When it comes to data security, it is a widely accepted fact that humans are the weakest link. Unlike computers, which do what they are programmed to do, and nothing more, humans are careless, curious, accident prone, gullible, and in some cases, mischievous.
To be fair, in most cases the reason why our employees click on malicious links or share sensitive data with unauthorized parties is because we failed to provide them with an intuitive data security framework to follow.
Even when we provide security awareness training, it usually delivered once in a blue moon – often via a PowerPoint presentation that would put most people to sleep. Creating a culture of security is not something that will happen quickly or organically.
We must persist in creating the right conditions in order for it to flourish. And what are those conditions? Firstly, it needs to deliberate, in the sense that creating the culture itself requires formalized policies that ensure that regular training and security-related activities are adhered to.
Secondly, it must be disruptive in the sense that security best practices cannot be easily ignored or forgotten about. Thirdly, creating a security culture should be fun, engaging, and rewarding. A data security program that is fun, engaging and rewarding you say?
Yes, I know, that’s a lot to ask of your security team, but it is possible. Anyway, let’s take a closer look at some of the core challenges we must overcome to create a culture of security.
1. Instill the Notion that Security is Everyone’s Responsibility
Many people still have this idea in their heads that data security is the sole responsibility of the IT department. However, given that employees are generally considered to be the weakest link, this is clearly not the case. In fact, in today’s technological paradigm of distributed multi-cloud and hybrid IT environments, it would be simply impossible for even the most experienced IT security professionals to effectively keep their data secure without the cooperation of all members of staff, including C-level employees and executives. This must be made clear to everyone, and all security policies must be designed with this notion in mind. We must also do what we can to eliminate the “us versus them” mentality, which requires uniting people under a common goal.
2. Develop a Comprehensive Security Awareness Training Program
This is the most obvious part of creating a security culture. All employees and relevant stakeholders must be given clear, concise and comprehensive security awareness training. Record and upload the training sessions as well so that employees can watch the video at a later date if they need to refresh their memory on a given subject.
For the sake of context, provide real-life examples of data breaches, including information about the causes and consequences of the examples provided. As mentioned previously, the training should be fun and engaging – something that I will cover in more detail later in this article. A common technique that is used to ensure that security is always at the forefront of employee’s minds is to put up relevant posters, which might include cartoons, catchy phrases and acronyms, in areas that are visible to all members of staff.
In addition to educating regular employees, all software developers and testers must be trained extensively on application security best practices. Remember, security awareness training is an ongoing activity.
3. Make Sure That You Have a Secure Development Lifecycle (SDL)
An SDL referrers to the processes and practices that need to be performed before rolling out any software or system releases, and includes threat modeling, security testing and other relevant activities. Many organizations base their SDL on the Microsoft SDL, which you can find here.
4. Reward Success More Than You Punish Failure
In order to maintain the enthusiasm of your employees, look for opportunities to celebrate their success. At the end of every training session, thank your employees for their participation. Consider offering them a reward of some sort – even if it’s just a piece of cake. You may even want to consider offering them a cash bonus – at least until you are satisfied that your core objectives have been achieved.
Do what you can to turn security awareness into competition. If you’re carrying out mock phishing attacks, be sure to reward those who were able to identify the phishing emails in a timely manner. While it is important to raise awareness to those who failed the test (assuming anyone did), try to keep the criticisms as constructive as possible. It’s important to bare in mind that we all have our off-days.
Given the shortage of cyber security professionals, it makes sense to provide opportunities to those who show an interest in data security. Perhaps offer them additional training and encourage them to consider moving into a data security role within your organization. If you haven’t already developed a suitable training course for them to participate in, consider enrolling them on a training course provided by a third-party. Sure, it all costs money, but it will likely pay-off it in the long run.
5. Make Security Fun and Engaging
Let’s face it, data security a dry subject. In order to ensure that employees are willing to show interest and actively participate in your data security program, subjecting them to lengthy and tedious presentations is perhaps not the best way of achieving your goals. Of course, making security fun and engaging is not an easy task.
You will need to think carefully about who should be appointed to carry out the training sessions. The appointed member of staff should be someone who is extroverted and likes to crack jokes. Give them permission to goof around deliver a training session that is fast-paced and energetic.
Try to ensure that the training sessions are interactive and relevant, and include games and quizzes to ensure that the participants are paying attention. As mentioned previously, organizations may choose to put up posters that remind employees of security best practices.
A quick Google and you will find hundreds of data security memes, with mildly humorous pictures and captions such as “Yeah, if we could just stop clicking on phishing emails, that’d be great!”, or “Passwords are like underwear, they shouldn’t stick to the wall!”. Granted, they’re not exactly rib-ticklers, but as long as they stick in people’s minds, that’s all that matters.


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Making its debut next month at the ADAC RallyE Deutschland, ninth round of this year’s FIA World Rally Championship, will be Toyota’s new GT86 CS-R3 rally car. Making a return to their rallying roots, this competitive version of the award winning GT86 was engineered by TMG, and features rear-wheel drive performance echoing that of the Celica TA64 Twin-cam Turbo of the 1980s.
Amplifying on their “fun to drive, again” theme, although this prototype CS-R3 is breaking ground at the high profile WRC Event as the official “pathfinder” zero car, the finished car will be available as a cost effective competition model for private customers to use at any competitive level.
Isolde Holderied, double women’s world rally champion will be driving the GT86 CS-R3 rally car and will be evaluating its performance so any necessary design changes can be made prior to homologation to international R3 competition criteria.
Engineering by Toyota Motorsport (TMG)
Focussed in reducing weight, ensuring safety, reliability and fun - the CS-R3 benefits from a sequential shift six-speed transmission and a limited-slip rear differential, together with a weight-optimised safety cage, all designed to FIA requirements.
TMG has also sourced tailor-made wiring looms and motorsport engine ECUs, and market-leading Tarmac and gravel suspension kits have been developed.
It’s expected that the first customer’s cars will be available in kit form early 2015.

domain: news


Recaps of Thursday night’s games involving non-Canadian teams, plus the latest on Marian Hossa, Antti Niemi, Vladimir Tarasenko and Brian Burke.
BOSTON GLOBE/TAMPA TRIBUNE: Nathan Horton scored twice and Brad Marchand potted the winner as the Boston Bruins skated to a 4-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Teddy Purcell collected two assists and Steven Stamkos also scored for the Lightning.
COLUMBUS DISPATCH/DETROIT NEWS: Three unanswered goals by RJ Umberger, Derek Dorsett and Vinny Prospal rallied the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 3-2 victory over the slumping Detroit Red Wings. It was the fifth straight loss for the Wings, who’d taken an early 2-0 lead but failed to hold off the Jackets. Blue Jackets forward Artem Anisimov was stretchered from the game and taken to hospital for precautionary reasons after colliding with Wings defenseman Kyle Quincey, who also left the game with a left ankle sprain.
MIAMI HERALD/PHILLY.COM: Jonathan Huberdeau and Peter Mueller each scored twice as the Florida Panthers snapped a five-game winless skid by beating the Philadelphia Flyers 5-2. The Flyers received more bad news Thursday, as winger Matt Read will miss six weeks with a muscle tear in his ribs, believed to have occurred during the Flyers 6-5 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday.
NORTHJERSEY.COM/WASHINGTON POST: Five consecutive penalties by the Capitals in less than 8 minutes in the third period paved the way for a 3-2 New Jersey Devils victory. Ilya Kovalchuk scored the game-winner on a power-play midway through the third.
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: Blackhawks winger Marian Hossa has returned to practice and could play on Friday as his club takes on the San Jose Sharks. Hossa was injured Tuesday after receiving an elbow to the back of the head by Vancouver Canucks forward Jannik Hansen, raising concerns Hossa may have suffered another concussion. Hansen received a one-game suspension for the incident.
CSNBAYAREA.COM: Goaltender Antti Niemi has been the steadiest player on the inconsistent San Jose Sharks this season.
ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: The Anaheim Ducks have announced the hiring of ex-GM Brian Burke as a pro scout.


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EUGENE, Ore. -- Sabrina Ionescu was at her best again, and there wasn’t much Kansas State could do to stop her and Oregon.
Ionescu had 21 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists for her 21st career triple-double, and the third-ranked Ducks shot 50 percent from the field in a 89-51 win over the Wildcats on Saturday.
“I just thought we played well in a lot of different phases,” Oregon coach Kelly Graves said, terming it “the best win” of the season for the Ducks. “Really just across the board we had a lot of players play well.”
Ionescu extended her NCAA record for triple-doubles before being pulled late in the third quarter. Erin Boley added 18 points for the Ducks (10-1) and Satou Sabally, back after missing the previous game due to a mild injury, scored 14 points.
Most of what the Ducks do revolves around their all-American point guard, and Ionescu added three steals defensively and shot eight of 13 from the field in recording her second triple-double of the week and third of the season.
“I think you’re seeing her, she is feeling better,” Graves said, alluding to a couple of minor injuries impacting her play earlier in the season. “I just think she’s playing better. The fact that she’s got some depth (to limit her minutes) is really helping.”
Peyton Williams had 20 points to lead the Wildcats (5-5), and Ayoka Lee added 14 points and 10 rebounds. Kansas State shot only 31% from the field in losing its third game of the season to a ranked opponent.
“They’re the best offensive team in the country and they’ve got the best player running it so that’s a pretty good combination,” Kansas State coach Jeff Mittie said. “When you have Ionescu reading the plays and reading how you’re defending, over time she picks you apart. As the game progresed, she kept getting better and better. They’re tough to defend.”
After an opening quarter in which both teams struggled offensively, Williams scored Kansas State’s first eight points of the second quarter to give the Wildcats their first lead at 18-16.
Oregon immediately regained the lead on Boley’s 3-pointer and a KSU turnover set up Minyon Moore’s 3-point play and a 22-18 advantage. That also started an 18-2 run by the Ducks, including another pair of 3-pointers from Boley, who had 16 points with four 3s as Oregon led 38-27 at halftime.
“That stretch where Boley got loose opened things up,” Mittie said. “We had done a nice job of getting to her (defensively) and all of sudden she goes for 8 in about a minute and half.
Williams fought to keep the Wildcats in it, scoring 13 points in that second quarter and 15 by halftime but the Wildcats shot only 32% overall including one of five on 3s in the opening half.
KSU was still within nine when the Ducks scored 11 consecutive points, including six by Ionescu, who assisted on another basket during the third-quarter run.
The Oregon lead was 69-41 after three quarters before the Ducks went with reserves in the fourth quarter.
“When we’ve had leads, that third quarter has been kind of weak quarter for us,” Graves said. “We came out and made a statement” in outscoring the Wildcats 31-14 in the third quarter.
Kansas State: The previous four losses for the Wildcats had been by single digits, who hadn’t played a team ranked in the top 5 on the road since 2015.
Oregon: The Ducks won their six non-conference home games by an average of 42.5 points, the closest of them by 36 points.
Ruthy Hebard, Oregon’s leading scorer with an average of 18.0 points entering the game, was held to 7 points by the Wildcats. Hebard entered the game second in the nation with a shooting percentage of 70.7 but made only two of five field goals.
BATTLE OF THE BOARDS
The Wildcats had averaged 47.6 rebounds per game, but the Ducks outrebounded Kansas State by a 44-36 margin. Both coaches listed that as a key to the outcome.
“We’ve rebounded well but I thought they were excellent at checking us off the glass,” Mittie said.
Kansas State completes is nonconference schedule next Saturday with a home game against Texas-Rio Grande Valley. The Wildcats then begin their Big 12 schedule with a home game against West Virginia on Jan. 5.
Oregon has only an exhibition game next Saturday against Corban, an NAIA school, before Pac-12 play begins at home against Colorado on Jan. 3.
Wheeler, Howard share lofty goals at Kentucky
Newcomer Sahvir Wheeler, veteran Rhyne Howard are both looking for big seasons from their respective UK basketball programs.
Sources: Southern Miss to join Sun Belt Conference as early as 2023
Southern Miss will join the Sun Belt Conference, which could soon add more members, sources tell ESPN.
Louisville Cardinals agree to contract extension with women's basketball coach Jeff Walz
Sixth-ranked Louisville and women's basketball coach Jeff Walz have agreed to a contract extension through 2028.


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Nintendo spent a big chunk of the past day explaining to everyone why its new mobile console hybrid, the Switch, is going to be great. Apparently investors haven’t quite gotten the message, because the company’s stock price has had a hard time keeping itself level. As of this writing, Nintendo’s stock on Japan’s Tokyo Stock Exchange is down almost 6%, or about 1,450 yen.
Nintendo’s hotly anticipate Switch reveal event took place on Friday morning in Japan, which was late Thursday night for us here in the United States. The company showcased its new console along with a handful of games from both third party developers and first party teams, but much of the presentation was met with a lukewarm reaction from fans.
Perhaps the biggest star of the show, a previously unannounced 3D open world Mario title called Super Mario Odyssey, looked pretty impressive, but then came the unfortunate news that the game wouldn’t actually be ready for the Switch’s March 3rd launch. Instead, the title is slated for “Holiday 2017,” which is not only very vague, but somewhere in the neighborhood of eight to nine months after the Switch will already be on store shelves.
Other titles, like Splatoon 2 and the odd motion-control fighting game Arms also got some stage time, but judging from the reactions of viewers on Twitch as well as Twitter commentary, the presentation didn’t get very many people hyped for the console’s debut. That general feeling of “meh” seems to have carried over to the investor community as well, which has lately been extremely bullish on Nintendo after a pair of mobile successes in Pokemon Go (which they are only tangentially involved with) and Super Mario Run. The company is still up almost 10,000 yen from its most recent low point in July of 2016, but we’ll have to see how the Switch launch goes before we can predict whether Nintendo will continue to trend up or return to mediocrity.


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Crystal pictures are used in many forms of art and design. Most people use crystal to create beautiful pieces of artwork, such as photo frames, jewelry boxes, picture frames, clocks, or even watches. Crystal has always been a favorite of artists as it is very durable, it is resistant to temperature, it is easy to clean, and it does not lose its luster over time.
The word “crystal” is a combination of two Greek words, “kryos” meaning “clear,” and “dikos” meaning “craft.” This is the reason why crystal looks so clear, since it is made from crystals that have been carefully cut to perfection. If you see a piece of crystal art with obvious flaws, the flaws are usually an imperfection in the way the crystal was cut. These imperfections allow light to shine through the crystal, allowing it to sparkle.
One thing you need to know about crystal pictures is that they come in all different shapes, sizes, and designs. They can be very elegant and intricate designs that resemble real gemstones, or they can be simple and elegant crystal pieces that look more like regular pictures. Any picture frame you purchase should be made of a material that can withstand everyday use, since it will be around your family for a long time to come.
There are a few things to remember when it comes to these pictures. First, do not allow any dust to collect on the pictures. Dust can cause a lot of damage to the crystal and make it look less appealing. If dusting is not allowed to happen, you may have to use special tools to get the pictures clean without damaging the crystal itself.
When you get ready to hang the crystal picture, make sure it is the right size. Do not make the picture too small, or it will make the picture look bad. On the other hand, make sure it is not too large. A picture that is too large will make it appear bulky or small. In order to determine the size of the crystal, you will have to take the picture to a jeweler and have them size it. Be sure that you measure the crystal before you buy it because if you buy the wrong size, it will not fit in the frame and you will end up regretting your purchase.
Another thing to keep in mind when choosing the right color for the crystal picture is the overall theme of the room. You will want a color that matches the overall color scheme of the room. If you are decorating a modern house, you may want to go with blue or green, but if you are decorating a traditional Victorian style house, you might want to stick with white.

domain: design


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Teacher Helps Students Heal Through Theater Arts
By Pam WigleyMedia Inquiries
- College of Fine Arts
There are likely few teachers who have witnessed how the arts can help to heal wounds that little else can. One of those teachers, Melody Herzfeld, saw firsthand how tragedy can be overcome through the healing power of the arts.
Herzfeld is the fourth winner of the Excellence In Theatre Education Award (EITEA), accepting her honor at Radio City Music Hall in June 2018. She is the theater teacher at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. To many, the name of the school is familiar because it was the site of a deadly shooting on Feb. 14, 2018, during which a former student invaded the school and killed 17 students and faculty members, wounding many others in the process. During the incident, Herzfeld hid 65 of her students in her office/classroom until authorities lead them to safety.
Melody Herzfeld accepted the Excellence in Theatre Education Award in 2018 during the Creative Arts Awards portion of the Tony Awards ceremony.
From this tragedy, Herzfeld found a way to help her students express their emotions and grief as they dealt with the incident - through theater and music. In the week following the shooting, Herzfeld helped them to craft an original song titled, "Shine," which they later performed at a CNN Town Hall. Her students once again had the opportunity to highlight their talents when, during the 2018 Tony Awards at which Herzfeld was honored, they performed "Seasons of Love" from "Rent."
In looking back at that experience, Herzfeld said she felt tremendous pride and joy at what her students overcame. Her theater students were some of the first to be interviewed by news outlets; their classroom was yards away from where the events unfolded.
"I saw through them that theater education changes lives," she said. "When everything happened at our school, such a negative light was shone upon our students because of one former student. But then someone said, 'Wait! Our kids are speaking up because they learned how to do that in theater class — they were given permission to be themselves and to feel strong about what their beliefs are.'"
The events of Feb. 14 did not define Herzfeld's emergence as a teacher of note. She has a history of successful work with student performances from the time she joined the high school in 2004. Under her direction, the department has developed award-winning theatrical productions, and the school's Thespian Troupe 4879 has earned numerous honors from the annual Florida Thespian Festivals.
"There was so much good before Feb. 14, 2018," Herzfeld said. "And the Excellence in Theatre Education Award validates that. Getting this award was like getting recognition for every drama teacher out there who has positively influenced a student."
She remembers Tony Awards weekend as "welcoming" and recalled that everywhere she went, Broadway's best were congratulating her. She was especially happy to share the weekend with family and friends, including the person who submitted her name for the award: Monica Andrews. "To think that she took the time to write that letter means a lot to me," Herzfeld said.
She has enjoyed reaping the benefits that came with the award, things that have directly helped her students. First, a master class that Carnegie Mellon University's School of Drama provided in fall 2018 at the high school. Conducted by Professor Don Wadsworth, who was joined by alumna and actress Chante Adams, the class was especially helpful to Herzfeld's students, she said.
"Having people from Carnegie Mellon share in a meaningful way what they know and then providing advice to the students was so valuable," she said.
Herzfeld also sent two students to the School of Drama's Summer Pre-college Program. It was a new benefit to the teacher award winner in 2018; students attended in summer 2019.
In 2018, Tanzil Philip & Ryan Senatore's teacher, Melody Herzfeld, was the fouth recipient of the Excellence in Theatre Education Award. The award comes with a grant of $10,000 for the teacher's theatre program, and prizes such as a full scholarship to two students of the schools choosing to attend the six-week CMU School of Drama Pre-College Program.
She urged people to submit the names of their teachers for consideration for the EITEA.
"Recognize what your teacher did for you. It brought a light to the work that not only I did, but also the work that thousands of theater educators do," Herzfeld said.


Documentarian recreates Trayvon Martin’s capturing in VR
The purpose of a jury trial is to recreate a second of historical past with adequate element to let a individuals determine what the reality is. However until there’s video footage of the occasion, it may typically be troublesome to visualise simply what went on. It is a puzzle that documentarian and VR pioneer Nonny De la Peña is hoping to deal with together with her new undertaking, One Darkish Night time, a VR app that recreates a criminal offense scene with as a lot official proof as potential. Her first material could also be disturbing to many, nevertheless, because it considerations the controversial capturing of teenager Trayvon Martin.
Described as “immersive journalism,” the app takes you thru the moments constructing as much as Martin’s killing by George Zimmerman. All the info included within the app was sourced from witness testimony, 911 calls and architectural drawings of the scene to create as actual a state of affairs as attainable. The app’s creators additionally employed forensic audio specialists that declare to have the ability to determine Zimmerman cocking his gun earlier than he gave chase.
Sitting down with Mashable, De la Peña stated that it’s potential to construct a VR recreation like this for a jury trial. Her firm, Emblematic Group, used predominantly off-the-shelf digital elements to prepare dinner up the scene and it solely required the work of three individuals throughout two weeks. Though we think about that it will be some time earlier than a sequel to One Darkish Night time turns into an important a part of the felony course of, there is definitely potential within the concept. If you wish to have a look for your self, the app is accessible from Google Play and is optimized for Samsung’s Gear VR.


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The Kiratbanshi kings were a dynasty that ruled Nepal during the ancient period. They were a Tibeto-Burman-speaking people who are believed to have migrated to the Kathmandu Valley from Tibet.
According to legend, the Kiratbanshi dynasty was founded by a prince named Yalamber, who is said to have defeated the Gopalbanshi dynasty and established his rule over the region. The Kiratbanshi kings are credited with building many of the temples and monuments that can be found in Nepal today, including the Temple of the Living Goddess, the Pashupatinath Temple, and the Boudhanath Stupa.
The Kiratbanshi dynasty ruled Nepal for several centuries, until they were succeeded by the Licchavis, another Hindu dynasty. Despite their long rule, little is known about the Kiratbanshi kings, as they did not leave behind many written records. However, their legacy can still be seen in the cultural and architectural treasures that they left behind.
The Kiratbanshi kings are an important part of Nepal’s history and have played a significant role in shaping the country’s culture and traditions. They are remembered for their military prowess and their patronage of the arts and culture, and their legacy continues to be celebrated in Nepal today.

domain: history


text: This year, my step dad turned 70, so my sister wanted to throw him a surprise party. He’s a huge fan of everything patriotic and eagles, so I decided to make an eagle cake. I just traced an outline I found online and created texture with a #5 tip and #104 turned on its side. To make a sky, I smeared some white into the blue on the top of the cake, then smoothed it out. I love getting to make special days even better!


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If you go to the emergency room at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, you won't wait. Same thing with too - at least according to a new federal government database that discloses, among other things, the average ER wait times at hospitals.
The no-wait at Santa Rosa Memorial and Petaluma Valley puts those hospitals in the minority. The average wait time in the emergency room at Sonoma Valley Hospital is seven minutes. It's 34 and 41 minutes, respectively, at Queen of the Valley Medical Center in Napa and Sutter Medical Center of Santa Rosa, according to the database.
It takes the ERs of Sonoma Valley and Queen of the Valley slightly more than two hours from the time that a patient arrives in the ER to the time they are sent home. In that category, both hospitals bested the average across California (173 minutes) and across the United States (140 minutes). Other area hospitals were markedly less efficient. The arrival-to-discharge time at Petaluma Valley was 145 minutes. It was 146 minutes at Sutter and 186 minutes at Santa Rosa Memorial.
Data for Kaiser Foundation Hospital in Santa Rosa and Healdsburg District Hospital was unavailable for many of the categories measured, including emergency room performance.
Key measures of ER efficiency have been posted from hospitals taking part across the country, according to a report by former San Diego Union-Tribune writer Cheryl Clark, now senior quality editor for HealthLeaders Media.
“With precious little fanfare, Uncle Sam last month rolled out a big, fat database with seven measures comparing a service that many people—healthcare providers and patients alike—consider the most critical any hospital can provide,” Clark wrote last week.
Data collected in 2011 and early 2012 also tracked how long it took for an ER patient to be seen by a healthcare professional and how long the wait was to get a bed if they needed admission. Other data showed how long patients spent in the ER before being sent home and whether they received a brain scan if they might have suffered a stroke.
Clark interviewed Dr. Jesse Pines, an emergency room doctor and researcher who directs the center for healthcare quality at George Washington University.
“The theory is that when hospitals report this information, it makes them focus on it, and improve throughout their [Emergency Department],” Pines was quoted as saying.
“But it’s very hard to do. Certain performance measures are easier to fix—simple process measures like giving patients an aspirin—than improving ED throughput, which involves development of interdisciplinary teams.”
Pines told Clark the public attention pushes hospital administrators to focus on the emergency room as well as other metrics.
In a column, Clark said she thought the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services would “make a bigger fuss about such a major release.” She added:
Certainly with so much concern about ED overcrowding, and the number of patients being boarded in hospital hallways and even closets, coughing on each other and getting sicker as they wait, a three-month picture of the state of an ED’s throughput speed should be a very big deal.
But after a few conversations with emergency care experts who know how to read between the lines of this 29,664-record database, I started to realize how raw and flawed this effort still is.
She said a “bizarre glitch” by the Georgia Hospital Association showed wait times for 170 Georgia emergency rooms as “hopelessly inflated.”
The database said the Queen of the Valley ER saw 29,686 patients in 2011, with 1 percent (about 297) leaving the ER before being seen. Petaluma Valley's ER, which saw 17,486 patients in 2011, also had a 1 percent (174 people) leave-before-being-seen rate.
Sonoma Valley's ER saw 4,742 patients in 2011, with 2 percent (95) leaving without being seen. Sutter Medical Center of Santa Rosa's ER had 13,365 patients in 2011; 4 percent of those people (about 534) left without being seen. At Santa Rosa Memorial, 6 percent of the 18,520 patients (about 1,111) who sought treatment there in 2011 left without being seen.
In any case, residents can compare the ER care at their Wine Country hospital of choice with any two other local hospitals in the national database.
First go to the Hospital Compare website. Then type in your ZIP code, city or local hospital. When a list of hospitals is displayed, put a checkmark next to two or three hospitals.
Scroll down to a yellow button labeled Compare Now, and click to display more details. Look for a tab called Timely and Effecive Care and click that.
Finally, scroll down to a section called Timely Emergency Department Care. A green button allows you to “View More Details.”
What do you think of the performance of the region's hospitals? Tell us in the comments.


Crimson Re-Live says OpenCL is there, GPU-Z says otherwise. OpenCL applications won't start (they do work on my R270 machine). I already uninstalled and reinstalled the driver, didn't help.
I am running the GPU in a i7-7700k system. It seems to crash when callin clGetPlatformIDs(0,NULL,&numPlatforms). Can this be a problem with the Intel CPU? Do I have to install more than the AMD GPU drivers?
Thanks for any hints


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CZ Starburst Locket Box Chain Necklace
Create a sophisticated vibe in Adina's CZ Starburst Locket Box Chain Necklace. Subtle yet brilliant, this beauty shows off a cute coin pendant with an exquisite starburst etching that dangles from a delicate chain. Pair this gem with a couple of other pendant necklaces and a cute ruffled top for an elegant vibe.
- Made from Sterling Silver
- Gold Plated
- Clear CZ Stones
- Locket Size: 15 MM x 18 MM
- Length: 16" + 2" Extender
Customer ReviewsWrite a review
such a great piece!! its so cute and i wear it everyday.
I have ordered jewelry here before. Last year I order a ring from there fine jewelry line and the stones which were rainbow, came out of order and I have had to take it to get fixed multiple times. I’ve lost several of the stones. I tried several times to reach someone about it but they have terrible customer service and never answered. I figured since this wasn’t real and was just costume jewelry I would give it another try but it was just as bad. The gold plating was unevenly applied and I could see silver peaking through and there were scratches all over it. The locket was in terrible condition and again when I tried to contact customer service I was ignored. This is a terrible company that makes terrible low quality jewelry. I would never order anything from them ever again.
Ground, Expedited & Worldwide Shipping
Friendly Customer Service Team
Free & Easy Return Process

domain: artistic


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Korean rapper Psy of Gangnam Style fame appears to have struck gold again with his new music video, Gentleman. The single was just released on April 13th and has already generated more than 194,800,000 hits.
Asiance Magazine reported on Tuesday that Gentleman racked up 20 million views alone in its first 24 hours. Psy, of course, holds the world record for most You Tube hits with more than 1.5 billion views for Gangnam Style.
You can read some of the comments music affectionados have been leaving about Gentleman in Asiance Magazine.

domain: entertainment


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PUEBLO — We're hearing for the first time from the woman chosen to lead the fire department in Pueblo and she says she wants build off the work of her predecessor.
Barbara Huber was named last week as the new Interim Fire Chief for Pueblo.
"We always want to look at tweaking everything for better," Huber said. "We have those focused response units and we want to tweak those for better responses in the areas that have the higher volume. We have a great opportunity to work with the community and piggyback on some programs that are already in place so we are looking forward to being a bigger part of the community."
Huber would be the first female chief in the city's history and expects to be confirmed by City Council by the end of the month.


Arrival of the TBM at MANIATIKA Station in the presence of the Minister of Transport and Infrastructures
“Mr. Christos Spirtzis: “By 2019, the areas of Aghia Varvara, Korydallos and Nikea shall be served by the Metro. By the end of 2020, the entire Project is given to the public”.
“Athens and Thessaloniki turn a new page in the field of urban transport. The stagnant Projects we inherited are about to be completed. The implementation of new major Projects is imminent”.
This morning, the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) arrived at MANIATIKA Station in the presence of Mr. Christos Spirtzis, Minister of Transport and Infrastructures, signaling thus the beginning of the completion of a major Project to the benefit not just of Piraeus, but of the entire Attica basin.
The Minister of Transport and Infrastructures stressed the need to have the Line 3 extension to Piraeus completed the soonest possible, by making an appeal to all involved parties to assist in this direction. He pointed out that the government and the Ministry remain vigilant and focused on the target of successfully completing the stagnant projects the government inherited, as well as of putting on the track new Projects vital to the public transport system and the public infrastructures.
With regard to the progress in the construction of the Metro Line 3 to Piraeus, he said that “the Project has advanced to a significant extent. Sixty seven per cent (67%) of the tunnel and 50% of the entire Project have been completed. In 2019, the areas of Aghia Varvara, Korydallos and Nikea shall be served by the Metro”. He went on to say: “Nevertheless, our target is to initiate a number of Metro Projects in Athens. We begin with the tender for the new Line 4. The situation in Thessaloniki is similar. The tunnel boring works gradually draw nearer to completion and we plan the subsequent Projects and extensions. Our country, as well as the cities of Athens and Thessaloniki turn a new page, because stagnant Projects are about to be completed and, at the same time, we put on track new Projects of great importance for the urban transport system in Athens and Thessaloniki”.
Especially on the occasion of the TBM’s breakthrough at MANIATIKA Station which took place today, Mr. Spirtzis said: “We welcome the Tunnel Boring Machine at MANIATIKA Station with the hope that it will have a safe journey to PIRAEUS station. At this point, we should apologize to the citizens of Piraeus for the disturbance generated from the Metro and Tramway works”.
He also stressed that the completion of the Project will drastically change the Athens transportation map and will improve the quality of life in the entire Attica basin. “The trip from Piraeus to the Athens International Airport shall take 55’ instead of 1 hour and 45’ it currently takes. This is the most important change in our daily lives”.
The Minister also explained that resuming the works on Line 3 extension to Piraeus was not an easy task, because of the countless managerial mistakes, legal complications and technical problems:
“There were numerous problems. There were problems related to bad planning and design, forcing us to relocate PIRAEUS Station, which is essentially constructed under the sea bed. Certain Greek laws prohibited the payment of VAT and, thus, the Project suffered delays of many months. Approvals to environmental terms were absent and the archaeological works were incomplete”.
The Minister of Transport and Infrastructures attended today the arrival of the TBM, accompanied by ATTIKO METRO S.A. Chairman Mr. Yiannis Mylopoulos and Managing Director Mr. Theodoros Papsdopoulos. This event was also attended by Ms. Nina Kasssimatis SYRIZA MP, Mr. George Gavrilis Vice Governor of Piraeus district, Mr. Yiannis Moralis Mayor of Piraeus, the Mayor of Aghia Varvara Mr. George Kaplanis, the Mayor of Nikea-Aghios Ioannis Rentis Mr. George Ioakimidis, and the Mayor of Korydallos Mr. Stavros Kassimatis.
On the occasion of the TBM breakthrough, the Chairman of ATTIKO METRO S.A. Mr. Yiannis Mylopoulos made the following statement: “The implementation of strategic infrastructures, such as the Metro Projects, especially during a period of economic crisis, highlight our collective effort to bring our country back to the path of development. Extending the Metro network to Piraeus, resuming the construction works for Thessaloniki Metro project, which are now executed at a rapid pace, as well as announcing the tender for the new Line 4 in Athens at the beginning of next month, i.e. the launching of three large-scale Projects in the three most important cities of Greece, in practice improve the quality of life of their citizens and tangibly contribute in achieving the larger target of economic growth”.
Afterwards, Ms. Nina Kassimatis, SYRIZA MP, made the following statement on the arrival of the TBM at MANIATIKA Station” “Exactly one month ago, during my visit to the Metro worksites at Nikea and Korydallos, the tunnel had been completed by 65% and the TBM was 50m before MANIATIKA Station. The Time Schedule is respected. This afternoon, the TBM breakthrough at MANIATIKA Station became a fact. The government delivers on its promise to bring the Metro to the 2nd district of Piraeus region by 2019, and to the city of Piraeus by 2020.
The Mayor of Piraeus, Yiannis Moralis, who also attended this event, made the following statement: “This is a good day for Piraeus. We are here with the Minister Spirtzis, the Chairman and the Managing Director of ATTIKO METRO S.A., and the Mayors of the neighbouring Municipalities. The Metro Project is in full swing. Evidently, this is a trans-regional Project, affecting not only the Municipality of Piraeus, since the entire transportation map of Piraeus region changes. Of course, the implementation of such a major transportation Project, inevitably brings disturbance to the citizens, but they should show their understanding and be patient. This Project will change Piraeus, the district of Maniatika and the 5th Municipal Community.
SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT
Line 3 Extension, “Haidari – Piraeus” Section
|Agency of the Project||ATTIKO METRO S.A.|
|Contractor||“J&P–ΑVAX Α.Ε.–GELLA Spa–ALSTOM TRANSPORT S.A.” Joint Venture|
|Contract Signing Date||01/03/2012|
|Contract Deadline||2000 calendar days|
|Lump Sum Price|
(contingencies, works executed on a cost-plus basis, revision are not included)
(contingencies, works executed on a cost-plus basis, revision are included)
|Scope of the Project||The construction of the tunnel of Line 3 Extension extending from the forestation of Aghia Marina (Municipality of Egaleo) up to the forestation of Dimotiko Theatro of Piraeus; the subject tunnel is approximately 7.55km long, out of which, 6.51km shall be constructed using the TBM machine while the remaining kilometers shall be bored by the NATM underground method. The subject extension includes six (6) new Stations, namely: AGHIA VARBARA, KORYDALLOS, NIKEA, MANIATIKA, PIRAEUS, DIMOTIKO THEATRO and seven (7) intermediate ventilation shafts.|
|Progress of Works||Works progress percentage: 50%|
TBM tunnel boring activities percentage: 67%
Civil Works progress percentage: 67%
Electromechanical Works progress percentage: 12%
|Basic Problems that affected the progress of the Project and caused delays as compared to the Contractual Time Schedule||The delay of the project rises to approximately 3 years and is due to technical problems, administration mistakes, legal entanglements and interventions made by local agencies. The main problems concerned as follows:|
The recorded delay for PIRAEUS Station is more extended.
THE ENTIRE PROJECT
Decision made by the Contractor for the interruption of the construction activities for the time period extending from June 2015 up to October 2015 and down-graded operation of the worksites until December 2015; the Contractor invoked non-payment of the VAT on the part of ATTIKO METRO S.A., a fact that resulted in the lack of his cash-flow and inability to finance the Project.
It is stressed that ATTIKO METRO S.A. was not paying the VAT related amounts by virtue of Law 4281/2014, article 1.
Completion of the Project
The arrival of TBM in MANIATIKA signals the completion of the 2/3 of the tunnel. The TBM arrives here after having crossed the greatest part of the problematic limestone rock. It is estimated that the works for the boring of the tunnel and TBM-related works in all stations will have been completed by the end of the year.
Based on the available data and the initiatives undertaken by the Ministry and the Management of AM on removing past obstacles and eliminating any uncertainties, the first three (3) stations (AGHIA VARVARA, KORYDALLOS, NIKEA) will be ready to be commissioned in the first trimester of 2019, while the remaining section of the Project will be commissioned by the end of 2020.
MANIATIKA Station will be ready in the beginning of 2020.
The Metro extension to Piraeus will serve 132,000 passengers on a daily basis. In addition, upon the commissioning of the Project, the circulation of private vehicles will be reduced by approximately 23,000 vehicles on a daily basis, inducing a daily reduction of CO2 pollutants by 120 tonnes.
More precisely, PIRAEUS Station is planned to accommodate a major Transportation Hub in view of connecting two Metro Lines (Lines 1 and 3), the Port, the Suburban Railway and the Tramway, planned to serve this area as well, facilitating, thus, transfers between all means of transport.
Upon the completion of the Project, Line 3 will be 50km long and shall have 27 stations. It will connect the Port of Piraeus with the Athens Historical Center and Athens International Airport.
It will take approximately 55 minutes to get from the Port to the Airport and vice-versa. This is a record travel time, as compared to the time required nowadays for this 1 hour and 45 minute-trip that involves numerous transfers.
The crux of the matter is that this extension will ensure unhindered circulation of the passengers between the two major entrance-exit gates of our country.
In addition, the operation of the entire extension will entail the restructuring of many bus lines. Instead of serving the municipalities to be served by the Metro Extension (Aghia Varvara, Nikea, Korydallos, Piraeus) these lines shall operate as feeding lines to the Metro system.


text: Politicians are also products of their milieu ~ hence like all Nagas, our politicians are products of the cultures, customs, traditions, attitudes, mindset, biases, prejudices, chauvinism and discriminations of Naga society. Irrespective of political affiliations, our politicians can be likened to peas in a pod ideologically ~ and at various times, they form this or that Government in the state. There is also very little to differentiate the new and younger ones since they also come from the same milieu ~ although it is possible that they might either get overwhelmed by their seniors or even silenced. However, it is more possible that our cultures, customs, traditions, attitudes, mindset, biases, prejudices, chauvinism and discriminations hold more sway over the new and younger ones than their levels of education and exposure. This may be a plausible explanation as to why the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016 (RPWD Act 2016), which came into force on April 19, 2017, and all States and Union Territories, including Nagaland, were required to notify the State Rules and implement them within six months of the Disability Act becoming law, is yet to be implemented. It may be recalled that last year on April 25, the Supreme Court asked all States and Union Territories to take immediate steps to comply with the requirements of the Disability Act and file compliance reports, further directing that special courts be set up in each district to conduct trial of offences committed against them within three months. People with Disabilities in Nagaland have reminded us, ~ more specifically our state Government ~ no concrete move towards this end has been made even after more than a year. So they met our Chief Minister on June 20 last, to remind him of the various important disability issues in the state, particularly the imperatives of implementing the RPWD Act 2016. During the said meeting, the disability community also reminded the state Government that despite the old Disability Act 1995 being in existence for more than 20 years, not even a single law contained in it was ever properly implemented in the state by successive Governments. Despite the Supreme Court issuing numerous directives from time to time none have been complied with either, they reminded the Government. So the People with Disabilities in Nagaland are absolutely right that they have remained ignored and marginalised with their rights violated by the State Government and society at large and underscored that this failure cannot and must not be repeated with the RPWD Act 2016. Representatives of the People living with Disabilities urging the Chief Minister and his Government to notify the State Disability Rules and implement the RPWD Act without delay, as committed by the NDPP and the BJP in their election manifestos, is a shame for the Government and people of Nagaland. True, the Chief Minister extended full support and assured that action will be taken, which the disability community appreciated and are looking forward to quick and real action on the ground ~ but very noticeably he didn’t pledge any times-frames or deadlines vis-à-vis his assurances. Now, the questions: why do the Chief Minister and his Government need to be reminded of the aforesaid Act, as also the election manifestoes of his party and allied parties? Why have all our Governments always been extremely insensitive to the needs of our most vulnerable? Why haven’t the Departments entrusted to cater to the needs of our most vulnerable remained silent and invisible all these decades? What are they actually doing to earn their salaries ~ but then again without “political will” to keep them on their toes, who wouldn’t enjoy a nice paid holiday? Why does anybody need to request and urge Governments for their constitutional rights? Our politicians, being products of their milieu, simply find it convenient to look the other way, as much as our society because our society doesn’t like to even accept the existence of our physical and mental disabled hence there is no societal pressure on our Governments. But this isn’t a justification for the Government not to implement constitutional laws because Governments are supposed to lead and govern ~ it isn’t supposed to be led and governed by society, especially society’s biases, prejudices, chauvinism and discriminations. Moreover, Governments are supposed to implement and enforce laws, not society. Simultaneously, unless we, as a society, decide to be human, we will increase the vulnerability of our vulnerable.

domain: sociology


text:
Customs and Border Protection ACCC joint media release
Dangerous children’s toys stopped at border - Friday 27 November
Children’s toys containing dangerous levels of lead have been intercepted and seized in Melbourne as part of a joint agency operation.
In a pre-Christmas strike, Customs and Border Protection and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) tested targeted shipments of imported toys.
More than 500 tests were conducted on 165 samples and thousands of toys have been seized. Excessive lead levels were discovered in counterfeit Ben 10 figures, camouflage tommy guns, boxing gloves and a ride-on motorcycle.
Toys with levels of migratable lead of more than 90mg/kg are prohibited under import and supply laws in Australia. Migratable lead is what children can swallow or absorb through the skin and cause illness and developmental delays.
“In total, 4918 toys were seized and will be destroyed – demonstrating the effectiveness of cooperation between agencies to protect the Australian community,” Customs and Border Protection Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Neil Mann, said today.
The ACCC’s deputy chairman, Peter Kell, said: “A total of 480 packages of counterfeit Ben 10 toys were seized, with each package containing some figures with lead levels up to double the legal limit.
“This was the importer’s first attempt to bring the Ben 10 counterfeits into Australia and they were going to the weekend market sector and discount stores,” Mr Kell said.
“The ACCC has confirmed that genuine Ben 10 toys sold through major department stores comply with the law and are safe.
“Evidence indicates that well-known toy brands are now making sure their toys are safe, after major recalls in 2007-2008.
“However, since then, unsafe levels of lead in toys have been detected in Australia and overseas at the discount end of the market.”
Customs and Border Protection Communication and Media (02) 6275 6793
ACCC - Ms Lin Enright, media director, (02) 6243 1108 or 0414 613 520. General inquiries Infocentre 1300 302 502.


text:
SEOUL, Feb. 24 (Yonhap) – South Korean pop group Girls’ Generation released its long-awaited new album on online music services at home and abroad on Tuesday.
“Mr.Mr.,” the fourth mini-album from the group, was put on iTunes and local music services such as Melon and Naver Music at 5 pm. The six tracks include the title track by famous American music production duo “The Underdogs.”
After officially releasing the album in record stores on Thursday, the band plans to resume local broadcasting activities with cable TV network Mnet’s music program “M!Countdown” on March 6, according to its management agency, S.M. Entertainment.
It marks the first album to be put out by the group since “I Got a Boy” in January.
The group originally planned to release the album on online music services last week but had to postpone it, as footage for the video of the album’s title track was accidentally deleted in the pre-production process.
“We’re going to unveil the video later because we’re still working on it,” a S.M. official said, requesting not to be named. “We also plan to launch a global promotion upon the release of the new album.”


text:
[Announcer] Changes in Kosova [Kosovo] Trust Agency [KTA] regulations on the privatization process under which discriminatory Serbian laws will no longer be taken into account will come into force on Friday [22 April]. A member of the KTA board, Minister of Trade and Industry Bujar Dugolli said the changes would contribute to a speedy privatization process. The changes made in the KTA regulation will among other things eliminate privatization problems affecting the Gjakova [Djakovica] public enterprises.
[Reporter Menduh Abazi] The head of UNMIK [United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo] Pillar IV, Joachim Rucker, said from the day he assumed the post that he would complete the privatization process in Kosova within a year in spite of the legal, property and other obstacles. This, it seems, may now be accomplished after a new bill of Kosova Trust Agency regulations was finalised by the United Nations legal office in New York [Passage omitted]
A source within the Kosova Trust Agency told KohaVision that all public enterprises in Kosova are now under KTA ownership [Passage omitted]
Source: KohaVision TV, Pristina, in Albanian 1700 gmt 20 Apr 05


text:
Connecting the System to Enhance the Practitioner and Consumer Experience in Healthcare
Selected Papers from the 26th Australian National Health Informatics Conference (HIC 2018)
Health informatics plays a central role in the digital transformation of the healthcare sector. The integration and connection of health services, practitioners and consumers is critical to the realisation of the improvements promised by digital health, and the secondary use of health data has led to ground-breaking research discoveries. Increased reliance upon all types of digital media has also established health informatics as a viable specialisation in healthcare.
This book presents the proceedings of the 26th national Health Informatics Conference (HIC 2018), Australia’s premier health informatics event, held in Sydney, Australia, in July/August 2018. The conference provides an environment for clinicians, researchers, health IT professionals, industry and consumers to integrate, educate and share the knowledge which drives innovative thinking, and this year’s theme, ‘Today’s best practice, innovation today and preparing for tomorrow’, focuses on the important issues of connecting the system, being smart with data, and enhancing the practitioner and consumer experience in healthcare interactions. The papers presented here reflect this theme, highlighting cutting-edge research evidence, technology updates and innovations from the digital transformation of the healthcare sector.
Covering a wide spectrum of work, and encompassing major theoretical concepts, examples of key applications of new technologies and important new developments in the field of health informatics, the book will be of interest to all those working in the healthcare sector.

domain: literature


|Publication number||US4976148 A|
|Application number||US 07/406,007|
|Publication date||Dec 11, 1990|
|Filing date||Sep 12, 1989|
|Priority date||Sep 12, 1989|
|Publication number||07406007, 406007, US 4976148 A, US 4976148A, US-A-4976148, US4976148 A, US4976148A|
|Inventors||Albert Migliori, William M. Visscher, Zachary Fisk|
|Original Assignee||The United Stated Of America As Represented By The Department Of Energy|
|Export Citation||BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan|
|Patent Citations (3), Non-Patent Citations (4), Referenced by (28), Classifications (10), Legal Events (7)|
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet|
This invention relates to acoustical measurements in solid materials and, more particularly, to the use of resonant ultrasound spectroscopy to determine a variety of material properties. This invention is the result of a contract with the Department of Energy (Contract No. W-7405-ENG-36).
The elastic properties of solid crystals, metals, alloys, ceramics, and glasses are some of the most basic data in the physical sciences. It has long been recognized that these intrinsic properties are related to the acoustic resonances exhibited by solid objects. Acoustic resonance data are also related to defects and sound dissipation properties of the material.
I. Ohno, "Free Vibration of a Rectangular Parallelepiped Crystal and its Application to Determination of Elastic Constants of Orthorhombic Crystals," 24 J. Phys. Earth, pp. 355-379 (1976), incorporated herein by reference, discusses the theory relating resonance frequency data of rectangular parallelepiped crystals to elastic constant determinations. Measurements and numerical algorithms have been obtained for very low dissipation materials where the elastic constants are already known to within a few percent or better.
In a conventional resonance measuring system, described by Ohno, a rectangular parallelepiped specimen is placed between two piezoelectric transducers. One of the transducers is excited by a sweep frequency synthesizer and the output signal from the other transducer is amplified and displayed as a function of exciting frequency. A spectrum of the sequence of resonance response peaks from the sample is determined for analysis. The specimen is placed in contact with the transducers on its corners as lightly as possible to preclude suppressing resonance peaks while avoiding resonance frequency shifts under increased specimen loading.
There are some problems with conventional resonance measuring systems which significantly impact the application to crystalline materials. Two of the problems are identified by T. Goto et al., "An Apparatus for Measuring Elastic Constants of Single Crystals by a Resonance Technique Up to 1,825K," unpublished (1978). When the transducer is in direct contact with the specimen, many normal vibrational frequencies of the transducer itself are superimposed on the resonant modes of the specimen. Goto did not detect this problem in the high temperature device described in the article, wherein buffer rods transmit the specimen response to remotely located transducers, because the sample resonances were very sharp. The resonant frequency shift, mentioned above, is also noted, along with a mention that the applied load cannot become too close to zero because some of the vibrational signals of the specimen would become too small to be detected. The solution was to maintain a 5 g load on the specimen.
These conditions have made the conventional procedures difficult to apply to high dissipation materials, such as some glasses, high temperature superconductors, composites, and also materials generally at temperatures below 100K, etc. For low dissipation materials, the transducer can be damped by bonding the transducers to high dissipation solids whereby the sample response amplitudes are sufficiently greater than spurious resonant responses from the mechanical system that the specimen responses can be readily distinguished. For higher dissipation materials, the spurious resonances have amplitudes as large as the sample response amplitudes. These extra frequencies make the numerical analysis difficult to implement. Beat frequencies also occur, destroying the shape of the sample resonances.
Further, highly dissipative materials (low Q) produce weak signals. Conventional detectors, i.e., diode detectors, introduce a dead zone for signals having a strength below 0.6 V, obscuring the response shapes. Merely increasing the drive level introduces further inaccuracies from non-linear and heating effects. The problem of weak signals is compounded by the capacitive nature of the transducers. Conventional amplifiers have an input impedance which, in combination with the impedance of the transducer and connecting cable, provides an RC rolloff in the frequency range of interest to produce a strongly frequency dependent system gain, obscuring the low frequency resonances.
These and other problems of the prior art are addressed by the present invention and an improved resonance spectrometer is provided which can be used with high dissipation materials. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to enable the measurement of resonant frequencies of high dissipation materials.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a transducer which is mounted to substantially eliminate system resonant response signals at frequencies within the expected sample resonance range.
One other object of the present invention is to minimize input signal losses to the signal amplifier.
Yet another object of the present invention is to produce accurate representations of sample resonance shapes.
Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
To achieve the foregoing and other objects, and in accordance with the purposes of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, the apparatus of this invention may comprise an ultrasound resonant spectrometer for use with a rectangular parallelepiped sample of a high dissipation material having an expected resonant response frequency range. A sample holder structure contacts corner portions of the sample with a drive transducer assembly and a receive transducer assembly mounted on the sample holder. The receive and drive transducer assemblies derive an output response of the sample from the receive transducer assembly as the drive transducer assembly excites the sample over the expected resonant response frequency range. A transducer is mounted on a thin membrane for weakly coupling the transducer to the sample holder structure. The transducer further operatively contacts a material effective to substantially remove system resonant responses at the transducer within the sample resonant response frequency range. A square-law detector amplifier amplifies the response signal output from the receive transducer while preserving the signal shape. A cable having a center signal conductor, a first shield isolated from ground, and a surrounding grounded second shield connects the receive transducer assembly with the amplifier. The amplifier includes a unity gain section for driving the isolated shield with a signal matching the signal on the signal conductor effective to eliminate capacitance effects from the cable and minimize signal loss.
In another aspect of the invention, an improved transducer assembly is provided for the receive and drive transducer assemblies in a resonant ultrasound spectroscopy system having a sample holder structure for contacting corner portions of a rectangular parallelepiped sample of a high dissipation material, where the receive transducer assembly and a drive transducer assembly contact the sample. The transducer assemblies include a transducer mounted on a thin membrane for weakly coupling the transducer to the sample holder structure. The transducer further operatively contacts a material effective to substantially remove system resonant responses at the transducer within the sample resonant response frequency range.
In yet another aspect of the present invention an amplifier, for use in an ultrasound resonant spectroscopy system having a sample holder structure with a drive transducer and a receive transducer for contacting corners of a rectangular parallelepiped sample for transmitting sample responses up to about 4 MHz, minimizes signal losses from the receive transducer and preserves the sample resonant response shape. The amplifier has a unity gain input amplifier for driving an isolated shield surrounding the signal conductor in a cable connecting the receive transducer to the amplifier with a signal matching the sample response signal on the signal conductor to effectively eliminate capacitance effects from the cable transmission.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the present invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing in block diagram format of an ultrasound resonant spectrometer according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a schematic drawing of a low-noise detector for use in the system shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a pictorial illustration, in partial cross-section, of a transducer assembly for sample mounting.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a transducer according to the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of a transducer according to the present invention.
FIG. 6A is a response graph from La2 CuO4 from 0.5-2.0 MHz.
FIG. 6B is a response graph from La2 CuO4 from 2.0-3.0 MHz.
FIG. 7 is a flow diagram for determining elastic constants from resonant response data.
Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a schematic drawing of an ultrasound resonant spectrometer according to one embodiment of the present invention. Sample cell 10 includes drive transducer assembly 12 and receive transducer assembly 14 for receiving and holding a material sample therebetween for ultrasound resonant spectroscopy. Low frequency oscillator 16 generates a modulating output 18 for input to frequency synthesizer 22 to cause synthesizer 22 to generate a sweeping range of output frequencies 24 for input to drive transducer assembly 12. Transducer assembly 12 includes a transducer, typically a piezoelectric crystal, for vibrating a sample material (e.g., sample 62 in FIG. 3). As drive frequency 24 sweeps through frequencies which are resonant with a sample, an enhanced output 30 is produced by receive transducer assembly 14.
Output signal 30 is passed along a conductor 32 to low noise detector 38 for generating square-law output signal 44. Detector 38, more particularly described with reference to FIG. 2, provides an input impedance which has a very high resistance and a low capacitance to form a voltage divider with the transducer capacitance which is frequency independent. If the detector input capacitance is lower than the capacitance of the transducer, the voltage divider ratio can be made close to unity. The frequency-independent voltage divider preserves the shapes and relationships of the sample resonant responses.
It will also be appreciated that the capacitance of the connecting cable 28 can significantly attenuate the strength of the signal 30 reaching detector 38. For example, a coaxial cable of length 2 meters may have a capacitance of 200 pF, providing an attenuation factor of about 25 dB for typical output signals from a receive transducer with a capacitance of about 10 pF. In accordance with the present invention, cable 28 includes center signal conductor 32, isolated shield 34, and grounded shield 36. Detector 38 further includes a unity gain input amplifier which outputs signal 42 to isolated shield 34. Signal 42 matches signal 30 on center conductor 32 to minimize the voltage difference between conductor 32 and shield 34, thereby eliminating the capacitance therebetween.
Signal 44 is output from detector 38 for input to digital voltmeter 46 to produce a digital output signal 52 for input to computer 54. A thermocouple signal 48 may also be output from sample cell 10 for use in processing the response data 44. Digital resonance signal 52 is input with synthesizer 22 output frequency signal 26 to computer 54 for developing a resonant response spectrum from the material sample. Computer 54 may also include software for processing the resonant spectrum to derive the material constants, i.e., the elastic constants, for the sample. The system shown in FIG. 1 produces an output signal 44 having a lorentzian shape with resonant responses limited to those of the material sample from which the elastic constants can be deduced.
A schematic diagram of a low-noise square-law detector for use in the ultrasound resonant spectroscopy system of FIG. 1 is shown in FIG. 2. The detector includes a unity gain input stage (components Q1-Q9) for inputting transducer signal on conductor 32 and outputting a matching signal 42 on isolated shield 34, operational amplifier stages (U1-U3), a communications demodulator (U7) having square-law output, and an instrumentation amplifier (U4a,b,c) with unity gain low-pass filter (U4d) to generate the analog output square-law signal 44. Circuits U5 and U6 provide the voltage supplies for demodulator U7.
In the unity gain amplifier stage, transistors Q8a and Q8b may be a matched JFET pair on a single substrate. Transistor Q8b has the source biased one diode drop voltage above the negative power supply (-15V) by the configuration of transistor Q4, and its gate is at the negative power supply voltage. Thus, transistor Q8b acts as a constant current source. The drain of transistor Q8b is driven at a constant voltage by transistor Q2, which is connected as an emitter-follower. Transistor Q2 is biased with the emitter one diode drop below the base and the base is one diode drop plus 5.0V above the negative power supply due to transistor Q1 and zener diode D1. This voltage is held constant and no RF is present whereby parasitic capacitance does not degrade performance. The current through transistor Q2, and therefore Q8a and Q6 is constant and equal to the current determined by the gate-source voltage of transistor Q8b.
Because of the constant current through transistor Q8a, the gate-source voltage is held at one diode drop. The signal input from signal conductor 32 is connected to the gate of transistor Q8a and sees the capacitance of transistor Q8a and static protection diodes D3, D4 (about 1.5 pF) and the practically infinite resistance of the transistor Q8a gate. Thus, the input characteristics provide the required capacitive voltage divider with the transducer which is independent of the frequency. The source voltage of transistor Q8a is one diode drop below the gate and tracks the input voltage exactly, providing a voltage follower, or unity gain, stage. The output from transistor Q8a source is input to current amplifier transistor Q3, connected as an emitter follower to provide the output signal at the emitter at a higher current.
Parasitic capacitance effects are eliminated by the action of transistors Q6, Q9, and zener diode D2 to maintain a constant drain-source voltage of 5.0V plus one diode drop across Q8a. Transistors Q4 and Q5 maintain a constant current through transistor Q7 equal to the current through transistor Q8a to fix the drain-source voltage of transistor Q7. Thus, transistor Q7 acts as a dynamic load for the output.
The output signal from transistor Q3 is output 42 to the isolated shield 34 of cable 28 (see FIG. 1) and also to unity-gain, operational amplifier buffer U1. Amplifier U1 then drives gain stages U2 and U3. In one embodiment, amplifiers U1, U2, U3 provide a voltage gain of 100 and a bandwidth of about 10 MHz. The amplified output is input to demodulator U7 which provides outputs at pins 6 and 12 which are the square of the inputs at pins 1 and 4, but out of phase with each other and 10.5V above ground. Amplifiers U4a,b,c form a conventional instrumentation amplifier which shifts the outputs of demodulator U7 to ground and subtracts the out-of-phase signal to produce a doubled output of the squared input referenced to ground. Amplifier U4d is connected to form a unity-gain, low-pass filter to remove the frequency-doubled component produced by demodulator U7. Output signal 44 is a dc signal exactly proportional to the square of the amplitude of the rf input signal 30 on conductor 32 at transistor Q8a. Output signal 44 is insensitive to phase and has a very low noise.
Preferred components for the circuit depicted in FIG. 2 are as follows:
______________________________________D1, D2 1N751A Q1-Q6 2N2857U1-U3 LM6361 Q2 2N4416U4 LM224 Q8 2N3954AU5 7812 Q9 2N3251AU6 7905U7 MC1596G______________________________________
Referring now to FIG. 3, there is shown, in partial cross-section, sample cell 10 for operation in a simple helium flow cryostat from 9K to 350K. Drive transducer assembly 12 is mounted within cell 10 and is electrically connected with sweeping output frequency signal 24 to drive material sample 62. Receive transducer assembly 14 is mounted on hinged arm 64, which pivots on needle bearing 66. The force applied to sample 62 is solely from the weight of arm 64 rather than springs, thereby enabling stable resonant frequencies from sample 62 as the temperature is varied. Loading screw 68 provides for adjustment during loading of the sample 62. The output signal from receive transducer 14 is transmitted through triaxial cable 28 along center conductor 32, with isolated shield 34 and grounded shield 36 for removing capacitance effects. Thermocouple 72 transmits temperature data signal 48. The transducer assemblies 12, 14 are shielded by rf shield 74 and copper shields 76 and insulation 78 reduce heat leaks to sample cell 10.
The design of transducer assemblies 12, 14, in accordance with the present invention, substantially removes any transducer response to system resonances within the expected range of sample resonances. This is particularly necessary for receive transducer assembly 14. In the FIG. 4 embodiment, the resonant frequency of the transducer assembly is increased beyond the expected sample resonance range. In the FIG. 5 embodiment, the transducer assembly is damped for resonant frequencies in the sample resonance range. In both cases, transducers 82, 102 are bonded, e.g., with Stycast 1266 epoxy, to flexible membranes 86, 106, which may be a 0.001 inch thick membrane of DuPont Kapton H-Film, which has been coated on one side with evaporated silver for electrical contact and rf shielding. Membranes 86, 106 are thin enough to prevent acoustic coupling between transducers 82, 102 and the mounting shells 84, 104, eliminating any transmission of cell 10 (FIG. 3) resonances. Transducers 82, 102 are electrically connected using ribbons 94, 112, which may be strips of 0.001 inch thick, 0.040 inch wide DuPont Kapton coated with a conductive material, such as silver. Coated ribbons 94, 112 have a low self-inductance and low mass to preclude self-induced electrical or mechanical resonances which can be associated with thin wires.
Referring now to FIG. 4, transducer 82 is mounted below a cylinder 92 of material having a sound velocity much higher than the sample material in order to remove any system resonant response from the expected sample resonant responses. A material such as diamond (17 kM/s speed of sound) or beryllium (12 kM/s speed of sound) may be used. A diamond cylinder of 1.5 mm diameter and 1.0 mm length and bonded to membrane 86 has a lowest resonance at about 4 MHz and is a preferred material. Membrane 86 has an opening below transducer 82 to permit transducer 82 to contact a sample directly. The bonded cylinder approach has a very flat frequency response.
FIG. 5 shows a damped transducer 102 with a damping powder 114 filling mounting shell 104 above transducer 102. A powder 114 of 1 micron PbO has successfully damped frequencies above 1.2 MHz. The powder is held in place with a thin tissue cover 116. A suitable transducer, e.g., a 1.5 mm diameter lithium niobate transducer, has bending mode resonances which occur below 3 MHz which are, therefore, damped by powder 114. As shown in FIG. 4, membrane 106 also has an opening below transducer 102 to allow transducer 102 to contact the sample directly. It should be noted that the damped arrangement only reduces the amplitude of unwanted resonances, but the resulting very weak, broad resonances might still affect the output signal for very small sample signals and the diamond cylinder approach would be preferred in such instances.
FIGS. 6A and 6B are response graphs from a small single crystal of La2 CuO4, a high dissipation, low Q material, using the apparatus of the present invention. The sensitivity of the apparatus is apparent from the number of small resonant responses detected by the apparatus, e.g., at about 1.3 MHz, 1.5 MHz, 2.1 MHz, 2.3 MHz, etc. All nine independent elastic constants were able to be determined from the response data using the analysis method hereinbelow discussed.
A flow diagram for deriving elastic constants from natural resonant response data is shown in FIG. 7. A program listing for implementing the flow diagram is provided in the appendix hereto. As developed by the Ohno publication, supra, it is straightforward to compute frequencies from elastic constants. Thus, the basic procedure of the process shown in FIG. 7 is to form a first estimate of the elastic constants, compute the expected resonant responses, compare the calculated response with the measured response, adjust the elastic constants, and repeat the process until a minimum difference exists.
The measured resonant response frequencies are input 102 to the program. Sample characteristics of density and dimensions, and an initial set of elastic constants determined from available sources, are input 104 to subroutine "Ohno" 106 for computing a resonant frequency spectrum from the trial parameters. A figure of merit F is computed 108 from the differences between the calculated and measured resonant response frequencies. The function F may be as simple as a sum of the squares or a more elaborate sum of Gaussians or Lorentzians.
The elastic constant space is then searched for the minimum of F using a minimization scheme, e.g., a conjugate-gradient algorithm such as provided by ZXCGS available from IMSL, Houston, Tex. The convergence criterion employed by ZXCGS is that the sum of the squares of the derivatives of F with respect to the independent variables, the elastic constants, becomes less than some predetermined number. If the data are converged 112, i.e., a minimum has been attained, the calculated elastic constants are output 124. It should be noted that the formation of F requires the assumption that there is a one-to-one correspondence between the measured and calculated resonance lines and that there are no missing or spurious resonance lines.
If F is not yet a minimum, the routine determines if F is progressing toward a minimum 114. If not, the routine ends 116 so a new set of trial parameters can be entered. Otherwise, the interim results 108 are used to improve the estimates for the elastic constants 118. The revised constants are then input to subroutine Ohno 122 for calculating a new set of resonant frequencies and a new figure of merit F is computed 108. The process is repeated until the routine determines that F has converged 112 on a set of elastic constants. If one set of elastic constants is determined at one temperature, that set can form the trial elastic constants for finding the constants at nearby temperatures to reduce the time for convergence.
Thus, a transducer assembly has been provided which does not introduce spurious resonances within the expected range of sample resonances. In one embodiment, transducer resonant frequencies and concomitant resonant responses are removed from the sample range and, in another embodiment, the transducer resonant responses are removed by damping. The transducer is weakly coupled to the sample cell assembly by a flexible membrane whereby apparatus resonances are not transmitted to the transducer. The resonant frequency responses of the sample can be clearly resolved for use in determining the sample characteristics of interest.
The foregoing description of the preferred embodiments of the invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto. ##SPC1##
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|JPS61169726A *||Title not available|
|SU657313A1 *||Title not available|
|1||I. Ohno, "Free Vibration of a Rectangular Parallelepiped Crystal and Its lication to Determination of Elastic Constants of Orthorhombic Crystals," 24 J. Phys. Earth, pp. 355-379 (1976).|
|2||*||I. Ohno, Free Vibration of a Rectangular Parallelepiped Crystal and Its Application to Determination of Elastic Constants of Orthorhombic Crystals, 24 J. Phys. Earth, pp. 355 379 (1976).|
|3||T. Goto et al., "An Apparatus for Measuring Elastic Constants of Single Crystals by a Resonance Technique Up to 1,825 K." Unpublished (1988).|
|4||*||T. Goto et al., An Apparatus for Measuring Elastic Constants of Single Crystals by a Resonance Technique Up to 1,825 K. Unpublished (1988).|
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|US8043217 *||Oct 25, 2011||Bioquantetics, Inc.||Method and apparatus to quantify specific material properties of objects using real-time ultrasound burst spectrography technique|
|US9301729 *||Aug 5, 2010||Apr 5, 2016||Teijin Pharma Limited||Ultrasound detecting device having function of confirming irradiation position, and method thereof|
|US9310340||Nov 8, 2013||Apr 12, 2016||International Electronic Machines Corp.||Resonant signal analysis-based inspection of rail components|
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|US20030167798 *||Mar 5, 2003||Sep 11, 2003||Corning Incorporated||Optical members and methods for predicting the performance of optical members and optical systems|
|US20030174944 *||Mar 13, 2003||Sep 18, 2003||Corning Incorporated||Fiber array and methods for fabricating the fiber array|
|US20030205088 *||May 12, 2003||Nov 6, 2003||Frank Passarelli||Electromagnetic acoustic transducer with recessed coils|
|US20040064280 *||Sep 30, 2002||Apr 1, 2004||Robert Bosch Corporation||Ultrasound transducer temperature compensation methods, apparatus and programs|
|US20040126698 *||Oct 3, 2003||Jul 1, 2004||Borrelli Nicholas F.||Lens array and method for fabricating the lens array|
|US20120130240 *||Aug 5, 2010||May 24, 2012||Teijin Pharma Limited||Ultrasound detecting device having function of confirming irradiation position, and method thereof|
|EP0628811A2 *||Jun 10, 1994||Dec 14, 1994||Quatro Corporation||Method for determining bulk modul using resonant ultrasound spectroscopy|
|U.S. Classification||73/579, 73/602, 310/327, 702/76|
|International Classification||G01H13/00, G01N29/12|
|Cooperative Classification||G01H13/00, G01N29/12|
|European Classification||G01N29/12, G01H13/00|
|Oct 24, 1989||AS||Assignment|
Owner name: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, THE, AS REPRESENTED BY T
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNORS:MIGLIORI, ALBERT;VISSCHER, WILLIAM M.;FISK, ZACHARY;REEL/FRAME:005173/0483
Effective date: 19890830
|May 13, 1994||FPAY||Fee payment|
Year of fee payment: 4
|Apr 10, 1997||AS||Assignment|
Owner name: ENERGY, DEPARTMENT, UNITED STATES, DISTRICT OF COL
Free format text: CONFIRMATORY LICENSE;ASSIGNOR:CALIFORNIA, UNIVERSITY OF;REEL/FRAME:008461/0470
Effective date: 19961017
|Jun 5, 1998||FPAY||Fee payment|
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|Sep 15, 1998||AS||Assignment|
Owner name: ENERGY, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF, DISTRICT OF C
Free format text: CONFIRMATORY LICENSE;ASSIGNOR:CALIFORNIA, UNIVERSITY OF;REEL/FRAME:009453/0341
Effective date: 19961017
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|May 18, 2006||AS||Assignment|
Owner name: LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL SECURITY, LLC, NEW MEXICO
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, THE;REEL/FRAME:017910/0006
Effective date: 20060417


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Attractions & Culture in Norway
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Bagn Bygdesamling is an open air museum with 17 buildings, situated 5 km south of Bagn, in the municipality of Sør-Aurdal.
This was originally a...
Albin Upp Gallery & Art Café is located in the heart of the city at Briskebyveien 42, where they have created a unique atmosphere in a genuine...
Modern church from 1958, built in traditional style. Call for information about opening hours....
Art gallery, gift shop and exhibition of antiques/old items from Balestrand. Centre of Balestrand.
Balestrand artist duo welcomes you to a unique...
The Forollhogna mountains
Forollhogna National Park is the kingdom of the great reindeer bucks! Forollhogna is often associated with impressive...
Cemetery and chapel inagurated in 1902 behind Vigeland Park. The naturally laid out urn graves with stone settings are from 1939.
Exhibition and sale of handmade jewellery. Exhibitions in the summer season. Arts and crafts market in Strandhaven a weekend in July every year, www....
Marked path from Skromme. 30 minute walk from the bridge by the E-134 highway. Steep but fenced on the uppermost stretch. A deep hole in the rock face...
The Rullestadjuvet Gorge is a dramatic and beautiful part of the Åkrafjord area which is well worth a visit. It is accessable by car and/or by foot....
WINTER FJORDSAFARIExperience the Aurlandsfjord, the UNESCO world heritage Nærøyfjord and the charming little village of Undredal during wintertime....
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Charis Atkinson. Nail Ideas. April 05th , 2017.
If you’re a collector, you need to know by now that some Barbie dolls are rather prone limb breakage as they have brittle joints. Barbie doll collecting is quite a common hobby as a consequence and Mattel estimates that there are over 100,000 those who collect Barbie dolls. The Barbie holiday doll is produced in limited quantities.
You must divide and paint your nails with two colours. In addition, if you would like make your nails appear longer you’re able to push back your cuticles. Just add a little bit of boldness and colour, and your nails will provide you with a fabulous wild appearance. Nail art designs for extended nails and for quick nails are complete by several artists across different cities. If you’ve got long nails, you might try more intricate nail arts.
Possessing a fantastic look daily isn’t only a difficult work but in addition an art. Maintaining your nails is honestly the very best accessory since you only need to do them only about, once weekly. Seeing the ideas you will feel your nails are little canvases on which you are able to paint your fantasies while additionally setting a trend. You’re able to find a notion about the designs appropriate for small nails Simple nail art designs are really great if you comprehend the logic. Nail art home ideas Effortless and all-natural nail arts are a simple concept that’s utilized to amplify the fingernails along with toenails. The idea of nail art isn’t so popular but sure it is a rather huge and extensive field from a beautician standpoint.
If you are a person who adores Red color, you can opt for matt red nail paints. If you are not sure of the color, perchance a French Manicure is for you. There are various colours and textures to select. Leopard prints aren’t for everybody. What’s more, gentle blue and black print is just what you want to complete the look off. Zebra print is particularly gorgeous in conjunction with hot pink. You’re able to actually use an assortment of nail polish colors and mix all of them haphazardly together with the assistance of a sponge.
The plan may be time-consuming, but it’s so well worth it! When you have decided that nail design is something that you enjoy, you might want to put money into quality polishes once you’re comfortable. Cool nail designs will reveal that you’re a cool girl.
Try out something different for every one of your nails and you are going to be surprised. Use a pencil to mark little dots where you would like your nails to go. You also need to continue to keep your nails at a downward angle so once you use the drops close to your cuticle the treatment can spread out and cover your entire fingernail evenly. You will likely find that you should go over nails on the heart more often than once to be able to continue to keep your strings looking uniform. Nail art designs for extended nails and for quick nails are complete by several artists across different cities. Gel nails make it simpler to select any black nail art that is suitable for your mood.
Nail outlines are a substantial trend at the moment, and there are loads of variations for you to try. Summer 2012 enjoys a good selection of nail trends. Get your nails prepared for the summer! If you’re bored of your classic, monotone nail color and need to test out something fun and quirky, continue reading and you may discover the ideal nail art design for any mood you’re in.


The NBA got out of the way yesterday for the Super Bowl, and unfortunately, the Celtics got out of the way for Paul Pierce to hit a late “goodbye Boston, thanks for the memories” three pointer to backdoor cover us. If you read the NCAA beat as well, you’ve already heard me bitch, so I shall stop. All whining is immediately countered with “FALCONS” and I feel less cursed…
If you DO need something to cure your football-is-over blues (and I totally get it – I get sad the day after the Final Four ends each year too. Should I even type that in a forum that people who know me can read?? Hmmm….) Anyhow – if you DO have some pigskin hangover blues, the NBA is a nice remedy tonight. Cleveland at Washington is a fantastic game AND it is televised nationally. The Cavs are, obviously, the defending champs, but Washington has stormed into the #3 spot in the East on the back of a seven game winning streak (11-1, 14-2 runs as well). But let’s keep it real – ALL of that fades to footnote if they don’t win at home against Cavs.
And, as much as you’d probably like me to give you some advice, my advice is “no action.” Momentum screams Washington. Plus, they are at home. But the Cavs have LeBron in a game where people are starting to doubt them. In fact, the Cavs have been an underdog just six times all season long, so it is pretty rare territory (if you are wondering, the Warriors have been an underdog ZERO times this season – not relevant, but a helluva fun fact).
Today’s NBA Pick:
Oklahoma City Thunder at Indiana Pacers -4.5
This line opened at -3.5 and has moved relatively quickly to -4.5 or -5. I think it is has moved for good reason. The Pacers, like a lot of teams in the East seemingly, as catching a nice roll. They have won six straight games to bolster their playoff positioning and all their offseason moves appear to be starting to connect. They were already one of the better home teams in the East and now they are playing good basketball wherever they play. They are 19-6 SU at home this season.
Oklahoma City has had road struggles this season. They are 12-15 on the road straight up and just 5-11 ATS this season as a road underdog.
OKC has won two straight, but both were home games, including the NBA schedule disadvantage of having played last night while Indiana rested. SO – hot team, at home where they are 19-6, hosting a team that played last night and then had to travel and I only have to lay 4.5?? Sounds good to me.
Today’s Pick: Indiana Pacers -4.5


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A new study published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) has confirmed that an Australian e-health exercise program can help prevent falls in older people by up to 20%.
The StandingTall app, developed by Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) and their Falls, Balance and Injury Research Centre, seeks to address the rate of falls in older people through a self-managed exercise program – there are more than 6,000 individual exercises contained within the app – tailored in difficulty to the needs of the user.
The app is designed to be both “scalable and easily incorporated into clinical practice”, with healthcare professionals able to “remotely set up, monitor and tailor the program for their patients,” while concurrently allowing the user “full autonomy” as they use the app.
The BMJ study, led by Professor Kim Delbaere, Senior Principal Research Scientist at the Falls, Balances and Injury Research Centre, involved a two-year trial of 503 senior Australians aged 70 years and older.
It found that while over a 12-month period there wasn’t a “statistically significant” effect on both the rate of falls and the number of injurious falls, there was a significant reduction over the two-year period of the study, with a 20% reduction in the number of people who experienced an “injurious fall”.
According to Professor Delbaere, the results suggest that e-health initiatives like StandingTall may be of benefit to senior Australians going forward.
“For over three decades, falls and fall-related injuries have persistently been a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in older people,” Professor Delbaere said.
“Research has shown that balance exercise programs are among the most effective strategies to prevent falls in older people. This is the first trial to provide evidence that an unsupervised, home-based exercise program using technology designed to improve balance can prevent falls in older community-dwelling people.”
Falls in older people are common: One-third of people over 65 years of age experience a major fall each year, with “half of those falling again in the same year,” according to NeuRA, making falls the leading cause of hospitalisation among older people.
NeuRA, a Sydney-based research centre formed in 1993 and focused on the prevention, treatment and cure of “brain and nervous system diseases, disorders and injuries through medical research”, established the Falls, Balance and Injury Research Centre, led by Professor Stephen Lord, in 2014.
The full BMJ study can be found here, while more information about NeuRA can be found at their website.
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