tournaments! If you still don't have any cards don't worry, getting started is very easy, all you have to do is get your starter pack in the official Steem Monsters website and begin playing!
Since the prize is something you don't see every day, the Final Tournament will have four previous tournament qualifiers, and only the Top 8 players of every Qualifier will be eligible to join the Final one.
To even the table between high profile players and more humble players, giving everyone a fair chance of winning the Steem Fest even ticket, the first qualifier tournament specifications are:
- Free Entry
- Silver League
- No Legendary Cards
- Single elimination
*The tournament specifications may change for the second qualifier after receiving feedback, but it's most likely these specs will remain the same for the 3 remaining qualifier tournaments.
There will be one Qualifier tournament on each of the next four Sundays (UTC Time zone). The time of the tournaments is different each Sunday to give everyone around the globe a fair chance to join at least one of th tournaments; the tournament dates are as follows:
- 1st Qualifier: July 14th at 22:00 UTC
- 2nd Qualifier: July 21st at 17:00 UTC
- 3rd Qualifier: July 28th at 12:00 UTC
- 4th Qualifier: August 4th at 7:00 UTC
The Final tournament will be celebrated in August 11th, time to be confirmed.
If you want to attend Steem Fest, all you have to do is join one of these - or all of them - and finish as top 8 in any of them to get an entry ticket for the Final Tournament where the winner will get a Steem Fest Ticket + Accommodation in the offical event hotel.
Details and Important things to mention
- This prize is non-transferable and the winner of the Final tournament will have an event ticket waiting for them in Bangkok.
- Anyone can join as many tournaments as they wish. If a player who already got an entry ticket for the Final tournament finishes in the Top 8, then the next in line (9th place) will get the entry ticket for the Final Tournament.
- The Final tournament entry ticket a player gets for finishing top 8 in one of the Qualifiers is non-transferable.
- There is a minimum of 80 players per qualifier. If the number of participants is fewer, then the tournament will be rescheduled but the date for the Final tournament will remain the same.
- The number of entry tickets for the final tournament is 32.
The winner of the Final tournament will receive a personalized Steem Fest 4 event ticket and will receive confirmation of booking in the official hotel in Bangkok, Thailand
If you like this, please give this post a Resteem, let's try to give a chance to go to Steem Fest to anyone who is part of our Blockchain :D
Share this contest in your other social media, let's bring more people to Steem while promoting one of the best Steem events of the year! Remember there are a lot of Tron users playing Steem monsters/Splinterlands, so let's make some noise about this tournament in social media!

domain: entertainment


text:
How does the UK prison system work?
If you’ve ever wondered, “How does the UK prison system work?”, you’re not alone. The prison system in the United Kingdom is a complex structure with multiple layers, designed to both punish and rehabilitate offenders. In this article, we’ll break down the key components that make up the UK prison system, from the types of prisons to the process of sentencing and rehabilitation.
Types of Prisons
These are usually the first stop for individuals who have been sentenced. They are often located near major courts and serve as holding facilities before inmates are moved to other types of prisons.
Also known as Category A prisons, these facilities house the most dangerous and high-risk offenders, such as those convicted of terrorism or murder.
These are often Category B or C prisons focused on rehabilitation. They offer various programmes to help inmates acquire new skills and prepare for life after release.
These are Category D prisons with minimal security measures, aimed at preparing inmates for reintegration into society.
The Sentencing Process
Once an individual is convicted of a crime, the court will determine the appropriate sentence. This can range from a few months to life imprisonment, depending on the severity of the crime and other factors like previous convictions.
How does the UK prison system work?
Prison Categories and Recategorisation
Inmates are initially categorised based on the severity of their crime and risk to public safety. However, this category can be reviewed and changed over time, usually every six months to a year. A review board consisting of prison officials and psychologists typically makes the decision.
Rehabilitation and Programmes
One of the primary goals of the UK prison system is rehabilitation. To this end, various programmes are offered to inmates, including:
Educational Courses: From basic literacy to vocational training, educational programmes aim to equip inmates with skills for the outside world.
Work Programmes: These provide inmates with a routine and work ethic, often in areas like laundry, kitchen work, or maintenance.
Therapy and Counselling: Psychological services are available to help inmates deal with mental health issues, substance abuse, and other challenges.
Parole and Early Release
Inmates serving determinate sentences may be eligible for parole or early release based on good behaviour and successful completion of rehabilitation programmes. A parole board reviews each case to determine eligibility.
Challenges and Criticisms
The UK prison system is not without its challenges, including:
Overcrowding: Many prisons operate at or near full capacity, leading to concerns about living conditions and the effectiveness of rehabilitation efforts.
Reoffending Rates: Despite efforts at rehabilitation, reoffending rates remain a concern, raising questions about the system’s effectiveness.
The UK prison system is a multifaceted institution designed to serve both punitive and rehabilitative functions. From the moment of sentencing to the process of rehabilitation and potential early release, numerous elements come into play to manage the inmate population effectively. While the system faces challenges like overcrowding and high reoffending rates, it also offers a range of programmes aimed at preparing inmates for a more positive life post-release. Understanding how the UK prison system works is crucial for anyone interested in criminal justice, social policy, or even the societal implications of incarceration.

domain: law


text:
It’s FREE DELIVERY on order over £50
Our new beautiful quality hard enamel BEACH HUT pin badge.
Why not treat yourself or such a fun thoughtful gifts too!
Perfect for adding some flair to your bag, jacket pocket, collar or even your pencil case.
Beautiful shiny handwritten finish on this and all five designs
Key Features - Vintage Inspired Designs -
All our designs have a beautiful have a glossy sheen -
Beautiful presented on rustic branding -
Cute pink rubber stopper -
Can purchase individually or set of all five of odour pin badges - see other listing
Beach Hut - Rich cream/pink/blue stripe - 20 x 14 mm

domain: design


text:
The Napoleon Cinema Log 24 Electric Fireplace creates an inviting space with 5,000 BTU’s of warmth and no need for venting. Plug in and enjoy this fireplace in no time and create a wealthy point of interest in your space. The realistic log bed glows identical to real burning logs, and whilst you turn the fireplace off, fade identical to a dying fire. Fully customize your electric fireplace with adjustable flame brightness and heat intensity to perfectly set the mood, no matter where you put it. Perfect for a built-in installation or can be ordered with the Very important mantel package option for a functional and beaujpgul piece of decor. Features: As much as 5,000 BTU’s. 1,500 Watts. Timer for As much as six hours. Convenient remote Regulate. Will also be Plugged in or Hardwired 120V. Adjustable Flame and Ember Light Regulate. Temperature Regulate through four heat settings. Realistic molded logset slowly die out when turned off for an authentic fireplace experience. Specifications: Glass Size: 21″ (W) x 11.63″ (H). Framing Dimensions: 23″ (W) x 9″ (D) x 17.25″ (H). Overall Dimensions: 24″ (W) x 8.63″ (D) x 17.63″ (H).
Model #: NEFB24H-3A
As much as 5,000 BTU’s
Timer for As much as six hours
Convenient remote Regulate
Overall Dimensions: 24″ (W) x 8.63″ (D) x 17.63″ (H)


text:
Arizona High School Volleyball - Flowing Wells edged by Catalina FoothillsMarch 19, 2019: Tucson, AZ 85705
The Catalina Foothills Falcons held off the host Flowing Wells Caballeros volleyball team by a score of 3-2 in Tuesday's non-league test.
The Falcons now have a 5-4 record. They put it on the line next when they host Mountain View for a non-league test on Wednesday, March 20. Catalina Foothills will confront a Mountain Lions team coming off a 3-0 league win over Sahuaro (Tucson, AZ). The Mountain Lions record now stands at 11-2.
The Caballeros (4-8) will now prepare for their test against Rincon/University (Tucson, AZ). The Rangers enter the non-league test with a 11-2 record. In their last test, Rincon/University held off Palo Verde (Tucson, AZ), 3-0, in a league test.

domain: news


When our tablet or computer freezes up, we all know what to do: just reboot the device. Problem fixed. But what happens when the touchpanel of a control system in an event space goes haywire? Chances are, you’re rolling a truck to perform the simplest service task in the book.
The ballroom of the Westin Long was recently renovated with a QSC sound system and Furman UPS provided by local integration firm Spinitar. As part of a recent renovation of the ballroom in the Westin Long Beach Hotel in Long Beach, CA, that transformed the large space into a four-room venue with divisible walls, local integration firm Spinitar installed a QSC Q-SYS sound system, and a Furman F1500-UPS that will make scenarios like the above a thing of the past.
The key technology behind the Furman UPS is its BlueBolt technology, a cloud-based power monitoring and control platform that’s available in several of Furman’s sister brands as well. According to Paul Roberts, director of sales for the pro and OEM channels at Furman, BlueBolt systems are easy to set up, requiring just a MAC ID address, a security card, and an internet connection. Users can then control various power-related functions of anything plugged into the UPS from any internet device with a browser.
Beyond the ability to perform remote hard reboots—which Roberts said account for as much as 80 percent of integrators’ service calls—the BlueBolt UPS can give integrators and facility managers assurance that systems are performing as they should. “If there’s a power outage or power issue inside the facility, you can still access the GUI and get notification that you’ve lost connection, that there’s a problem at the facility,” he said. “Other products require a connection at the device level, not on the cloud; so if the power goes out or if there’s any problem on the device, you don’t have any information as to what happened or when.”
According to Roberts, BlueBolt-enabled devices can also push email alerts to users to notify them about a variety of situations, such as over voltages, even if there is no longer power flowing to the device. “That’s one of the benefits of being cloud based, because you sit outside of the power in the facility,” he said. “You can get that sort of notification, because our BlueBolt services is pinging the network, and when it loses connection, it knows something’s happened.” And of course, since the device is also a UPS, if power does go out, the device will continue to run on battery backup, and will continue to notify users of its status, as long as it’s plugged into an internet connection, Roberts said.
The Westin’s sound system is comprised of a QSC Q-SYS Core 500i sound and control system, which offers a standalone solution.With the help of BlueBolt, Spinitar staff, like AV systems designer Rudy Zavala—one of the integrators on the project—can be sure the facility’s brand-new QSC Q-SYS Core 500i sound system is always working as intended. According to Zavala, that’s been the case so far; no power outages have occurred and no hard reboots have been required. “So far we haven’t had to do any of that; so far the Q-SYS system has been pretty much rock solid on its own,” he said. “It’s in place, but the system’s up in running.”
That means the users of the ballroom—which Zavala said consist mostly of wedding receptions and corporate events—have been able to enjoy the QSC system and its sophisticated control without a hitch. According to Zavala, the Q-SYS system is an all-in-one solution that makes things easy on customers, as well as the integrator. “The whole system runs on LAN, so all of the amplifiers connect to a PoE switch, so everything talks to that,” he said. “They don’t require an AVB switch; they use everything over a standard switch.”
In addition, Q-SYS features its own control interface, eliminating the need for another system to be installed and configured, and provides a robust platform for customization. “The touchpanels are also part of QSC, and the touchpanel itself QSC has the software for you to create a whole user interface,” Zavala said. “You can create the DSP file with them, and you can create the user interface with the same software.” Zavala and his team used the system to create a floorplan-based GUI that makes it easy for anyone to control the facility’s sound system.
But even the easiest-to-use system will always be subject to human error by the user, and the BlueBolt platform in the Furman UPS has one more key feature to prevent a costly error from happening: equipment being left on overnight. With BlueBolt, integrators can set schedules on which the USP will automatically shut off and turn on connected equipment, thereby saving facilities money and avoiding wasteful expenditure of energy.
“When we were discussing with the users, they gave us a timeframe: one in the morning is what was agreed upon,” Zavala said. “So at one in the morning, that’s when we’ll do a systems shutdown so the system resets to its presets, and the UPS does a power cycle to make sure everything’s up and running, so in the morning, they come in, and it’s a fresh system every time.”
Of course, it’s only a matter of time before some kind of glitch in the system’s operation occurs. But when it happens, everyone involved can take comfort in the knowledge that a fresh system is just a quick click away.
Matt Pruznick is associate editor of SCN and Residential Systems. Follow him on Twitter @Pruznick.


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Uploaded: Thursday, August 23, 2012, 12:02 PM
Food & Drink: Best of Mountain View 2012
House of Bagels beats out the competition because of the unique way they bake their bagels each morning. By boiling the bagels first and then baking them in a brick oven, the product is crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Choosing from 22 flavors that range from jalapeno to chocolate chip, fans agree that the traditional and gourmet bagels are simply the best.
1712 Miramonte Ave., Mountain View
Mountain View residents aren't the only ones to notice Le Boulanger's fresh bread, says manager Julian Hawawini. The bakery also showcases its Bay Area award-winning sourdough, which, like the other breads offered, is baked daily. Along with 40 varieties of bread and pastries comes the popular California Fresh sandwich containing turkey, cheese, avocado, lettuce, tomato and onions on Le Boulanger's Dutch crunch roll. Le Boulanger also won the vote for best deli this year.
650 Castro St., Mountain View
Winning both Best Bar and Best Happy Hour in Mountain View, Tied House Cafe and Brewery is open to "families, groups, and individuals" with emphasis on the family-friendly side as a restaurant as well as a bar. The 14 beers on tap all come from the in-house microbrewery, and bartenders encourage customers to develop their palates by tasting them all.
954 Villa St., Mountain View
Slow but steady is what wins the race for Armadillo Willy's year after year. They take no short cuts in the smoking process -- the ribs and brisket cook from five to 18 hours over real oak logs. The BBQ joint has served Bay Area locations with authentic Texas barbecue since 1983.
1031 N. San Antonio Rd., Los Altos
Clarke's Charcoal Broiler is famous for "good service and good food," owner James Blach says. The burgers weigh 1/3 of a pound and are cooked over charcoal, which makes for an authentic grilled taste. Along with their condiment bar stocked with fresh produce and old-school feel, Clarke's has all the making for a champion burger. Clarke's also offers delivery and take-out.
615 W. El Camino Real, Mountain View
La Costena's custom-built burritos fill up the hungriest of eaters, and patrons say they taste great. Each burrito comes with rice, beans and salsa. Besides holding several Best of Mountain View awards, La Costena holds a Guinness Book record for the largest burrito, built in Rengstorff Park. Readers also voted it the city's best place for take-out.
2078 Old Middlefield Way, Mountain View
Ice Cream Store
Gelato Classico dishes out its Italian ice cream in a rich and wide selection of flavors, from green tea and hazelnut to caramello chocolate crunch. Loyal patrons flock to the gelato in large numbers each night, and they say the creamy ice cream is worth the wait.
241 Castro St., Mountain View
Mountain View's favorite noodle house, Ramen House Ryowa, takes its name from its most popular dish: Ryowa noodles. These Japanese-style ramen noodles are served with cha siu barbeque pork, seaweed and a boiled egg. Customers say the noodles are perfectly cooked and the broth is always flavorful.
859 Villa St., Mountain View
Fans of Verde Tea say no one makes the frothy, East Asian beverage containing sweetened tea and milk with as much skill as Verde. The cafe serves pearl milk tea in flavors from peach to red bean. The pearls -- tapioca balls at the bottom of each drink -- are a particular favorite.
852 Villa St., Mountain View
Amici's East Coast Pizzeria is famous for its authentic thin, crisp-crust pizzas cooked in traditional dome ovens right next to an open flame. Marketing director Richard Allum says that Amici's is the best because it "strives to make your experience the best it can be." The local pizza joint also has a variety of salads and pasta dishes so that there's something for everyone.
790 Castro St., Mountain View
Not only is the Mountain View Farmers Market the fourth-largest in the state, it consistently wins local and national awards and is named by patrons the No. 1 farmers' market in the Bay Area. Located near the Mountain View train station, the market showcases over 80 farmers and food producers who offer an extensive selection of organic produce, baked goods and fresh flowers. Open year round, rain or shine, the market makes a great Sunday morning excursion.
600 W. Evelyn Ave., Mountain View
Small Grocery Store
The Milk Pail has always been a favorite for its local produce, baked goods, and food along with its huge variety of rare cheeses, but this year they also began giving mozzarella-making classes and started "Curds & Chords," a program where the store participates with music venues by hosting a cheese-tasting table to help encourage attendance at open-mic events.
2585 California St., Mountain View
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24-year-old FL Woman Jailed - Kasha M Dukes of Polk County
Kasha Michelle Dukes, a woman of 24 years age, was detained according to information received from Polk County, FL officials on Monday, March 3rd, 2014.
Official Florida public records obtained by Florida Busted! from the Polk County Sheriff's Office indicate that the woman, Dukes, was jailed on Friday, February 28th, 2014. She has allegedly been charged with one offense. Investigation conducted by Florida Busted! show Kasha Dukes may have been arrested at least one other time.
Dukes, DOB 4/14/1989, was described as a black woman of 24 years age. When booked, she weighed 160 lbs and was of height 5' 6".
Every effort has been made to ensure the integrity of these data, however, Florida Busted! makes no claims of guarantee surrounding the accuracy of such alleged facts, as Kasha Dukes is to be considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Last updated on .
Further details of this event may be available from the Polk County Sheriff's Office of Florida by phone at +1 (863) 298-6200 or via their website, http://www.polksheriff.org/.


text:
Cephalopods show behavioral parallels to birds and mammals despite considerable evolutionary distance [1, 2]. Many cephalopods produce complex body patterns and visual signals, documented especially in cuttlefish and squid, where they are used both in camouflage and a range of interspecific interactions [1, 3-5]. Octopuses, in contrast, are usually seen as solitary and asocial [6, 7]; their body patterns and color changes have primarily been interpreted as camouflage and anti-predator tactics [8-12], though the familiar view of the solitary octopus faces a growing list of exceptions. Here, we show by field observation that in a shallow-water octopus, Octopus tetricus, a range of visible displays are produced during agonistic interactions, and these displays correlate with the outcome of those interactions. Interactions in which dark body color by an approaching octopus was matched by similar color in the reacting octopus were more likely to escalate to grappling. Darkness in an approaching octopus met by paler color in the reacting octopus accompanied retreat of the paler octopus. Octopuses also displayed on high ground and stood with spread web and elevated mantle, often producing these behaviors in combinations. This study is the first to document the systematic use of signals during agonistic interactions among octopuses. We show prima facie conformity of our results to an influential model of agonistic signaling . These results suggest that interactions have a greater influence on octopus evolution than has been recognized and show the importance of convergent evolution in behavioral traits. VIDEO ABSTRACT.
Auxin is a key regulator of plant growth and development, but the causal relationship between hormone transport and root responses remains unresolved. Here we describe auxin uptake, together with early steps in signaling, in Arabidopsis root hairs. Using intracellular microelectrodes we show membrane depolarization, in response to IAA in a concentration- and pH-dependent manner. This depolarization is strongly impaired in aux1 mutants, indicating that AUX1 is the major transporter for auxin uptake in root hairs. Local intracellular auxin application triggers Ca2+signals that propagate as long-distance waves between root cells and modulate their auxin responses. AUX1-mediated IAA transport, as well as IAA-triggered calcium signals, are blocked by treatment with the SCFTIR1/AFB- inhibitor auxinole. Further, they are strongly reduced in the tir1afb2afb3 and the cngc14 mutant. Our study reveals that the AUX1 transporter, the SCFTIR1/AFBreceptor and the CNGC14 Ca2+channel, mediate fast auxin signaling in roots.
Model organisms subject to dietary restriction (DR) generally live longer. Accompanying this lifespan extension are improvements in overall health, based on multiple metrics. This indicates that pharmacological treatments that mimic the effects of DR could improve health in humans. To find new chemical structures that extend lifespan, we screened 30 000 synthetic, diverse drug-like chemicals in Caenorhabditis elegans and identified several structurally related compounds that acted through DR mechanisms. The most potent of these NP1 impinges upon a food perception pathway by promoting glutamate signaling in the pharynx. This results in the overriding of a GPCR pathway involved in the perception of food and which normally acts to decrease glutamate signals. Our results describe the activation of a dietary restriction response through the pharmacological masking of a novel sensory pathway that signals the presence of food. This suggests that primary sensory pathways may represent novel targets for human pharmacology.
- Clinical EEG and neuroscience : official journal of the EEG and Clinical Neuroscience Society (ENCS)
- Published about 7 years ago
Contamination of the electroencephalogram (EEG) by artifacts greatly reduces the quality of the recorded signals. There is a need for automated artifact removal methods. However, such methods are rarely evaluated against one another via rigorous criteria, with results often presented based upon visual inspection alone. This work presents a comparative study of automatic methods for removing blink, electrocardiographic, and electromyographic artifacts from the EEG. Three methods are considered; wavelet, blind source separation (BSS), and multivariate singular spectrum analysis (MSSA)-based correction. These are applied to data sets containing mixtures of artifacts. Metrics are devised to measure the performance of each method. The BSS method is seen to be the best approach for artifacts of high signal to noise ratio (SNR). By contrast, MSSA performs well at low SNRs but at the expense of a large number of false positive corrections.
Inflammasomes are multiprotein complexes that serve as a platform for caspase-1 activation and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) maturation as well as pyroptosis. Though a number of inflammasomes have been described, the NLRP3 inflammasome is the most extensively studied. NLRP3 inflammasome is triggered by a variety of stimuli, including infection, tissue damage and metabolic dysregulation, and then activated through an integrated cellular signal. Many regulatory mechanisms have been identified to attenuate NLRP3 inflammasome signaling at multiple steps. Here, we review the developments in the negative regulation of NLRP3 inflammasome that protect host from inflammatory damage.
Many experimental therapies for autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis (MS), aim to bias T cells toward tolerogenic phenotypes without broad suppression. However, the link between local signal integration in lymph nodes (LNs) and the specificity of systemic tolerance is not well understood. We used intra-LN injection of polymer particles to study tolerance as a function of signals in the LN microenvironment. In a mouse MS model, intra-LN introduction of encapsulated myelin self-antigen and a regulatory signal (rapamycin) permanently reversed paralysis after one treatment during peak disease. Therapeutic effects were myelin specific, required antigen encapsulation, and were less potent without rapamycin. This efficacy was accompanied by local LN reorganization, reduced inflammation, systemic expansion of regulatory T cells, and reduced T cell infiltration to the CNS. Our findings suggest that local control over signaling in distinct LNs can promote cell types and functions that drive tolerance that is systemic but antigen specific.
Anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is thought to control a wide range of reward, punishment, and uncertainty-related behaviors. However, how it does so is unclear. Here, in a Pavlovian procedure in which monkeys displayed a diverse repertoire of reward-related, punishment-related, and uncertainty-related behaviors, we show that many ACC-neurons represent expected value and uncertainty in a valence-specific manner, signaling value or uncertainty predictions about either rewards or punishments. Other ACC-neurons signal prediction information about rewards and punishments by displaying excitation to both (rather than excitation to one and inhibition to the other). This diversity in valence representations may support the role of ACC in many behavioral states that are either enhanced by reward and punishment (e.g., vigilance) or specific to either reward or punishment (e.g., approach and avoidance). Also, this first demonstration of punishment-uncertainty signals in the brain suggests that ACC could be a target for the treatment of uncertainty-related disorders of mood.Rewards or punishments elicit diverse behavioral responses; however, the neural circuits underlying such flexibility are unclear. Here Monosov shows that this diversity could be supported by neurons in the anterior cingulate that represent expected value and uncertainty in a valence-specific manner.
This paper presents a method for detecting psychological stress levels. It aims to explore the feasibility of using a single physiological signal to create a more practical alternative for detecting stress in people than current multiple physiological signals approaches involve. In particular, the approach explored uses linear discriminant analysis (LDA) based on the electrodermal activity (EDA) signal which aims at discriminating between three stress levels: low, medium and high. We used the MIT Media lab ‘stress database’ from which we selected eleven ‘foot’ based EDA data sets for our experiments. Using this eighteen EDA features were extracted from (sixty-six) five-minutes data segments equating to three driving conditions: at rest, on the open road (highway) and city driving. After that, Fisher projection and Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) were used to classify the stress levels with feature vectors, that included both leaving one out and test cross-validation strategy. The results showed that these methods achieved recognition rate of 81.82% which we argue, while less that multiple signal systems, may be a better balance between recognition performance and computational load, that could be a promising line of research for the development of practical personal stress monitors.
Faces play a key role in signaling social cues such as signals of trustworthiness. Although several studies identify the amygdala as a core brain region in social cognition, quantitative approaches evaluating its role are scarce.
Urbanization can radically disrupt natural ecosystems through alteration of the sensory environment. Habitat disturbances are predicted to favor behaviorally flexible species capable of adapting to altered environments. When artificial light at night (ALAN) is introduced into urban areas, it has the potential to impede reproduction of local firefly populations by obscuring their bioluminescent courtship signals. Whether individual fireflies can brighten their signals to maintain visibility against an illuminated background remains unknown. In this study, we exposed male Aquatica ficta fireflies to diffused light of varying wavelength and intensity, and recorded their alarm flash signals. When exposed to wavelengths at or below 533 nm, males emitted brighter signals with decreased frequency. This is the first evidence of individual-level light signal plasticity in fireflies. In contrast, long wavelength ambient light (≥ 597 nm) did not affect signal morphology, likely because A. ficta cannot perceive these wavelengths. These results suggest long wavelength lighting is less likely to impact firefly courtship, and its use in place of broad spectrum white lighting could augment firefly conservation efforts. More generally, this study demonstrates benefits of bioluminescent signal plasticity in a “noisy” signaling environment, and sheds light on an important yet understudied consequence of urbanization.

domain: biology


The following map shows the distance from Cairo to Madinat an Nasr.
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World Boron-10 Trade: with rising important CAGR throughout 2021-2026
New Analysis Report on Boron-10 Market which covers Market Overview, Future Financial Impression, Competitors by Producers, Provide (Manufacturing), and Consumption Evaluation
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The market analysis report on the worldwide Boron-10 trade offers a complete research of the assorted methods and supplies used within the manufacturing of Boron-10 market merchandise. Ranging from trade chain evaluation to price construction evaluation, the report analyzes a number of points, together with the manufacturing and end-use segments of the Boron-10 market merchandise. The newest traits within the pharmaceutical trade have been detailed within the report back to measure their affect on the manufacturing of Boron-10 market merchandise.
With the current market requirements revealed, the Boron-10 market analysis report has additionally illustrated the most recent strategic developments and patterns of the market gamers in an unbiased method. The report serves as a presumptive enterprise doc that may assist the purchasers within the international market plan their subsequent programs in direction of the place of the market’s future.
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Main key gamers within the Boron-10 market are –
Dalian Bontan Know-how, Liaoning Honghao Chemical Trade, Dalian Terui Haiming Chemical, 3M, American Components
Elemental Boron 10
Boron 10 Acid
By Software/ Finish-user:
Regional Evaluation For Boron-10 Market
North America (the US, Canada, and Mexico)
Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia, and Italy)
Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, and Southeast Asia)
South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, and so forth.)
The Center East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, and South Africa)
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Lastly, the Boron-10 Market research offers important details about the most important challenges which are going to affect market progress. The report moreover offers general particulars concerning the enterprise alternatives to key stakeholders to develop their enterprise and seize revenues within the exact verticals. The report will assist the prevailing or upcoming firms on this market to look at the assorted points of this area earlier than investing or increasing their enterprise within the Boron-10 market.


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Jeffrey Weiland, MD
- Pulmonary Disease
- Sleep Medicine
- Physician What's this? A physician, or doctor, is extensively trained to diagnose and treat complex medical problems. Often, physicians focus their practice on certain disease categories, treatment methods or patient types. Physicians can diagnose and treat illness, prescribe medication, offer medical consultation and advice, perform surgery and more.
Appointments: (614) 293-4925
About MeAs a pulmonologist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center I treat all facets of lung health and disease. I try to get to know my patients not only medically, but on a personal level as well. I believe that medical conditions and illnesses are a journey that my patients and I take together. Medicine is truly the ultimate profession of service to others!
I love working at an academic medical center where I have the opportunity to care for patients and teach the next generation of physicians. I’ve always believed this was a great university since coming here to play football in 1972.
When I’m not working I enjoy spending my free time fly fishing.
- Former president of the Ohio Thoracic Society
- Lead.Serve.Inspire (LSI) preceptor of the year, The Ohio State University College of Medicine
- Medical director of the Victory Ministries Free Clinic for the past nine years
- Medical director of the Respiratory Therapy Undergraduate Program for the past 20 years
Procedures and Conditions I Treat
- Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive
- Pulmonary Medicine
- Sleep Disorders
Locations Where I Practice
Martha Morehouse Outpatient Care
Heart and Vascular Center Bellefontaine
Outpatient Care Upper Arlington
Education and Training
Ohio State University College of Medicine
Medical College of Virginia Hospitals
7/1/1980 - 6/30/1982
Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
7/1/1982 - 6/30/1984
More About My Work
American Board of Internal Medicine
American Board of Internal Medicine (Subspecialty: Pulmonary Disease)
Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine
208 Patient Satisfaction Reviews
The overall patient satisfaction rating is an average of all patient responses to the six doctor communication related questions shown below from the Clinician and Group Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey. For additional information about the patient satisfaction survey, please visit our Patient Satisfaction Survey page.
The comments are submitted by patients and reflect their view and opinions. The comments are not endorsed by and do not necessarily reflect the views of Ohio State Wexner Medical Center.
4.7 out of 5
- Explains Things Clearly 4.7
- Listens Carefully 4.7
- Gives Understandable Instructions 4.7
- Knows My Medical History 4.6
- Shows Respect 4.8
- Time Spent Together 4.8
36 Patient CommentsLoad More Comments
Consulting and Related Relationships
At The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, we support a faculty member’s research and consulting in collaboration with medical device, research and/or drug companies because a faculty member’s expertise can guide important advancements in the practice of medicine and improve patient care. In order to provide effective management of these relationships, the University requires annual disclosures from all faculty members with external interests related to their University responsibilities.
As of 12/20/2018, Dr. Weiland has reported no relationships with companies or entities.

domain: medical


Sydney’s post war housing improvement schemes
Keywords:Modern Movement, Modern architecture, Modern housing, Post-war housing, Welfare architecture, Mass housing, Sydney modern architecture, Sydney slum clearance program, Preservation of modern architecture, Demolition of modern architecture
The present text traces the post war slum clearance program in Sydney, Australia, that saw the construction of modern blocks of flats drawn from international examples of rehousing schemes. This State-funded urban renewal program continued from the late 1940s until the 1980s. Many of the blocks of flats are slated for demolition, yet no overall assessment of their design quality or detailed discussion of the range of building forms or apartment layouts has been undertaken. There is a danger that these well-designed blocks will vanish rather than be retrofitted and that this unparalleled demonstration of modern housing progress by the State of New South Wales will be incomplete.
How to Cite
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
“Reveals Shocking Slum Conditions”, The Labour Daily, Sydney NSW, 20th October 1938, 3.
“‘Star-Plan’ Flats will Replace City Slum”, Sydney Morning Herald, Sydney NSW, 29th April 1948, 2.
“Sydney’s 99-Year Slum Leases Expire Soon”, Herald, Melbourne VIC, 27th June 1947, 9.
“They’ve forfeited right to own slums”, Tribune, Sydney NSW, 27th June 1947, 3.
“Wipe Out Slum is Big Scheme”, Daily Telegraph, Sydney NSW, 21st April 1936, 8.
Commonwealth Housing Commission (Australia), O’CONNOR, L. P. d., Australia Department of Post-War Reconstruction, “Final Report, 25th August 1944”, Sydney, Ministry of Post War Reconstruction, 1944.
NSW Housing Commission, “Report of the Housing Commission of NSW for the year ended 30 June 1959”, Sydney, NSW Government Printer, 1959.
NSW Housing Commission, “Matavai and Tauranga”, Sydney, NSW Government Printer, n.d.
Royal Australian Institute of Architects, Wanted! A Plan!: post war develop- ment!, Sydney, Royal Australian Institute of Architects, 1946.
ZANARDO, Michael, BOYD, Noni, Affordable Housing Sydney: Architectural Map Guide, Sydney, Studio Zanardo, 2019.


Cardinals outfielder Carlos Beltran said that he would
participate in the Home Run Derby this year if asked. - Photo
courtesy of Getty Images
St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Carlos Beltran has been better than advertised during his first season in St. Louis. After signing a two year, $26 million contract last winter to come to St. Louis, the often-injured outfielder has managed to stay healthy and has produced more than plenty at the plate.
Beltran collected three more hits in Wednesday night's 1-0 win over the Chicago White Sox and hit his National League leading nineteenth home run to help propel the Cardinals to victory.
Beltran's sweet switch-hitting swing has translated well at Busch Stadium. Beltran is on pace to break his career high of 41 home runs he hit in 2006 as a member of the New York Mets. His power stroke has certainly been on display in 2012 and the Cardinals have needed every one of his long balls.
When asked if he would accept an invitation to p...


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The snow kissed mail order bride kindle edition by leah cia download it once and read it on your kindle device pc phones or tablets use features like bookmarks note taking and highlighting while reading the snow kissed mail order bride. The snow kissed mail order bride book read 8 reviews from the worlds largest community for readers sweet western short storyhope bishop was on her wa. The snow kissed mail order bride by cia leah nook book ebook 099 codys mail order bride western time travel sweet clean romance short storywhen liza crammer went through her great great grandmothers desk after her father passed she couldnt believe the stories her father had told people were true . Hello sign in account lists account returns orders try. The snow kissed mail order bride ebook leah cia amazonin kindle store skip to main contentin hello sign in account lists returns orders try prime cart kindle store go search hello select your address
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A 28 year old Lincoln man has been arrested for receiving stolen property in connection with Brandon Crago’s alleged crime spree that allegedly included the murder of a rural Lincoln couple. Sheriff Terry Wagner says that an atv allegedly stolen by Crago from a rural Hamilton home was found in Lincoln. The resident Jesse Bennet was arrested for receiving the property.”The investigation into this whole string of crimes continues at a pretty forensic pace.”
Yesterday Crago was charged with four charges related to an early morning Sunday armed robbery of a Lincoln family. Wagner says he expects Crago to be charged in the killings of Steve and Carolyn Baily next week. Besides the Lincoln area crimes, crago is also being investigated for an armed home invasion in Grand Island and other area crimes.


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1400 Michigan Avenue, Detroit, MI 48216 Directions
Parmigiano Reggiano, Coppa, Pecorino Toscano, Antipasti, Mixed Olives, Small Plates, Gorgonzola Naturale, House-Made Fresh Mozzarella, Pizza, Prosciutto Di Parma, Sandwiches, Garlic Shrimp, Soups, Chopped and Fig Procsiutto Salad, Calamari, Focaccia Di Recco, Tuscan Braised Short Rib, Penne All’Arrabbiata, Truffle Butter Pasta & Carbonara
Ottava Via is a rustic Italian cuisine that serves pizza, panini in a stylishly quaint, antiques-adorned space. It is located 1400 Michigan Avenue and the heart of Corktown Detroit, Michigan. The restaurant features the opportunity to provide patio seating and an outdoor bocce ball court for all of its customers. Their main dining room is available for parties that can accommodate up to 80 guests. Ottava Via serves homemade Italian dishes in a warm and inviting setting. Taste their brunch menu BNF Toast, Breakfast Bruschetta, Capicola Croissant, Fruit & Cheese Board, which is unique in this restaurant. Enjoy the free Wi-Fi at their modern restaurant.
Price: Starts from $4
TBR® Inspection Report
400 Renaissance Center, Suite A-403, Detroit, MI 48243 Directions
Petto Di Pollo Con Melanzane, Peperoni Ungherese Alla Rustica, Portobello Al Forno, Cocktail Di Gamberi, Granchio Saporito, Salumi E Formaggi, Petto Di Pollo All’ Aldo, Salmone Rustica, Pasta E Fagioli, Petto Di Pollo Valdostana, Petto Di Pollo Alla Andiamo, Costatine Di Manzo, Insalata Di Germogli De Brussel, Parmigiano & Panino Con Costelette
Andiamo Upscale Northern Italian bistro that boasts an elegant, unparalleled view of the Canadian Skyline and International Waterway. The restaurant is located at GM Renaissance Center, Detroit. Riverfront Andiamo is a must-see destination in downtown Detroit. The interior is urban chic serving Andiamo’s signature authentic cuisine. They can cater to the event for 20 guests and up to 200 guests. Andiamo Upscale provides a complimentary shuttle to and from some of Detroit’s hottest events. Kids 12 and under can enjoy their pasta for free with the purchase of an adult meal. Join them every Monday for Bottomless Pasta Bowls for only $11.95. Enjoy the Happy Hours Spinach Artichoke Dip, Imported Meats and Cheeses & Buffalo Chicken Meatballs. They offer an online gift card with two convenient options.
Price: Starts from $4.95
TBR® Inspection Report
LA DOLCE VITA
17546 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, MI 48203 Directions
Lasagna Bechamel, Chevre Cheese Alfredo, La Mista, Piccoli Morsi, Pasta, Insalate, Carne, Piatti Pollo, Frutti Di Mare, Smoked Salmon, Artichoke Hearts Fritti, Minestrone Soup, Caprese and Spinach Salad, Penne Del Mezzogriorno, Gnocchi Alla Bava, Penne Norma, Calamari La Dolce Vita, Portabella Mushrooms, Smocked Salmon & Chevre Eggplant
La Dolce Vita la Old-world Italian eatery boasts a lively brunch and a cozy space with arched windows & a garden patio. The restaurant is famous for traditional dishes you won't find anywhere else in Detroit, like Pollo Saltimbocca, and an extensive Italian wine list. They offer an eclectic menu of regional Italian cuisine with continental influences. Once you enter their restaurant through the large iron gates, though, you're hit with the smell of garlic and welcomed by a friendly Italian man waiting at the door. Join them for a happy hour from Tuesday to Thursday from 4:00 pm until 7:00 pm. Enjoy their bottomless Milmosas and Bloody Marys Bloody Mary and Champagne Bar while listening to their live band on the patio. Don't forget to wear your PJs on the second Sunday of each month.
Awarded "The Best Patio in Detroit" by Metro Times and other local magazines.
Price: Starts from $5


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If you’re an advisor, perhaps a few of your clients have mentioned the possibility of retiring someplace warm, unhurried and inexpensive, like a beach town in Central American. Sounds like bliss, right? Well, yes and no.
Not long ago, through Facebook of course, I contacted a fellow I knew long ago and far away. His passion at the time was composing music, but I didn’t know whether he pursued it or not. At one point, I had heard that he retired early to the tropics. For personal and professional reasons, I wanted to find out how it worked out.
Here’s what he wrote back:
My wife and I retired in 2004 after years in the music business. We bought a house here in Nicaragua eleven years ago. By then my parents had passed away—we spent years taking care of them—and our kids were in college. So we sold our apartment in Manhattan, rented a smaller apartment there, and hit the road. We traveled all over the world for about four years, using our rental in Manhattan as a pit stop.
At one point, we were in Uruguay, in a fishing village called Punte del Diablo on the border with Brazil. We met an American there who had ridden his motorcycle from San Francisco down the west coast of South America to Patagonia and was heading back up the east coast. We asked him what his favorite place had been. He said, “Nicaragua.”
A year or two later our daughter was working on a water project in Costa Rica, so we went down. We rented a house and hung out there with our three children for Christmas and New Year’s. My wife and I felt Costa Rica was too developed. You have to remember we had lived in New York City since 1973. We’d both been in the music business. We had a house in the Hamptons. We were dealing with type A personalities. We felt surrounded and just wanted to get out.
On our travels, we found that we felt most at home in Third World countries. Costa Rica is First World. It reminded us of LA, which we hate, so we left and went north to Nicaragua. We found a house in the middle of ‘National Geographic Nowhere’ and bought it. We’re very remote. The nearest town is ——-, near the Costa Rica border. We are about fifteen miles south of it, via dirt road.
We bought the house in 2006, traveling back and fourth to New York. Finally I told my wife, I couldn’t take the city anymore and wanted to try going down to Nicaragua full time. So we put everything in storage and came here. Surprisingly, it ain’t cheap. We figured out that it’s more expensive for us to live here than in most places in the States.
During the last two years, we took part two huge charity projects in remote villages. My wife worked with a Canadian foundation to put in playgrounds and early this year she, I and our daughter raised money to have a well dug in a village that had had no potable water due to a drought—which we suspect was caused by climate change. The well will serve from 400 to 800 people. Good things to have done.
Then, three weeks ago, my wife took a bad fall. It scared me to death. She’s OK—nothing broke. But it shook me up. I told her I was ready to move back to the states. So we just put our house on the market. We need to be near good medical facilities. The nearest one to our home is two and a half hours.
In just 500 words, that letter may tell you more about retirement in Central America than you’d learn from hours of browsing the Internet or talking to real estate agents on the phone. It tells me that, if I decided to move to an exotic locale, I should do it during my so-called go-go years of early retirement, not the slow-go years of mid-to-late retirement. It also suggests that, even if we initially surrender to the magnetism of paradise, we’ll eventually feel the gravitational pull of home. Especially if our children, and grandchildren, are waiting for us there.
© 2016 RIJ Publishing LLC. All rights reserved.


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Welcome to my page! I am artist, writer and curator from Myanmar. As an artist, I'm passionate about pushing boundaries and exploring new possibilities. My practice is driven by a philosophy of diversity, where I strive to bring together diverse elements in order to create something new.
My artwork is inspired by a wide range of influences, from the natural world to the built environment. As a result, my work is a reflection of the diversity that I observe in the world around me. I invite you to explore my site and discover the stories that I'm telling through my artwork.
Eclipse, Portrait of the Disappeared series, Single Channel Video, color, sound, 4 mins. 55 secs. YAU Studio, Tokyo 2023
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domain: artistic