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Latest question:
How do you think the new GigE standards will influence the machine vision industry?
Respond or ask your question now!
By Kamalina Srikant
National Instruments
Intense global competition is putting pressure on machine builders and integrators to deliver systems with higher throughput, reduced operating cost and more reliability. With many of today�s industries continuing to automate processes, machine vision is showing up in a larger variety of applications to ensure product quality at faster production rates while reducing scrap.
Especially in the current economic climate, industry professionals want to know that when they invest in a system their money will go a long way, and in turn, work for them. With looming upfront costs associated with machinery, components and labor for implementing inspection systems, machine builders need to do their best to instill confidence in their end-users that the system they design will operate as desired.
For machine builders and integrators, the cost and time associated with validating systems as they are deployed for delivery can be very high. Because of this risk, they too want to be able to deliver systems that have undergone as much validation as possible in the earlier stages. This can go well beyond just having chosen the best lighting, lenses and cameras for the customer�s budget and application, and only so much can be done to constrain the system and minimize the environmental variations.
In the real world, reliability cannot be quantified with an absolute yes or no rating. When designing an inspection system, a lot of feasibility testing often is required, and one of the biggest challenges in doing this is finding a way to properly reproduce the exact conditions in which the inspection will take place. Often, the difficulty is in foreseeing all of the conditions that can arise when a system is deployed. Decaying lighting, for example, can affect the captured images, thus affecting the results of image processing algorithms, even when the most well performing algorithms are used.
With the lack of predictive capabilities in a design, it can be difficult to reproduce the real-world conditions that will affect the inspection and tweak the image processing accurately.


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2014 Wood to Energy Grant Program RFP
Overview Information
Catalog of Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number is 10.674
Important Dates:
April 22, 2014 - Issuance of Request for Proposals
June 3, 2014 - Proposal submission deadline
July 29, 2014 - Approximate date for the U.S. Forest Service to notify applicants of results
August 15, 2014 - Approximate date of award
Synopsis of Cooperative Agreement Opportunity:
The U.S Forest Service Wood Education and Resource Center (WERC) requests proposals for wood energy projects that require engineering services necessary for final design and cost analysis. The Hazardous Fuels Wood to Energy (W2E) Grant Program will fund projects for which some or all of the woody biomass is generated from National Forest Service System lands as a result of hazardous fuel treatments, forest restoration activities, insect and disease mitigation, catastrophic weather events, or thinning overstocked stands. Projects that use woody biomass from multiple land ownerships (State, Tribal, or private lands) and multiple sources (wood products facilities, urban wood waste, etc.) will be considered as long as some of the woody biomass is generated from National Forest System lands. Projects that do not anticipate using any wood from National Forest System lands will not be eligible.
Federal Register Announcement
Application Instructions and Forms
Regional Forest Service Contacts
Frequently Asked Questions & Definitions of Terms
Evaluation Criteria Descriptions
Overview webcast about the 2014 Wood to Energy Request for Proposals, May 1, 2014

subset: commoncrawl


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Comforting Chicken A La King Recipe
- 4 individually frozen biscuits
- 1-3/4 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- 1/4 cup chopped celery
- 1/3 cup butter, cubed
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup milk
- 2 cups cubed cooked chicken
- 2 tablespoons diced pimientos
- 1. Bake biscuits according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute the mushrooms, onion and celery in butter until crisp-tender. Stir in flour and salt until blended. Gradually stir in broth and milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.
- 2. Add chicken and pimientos; heat through. Serve with biscuits. Yield: 4 servings.
Nutritional Facts
1 each: 550 calories, 34g fat (15g saturated fat), 110mg cholesterol, 1169mg sodium, 35g carbohydrate (8g sugars, 2g fiber), 29g protein.
Reviews for Comforting Chicken A La King
Average Rating
"Great basic recipe. I added peas instead of green pepper, garlic, a splash of sherry and a dollop of sour cream."
"Great basic recipe. I used peas instead of green peppers. Also added garlic, a splash of sherry and a dollop of sour cream."
"Great recipe, clear and simple. The only thing I added was a touch of tarragon. The family raved, so I will make it again. I like simple recipes so I can add my personal touch once I am used to making it."
"easy basic recipe but it a needed a bit more flavor and liquid. Added several chopped cloves of garlic, several tablespoons of cream sherry and about an1/8th cup more milk. delicious..."
"Serve this over your favorite cornbread recipe! It's a winner!"
"I love it. Great comfort food. I do add a bit more salt, but not much."
"bland but tastes good"
"This was pretty good! Will make it again."
"Delicious! I left out the celery and added maybe 1 tsp of celery salt. I also used heavy cream instead of milk and the sauce was incredibly silky. It was really yummy!"
"I liked it, it was easy to prepare and tasted good. We had company and they really liked it as well. I used puffed pastry shells instead of biscuits. I like it better with the puffed pastry."
"Recipe was perfect. Had to use soy milk as I have a dairy allergy, otherwise followed as written. Husband loved it and will be used regularly at our easy Sunday evening meal. Serve this over homemade waffles - great."
"Excellent comfort food. I had the flu and knew I had to eat something. I used the meat off the rest of a store-bought rotisserie chicken, added a well drained can of peas and carrots and omitted the celery since I didn't have any. It really hit the spot! It's what I call a "feel-good" food. Thank you."
"Awesome!!! Folled exactly and it was so yummy....Thanks"
"easy and so good!"
"I love this recipe...instead of the celery, I added finely chopped green pepper and I serve this in potato baskets."
"grew up on this comfort food!! Best served over mashed potatoes!!!"
"This was a very simple recipe to make. I had never put pimentos in ala king before but liked it. I made homemade biscuits that were large and smothered them in a bowl. Even my son liked it"
"this was the best ever and easyto make"
"It was very good for a quick version I used heavy cream in place of milk"
"This recipe had a great consistency and lots of flavor! I upped the recipe to make more because i made 8 bisquits. I added a cup and a half of milk and a cup and a half of chicken broth and 1/3 cup of flour. I did not have mushrooms or celery so i put a chopped up sweet red pepper, half an onion, and 1/3 cup of corn. I added as much chicken as i felt necessary. I will make this again!"
"My husband loves this dish. I didn't use as much mushrooms as he isn't a fan and I added a cup of frozen peas/carrots. Very good will definetly be making this again."
"Very easy! I added carrots and corn. This should have more ratings!"
"wonderful! gave this recipe to friends.they love it as well!"
"very easy to make, enjoyable!"
"Absolutely my fav recipe for chicken a la King. I used pillsbury refrigerated biscuits and added about 3/4 cup of thawed small vegs (corn, peas, beans). Sauce was nice and creamy and leftovers were great also."
"loved this recipe!!! Very easy to make and so very good to eat. I changed it up a bit and substituted carrots for the mushrooms. I also poured mine over rice instead of the biscuits. Highly recommend this recipe and I will definitely make again and again."
"Wonderful. Great flavor as when prepared as directed. I did add peas, carrots and some corn."
"I loved this recipe. I added a teaspoon of chicken bouillon paste instead of salt. Also, I am not fond of pimentos, so I substituted capers. Yum."
"haven't tried it yet but I plan on making it soon. Sounds and looks delicious."
"Wow! A wonderful blast from the past! and so easy, too. Had to leave the celery out, but everything else went in. I agree with the biscuits being a nice touch. Toast is how I'd always had it before. Not anymore (:"
"Very tasty. Will make again."
"love it! I could have it once a week if myhusband would not tire of it....wonderful!"
"I loved this recipe. Added peas and carrots and left out the mushrooms because of an allergy. My husband wants the leftovers for lunch tomorrow. I will make this again and again. Thanks for a great recipe!!"
"I really liked this dish. Will definitely make it again and again and again."
"I served this over "Fluffy Biscuits" from this site--delicious! This is a good, old-fashioned recipe for everyone's recipe file, in my opinion."
"I added some frozen peas & carrots to have more vegies. Great Recipe! Very easy & tasty!"


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7 Min Read
* FTSE up 0.3 percent
* Financials, miners rally as "Bazooka" bailout deal eyed
* Retailers fall, UK data heightens recession worries
By David Brett
LONDON Dec 7 (Reuters) - Financial and mining stocks led Britain's top share index higher Wednesday on reports European leaders were planning a bolstered bailout fund, although early gains were pared as more woeful UK data heightened recession fears.
London's blue chip index added 17.37 points or 0.3 percent to 5,586.09 by 1152 GMT, off an intraday high of 5,631.88.
The Financial Times reported eleventh hour talks had begun to create a bigger financial "bazooka" to present to the European Union Summit on Thursday and Friday.
The UK's benchmark index has gained around 9 percent from the closing low on Nov. 24, as hopes have built that a solution to Europe's ongoing debt crisis might be imminent.
Riskier assets such as banks and insurers , those with most to gain from a successful debt package as it would shore up confidence in the financial system, have led the rally.
Insurance buyout vehicle Resolution added 3.8 percent as Deutsche Bank upgraded its rating on the company to "buy" from "hold", in a review of the European insurance sector.
"Despite continuing Euro uncertainty we remain constructive on the insurers' efforts to better manage risk and to improve operationally," Deutsche Bank said.
The mining sector rallied too, having lost around a quarter of its value in 2011, on the hope that any deal in Europe would help lubricate the cogs of the global financial system and boost demand in the sector.
Citigroup remained bullish on European equities, which it said are poised to deliver returns of 15-20 percent in 2012, despite a likely recession in the euro zone next year, owing to cheap valuations, expected policy changes in the region and with no global recession in sight, although it leaned towards defensives in selecting favoured stocks.
The brokerage said it favoured industries with international exposure and low leverage, and was "overweight" on health care, oil and gas, basic resources, personal and household goods insurance and food and beverage companies.
Concerns lingered, however, over the performance of the broader economy and doubts that European politicians would strike a deal to solve the two-year old crisis.
After S&P warned on Tuesday of potential downgrades en masse for euro zone nations, a Reuters poll of economists showed France will lose its AAA credit rating early next year regardless of last-ditch efforts by President Nicolas Sarkozy to resolve the euro zone crisis at an EU summit this week, providing another potential stumbling block for EU leaders looking for potential investors in a bolstered bailout fund.
In the UK, British industrial output fell at its fastest pace in six months in October, reinforcing concerns the economy may be sliding into recession after a string of weak business surveys.
Those fears weighed on the retailers, which underperformed FTSE 100 gains on concerns over the outlook for the sector.
Kesa fell 8.2 percent after the electricals retailer swung to a fist-half loss.
That followed a shock profit warning in the previous session from German giant Metro and downbeat economic data from Europe, with the potential for more falls to come, JPMorgan says in a note.
"Our cautious outlook on European retail has been reinforced by a series of profit warnings over the last few weeks," the bank said. "With three weeks still remaining to Christmas, the outlook is worsening daily both in the UK and Europe and we still perceive considerable risk to estimates across the board."
Burberry bucked the weaker trend, gaining 0.8 percent as Liberum Capital started coverage of the luxury goods firm with a "buy" rating and 1,535 pence 12-month price target.
"Burberry has reached an inflexion point. After more than a decade of restructuring, the cost of sorting out legacy issues and investment in a growth platform, is set to fade as both sales and margins accelerate," said Liberum in a note.
Elsewhere, ICAP dropped 4.8 percent as traders cited the impact of a downgrade in rating of the inter-dealer broker by Morgan Stanley to "equal-weight" from "overweight".
Ex-dividend factors clipped 0.43 point off the FTSE 100 index, with AB Foods and Investec both trading without their dividend attractions.
Investec could also be one of three companies to leave the FTSE 100 when the latest quarterly reshuffle of the index is announced after the London market close on Wednesday.
Inmarsat and Lonmin are also expected to be demoted to the FTSE 250.
Across the Atlantic, the latest weekly mortgage and refinancing indexes were released at 1200 GMT, with U.S. consumer credit numbers for October due at 2000 GMT, as investors search for rays of light in an otherwise gloomy economic outlook.
* For related prices, Reuters Terminal users may click on - * UK stock report FTSE index: techMARK 100 index: FTSE futures: <0#FFI:> Gilt futures: <0#FLG:> Smallcap index: FTSE 250 index: FTSE 350 index: Market digest: Top 10 by vol: Top price gainers: Top % gainers: Top price losers: Top % losers: * For related news, click on - * UK hot stocks: [HOT&GB] Wall Street: Gilts report: Euro bond report Pan European stock report: Tokyo stocks: HK stocks: Sterling report: Dollar report: * For company prices, click on - * Company directory: By sector: * For pan-European market data and news, click on - * Daily European stocks report........................ European Equities speed guide................ FTSE Eurotop 300 index........................... DJ STOXX index................................... Top 10 STOXX sectors........................ Top 10 EUROSTOXX sectors................... Top 10 Eurotop 300 sectors.................. Top 25 European pct gainers.................... Top 25 European pct losers..................... (Editing by Helen Massy-Beresford)