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a modest conservatory; and as he did so, hardly knowing it, he lightened his heavy-shod tread. The glass door was open and Richard looked in. There stood Gertrude with her back to him, bending apart with her hands a couple of tall flowering plants, and looking through the glazed partition behind them. Advancing a step, and glancing over the young girl's shoulder, Richard had just time to see Severn mounting his horse at the stable door, before Gertrude, startled by his approach, turned hastily round. Her face was flushed hot, and her eyes brimming with tears.
"You!" she exclaimed, sharply. Richard's head swam. That single word was so charged with cordial impatience that it seemed the death-knell of his hope. He stepped inside the room and closed the door, keeping his hand on the knob.
"Gertrude," he said, "you love that
Gertrude looked at him a moment with concentrated scorn. "You fool!" she said, for all answer. She pushed his hand from the latch, flung open the door, and moved rapidly away.
Left alone, Richard sank down on a sofa and covered his face with his hands. It burned them, but he sat motionless, repeating to himself, mechanically, as if to avert thought, "You fool! you fool!" At last he got up and made his way out.
It seemed to Gertrude, for several hours after this scene, that she had at this juncture a strong case against Fortune. It is not our purpose to repeat the words which she had exchanged with Captain Severn. They had come
within a single step of an éclaircissement, and when but another movement would have flooded their souls with light, some malignant influence had seized them by the throats. Had they too much pride? - too little imagination? We must content ourselves with this hypothesis. Severn, then, had walked mechanically across the yard, saying to himself, "She belongs to another"; and adding, as he saw Richard, "and such another!". Gertrude had stood at her window, repeating, under her breath, "He belongs to himself, himself alone." And as if this was not enough, when misconceived, slighted, wounded, she had faced about to her old, passionless, dutiful past, there on the path of retreat to this asylum Richard Clare had arisen to forewarn her that she should find no peace even at home. There was something in the violent impertinence of his appearance at this moment which gave her a dreadful feeling that fate was against her. More than this. There entered into her emotions a certain minute particle of awe of the man whose passion was so uncompromising. She felt that it was out of place any longer to pity him. He was the slave of his passion; but his passion was strong. In her reaction against the splendid civility of Severn's silence, (the real antithesis of which would have been simply the perfect courtesy of explicit devotion,) she found herself touching with pleasure on the fact of Richard's brutality. He at least had ventured to insult her. He had loved her enough to forget himself. He had dared to make himself odious in her eyes, because he had cast away his sanity. What cared he for the impression he made? He cared only for the impression he received. The violence of this reaction, however, was the measure of its duration. It was impossible that she should walk backward so fast without stumbling. Brought to her senses by this accident, she became aware that her judgment was missing. She smiled to herself as she reflected that it had been taking holiday for a whole afternoon. "Richard was right," she said to herself. "I am no fool. I
can't be a fool if I try. I'm too thoroughly my father's daughter for that. I love that man, but I love myself better. Of course, then, I don't deserve to have him. If I loved him in a way to merit his love, I would sit down this moment and write him a note telling him that if he does not come back to me, I shall die. But I shall neither write the note nor die. I shall live and grow stout, and look after my chickens and my flowers and my colts, and thank the Lord in my old age that I have never done anything unwomanly. Well! I'm as He made me. Whether I can deceive others, I know not; but I certainly can't deceive myself. I'm quite as sharp as Gertrude Whittaker; and this it is that has kept me from making a fool of myself and writing to poor Richard the note that I would n't write to Captain Severn. I needed to fancy myself wronged. I suffer so little! I needed a sensation! So, shrewd Yankee that I am, I thought I would get one cheaply by taking up that unhappy boy! Heaven preserve me from the heroics, especially the economical heroics! The one heroic course possible, I decline. What, then, have I to complain of? Must I tear my hair because a man of taste has resisted my unspeakable charms? To be charming, you must be charmed yourself, or at least you must be able to be charmed; and that apparently I'm not. I did n't love him, or he would have known it. Love gets love, and no-love gets none." But at this point of her meditations Gertrude almost broke down. She felt that she was assigning herself but a dreary future. Never to be loved but by such a one as Richard Clare was a cheerless prospect; for it was identical with an eternal spinsterhood. "Am I, then," she exclaimed, quite as passionately as a woman need do,"am I, then, cut off from a woman's dearest joys? What blasphemous nonsense! One thing is plain: I am made to be a mother; the wife may take care of herself. I am made to be a wife; the mistress may take care of herself. I am in the Lord's hands," added the
poor girl, who, whether or no she could forget herself in an earthly love, had at all events this mark of a spontaneous nature, that she could forget herself in a heavenly one. But in the midst of her pious emotion, she was unable to subdue her conscience. It smote her heavily for her meditated falsity to Richard, for her miserable readiness to succumb to the strong temptation to seek a momentary resting-place in his gaping heart. She recoiled from this thought as from an act cruel and immoral. Was Richard's heart the place for her now, any more than it had been a month before? Was she to apply for comfort where she would not apply for counsel? Was she to drown her decent sorrows and regrets in a base, a dishonest, an extemporized passion? Having done the young man so bitter a wrong in intention, nothing would appease her magnanimous remorse (as time went on) but to repair it in fact. She went so far as keenly to regret the harsh words she had cast upon him in the conservatory. He had been insolent and unmannerly; but he had an excuse. Much should be forgiven him, for he loved much. Even now that Gertrude had imposed upon her feelings a sterner regimen than ever, she could not defend herself from a sweet and sentimental thrill a thrill in which, as we have intimated, there was something of a tremor - at the recollection of his strident accents and his angry eyes. It was yet far from her heart to desire a renewal, however brief, of this. exhibition. She wished simply to efface from the young man's morbid soul the impression of a real contempt; for she knew-or she thought that she knew that against such an impression he was capable of taking the most fatal and inconsiderate comfort.
Before many mornings had passed, accordingly, she had a horse saddled, and, dispensing with attendance, she rode rapidly over to his farm. The house door and half the windows stood open; but no answer came to her repeated summons. She made her way to the rear of the house, to the barn-yard,
fiercer because unmingled with the noise of fifes. Once more now the Germans are gone, and, let us trust, forever; but when I saw them, there seemed little hope of their going. They had a great Biergarten on the top of the wall, and they had set up the altars of their heavy Bacchus in many parts of the city.
I please myself with thinking that, if I walked on such a spring day as this in the arcaded Paduan streets, I should catch glimpses, through the gateways of the palaces, of gardens full of vivid bloom, and of fountains that tinkle there forever. If it were autumn, and I were in the great market-place before the Palazzo della Ragione, I should hear the baskets of amber-hued and honeyed grapes humming with the murmur of multitudinous bees, and making a music as if the wine itself were already singing in their gentle hearts. It is a great field of succulent verdure, that wide old market-place; and fancy loves to browse about among its gay stores of fruits and vegetables, brought thither by the world-old peasant-women, who have been bringing fruits and vegetables to the Paduan market for so many centuries. They sit upon the ground before their great panniers, and knit and doze, and wake up with a drowsy "Comandala?" as you linger to look at their grapes. They have each a pair of scales, - the emblem of Injustice, — and will weigh you out a scant measure of the fruit, if you like.
Their faces are yellow as parchment, and Time has written them so full of wrinkles that there is not room for another line. Doubtless these old parchment visages are palimpsests, and would tell the whole history of Padua if you could get at each successive inscription. Among their primal records there must be some account of the Roman city, as each little contadinella remembered it on market-days; and one might read of the terror of Attila's sack, a little later, with the peasant-maid's personal recollections of the bold Hunnish trooper who ate up the grapes in her basket, and kissed her hard, round red cheeks,- for in that
time she was a blooming girl, — and paid nothing for either privilege. What wild and confused reminiscences on the wrinkled visage we should find thereafter of the fierce republican times, of Ecelino, of the Carraras, of the Venetian rule! And is it not sad to think of systems and peoples all passing away, and these ancient women lasting still, and still selling grapes in front of the Palazzo della Ragione? What a long mortality!
The youngest of their number is a thousand years older than the palace, which was begun in the twelfth century, and which is much the same now as it was when first completed. I know that, if I entered it, I should be sure of finding the great hall of the palace-thẹ vastest hall in the world- dim and dull and dusty and delightful, with nothing in it except at one end Donatello's colossal marble-headed wooden horse of Troy, stared at from the other end by the two dog-faced Egyptian women in basalt placed there by Belzoni.
Late in the drowsy summer afternoons I should have the Court of the University all to myself, and might study unmolested the blazons of the noble youth who have attended the school in different centuries ever since 1200, and have left their escutcheons on the walls to commemorate them. At the foot of the stairway ascending to the schools from the court is the statue of the learned lady who was once a professor in the University, and who, if her likeness belie not her looks, must have given a great charm to student life in other times. At present there are no lady professors at Padua, any more than at Harvard; and during late years the schools have suffered greatly from the interference of the Austrian government, which frequently closed them for months, on account of political demonstrations among the students. But now there is an end of this and many other stupid oppressions; and the time-honored University will doubtless regain its ancient importance. Even in 1864 it had nearly fifteen hundred students, and one met them everywhere under
the arcades, and could not well mistake them, with that blended air of pirate and dandy which these studious young men loved to assume. They were to be seen a good deal on the promenades outside the walls, where the Paduan ladies are driven in their carriages in the afternoon, and where one sees the blood - horses and fine equipages for which Padua is famous. There used once to be races in the Prato della Valle, after the Italian notion of horse-races; but these are now discontinued, and there is nothing to be found there but the statues of scholars and soldiers and statesmen, posted in a circle around the old race- course. If you strolled thither about dusk on such a day as this, you might see the statues unbend a little from their stony rigidity, and in the failing light nod to each other very pleasantly through the trees. And if you stayed in Padua over night, what could be better to-morrow morning than a stroll through the great Botanical Garden, - the oldest botanical garden in the world, the garden which first received in Europe the strange and splendid growths of our hemisphere, garden where Doctor Rappaccini doubtless found the germ of his mortal plant? On the whole, I believe I would rather go this moment to Padua than to Lowell or Lawrence, or even to Worcester; and as to the disadvantage of having seen Padua, I begin to think the whole place has now assumed so fantastic a character in my mind that I am almost as well qualified to write of it as if I had merely dreamed it.
The day that we first visited the city was very rainy, and we spent most of the time in viewing the churches. These, even after the churches of Venice, one finds rich in art and historic interest, and they in no instance fall into the maniacal excesses of the Renaissance to which some of the temples of the latter city abandon themselves. Their architecture forms a sort of border-land between the Byzantine of Venice and the Lombardic of Verona. The superb domes of St. Anthony's emulate those of St. Mark's, and
the porticos of other Paduan churches rest upon the backs of bird-headed lions and leopards that fascinate with their mystery and beauty.
It was the wish to see the attributive Giottos in the Chapter which drew us first to St. Anthony's, and we saw them with the satisfaction naturally attending the contemplation of frescos discovered only since 1858, after having been hidden under plaster and whitewash for many centuries; but we could not believe that Giotto's fame was destined to gain much by their rescue from oblivion. They are in no wise to be compared with this master's frescos in the Chapel of the Annunziata, — which, indeed, is in every way a place of wonder and delight, You reach it by passing through a garden lane bordered with roses, and a taciturn gardener comes out with clinking keys, and lets you into the chapel, where there is nobody but Giotto and Dante, nor seems to have been for ages. Cool it is, and of a pulverous smell, as a sacred place should be; a blessed benching goes round the wall, and you sit down and take unlimited comfort in the frescos. The gardener leaves you alone to the solitude and the silence, in which the talk of the painter and the exile is plain enough. Their contemporaries and yours are cordial in their gay companionship; through the half-open door falls, in a pause of the rain, the same sunshine that they saw lie there; the deathless birds that they heard sing out in the garden trees; it is the fresh sweetness of the grass mown six hundred years ago that breathes through all the lovely garden grounds.
ing and delighting us. We are not only young again, we are immortal. It is this divine sense of superiority to fate which is the supreme good won from travel in historic lands, and from the presence of memorable things, and which no sublimity of natural aspects can bestow. It is this which forms the wide difference between Europe and America, a gulf that it will take a thousand years to bridge.
It is a shame that the immortals should be limited in their pleasures by the fact that they have hired their brougham by the hour; yet we early quit the Chapel of Giotto on this account. We had chosen our driver from among many other drivers of broughams in the vicinity of Pedrocchi's, because he had such an honest look, and was not likely, we thought, to deal unfairly with us.
"But first," said the signor who had selected him, "how much is your brougham an hour?” So and so.
"Show me the tariff of fares." "There is no tariff."
do with art, I here dismiss that subject, and with a gross and idle delight follow the sacristan down under this church to the prison of Santa Giustina.
Of all the faculties of the mind there is none so little fatiguing to exercise as mere wonder; and, for my own sake, I try always to wonder at things without the least critical reservation. I therefore, in the sense of deglutition, bolted this prison at once, though subsequent experiences led me to look with grave indigestion upon the whole idea of prisons, their authenticity, and even their existence.
As far as mere dimensions are concerned, the prison of Santa Giustina was not a hard one to swallow, being only three feet wide by about ten feet in length. In this limited space, Santa Giustina passed five years of the paternal reign of Nero (a virtuous and a long-suffering prince, whom, singularly enough, no historic artist has yet arisen to whitewash), and was then brought out into the larger cell adjoining, to suffer a blessed martyrdom. I am not sure now whether the sacristan said she was dashed to death on the stones, or cut to pieces
"I think not. It is here in this pock- with knives; but whatever the form of et. Get it out."
The tariff appears, and with it the fact that he had demanded just what the boatman of the ballad received in gift, — thrice his fee.
The driver mounted his seat, and served us so faithfully that day in Padua that we took him the next day for Arquà. At the end, when he had received his due, and a handsome mancia besides, he was still unsatisfied, and referred to the tariff in proof that he had been under-paid. On that confronted and defeated, he thanked us very cordially, gave us the number of his brougham, and begged us to ask for him when we came next to Padua and needed a carriage.
From the Chapel of the Annunziata he drove us to the Church of Santa Giustina, where is a very famous and noble picture by Romanino. But as this paper has nothing in the world to
martyrdom, an iron ring in the ceiling was employed in it, as I know from seeing the ring,- -a curiously wellpreserved piece of ironmongery. Within the narrow prison of the saint, and just under the grating, through which the sacristan thrust his candle to illuminate it, was a mountain of candle-drippings, -a monument to the fact that faith still largely exists in this doubting world. My own credulity, not only with regard to this prison, but also touching the coffin of St. Luke, which I saw in the church, had so wrought upon the esteem of the sacristan, that he now took me to a well, into which, he said, had been cast the bones of three thousand Christian martyrs. He lowered a lantern into the well, and assured me that, if I looked through a certain screenwork there, I could see the bones. On experiment I could not see the bones, but this circumstance did

domain: literature


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text:
GABA is a principal neurotransmitter in the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) that contributes to intercellular communication between individual circadian oscillators within the SCN network and the stability and precision of the circadian rhythms. GABA transporters (GAT) regulate the extracellular GABA concentration and modulate GABAA receptor (GABAAR)-mediated currents. GABA transport inhibitors were applied to study how GABAAR mediated currents depend on the expression and function of GAT. Nipecotic acid inhibits GABA transport and induced an inward tonic current in concentration-dependent manner during whole cell patchclamp recordings from SCN neurons. Application of either the selective GABA transporter 1 (GAT1) inhibitors NNC-711 or SKF-89976A, or the GABA transporter 3 (GAT3) inhibitor SNAP-5114, produced only small changes of the baseline current. Coapplication of GAT1 and GAT3 inhibitors induced a significant GABAAR-mediated tonic current that was blocked by gabazine. GAT inhibitors decreased the amplitude and decay time constant and increased the rise time of spontaneous GABAAR-mediated postsynaptic currents. However, inhibition of GAT did not alter the expression of either GAT1 or GAT3 in the hypothalamus. Thus GAT1 and GAT3 functionally complement each other to regulate the extracellular GABA concentration and GABAAR-mediated synaptic and tonic currents in the SCN. Coapplication of SKF-89976A and SNAP-5114 (50 μM each) significantly reduced the circadian period of Per1 expression in the SCN by 1.4 h. Our studies demonstrate that GAT are important regulators of GABAAR-mediated currents and the circadian clock in the SCN. NEW & NOTEWORTHY In the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), the GABA transporters GAT1 and GAT3 are expressed in astrocytes. Inhibition of these GABA transporters increased a tonic GABA current and reduced the circadian period of Per1 expression in SCN neurons. GAT1 and GAT3 showed functional cooperativity: inhibition of one GAT increased the activity but not the expression of the other. Our data demonstrate that GABA transporters are important regulators of GABAA receptor-mediated currents and the circadian clock.
- GABA receptor-mediated currents
- GABA transporter 1
- GABA transporter 3
- Suprachiasmatic nucleus
ASJC Scopus subject areas

domain: biology


To help you get your head around the (sometimes quite confusing) world of AI, we’ve put together a glossary full of clear and simple explanations for some of the key terms around AI technology. We’ll be keeping it updated, so feel free to pop back whenever you’re in need of a little AI understanding.
AI agents are autonomous entities, often software programs but also entire systems (eg: self-driving cars) that act in an intelligent manner (ie: perceive and interact with their environment) to take actions that will achieve specific goals. There are different types of agents, such as simple reflex agents, learning agents, and utility-based agents. Examples of agents include smart vacuums, self-driving cars, personal assistants on your phone or smarthome hub, even computer programs that run on their own without human involvement.
AGI (Artificial General Intelligence)
A hypothetical type of AI that’s equal to or superior to humans, exhibiting self-awareness, consciousness, the ability to adapt to its surroundings, and other uniquely human abilities.
AI (Artificial Intelligence)
A branch of computer science focused on building machines and systems that mimic human intelligence. AI is purpose-built to analyze data, generate content, and make decisions in ways that mirror human processes – ultimately becoming able to manage much larger quantities and different types of data faster and with fewer errors than humans.
A set of instructions used by computers to perform calculations and solve problems. As a subset of machine learning and key part of AI, algorithms are used to replicate tasks humans would normally do, but much faster and with greater power. There are many different types of algorithms, such as linear regression, K-means clustering, support vector machines, and more.
API (Application Programming Interface)
A set of protocols and routines that allow different software applications to communicate with each other and transfer data between themselves. The most commonly used API is REST (or representational state transfer architecture style) sometimes called RESTful APIs. APIs can be used to read, create, update, and delete data.
Catastrophic Interference/Catastrophic Forgetting
A phenomenon when artificial neural networks forget – either in part or completely – what they have learned after they’re trained on a new task or learn new information. As ANNs are given new information, new pathways are formed between the neurons, and sometimes this causes old pathways to be eliminated or broken. This is unlike humans who retain old knowledge even when learning new; we don’t overwrite memories but add to them.
An LLM-based chatbot created by OpenAI that interacts with human users in a conversational way via text commands and questions, called Prompts. GPT stands for general pre-trained transformers, a type of Neural Network model using Transformer Model architecture.
A field of AI that trains computers to understand images, videos, and data from other visual sensors through identification and classification of seen objects. Examples of computer vision include facial recognition, self-driving cars, movement analysis in medicine and sports, and plant identification.
A phenomenon in machine learning where the data changes over time, causing the model to become less accurate or even completely incorrect. Concept drift can be caused by changes in the relationship between input and target variables, learned concepts evolve beyond original bounds, statistical properties change in unforeseen ways. Real life examples would include things like significant changes to laws, drastic shifts in customer behavior or economics such as those during covid, or discoveries that invalidate previous facts such as in science and medicine.
It’s often considered a subset of AI, where practitioners are subject matter experts focused on managing, processing, and interpreting data at scale to drive decisions and extract insights. Complex math and statistics, advanced computer programming, analytics, machine learning, and AI are used by data scientists.
A type of Machine Learning and AI that processes data in ways inspired by the human brain, using artificial Neural Networks to learn and improve their output from raw input.
Explainable AI (XAI)
A type of AI that’s programmed so humans can trust its results and understand how and why the outputs were created. It’s increasingly important as government regulations increase for high-impact uses such as those within medicine, finance, and military.
Using a Pre-Trained model and customizing it to perform specifics tasks or to achieve different behaviors. Fine tuning avoids having to train a new model from scratch, allowing for faster time to value with lower expense and risk. Fine tuning involves adjustments to Neural Network parameters and new data, whereas transfer learning maintains network parameters with new data and new layers.
A large AI model that is trained on large datasets capable of a wide range of tasks and types of output. Foundation models are pre-trained models that are subsequently used and specialized to power applications instead of building a new model from scratch or using an existing model as-is. A foundation model provides a solid starting point for customization.
Generative Adversarial Network (GAN)
A type of AI in which two Neural Networks compete with each other to create new synthetic data that resembles the Training Data. There’s a generator that learns to produce the output, and a discriminator that learns to distinguish between true data and the generator’s output. Examples of GAN include face image generation, 3D object generation, and image-to-image translation (e.g. creating a photograph from a sketch).
Generative AI or Gen AI
A type of AI that produces outputs such as text and images from human inputs, called Prompts. Content is generated by the AI in real-time using specialized AI models.
Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)
Sometimes called a graphics card or video card, a GPU is a specialized computer chip designed to create images and graphics. Unlike a traditional CPU (central processing unit), a GPU excels at parallel processing and performing complex mathematical calculations quickly – which is especially valuable for powering AI.
When an AI provides an incorrect response as if it were correct. These can happen for a number of reasons, including prompts that are deliberately designed to confuse the AI, poor training or low-quality training data, and lack of context in the prompt.
Image Recognition and Object Recognition/Object Detection
These are types of computer vision AI focused on making sense of visual data, such as imagery and videos. They’re trained to detect and classify objects and are the foundations for computer vision services such as facial recognition, tracking objects and people in CCTV systems, and tagging images for search services.
After training, models are put into production and handle live data where they generate an output or make predictions and solve tasks. Inference uses an inference engine that applies logical rules to the model to evaluate and analyze the new information.
A type of AI that modifies an existing image by adding data where it’s missing or modifying existing data within the borders of the original image. Common use cases include selecting a specific object or section of an image and changing it (eg: color, different item) or image restoration (eg: removing water stains on a photograph).
Large Language Model (LLM)
A type of AI that uses deep learning techniques specializing in Natural Language Processing (NLP) tasks. LLMs are often trained on massive datasets at high costs, using both Unsupervised and Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback (RLHF) to train and optimize the model. LLMs power well-known AI services such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Bard.
An applications and software development approach that requires limited development to use, leveraging visual interfaces and model-driven processes. This reduces the need to employ technical specialists with advanced programming and engineering skills to integrate systems and implement software solutions.
Machine Learning (ML)
A subset and type of AI that learns and improves without explicit programming, relying on Algorithms to perform tasks such as finding patterns in historical data, making logical decisions, making predictions, and classifying data.
A type of machine learning popularly known as “learning to learn”, as it focuses on creating models that can apply concepts already learned and apply them to new and different tasks. Meta learning takes outputs from other algorithms and stacks or layers them, allowing the combined predictions to be put to new and better use.
A type of AI that can understand, use, and generate multiple modes of data – such as text, images and audio. Multimodal AI can be more useful than unimodal AI because it more closely mimics human ability and can be more accurate and precise. It also saves the user time and effort as a single tool can handle broad data types, meaning the user doesn’t have to access and rely on different or specialized tools.
Natural Language Processing (NLP)
A type of Machine Learning and subset of AI that gives computers the ability to understand, generate, and manipulate human language, and communicate using human language. An NLP works with both written/typed and spoken language.
A Machine Learning model that’s structured to resemble a human brain and uses powerful, complex Algorithms to make sense of raw data, providing meaningful output that humans may not have calculated or discovered. A Neural Network has an input layer, many hidden layers consisting of nodes/neurons – often called the ‘black box’ – and an output layer.
An applications and software development approach that requires no development to use, leveraging drag-and-drop style interfaces which allow nearly anyone to create and modify applications. Integrations and in-app options are limited relative to low-code and custom code solutions, and therefore ideal for simple, low-maintenance, low-criticality use cases.
A type of AI that extends the original image beyond its borders by creating new content based on the existing image. For example, a closeup image of a person standing on a street could be expanded to include the buildings around her and a sky that was only partially visible.
A numerical value that represents a weight or bias in a Neural Network. An AI model’s Algorithms adjust Parameters as it learns from the input data, and in response to hyperparameters set by the engineers, to minimize output errors and maximize quality and value.
Pre-Training and Pre-Trained Models
The process of training a Machine Learning model on vast datasets so it’s useful across multiple tasks. Pre-trained deep learning models are popular because they’re effective as they are, but can also be fine-tuned for specific requirements and outputs. Examples of Pre-Trained Models (PTM) include OpenAI’s GPT-3 and Google’s BERT.
Usually a typed input in the form of a command or question given to an AI tool such as a Large Language Model (LLM) chatbot. Prompts can have different purposes, including informational for general questions and facts, creativeto generate content that’s creative or made up, or instructional where the content is directions such as a recipe or how-to guide. They can also have different styles such as zero-shot where there’s no context, one-shot where an example is provided or a simple template is used, and few-shot where multiple examples or a more complex template is used.
The practice of designing inputs for Gen AI to produce optimal outputs. Prompt engineering involves creating precise questions or instructions, refining previous Prompts, directing the behavior and outputs with examples, and working through objections or limits with creative inputs.
A multidisciplinary and cross-functional group that is offensive in nature and that mimics adversaries seeking to exploit their AI. The act of “red teaming” provides valuable insights into how well the AI handles actions such as prompt attacks, training data extraction, backdooring the model, data poisoning, and exfiltration. Red teams can also seek to validate if the AI outputs are fair or biased, provide harmful or illegal content, or even perform poorly because of benign personas and novel uses.
Reinforcement Learning (RL)
A Machine Learning (ML) training method that rewards desired outcomes and punishes undesired outcomes, similar to a human learning through trial and error. The agent, or system, that’s learning seeks to maximize rewards while it explores unknown states of its environment, leveraging what it’s learned so far.
Reinforced Learning from Human Feedback (RLHF)
A type of Machine Learning training that uses humans to influence the outputs and correct errors. Humans provide feedback, essentially rewarding positive outcomes and punishing negatives outcomes, leading to improved performance and potentially less bias and increased safety.
A type of text analytics using Natural Language Processing (NLP) to determine whether a particular text is positive, negative, or neutral in tone. Identifying the emotional state is particularly useful for customer support, social media comments, product reviews, and emails.
Data that’s organized using a standardized format with well-defined structure, typically stored in a relational database, and often features rows and columns. Examples include dates and times, addresses, UPC, and stock market ticker price.
A type of Machine Learning that uses labeled data to train its Algorithms to produce specific outputs. Examples include spam filtering for emails, where examples of spam emails are provided and over time the algorithms improve their ability to detect and correctly flag spam emails versus legitimate emails.
Labeled examples used to train machine learning models. Vast quantities of information are fed into the models so it can learn to produce correct outputs on its own. For example, self-driving car systems being fed images and videos of cars and people so it knows what to avoid, or thousands of pictures of different dogs to allow a system to identify dog breeds at a vet clinic.
A deep learning Neural Network architecture that specialized in Natural Language Processing (NLP) through mathematical techniques called attention or self-attention. A Transformer Model learns context and relationships between words and is able to create new text based on what it’s received and processed previously. They use encoder-decoder layers, where the encoder layer converts variable-length input into fixed-length representations, called Tokens, and the decoder layer generates output sequences based on the representations obtained from the encoder.
A method to determine whether a machine can think like a human at such a high level that its performance is indistinguishable from an actual human. It was developed by English scientist Alan Turing in 1950, where humans would ask questions and interact with two agents, a computer and human, and if the computer can perform as well or better than the human, it’s declared the winner. It’s a popular, but often criticized, method of attempting to determine whether a machine is truly intelligent.
Data of various formats that doesn’t follow a specific data model and isn’t stored in relational databases. Examples include image files, videos, text docs, and other rich media.
A type of Machine Learning that uses unlabeled data to train its Algorithms, which analyzes and groups data on its own, without human intervention. Examples include clustering, anomaly detection, associations and hierarchies.


text:
Shanghai FLY International Trade Co., Ltd.
Professional,Creative,Efficient,Shanghai FLY welcome you!
Shanghai FLY International Trade Co., Ltd, established in 2008, is a professional manufacturer and exporter of Inkjet Printing Materials and Display Equipments.
With 10 years' manufacturing experience, now we formed stable quality and professional team. With 2 factories, over 3o sets of production lines, strong R&D team, we have gained high reputation in many areas. Our customers are located in South America, Southeast Asia, India, Europe, Africa, Dubai and many other regions and countries.
Brands: FLY,MAX,GBR,HP Certification

domain: economics


text:
CODE Souvenir Geelong to showcase local makers
Local designers, creatives and producers are invited to submit their products to be considered for the City’s curated business events, tourism, retail and corporate gifts registry – CODE Souvenir Geelong.
CODE Souvenir Geelong is an initiative celebrating the City’s UNESCO City of Design designation that aims to highlight local design talent and boost economic opportunities for the creative sector.
Submissions to the catalogue must include existing, high quality products that have been developed and crafted by makers in the G21 region.
Successful applicants will be provided with a platform, through CODE Souvenir Geelong, to showcase their products to companies, visitors, special guests, dignitaries, and local residents to purchase as keepsakes of the region.
Product categories range from home, living and décor through to products for children as well as food and wine.
City of Greater Geelong Mayor Stephanie Asher said this is a great opportunity to shine a spotlight on the breadth of creative talent that exists right here in Geelong.
“CODE Souvenir Geelong is an exciting initiative to give local makers and producers the chance to put their product forward as an example of the many great things designed here in Geelong,” she said.
“It will not only reaffirm the City of Greater Geelong’s status as Australia’s only designated UNESCO City of Design, but importantly, will provide another avenue to assist creative industries as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. I encourage all local designers, creatives and producers that meet the criteria to get involved.”
CODE is an original concept developed by Raban Ruddigkeit from the Berlin agency ®Ruddigkeit Corporate Ideas. The acronym stands for City of Design and is a concept replicated in Montreal, Canada and Dundee, Scotland – both fellow UNESCO Cities of Design.
Submissions can be made at www.codesouvenirgeelong.com.au until Friday 4 December 2020

domain: news


The Search Continues in Long Island Serial Killer Case
INSIDE EDITION has the latest on the police investigation of the Long Island serial killer.
Dr. Peter Hackett's wife, Barbara, is breaking her silence, speaking out on Good Morning America to say her husband is not the Long Island serial killer and had nothing to do with the disappearance of missing prostitute Shannon Gilbert.
A reporter outside the Hackett home asked Barbara, "Would he ever hurt anyone?"
"No way. He's a great guy. The only thing he's guilty of is being late to dinner. We've never met her. We've never treated her. We don't treat rehab patients here," said Barbara.
Gilbert's mother reportedly claims Dr. Hackett, the former head of the county's emergency medical services, called her saying that he ran a halfway house and that Shannon was there.
Shannon vanished a short time later. Her body has not been found on the stretch of beach outside New York City where the remains of 10 other women have been discovered.
The police say the doctor is cooperating and they don't consider him a suspect, or even a person of interest.
And could another man hold the key to finding the serial killer? He knows what's going on inside the killer's mind because he is a serial killer himself.
Joel Rifkin slaughtered 17 young women in New York City and Long Island before his killing spree came to an end in 1993.
"You think of people as things," said Rifkin in an earlier interview.
Now cops say a new serial killer is following in Rifkin's notorious footsteps. Both preyed on prostitutes on Long Island. Both hid the bodies in secluded areas, in water, if possible, where evidence would be washed away.
"Water is harder to investigate than land because it washes everything," said Rifkin.
One serial killer helping to catch another, just like in The Silence of the Lambs. In the movie, Jodi Foster turns to Hannibal Lecter to track down a demented serial killer.
Rifkin is serving a prison sentence of more than 200 years. Now police are hoping to put the new monster behind bars too before he kills again, as Rifkin says he surely will.
"I don't have any doubts," said Rifkin.
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Cops Called on Couple Who Tried to Have Wedding at $5M Florida Mansion Without Owner's PermissionOffbeat


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I’ve met Joe Palca, a science correspondent at NPR, twice this summer. Both times, he’s mentioned his desire to “make a difference.” His words. In fact, during our most recent conversation, what he said exactly was this: “When I was younger, I had this idea in my head that I wanted to make a difference.”
I’m familiar with the concept. For as long as I can remember, I’ve felt pressured to do something big with my life. The swirling in my stomach provided no other directions, instead thrusting me in a perpetual existential crisis and making me a sucker for vague motivational quotes. Save the world. Change the culture. Make your mark.
But this summer, I’ve realized just how subjective the idea of “making a difference” is. Most days, Joe Palca feels like he has made an impact. But as he admitted to me, he’ll never know how many perspectives he’s shifted — a predicament that he says often keeps him up at night.
How do you measure influence? In some fields, like medicine or science, specialists may choose to quantify the effects of their work in terms of the number of lives they have improved. But in most careers, that estimation isn’t so straightforward. If you write an article that a thousand people read, you can’t say that you’ve changed a thousand minds. And even in the sciences, you can never know objectively how much a single study, drug, or procedure has improved someone’s life.
So how can we ever feel that what we’re doing is enough?
This summer, our DukeEngage cohort visited several museums. Previously, I considered museums to be a superficial medium of education, a necessary curation of materials that someone dubbed important to the human experience on Earth. But our program director urged us time and time again to take a different strategy. He prompted us to question why these specific materials were chosen, as well as what their style of presentation said about the museum’s intentions for visitors.
The purpose of education is never merely the acquisition of knowledge. Learning cannot be divorced from the interactions between the information and the person who receives it. Just as every experience has some impact on you, everything you learn, either directly or indirectly, affects you in some way — emotionally, intellectually, or spiritually. I realized that these museums attempt to educate visitors by tapping into their emotions — their fascination, horror, sorrow, and joy. You cannot influence a person without moving them.
The impact we want can’t be based on numbers alone. Our lives are more than a collection of data points — they overflow with our experiences, emotions, relationships, secrets, doubts, fears, musings, and dreams, all intrinsically and irrevocably entwined with each other. We will never be able to measure our influence because humanity refuses to uncomplicate itself just to help us sleep at night. And so we try, in whatever way we can, to change lives by changing minds, and to change minds by changing hearts.
That sounds like the kind of difference I want to make.

domain: sociology


Wen Lung-hsin is a world-renowned composer, ensemble and orchestra founder, and painter. His rich portfolio encompasses music for ensemble, chorus, symphony orchestra, and concerto, as well as ballet, musicals, and children’s opera performances. His representative pieces include "Phenomena Series," "Digital World," and "Budaixi Fantasy A, B." Nearly half of his compositions have incorporated Hakka and indigenous music elements to present Taiwan's diverse cultures.
Wen started learning to play the violin and piano when he was seven, and at the age of thirteen, he began to study composing music as well as painting. In 1964, he was admitted by the National School of Art, predecessor of the National Taiwan University of Arts, as a violin music performance major. During his academic years, he was mentored by Hsu Tsang-houei (許常惠), a pioneering musician in Taiwan's modern music history. He also joined the Sunflower Music Society formed by composer Chen Mau-liang (陳懋良) to create fresh music with other members.
In his junior year, Wen started engaging in space notation, a score-reading system that utilizes spatial position of tones to represent notes. This system later became one of the composition methods he excels at most. In addition to studying classical music, Wen also took courses on analog circuit and loop circuit design respectively at the National Taiwan University and the National Taipei University of Technology, which paved the way for his creation of electronic music later on.
In 1975, Wen secured the second prize for "Phenomena II" at the International Guadeamus Composer Competition, marking the first time that a composer from Asia won a Guadeamus prize. In 1989, Wen established Taiwan's first academic center on electronic music at Fu Jen Catholic University. Through organizing electronic music workshops for participants to develop and create music, he helped pave the foundation for this particular music genre to blossom in Taiwan.
After relocating to the United States in 1995, Wen was invited by New York University to serve as a resident composer in 1997. Upon retirement, Wen was often commissioned to compose music and perform in music events held across the world. Despite living overseas, Wen always remembers his roots – Taiwan, the place where his inspirations come from. Therefore, he has been dedicated to sharing his experiences and creations to give back to the music community in Taiwan.


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DELRAY BEACH, FL (WFLX) - A Delray Beach lawmaker has filed a bill making it a crime for anyone to misrepresent him or herself as a veteran. The legislation, filed by Representative Maria Sachs, would make misrepresentation of military status a felony.
Prominent at Palm Beach County intersections in recent years are the fatigue-clad solicitors from a group called Veterans Support Organization. The West Palm Beach VA Medical Center says it has received nearly $200,000 from Veterans Support in the past four years.
The charity is legitimate, said Mary Phillips of the VA Medical Center. "I've had a very positive experience with them," she said.
But Richard Van Houten, the head of Veterans Support Organization, admitted Monday, until now, not all of his solicitors wearing fatigues were actually veterans.
Now with the bill in the legislature, Van Houten told us starting this week it will only send out veterans in fatigues.
Vietnam veteran John Hawkes, of West Palm Beach, said he thinks that's a good idea. "You can buy a set a of fatigues and medals anywhere you want," he pointed out.


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Did you get dressed in the dark? A coltish Isabel Lucas dons a clashing ensemble to hike in Hollywood
With several big projects in the works, all eyes are on Isabel Lucas at the moment.
But the leggy Australian actress seemed to have dressed in the dark on Wednesday as she was spotted wearing a bizarre outfit consisting of a floral dress tucked up into a baggy jumper, graphic short leggings and stripy socks.
The clash: Actress Isabel Lucas seemed to have dressed in the dark as she spotted a bizarre ensemble
The beautiful blonde appeared lost in thought however while hiking along Runyon Canyon in Hollywood on her own.
The green-eyed actress is becoming a regular on the popular trail and was spotted walking barefoot along the path with a mystery man earlier in the week.
Taking it in her stride: The Home and Away star is set to make it big in Hollywood
Happy trails: The leggy star whistled to herself as she strode along the hiking path
Isabel, who found fame in her native Australia on the popular TV show Home and Away, is tipped to be on the verge of hitting the big time after director Michael Bay plucked her from down under for his Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.
The aspiring star will soon appear in the action flick Red Dawn alongside Chris Hemsworth and Josh Hutcherson and Terrence Malick's eagerly awaited Knight of Cups with Christian Bale and Natalie Portman.
Single lady: Despite dating a slew of Hollywood hotties, Isabel is currently single
Until recently the 27-year-old star of The Pacific was in a relationship with musician Angus Stone but the pair split up before the summer.
Isabel, who is a vegan and a passionate environmental activist, has also been linked to several Hollywood stars including Jake Gyllenhaal, Jared Leto, Joel Edgerton, Adrian Grenier and the brother of Miley Cyrus' current fiance Chris Hemsworth.
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domain: celebrity


Optical diffraction tomography (ODT) is a tomographic technique that can be used to measure the three-dimensional (3D) refractive index distribution within living cells without the requirement of any marker. In principle, ODT can be regarded as a generalization of optical projection tomography which is equivalent to computerized tomography (CT). Both optical tomographic techniques require projection-phase images of cells measured at multiple angles. However, the reconstruction of the 3D refractive index distribution post-measurement differs for the two techniques. It is known that ODT yields better results than projection tomography, because it takes into account diffraction of the imaging light due to the refractive index structure of the sample. Here, we apply ODT to biological cells in a microfluidic chip which combines optical trapping and microfluidic flow to achieve an optofluidic single-cell rotation. In particular, we address the problem that arises when the trapped cell is not rotating about an axis perpendicular to the imaging plane, but is instead arbitrarily tilted. In this paper we show that the 3D reconstruction can be improved by taking into account such a tilted rotational axis in the reconstruction process.
Paul Müller, Mirjam Schürmann, Chii J. Chan, and Jochen Guck, "Single-cell diffraction tomography with optofluidic rotation about a tilted axis," Proc. SPIE 9548, Optical Trapping and Optical Micromanipulation XII, 95480U (Presented at SPIE Nanoscience + Engineering: August 11, 2015; Published: 25 August 2015); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2191501.
Conference Presentations are recordings of oral presentations given at SPIE conferences and published as part of the proceedings. They include the speaker's narration with video of the slides and animations. Most include full-text papers. Interactive, searchable transcripts and closed captioning are now available for most presentations.
Search our growing collection of more than 29,500 conference presentations, including many plenaries and keynotes.


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A coach can leave West Texas, but West Texas never leaves a coach’s heart. After a 20-year absence, Pecos native Mike Peters has headed toward the setting sun to become head coach and athletic director at 4A Fort Stockton.
“I think West Texas is a special place,” he told the Odessa American. “When you are from there, that kind of never leaves you.”
Peters spent the past 10 years at Saginaw including the last six as head coach. Under his direction, the Rough Riders reached the playoffs in 2012 and 2013, the school’s second and third postseason appearances. Saginaw did not qualify for the playoffs last season, finishing 5-5 and bringing Peters’ overall record to 21-41.
Following stops in Whitney and Boswell before landing at Saginaw, the Angelo State graduate plans to get maximum benefit from his Central Texas and Metroplex experiences in West Texas. However, he knows the cultural differences will also include changes in attitude as well as latitude.
“I’m most looking forward to getting the program going again,” he commented to the American. “We are going to try to bring an exciting style of play that the kids and fans will appreciate.”
Peters replaces Derrick Taylor, who went 21-41 in his five-year tenure with the Panthers. Fort Stockton competes in District 2-4A Division II along with Monahans, Greenwood, Seminole, Sweetwater, Lamesa, and Peters’ hometown of Pecos.
“It’s a tough district,” he remarked to the American. “Looking at that job, that’s something you have to take into consideration. There are good players at every stop.”
Peters continued, “What they’re going to see is us playing with great effort, playing extremely physical and being detail-oriented in everything we do.”


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DESIGNER CATS RAW GOURMET
Manufactured By Raw Gourmet Singapore
AVS LICENCE : FE2100001
Designer Cats Raw Gourmet is a homemade raw diet for cats that has been carefully formulated to provide a delicious and healthy mix of fresh meats, organs, bones and offal. This gourmet mix has been tested and perfected over a decade, and is designed to be the healthiest and safest option for your cat's well-being.
The background story of this creation is equally impressive, as Alfred, the creator of the recipe, battled with chronic sinus and skin allergies before finding a solution for his beloved cats. By feeding them his healthy and complete recipe of raw gourmet, he not only solved his own medical issues but also improved the physical health of his cats. They now shed less fur, produce the least amount of dander, and are much healthier physically.
Feeding Designer Cats Raw Gourmet to your cat has many benefits, such as being the most natural and nutritious feed for your cat, with no artificial flavourings or ingredients. It also improves digestion, reduces stool odour and volume, promotes a healthy soft shiny coat with less shedding and fewer hairballs, increases energy, and supports better dental and urinary health. The recipe is carefully formulated with a ratio of 80% meat, 10% bone, and 10% offal, ensuring that your cat receives all the necessary vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes, and fatty acids for optimal
Better Urinary Health.
A raw diet for cats has a moisture content of about 65% - 70%. This level corresponds to the water-content levels in natural prey such as mice, which range from 50% - 75%. Dry foods lower in moisture and containing excess carbs (such as kibble) will cause alkaline urine which leads to chronic dehydration. Chronic dehydration can result in inflammation of the urinary tract. In nature, cats seldom have these sorts of problems because they get plenty of fluids from their food source.
Cats are obligate carnivores, which means that they need to consume meat. They have a stomach system designed for an animal's diet of meat. Their digestive tract is made up of just one loop, which helps them process their food quickly and effectively in about 12 hours. This process also prevents harmful bacteria from growing inside of them; because of this, cats are naturally immune to food poisoning.
Greatly Reduced Stool Odour and Volume
Cats who eat an extremely high carbohydrate diet can find that their system struggles to break down all the food. This is because most of the ingested food isn't able to be digested properly by the cat's system and so a higher quantity of waste is created when compared to other cats who are fed raw. For this reason, big globby stinky puddles in your cat's litter tray are not normal
Turmeric as a Superfood
Studies have shown that turmeric is an excellent anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, anti-coagulant, and astringent ingredient. It also helps a lot with the cat's liver function (which aids in digestion), bile production (which aids in metabolism), and wound healing.
Raw Gourmet is committed to providing premium cat food made with halal meat and ingredients. Our dedication to quality and ethical sourcing is evident in every aspect of our product. Here's why Raw Gourmet takes pride in offering halal cat food:
1. Halal-Certified: Raw Gourmet's cat food is certified halal, meaning it adheres to Islamic dietary laws and is prepared in a manner that is permissible and pure. This certification ensures that the meat and ingredients used are free from any prohibited substances or processes.
2. Inclusivity: Our primary goal is to cater to all cat owners, including Muslim cat owners, who seek high-quality, halal-certified cat food for their feline companions. We believe that every pet owner should have access to safe and nutritious options for their pets.
3. Quality and Nutrition: Raw Gourmet prioritizes the quality and nutritional value of our cat food. We source only the finest halal meat and ingredients to provide a balanced and healthy diet for cats. Our products are formulated to meet the dietary needs of cats, supporting their overall well-being.
4. Transparency: We are transparent about our sourcing and production processes, giving Muslim cat owners confidence in the halal integrity of our products. We aim to eliminate any doubts or concerns about the raw meat used in our cat food.
5. Ethical and Responsible: Raw Gourmet follows ethical and responsible practices in the production of our halal cat food. We are committed to animal welfare and environmentally sustainable sourcing, aligning with the values of many pet owners.
6. Taste and Enjoyment: We want cats to not only receive nutritious meals but also enjoy them. Our halal cat food is designed to be palatable and appealing to feline tastes, ensuring that cats look forward to mealtime.
7. Health Benefits: Feeding halal-certified cat food can provide peace of mind to Muslim cat owners, knowing that their pets are receiving food that aligns with their religious beliefs and dietary restrictions.
At Raw Gourmet, we are dedicated to offering the best possible nutrition for cats while respecting the cultural and religious preferences of our customers. We take pride in being a trusted provider of halal cat food, allowing all cat owners to provide their pets with a wholesome and balanced diet.
6 delicious and healthy raw gourmet flavours available for your beloved furbabies to try. Order Now by clicking the link below!
Suitable for cats and kittens of all ages. (6 weeks and above)
Minimum spend for free delivery: $210 • Delivery charge $12 for orders below $210 • Delivery from Monday - Wednesday - Friday • Same-day delivery cut-off time: 12pm
Self-collection at Designer Cats Products Boutique from 11am to 7pm daily
Vibes@East Coast, 308 Telok Kurau Road #01-28 Singapore 423858 Tel: 62424216 / 88700666
How To Prepare Designer Cats Raw Gourmet
Cut open Designer Cats Raw Gourmet packet. Each pack is 200g serves 2 - 3 servings.
Remove the appropriate quantity for the serving and balance to be place in the chiller.
Thaw the serving portion in bowl naturally for 10-15 mins. Once the meat is thawed, add 2-3 tablespoons of warm water. Mix well and serve.
Serve raw to your beloved felines! Prepared Raw Gourmet can be left outside for 3-4 hours (there's extra virgin coconut oil in it to preserve the meat's freshness) and your cat will grace through its food throughout this period till fully consumed.
Feed 2 or 3 times daily - Intervals of 6-7 hours between meals. Read the Frequently Asked Questions here.
We are looking for local and international agents for our in-house premium cat products. Contact us now at 6242 4216 / 8870 0666 for any discussion.
- Designer Cats Raw Gourmet
- Designer Cats Fresh Gourmet Kibbles
- Designer Cats Grooming Powder cum Litter-box Deodoriser
- Designer Cats Perfume
- Designer Cats Supplements
Products analysis by an accredited Singapore Food Agency (SFA) testing laboratory.
Raw Gourmet 17 Superfood Ingredients
Designer Cats Raw Gourmet

domain: pet


text:
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A Satisfaction Survey Of High-rise Residential Management In Malaysia: Sustainable Indicators
Free (open access)
643 - 652
A. I. Che-Ani, M. Jamil, M. F. M. Zain, M. F. I. Mohd-Nor & N. Mohd-Tawil
Living in a residential high-rise is now becoming a lifestyle trend among the urban professional community in Malaysia. As opposed to a landed property, in a residential high-rise, residents must set up a Management Corporation (MC) to regulate and manage all the amenities provided by the developer, as stipulated in the Strata Title Act of 1985. To a certain extent, the idea seems to work successfully for a few years after the housing schemes are granted with the final title. However, as time goes by and management becomes more ineffective, a gap grows between the residents and the council members of the MC, which is made up of a select group of residents. This research focuses on the indicators for sustainable facility management. We used residents’ satisfaction levels as the primary measurement criteria used to identify and measure the gap between the residents and the Management Corporation, and we analysed our data using ANOVA and MANOVA. Further analysis is conducted using the Bonferonni test to determine differences among groups of respondents. The findings of this research revealed that there were significant differences in terms of satisfaction between the Management Corporation and the residents, as the Management Corporation reported a higher level of satisfaction compared to the residents in every criterion. Keywords: facility, residential high-rise, satisfaction, sustainable indicators.
facility, residential high-rise, satisfaction, sustainable indicators.


text:
This week, we’re excited to announce that the May/June 2021 “Curiosity” issue is now live in the WD shop, there’s still time to have your From Our Reader’s response selected for publication in the July/August 2021 “Bravery” issue, and more!
Congratulations to the winners of the first annual Writer's Digest Personal Essay Awards!
In this week’s round-up brought to us by ScriptMag.com, read movie reviews from cinephile Tom Stemple. Plus, exclusive interviews with Amazon’s Them creator and showrunner Little Marvin, horror film Jakob’s Wife director Travis Stevens, a history lesson with Dr. Rosanne Welch about trailblazer screenwriter Anita Loos, and much more!
Congratulations to the winners of the 8th Annual Self-Published E-book Awards! Discover the titles that placed in the categories of contemporary fiction, fantasy, memoir, mystery, and more.
Professional screenwriter Greg Russo discusses the joy and challenge of converting a popular video games series into a screenplay and the balance of enticing a new audience while honoring a franchise's fans.

domain: entertainment


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Now anyone with a few bucks can buy an X-Wing model drone. But if you want to show that your woodworking skills are strong with The Force, then build your own. This one is made from carved from a block of maple burl with walnut inlays and would look great in the home of any fan.
You'll need a mini-lathe and the proper carving tools to build this, but the design comes from you. That's the beauty of wood turning. No two designs will be the same. Refer to a picture of the X-wing fighter for inspiration and detail. The video shows how to make and attach the wings.
If you're more the Han Solo type and prefer the venerable Millennium Falcon, then check out this video.
More From Popular Mechanics
Timothy is a lifelong DIY enthusiast who is fixated on smart home tech, beautiful tools, and wrenching on his FJ62 Land Cruiser. He’s the DIY editor at Popular Mechanics and also the founder of the home improvement site, Charles & Hudson, the Webby-nominated family site, Built by Kids, and Tool Crave. When not working, you’ll find him on his board or bike enjoying the LA weather with his family and friends. Follow him on Instagram and Twitter.

domain: hobby


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“To date, there is no room for peace due to the conflict in Ukraine, and the extent of the war also prolongs the humanitarian emergency. Dialogue is not simple, but every path must be explored; this must be Italy’s position: together with Ukraine and the people, without hesitation and committed to seeking peace with all energy. We must at all costs try to make the dialogue win and avoid constant escalation ”. This was stated by Mayor Gian Carlo Muzzarelli in the information on the Ukrainian emergency in the City Council on Thursday, June 9.
According to data from the UNHCR, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), nearly 7 million Ukrainians have crossed borders since February 24, another 8 million have been displaced in the country, and an estimated 15.7 million are in urgent need of protection. Poland has the highest number of Ukrainian refugees (3.5 million); while according to data from the Interior Ministry, 129,623 have reached Italy so far. In Emilia-Romagna, there are over 23,000 registered presence and 13,140 people who have applied for temporary protection (2,202 in Modena and its province).
Nearly 36,000 applications for aid grants nationwide, paid by the government for a maximum of 3 months through post offices. There were 4,112 requests in Emilia-Romagna, of which 666 in Modena and its province. In total, 3,250 Ukrainians have declared their presence in the Modena area at Modena police headquarters or provincial police stations; 50% are minors. Yesterday, about a hundred had not turned up for the receipt of the residence permit (expected in June), which allows for the issuance of tax legislation and job opportunities; the hosts reported that these people either returned to Ukraine or left the province.
In terms of reception in the municipal area, 795 Ukrainians went to the Center for Foreigners, of which 480 minors; 144 people were welcomed in Cass compared to the 267 requests received by the prefecture, while 148 were received by Modena municipality, of which 17 were in progress.
The mayor then stressed “the demanding and continuous work done by leaders and operators of the Social Services Sector since the beginning of the emergency. These days, the offices also manage the direct placement of about twenty people in Cas, and the investigation of family ties Furthermore, we continue to work with family institutions together with Caritas (23 people are welcomed in 10 families), and it is also very important to maintain a constant relationship and cooperation with the Ukrainian community present in the city, as well as with the private solidarity network, which has been activated since March “. Portobello confirms itself as a strategic point for maintaining the city’s hospitality: the families who use the social emporium are 340, that is, about 830 people.
On the school front, the mayor focused on the number of school placements in the past year (89 in total: 24 in kindergarten, 43 in primary school, 14 in middle school, 8 in high school), but above all on the future prospects “because, given the continuing conflict, it is clear that in September we will have Ukrainian students at the beginning of the new school year, from kindergarten to high school.And as several mayors of Italy have said since the beginning of May – he repeated – it is necessary to prepare in time and find the financial, organizational and human resources to make the whole school system work.It is necessary that the government and the region, as far as they are concerned, establish a summer job right now alongside the municipalities and school autonomies in such a way , that they are ready in September “, said Muzzarelli, recalling that the Order for the Evaluation of Ukrainian Students, which was signed on Monday by Minister Bianchi, also contains indications to encourage participation lse in the school year 2022/2023.
27,495 Ukrainian students are already welcome in Italian state and equivalent schools at all levels; 3,207 in 526 different schools in Emilia-Romagna. In the case of students advancing to the next level of education, school leaders must help families identify the destination school with the support of the territorial school offices and in cooperation with local authorities.
The mayor then reminded that from March 14, Modena Municipality has activated two departments to provide information and accompany educational welcome for all age groups. “Unfortunately, it will be a long war, and therefore we must prepare for an equally long period of distress,” he noted.
Meanwhile, again to ensure the best possible welcome and inclusion for Ukrainian minors fleeing the conflict, a path to summer has been defined by opening the network of summer centers for them. The municipality has therefore expanded the possibility of using summer activities for Ukrainian children and young people, mainly with reference to managers registered in the municipal register for the age group 3-13 / 17 years.


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Monday, April 11, 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
The Rise of Confucius and Legends of Abdication in Light of Warring States Period Bamboo Manuscripts
Speaker: Sarah Allan, Burlington Northern Foundation Professor of Asian Studies in honor of Richard M. Dressler at Dartmouth College, chair of the Society for the Study of Early China, and editor of Early China
Sponsored by the Harvard University Fairbanks Center for Chinese Studies
S250, 2nd Floor, CGIS South, 1730, Cambridge Street, Cambridge, MA
More information here.
Subscribers to the New York Review of Books can also read Ian Johnson’s “A Revolutionary Discovery in China” in the April 21 issue, which is a review essay based on Sarah Allan’s book Buried Ideas: Legends of Abdication and Ideal Government in Early Chinese Bamboo-Slip Manuscripts.

domain: library


text:
By NASH NUNNERY
Bill Rayburn is not known for mincing words.
The former University of Mississippi professor-turned-entrepreneur isn’t afraid to share his vision for the financial business or Oxford, his adopted hometown. Rayburn, who co-founded mortgage tech leader FNC and built the company into a banking industry standard before it was sold to CoreLogic for nearly $500 million, believes Oxford can be the next Austin.
For Rayburn, it’s not a pipe dream.
After all, FNC started when Rayburn, Dennis Tosh, Robert Dorsey and John Johnson – all fellow Ole Miss finance professors and consultants – identified a need to manage collateral assets in mortgage transactions. The rest is history – FNC became one of the nation’s premiere mortgage appraisal system companies before its 2016 acquisition by Corelogic.
“Making money is nice but my goal is to make Oxford, Mississippi the next Austin, Texas,” said Rayburn. “Within 20 years, we want to add 10,000 high-tech jobs. Oxford has a great cultural scene, Ole Miss, three tech companies and a large manufacturer in Winchester.
“If we are going to improve our state from being number 50 in everything, you must have a national perspective and aim high.”
Rayburn helped construct FNC on the company’s ability to create integrated mortgage processing for the nation’s largest banks. The challenges were numerous, including the fact that Oxford is off the radar when it comes to traditional technology centers. According to Rayburn, FNC’s advantage was that its investors were from the region, many of them former Ole Miss staff or graduates.
“Mississippi and Oxford were the perfect place for our company,” he said. “The naysayers figured we couldn’t survive in a small Mississippi town but our location was proven to be a blessing.”
Rayburn, a Petal native who ran track and played first-chair French horn in high school, grew up around real estate. His father was a real estate developer and builder in the Pine Belt. Rayburn chose to attend the University of Southern Mississippi, where he earned an undergraduate and a Master in Finance.
The reason wasn’t complicated for the younger Rayburn.
“I applied to several schools but my dad made the choice of USM simple,” said Rayburn, laughing. “He told me ‘I’ll give you a car if you go to Southern’. Made my decision really easy.”
Rayburn’s latest start-up evolved from the sale of FNC.
Mortgage Trade, or MTrade, was launched two years ago with the idea of streamlining the mortgage business into a better process with less manual data entry.
“CoreLogic didn’t want this part of the business, but I did and MTrade was born,” said Rayburn, who serves the burgeoning company as CEO. “Mortgage files are done differently by local banks and that’s a problem since the local banks more than likely are going to sell their mortgages into larger holdings.”
MTrade streamlines the information, saving time and virtually eliminating most manual intervention in the process. Based in Oxford, MTrade also has an office in New York City and boasts 135 employees, with 115 in Mississippi.
Still an avid runner, Rayburn says he’s driven to make a difference by creating jobs in Mississippi.
“We want to create new markets and new things,” he said. “I want to play on a national stage and that’s what I want for Mississippi.
“That’s how I give back.”
BEFORE YOU GO…
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IPSWICH/BELSTEAD: The row over proposals to build huge new wind turbines to the south of the town has taken a new turn.
The company promoting the bid has now said two turbines should be built – one on borough council-owned land at Thorington Hall and the other on privately-owned land on the other side of rail line at Pannington Hall Farm.
Partnerships for Renewables (PfR) has published a new newsletter that it is distributing to local residents outlining its proposals for the site.
It now expects to submit a planning application for the two turbines to Babergh Council in the spring.
If the application is successful it would expect a two-turbine site to be up an running within about 15 months – by which time the turbines would be generating electricity into the National Grid.
PfR says if the turbines are developed, it will contribute £12,500 a year to local communities over their lifetime – expected to be about 25 years.
However the move has not eased the fears of a growing number of protesters who are concerned by the impact of two huge turbines on the local environment.
The main concerns are the noise that would come from the turbines and the flicker effect they could have on properties in a wide area.
Some people are also concerned about their appearance, feeling that huge turbines are out of place in the countryside near the town.
Jenny Mills is one of the leaders of the pressure group Stop Ipswich Turbines.
She said: “One of the key issues we have is that PfR are happy to talk to us, but it doesn’t seem to achieve much for us.
“What is worrying is that the planning rules still seem to have a presumption in favour of wind turbines – if the noise they make is within the limits set by the government there is an assumption that they should be approved.”
There have been arguments that the noise of the turbines would not be as great as that from the nearby A14.
However Mrs Mills said it was the time and regularity of the noise that was the main concern: “People might not notice the noise from them during the day, when they are mowing the lawn or hearing other background noise.
“But if the noise of the turbines continues all through the night it could be a serious disturbance for people living nearby.”
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on User Funding


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Gastrointestinal (GI) illnesses are a frequent reason for using medical cannabis. These conditions include gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), two inflammatory bowel diseases — Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis — and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
The gut has two main functions, namely digestion of food and host defense, protecting us from foreign invaders like bacteria and viruses. The endocannabinoid system, which is widely distributed throughout the gastrointestinal system, is a key player in keeping these two important functions regulated. It is found in the gut’s nerves and in the cells of the immune system, working to maintain homeostasis of gastric motility (the muscular contractions that work to move food through the bowel), intestinal pain signaling, intestinal inflammation, and maintenance of the barrier of the gut lining.
The nerves in the gut are called the enteric nervous system, sometimes called the “second brain.” Cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2) are found throughout these nerves. All disorders of the gut are thought to involve the enteric nervous system, making these receptors an attractive target for treatment when illness is present. Scientists have found that the number of cannabinoid receptors can increase (upregulate) in certain intestinal illnesses, indicating that the endocannabinoid system is mounting a response to try to restore balance.
In addition to cannabinoid receptors, other receptors, such as PPARs, GPR55, and TRPV1, are found throughout the gut and are involved in intestinal inflammation and pain. Since cannabinoids, such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), interact with these receptors, CB1 and CB2 are also therapeutic targets for treatment by anyone using cannabis medicine for gastrointestinal disorders.
Almost 80 percent of your immune system resides in the gut. The endocannabinoid system, including the CB2 receptors, is also present in these immune cells, ready to go into action to decrease inflammation when needed. However, if your endocannabinoid system is not working properly, it may not be able to mount the appropriate response to these triggers, leading to chronic intestinal symptoms.
Interestingly, people who have a mutation in the gene coding for one of the endocannabinoid system components are more likely to have IBS and chronic abdominal pain – evidence that endocannabinoid dysfunction may be one of the root causes of gut disorders.
GERD is very common, affecting 20 percent of all adults. GERD occurs when the stomach contents flow backward into the esophagus, causing symptoms of heartburn, chest pain, difficulty swallowing, and/or a sensation of a lump in the throat. GERD is often treated with medications; however, there are reports of possible increased risk of dementia and cancer from these drugs. Other interventions include altering the diet, remaining upright after meals, losing weight, and stopping tobacco use.
Animal studies have shown that cannabinoid stimulation of the CB1 receptor inhibited acid secretion and decreased damage and inflammation in the lining of the stomach. Preclinical research also showed that cannabinoid activation of the CB1 receptor kept the lower esophageal sphincter (the “gate” between the esophagus and stomach that works to keep stomach contents from flowing back into the esophagus) from relaxing, thereby decreasing reflux. In one human study, synthetic THC given to healthy volunteers was shown to decrease the reflux rate (although there were issues in the study since the dose was very high and caused side effects). It is clear that more research is needed to understand the role of cannabis in the treatment of GERD.
Clinically, some medical cannabis patients with GERD report benefits, although some do not. (As with all conditions, it is unclear as to exactly why some patients respond to cannabis and others do not.) Anecdotal reports from positive responders state they have fewer episodes of heartburn, and if they have an episode, taking cannabis decreases their discomfort.
Most patients finding benefits are including some THC in their cannabis regimen, as this seems to be the cannabinoid most helpful for GERD, at least anecdotally. Some patients report a low-ratio CBD:THC product (such as 1:1, 2:1, or 4:1) helps decrease GERD symptoms with less intoxicating effects compared to THC-dominant products. Two aromatic cannabis terpenes, limonene, and terpinolene, may also be beneficial for GERD symptoms.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease
IBD is a general term that refers to chronic inflammation of the bowel. The two main IBD conditions are Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. The Centers for Disease Control reports approximately three million adults were diagnosed with IBD in 2015, up from two million diagnosed in 1999. The exact cause of IBD is unknown, but recent scientific investigation reports the changes in the gut are due to “uncontrolled activation of intestinal immune cells in a genetically susceptible host.” Remember that immune cells are regulated by the endocannabinoid system, suggesting that endocannabinoid dysfunction may be a root cause of IBD and may serve as a therapeutic target.
Crohn’s disease can affect any part of the gut but most commonly the small intestine, causing inflammation, ulcers, pain, bleeding, diarrhea, and weight loss. Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory condition affecting the large intestine, causing symptoms similar to Crohn’s. Both conditions are associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer. According to a recent article, “current therapeutic options are insufficient for a successful treatment leading to a high rate of disability and intestinal surgery in IBD patients.”
Activation of the CB1 and CB2 receptors in animal models of colitis reduces inflammation. In a review of 51 scientific studies on cannabinoid treatment of colitis (only two were in humans), twenty-four different compounds, including synthetic cannabinoids as well as THC, CBD, and CBG, were found to be effective in reducing the severity of colitis.
Studies done in a number of different countries show about 10 to 12 percent of people with IBD are using cannabis to treat their symptoms. Studies in humans are limited but promising:
- A 2012 study investigating 11 patients with long-standing Crohn’s disease and 2 patients with ulcerative colitis reported that after 3 months of treatment, patients reported improvement in general health perception, social functioning, ability to work, physical pain, and depression. There was a statistically significant weight gain and increase in body mass index.
- A 2011 survey of 30 Crohn’s patients in Israel revealed 21 improved significantly with cannabis, finding less need for other medication and reduced need for surgery.
- A 2013 survey of 292 patients receiving care for IBD revealed approximately half reported either past or current use of cannabis. Of those, 32 percent reported medical use for abdominal pain, poor appetite, nausea, and diarrhea. Most reported that cannabis either completely relieved or was very helpful for symptoms. In this study, current users noted significant improvement in abdominal pain, poor appetite, nausea, and diarrhea.
- In a 2013 study of 21 patients with Crohn’s disease who did not respond to conventional treatments, inhaled THC or inhaled placebo was given over 8 weeks. Complete remission was achieved in 45 percent of the cannabis group and 10 percent of the placebo group; 90 percent of the cannabis group had lower severity scores versus 40 percent of the placebo group. Three patients using cannabis were able to wean off steroids. The cannabis patients reported better sleep and appetite with no significant side effects. Interestingly, all patients who achieved remission relapsed within two weeks of discontinuing the cannabis treatment.
- In 2019, two reports were published that reviewed hospital records through the National Inpatient Sample database, allowing researchers access to thousands of medical records. The first report looked at 615 hospitalized Crohn’s disease patients who used cannabis (legally or not) and compared them to Crohn’s patients who did not use cannabis. Cannabis users were found to have:
- Less stricturing disease (scarring built up secondary to chronic intestinal inflammation)
- Fewer bowel obstructions
- Fewer fistulas and abscesses
- Shorter hospital stays
- Fewer blood transfusions
- Less colectomy surgery (removal of the colon)
- Reduced IV nutrition requirements
- The second report, using the same database of medical records, included 6,002 patients with Crohn’s disease (2,999 cannabis users and 3,003 nonusers) and 1,481 patients with ulcerative colitis (742 cannabis users and 739 nonusers). This review found:
- Crohn’s patients using cannabis had statistically significant lower incidence of cancer, less need for IV nutrition, less anemia, and shorter hospital stays with lower hospitalization costs; however, this report found an increase in fistula/abscess, GI bleeding, and hypovolemia (a decrease in circulating blood in the vessels).
- Ulcerative colitis patients using cannabis have statistically significant lower frequency of postoperative infections and shorter hospital stays with lower hospitalization costs; however, fluid/electrolyte imbalance and hypovolemia were increased.
These reports stated that “recreational” cannabis was used. There was no mention of the type of cannabinoids used (THC, CBD, or other), nor was delivery method (smoking, edibles, etc.) or duration of use reported. Both significant benefits and risks were found, warranting further human clinical trials.
I have evaluated many patients with gastrointestinal disorders who have had successful results with cannabis treatment. Almost all patients with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis who have been seen in my office have exhausted conventional options prior to seeking cannabis treatment, finding that they either were nonresponders or experienced intolerable side effects. Similar to the findings already mentioned, my patients report that their symptoms, including nausea, poor appetite, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and bloating, respond to cannabis treatment.
Many patients prefer to inhale THC since the onset of relief is immediate. Patients who are reluctant to use THC-rich cannabis can use lower CBD:THC ratios, such as 1:1 or 4:1, with similar benefits but less chance of intoxication. THCA (the unheated, nonintoxicating version of THC ) was found to be the main phytocannabinoid helping to regulate intestinal inflammation. With the increased availability of tinctures containing THCA, and CBDA as well, patients are finding that daily use of these raw cannabinoids, sometimes combined with CBD, is effective for anti-inflammatory effects, helping to prevent flare-ups.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
As the most common diagnosis made by gastroenterologists, IBS affects thirty-five million people in the US alone. IBS is characterized by episodes of abdominal pain, bloating, excessive gas, and altered bowel habits (constipation, diarrhea, or mixed type). No clear cause of IBS has been identified, although endocannabinoid deficiency is suspected. There usually are no abnormalities on blood tests or an endoscopy, making IBS a diagnosis based solely on the patient’s history and symptoms, after ruling out other causes. IBS sufferers often struggle with other conditions, such as fibromyalgia, migraine headaches, temporomandibular joint disorders, chronic fatigue, gastroesophageal reflux, anxiety/depression, or chronic pelvic pain. Chronic stress has been linked to both the development and/or the exacerbation of IBS and should also be a focus of treatment.
There are three published human studies of cannabis use for IBS, all employing synthetic THC as the study drug. Not surprisingly, one study reported all participants to have had side effects and no benefits; the study dose of 10 milligrams THC was clearly too much for the non-cannabis users who participated. The second study used lower doses, 2.5 milligrams or 5 milligrams of synthetic THC compared to placebo, and found participants with IBS diarrhea or IBS mixed type had a reduction in colonic motility, meaning THC slowed down how fast food moved through the gut. And the third study involved giving low-dose dronabinol (pharmaceutical THC) for two days and had no effect on IBS diarrhea. As mentioned before, findings from studies using single synthetic cannabinoid compounds are difficult to translate to outcomes in patients using whole-plant preparations.
Clinically, many medical cannabis patients with IBS report benefits, most stating simply that “it helps calm the gut.” Some patients report substantial efficacy from low doses of THC taken in the evenings or just as needed when their gut is acting up. Others report using CBD preparations on a daily basis to control their symptoms. Additionally, some patients have reported that either THCA or CBDA, or both in combination, has helped with IBS, often with the patient achieving improvements in symptoms with low doses. Proper diet, regular exercise, and stress management support the endocannabinoid system, and in cases of IBS, patients find these additional interventions to be quite effective when combined with cannabinoid therapy.
It is important for patients with gut disorders to understand that long-standing inflammation will take time to respond to cannabinoid treatment. It may take eight to twelve weeks to experience significant benefits, although many report symptom reduction in the first few weeks. Edibles may cause further GI upset, so you should always read product labels to be sure you are not eating an ingredient that is a trigger for your symptoms. Terpenoids that have been found to specifically help the gut include terpinolene, beta-caryophyllene, limonene, and pinene.
This excerpt continues with a personal story of a young Crohn’s patient who benefited from a doctor-supervised medical cannabis regimen. Read more.
Excerpted from Cannabis Is Medicine: How Medical Cannabis and CBD Are Healing Everything from Anxiety to Chronic Pain by Dr. Bonni Goldstein. © Copyright 2020. Available from Little, Brown Spark, an imprint of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
Dr. Bonni Goldstein, a Los Angeles-based physician, is the author of Cannabis Is Medicine and the medical director of Canna-Centers, which offers educational seminars and webinars on cannabis therapeutics. © Copyright, Project CBD. May not be reprinted without permission.
For the first time in years, he feels optimistic about his future.
Ohio researchers found Crohn’s Disease symptoms were lower in patients using cannabis.
A deep science foray into LSD’s impact on the endocannabinoid system and the microbiome.

domain: medical


The Clark County Health Department (CCHD) and their local partners are working tremendously hard to protect the county and our community members.
We are confirming that since Tuesday, April 13, the last nine positive COVID-19 cases have been in close contact with one another. This emphasizes the rate at which this virus can spread and the importance of taking measures to protect yourself through social distancing, good hand hygiene, and limited face-to-face contact with others.
The CCHD understands that the public may have questions regarding this new information. The staff at the CCHD are focusing their efforts on closely monitoring the positive cases and their close contacts.
As more tests become available, the number of confirmed cases are likely to increase. Testing is the key to identifying the impact of COVID-19 in Clark County. The safest way to help stop the spread of COVID-19 is to treat it as though it is everywhere and to follow the Safer at Home Order.
At this time, the CCHD would like to direct the public to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) website, for information regarding county-specific and state investigation details: https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/outbreaks/index.htm. This link includes public data related to positive case counts, deaths, county-level details, hospital capabilities, and more.
Please consider the following information while viewing the DHS mapped cases by county and census tract data: https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/covid-19/cases-map.htm.
Mapped data from DHS is assembled, updated, and shared at the state-level.
Mapped data does not show areas with less than five positive cases. Census tracts (areas) with 0-4 positive cases are in white, making it seem like these areas have no positive cases; when in fact, there are confirmed cases in other areas of Clark County.
If you have questions or concerns regarding COVID-19, please call the CCHD at 715-743-5105 and select 9 for the COVID-19 line or call 2-1-1.