text: Sprout Genome and Subsystem Database A [i]genome[/i] contains the sequence data for a particular individual organism. Genus of the relevant organism. RandParam('streptococcus', 'staphyloccocus', 'felis', 'homo', 'ficticio', 'strangera', 'escherischia', 'carborunda') Species of the relevant organism. StringGen('PKVKVKVKVKV') The unique characterization identifies the particular organism instance from which the genome is taken. It is possible to have in the database more than one genome for a particular species, and every individual organism has variations in its DNA. StringGen('PKVKVK999') The access code determines which users can look at the data relating to this genome. Each user is associated with a set of access codes. In order to view a genome, one of the user's access codes must match this value. RandParam('low','medium','high') TRUE if the genome is complete, else FALSE The taxonomy string contains the full taxonomy of the organism, while individual elements separated by semi-colons (and optional white space), starting with the domain and ending with the disambiguated genus and species (which is the organism's scientific name plus an identifying string). join('; ', (RandParam('bacteria', 'archaea', 'eukaryote', 'virus', 'environmental'), ListGen('PKVKVKVK', 5), $this->{genus}, $this->{species})) The group identifies a special grouping of organisms that would be displayed on a particular page or of particular interest to a research group or web site. A single genome can belong to multiple such groups or none at all. This index allows the applications to find all genomes associated with a specific access code, so that a complete list of the genomes users can view may be generated. This index allows the applications to find all genomes for a particular species. A [i]source[/i] describes a place from which genome data was taken. This can be an organization or a paper citation. URL the paper cited or of the organization's web site. This field optional. "http://www.conservativecat.com/Ferdy/TestTarget.php?Source=" . $this->{id} Description the source. The description can be a street address or a citation. $this->{id} . ': ' . StringGen(IntGen(50,200)) A [i]contig[/i] is a contiguous run of residues. The contig's ID consists of the genome ID followed by a name that identifies which contig this is for the parent genome. As is the case with all keys in this database, the individual components are separated by a period. [p]A contig can contain over a million residues. For performance reasons, therefore, the contig is split into multiple pieces called [i]sequences[/i]. The sequences contain the characters that represent the residues as well as data on the quality of the residue identification. A [i]sequence[/i] is a continuous piece of a [i]contig[/i]. Contigs are split into sequences so that we don't have to have the entire contig in memory when we are manipulating it. The key of the sequence is the contig ID followed by the index of the begin point. String consisting of the residues. Each residue is described by a single character in the string. RandChars("ACGT", IntGen(100,400)) String describing the quality data for each base pair. Individual values will be separated by periods. The value represents negative exponent of the probability of error. Thus, for example, a quality of 30 indicates the probability of error is 10^-30. A higher quality number a better chance of a correct match. It is possible that the quality data is not known for a sequence. If that is the case, the quality vector will contain the [b]unknown[/b]. unknown A [i]feature[/i] is a part of a genome that is of special interest. Features may be spread across multiple contigs of a genome, but never across more than one genome. Features can be assigned to roles via spreadsheet cells, and are the targets of annotation. Code indicating the type of this feature. RandParam('peg','rna') Alternative name for this feature. A feature can have many aliases. StringGen('Pgi|99999', 'Puni|XXXXXX', 'PAAAAAA999') [i](optional)[/i] A translation of this feature's residues into character codes, formed by concatenating the pieces of the feature together. For a protein encoding group, this is the protein characters. For other types it is the DNA characters. Upstream sequence the feature. This includes residues preceding the feature as well as some of the feature's initial residues. TRUE if this feature is still considered valid, FALSE if it has been logically deleted. 1 Web hyperlink for this feature. A feature have no hyperlinks or it can have many. The links are to other websites that have useful about the gene that the feature represents, and are coded as raw HTML, using [b][i]text[/i][/b] notation. 'http://www.conservativecat.com/Ferdy/TestTarget.php?Source=' . $this->{id} . "&Number=" . IntGen(1,99) This index allows the user to find the feature corresponding to the specified alias name. A [i]role[/i] describes a biological function that may be fulfilled by a feature. One of the main goals of the database is to record the roles of the various features. Expanded name of the role. This value is generally only available for roles that are encoded as EC numbers. StringGen(IntGen(20,40)) . "(" . $this->{id} . ")" Abbreviated name for the role, generally non-unique, but useful in column headings for HTML tables. An [i]annotation[/i] contains supplementary information about a feature. Annotations are currently the only objects that may be inserted directly into the database. All other information is loaded from data exported by the SEED. [p]Each annotation is associated with a target [b]Feature[/b]. The key of the annotation is the target feature ID followed by a timestamp. Date and time of the annotation. Text of the annotation. A [i]reaction[/i] is a chemical process catalyzed by a protein. The reaction ID is generally a small number preceded by a letter. HTML string containing a link to a web location that describes the reaction. This field is optional. TRUE if this reaction is reversible, else FALSE A [i]compound[/i] is a chemical that participates in a reaction. All compounds have a unique ID and may also have one or more names. Priority of a compound name. The name with the loweset priority is the main name of this compound. Descriptive name for the compound. A compound may have several names. Chemical Abstract Service ID for this compound (optional). This index allows the user to find the compound corresponding to the specified name. This index allows the user to access the compound names in priority order. A [i]subsystem[/i] is a collection of roles that work together in a cell. Identification of subsystems is an important tool for recognizing parallel genetic features in different organisms. Name of the person currently in charge of the subsystem. Descriptive notes about the subsystem. A [i]role subset[/i] is a named collection of roles in a particular subsystem. The subset names are generally very short, non-unique strings. The ID of the parent subsystem is prefixed to the subset ID in order to make it unique. A [i]genome subset[/i] is a named collection of genomes that participate in a particular subsystem. The subset names are generally very short, non-unique strings. The ID of the parent subsystem is prefixed to the subset ID in order to make it unique. Part of the process of locating and assigning features is creating a spreadsheet of genomes and roles to which features are assigned. A [i]spreadsheet cell[/i] represents one of the positions on the spreadsheet. A [i]user[/i] is a person who can make annotations and view data in the database. The user object is keyed on the user's login name. Full name or description of this user. Access code possessed by this user. A user can have many access codes; a genome is accessible to the user if its access code matches any one of the user's access codes. RandParam('low', 'medium', 'high') A [i]property[/i] is a type of assertion that could be made about the properties of a particular feature. Each property instance is a key/value pair and can be associated with many different features. Conversely, a feature can be associated with many key/value pairs, even some that notionally contradict each other. For example, there can be evidence that a feature is essential to the organism's survival and evidence that it is superfluous. Name of this property. Value associated with this property. For each property name, there must by a property record for all of its possible values. This index enables the application to find all values for a specified property name, or any given name/value pair. A functional diagram describes the chemical reactions, often comprising a single subsystem. A diagram is identified by a short name and contains a longer descriptive name. The actual diagram shows which functional roles guide the reactions along with the inputs and outputs; the database, however, only indicate which roles belong to a particular map. Descriptive name of this diagram. An external alias is a feature name for a functional assignment that is not a FIG ID. Functional assignments for external aliases are kept in a separate section of the database. This table contains a description of the relevant organism for an external alias functional assignment. Descriptive name of the target organism for this external alias. An external alias is a feature name for a functional assignment that is not a FIG ID. Functional assignments for external aliases are kept in a separate section of the database. This table contains the functional role for the external alias functional assignment. Functional role for this external alias. A coupling is a relationship between two features. The features are physically close on the contig, and there is evidence that they generally belong together. The key of this entity is formed by combining the coupled feature IDs with a space. A number based on the set of PCHs (pairs of close homologs). A PCH indicates that two genes near each other on one genome are very similar to genes near each other on another genome. The score only counts PCHs for which the genomes are very different. (In other words, we have a pairing that persists between different organisms.) A higher score implies a stronger meaning to the clustering. A PCH (physically close homolog) connects a clustering (which is a pair of physically close features on a contig) to a second pair of physically close features that are similar to the first. Essentially, the PCH is a relationship between two clusterings in which the first clustering's features are similar to the second clustering's features. The simplest model for this would be to simply relate clusterings to each other; however, not all physically close pairs qualify as clusterings, so we relate a clustering to a pair of features. The key is the clustering key followed by the IDs of the features in the second pair. TRUE if this PCH is used in scoring the attached clustering, else FALSE. If a clustering has a PCH for a particular genome and many similar genomes are present, then a PCH will probably exist for the similar genomes as well. When this happens, only one of the PCHs will be scored: the others are considered duplicates of the same evidence. This relationship connects a feature to all the functional couplings in which it participates. A functional coupling is a recognition of the fact that the features are close to each other on a chromosome, and similar features in other genomes also tend to be close. Ordinal position of the feature in the coupling. Currently, this is either "1" or "2". This index enables the application to view the features of a coupling in the proper order. The order influences the way the PCHs are examined. This relationship connects a functional coupling to the physically close homologs (PCHs) which affirm that the coupling is meaningful. This relationship connects a PCH to the features that represent its evidence. Each PCH is connected to a parent coupling that relates two features on a specific genome. The PCH's evidence that the parent coupling is functional is the existence of two physically close features on a different genome that correspond to the features in the coupling. Those features are found on the far side of this relationship. Ordinal position of the feature in the coupling that corresponds to our target feature. There is a one-to-one correspondence between the features connected to the PCH by this relationship and the features connected to the PCH's parent coupling. The ordinal position is used to decode that relationship. Currently, this field is either "1" or "2". This index enables the application to view the features of a PCH in the proper order. This relationship connects a genome to the contigs that contain the actual genetic information. This relationship connects a genome to the sources that mapped it. A genome can come from a single source or from a cooperation among multiple sources. A contig is stored in the database as an ordered set of sequences. By splitting the contig into sequences, we get a performance boost from only needing to keep small portions of a contig in memory at any one time. This relationship connects the contig to its constituent sequences. Length of the sequence. Index (1-based) of the point in the contig where this sequence starts. This index enables the application to find all of the sequences in a contig in order, and makes it easier to find a particular residue section. This relationship connects a feature to its annotations. This relationship connects an annotation to the user who made it. This relationship connects subsystems to the genomes that use it. If the subsystem has been curated for the genome, then the subsystem's roles will also be connected to the genome features through the [b]SSCell[/b] object. Numeric code indicating the subsystem variant to which this genome belongs. Each subsystem can have multiple variants. A variant code of [b]-1[/b] indicates that the genome's roles apply to all variants. A variant code of [b]0[/b] indicates that the genome's participation is considered iffy. This index enables the application to find all of the genomes using a subsystem in order by variant code, which is how we wish to display them in the spreadsheets. This relationship connects roles to the subsystems that implement them. Column number for this role in the specified subsystem's spreadsheet. This index enables the application to see the subsystem roles in column order. The ordering of the roles is usually significant, so it is important to preserve it. This relationship connects a subsystem's spreadsheet cell to the genome for the spreadsheet column. This relationship connects a subsystem's spreadsheet cell to the role for the spreadsheet row. This relationship connects a subsystem's spreadsheet cell to the features assigned to it. ID of this feature's cluster. Clusters represent families of related proteins participating in a subsystem. This relationship connects a reaction to the compounds that participate in it. TRUE if the compound is a product of the reaction, FALSE if it is a substrate. When a reaction is written on paper in chemical notation, the substrates are left of the arrow and the products are to the right. Sorting on this field will cause the substrates to appear first, followed by the products. If the reaction is reversible, then the notion of substrates and products is not at intuitive; however, a value here of FALSE still puts the compound left of the arrow and a value of TRUE still puts it to the right. Number of molecules of the compound that participate in a single instance of the reaction. For example, if a reaction produces two water molecules, the stoichometry of water for the reaction would be two. When a reaction is written on paper in chemical notation, the stoichometry is the number next to the chemical formula of the compound. TRUE if this compound is one of the main participants in the reaction, else FALSE. It is permissible for none of the compounds in the reaction to be considered main, in which case this value would be FALSE for all of the relevant compounds. An optional character string that indicates the relative position of this compound in the reaction's chemical formula. The location affects the way the compounds present as we cross the relationship from the reaction side. The product/substrate flag comes first, then the value of this field, then the main flag. The default value is an empty string; however, the empty string sorts first, so if this field is used, it should probably be used for every compound in the reaction. This index presents the compounds in the reaction in the order they should be displayed when writing it in chemical notation. All the substrates appear before all the products, and within that ordering, the main compounds appear first. This relationship connects a feature to the contig segments that work together to effect it. The segments are numbered sequentially starting from 1. The database is required to place an upper limit on the length of each segment. If a segment is longer than the maximum, it can be broken into smaller bits. [p]The upper limit enables applications to locate all features that contain a specific residue. For example, if the upper limit is 100 and we are looking for a feature that contains residue 234 of contig [b]ABC[/b], we can look for features with a begin point between 135 and 333. The results can then be filtered by direction and length of the segment. Sequence number of this segment. Index (1-based) of the first residue in the contig that belongs to the segment. Number of residues in the segment. A length of 0 identifies a specific point between residues. This is the point before the residue if the direction is forward and the point after the residue if the direction is backward. Direction of the segment: [b]+[/b] if it is forward and [b]-[/b] if it is backward. This index allows the application to find all the segments of a feature in the proper order. This index is the one used by applications to find all the feature segments that contain a specific residue. This relationship is one of two that relate features to each other. It connects features that are very similar but on separate genomes. A bidirectional best hit relationship exists between two features [b]A[/b] and [b]B[/b] if [b]A[/b] is the best match for [b]B[/b] on [b]A[/b]'s genome and [b]B[/b] is the best match for [b]A[/b] on [b]B[/b]'s genome. ID of the genome containing the target (to) feature. score for this relationship This index allows the application to find a feature's best hit for a specific target genome. This relationship connects a feature to its known property values. The relationship contains text data that indicates the paper or organization that discovered evidence that the feature possesses the property. So, for example, if two papers presented evidence that a feature is essential, there would be an instance of this relationship for both. URL or citation of the paper or institution that reported evidence of the relevant feature possessing the specified property value. This relationship connects a role to the diagrams on which it appears. A role frequently identifies an enzyme, and can appear in many diagrams. A diagram generally contains many different roles. This relationship connects a subsystem to the spreadsheet cells used to analyze and display it. The cells themselves can be thought of as a grid with Roles on one axis and Genomes on the other. The various features of the subsystem are then assigned to the cells. This relationship identifies the users trusted by each particular user. When viewing functional assignments, the assignment displayed is the most recent one by a user trusted by the current user. The current user implicitly trusts himself. If no trusted users are specified in the database, the user also implicitly trusts the user [b]FIG[/b]. This relationship connects a role subset to the roles that it covers. A subset is, essentially, a named group of roles belonging to a specific subsystem, and this relationship effects that. Note that will a role may belong to many subsystems, a subset belongs to only one subsystem, and all roles in the subset must have that subsystem in common. This relationship connects a subset to the genomes that it covers. A subset is, essentially, a named group of genomes participating in a specific subsystem, and this relationship effects that. Note that while a genome may belong to many subsystems, a subset belongs to only one subsystem, and all genomes in the subset must have that subsystem in common. This relationship connects a subsystem to its constituent role subsets. Note that some roles in a subsystem may not belong to a subset, so the relationship between roles and subsystems cannot be derived from the relationships going through the subset. This relationship connects a subsystem to its constituent genome subsets. Note that some genomes in a subsystem may not belong to a subset, so the relationship between genomes and subsystems cannot be derived from the relationships going through the subset. This relationship connects a role to the reactions it catalyzes. The purpose of a role is to create proteins that trigger certain chemical reactions. A single reaction can be triggered by many roles, and a role can trigger many reactions.


text: Armchair observation from the sideline: this young Eric must be a tough hombre if can keep up with Sean. I am enjoying reading both Bob's and Sean's daily reports, but would much prefer joining in the action. It looks like a large group of folks signed up, but from my past 8 SC's experience you never no exactly how many people will show up at 6am and what training has been done in preparation. Good luck to everyone from the old guy in the northwest corner of the U.S.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Posts Tagged 'Alan Watts'
Peter Voulkos: Untitled, 1961
This is the first in a series of posts about Peter Voulkos, focused on individual artworks. All images used are copyright of The Estate of Peter Voulkos, by photographer Gabriel Seri.
What is it about the presence of a stunning piece of pottery? What makes us sense the rhythm of relationships, and what communicates the tactile nature of the medium of ceramics? I've wondered why, out of the thousands of pots I've had the chance to view and to hold, some stand out. At the very top of my list is a 1961 vase by Peter Voulkos. Let's take a deeper look at one pot.
Untitled, 1961 is a superb example of the strong, quickly thrown, and sparsely glazed vase form—modified by sgraffito and loosely brushed glazes. First of all, it's large: a little over 13 inches high, by 7 inches wide. It's also important to feel the weight of the piece (12 pounds), to understand the mass of clay that was used; this is not a dainty flower vase, but one that has a rustic, raw heft. When handling this thrown cylindrical vessel, I noticed how throwing marks remain on the white glazed interior. Large, and almost conforming to the size of fingers, those marks are interrupted on the inside by four long vertical creases, evidence of the fingers pulling up and pushing out—creating a four-sided vase, with a slight bulge at the mid-point. While other potters might have paddled the thrown cylinder into such a shape, Voulkos cut the outer shape four times with a taut wire to make this form's sides. He rapidly and intuitively set up the structure, ready for his next step.
By changing the tapered cylindrical form into a four-sided open vessel, Voulkos gave himself the chance to place four simple, but deeply incised marks: a circle, an "X", a vertical slash and a horizontal slash. These are evidently cut into the surface with a knife: an incision for the "O" and the "X", and a deeper knife cut for the horizontal and the vertical slashes. The latter two are pushed out from the interior, opening the wounds and widening the cuts, but never altering those gestures after making them. In this way, the pot reveals the synergy of Voulkos' hand and his effortless mastery of the properties of the medium. Take a look at the four sides here:
Color is reduced to a familiar palette of simple glazes, common to Voulkos' work during this period. As he once described, there was a bucket of black glaze, a bucket of white glaze, and a bucket brown, sometimes one of blue. That was all. But it's the loose, painterly way they are handled that makes them contribute to the improvisational nature of the piece. In fact, the glaze treatment is perfectly in tune with the incisions made into the surface, some of which remain on the sand-colored, groggy clay body—left totally raw. As for spontaneity: just let the drips fall where they may.
What does this all mean? First of all, we see the skilled physicality of his dance with the material. Voulkos worked deliberately, with improvisation and without preconception. His previous experience (during the years 1949 to 1954 he won 29 prizes, medals and competitions for his technical skills) gave him the fluid and confident gestures within material and form, as if he were a musician improvising on a theme. The second thing to notice is the presence of the hand, and the trace it leaves. Ceramics are the most tactile of mediums: haptic communication, the most basic, is everywhere in this piece. Holding the piece gives me a direct understanding of its form, and my hands can trace the movement of his.
What do the marks mean? Probably nothing. It's ludicrous to say that we know. They are an expression that is simple and probably void. Voulkos may have just been saying that: nothingness, as shown in the zero; a crossing of lines, as shown in the X, and two basic properties of horizontality and verticality. An aesthetic can be understood, though, by the striking simplicity and placement of the marks. There is a rightness to those gestures, not laden with references or meaning—just a record of the interaction of an individual with his medium, with effortless perfection.
Is that Zen? Some may claim that it is, but as it turns out, that's a pretty dubious and probably false idea. There's very little hard evidence that artists of his circle had a deep understanding of Zen Buddhism. Yes, Shoji Hamada had famously done pottery demonstrations in his tours of the U.S. with Yanagi Sōetsu, but their message was about the preservation of Japanese folk handicraft (Mingei). And in 1954, it is possible that Voulkos saw works by Rosanjin, a well-known Japanese ceramicist, on exhibition at the Los Angeles County Museum in Exposition Park. While a few potters (like Paul Soldner and Mac McClain) report that they passed around thin paperbacks about Zen (possibly by authors D.T. Suzuki and Alan Watts) or listened to lectures, none had formally committed to the life of a Zen Buddhist monk. And, for that matter, none had traveled to Asian countries to see monasteries or kiln sites, until Ken Price went to Japan in 1962. Later, Paul Soldner traveled and met the Raku family, finally learning that his version of American Raku had misunderstood the centuries-old tradition.
There were joking references in the air, which loosely interpreted the rustic simplicity of works reproduced in books, but a deeper understanding of the rigorous discipline eluded most of the ceramic artists. Los Angeles painter John McLaughlin was a true student of Buddhism (and an authority on Japanese prints); McLaughlin had first hand experience. Later, one of the original artists in the Ferus gallery, Alan Lynch, became a Zen monk, in a Zen community in Paris and then in North Carolina. But Voulkos was much more known to be a heavy drinker, and preferred to play Flamenco music.
On the other hand, perhaps Voulkos was a master, in a different dimension: that of a no-rules consciousness, where the mind is free of concepts, and open to the void. He embodied pure skill and simple but marvelous intuition. So, indeed, does this vase.


text:
When most people tackle DIY projects related to airports, it's usually some kind of over-the-top commercial airline simulator. But not Ben Krasnow. He took a decidedly different approach by building his own X-ray backscatter machine using various parts found on eBay.
The final results aren't quite as instant as the machines deployed by airport security though. In fact, Ben needs to use a separate digital camera to capture a long-exposure image of an oscilloscope to truly see what something or someone is hiding. But he can rest assured knowing that his holiday guests aren't trying to smuggle any contraband into his home. "I'm sorry ma'am, but you're going to need to throw out that mac and cheese or squeeze it into an approved container." [YouTube via Geekosystem]


text:
Dancing With The Stars Makes Top 10 List Of America's Most Watched TV Shows, TV Ratings Talk
While most media outlets like to carry on about how Dancing With The Stars is on it's last legs, TV Guide is reporting that Dancing With The Stars is one of America's Most Watched TV Programs of the 2012-2013 TV Season! Yes, the viewership numbers may be declining some, but, Dancing With The Stars is still hanging in there strong (in my opinion). Check out these overall rankings and numbers. Other shows out there would give anything to have rankings and numbers like this….
1. NCIS CBS 21.6 million
2. SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL NBC 21.0 million
3. THE BIG BANG THEORY CBS 19.0 million
4. NCIS: LOS ANGELES CBS 17.5 million
5. PERSON OF INTEREST CBS 16.2 million
6. AMERICAN IDOL (Wednesday) Fox 15.1 million
7. DANCING WITH THE STARS (Monday) ABC 15.0 million
8. AMERICAN IDOL (Thursday) Fox 14.8 million
9. THE VOICE (Monday) NBC 14.4 million*
10. THE WALKING DEAD AMC 14.3 million
11. DANCING WITH THE STARS (Tuesday) ABC 14.0 million
12. TWO AND A HALF MEN CBS 13.9 million
13. THE VOICE (Tuesday) NBC 13.5 million
14. BLUE BLOODS CBS 13.3 million
15. ELEMENTARY CBS 13.0 million
You can read the full article and see more rankings at TV Guide.
And while we are on the subject, you can view how the finale shows ranked for Dancing With The Stars Season 16 below. Note how both shows were the two most watched tv programs from May 20-26th. From USA Today via Nielson's Ratings….
1. Dancing With the Stars Results ABC 15.2 13.8
2. Dancing With the Stars ABC 15.0 14.9
3. Criminal Minds CBS 11.0 12.3
4. The Voice NBC 10.8 14.3
5. The Voice NBC 10.2 13.5
6. Modern Family ABC 10.0 12.4
7. Big Bang Theory CBS 9.1 18.5
8. Hawaii Five-0 CBS 9.0 10.5
9. Tornado Coverage NBC 8.2
10. Mike & Molly CBS 7.9 10.3
Let's see what Miss Heidi thinks….
Heidi: That's nice and all, but that's total viewers, not the key demographic. DWTS still sucks in that area. 🙂 But the total viewers numbers are the reason why I don't think the performance show is going anywhere for a while. Yes, the demo is important, but it's still getting viewers on Monday night. The way the Voice ratings drop like a stone once the blind auditions are over makes me wonder if NBC will consider changing them to a weaker TV night – they should. I've never understood the asinine competition between the networks – don't you want to put your shows against WEAKER shows so you get great numbers, instead of piling them all into one night trying to knock another great show out?? Moronic. So, all the great TV seems to be on Sunday and Monday…while Friday and Saturday are a wasteland (as is Thursday). Come on, execs – it's 2013. People aren't watching TV live…and most DVRs can only record two shows at a time. Quit looking at the Nielsens and find a new way. For that matter, DWTS producers might have to find a new way too – one reason that DWTS might not survive in the long haul is cost. It can't be cheap to produce that show like it is most reality shows. Watch for a post from me on this topic. It interests me. 🙂
Vogue: Heidi, I so agree. One of my favorite TV shows is DALLAS. They aired the second season on a Monday night against all of these huge shows and then they wonder why it's ratings dropped. I wish they had left it alone and kept it airing in the summer on a Saturday night, but, it's all about what the advertisers want now days. I hate that they have so much control. They will only end up hurting shows instead of helping them.


text:
Quick update on the Tbird:
Did the battery relocate and installed a ford Taurus electric fan. Pos relay kit I originally bought was garbage so I ordered a flex-a-lite 45amp kit. (Still waiting for it to come in)
Also bought a set of upr front coilovers but unfortunately they wouldn't work. Castor camber plates bolt holes didn't line up and sleeves were too small to fit over the Tbird shocks. Just ordered drop springs.
wheels may come next.


text:
Our shorts, pants and skirts are versatile wardrobe staples for effortless style every season. Dressy shorts are ideal for warm-weather getaways and our skirt silhouettes range from flirty fitted minis to long and flowing maxis in our signature prints. Casual days call for our athletic-inspired jogger pants, whether you dress them up with a blouse or pair them with a tee for a laid-back look. From slim cuts to wide legs, our tailored trousers look pulled-together styled with heels for work or worn with sneakers on off-duty days.
You're totally in! Here's your code: PK17NY15
Let's Shop!
Sign up and receive 15% off your first purchase.


text: Outsourcing is a highly attractive strategy in today's economic environment and competitive global market. Enterprises outsource a variety of functions to third parties to reduce costs and time to market, free up resources to concentrate on core capabilities, and gain a competitive edge. Global outsourcing offers these substantial benefits, but also poses some notable information security challenges. Vormetric data security solutions from Thales eSecurity can help outsourcing service providers protect their customers' data.


text:
The Challenges of Trading Small Futures Accounts
One of the reasons many traders gravitate towards trading Futures is the relatively low start-up cost. For example, it usually requires about $30,000 to open a stock day trading account and you must maintain at least $25,000 to keep your day trading status. The Futures market allows you to open an account for as little as $5,000, and best of all, you do not have to maintain that amount. As long as you have sufficient cash in your account to cover the margin required to trade the Commodity, you can actually have a balance of $700 – $800 and still trade Futures. Margin is a percentage (usually 3-9%) of the full contract value.
We would all like to trade an account that has several thousands of dollars in it, but realistically, most traders have small accounts. These accounts are still tradable, but you must have very strict risk management. Because you will be operating on razor thin account size, you don't have much room for mistakes or large losses. If you do have a small account of $2,000 and you suffer a large loss of $1,200, you might not have enough cash in your account to open another trade until you deposit more funds. When accounts are less than $1,000, most traders can only day trade until the account is larger.
Trading Futures as a Small Account Trader
When trading an undercapitalized account, you will find it much more difficult than trading a larger account. When your account has excess funds, you can build a buffer to help protect you against the inevitable mistakes and account drawdowns due to losses. Unfortunately, small accounts do not allow you this comfort level. Larger accounts also allow a trader to be more diversified and flexible in their market choices to trade. Another nice feature of a larger account is you can trade more contracts when the need arises. A small account might limit you to trading one contract, and when it comes time to exit your trade, it is harder to manage. Because of this, you are faced with the question of, do I get out here or let the market run? Usually, this turns into an emotional decision for most traders and they do not manage the trade well.
We are all aware of the psychological challenges facing a trader, but a small account trader has even more obstacles. Traders with smaller accounts realize they cannot afford to lose much before they are not allowed to trade. Performance pressure will lead to costly errors. This could easily turn a trader into an upside down risk/reward trader. These types of traders usually start thinking that they will just take one or two ticks profit and slowly build their accounts up. Unfortunately, the market volatility does not allow them to place a protective stop that is in proportion to the reward. For example, you might see a trader risking $100 (about 8 ES ticks) trying to capture $25. Some traders can make this work for a short time, but eventually, the market goes against them and they will not exit the trade because they don't want to lose all the hard-earned small profits. Soon the market takes back all the small profits, usually in one trade. You can see that risking $100 to make $25 is not a good risk/reward ratio. We try to find trades that allow us a chance to make $100 while risking maybe $30 – $35. Even large account traders will have drawdowns (losing streaks), but their account sizes allow them to continue trading without much added stress unlike a small account trader.
If you do have a small trading account, here is some help for you. I probably made it sound like small accounts cannot succeed at all in the Futures markets. My intent was to make you aware of how much more care and selection you must put into your trading plan and decisions. Even after your account begins to grow, I would recommend that you take out any excess funds you don't need in your account every month. This way you will not become careless and give back all your profits. An advantage that small accounts do have is that they are aware of how close they are to not being able to trade. Therefore, they carefully plan and patiently wait for their trade setups unlike a trader with too much money in their account who will take trades on any whim at all because they feel like they are playing with house money.
Trading Futures is all about using leverage and this allows smaller accounts to participate more easily than using a cash account to buy stock with. Even if the actual value of the Futures contract you are trading is worth approximately $40,000, the trader will only need about $2,500 to manage a position that controls this $40,000. Keep in mind that leverage can cut both ways and losses can and do occur. Also, in Futures trading, you can lose more money than is in your trading account unlike a cash account where your losses are limited to the amount you paid plus commissions.
When placing trades, make sure your strategy is allowing you at least a 1:3 risk/reward ratio. This conservative style trading will allow you to have one winner and then 3 losers before you are back to even again. Apply this rule to day and swing trades alike. Give the market time to reach your price targets and do not cut your profits short. Doing so will ultimately lead to losses taking away your profits much quicker.
Many traders have a have a hard time taking a loss and will let their losses run, or have too big of a stop for their account size. If a trader will use the 1 or 2% rule for risk management, they will be around for a long time trading. If you use this rule, you will have to lose almost 100 times in a row for the 1% rule, or 50 times in a row for the 2% rule, before they wipeout their accounts. This is also another reason to have a trading plan because it makes you trade consistently. If you follow your plan, it is highly unlikely you will have 100 losses in a row. Most traders who do suffer these types of losses are the ones who change their trading style after every loss, and therefore, have no consistency. Once your account begins to grow using these 1 & 2% loss rules, keep on using them regardless of the size of your account. By following them, you will have a much better chance of surviving Futures trading.
For the number of contracts to trade, there are a couple of general rules you can use.
- $10,000 per contract you trade
- (Account balance * risk (.02) ) / largest loss = number of contracts to trade
If you use $10,000 per contract, then you will not be overleveraged trading. Once you can turn your first $10,000 into say $17,000, then you are ready to add another contract. Do not expect to double your account in the first year of trading. Many traders feel they should be able to do this. In all reality, you should be about break-even at the end of your first year. If you can do this, you will have a good chance of becoming a successful trader. Most new traders start out making money in their first few trades because they wait for their setups and then take the trade. Then after a few profits, they become impatient and trade every time a market moves. In trading, it is not how much you make, it is how much you keep that is important.
The formula above is the one I prefer because this will allow you to increase contract size as you become a better trader, and decrease it when you start to have drawdowns.
Let's review what each of the terms mean in the formula:
- Account Balance = Traders cash balance in their account
- Risk = This should be either 1% or 2% of your entire account balance
- Largest Loss = Whatever your protective stop dollar value will be for this trade
- Number of Contracts to Trade = You may have to round this number up or down
$25,000 * .02 divided by $125 = 4 Contracts to trade
Keep in mind this is your maximum number of contracts to trade and you do not have to trade this amount on every trade. If you are not feeling well, have computer problems, you are distracted or just not on your "A" Game, then just trade a minimum number of contracts until you find a trade that justifies using your maximum contract size.
Do not be afraid to trade with a small trading account, but respect the rules we just discussed and build your account up incrementally and don't look for home runs or lottery ticket wins.
A word of advice is that you must try very hard to keep your emotions under control with these smaller accounts. Make sure you have a well-written trading plan, you have confidence in your strategy, yourself, and plan on this taking some time and do not expect overnight success.
"Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow." Albert Einstein
Trade well,
– Don Dawson


text:
(CHICAGO) – Buphenyl, an FDA-approved medication for hyperammonemia, may protect memory and prevent the progression of Alzheimer's disease. Hyperammonemia is a life-threatening condition that can affect patients at any age. It is caused by abnormal, high levels of ammonia in the blood.
Studies in mice with Alzheimer's disease (AD) have shown that sodium phenylbutyrate, known as Buphenyl, successfully increases factors for neuronal growth and protects learning and memory, according to neurological researchers at the Rush University Medical Center.
Results from the National Institutes of Health funded study, recently were published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
"Understanding how the disease works is important to developing effective drugs that protect the brain and stop the progression of Alzheimer's disease," said Kalipada Pahan, PhD, the Floyd A. Davis professor of neurology at Rush and lead investigator of this study.
A family of proteins known as neurotrophic factors help in survival and function of neurons. Past research indicates that these proteins are drastically decreased in the brain of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD).
"Neurotrophic factor proteins could be increased in the brain by direct injection or gene delivery," said Pahan. "However, using an oral medication to increase the level of these protein may be the best clinical option and a cost effective way to increase the level of these proteins directly in the brain."
"Our study found that after oral feeding, Buphenyl enters into the brain, increases these beneficial proteins in the brain, protects neurons, and improves memory and learning in mice with AD-like pathology," said Pahan.
In the brain of a patient with AD, two abnormal structures called plaques and tangles are prime suspects in damaging and killing nerve cells. While neurons die, other brain cells like astroglia do not die.
The study findings indicate that Buphenyl increases neurotrophic factors from astroglia. Buphenyl stimulates memory-related protein CREB (cyclic AMP response element-binding protein) using another protein known as Protein Kinase C (PKC) and increases neurotrophic factors in the brain.
"Now we need to translate this finding to the clinic and test Buphenyl in Alzheimer's disease patients," said Pahan. "If these results are replicated in Alzheimer's disease patients, it would open up a promising avenue of treatment of this devastating neurodegenerative disease."
Other researchers involved in this study are Grant Corbett, neuroscience graduate student at Rush and Avik Roy, research assistant professor at Rush.
Alzheimer's disease is an irreversible, progressive brain disease that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills, and eventually even the ability to carry out the simplest tasks. In most people with Alzheimer's, symptoms first appear after age 60. Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia among older people. Alzheimer's disease affects as many as 5.3 million Americans.


text:
Assessment |
Biopsychology |
Comparative |
Cognitive |
Developmental |
Language |
Individual differences |
Personality |
Philosophy |
Social |
Methods | Statistics | Clinical | Educational | Industrial | Professional items | World psychology |
Clinical: Approaches · Group therapy · Techniques · Types of problem · Areas of specialism · Taxonomies · Therapeutic issues · Modes of delivery · Model translation project · Personal experiences ·
- For the related design concept, see Universal design.
Theory and models
Societal implications
Personal / physical assistance
|* List of special education topics
[create] Documentation
Accessibility is the degree to which a product, device, service, or environment is available to as many people as possible. Accessibility can be viewed as the "ability to access" and benefit from some system or entity. The concept is often used to focus on people with disabilities or special needs (such as the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities) and their right of access to entities, enabling the use of assistive technology.
Accessibility is not to be confused with usability which is the extent to which a product (e.g., device, service, environment) can be used by specified users to achieve specified goals with effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction in a specified context of use.
Accessibility is strongly related to universal design when the approach involves "direct access." This is about making things accessible to all people (whether they have a disability or not). An alternative is to provide "indirect access" by having the entity support the use of a person's assistive technology to achieve access (e.g., screen readers).
The disability rights movement advocates equal access to social, political, and economic life which includes not only physical access but access to the same tools, services, organizations and facilities which we all pay for. Article 9 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities commits signatories to provide for full accessibility in their countries.
While it is often used to describe facilities or amenities to assist people with disabilities, as in "wheelchair accessible", the term can extend to Braille signage, wheelchair ramps, elevators, audio signals at pedestrian crossings, walkway contours, website design, reading accessibility, and so on.
Various countries have legislation requiring physical accessibility which are (in order of enactment):
- In the US, under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, new public and private business construction generally must be accessible. Existing private businesses are required to increase the accessibility of their facilities when making any other renovations in proportion to the cost of the other renovations. The United States Access Board is "A Federal Agency Committed to Accessible Design for People with Disabilities." The Job Accommodation Network discusses accommodations for people with disabilities in the workplace. Many states in the US have their own disability laws.
- In Australia, the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 has numerous provisions for accessibility.
- In the UK, the Equality Act 2010 has numerous provisions for accessibility.
- In South Africa the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act 2000 has numerous provisions for accessibility.
- In Ontario, Canada, the Ontarians with Disabilities Act of 2001 is meant to "improve the identification, removal and prevention of barriers faced by persons with disabilities..."
Assistive technology and adaptive technologyEdit
Assistive technology is the creation of a new device that assists a person in completing a task that would otherwise be impossible. Some examples include new computer software programs, and inventions such as assistive listening devices, including hearing aids, and traffic lights with a standard color code that enables colorblind individuals to understand the correct signal.
Adaptive technology is the modification, or adaptation, of existing devices, methods, or the creation of new uses for existing devices, to enable a person to complete a task. Examples include the use of remote controls, and the autocomplete (word completion) feature in computer word processing programs, which both help individuals with mobility impairments to complete tasks. Adaptations to wheelchair tires are another example; widening the tires enables wheelchair users to move over soft surfaces, such as deep snow on ski hills, and sandy beaches.
Assistive technology and adaptive technology have a key role in developing the means for people with disabilities to live more independently, and to more fully participate in mainstream society. In order to have access to assistive or adaptive technology, however, educating the public and even legislating requirements to incorporate this technology have been necessary.
In transportation, accessibility refers to the ease of reaching destinations. Academics have disputed how the term "ease" should be defined and measured. People who are in places that are highly accessible can reach many other activities or destinations quickly, people in inaccessible places can reach fewer places in the same amount of time.
A measure that is often used is to measure accessibility in a traffic analysis zone i is:
$ Accessibility_i = \sum_j {Opportunities_j } \times f\left( {C_{ij} } \right) $ where:
- $ i $ = index of origin zones
- $ j $ = index of destination zones
- $ f\left( {C_{ij} } \right) $ = function of generalized travel cost (so that nearer or less expensive places are weighted more than farther or more expensive places).
For a non-motorized mode of transport, such as walking or cycling, the generalized travel cost may include additional factors such as safety or gradient.
Transport for London utilise a calculated approach known as Public Transport Accessibility Level (PTAL) that uses the distance from any point to the nearest public transport stops, and service frequency at those stops, to assess the accessibility of a site to public transport services.
Automobile accessibility also refers to ease of use by disabled people. Template:Expand section
Accessibility planningEdit
In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport has mandated that each local authority produce an Accessibility Plan that is incorporated in their Local Transport Plan. An Accessibility Plan sets out how each local authority plans to improve access to employment, learning, health care, food shops and other services of local importance, particularly for disadvantaged groups and areas. Accessibility targets are defined in the accessibility plans, these are often the distance or time to access services by different modes of transport including walking, cycling and public transport.
Accessibility Planning was introduced as a result of the report "Making the Connections: Final Report on Transport and Social Exclusion".[1] This report was the result of research carried out by the Social Exclusion Unit. The United Kingdom also has a "code of practice" for making train and stations accessible: "Accessible Train and Station Design for Disabled People: A Code of Practice".[2] This code of practice was first published in 2002 with the objective of compliance to Section 71B of the Railways Act 1993, and revised after a public consultation period in 2008.
Accessibility in urban designEdit
Accessibility modifications to conventional urban environments has become common in recent decades. The use of a curb cut, or kassel kerb, to enable wheelchair or walker movement between sidewalk and street level is found in most major cities of wealthy countries. The creation of priority parking spaces and of disabled parking permits has made them a standard feature of urban environments. Features that assist people with visual impairments include braille signs and tactile paving to allow a user with a cane to easily identify stairways, train platforms, and similar areas that could pose a physical danger to anyone who has a visual impairment.
Urban design features that may appear to be simple conveniences for persons without disabilities are often essential to anyone who has a disability. The loss of these features presents a significant barrier. For example, sometimes a lack of prompt snow-clearing on sidewalks of major Canadian city streets means that wheelchair and walker users cannot reach pedestrian crossing buttons on crosswalk posts, due to snow bank accumulation around the posts, making the crossing buttons inaccessible. Public services must take into account the need to maintain accessibility features in the urban environment.
Accessibility in urban public servicesEdit
Making public services fully accessible to the public has led to some technological innovations. Public announcement systems using audio induction loop technology can broadcast announcements directly into the hearing aid of anyone with a hearing impairment, making them useful in such public places as auditoriums and train stations. Australia's government has supported the creation of the National Public Toilet Map, to enable users to locate public toilet facilities throughout the country. GPS is also included as a feature. The service assists people with continence issues, which is estimated to be up to 18% of the population, including the elderly and families with young children.
Low floorEdit
- "Low floor" redirects here
- See also: Low-floor bus and Low-floor tram
A significant development in transportation, and public transport in particular, to achieve accessibility, is the move to "low-floor" vehicles. In a low-floor vehicle, access to part or all of the passenger cabin is unobstructed from one or more entrances by the presence of steps, enabling easier access for the infirm or people with push chairs. A further aspect may be that the entrance and corridors are wide enough to accommodate a wheelchair. Low-floor vehicles have been developed for buses, trolleybuses and trams.
A low floor in the vehicular sense is normally combined in a conceptual meaning with normal pedestrian access from a standard kerb height. However, the accessibility of a low-floor vehicle can also be utilised from slightly raising portions of kerb at bus stops, or through use of level boarding bus rapid transit 'stations' or tram stops. The combination of access from a kerb was the technological development of the 1990s, as step-free interior layouts for buses had existed in some cases for decades, with entrance steps being introduced as chassis designs and overall height regulations changed.
Low-floor buses may also be designed with special height adjustment controls that permit a stationary bus to temporarily lower itself to ground level, permitting wheelchair access. This is referred to as a kneeling bus.
At rapid transit systems, vehicles generally have floors in the same height as the platforms but the stations are often underground or elevated, so accessibility there isn't a question of providing low-floor vehicles, but providing a step-free access from street level to the platforms (generally by elevators, which are somewhere restricted to disabled passengers only, so that the step-free access isn't obstructed by healthy people taking advantage).
Most existing and new housing, even in the wealthiest nations, lack basic accessibility features unless the designated, immediate occupant of a home currently has a disability. However, there are some initiatives to change typical residential practices so that new homes incorporate basic access features such as zero-step entries and door widths adequate for wheelchairs to pass through. Occupational Therapists are a professional group skilled in the assessment and making of recommendations to improve access to homes.[3] They are involved in both the adaptation of existing housing to improve accessibility,[4] and in the design of future housing.[5]
In Canada, FlexhousingTM is a concept that encourages homeowners to make renovations that modify their house over time to meet changing accessibility needs. The concept supports the goals of enabling "homeowners to occupy a dwelling for longer periods of time, perhaps over their entire lifetimes, while adapting to changing circumstances and meeting a wide range of needs"; Universal Housing in the United States and Lifetime Homes in the United Kingdom are similar concepts.[6]
Great Britain applies the most widespread application of home access to date. In 1999, Parliament passed Section M, an amendment to residential building regulations requiring basic access in all new homes.[7] In the United States, the 1988 Amendments to the Fair Housing Act added people with disabilities, as well as familial status, to the classes already protected by law from discrimination (race, color, gender, religion, creed, and country of origin). Among the protection for people with disabilities in the 1988 Amendments are seven construction requirements for all multifamily buildings of more than four units first occupied after March 13, 1991. These seven requirements are as follows:[8]
- An accessible building entrance on an accessible route,
- Accessible common and public use areas,
- Doors usable by a person in a wheelchair,
- Accessible route into and through the dwelling unit,
- Light switches, electrical outlets, thermostats and other environmental controls in accessible locations,
- Reinforced walls in bathrooms for later installation of grab bars, and
- Usable kitchens and bathrooms.
Access is typically defined within the limits of what a person sitting in a wheelchair is able to reach with arm movement only, with minimal shifting of the legs and torso. Lighting and thermostat controls should not be above and power outlets should not be below the reach of a person in a wheelchair.
Sinks and cooking areas typically need to be designed without cupboards below them, to permit the legs of the wheelchair user to roll underneath, and countertops may be of reduced height to accommodate a sitting rather than standing user. In some cases two food preparation areas may be combined into a single kitchen to permit both standing and wheelchair users.
In spite of these advancements, the housing types where most people in the United States reside – single-family homes – are not covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Fair Housing Act, or any other federal law with the exception of the small percentage of publicly funded homes impacted by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. As a result, the great majority of new single-family homes replicate the barriers in existing homes.
The broad concept of Universal design is relevant to housing, as it is to all aspects of the built environment. Furthermore, a Visitability movement begun by grass roots disability advocates in the 1980s focuses specifically on changing construction practices in new housing. This movement, a network of interested people working in their locales, works on educating, passing laws, and spurring voluntary home access initiatives with the intention that basic access become a routine part of new home construction.
Renovations for accessibilityEdit
Homeowners may be challenged by the need to find renovators familiar with accessible design issues. The federal government of Canada and the provincial governments work jointly to share the cost of offering reimbursement programs for homeowners in need of house renovations for accessibility.[9] These programs improve the ability of homeowners to fund house modifications, through renovating existing houses.
Adaptations and accommodationsEdit
Many ranch style homes and manufactured homes utilize a main floor slightly raised above ground level, but have an overall flat layout with either a crawlspace or slightly raised basement below for plumbing, electrical, and heating systems. These homes can be relatively easily modified to accommodate wheelchairs and walkers, with the installation of a long low-rise ramp outside the building, up to the house entrance, placed over the existing stairway. This ramp can then be removed at a later time, reverting back to the stairway entrance if the handicapped access is no longer necessary.
Split level homes tend to be designed with multiple internal stairways and half-floor landings inside the building. There may be an entrance area inside the building at ground level, with stairs inside the entrance that immediately go up and down from the ground level. These homes are difficult to accommodate inexpensively since there is often no space available inside the structure to install long sloping wheelchair ramps to access the various floors. It may be possible to retrofit stair lifts into the stairwells or wheelchair lifts into balconies near the stairwell.
Multi-story homes can sometimes be accommodated by installing a private residential elevator, which is usually much less expensive and has fewer design and layout requirements than a full commercial elevator. Homebuilders can in some cases plan for a future residential elevator by designing closet spaces in each floor stacked vertically with the same dimensions and location. At a later time the closet floors and ceilings are removed and the elevator equipment is installed into the open shaft.
Below are some current suggested architectural features of a universally-accessible house:[10]
|Hallways and stairways
|Living room / Family room
|A side-opening, wall-mounted oven with a pullout board beneath
|Hallways should be 1,200 mm (4 feet) wide
|A doorless entry with no threshold
|The bathroom door should be a minimum of 865 mm (34 inches) wide and open outward to avoid obstructing the limited space inside
|Pull-out work boards at varying heights
|Stairs should be 1 meter (43 inches) wide and a maximum of 280 mm (11inches) deep
|A uniform level throughout the room eliminates abrupt changes that can create trip hazards
|Dual lever faucets are easier to use than single lever or ball-type faucets
|Knee space left under the sink or a cooktop
|The maximum riser height should be 180 mm (7 inches)
|The installation of extra electrical, telephone and cable outlets accommodates technology and provides for maximum flexibility in furniture arrangement
|Install non-slip flooring for any area that is prone to getting wet
|Pull-out drawers for storage rather than deep shelves
|Flights of stairs should be straight with the same number of steps in each flight with a minimum of three and maximum of twelve risers
|Light switches should be accessible from a sitting position and one switch should be located at the entrance to the living room
|Leave free space on at least one side of the toilet for improved access
Accessibility and 'ageing in place'Edit
Accessibility in the design of housing and household devices has become more prominent in recent decades due to a rapidly ageing population in developed countries. Ageing seniors may wish to continue living independently, but the ageing process naturally increases the disabilities that a senior citizen will experience. A growing trend is the desire for many senior citizens to 'age in place', living as independently as possible for as long as possible. Accessibility modifications that allow ageing in place are becoming more common. Housing may even be designed to incorporate accessibility modifications that can be made throughout the life cycle of the residents.
Adaptations for seniors take into account the most common physical impairments affecting the elderly. For example, a common cause of serious injury for seniors is falling inside the home. Adding handrails and grab bars throughout the home, particularly in bathrooms and along stairways, helps reduce the risk of falling. Other adaptations that improve accessibility for seniors include: easy-to-reach work and storage areas in the kitchen; reaching devices to grab objects on high shelves; lever handles on doors; toilet seat risers; walk-in showers; and bathtub and shower seats.
Alzheimer disease and housing adaptationsEdit
Alzheimer disease presents specific challenges for caregivers, who need to make the home as accessible as possible to the elderly resident, while keeping safety features in mind. Removable stove switch knobs, locks on kitchen cabinets, electric kettles with automatic shut-off,[11] and adding lighting to eliminate shadows in the house can all help caregivers to reduce dangers to the person with Alzheimer disease. Other features that can improve the well-being of the elderly person can include marking doors with conspicuous and distinct signs or objects such as ribbons or wreaths, can assist memory. Adding a cot or bed to the main floor of the house to allow the elderly person to rest without climbing stairs to a bedroom can be helpful to the Alzheimer patient. Furniture and clutter can also be removed to make the house more safe for an elderly person inclined to pace or wander.[12]
Telecommunications and IT accessEdit
| The factual accuracy of this section is disputed.
Please see the relevant discussion on the talk page
- Main article: Design for All (in ICT)
Another dimension of accessibility is the ability to access information and services by minimizing the barriers of distance and cost as well as the accessibility and usability of the interface. In many countries this has led to initiatives, laws and/or regulations that aim toward providing universal access to the internet and to phone systems at reasonable cost to citizens.[13]
The following disabilities interfere with telecommunications and technology access, as well as many other life activities.
- Speech disorder[14]
- Hearing impairment[15]
- Visual impairment[16]
- Limb deformity or injury
Each kind of disability requires a different kind of accommodation, and this may require analysis by a medical specialist and job analysis when the impairment requires accommodation.
Mobility impairmentsEdit
One of the first areas where information technology improved the quality of life for disabled individuals is the voice operated wheelchair. Quadriplegics have the most profound disability, and the voice operated wheel chair technology was first developed in 1977 to provide increased mobility. The original version replaced the joystick system with a module that recognized 8 commands. Many other technology accommodation improvements have evolved from this initial development.[18]
Missing arms and fingers interferes with the use of a keyboard and pointing device (mouse). This can be one of the most devastating types of handicap, and technology has made great improvements in this area during the last 20 years. Speech recognition devices and software can improve technology access.
Speech impairmentsEdit
A speech disorder interferes with the ability to produce clearly understandable speech. There can be many different causes, such as nerve degeneration, muscle degeneration, stroke, and vocal cord injury.
The modern method to deal with speaking disabilities has been to provide a text interface for a speech synthesizer for complete vocal disability. This can be a great improvement for people that have been limited to the use of a throat vibrator to produce speech since the 1960s.
Hearing impairmentEdit
An individual satisfies the definition of hearing disabled when hearing loss is about 30dB for a single frequency, but this is not always perceptible as a handicap. For example, loss of sensitivity in one ear interferes with sound localization (directional hearing), which can interfere with communication in a crowd. This is often recognized when certain words are confused during normal conversation. This can interfere with voice-only interfaces, like automated customer service telephone systems, because it is sometimes difficult to increase the volume and repeat the message.
Mild to moderate hearing loss may be accommodated with a hearing aid that amplifies ambient sounds. Portable devices with speed recognition that can produce text can reduce problems associated with understanding conversation. This kind of hearing loss is relatively common, and this often grows worse with age.
The modern method to deal with profound hearing disability is the Internet using email or word processing applications. The Telecommunication Device for the Deaf (TDD) became available in the form of the teletype (TTY) during the 1960s. These devices consist of a keyboard, display and modem that connects two or more of these devices using a dedicated wire or plain old telephone service.
- Telecommunications device for the deaf
- Teleprinter
- Plain old telephone service
- Absolute threshold of hearing
Visual impairmentsEdit
Visual impairment can be one of the most difficult kinds of handicap.
A wide range of technology products are available to deal with visual impairment. This includes screen magnification for monitors, mouse-over speech synthesis browsing, braille displays, braille printers, braille cameras, voice operated phones and tablets.
- Speech synthesis[29]
- Touch Sight Camera for the Blind[30]
- Vision: Apple[31]
- Opera Voice Browsing[20]
- Firefox Voice Browsing[32]
- Voice Control: Apple[33]
- Refreshable Braille display
One emerging product that will make ordinary computer displays available for the blind is the refreshable tactile display, which is very different from a conventional braille display. This provides a raised surface corresponding to the bright and dim spots on a conventional display, much like the Touch Sight Camera for the Blind.
Speech Synthesis Markup Language and Speech Recognition Grammar Specification are emerging technologies intended to standardize communication interfaces using BNF Form and XML Form. These technologies assist visual impairments and physical impairment by providing interactive access to web content without the need to visually observe the content. While these technologies provides access for visually impaired individuals, the primary benefactor has been automated systems that replace live human customer service representatives that handle telephone calls.
Web AccessibilityEdit
International standards and guidelinesEdit
There have been a few major movements to coordinate a set of guidelines for accessibility for the web. The first and most well known is The Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI), which is part of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). This organization developed the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 1.0 and 2.0 which explain how to make Web content accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities. Web "content" generally refers to the information in a Web page or Web application, including text, images, forms, and sounds. (More specific definitions are available in the WCAG documents.)[37]
The WCAG is separated into 3 levels of compliance, A, AA and AAA. Each level requires a stricter set of conformance guidelines, such as different versions of HTML (Transitional vs Strict) and other techniques that need to be incorporated into your code before accomplishing validation. Online tools allow users to submit their website and automatically run it through the WCAG guidelines and produce a report, stating whether or not they conform to each level of compliance. Adobe Dreamweaver also offers plugins which allow web developers to test these guidelines on their work from within the program.
Another source of web accessibility guidance comes from the US government. In response to Section 508 of the US Rehabilitation Act, the Access Board developed standards to which U.S. federal agencies must comply in order to make their sites accessible. The U.S. General Services Administration has developed a website where one can take online training courses for free to learn about these rules.[38]
Features for Web accessibilityEdit
Examples of website features that can help to make it accessible include the following:
- At least WAI-AA (preferably AAA) compliance with the WAI's WCAG
- Semantic Web markup
- (X)HTML Validation from the W3C for the pages content
- CSS Validation from the W3C for the pages layout
- Compliance with all guidelines from Section 508 of the US Rehabilitation Act
- A high contrast version of the site for individuals with low vision, and a low contrast (yellow or blue) version of the site for individuals with dyslexia
- Alternative media for any multimedia used on the site (video, flash, audio, etc.)
- Simple and consistent navigation
- Device Independent
While WCAG provides much technical information for use by web designers, coders and editors, BS 8878:2010 Web accessibility - Code of Practice has been introduced, initially in the UK, to help site owners and product managers to understand the importance of accessibility. It includes advice on the business case behind accessibility, and how organisations might usefully update their policies and production processes to embed accessibility in their business-as-usual.
Another useful idea is for websites to include a web accessibility statement on the site. Initially introduced in PAS 78, the best practice for web accessibility statements has been updated in BS 8878 to emphasise the inclusion of: information on how disabled and elderly people could get a better experience of using the website by using assistive technologies or accessibility settings of browsers and operating systems (linking to BBC My Web My Way can be useful here); information on what accessibility features the site's creators have included, and if there are any user needs which the site doesn't currently support (for example, descriptive video to allow blind people to access the information in videos more easily); and contact details for disabled people to be able to use to let the site creators know if they have any problems in using the site. While validations against WCAG, and other accessibility badges can also be included, they should be put lower down the statement, as most disabled people still do not understand these technical terms.
Meeting and conference accessEdit
Meetings and conferences should consider the needs of all of their participants. Checklists such as this may make it easier to identify specific needs:
- Wheelchair accessible transportation
- Reserved parking
- Barrier-free meeting rooms / restrooms / podium/speaker's platform
- ADA Compliant Ramp Access to businesses and public places[39]
- Accessible lodging
- Hearing access
- Advance copies of papers
- An assistive listening system
- Sign language interpreters
- A quiet place to gather for social conversation (a quieter space that is still visible to others should be reserved at social events or dinners so that people who are hard of hearing may go there to talk with their colleagues.)
- TTY access or Internet-based TRS
- Sight access
- Large print/braille copies of the program and papers
- A student volunteer to guide and describe the artwork, computer work, etc.
- A tech to help with assistive devices and screen readers (e.g., JAWS)
- Gloves to touch three dimensional work (where permissible)
- Other issues
- Notification if social events include flashing lights and noises (these can cause seizures, so either avoid them or announce them ahead of time).
- Notices asking participants to refrain from allergy-producing problems (e.g., perfumes)
- Inform food providers of food allergies (e.g., peanuts, shellfish, etc.)
- Referral information for local personal care attendant agencies
- Referral information for veterinarian care for service animals
- Access to a place to rest during the day (if the conference venue is far from the lodgings)
For a complete checklist, consult Equal Access: Universal Design of Conference Exhibits and Presentations.
Education and accessibility for studentsEdit
Test accessibilityEdit
Test accessibility is defined as the extent to which a test and its constituent item set eliminates barriers and permits the test-taker to demonstrate his or her knowledge of the tested content. Test accessibility involves an interaction between features of the test and individual test-taker characteristics.
With the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, student accountability in essential content areas such as reading, mathematics, and science has become a major area of focus in educational reform. As a result, test developers have needed to create tests to ensure all students, including those with special needs (e.g., students identified with disabilities), are given the opportunity to demonstrate the extent to which they have mastered the content measured on state assessments. Currently, states are permitted to develop two different types of tests in addition to the standard grade-level assessments to target students with special needs. First, the alternate assessment may be used to report proficiency for up to 1% of students in a state. Second, new regulations permit the use of alternate assessments based on modified academic achievement standards to report proficiency for up to 2% of students in a state.
To ensure these new tests generate results that permit valid inferences about student performance, they must be accessible to as many individuals as possible. The Test Accessibility and Modification Inventory (TAMI)[40] and its companion evaluation tool, the Accessibility Rating Matrix (ARM), were designed to facilitate the evaluation of tests and test items with a focus on enhancing their accessibility. Both instruments integrate principles of accessibility theory and were guided by research on universal design, assessment accessibility, cognitive load theory, and research on item-writing and test development. The TAMI is a non-commercial instrument that has been made available to all state assessment directors and testing companies. Assessment researchers have used the ARM to conduct accessibility reviews of state assessment items for several state departments of education.
See alsoEdit
- Accessible vehicle
- Accessible publishing
- Assistive technology
- Accessible toilets
- Accessible tourism
- CEN/CENELEC Guide 6
- Computer accessibility
- Convenience
- Design for All (design philosophy)
- Design for All (in ICT)
- Ergonomics
- Foundation for Information Technology Accessibility
- Game accessibility
- Nationwide Access Register (in the UK)
- Occupational therapy
- Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
- Section 508 Amendment to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
- Transgenerational design
- Visitability
- Walking audit
- Web accessibility
- Universal design for instruction
- ↑ Office of the Deputy Prime Minister – Social Exclusion Unit: "Making the Connections: Final Report on Transport and Social Exclusion". February 2003.
- ↑ Department of Transport & Transport Scotland: "Accessible Train and Station Design for Disabled People: A Code of Practice". July 2008.
- ↑ Occupational therapy research on assistive technology and physical environmental issues: A literature review, Fange et al. (2006), Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy
- ↑ Changes in accessibility and usability in housing: an exploration of the housing adaptation process (2005), Fange and Iwarsson, Occupational Therapy International
- ↑ Accessibility and usability in housing: construct validity and implications for research and practice (2003), Fange and Iwarsson, Disability and Rehabilitation
- ↑ What is Flexhousing(TM)?. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. URL accessed on August 26, 2012.
- ↑ "Doors to Be Swept Away in New Rules for Builders", Rachel Kelley, The Times, December 5, 1997.
- ↑ Fair Housing First, a website sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
- ↑ Home Adaptations for Seniors' Independence. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. URL accessed on August 26, 2012.
- ↑ FlexHousing(TM) features a room-by-room demonstration. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. URL accessed on August 26, 2012.
- ↑ Safety in the kitchen. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. URL accessed on August 26, 2012.
- ↑ Pacing, wandering and confusion. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. URL accessed on August 26, 2012.
- ↑ Better Web Browsing: Tips for Customizing Your Computer. World Wide Web Consortium.
- ↑ Speech and Communication Disorders. National Institutes of Health.
- ↑ Hearing Disorders and Deafness. National Library of Medicine.
- ↑ Visual Impairment and Blindness. National Library of Medicine.
- ↑ (1955). Pre-employment and periodical health examinations, job analysis and placement of workers. Bull. World Health Organ. 13 (4): 495–503.
- ↑ (April 1977). Voice Operated Wheelchair. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 58 (4): 169–75.
- ↑ History of Automatic Speech Recognition. National Institutes of Science and Technology.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 Opera Voice Browsing. Opera.
- ↑ Apple Accessibility. Apple Computer.
- ↑ Speech-language pathologists. National Institutes of Health.
- ↑ Speech Synthesis. National Institutes of Science and Technology.
- ↑ Throat Vibrator.
- ↑ Audiologist. National Institutes of Health.
- ↑ (November 2009). Consonant recognition loss in hearing impaired listeners. J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 126 (5): 2683–94.
- ↑ Hearing Loss. National Institute on Aging.
- ↑ Ophthalmologist. National Institutes of Health.
- ↑ Historical Development and Future Directions in Speech Recognition and Understanding. National Institutes of Science and Technology.
- ↑ Touch Sight Camera for the Blind. Current TV.
- ↑ Vision. Apple Computer.
- ↑ Firesay Addon. Mozilla.
- ↑ Voice Control. Apple Computer.
- ↑ Refreshable Tactile Display. Ventra.
- ↑ Speech Synthesis Markup Language. World Wide Web Consortium.
- ↑ Speech Recognition Grammar Specification. World Wide Web Consortium.
- ↑ WAI Resources on Introducing Web Accessibility
- ↑ Section 508: 508 Training.
- ↑ ADA Specifications for Wheelchair use. URL accessed on February 2012.
- ↑ Peabody College of Education and Human Development | Vanderbilt University. Peabody.vanderbilt.edu. URL accessed on 2012-08-13.
References & BibliographyEdit
Key textsEdit
Additional materialEdit
External linksEdit
|This page uses Creative Commons Licensed content from Wikipedia (view authors).


text:
Home > Pavement Signs & A-Boards > Spares & Accessories
Model: ECOSWIDFLEXREPKIT
All items purchased with the next day delivery option are packaged and shipped securely via a next day 24 hour service up to 4pm delivery.
PLEASE NOTE - When choosing next day delivery this means that you will receive your product THE DAY AFTER THEIR PRODUCTION, production time estimates are supplied throughout product pages.
Please do not sign for your consignment if it is damaged as once you have signed for a consignment, you will have no come back with the courier.
All Consignment have to be signed for and can not be left without a signature. If nobody is available to sign for the delivery a card will be left by the courier with a telephone number and reference number to quote.
If you have missed your delivery please do not call Banner-Man to rearrange a delivery as the courier company deal with the deliveries.
Be the first to Write a Review for this item!
Eco Swinger 2From: £59.85
Eco SwingerFrom: £53.82
Eco Swinger 2 Replacement Aluminium PanelFrom: £22.71
Eco Swinger Replacement Aluminium PanelFrom: £20.59
Banner Man, Vault Printing Ltd
The Vault, Barkerend RoadBradfordWest YorkshireBD3 9AATel: 01274 393937
Freephone: 0800 052 3829
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Company Registration Number: 08021298
VAT Reg No: 151 9694 83
Our sister company - MaxPrint (Bradford) provides a wide range of business printing services - Stationery, Business Cards, Flyers and Leaflets at Great Prices!


text:
At least some content in this article is derived from information featured in Harry Potter: Wizards Unite and Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery.
- "Some of you will benefit from today's assignment: Wit-Sharpening Potion. Perhaps you should begin immediately."
- —Severus Snape implies his low expectations of his class[src]
The Wit-Sharpening Potion is a potion which allows the drinker to think more clearly.[2] Due to this, it acts an antidote to the Confundus Charm.[1]
During the 1988–1989 school year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Professor Severus Snape taught his fifth year students in Potions how to brew this potion, in preparation for their Ordinary Wizarding Levels that year.[4]
During the 1994–1995 school year, Severus Snape taught his fourth year Potions students to make this potion shortly after the second task of the Triwizard Tournament in 1995. While working, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger discussed an article by Rita Skeeter that had recently been published in Witch Weekly. Snape found the trio reading the magazine, and, much to their humiliation, read it aloud to the entire class (the article falsely accused Hermione of toying with the hearts of both Viktor Krum and Harry). Snape split the group up, telling them to concentrate on their potions, but Harry found it difficult to do so, as Snape continued to goad him privately. The class was further interrupted by the entrance of Igor Karkaroff. Harry purposely spilled his armadillo bile so that he could linger after the class was done and try to find out what Karkaroff wanted to tell Snape.[2]
Brewing instructions
- Mix in Ginger Root until lime green.
- Mix Armadillo Bile until blue.
- Mix Ground Scarab Beetles until red.
- Remix Armadillo Bile until red liquid is yellow. (Not dark green)
- Remix Ginger Roots until brew is lime green.
- Mix Armadillo Bile until the potion is purple.
- Allow potion to simmer for ten minutes.
- Add more Ginger Root until the potion is dark orange.
Behind the scenes
- Harry Potter for Kinect uses a slightly different recipe:
- Use knife to cut off two pieces of ginger root and add to cauldron. Potion should turn from blue to green.
- Add armadillo bile until potion turns blue.
- Grind scarab beetles in pestle, sprinkle in cauldron until potion turns red.
- Add more armadillo bile until potion turns yellow.
- Chop four more pieces of ginger root and add to cauldron. Potion should turn green.
- Stir clockwise until potion turns yellow.
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (First appearance)
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game)
- The Road to Hogwarts Sweepstakes
- Harry Potter for Kinect
- Fantastic Beasts: Cases from the Wizarding World
- Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery
- Harry Potter: Wizards Unite
Notes and references
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 27 (Padfoot Returns)
- ↑ Harry Potter: Wizards Unite
- ↑ Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery


text:
The impact of switching from Pirelli P Zero Corsa to Toyo R888R tires has on a McLaren 720S 1/4 mile timePublished on 12-10-2018 07:10 PM
In a drag race, traction off the line is everything. If you want to improve your elapsed time you need to improve your 60 foot or short time. The rule of thumb is that every tenth the 60 foot is reduce results in a two tenth reduction in the 1/4 mile elapsed time. ...Published on 11-28-2018 01:44 AM
Automotive magazines are not what they used to be and today survive predominantly on their established relationships with automakers. Many of those automakers are not afraid to abuse those relationships as the magazines are dependent on exclusive content to stay relevant. ...Published on 11-13-2018 08:28 PM
You have to give HRE props here for doing something different as their new designs seemed to stagnate. The end result here is not the most aesthetically pleasing wheel as it looks like something out of a Lego Technic kit but it certainly is different and points toward future design methods. ...
Ferrari back? 488 Pista dominates Autocar 2018 Best Driver's car field including McLaren 600LT, Porsche 991.2 GT3 RS, F87 M2 Competition, Audi R8 RWS, etc.Published on 11-07-2018 06:13 PM
McLaren kicked dust in Ferrari's face since they launched the MP4-12C back in 2011. It was not even close between the two. Well, it appears the 488 Pista is Ferrari finally fighting back if Autocar's 2018 best driver's car results are to be believed. ...
Prometh Volute methanol injection able to get another 2-3 psi out of a compressor and increase efficiency?Published on 11-06-2018 03:12 PM
This is an interesting setup and drag racers have messed around with volute injection for a while now. Essentially, you are spraying water/methanol directly into the compressor housing. Prometh says this increases the efficiency of the compressor output. ...Published on 11-05-2018 04:23 PM
Everyone knows the advantages of carbon fiber and various modern composites. Light weight while having very high strength. Metal still rules the engine building world but consider carbon fiber connecting rods for a moment. ...
Holley Performance Products acquired by Sentinel Capital Partners which will combine it with Driven Performance Brands (APR, Dinan)Published on 10-31-2018 10:52 AM
A lot of money is being thrown around by Sentinel Capital Partners and their latest acquisition is the well known Holley Performance Products brand. This brand will be combined with Driven Performance Performance Brands. ...Published on 10-01-2018 09:32 PM
This comparison is from Tyre Review on Youtube and worth watching as they compare three popular Michelin performance tires. Tire technology makes huge strides over time and this is an area any car can pick up large performance gains from. ...Published on 09-25-2018 09:32 PM
There are some really bad shops out there. This is not the first time a shop crashed a customer's car when doing things in it they were not supposed to and it will not be the last. In the early years of BimmerBoost the story that got the most traffic that was when Discovery Automotive wrecked a customer's Ford GT. ...Published on 09-21-2018 01:52 PM
Another year another World's Greatest Drag Race from MotorTrend. This year the competition has some very fast cars but again it takes place on a non-prepped airport tarmac. That is fine as how else will you do a 12-wide drag race? ...
2018 Car and Driver Lightning Lap Results - The 911 GT2 RS tops a strong field including the Ford GT, McLaren 720S, and Corvette ZR1Published on 09-19-2018 05:41 PM
Car and Driver deserves quite a bit of credit here. Their field has all the cars you would want to see in action. From the 991.2 GT2 RS, Ford GT, Lamborghini Huracan Performante, McLaren 720S, to the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 they covered the big boys. ...Published on 09-15-2018 08:22 AM
Watch Formula 1? You are not alone as it is the world's most popular motorsport. It is not the most popular motorsport in the United States though and there are various reasons for that but the quality of racing is often times quite boring. ...
Testing the difference between OEM Porsche aluminum GT3 wheels and Carbon Revolution carbon fiber wheels on a Porsche 991.1 Carrera SPublished on 09-10-2018 11:25 PM
Carbon fiber wheels were once a dream but are increasingly becoming a realistic performance upgrade for enthusiasts as prices drop. It certainly helped that Ford sold the GT350R with production carbon fiber wheels which, yes, Carbon Revolution supplied. ...Published on 08-27-2018 06:52 PM
Formula 1 is back from its summer break and the back half of the season kicked off with the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa. After initial drama it was relatively uneventful as Sebastian Vettel got ahead of Lewis Hamilton and never looked back. ...Published on 08-22-2018 06:39 PM
Fabspeed Motorsport is a name all of us know. I knew it back when I first got started with cars way back almost twenty years ago in those late teenage years. Fabspeed did something nobody else did at the time which was offer reasonably priced exhausts for exotics designed and built in the USA. ...