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Digital Patterns
patterns by yarn
pattern category
skill level
This summery cardigan was designed using Panama and features stylish colour contrast edges.
This elegant sweater features a round neck and is worked in super soft Kidsilk Haze.
This eye-catching sweater features a chequered pattern and uses Big Wool and Kidsilk Haze.
This open-sleeved cardigan in Big Wool and Kidsilk Haze has decorative edges and a neck tie.
Featuring a tunic-style silhouette, this roll neck sweater is worked in Kidsilk Haze.
This stylish sweater features an elegant sheer top panel and is knitted in Kidsilk Haze.
Showcasing an eye-catching string design, this sleeveless top is worked in Big Wool.
This short-sleeved sweater has a draped neckline and is knitted in Kidsilk Haze.
This sleeveless waistcoat features front and back shoulder details and uses Kid Classic.
This eye-catching accessory boasts a fine, decorative design in Big Wool and Kidsilk Haze.
This hooded jacket was designed by Grace Melville in our popular Felted Tweed yarn.
This lovely childrens intarsia dress with floral motif is knitted using Summerlite 4ply.
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"The art of trooping will once again reach new heights as an all-volunteer team of fans and artists present the ?As You Wish? charity art helmet project at Star Wars Celebration VI, August 23-16 in Orlando, Florida.
Many will remember that at Celebration V in 2010, over 50 one-of-a-kind, customized stormtrooper helmets were auctioned off to raise over $65,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Building on the tremendous success of that event, the Dented Helmet costuming group and the 501st Legion, with support from eFx are presenting Boba Fett and clone trooper helmets to talented artists and studios to be re-imagined."
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Audio-Technica makes a lot of headphones and several of them, including the
The headphones appear to be well constructed with earcups that have aluminum backs (the headphones are available in a few different colors); they also fold flat but do not fold up for more compact storage.
The headband and earcups are pretty nicely padded, though I can't say this model is incredibly comfortable. Part of the reason for that is that the earcup is a little smaller than your typical over-the-ear model. I liked that they're more compact and well suited for mobile use, but they felt a little tight on my ears, so I ended up having to adjust them every 5 to 10 minutes. I found that they fit best if I placed the headband slightly back on my head rather than straight over the top of it (in the middle). The angle takes a little pressure off.
Unlike the ATH-M50 and ATH-M30, these guys have a dual-cord rather than single-cord design (each earcup has a cord coming out of it). While those cords aren't as thick as the single cord on the aforementioned models, which are ostensibly "studio monitor" headphones, the WS55's cords are still comparatively beefy and seem durable. You also get an L-shaped plug, which most people consider more durable than straight plugs. However, if you have a smartphone with a thicker, tough case on it, you may not be able to get the plug into your phone's headphone jack.
You don't really get anything as far as extra features go. There's a step-up model, the
As I said, the bass is really punchy without being overbearing or causing the headphones to vibrate at higher volumes. And while this is labeled as a "bass" headphone -- it has 40mm drivers -- it's well-balanced with impressive detail and a sound profile that leans toward a warmer, more natural vibe. You'll get more detail and bass out of the ATH-50, which has more-refined sound, but you could say this is a good compromise between the M50 and M30, particularly for mobile users.


text:
THE HITFILM WISHLIST: What Features Do You Want?
Audio. The audio support in HitFilm is a joke.
An Inject Effect which you add to a Layer to make it use the instructions in another Layer or Composite as if you'd added all the Effects from that one to the new one, without a lot of tedious cutting and pasting.
Say you've create a series of Composites to do something whizzy with some text or an image or some video, and rather than duplicating the entire thing multiple times when you want to reuse them, you create them using some 'default' media then use Inject to reference them with your new media instead.
So, if you're doing something like a slideshow with half a dozen transitions you've created and want to swap between them for 100 photos fairly randomly: you'd put all the photos on the time line in the order you wanted, and add Inject Effects to them with the properties set to Source>Transition Whizzy Fade Composite and Source>Transition Whizzy Sparkle Composite etc.
I would also work really well with Titles and lower thirds with Text on, as It's sort of like forcing a Reverse Parent onto something. This would get around the limitation that you can't do everything procedurally. It would also mean that changes to the Original would update all those referencing it.
There would have to be some checks with video, as lengths could vary between original and new media, so you might want a 'Set Max Length' parameter to jiggle with, but as all it is doing is 'Replace Source A with Source B on the Fly', it shouldn't be too hard to implement.
Apply the forces that are available in the Particle system to Atomic Particles, so I can make something that is a shape that falls apart and can be manipulated without having to 'cheat' it with Set Matte and transparency and fades etc.
Let the Particle System do it's fractal this, that and the other, then also have the option to apply gravity, surfaces etc. to those particles.
davide445 Website User Posts: 306 Just Starting Out
+1 for atomic particles "merging" with particle system in term of forces etc
The NLE timeline allows us to mute/disable both audio and video tracks. The composite timeline allows us to mute video layers only. Allow us to mute audio layers in the composite timeline. Right now the eye button is disabled for audio layers.
RickH33 Website User Posts: 13
Hi, new to Hitfilm Express 3.
Maybe a frameserving system to have more control for encoding.
I'm used to use x264 and qaac, pointed as the best encoders for h264 and AAC.
It allowed for end user to encode in all formats he wants.
Minor import function from .blend files. Like selected (not everything) objects, empties and selected camera data. Nothing fancy. If it's just populate a composite shot with the selected 3D objects/empties and camera, I'll be more than happy Without textures of course. It'll be a real pain to implement a cycles texture system in Hitfilm. Or in anything else The texture magic can be done in Hitfilm already (partially) so it's not a must have now.
Also, export camera data to Blender somehow. For example. When I want to add a landscape I did in Blender (Cycles), now i have to solve the camera to match the movement of the 3D camera in Hitfilm. Witch is never as perfect as exporting the real data. I know the trick to render a larger matte for background and use it as a dome like in the starfield tutorial, but this way I lost a lot of data, need multiple layers for effects like a bird/cloud fly between some feature on the matte, etc.
Better integration/workflow support for Blender
I've already posted that suggestion in hf 4 wishlist, but I will say again a similar idea only slightly in greater detail. There should be more keyboard shortcuts and better keyboard support. Media panel: down arrow - next media file, up arrow - previous media file (preview in trimmer if video or without preview). Tab switches between composite and editor views, ctrl+f moves to search box in effects panel. However I will not repeat the same ideas, that I suggested before. There's a thing that should be easier to program. Where are shortcuts of making proxies, layer properties, options window? Perhaps that is not so important, but also required. I also miss some shortcuts, especially with new tools came with hf4. For instance, rate stretch tool, speed/duration shortcut, switching between different layouts, between graph editor and default editor in comp view.
I prefer using flac instead mp3, but flac is currently not supported in hf (and officially not supported in such programs like AE, but there is a flac plugin in AE). So, in such cases I use wav. By the way, ogg format could be supported in hf if aac is supported with videos. The reason is that ogg is better with low bitrates comparing with mp3, but converting to wav is required until flac is not supported with hf.
JessB Website User Posts: 12
I would like to Second the, Better Integration, between Blender and Hitfilm. Mainly in the camera Tracking area. it would be wonderful to be able to track in blender and bring the track and 3d aspects from Blender into Hitfilm. Blender has a built in Add on for exporting camera and markers as a .py file.
oquendo123 Website User Posts: 23
Puppet warp tool, proyector for hitfilm 3 express, the way to add plugins to hitfilm 3 express.
Triem23 Moderator Moderator, Website User, Ambassador, Imerge Beta Tester, HitFilm Beta Tester Posts: 18,008 Ambassador
@JessB Part one of a three part tutorial on camera solves in Blender, exported to Hitfilm. Although the script you mention might cover this. Note that while you can export animation, if you animate in Blender by hanging objects on nulls, you can export the nulls, import models in Hitfilm and reparent. Certainly not as good as importing .blend files. But there's always a workaround.
Triem23 Moderator Moderator, Website User, Ambassador, Imerge Beta Tester, HitFilm Beta Tester Posts: 18,008 Ambassador
Here's a left field suggestion. I have many more uses for the depth fog in a composite shot if I could keyframe the distance and falloff.
AxelWilkinson Staff Administrator Posts: 5,224 Staff
@JessB - HitFilm includes support for importing .ma tracking data. If you export from Blender to .ma, you can import the tracking into HitFilm. I'm fairly sure there is a script for Blender that accommodates this.
Allow us to adjust the Value Graph keyframe bezier control points independently for X,Y,Z axes in keyframes on the Position property. Right now we are shown three separate curves, each with their own bezier control points, but all three are linked and move together.
When I look for amazingly beautiful text intros, I find some beautiful After Effects ones, so I would like to see some beautiful text intro ability in HitFilm so people can make beautiful intros like people do in AE, and who can then save templates and others can import and replace the text with their own and use as their own.
I have loved hitfilm since the beginning (for me the beginning was hitfilm 2 express's limited free weekend) and hitfilm and I are suprisingly good at 2d motion graphics(if you know how to work around there being no shape layers, a.k.a complex as hell masking)
I know that After Effects has vector shape layers and text that doesn't need a text box So here are my recommendations:
- Vector Shape Layers strokes for shape layers as much control (if not more) as after effects has.
- Option to switch from text box to no text box.
Sorry if some or all of these have already been mentioned but I am an impatient reader, but these features could save sooo much time and be extremely usefull to many users. This can also be added for free in hitfilm 3 express or simply a limited version in express to allow more people this great feature. I will continue to follow hitfilm as it grows up into the biggest and baddest video editing and fx software on earth!
also just for improving already included features here is some stuff:
- Support for higher res 3d models.
- a better 3d renderer (not that the current one is bad)
When was HitFilm released?
Triem23 Moderator Moderator, Website User, Ambassador, Imerge Beta Tester, HitFilm Beta Tester Posts: 18,008 Ambassador
@Yeremeyah Hitfilm (Express and Ultimate) was initially released in 2010, I think. Hitfilm 2 (Express and Ultimate) was released in Nov, 2012, with the Mac version in 2013. Hitfilm 3 Pro was released in Nov, 2014, Hitfilm 3 Express in June, 2015, and Hitfilm 4 Pro was released November, 2015.
jinchoung Website User Posts: 55
1. in end credit generator, the ability to embed bitmap images (usually company logos) into the scroll.
2. support for "deep compositing" via openexr2. right now nuke's the only comper that can handle it but it doesn't seem like layer based systems like hf and ae wouldn't be able to handle it. would be a helluva bullet point if you beat ae to it.
Triem23 Moderator Moderator, Website User, Ambassador, Imerge Beta Tester, HitFilm Beta Tester Posts: 18,008 Ambassador
Only issue I can see with "Deep Compositing" is that is kinda requires a depth mask. This means Hitfilm has to add depth mask tools before being able to do deep compositing.
Incidentally, above I suggested being able to keyframe the Depth Fog parameters of a Composite Shot. Why? Because that turns Depth Fog into a generator of Depth Maps.
Triem23 Moderator Moderator, Website User, Ambassador, Imerge Beta Tester, HitFilm Beta Tester Posts: 18,008 Ambassador
Adding in a suggestion from user @Berty
"I have been meaning to post this for a while (since version 3) but please can HitFilm display the name of the project on the main screen.
I use other tools to create content then come back to HitFilm and can't remember what project I have open. Please display the project name in the title bar like most other software does.
Many thanks"
jinchoung I like the first one. May I add some minor tweak to it? Is there a way or is it doable to add an option to parent a layer to the text so it'll move like the credit? I think it'll allow to add images and so much more to it, like adding a grade effect to a single line, etc.
I have heard about deep compositing a lot lately and i am confused as to what it is i? Could you please explain what it is?
Basically, it's compositing with depth. Most modern compositing software has a 3D space, even ones that look like they don't. Some are hybrid, like Fusion and MambaFX, where you have a 3D space in some nodes, but others are 2D planes. With deep compositing you can add depth of field blur in post, add parallax, and that sort of thing. One book that describes these techniques really well is [Digital] Visual Effects and Compositing by Jon Gress. I'm pretty sure that most of what he describes you can do in HitFilm, if not all of it.
It's worth picking up and reading; there's a LOT of good info in there and it's based on the how and why rather than on a particular compositing application.
Triem23 Moderator Moderator, Website User, Ambassador, Imerge Beta Tester, HitFilm Beta Tester Posts: 18,008 Ambassador
@WhiteCranePhoto yeah, fantastic book that gives a lot of the hows and whys of how many of Hitfilm's (or any compositor) features work.
There's lots great stuff about compositing on CMIVfx also... but that costs more.
It's amazing how prevalent compositing is in feature films... and yet how rarely most audiences ever notice.
Thanks for that :-) I will look into it!
littletonmiller Website User Posts: 10 Just Starting Out
Being able to output a 3D timeline as an equirectangular projection would be a huge plus for everyone IMHO: users would be able to out full 360˚ video to Facebook, youtube, etc...
For composite timeline organization, it would be nice to be able to take adjacent layers and group them into a folder of sorts to be able to expand and contract "folder" from view. No functionality other than hide/show. For example when having a lot of point layers on an X-wing model (4 engines, 4 lasers, etc) it could be nice to be able to collapse them into a single item I could name, like Xwing 1. When you have a few fighters, the layers add up quick. Thus forcing extra scrolling due to the amount of layers.
Allow the Sphere effect to react to lights when it is operating in pseudo 3D mode (transform from 3D point). Yes, with Boris we have a sphere effect that reacts with lights, but it is limited in size by the plane it is on. The Hitfilm sphere effect in pseudo 3D mode can make big honking spheres(planets). The lights just makes shading easier.


text:
vegansludge wrote:Gaia wrote:Nicholas_Weir wrote: (I hope I can reach 30kg dumbbells, correction: I KNOW I WILL REACH THEM, as long as I stay determined).
After you are all done, just grab the 30kg DBs and see if you can get a 1 max rep out of them. If you can, then it won't be long before you can do them! If not, then you have some work to do ahead of you. No big whop, cuz you will get there. Still, to know that you can at least do 1 rep, the prospect of doing 8 or 9 are just around the corner (and that would do wonders for your mental esteem - and where the mind goes, the body follows).
Great advice here. 1RMs are great motivators - especially if you don't think you can nail something but surprise yourself. Usually when this happens, you'll get pumped enough to bang out a few more reps or, at the very least, know that you'll be able to hit your goals sooner than you thought.
And way to kill this last work-out - your numbers are consistently going up! Plus your enthusiasm and progress on shoulder day is inspiring, mate. Keep it up.


text:
Food & Drink
'Living history' - North Korean border town opens to Western tourists
By Frances Cha, CNN • Updated 21st May 2013
"Warmly welcome Simon Cockerell David."
The colorful, electric sign was something of an unusual and unexpected greeting for Briton Simon Cockerell, 35, who this week embarked on a landmark visit to Sinuiju, North Korea's largest border town.
Separated by a river from China's Dandong City and easily accessible from Dandong by car or train, Sinuiju has long been a popular North Korean destination for Chinese tourists but was pretty much off-limits to Western visitors until now.
The most a Westerner could experience was the view from the train and station platform during transit from China to the secretive country.
Map: Click to expand
Cockerell is general manager of Beijing-based
Koryo Tours
-- one of the biggest tour companies specializing in North Korean travel.
He says his visit was a result of 10 years of lobbying "the right people" on the local tourism ladder.
"We've been putting pressure on them for years, and we believed Sinuiju in particular would be easier to gain access to because of all the tourist infrastructure already in place, and because the people there are used to seeing foreign visitors," Cockerell told CNN.
Koryo Tours guided approximately half of the 5,000 Western tourists to North Korea last year, the company says.
North Korea fired three short-range missiles, South Korean Defense Ministry is quoted as saying.
Chon Young-man fought for North Korea during the Korean War but was captured. He lived his life afterward in South Korea.
North Korea reacts to the USS Nimitz off its coast and specifies the "hostile acts" of U.S. prisoner Kenneth Bae.
Behind the veil: A rare look at life in North Korea
'Broken Bridge'
Following meetings with officials, Cockerell's sights included the local park, classic revolutionary monuments, mosaics, the railway station, a provincial revolutionary museum, a local kindergarten well known throughout the country, the riverside and a look at the "Broken Bridge" -- the old bridge to Dandong which was bombed during the Korean War.
"It's an interesting town and there's definitely a border town vibe," said Cockerell, adding that the Chinese influence from traders and businessmen who come to Sinuiju every day is very prevalent.
Most of the international commercial trade with North Korea is said to pass through Sinuiju. However, that does not make it a rich town.
"It's not a very well-off place, especially compared to Pyongyang, which is the richest place in North Korea," said Cockerell.
North Korea's 'hotel of doom' opening debacle continues
Cheaper trip
The tour company believes the different vibe of the town will make it a popular destination for Western visitors. The other draw is that it's a cheaper trip.
"Until now, you had to go in for a minimum of at least three days but Sinuiju can be a day trip as well as an add-on to other North Korea tours," said Gareth Johnson, 32, the founder of
Young Pioneer Tours
, a budget North Korean tour company for Westerners based in Xi'an, China.
Young Pioneer Tours has also been lobbying for the Sinuiju opening for the past two years, and will be taking in a test tour group to the border town this Sunday.
Sinuiju is home to standard DPRK landmarks bearing giant propaganda slogans.
courtesy Koryo tours
"My personal opinion is that this came about because China stopped all Chinese tours to North Korea due to recent tensions," Johnson told CNN.
How to travel to North Korea
Both tour companies are still waiting for pricing information from their local partner companies before they officially begin charging for Sinuiju day trips or tour add-ons.
Restrictions still apply -- those with U.S. or Japanese passports cannot visit Sinuiju (journalists can't as tourists and visitors with South Korean passports can't enter North Korea at all).
Living history
Some, including readers commenting on CNN articles, have described travel to North Korea as unethical, arguing it helps fund Pyongyang.
Cockerell says he believes establishing human contact with the outside world is important for North Korean civilians.
"We believe that there is value in taking people there and raising awareness among the North Korean people of what the outside world is like by simple human level contact, which is sadly lacking," he said.
And the appeal of North Korea to the Western tourist?
For Johnson, that's a no-brainer.
"The world is getting very similar," said Johnson. "Even in China there are so many streets where I look at the shops and I could be anywhere in the world."
"North Korea is living history. Seeing something truly different. There's not as much adventure left in the world as we would like."
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This is all great information. Some of it I do know and your posts above have increased my knowledge on the subject but there is a lot that I still don't know or understand. With your posts above and, hopefully, your future posts on the subject, it will increase our knowledge and be a great tool for others in the clan. I am incented to so more genealogical research and study heraldry more indepth.
Thank you!


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Thomas Keller Focuses on Retail
Thomas Keller's New Legacy
Thomas Keller in one of his restaurant kitchens
Chef Thomas Keller is a man of detail. At this very moment, he's braising a lamb shank, and his focus is on making sure everything — from the marble counter to the Miele stove top to the All-Clad Essential Pan — is spotless, wiping down any sauce splatters meticulously with a blue striped Turkish towel.
No, he's not working dinner service at Per Se or The French Laundry, his two three-Michelin-starred restaurants, although he just as well could be. Instead, he (along with Devin Knell, chef de cuisine of Keller's restaurant group) is hosting Williams-Sonoma's first-ever webcast, broadcasting live from the retail company's brand-new, state-of-the-art test kitchen. The two are making braised lamb à la matignon, with shanks sourced from Keith Martin's Pure Bred Lamb in Waynesburg, PA.
No doubt ingredients and sourcing are a crucial part of the equation, something the chef emphasizes to his viewers at home. But just as important is execution, an essential to good cooking that involves several elements. "One of them is skill," he tells the webcast. "But execution also has to do with our tools: a great cutting board, a wonderful set of sharp knives, things that we need to be able to cook. Then our equipment: making sure our ovens are calibrated successfully."
So what's this mean for his future legacy?
Keller at the opening of Bouchon in Beverly Hills, CA
It may just seem like Keller's obsessive attention to detail, but this small discussion hints at something bigger that's been brewing in chef Keller's kitchen. After years spent bringing the Thomas Keller Restaurant Group to Las Vegas, New York, and Southern California, he's turned his focus increasingly to retail.
Keller has an ever-expanding collection of items at Williams-Sonoma ("we meet three times a year, and we're always working on new things," he tells me), including Cup4Cup, a unique flour blend developed with gluten-free pastry lovers in mind. Last month, he announced he's opening Finesse, The Store, his first-ever kitchen retail shop in Yountville, CA. And at the webcast party, I've just learned that he's developing a brand-new line of cookware with All-Clad slated to launch next year. "I believe they make the best cookware in America," he proclaims, going on to detail how fast the pan reheats after adding ingredients, the cookware's even distribution of heat, and the pots' ideal shapes and sizes. "They're made in America, and I'm extremely proud of that."
All-Clad's Bocuse D'Or 6-Piece Cookware Set ($1400), hand selected by Thomas Keller
The revered chef may just be hoping that quality products will be one part of his lasting legacy, a way to transition into the inevitable reality that he will one day have to slow down. I ask him whether he still sees himself behind a stove in 10 years. "I have no idea," he admits. "Have you ever worked in a kitchen for 30 years? It's physically demanding. At 65, you're not going to be able to keep up with the guys in the kitchen who are 30 or even 40."
Thankfully, his favorite aspect of his current career isn't the opening of restaurants or the food festivals or the development of new dishes; it's mentoring. "Teaching is really gratifying," he says. He encourages the rest of the community to be advocates of the culinary industry as well, offering a piece of advice to the ever-present, often-critical food media: if there's one thing he could change about them, it'd be to make them realize they're part of the profession, too. "Everyone — from waiters to sommeliers to journalists like you — is part of the industry. We should all be championing each other," he says.
Yet Keller, it seems, holds a bright outlook on the future ahead: "Chefs in my kitchen today have better skills, better techniques, better tools than I ever had at their age."


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When to use a normalization with a FISCHER X-Ray instrument?
The normalization causes an adjustment of the measurement task for current settings or for new current substrates. This has to be conducted in case of modifications of primary filters or anode currents or collimators. It is also necessary, if alloy compositions or substrates of the sample have changed.
My FISCHER X-Ray instrument seems to measure implausible values. How can I ensure, that I am measuring correctly?
You should then choose measuring equipment monitoring. You will check the measurement instrument by remeasuring the calibration standards. In case the correct values are not met, adjustments are necessary.
What does a reference measurement signify, with a FISCHER X-Ray instrument?
A reference measurement is a new calibration of the energy axis. This is relevant for the correction of proportional counter instruments, on the influence of temperature.
How to check a calibration on the FISCHER X-Ray instrument?
In order to check the calibration, it is necessary to remeasure the calibration standards within the menu position 'Product', 'Measure CAL. standards'. If you find, there is a deviation, then the instrument needs to be recalibrated.
How large is the measuring spot for X-Ray measurements?
The measuring spot is dependant on the collimator and the measuring distance. Typical values are: 30 µm - 3mm.
Radiation protection for the FISCHER X-Ray instruments?
Most of our instruments are full protection instruments with a design approval according to the German X-Ray Ordinance.
What can be measured with the X-Ray method?
One can measure elements from the atomic number 11 and coating thicknesses from approx. 0,005 µm to 60 µm. This depends on the ambient medium (Air, He, Vacuum), detector, size of measuring spot and the atomic number, and of course the application.
What does the Mask 'Data export' signify?
With the export mask one can define, which parameters will be exported and when and where the data will be sent to. The measurement data will then be available as a text file.
Is it possible to stack the X-Ray calibration foils during the calibration?
Yes, it is possible. There is a rough rule for usage: For proportional counter instruments one may use 2-3 foils. For instruments with a PIN/SDD-detector it is possible to use one foil.
Does one need to re-certify the plate for pure elements, for the FISCHER X-Ray instruments?
This not necessary. You don't need to re-certify the plate, because the elements are saturation thick and therefore very stable.


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ThroughPuter PaaS is purpose-built for secure, dynamic cloud computing of parallel processing era. ThroughPuter offers unique, realtime application load and type adaptive parallel processing: Get the speed-up from parallel execution cost-efficiently where and when any given program/task benefits most from the parallel processing resources. The unique feature set includes:
As processor clock rates can no longer be economically or even physically increased, intra-application parallel execution is needed for improved program processing throughput performance
The promise of cloud computing is all about cost-efficiency, but delivering it requires cohesively addressing the need for performance commitments, security and productivity -- a platform approach
User-friendly access to novel manycore hardware architecture benefits through the PaaS model
When cloud security is a built-in to the processing architecture, performance, productivity and cost-efficiency are natural consequences


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Pultruding polyurethane: Sheet pilings break boundaries
High-pressure pultrusion process creates polyurethane composite sheet pile system with the strength and stiffness to compete with steel.
#weaving #outofautoclave #infrastructure
For years the composite industry and its material suppliers have been working to develop pultruded composite sheet piles that could replace wood, steel and concrete structures in commercial sea walls, retaining walls and erosion-control systems. Composite pilings made with polyester and vinyl ester resins offer clearly superior characteristics in the face of the rot, insect infestation and corrosion that cut short the useful life of conventional pilings. But structural strength and, especially, stiffness have long been factors that have limited their widespread adoption.
Material stiffness, measured as modulus of elasticity (MOE), gauges the degree of deflection a sheet pile system will experience based on wall height, soil loadings and other factors (see "On the waterfront: Composite marine piles build on success," under "Editors Picks," at top right.). At the low end, vinyl has an MOE of approximately 380,000 psi/2,620 MPa, and wood is rated at approximately 1.5 million psi/10,340 MPa. Vinyl ester and polyester composites can exhibit MOEs between 2.5 million and 3 million psi/17,240 and 20,685 MPa. But steel's MOE is approximately 21 million psi/147,790 MPa. The question, then, is how to close the MOE gap with steel.
Featured Content
For piling supplier Gulf Synthetics (Cummings, Ga.), the answer lies in a matrix of "pure" polyurethane (PU) technology. At the time of its adoption, Gulf's profiles were already pultruded, using a specially developed marine-grade hybrid PU. (A pure PU features two components, an isocyanate and a polyol. Hybrids include other components, such as amines, or even acrylic polymers.) Packed with rovings and three layers of bidirectional woven fiber fabric, these finished piles exhibited a respectable MOE of more than 4 million psi/27,580 MPa.
"When compared to polyester and vinyl ester resins, polyurethanes offer properties that are vastly superior to our conventional pultrusion resins, especially in the transverse direction where pultrusions have traditionally been deficient in mechanical properties," says Jeff Martin, CEO of Martin Pultrusion Group (MPG, Oakwood Village, Ohio), which began working with Gulf Synthetics two years ago to redesign its sheet pile profile using pure PU. The typical glass loading for the PU pultrusion is between 75 and 80 percent by weight. "Even if we could get that much glass into polyester resin, we still wouldn't have the strength in polyester that we have in PU because the shear properties between the roving bundles is much higher in urethane than it is in polyester," Martin points out. "The combination of total glass loading and the higher loading of axial roving results in a higher flexural modulus component that makes a PU pultrusion much stronger." But Gulf's hybrid PU pilings still exhibited less than one-quarter the MOE of steel pilings.
FEA modeling performed by PU supplier Bayer MaterialScience (Pittsburgh, Pa.), however, "showed that with the same shape and same thickness and at relatively the same cost, we could produce a pure polyurethane composite part that was 30 percent stronger than what we were producing with a hybrid urethane resin," explains Gulf Synthetics owner Mitch Wood. By moving to a glass-reinforced pure PU system — Bayer's Baydur PUL 2500 — with high glass loading, Gulf's PURLoc composite sheet pile system now exhibits an MOE of 6.9 million psi/47,573 MPa.
On the sea wall front, steel still has a higher MOE, but Wood points out that there are other practical factors that help PU compete. First, steel must be overengineered to account for strength loss due to corrosion. Second, steel is much heavier and its installation cost is much higher. Wood cites one job in South America: "There are canals running between the lanes of traffic and the water in the canals is eroding the road banks. The competing material would be steel, which … requires heavy machinery to deliver and install. Because our sheet piling is so strong, there's no need to excavate the road to put in a tie-back system or bring in heavy equipment. They simply drive in the sheet pile, which can be done manually, [then] backfill and it's done." Further, crews install steel pilings at a rate of 20 ft to 30 ft (6m to 9.1m) per day. "With our product," says Wood, "it is possible to install 100 ft [30.5m] per day."
"The PURLoc system is ideal for cantilevered walls that require no tie back up to 8 ft [2.4m] in exposed height," adds Wood. "The strength also allows for very tall walls, typically from 10 ft to 17 ft [3m to 5m], to be constructed using a single tie-back system. The system also has a unique connector piece that allows engineers to use a combination of geogrid and stiffener sheets to design a 100 percent composite system for heights greater than 17 ft [5m]."
Slowing down to win
Why isn't everyone using PU? "Polyurethanes are inherently reactive chemically," explains Harry George, Bayer's manager, new markets. Although Bayer has been making PUs for pultrusion since 2003, conventional PUs cured too quickly to facilitate thorough wetout of profiles with high fiber volumes in the pultrusion process. But recent developments have made it possible to delay the cure profile. "Using a special catalyst, we've slowed the reactivity profile down compared to a typical polyurethane, so that now we have a gel time of 22 to 23 minutes at room temperature," says George. When combined, the two-part resin still cures in seconds after heat is applied. It also reacts to moisture, so conventional resin baths are out. "Because it cures that quickly, you have to use direct injection to minimize the amount of material being exposed," explains George.
Roughly 10 years ago, early research into pultruding PU began with a focus on a low-pressure pultrusion system, which today is viable for less complex pultrusion of PU composites reinforced only with axial rovings. A few years later, MPG, a party to the initial research, broke off to develop a high-pressure direct injection system for pultrusion dies that could thoroughly wet out more complex structural profiles, such as Gulf's sheet pile.
It is possible to inject resin through the biaxial stitched fabrics used in Gulf's pile profile only with a high-pressure system, Martin explains. "It's also very hard to inject, even at high pressure, through an all-roving phase in thick packages of reinforcement, because roving creates a very dense layer. It takes very high pressure to push the polyurethane through the glass to make sure you have complete wet out."
The resulting composite exhibits high transverse strength, interlaminar shear strength and damage resistance. Also, research has shown low void content (less than 1 percent) in glass-reinforced PU composites. The resulting profile exhibits not only high interfacial strength, but also reduced water absorption and, therefore, a much-reduced risk of resin/fiber delamination caused by saltwater diffusion into material voids, says Michael Connolly, principal scientist at Huntsman Polyurethanes (Auburn Hill, Mich.), which has been involved in PU pultrusion since 1998, working closely with MPG and other pultruders to further the technology.
"We struggled the first year or two to make PU work in pultrusion, but even in those early days, it was obvious that polyurethanes offered unique physical performance characteristics that you can't get with the competitive resins in the pultrusion market," Connolly says.
MPG's investment on the PU processing side has been sizable (see "Polyurethane pultrusion: Next-gen equipment" at the end of the article or click on the title uder "Editor's Picks," at top right). A year ago Martin and his son David (president and COO of MPG) started Viapul Corp. (Oakwood Village, Ohio), which does contract manufacturing, almost exclusively in PU. Viapul is currently manufacturing the PURLoc sheet pile profiles for Gulf Synthetics.
How it's done
The PURLoc sheet pile system uses a series of corrugated, interlocking piles to form a watertight wall. Each sheet pile is Z-shaped. The Z-shape is 8.5 inches/209 mm deep, and the profile is 0.25 inch/6.35 mm thick and 18 inches/457 mm long (linear). Profiles are pultruded and cut to the specified length for each job. MPG has a dedicated next-generation machine set up for just-in-time manufacturing of Gulf's PURLoc system.
The pultrusion process itself is set up like any traditional pultrusion process, with a few key differences. For one, Gulf's sheet pile has high glass loading: approximately 78 percent by weight.
"We have approximately 900 ends of the heaviest weight roving — 56 yield — flowing into this part," explains Jeff Martin. Rovings from PPG Industries (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and Owens Corning Composite Materials (Toledo, Ohio) have been qualified for the sheet pile. Also incorporated are two layers of biaxial stitched fabric from Vectorply (Phenix City, Ala.), one on the bottom and one on the top.
"Previously, the part was constructed with a center fabric layer," says Jeff Martin. "However, when we redesigned the part, we took the center fabric layer out because … at the center axis [it was] not contributing mechanically to the performance of the seawall."
"Typically, when you find a center fabric in a traditionally pultruded form, it's being used as a resin carrier to aid in wetting out the profile," adds David Martin. "We're able to do this in polyurethane with a pressurized injection unit that is efficient enough not to require a center carrier — a significant cost saver since mats are more expensive than rovings."
The first step in the pultrusion process is fiber drying. The fiber must be dry when it comes in contact with the PU. Excess moisture can cause blistering on the surface of the profile. "Raw glass will absorb even moderate levels of humidity, and while you can get away with some level of moisture absorbance with other resin systems, polyurethane reacts to moisture," David Martin explains. "We run the fiber through three or four seconds of infrared heaters — maybe 120°F [49°C] — in the preform section to flash off any excess moisture that might be hiding in the mass of roving."
"From there we go into full-fledged forming, which is where we part ways with low-pressure polyurethane pultrusion," he adds. "We fully form the fiber architecture before it enters the injector. So, we have essentially molded the complete seawall dry, and then it enters into our injector as a fully formed package of reinforcement."
Direct injection
Next the fiber form is pulled into MPG's proprietary injector. "Some people do direct die injection, which is when the die itself is modified and the pump system is plugged directly into the die. They may hollow out a section inside the die to allow resin to accumulate, which creates a little bit of pressure," David Martin explains. "What we're doing is distinctly different."
MPG's injector is modular in design and is completely independent of the die. A two-part meter/mix unit provides a steady stream of PU to the injector. For a quality part, it's critical that resin is delivered without any pulsation or variation in flow or pressure to the injector.
"Our injectors are made to mate with the parting lines of the die," he adds. "We can make them with anywhere from one section to multiple sections, depending on what our engineers deem necessary." The injector itself creates the necessary pressure for fiber wetout. "We do not rely on the pumping or metering system to supply any pressure at all," he explains. "Our injectors have a series of complex internal geometries that assist in the wetout process."
"The pressure is created through these geometries, and we have found that small changes in certain places within that modular injection die have dramatic effects on the wetout in certain sections of the part," adds the elder Martin.
"The geometries … inside these injector sections often must be ground or EDM'd as separate inserts to allow for the complex geometries," he notes. "Most often, the parting lines in the injectors will match the die itself, which makes the system very user friendly for the operator."
Running tight and hot
The pultrusion die requires much tighter tolerances than a traditional die. "If you're off by as much as 0.001 inch [0.025 mm] on the female taper towards the exit end of the die, you're not going to be able to pull the profile," says David Martin. "Whereas a polyester will simply conform around a taper and have enough resiliency to go through, urethane is rigid enough that it will stop in the face of any obstruction."
MPG, which also manufactured the die for the Gulf part, included two removable inserts to allow for different wall thicknesses. "If Gulf is competing against a lower cost resin like PVC in an application, we can switch out the inserts to produce a thinner profile."
Also, the high glass loading of the urethane composite results in an overall higher density, which causes the emerging profile to be hotter than a traditionally reinforced polyester profile. "It's not uncommon for us to have heat zones between 425°F/218°C and 450°F/232°C, which is significantly higher than polyesters," David Martin says. "One of the challenges is transferring that heat into the profile in order to pick up processing speed."
It's critical to quickly cool the part after it exits the die. A cooling zone at the die's exit acts as a heat sink. "If a part has seen as much as 425°F/218°C in the die, for example, the cooling zone can get it to exit the die closer to 300°F [149°C]. From there we have the distance between the die and the first clamp puller to ambiently cool the part," he says. On the dedicated Gulf machine, 6 ft/1.8m has been added between the die and the puller to provide an extra one to two minutes of time for ambient cooling. This is common for PU pultrusion machines. Air knives are used in this area for additional cooling. The Gulf profiles, however, are pultruded at a rate of less than 2 ft/min (0.61m/min). For profiles that run at higher speeds, water misting has proven to be the most efficient way to draw out heat. "We have some profiles that are running at 70 inches/min [1.78 m/min], which is fast for any system," says David Martin. "If you don't draw enough heat out of the profile, the clamps have a hard time gripping the part."
"Beyond the pullers, there's nothing truly unique or different," he says. "In essence, there are much tighter process controls with polyurethanes than other resin systems — I always refer to it as a smaller target," he adds. "With a polyester, you can aim at the target, and if you hit the paper, you're going to get a good part. With urethane, when you aim at the target, you have to hit the bull's-eye every time."
In the field
According to Wood, PURLoc sheet pile is gaining traction in parts of the Northeastern U.S. in the wake of damage caused by Hurricane Sandy, as well as in Russia, Europe, Asia, the Caribbean and South America. Gulf currently has five projects underway and recently completed projects in Long Island, N.Y.; the Cayman Islands; and Suriname, South America.
Gulf also has entered into a partnership with Pearson Piling (Falls River, Mass.), which manufactures a composite round piling, for U.S. domestic sales of the PURLoc sheet pile.
The future? "What we're doing is opening up new markets to vulnerability from composites," claims Jeff Martin, stressing that composites now compete against not only steel and concrete but aluminum extrusions (MOE of about 10 million psi/68,950 MPa) in other markets.
Martin Pultrusion presented the results of its pultrusion equipment R&D efforts in the following papers:
"Hardware Considerations When Processing Urethane Resins," David Martin, Martin Pultrusion Group; ACMA, Feb. 2012, Las Vegas, Nev.
"Urethane Resins Increase Opportunities for Pultruders," Jeff Martin, Martin Pultrusion Group; ACMA, Feb. 2012, Las Vegas, Nev.
Related Topics
Thermoplastics in Aerospace Composites Outlook, 2014-2023
Capable of volume production, thermoplastic composites will gain new market share in the aerospace industry.
A hidden revolution: composite rebar gains strength
Fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) replacing coated steel in more reinforced-concrete applications.
Green resins: Growing up
High hurdles remain, but the push for sustainable sources of resin monomers is gaining momentum.


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Two years ago, the British novelist A.S. Byatt wrote what the publisher called "a novel" about a man collecting notes for a biography on a famous biographer. "The Biographer's Tale" was one of those stultifyingly complex productions you're proud to have endured because you don't want to admit you've been had.
In his review of Byatt's novel for The New Yorker, John Updike predicted that "the patience of all but a reader superhumanly tolerant of extended digression will creak and snap under the load of near-random texts, assembled by an author whose love of collection, of assembling and ordering, in this case quite overpowers any urge to tell a smooth story."
If only he'd remembered that commentary when writing "Seek My Face."
Updike's latest book boasts another one of those super-clever premises we've come to expect from him since he finished writing great novels about what it means to be an American man. The story covers just a single day-long interview. Kathryn, a young writer for an online magazine, has finagled an audience with 79-year-old Hope in her Vermont retreat.
As a painter, Hope has won a smattering of awards and hung her work in some of the finest museums and galleries, but she knows her real interest to the world is the fact that she was married to two of the towering artists of the 20th century.
In the introductory note, Updike admits, "It would be vain to deny that a large number of details come from the admirable, exhaustive 'Jackson Pollock: An American Saga,' by Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith." Indeed, Hope's first husband, Zack, is a dead-ringer for the famous drip painter who drove his car into a tree during his last alcoholic bout of depression. Her second husband, Guy, sounds like an amalgamation of several modern artists, but mostly he's a weird cross between Ward Cleaver and Andy Warhol. (Fifteen minutes of that would be plenty.)
The book starts in the morning when Kathryn switches on her Sony tape recorder, and it ends in the evening when Hope and her interviewer (and Updike's readers) are exhausted by the uninterrupted flow of so much reminiscence, small talk, critical theory, and gossip.
As a breezy summary of modern art in America, "Seek My Face" beats the paints off the pretentious catalog text at the Guggenheim. After all, it's got Updike's unparalleled style, his witty piercing of social behavior and private anxieties, and free reign across a canvas that's 50 years wide. But as a novel, it suffers the considerable constraints of its static setting. The action takes place only in a series of rushed anecdotes and digressions - "Now, where was I?"
Under the relentless eye of her interrogator, Hope brushes through the details of her first marriage, providing a memorable warning against living with someone who considers himself a great artist. Zack courted fame while spurning its protocol. He thirsted for praise, but attacked his supporters. He needed his wife's devotion, but rejected her love. She talks frankly about their sex life, too, and what little she leaves out, Updike supplies in unseemly, humiliating flashbacks.
With a lingering mixture of resentment and affection, Hope describes their tumultuous marriage in the middle of "the historical moment, the explosion when everything came together and America took over from Paris, and for the first time ever we led world art." Thrilling as that explosion must have been, at home it destroyed her marriage. She remembers when "how little she mattered to him hit her like a fist to her chest, his leaden dedication to something else, this sacrifice of all that was orderly and decent and daily in the world to the sullen, obsessive blaze of his art, his stupid, selfish art."
Updike is best in these painful scenes, either described or remembered by Hope, when Zack drowned his talent in alcohol and savaged his wife's artistic ambitions. Not content to ridicule her, sometimes he would even paint over her work with his own. But in the intervening decades, Hope has developed a surprisingly forgiving attitude toward the chauvinistic world in which she lived. "Art was a man's world," she reminds her interviewer. "They could hardly make room for women, even when they married us."
Frankly, what's most interesting about the novel, if one can wade through all the art talk, is Updike's analysis of the process of interviewing. As the victim of countless such withering sessions himself, he must be particularly sensitive to the climate of these strange, temporal relationships.
"Interviewers and critics are the enemies of mystery," Hope thinks, "the indeterminacy that gives art life." Having allowed "this nervously aggressive intruder" into her home, Hope vacillates between wanting to throw her out or to please her, desperate, despite herself, "to communicate with this opaque, rather rejecting young woman."
With a pang of inadequacy, Hope notices that "Kathryn is looking around, disappointed by the plainness - the Redouté calendar such as anyone could buy in a book-and-card shop, the cabinets with their soiled handles, the appliances 20 years out of date, the fading photographic keepsakes - vacation snaps and official school photos of grandchildren tacked to the refrigerator door with magnets in the shape of vegetables. 'Would you like to see my studio?' Hope asks."
Updike is a master at tracing these subtle currents of desire and disappointment that swirl around people trapped in a marriage or a career or an interview that runs on too long. But these moving moments are cramped in a structure that doesn't give them much air to breathe.
"Seek My Face" may justly suffer the same dismissal from ordinary people who don't know they should be intimidated by so many works of modern art: "Why would anyone bother doing that?" Why sew clothing from pieces of meat, make an enormous bunny balloon out of steel, or sculpt a life-sized statue of Michael Jackson with his monkey? Why scramble through the riches of a woman's life and a nation's art history in a single belabored conversation?
It's oddly reassuring in the final pages to hear Hope turn down Kathryn's offer to read a transcript of her interview: "Oh, my goodness, no," she says. "I couldn't bear to read it. And I honestly can't picture who the reader of this article is going to be." Painful as it is to admit, I felt the same way.
• Ron Charles is the Monitor's book editor. Send e-mail comments to firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Vegas baby! Casino stocks are paying offOctober 25, 2012: 11:57 AM ET
Investors betting on casino stocks are seeing a nice payoff Thursday.
Wynn Resorts (WYNN), which operates casinos in Las Vegas and Macau, blew past analysts' expectations, reporting earnings per share late Wednesday of $1.48 and announcing a special $7.50 dividend. Aptly named Wynn also said it expects to double its quarterly dividend to $1 in fiscal 2013.
One note of caution: revenue was just in line with estimates. That's symptomatic of the rough patch casinos have hit lately.
Earlier this month, the Nevada Gaming Board said revenue from the Vegas strip had fallen off in August. But Wynn, along with rivals Las Vegas Sands (LVS), and MGM Resorts International (MGM), don't just count on Vegas for their revenue. Unfortunately, that's also been a bit of a trouble spot, with gaming in Macau also said to be falling off a bit.
Still, shares of all three companies have surged between 16% to 27% over the past three months and StockTwits traders have plenty to say.
traderstewie: Not much i like on long side right now. However, $LVS, $WYNN. definitely worth watching,
AnalystWire: Compass Point Upgrades Wynn Resorts ($WYNN) to Neutral on Better Las Vegas Trendshttp://stks.co/dCyO
DomLuminous: $WYNN Revs fell short, lower guidance into next qtr. Macau numbers sliding. Great move on the divy or this would have been down 10%
Very good point. Macau seems to be a bit of a trouble spot lately. Wynn's revenues took a hit there, declining 4.3%. Most of the decline came from a drop in turnover at mass market table games and slot machines.
On the bright side, the VIP set continued to shell out. And Wynn has big plans for expanding in Macau after getting the green light from the government to move ahead with a $3.5 billion to $4 billion project.
JFinDallas:I think they are confident about the long term, not so much about next few Qs IMO RT@wallstreetlive $WYNN why lower forecast again?
RedDogT3Live: $LVS shows relative strength with $WYNN. Nice macro pennant. Earnings need to deliver
Just like a real casino, casino stocks can be a gamble for investors so one good quarter is just that: one good quarter.
Las Vegas Sands has the added benefit (or challenge) of having a presence in Singapore, where business has largely been paying off.
Jettson12: for $LVS to beat earnings Singapore has to be up 25%+ qoq. $WYNN qtr told us mkt shr gains stopped in Macau. Could be set up for big miss
Everyone's a critic. In all seriousness, it's a tough business to be in. So investors should place their bets wisely.


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I found one set of extended comments... it was on Fix's site in a thread mamamax was on...
Wong wrote:
It seems someone is mistaken (or lying).Thanks for your email. This discussion has been brought up again and again.
Our study team got more than 5 years of experience for using SpineCor from intensive training in St Justine Hospital (3 team members were granted with the training certificates) to real practice and then quitted the prescription. Our names not being listed in the relevant website recently is with an apparent reason.
In our randomized controlled trial study, we followed the treatment protocol suggested by the inventor of SpineCor. Honestly speaking, our team did hope SpineCor works.... We published and shared our experience of using SpineCor with others but some "practitioners" might think our team did something wrong without further considering the actual mechanism of SpineCor and the patients' compliance and acceptance - it is not a fair, objective and unbiased comment. Definitely, we shared our own experience through publications and it does not mean every researcher / practitioner will have the same experience as ours. Anyway, I am looking forward to seeing new developments of SpineCor including more randomized controlled trial studies in particular from the independent bodies / institutions like our team.
I think there are more comments out there from Wong that I read but I can't prove it. I'll keep looking.


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Proposals A-Z
Participating librarians and scholars provide information here about collections, archives and data sets of interest to area and international studies (AIS) research, propose preservation of those collections and the creation of new digital resources from data sets, and vote on the merits of those proposals. Community input provided here informs and guides the building of new AIS resources.
Gabon Newspapers 1997-2018 from the Library of Congress
Library of Congress, Nairobi Office propose for microfilming through CAMP a collection of 37 Gabon Newspapers from 1997 to 2018 (approximately 25,850 pages).
Gerak Masjarakat
Monthly/ bi-monthly general interest magazine, mix of news, politics, stories, illustrations & photos, ads.
Global Press Archive Charter Collection 1 - Late Qing and Republican-Era Chinese Newspapers
CRL–Global Press Archive Charter Alliance : Open Access Collection 1: Late Qing and Republican Era Chinese Newspapers (1893-1949)
This collection is approved by the GPA Advisory Committee for Open Access under the CRL/East View GPA Charter Alliance, funded and supported by CRL members and participating non-member institutions.
The size of the collection is suggested to encompass roughly 50 titles and 500,000 pages.
Additional information at: https://www.eastview.com/resources/gpa/crl-alliance/
Global Press Archive Charter Collection 2 - Middle Eastern and North African Newspapers
CRL–Global Press Archive Charter Alliance : Open Access Collection 2 / CRL-Wide Collection 1: Middle Eastern and North African Newspapers (1875-2018)
This collection is approved by the GPA Advisory Committee under the CRL/East View GPA Charter Alliance, funded and supported by CRL members and participating non-member institutions. The proposed collection includes both Open Access titles and in-copyright titles presented for CRL-wide access. This dual collection would total over one million pages and consist of approximately 35 titles from 11 countries, and includes titles in Arabic, English, and French.
Content is available at: https://gpa.eastview.com/crl/mena
Global Press Archive Charter Collection 4 - Imperial Russian Newspapers
CRL–Global Press Archive Charter Alliance : Open Access Collection 4: Imperial Russian Newspapers
This collection has been approved by the GPA Advisory Committee under the CRL/East View GPA Charter Alliance, funded and supported by CRL members and participating non-member institutions. The proposed collection would cover no less than 500,000 pages of newspapers spanning the 18th, 19th and early-20th centuries, up to the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution.
CRL's Charter Alliance offer is described in eDesiderata at: https://edesiderata.crl.edu/resources/global-press-archive-charter-alliance
Additional information on the GPA available at:...
Government publications and documents regarding Kashmir
This proposal is for 15 individual titles related to the Kashmir situation, primarily during the late 1950s and 1960s. Included are two Secret Reports by government entities related to potential terrorist activity. Indiana University is the only known holder of these two reports, which were gifted to the institution in 2005. The additional titles are other related government documents from this time period, also scarcely held in WorldCat. Most of these are published by entities within or related to the Pakistani government, as the Indian government publications that are both relevant and held at IU are more widely held.
Guantanamo Naval Base Newspaper Digitization
Since 2006, The Guantanamo Bay Gazette, the weekly newspaper at the Guantanamo Naval Base (GTMO), Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, has been available as an open access resource via the Digital Library of the Caribbean. Prior to 2006, the base newspaper existed under successive titles only in paper format with the only nearly-complete run held at a small community library located on the Naval Base. The history and chronology of the newspapers was not compiled or explored until 2012 when the Duke Libraries' Librarian for Latin American, Iberian and Latino Studies...
Guo ji ri bao = International daily news
Microfilming of Chinese language newspaper from Indonesia. Guo ji ri bao 國際日報 = International daily news published out of Jakarta. (LCCN: 2006340503). The newspaper was started after the lifting of restrictions on Chinese language in Indonesia. Indonesia Shang Bao also is a daily newspaper business and finance Chinese which first published in the reform era after the collapse of the New Order government on May 12, 1998. Indonesia Shang Bao was first launched on April 17, 2000. Indonesia Shang Bao's biggest partners are the Bisnis Indonesia group and Sinar Harapan newspaper.
While CRL makes every effort to verify statements made herein, the opinions expressed and evaluative information provided here represent the considered viewpoints of individual librarians and specialists at CRL and in the CRL community. They do not necessarily reflect the views of CRL management, its board, and/or its officers.


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Concrete Delivery Hoses 3" Fabric-Reinforced Concrete Hose
Stable and pressure resistant
The strength and durability of Putzmeister pipeline systems start at the back-end kit and extend through the delivery hose. Resistant to weather and abrasive material, they are made of a compound base on natural rubber with a temperature tolerance from -40 º to 176 º F. The nozzle has a flush interior connection to reduce the potential for blockage and increase the life. The braided network of steel wires inside assures stability and pressure resistance.
AVAILABLE IN COUNTRIES : Across AMERICAS
Inside diameter
3" (76mm)
Outer diameter
4.02" (102mm)
Working pressure
666 psi (46 bar)
Working pressure
666 psi (46 bar)
2.72 lbs/ft
Weight – filled with concrete
10.08 lbs/ft
Bend radius
17.70" (450mm)


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Rev Lena Irons Unity Park
Unity Park
Unity Park is named for the community group that once owned the property, Unity Place Incorporated.
East 167th Street in the Bronx, formerly called 5th Street in old Morrisania, was a popular shopping area in the 1880s, particularly among the local German population. Parts of it were named James Street and Lyons Street after prior landowners in the area. East 168th Street was divided into three separate areas through the 19th century. A western segment of East 168th Street was called Charles Place, after Charles Arcularius, a 19th century hotel keeper, an eastern street was known as 6th Street in the village of Morrisania, and between them was William Morris's former estate.
This park property, located between East 167th and 168th Streets on Washington Avenue, was owned by a community group, Unity Place Incorporated, who acquired the land after it went unclaimed in the late 1970s. The site was purchased by the City in 1984. In 1997 the area was granted to Parks. Shortly thereafter, Parks Commissioner Henry Stern named the site Unity Park. The park consists of an elevated grassy sitting area with green benches, and black cherry trees (Prunus serotina).
The park has recently undergone a large renovation project, including the implementation of a new drainage system. Funded by City Council Member Reverend Wendell Foster, the renovation is slated for completion by the end of 2002.


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Randolph leads Grizzlies past Suns 108-98 in OT
Zach Randolph had 38 points and 22 rebounds, setting season highs in both categories, to carry the Memphis Grizzlies down the stretch for a 108-98 victory over the Phoenix Suns in overtime Tuesday night.
Randolph was 15 of 22 from the field and he dominated in the latter stages of the fourth quarter and early minutes of overtime. He also recorded three blocks, two in overtime, as Memphis outscored the Suns 14-4 in the extra period, with all the Suns' points coming at the foul line.
Quincy Pondexter had a season-high 16 points for Memphis, while Marc Gasol and Rudy Gay scored 14 apiece. Mike Conley had 11 points and five assists for the Grizzlies, but went 2 of 9 from the field. Gay shot 5 for 12.
Goran Dragic led the Suns with 19 points and seven assists. Luis Scola scored 16 and grabbed eight rebounds. Jared Dudley finished with 13 points and Jermaine O'Neal scored 12 for Phoenix, which lost its fourth straight.
O'Neal missed a 20-footer as regulation expired, sending the game to overtime tied at 94.
It was Memphis' second consecutive overtime game. The Grizzlies lost 99-95 at San Antonio on Saturday night.
Phoenix, which led by as many as 16, saw its lead vanish in the last 1:10 of regulation. The game was tied at 94 after Gay connected on a 12-foot floater with 15.9 seconds left, and O'Neal's shot at the buzzer was off the mark.
Conley connected on a 3-pointer to open overtime, then Randolph hit three straight buckets, leading the Memphis crowd to its feet, chanting "Z-Bo, Z-Bo, Z-Bo!"
The 10-point lead, reached on Conley's two free throws with 50.9 seconds left, was Memphis' largest of the game.
Memphis had a terrible time on offense in the first half. Phoenix was getting in the passing lanes and swatting balls away in the post. The result was Memphis committing 12 turnovers before the break.
Meanwhile, Phoenix had only five turnovers and was shooting at a 51 percent clip to carry a 52-45 lead into halftime. The Suns led by as many as 16 in the first half, the largest deficit of the season for Memphis.
No Suns were in double figures at the break, but 10 players scored, four of them with eight points apiece.
Randolph had 16 points while Pondexter added 14, going 2 for 3 outside the arc. Their play at the end of the half made the deficit manageable.
Memphis tried to cut into the lead, but the Suns wouldn't relinquish the advantage. Phoenix continued its balanced scoring with Dragic running the show and scoring along with contributions from Scola and Dudley.
Marcin Gortat's jumper near the end of the third gave the Suns a 72-68 advantage entering the final period.
Phoenix held the lead between four and six points through much of the fourth, stretching it to eight at one point.
Memphis tied the game at 91 on Randolph's rebound basket.
Then a steal by Conley led to a clear-path foul on Scola. Conley made one of two free throws for a 92-91 lead with 1:10 left for Memphis' first lead since midway through the first quarter.
Scola's 11-foot hook shot gave the Suns the lead back at 93-92 with 37 seconds left.
NOTES: Phoenix closed out a six-game road trip, its longest of the season, with a 1-5 record. . Memphis is now 5-0 with at least two days' rest. The Grizzlies last played on Saturday in the loss at San Antonio. . The Suns have trailed by double digits in 15 of 19 games this season. ... Suns F Jermaine O'Neal, who missed Sunday's game against the Knicks with a right quad strain, returned to action against the Grizzlies.


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Any questions? Please fill out the form below and we will do our best to help.
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For more information on what we can do for you and your students click here.


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Utah State University's Caine College of the Arts has partnered with the Journalism and Communication Department from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences to co-host National Geographic photojournalist Lynn Johnson and human rights advocate Jen Saffron Wednesday, Jan. 16, at 11:30 a.m. in the Performance Hall on USU's campus.
Johnson and Saffron will host a discussion about their recent social documentary project in India, "Overcoming Religious Extremism in India: The Koraput Survivors Project."
The project focuses on helping the Koraput survivors of religious sectarian violence in Odisha state, India.
In 2008, a group of armed Hindu extremists attacked and burned the Koraput village of Christian Indians, seeking to forcefully reintegrate the villagers into the caste system left behind by their Christian beliefs. The survivors fled into the Indian jungle to escape, and now live as part of the Dalit — the untouchable class.
"I think as a journalist, it's our responsibility to get us all to think about each other in different ways," said Johnson. "I hope that what we are bringing to campus gets students to think about the many ways they can both witness and serve society."
This is an excellent example of art serving the needs of society for more than just entertainment, said Craig Jessop, dean of the Caine College of the Arts.
"The use of photography and journalism to tell a story touches the heart of people for change," Jessop said.
A picture is worth a thousand words, but when talking about human need and pain, that old cliché is especially true, said Matthew LaPlante, assistant professor in the Journalism and Communication Department. "A picture makes the need and pain so visceral that it catches the attention. I think this presentation will inspire students and illustrate the power of photography."
Johnson is a photojournalist with more than 35 years' experience and many credits in National Geographic and Sports Illustrated. She is also an educator for National Geographic's Photo Camps, training photojournalists living in countries that include Haiti and Chad. While on assignment for the National Geographic in India, she discovered the Koraput survivors.
Photojournalism is beyond the point of simply telling a story, said Christopher Gauthier, assistant professor in the Caine College. It's a way of immersing oneself into a particular group of people to observe, but not intrude.
"In India's cast system, becoming an untouchable is something we westerners don't truly understand," said Gauthier. "For Lynn and Jen to reach out and do everything they can through their art to help the Koraput survivors is admirable."
Saffron started her career in Washington, D.C., as a youth activist, becoming a leading voice in human rights advocacy and engaging the topic through writing, education and curating photographic exhibits. She has been in community development for many years, committed to human rights and social justice. After learning of the Koraput survivors, she joined with Johnson to help the refugees.
"Building Bridges: When Journalism and Advocacy Meet" is presented as part of the Morris Media and Society Lecture series, a part of the Journalism and Communication Department. The discussion is free and open to the public.
Related links:
- USU Caine College of the Arts
- USU Department of Journalism and Communication
- USU College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Writer: Kara Rindlisbacher, 435-797-9203, email@example.com
Contact: Denise Albiston, 435-797-1500, email@example.com


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Wi-Fi Direct® is a feature that plays audio and video content from a personal media player or mobile phone directly to a compatible TV without the need for a home network connection, computer, or cables. It is a great way to share movies, pictures, and music in a big BRAVIA™ TV screen when friends and family visit, instead of having everyone pass around or crowd around smaller portable devices.
Establish Wi-Fi Direct connection through the following methods:
- WPS Push Button
- WPS Input PIN Code
- WPA Key Input
- Make sure to install the latest software update on your TV.
- The Wi-Fi Direct feature isn't available to all Sony® products. Check the supplied manual to see if your device supports the Wi-Fi Direct feature.
- Wi-Fi Direct isn't available for TVs manufactured before 2011.


text: I am looking to start up a new blog, random-scribblings.com - A blog about anything and everything interesting a funny from around the globe. R-S will consist of articles that combine the best of a certain subject i.e. best video games of 2012, scariest movies of the 90s, cutest dog pics etc etc.. Similar to runt-of-the-web.com I am looking for a dedicated and hard working PHP coder to help me kick start and maintain this WordPress blog. I have many great ideas to but really need a coder to help me put them out there. Looking for: ~Polite and easy going. ~Follow instructions carefully. ~Hard working. ~Experienced in PHP. ~Experienced with blogs, preferably WordPress based. Duties: ~Install plugins. ~Customise plugins. ~Edit layout. ~General coding. I did have a blog previously (vidstowatch.com) that had an average of 3000+ hits daily through the first couple of months until personal family issues arose. VTW was very successful for such a new blog and i want the same for R-S. I have the hosting (BlueHost and JustHost you can decide which you'd prefer) and the domain. Pay: Unfortunately as i am a university student i don't have much in the way of money, but i can pay $20 a month, free advertising on VTW (vidstowatch, which i will be re-launching) and R-S, as well as more cash when the blog becomes popular and starts generating revenue. If you are interested, please pm me or reply below. Thank you for your time!


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What's your baby's technique? Are they a kicker, roller, flipper, bouncer or jumper? Huggies Little Movers Slip-On Diapers make it easy to change any type of squirmy baby with the dependable leakage protection of the Huggies brand. Not only are they easy to slide on, but taking them off is just as simple with a tear side.
These diapers really are great for on the go changes. In fact, they take half the time to put on than a normal diapers, saving all of us busy moms lots of time, especially when we're on the go and there is no good place for our little toddler to lie down. Also, I was thinking these Slip-On Diapers will make the transition in to real undies with Timmy just a bit easier, as soon as he's ready to potty train, being that they are very similar to the big boy undies his big brothers wear. I'll be sure to keep you posted!
Share & Save $2
Share the Huggies Easy On, Easy Off Challenge page with 3 of your friends and get a coupon for $2 off a pack of Huggies Little Movers Slip-On Diapers. Switch to the slip and save today!
Compensated Post


text:
Lagging for positive drive solid homogenous belts
- Specially produced lagging based on the specification of thermoplastic non-modular belt manufacturers
- For food and hygienic applications
- For driving most common positive drive solid homogeneous belts
- For motors for applications with positive drive belts
- High resistance to oil, fuel and other chemicals
- Resistant to abrasion
- Low-noise operation
- For standard asynchronous drum motors with frequency inverter. The frequency inverter should be set up to reduce the power by 18%.
- For synchronous drum motors
- Reduced wear on belt
- Easy to clean
- Low friction
Lagging has an influence on the outer diameter of the drum motor and on the velocity. The belt pull and speed of the drum motor must be recalculated based on the increased diameter.


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The Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Johns Hopkins University seeks two full-time tenure-track or tenured professors with a focus on social cognition, to start July 2020. These are open rank positions and candidates at all levels are encouraged to apply. The successful candidates will conduct high quality, active, externally funded research programs in any area of social cognition broadly construed. Areas of research could include (but are not limited to) moral cognition, social decision-making, theory of mind, person perception, social development and social cognitive neuroscience. Successful candidates will also contribute to undergraduate and graduate teaching and mentoring in PBS. Cluster hires will be considered. The Department is conducting a broad and inclusive search and is committed to identifying candidates who through their research, teaching, and service will contribute to the diversity and excellence of the academic community. Candidates must have a Ph.D. in Psychology, Cognitive Science, Neuroscience or related field by the start of the position.
The Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences is located on the Homewood Campus of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore Maryland, and maintains close ties and collaborative relationships with the Departments of Cognitive Science, Neuroscience, Philosophy, the Mind/Brain Institute, and the newly established SNF Agora Institute.
Applicants should submit a CV, cover letter, research and teaching statements, and three representative publications. These materials can be submitted online at http://apply.interfolio.com/70257. In addition, three letters of recommendation should be submitted for applications at assistant professor (pre-tenure) rank. For best consideration, applications should be submitted by November 30, 2019. Johns Hopkins is committed to active recruitment of a diverse faculty and student body. The University is an Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer of women, minorities, protected veterans and individuals with disabilities, and encourages applications from these and other protected group members. Consistent with the University's goals of achieving excellence in all areas, we will assess the comprehensive qualifications of each applicant.


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Emerald Island Resort Rentals - Orlando Florida Kissimmee Vacation Homes and Villas
Emerald Island Resort Orlando Florida offers vacation rentals in Kissimmee in tropical surroundings near Disney World Orlando. Explore our luxurious Emerald Island Orlando vacation rental homes and villas for all your accommodation needs while visiting Disney World or other central Florida area attractions. All our vacation homes and villas are close to Disney World (only 3 miles or 5 minutes) with easy access to other Orlando Florida attractions.
Emerald Island Resort Rentals, Luxury vacation homes with 3,4,5,6,7 bedrooms
Florida villas near Disney World with private south facing pool
Emerald Island Resort Orlando, Kissimmee Florida (Disney World area) rental homes and villas with private south-facing pool are located less than three miles from Disney World theme parks. Large and spacious six and seven bedroom luxury vacation homes and holiday rental villas offer private south facing pools, fully air-conditioned game-rooms and/or theater rooms as standard features. Emerald Island 6 and 7 bed vacation homes offer spacious living areas and luxury amenities and can accommodate parties of up to 16 guests. These luxurious vacation homes are spacious and quite affordable. Our Emerald Island 4 and 5 bedroom vacation homes and luxury townhomes and vacation rental villas by owner accommodate 8-12 travelers. Conveniently located side-by-side or close to each other, our vacation rentals can be rented for family reunions and can be explored in our Family Reunion, Side-by-Side Villas section. If you are looking for a perfect last-minute Orlando vacation rental home/villa to BOOK DIRECT, you have come to the right place. All Emerald Island Resort rentals and vacation homes are affordable alternatives to crowded Kissimmee hotels and offer a comfortable home away from home in tropical surroundings of Emerald Island Resort. In addition, Emerald Island Resort offers a variety of amenities that guarantee you a memorable Orlando vacation experience.
Villas in Emerald Island Resort, Kissimmee - 3 Miles to Disney World Orlando, Florida
Location of villa is a key factor while visiting Disney World or other world-class attractions in Orlando, Florida. Emerald Island Resort rentals are located only 3 miles from Disney World, Orlando and make them the best choice for your Florida vacation. Our vacation homes offer a natural setting with many conservation areas offered by Emerald Island Resort. Our Orlando/Kissimmee villas with private pool and Orlando vacation villas make perfect sense as holiday accommodations whether you are planning to visit EPCOT, Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, MGM Studios, Sea World, Universal Studios or one of the many Orlando, Florida golf courses that are nearby. Our villas and vacation homes are close to Disney World, 2.7 miles to be exact! Last minute Orlando vacation homes and villas are our expertise and we do so without compromising on quality and amenities.
Are you an avid Golfer looking for Orlando Florida Golf Villas?
Affordable Disney Vacation Homes with Discount Rates and Special Deals!
Emerald Island Resort rentals offers affordable Disney area vacation homes without compromising on quality and luxury. All of our vacation homes are offered for daily, weekly and long-term stays and are in Emerald Island Resort Orlando. When you stay in our Emerald Island Resort vacation homes, you are offered discounts based on the length of stay. So, the more you stay, the more discounts you are given. Our guests keep coming back to us for a fabulous dream vacation year after year at a fraction of the cost that they would have to pay for an Orlando area hotel or a Disney Resort.
When you rent a vacation home in Emerald Island Resort, there are no per person costs or booking fees. Stay in one of our vacation homes on your next Disney World Orlando vacation and we guarantee that you will never want to stay in a hotel.
Orlando Florida Vacation Villas and Pool Home Rentals - BOOK DIRECT
Orlando vacation home and villa rentals by owner are a win-win situation for owners and guests. Our vacation rental homes are maintained to very high standards to provide a best-in-class experience to our guests at affordable prices. We do this by offering our Orlando villas/homes directly to renters by cutting all the middlemen. Our rates are low, as we don't have to pay any commissions to any tour operators, travel agents or travel agencies. The same sized villas and homes with similar amenities in the same resort will cost you 20-35% more when you rent through an agency. By renting Emerald Island Resort rentals directly from the owners, you will know the exact vacation house that you will enjoy during your stay in the tropical paradise at Kissimmee, Florida. Why wait? Book Direct to get the personal attention you expect from us. Memorable Disney World vacations start here and we make it affordable with our discounted rates and flexible payment plans such as no fee Layaway Installment Payment Program.
Are you renting an Orlando vacation home for the first time from an owner directly and have questions? Please contact us at Emerald Island Resort Rentals and we will be able to answer all your questions.
Last minute discount Disney area vacation homes in Emerald Island Resort
Whether you are looking for a discount Orlando vacation homes or a last-minute Orlando Florida vacation villas, we have many options to choose from. Our vacation homes in Emerald Island Resort are discounted based on your arrival dates and duration of stay. Emerald Island Resort offers 3 and 4 bedroom condos/townhomes for smaller families and four to seven bed larger luxury vacation homes. So, whether you are looking for an Orlando vacation villas or a luxury Disney area pool homes, we have many options for you, all in Emerald Island Resort Orlando.
Last Minute Rentals are discounted 10-30% from our already low daily rates. The savings are not limited to last-minute bookings. We offer great discounts of up to 30% based on open availability dates. Check out our Special Deals page for ultimate discounts and special offers to make your Disney vacation an affordable and memorable one! You get all the same benefits of booking our villa with these specials at a fraction of cost you would pay elsewhere.
Snowbirds who want to escape into Florida are greeted by low prices and huge discounts offered by Emerald Island Resort rentals. You can explore our Orlando Florida Snow Bird Rentals for some warm details of our affordable vacation homes.
Rent Orlando Vacation Homes and Villas Direct from Owners
Renting Orlando vacation homes and villas of Emerald Island Resort directly from owners is the best way to save on your next Orlando vacation. Vacation homeowners understand the needs of travelers who visit Orlando Florida and offer free services free WiFi, free phone calls, free BBQs and more.
Traveling with kids? All our Orlando Florida villas are family and kid friendly. We understand that a Disney vacation is all about kids and our villas are fully equipped to handle their needs. Our premium Emerald Island Rental Rental homes offer free baby equipment and free BBQ grills saving you hundreds of dollars in comparison to many Orlando area vacation rental agencies. All of our Emerald Island vacation homes are non-smoking and pet free for the enjoyment and health of our guests. For your safety and security, Emerald Island Resort is a secure gated community.


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Page Content
+++ Due to the Covid-19 pandemic the TU Berlin Summer University will not take place on campus this year. Registrations for our Summer University Online program are now open! +++
This course covers the theory, tools, and techniques associated with systems thinking approach which allows students to understand the relationship and connections between components of a system, instead of looking at the individual components one by one. Moreover, this course provides an introduction to system dynamics modeling for the analysis of business policies and strategies.
The course uses role playing games, simulation models to develop principles for the successful management of complex strategies. Special emphasis will be placed on how to realize the inter-relation between different components of system and then how to quantify these times depended impacts. This course helps students to develop understanding and proficiency in system dynamics simulation to evaluate the future of one business in the real world by system thinking approach to consider the linear and nonlinear impacts between different components of one business.
Learning Goals and Syllabus
Systems Thinking and Business Dynamics
• Learn the relevance of taking a wider system perspective in examining challenges and understand why decisions and responses change naturally over time
• Learn to examine the possible impacts of policy changes and technological innovations on business environment
Tools for System Dynamics Modeling
• Develop skills in the use of simple mapping and spreadsheets to elicit mental models of system structures, and be able to anticipate from their structures, the dynamic behavior of simple closed‐loop systems
• Learn quantitative approaches for simulation business policy
Simulating Complex Business Systems
• Be able to model and simulate multi‐looped systems by using system dynamics software and simulate possible future scenarios of real‐world business, government, community and global challenges
• Learn modeling software such as VensimPLE. In this course, the Vensim Personal Learning Edition (Vensim PLE) by Ventana Systems will be used. It is free for academic use and available for Windows and Mac
Please click here to see the syllabus.
You may find the syllabus useful when discussing with your home University whether the ECTS credits attainable for this course are accepted by them.
Course components
- Introduction of System thinking approach
- Principles of Dynamic Modelling and Sustainable Policy Design
- System Dynamics Tools Part 1: Building a model with causal loop diagrams
- System Dynamics Tools Part 2: Mapping the stock and flow structure of systems linking with feedback
- Result analysis of System Dynamics Modeling
- Growth Strategies: Network externalities, complementarities, and path dependence
- Model Validation and Verification approaches
The general prerequisites of the TU Berlin Summer University are the following: at least one year of university experience + English level B2 or equivalent.
This course also requires general knowledge of statistics and mathematics.
Students have to bring their own laptop to class.
Hamid Mostofi Darbani is a lecturer and researcher at the Institute of Vocational Education and Work Studies in the Technological University of Berlin.
He is currently working on PhD thesis on System Dynamics Modelling of Rebound Effects for Smart City Technologies on Urban Mobility.
He has experiences in the field of business analysis for urban infrastructure development and urban mobility as well as renewable energy development.
Darbani is a team member of the Green Energy Center of Iran (GECI) project at TU Berlin, which is financed by The Federal Ministry of the Environment (BMU).
He worked as a lecturer for MBA students in the Beuth University of Applied Sciences of Berlin as well as University of Applied Sciences for Engineering and Economics of Berlin.
Please direct questions about the course to the TU Berlin Summer University Team at: summeruniversity(at)tubs.de. We will answer your questions and direct specific queries regarding course content to the course lecturers where necessary.