content
stringlengths 7
2.61M
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/** Split Content-Type into MIME type and charset */
public static ContentType parse(String x)
{
if ( x == null )
return null ;
String y[] = x.split(";") ;
if ( y.length == 0 )
return null ;
String contentType = null ;
if ( y[0] != null )
contentType = y[0].trim();
String charset = null ;
if ( y.length == 2 && y[1] != null && y[1].contains("=") )
{
String[] z = y[1].split("=") ;
if ( z[0].toLowerCase().startsWith(nameCharset) )
charset=z[1].trim() ;
}
if ( contentType != null ) contentType = contentType.toLowerCase() ;
if ( charset != null ) charset = charset.toLowerCase() ;
return new ContentType(contentType, charset, null) ;
}
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The home-furnishings specialist jumped after a strong quarterly report. Here's what investors need to know.
Shares of Restoration Hardware Holdings Inc. (NYSE:RH) were up 13% as of 12:15 p.m. EDT after the home-furnishings retailer announced better-than-expected fiscal fourth-quarter 2016 results.
For its quarter ended Jan. 28, 2017, Restoration Hardware's revenue declined 9.3% year over year to $586.7 million, and adjusted net income fell 32.3% to $27.9 million, or $0.68 per diluted share. But Wall Street was even more pessimistic, with analyst consensus estimates predicting adjusted earnings of $0.65 per share on revenue of $585 million.
"Exiting fiscal 2016, we are now through the most uncertain stages of our transformation," elaborated Restoration Hardware Chairman and CEO Gary Friedman. "We made several strategic investments and changes to our business last year, which temporarily depressed financial results in the short term, that we believe will strengthen our brand and position the business for accelerated growth in fiscal 2017 and beyond."
Restoration Hardware anticipates revenue in the current quarter to climb 16% to 20% year over year, or to a range of $530 million to $545 million, with roughly 5 percentage points of that growth attributed to its acquisition of Waterworks and 5 percentage points related to higher outlet and warehouse sales driven by accelerated inventory optimization initiatives. On the bottom line, that should translate to adjusted net income of $0.8 million to $2.4 million, or $0.02 to $0.06 on a per-share basis.
Finally, for the full fiscal year 2017, Restoration Hardware anticipates revenue to increase 8% to 12% year over year, or to a range of $2.3 billion to $2.4 billion, while adjusted net income should be $65 million to $80 million, or $1.78 per share to $2.19 per share. The midpoints of both ranges were well above consensus estimates, which called for fiscal 2017 revenue of $2.33 billion and earnings of $1.92 per share.
All things considered, between Restoration Hardware's relative outperformance last quarter and its encouraging outlook, it's no surprise to see investors celebrating today.
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Tech companies, banks are big gainers as U.S….
U.S. stocks were broadly higher Monday, adding to the market’s gains last week. Technology companies, banks and health care stocks accounted for much of the rally. Investors weighed the latest company earnings and deal news. Oil prices pulled back after surging last week ahead of the U.S.-led missile attack on Syria’s chemical weapons program.
KEEPING SCORE: The S&P 500 index rose 15 points, or 0.6 percent, to 2,671 as of 11:20 a.m. Eastern Time. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 179 points, or 0.7 percent, to 24,539. The Nasdaq added 19 points, or 0.3 percent, to 7,125. The Russell 2000 index of smaller-company stocks picked up 7 points, or 0.5 percent, to 1,557.
EYE ON EARNINGS: It’s report card time for corporate America the next few weeks. Wall Street is forecasting the strongest growth in seven years for S&P 500 companies, and the hope has been that healthy profit reports will steady the market following a rough couple of months.
ICAHN’S GAMBLE: Carl Icahn’s company has struck a roughly $1.85 billion deal that would fuse the gaming and hotel operations of Tropicana Entertainment to Eldorado Resorts Inc. Tropicana vaulted 27.1 percent to $69.91. Eldorado jumped 15.7 percent to $41.30.
WAY TO DELIVER: Domino’s rose 1.5 percent to $233.75 after the pizza chain said that it will now deliver to the great outdoors, which has been bringing pizzas to doorsteps for more than half a century, will now deliver to beaches, parks and other outdoor spots.
KEEP ON TRUCKIN: Investors welcomed J.B. Hunt Transport Services’ latest quarterly results. The transportation company said shipping volumes grew in the first quarter and rates increased. Its shares climbed 7.2 percent to $120.86.
C-SUITE SHAKEUP: Shares in WPP, the world’s largest ad agency, fell 5.8 percent to $79.66 after its CEO, Martin Sorrell, resigned over an investigation into personal misconduct. Analysts say his departure could leave the company he founded three decades ago rudderless, but could also see parts sold off for higher value.
ENERGY: Oil prices fell back from spikes last week on fears over an escalation of strife in the Middle East. Benchmark U.S. crude declined 87 cents, or 1.3 percent, to $66.52 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude, which is used to price international oils, slid 83 cents, or 1.1 percent, to $71.75 per barrel.
BOND YIELDS: Bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 2.85 percent from 2.83 percent late Friday.
CURRENCIES: The dollar fell to 107.25 yen from 107.41 yen on Friday. The euro strengthened to $1.2368 from $1.2334.
OVERSEAS: In Europe, Germany’s DAX was off 0.4 percent, while the CAC 40 in France fell 0.1 percent. The FTSE 100 in Britain dropped 0.8 percent. Earlier in Asia, Japan’s Nikkei 225 index rose 0.3 percent, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng dropped 1.6 percent. South Korea’s Kospi edged 0.1 percent higher. Australia’s S&P ASX 200 picked up 0.2 percent.
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<reponame>dwa012/CSCI4661_Fall16
package com.example.danielward.simpletimer;
import android.os.Handler;
import android.os.Looper;
import android.os.Message;
import android.support.annotation.MainThread;
import android.support.v7.app.AppCompatActivity;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.widget.TextView;
public class MainActivity extends AppCompatActivity {
private static final long DELAY = 1000;
private long count;
private Handler handler;
private TextView textView;
private Thread thread;
@Override
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);
textView = (TextView) findViewById(R.id.counter);
// create a handler to "tick" the count
handler = new Handler(Looper.getMainLooper()){
@Override
public void handleMessage(Message msg) {
super.handleMessage(msg);
Bundle data = msg.getData();
boolean didWork = data.getBoolean("key", false);
count++;
textView.setText(String.valueOf(count));
}
};
}
@Override
protected void onStart() {
super.onStart();
count = 0;
thread = new Thread(runnable);
thread.start();
}
@Override
protected void onStop() {
thread.interrupt();
super.onStop();
}
private Runnable runnable = new Runnable() {
@Override
public void run() {
try {
while (true) {
Thread.sleep(DELAY);
Bundle result = new Bundle();
result.getBoolean("key", false);
Message message = new Message();
message.setData(result);
handler.sendMessage(message);
}
} catch (InterruptedException e) {
}
}
};
}
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<reponame>joaop21/SpringRaft<gh_stars>1-10
package com.springraft.persistence.state;
public interface StateService {
/**
* Method for getting the current state from persistence mechanism.
*
* @return State A mono with state.
* */
State getState();
/**
* Method for inserting or updating the current persisted state.
*
* @param state New state to insert/update.
* @return State New persisted state.
* */
State saveState(State state);
/* --------------------------------------------------- */
/**
* Method for persist the new state after transit to candidate state.
*
* @return State New state after transit to candidate state.
* */
State newCandidateState();
/**
* Method for getting the current state's term from persistence mechanism.
*
* @return Long A mono with state's current term.
* */
Long getCurrentTerm();
/**
* Method for getting the current state's voted for from persistence mechanism.
*
* @return String A mono with state's current votedFor.
* */
String getVotedFor();
/**
* Method that sets and saves the new voted for.
*
* @param votedFor is the voted server name in the new term.
*
* @return State A mono with the new persisted state.
* */
State setVotedFor(String votedFor);
/**
* Method that sets and saves the new state.
*
* @param term is the new state's term.
* @param votedFor is the voted server name in the new term.
*
* @return State A mono with the new persisted state.
* */
void setState(Long term, String votedFor);
}
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Dropping Out or Keeping Up? Early-Dropouts, Late-Dropouts, and Maintainers Differ in Their Automatic Evaluations of Exercise Already before a 14-Week Exercise Course The aim of this study was to examine how automatic evaluations of exercising (AEE) varied according to adherence to an exercise program. Eighty-eight participants (24.98 years ± 6.88; 51.1% female) completed a Brief-Implicit Association Task assessing their AEE, positive and negative associations to exercising at the beginning of a 3-month exercise program. Attendance data were collected for all participants and used in a cluster analysis of adherence patterns. Three different adherence patterns (52 maintainers, 16 early dropouts, 20 late dropouts; 40.91% overall dropouts) were detected using cluster analyses. Participants from these three clusters differed significantly with regard to their positive and negative associations to exercising before the first course meeting (p2 = 0.07). Discriminant function analyses revealed that positive associations to exercising was a particularly good discriminating factor. This is the first study to provide evidence of the differential impact of positive and negative associations on exercise behavior over the medium term. The findings contribute to theoretical understanding of evaluative processes from a dual-process perspective and may provide a basis for targeted interventions. INTRODUCTION Automatic evaluations of exercising (AEE; i.e., the spontaneous associations of exercising with either positive or negative affect) are a fairly well-researched phenomenon (e.g., ;Antoniewicz and Brand, 2014). Engagement in exercise is not just a consequence of deliberate reasoning but also the result of unintentional, automatic evaluations. Most empirical research on AEE has focused on correlations between AEE and exercise volumes (;), the predictive power of AEE in relation to proximal episodes of physical activity (e.g., step counts for 1 week, ) or decisions about exercising (Antoniewicz and Brand, 2014;Brand and Schweizer, 2015). Other research has investigated changes in AEE (;Antoniewicz and Brand, 2016); however, the potential role of AEE in exercise maintenance has not been researched before. Non-adherence to exercise programs is a well documented phenomenon (e.g., ). Dropout rates of approximately 50% after a couple months are not uncommon (Matsumoto and Takenaka, 2004). We think that research on the psychological variables that influence the behavioral decisions of maintainers and non-maintainers is crucial to designing and implementing successful exercise interventions. This study aimed to address a significant research gap by providing a theoretical account of the role of AEE in exercise adherence and testing a hypothesis relating exercise adherence to AEE which was derived from this account. The Role of Automatic Evaluations of Exercising in Exercise Maintenance According to dual process models of social cognition evaluative reactions involve two interconnected evaluative processes: one spontaneous and automatic, the other rather thoughtful and deliberative (Chaiken and Trope, 1999;Kahneman and Frederick, 2002). The Reflective Impulsive Model (RIM; Strack and Deutsch, 2004) represents one attempt to explain the distinction. According to this model, an individual who comes to the conclusion that the advantages of exercising today (e.g., thinking about health benefits) outweigh the disadvantages (e.g., exercise is time-consuming) will develop an intention to exercise that evening. The RIM assigns this process to the reflective system. The model further assumes that at the same time as the reflective processing AEE (e.g., doing aerobics is enjoyable) arise as a result of activation of an associative network which is part of the impulsive system. These AEE elicit a corresponding motivational orientation (e.g., I want to attend an aerobic session today). This aspect of social cognition -the role of the impulsive system -is central to our study. Automatic evaluations of exercising represent learnt associations, which serve as a "conceptual and procedural long-term memory, where associative weights between contents change slowly and gradually" (Deutsch and Strack, 2006, p. 167) and according to RIM the salience and accessibility of these associative clusters varies according to the frequency of their activation. One would expect a regular exerciser to have strong, easily accessible positive affective associations to exercising and weaker negative affective associations to exercising. Exercising is massively associated with bodily sensations and evokes affective responses (). Affective states provide information and can be registered in memory (Clore, 1992;). External stimuli (e.g., the experience of entering the gym) and internal stimuli (e.g., thinking about exercising) can activate affective representations which serve as inputs to evaluative information processing. Findings from exercise psychology show that positive affect during and after exercise predicts future exercising (e.g., ), and that positive AEE, as well as unconnected evaluative judgments, influence immediate decisions about exercising (Brand and Schweizer, 2015). Repeated activation of stored affective representations by acute affective states, experienced during and shortly after exercise, reinforces their association with exercise (Deutsch and Strack, 2006), i.e., increases the strength of the association between mental representations of exercise behavior and affective evaluative concepts. Every time an individual has to decide whether or not to attend the exercise course that day, both reflective and impulsive evaluative processes contribute to the formation of a motivational orientation (in the impulsive system) and a behavioral intention (in the reflective system), and reinforce pre-existing affective representations associated with attending the exercise course. This learning cycle is the reason why we expected to find predominantly positive spontaneous AEE in persistent exercisers. Researching Automatic Evaluations of Exercising Individuals are often unaware of their automatic associations () and data based on questionnaires that ask participants to introspect about such associations are therefore not an appropriate or valid measure of them, so over the past 20 years researchers have begun to investigate the validity of response time latency tasks (Fazio and Olson, 2003) as indicators of automatic associations. These indirect tests, e.g., the Affective Priming Task () and the Implicit Association Test (IAT; ), infer the individuals' AEE from the speed with which they categorize word or picture stimuli into various categories. The Implicit Association Test Over the past two decades the IAT () has become recognized in social psychology as a standard measure of spontaneous associations between mental concepts (it should be noted, however, that there is active debate on the automaticity of the measured reactions; De ). The standard version of the IAT uses sets of stimuli related to two complementary targets (e.g., 'exercise' vs. 'non-exercise') or two complementary evaluative categories ('good' vs. 'bad'). The respondent has to sort the stimuli as quickly and accurately as possible into combined categories which are varied systematically across blocks (e.g., stimuli representing 'exercise' or 'good' are moved to the left side whilst stimuli representing 'non-exercise' or 'bad' stimuli are moved to the right side in test block A; whereas in test block B 'exercise' and 'bad' stimuli have to be sorted to the left side and 'non-exercise' and 'good' stimuli are sorted to the right side). Research from exercise psychology indicates that there is no clear conceptual opposite of 'physical activity' (e.g., ). The brief IAT (BIAT; Sriram and Greenwald, 2009) is a version of the IAT which addresses this issue. In the BIAT participants only have to pay attention to two out of four categories in each test block (i.e., detect whether stimuli represent the concepts of, e.g., 'exercise' or 'good' in one test block and 'exercise' or 'bad' in the other). This makes features of the nonfocal category ('non-exercise') less important. Another approach to addressing the lack of a complement to the target category is the Single Category (SC)-IAT (Karpinski and Steinman, 2006). In one SC-IAT block respondents decide whether stimuli belong to the categories 'exercise' or 'good' or to the category 'bad'; in the other test block they decide whether stimuli belong to the 'exercise' or 'bad' categories or to the evaluative category 'good.' The common assumption underlying all IATs is that when stimuli sharing the same response are compatible (e.g., for participants who evaluate exercising positively the same response is required to stimuli representing 'exercise' or 'good') stimuli are handled more quickly than when the categorization is incompatible with one's automatic evaluation. Test scores are usually calculated by subtracting mean reaction times from the incompatible block from those in the compatible block -the two associative foci (Sriram and Greenwald, 2009) -divided by the pooled standard deviation from blocks. The resulting relative difference score (D-score; ) is an effect size-like measure. Thinking of a continuum between either having spontaneous negative affective evaluations with exercising or positive affective evaluations, the D-scores resembles one score along this continuum. A positive D-score can be interpreted as relatively positive AEE. Selected Relevant Studies A few exercise psychology studies have already used IATs and the D-score to illustrate the relationships between automatic evaluations from various forms of physical activity (e.g., ;;Antoniewicz and Brand, 2016). Conroy et al. employed the SC-IAT to show that more positive D-scores (i.e., faster reactions to 'good' stimuli when the same response is required for stimuli belonging to the target category of exercise) were associated with higher physical activity (number of steps per day) after controlling for well-established predictors of physical activity (e.g., self-efficacy). The authors concluded that spontaneous physical activity behavior over a short timeframe -1 week -was influenced by both reflective motivational processes and impulsive processes. Hyde et al. used the same length of observation period, 1 week, and focused on the stability of participants' automatic evaluations. At the beginning and end of the 1-week period participants worked through a SC-IAT and reported their physical activity during the previous week. Changes in D-score indicating a shift to a more favorable AEE were accompanied by an increase in physical activity level. The authors concluded that AEE include stable and more temporally variable components, both of which are related to physical activity behavior. Antoniewicz and Brand investigated variability in AEE by manipulating participants' AEE with an Evaluative Conditioning Task. They assessed changes in SC-IAT D-scores immediately after the manipulation in three experimental groups (associating exercise with positive affect; associating exercise with negative affect; control condition). The manipulation was shown to be effective; D-scores were significantly higher in the group that learned positive AEE than in the control group. Drawing on theories positing that the impulsive system is based on associative processes (Deutsch and Strack, 2006) and the proposed interpretation of D-scores () the authors distinguished between the two D-score components (i.e., associations between 'exercise-good' -the positive associative focus and 'exercise-bad' -the negative associative focus) and analyzed their manipulation induced changes. This revealed that the observed learning was mainly driven by changes during the 'exercise-bad' association rather than the 'exercise-good' association. The authors interpreted this as an indication that amongst their sports student participants the 'exercisegood' association was relatively stable, whilst the 'exercise-bad' association was more susceptible to manipulation. This Study This study aimed to address a significant research gap by investigating the influence of AEE on adherence to a longterm exercise program. We monitored participants' adherence to a 3-month program of exercise (classifying them according to adherence, e.g., dropouts vs. maintainers) and assessed their baseline spontaneous evaluative associations with exercise. According to dual process theories such as the RIM, the motivational orientation toward exercise (e.g., approach or avoid exercise) is based on the difference between the weights of 'exercise-good' associations and 'exercise-bad' associations. There is no doubt that exercising can simultaneously have both positive and negative associations for an individual. Regular participation in an aerobics class might elicit positive affect when it evokes thoughts of the friends one meets there whilst also eliciting more negative affect related to the resulting muscle ache. It is our contention that although a relative measure such as BIAT D-score might reflect AEE and hence capture differences between exercisers and non-exercisers as shown before, the initially measured D-score might be too robust to reflect the more nuanced differences between people who start an exercise program and adhere (i.e., maintainers) and people who do the same and quit in the long run (i.e., dropouts). We assume that it could be useful to conceive AEE in terms of separate exercise-positive and exercise-negative associations rather than using combined measures (e.g., D-score). Carrying forward findings from previous studies (Antoniewicz and Brand, 2016) we expected to find interindividual differences not only between exercisers and non-exercisers but also between finer behavioral sub-groups (e.g., sporadic vs. frequent exercisers) on the level of the two more nuanced exercise-positive and exercise-negative associations. We hypothesized that at baseline (before the start of the exercise program) positive associations (i.e., a positive associative focus) would be stronger in participants who would subsequently persist with the program than in those who would drop out. Participants Sample Data were collected from 121 participants. Data from some participants were excluded from analysis because of problems understanding the instructions for the tests (n = 20), because participants had left the exercise program ahead of schedule for health reasons (n = 2), because they had an error rate of more than 20% in BIAT sorting trials (n = 7) or because they reported before the program that they had little intention of finishing the program (n = 4). Intention to finish the program was assessed with a single question, "How committed are you to completing the exercise course?, " with answers given on a six-point Likert scale ranging from 0 = 'no intention at all' to 5 = 'very strong intention.' Intending to finish the program (score of at least 4) was a pre-defined inclusion criterion, thus reducing influences of the reflective system (i.e., intention) for adhering, while looking for differences in the impulsive system (i.e., AEE). Final analyses were based on data from 88 participants (24.98 years ± 6.88; 51.1% female). Adherence Clusters In order to minimize bias in the data due to socially desirable responding (Kristiansen and Harding, 1984) and recall bias, attendance at the 14 exercise sessions was documented by the exercise instructor (present coded as '1'; absent coded as '0') at the start of the session. Taking up the idea of Seelig and Fuchs, we chose to refrain from the often used simple way of counting exercise sessions and calculating average participation rates and frequencies. Instead, we transformed our behavioral variable (whether a person is present or absent) to a categorical criterion measure and sought to identify typical adherence patterns. By doing so, we were able to depict behavioral qualities rather than artificial fractions of actually indivisible behavioral entities. Therefore the individual adherence data was transformed into 12 simple moving averages (each based on three sessions) per participant. The resulting series of moving averages were examined with hierarchical cluster analyses to identify different patterns of adherence in our group of participants. Three different adherence patterns emerged. Fifty-two participants were classified as 'maintainers, ' 16 as 'early dropouts' and 20 as 'late dropouts' (giving an overall drop-out rate of 40.91% for the course). The results of this analysis and the chronology of adherence patterns are illustrated in Figure 1. Individuals of the maintainer group for example managed to at least reasonably adhere to the exercise program (78,85% attendance, range = 42.86-100.00%), whereas early dropouts stopped visiting the program during the first half of the 14-week exercise program (14.73% attendance, range = 7.14-35.71%) and late dropouts during the second half (56,01% attendance, range = 28.57-71.43%). The adherence groups did not differ with regard to age ), gender or intention to participate in the course, F < 1. Positive and Negative Associations Automatic evaluations of exercising, positive and negative associations with exercise, were measured with a pictorial BIAT. The stimuli depicted scenes representing the target category 'exercise' (e.g., running, playing soccer, playing tennis, doing gymnastics) or non-sports activities (e.g., sleeping, watching TV, reading, sitting), i.e., the non-focal category. All stimuli were without obvious affective content (e.g., smiling faces). The evaluative categories 'good' and 'bad' were represented by eight (four and four) different smileys and frownies. Stimuli were presented in the middle of the screen and remained there until the participant categorized them by pressing the 'E' or 'I' key on a standard QWERTZ keyboard. In test block A (positive associative focus) participants had to press the 'E' key if the stimulus belonged to either the target category 'exercise' or the evaluative category 'good'; they were asked to press the 'I' key in response to all other stimuli in this block. In test block B (negative associative focus) 'exercise' and 'bad' stimuli were assigned to the 'E' key and all others to the 'I' key. Block order was counterbalanced between participants. All participants started with 24 practice trials, followed by 40 trials with response time logging (Inquisit 2.0 software). They were instructed to categorize stimuli as quickly and accurately as possible. The resulting D-score was calculated with the revised scoring algorithm by Greenwald et al.. Design and Procedure Before the first exercise session potential participants were asked whether they were willing to take part in a study on 'evaluations of exercising.' Participants completed their first BIAT immediately before the start of the first exercise session. Then they completed a short paper-pencil questionnaire containing questions on intention of finishing the exercise course, weekly volume of exercise (in minutes per week) and basic socio-demographic information (age and gender). Finally, the course instructors documented the presence or absence of participants. Attendance was documented by instructors before each session throughout the 14 weeks of the exercise course. The participants attended a weekly exercise course that combined cardio training with exercises focusing on strength and coordination. Participants were fully debriefed, after the last exercise session. The study was carried out according to the recommendations of the ethical committee of the University of Potsdam. Statistical Analyses Group differences in D-scores were assessed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and group differences in the separate positive and negative associative foci were analyzed with one-way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) with the associative foci as dependent variables and the adherence groups as independent variables. Follow-up discrimination analysis was used as a post hoc test. This strategy allows to analyze the relative discriminative power for each of the two (inter)dependent variables 'positive and negative associative foci' with regard to the criterion variable adherence group (maintainer; early dropout; late dropout). RESULTS Full descriptive data are given in Table 1. ANOVA revealed that D-scores were similar for the three groups, F = 0.57, p > 0.05, with early dropouts having the least positive AEE (Dscore = 0.40). However, in the MANOVA there was an omnibus effect (Pillai's trace) of adherence group on positive and negative exercise associations (Figure 2), V = 0.15, F = 3.35, p < 0.01, 2 p = 0.07. A follow-up discriminant function analysis revealed two functions, explaining 99.6% (canonical R 2 = 0.16) and 0.4% (canonical R 2 < 0.01) of the variance, respectively. The combination of the two discriminant functions differentiated between the three groups, L = 0.85, 2 = 13.33, p < 0.01. Removing the first function revealed that the second function did not contribute significantly to the effect, L = 0.99, 2 = 0.52, p > 0.05. Inspection of correlations between the independent variables and the two discriminant functions revealed that positive exercise associations were strongly positively loaded on the first function (r = 0.97) and weakly to moderately negatively loaded on the second function (r = −0.21); negative exercise associations were strongly positively loaded on the second function (r = 0.84) and less strongly positively loaded on the first function (r = 0.55). These results suggest that the two associative foci are differently associated with the adherence groups. DISCUSSION The aim of this study was to examine individual differences in positive and negative associations with exercise in exercisers who started a 3-month program of weekly exercise sessions. Analysis of adherence to the program uncovered three groups of exercisers, maintainers, early dropouts and late dropouts. We detected no statistically significant differences on the level of average D-scores. However, the strengths of positive and negative associations with exercise measured before the start of the exercise program differed significantly and with a mediumsized effect between the three adherence groups. In order to better understand the differences between the two associative foci and the adherence groups, a discriminant function analysis was conducted. This approach is recommended, since MANOVA examines "whether groups differ along a linear combination of outcome variables and discriminant function analysis, unlike ANOVA, breaks down the linear combination in more detail" (Field, 2013, p. 654). Discriminant function analysis revealed that a combination of the two underlying types of exercise association (positive and negative) was highly effective in discriminating between the three adherence groups. Positive exercise associations contributed more to adherence group classification. The three groups were identified empirically (we described whether our participants were present or not) after our measurement of AEE; we thus conclude that AEE in the positive focus (not in the negative focus) are helpful in predicting exercise course adherence. Having a closer look at the positive associative focus, on the descriptive level, early dropouts seem to have the longest reaction times. This goes in line with our expectations. However, maintainers did not display the shortest reaction times (i.e., the most favorable exercise associations). There are several explanations for this result. First, the reliabilities of IATs are part of a lively debate (e.g., ) leading at least some researchers to the conclusion that indirect measures like the IAT should "be used with caution" (Bluemke and Friese, 2008, p. 977). The slightly faster reaction times of the late dropouts, compared to the maintainers, could be due to measurement error. A second explanation lies in our exclusive inspection of the automatic level, the two associative foci, while neglecting probable (well-evidenced) influences from the reflective system. An initial positive association with exercising seems to facilitate later exercise adherence, according to our results. Nonetheless, planning and coping skills remain important and might help exercisers to overcome negative automatic evaluations. Future studies are needed to focus on probable interactions between the impulsive and reflective components influencing exercise behavior. Previous studies investigated the association between AEE and exercise behavior over a short time period (). Our findings extend understanding of the relationship between AEE and behavior in several ways. We suggest that adherence to a program of exercise can be described as a series of situated decisions of the form 'do I attend my aerobics class today or watch TV instead?' Earlier research has shown that AEE correlated significantly with situated decisions about exercising (Brand and Schweizer, 2015). Our data corroborate the hypothesis that longterm adherence to a program of exercise, i.e., repeated decisions to engage in exercise, and positive associations with exercising (associations between mental representations of 'exercise' and the evaluative category 'good') at the beginning of the course are correlated. This result is compatible with previous accounts of AEE and their role in physical activity behavior (e.g., ). In the terms of learning theory each exercise class represents a learning experience which influences the weights of associations between affective representations and exercise representations accordingly. A pre-existing positive AEE might act as a buffer against the effects of future exercise classes which might trigger predominantly negative affect. Deutsch and Strack posited that in long-term memory the weight of associations between, for example the concepts 'exercising' and 'good' change only slowly. If the stored evaluation of exercising is that it is 'enjoyable, ' i.e., there is a stored association between exercising and positive affect which is reflected in a general motivation to engage in exercise, then it is likely that even if the individual has recently had an unpleasant (negative) experience of exercising his or her overall motivation to exercise will remain high (i.e., he or she is likely to make situated decisions to exercise, rather than undertake an alternative activity). This view is consistent with other authors' findings on the correlation between directly assessed hedonic responses to exercise and adherence to a program of exercise (;Ekkekakis, 2009;Kwan and Bryan, 2010). Williams et al. (2008, p. 232) concluded that "a positive affective response may lead to greater participation in physical activity programs" on the basis of an assessment of affective responses to an exercise session and follow-up tracking of physical activity for 6 months. We propose that the correlation between positive affect and exercise behavior is not only a matter of reflective evaluative judgments based on rational deliberation (e.g., 'no pain, no gain') but also automatic evaluations (i.e., spontaneous affective responses or 'gut feeling'; the output of the impulsive system). This implies that exercise intervention practitioners should attempt to facilitate immediate, positive affective responses to exercise for participants in order to reinforce exercise-positive associations which may influence both impulsive and reflective processing of exercise-related stimuli and choices. Our findings also contribute to understanding of AEE measurement. We suggest that it is more appropriate to conceive AEE in terms of separate exercise-positive and exercise-negative associations rather than as an overall AEE, on a single linear continuum. It is noteworthy that it is the overall linear continuum model which provides the rationale for calculation of IAT D-scores. Co-existing positive and negative associations and learning experiences in everyday life (e.g., exercising makes me feel better but at the same time it is time-consuming) are the norm rather than the exception. Our behavior is guided by this complex interplay of reflective judgments and automatic associations; both factors should be assessed in more detail when assessing patterns of complex behavior such as exercise habit. Assessing positive and negative associative foci separately supports a more nuanced interpretation of individual differences evaluations based on impulsive system processes. The lack of significant differences between the D-scores of maintainers and early and late dropouts reinforces the case for considering positive and negative automatic evaluations separately, particularly as differences between the adherence groups were detected when positive and negative associative foci were examined separately. Furthermore our results suggest that the positive and negative associative focus contribute differentially to patterns of exercise adherence. Given that we investigated individuals who already had decided to visit this exercise course it is unsurprising that most of them had positive associations involving exercise and that these positive associations had a significant impact on behavior. One would expect our participants to display strong or salient exercise-positive associations acquired as a result of numerous previous positive experiences of exercising (all opportunities for associative learning). As Strack and Deutsch (2006, p. 167) put it: "Frequently co-occurring perceptual features, valence, and behavioral programs form associative clusters, which vary in their accessibility according to the recency and frequency of their activation." Future research should investigate inactive individuals in order to clarify the observed differential impact of positive and negative associative in individuals without the intention to exercise. CONCLUSION We also conclude that our approach to describe exercise behavior on the full categorical level (i.e., visit the program or not) was successful. Many studies effectively described physical activities in terms of volume (e.g., step counts or minutes per week) and the observation that exercise volume correlates with AEE (e.g., ;) is certainly useful. This type of quantitative information neglected, however, qualitative behavioral differences, e.g., how similar volumes of exercise actually summed up. In a 14-week exercise session, individuals could either participate in every second exercise session (and thus be classified as a maintainer) or stop attending the exercise course after having been there for the first seven sessions (and thus belong to the late-dropout group). Accounting for such chronological information was fruitful and should stimulate further research and developments regarding the design of targeted exercise interventions (e.g., Keele-Smith and Leon, 2003). Although the results of this study contributed to our understanding of AEE and their relationship with exercise behavior there are limitations to our study that need to be addressed. The moderate sample size of 88 participants needs to be mentioned. Since our study was embedded in an actual 14week exercise program with uncertain attendance, we abstained from calculating an a priori power analysis. However, a post hoc analysis of the achieved power (taking our given sample and effect size into account) resulted in a power of 0.86, what supports the significance of our results. The regular exercisers in our sample all reported that they were likely to attend the sessions regularly and it is important to be cautious about generalizing the findings to less motivated individuals. The relationship between AEE and adherence to an exercise program in less motivated individuals is a question for future empirical research. It is also unclear whether the same results would have been obtained when investigating the relationship between AEE and exercise for more than 14 weeks. These limitations notwithstanding, we think that our study highlights the influence of AEE and the two underlying associations on adherence to a program of exercise. Our aim was to enrich understanding of the research issues in several ways. First, we have offered a plausible theoretical account of the relationship between situations-specific AEE and long-term adherence to an exercise program. This invites further reflections on integrating AEE into theories of exercise behavior. Dualsystem models are one approach to doing so and provide a basis for future research into exercise habits. Second, we have provided evidence that AEE predict exercise behavior over the long term, thus extending previous findings which investigated exercise habits or exercise behavior over short time periods. Third, the decomposition of AEE into its components (i.e., exercise-positive and exercise-negative associations) was shown to be essential to understanding the relationship between exercise behavior and AEE. Our finding improves understanding of the concept of AEE and should lead to development of more effective exercise interventions. Mainstream research in exercise psychology should investigate automatic as well as reflective processes of behavior regulation in the future. AUTHOR CONTRIBUTIONS FA developed this research question. FA conducted the empirical part of the study. RB and FA jointly re-analyzed the data, adjusted and broadened the chain of arguments and then cooperatively wrote this report.
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/*
Project: Hungarian method Edmonds
Date: 2020/01/02
Author: <NAME>
void Init(Graph &G) 初始化函数，参数：图G，功能：初始化图G
void Print(Graph G) 打印图函数，参数：图G,功能：以矩阵形式打印图，可去除
void PrintP(Graph G) 打印路径函数，参数：图G,功能：打印路径P
void PrintM(Graph G) 打印匹配集合M函数，参数：图G，功能：打印匹配集合M
void Delta() 对称差函数，参数：无，功能：M与E(P)做对称差
void DFS(Graph G,bool x,int start) 深度遍历函数（递归形式）参数：图G,X点集，开始结点下标start 作用：深度遍历，找可扩路
*/
#include<cstdio>
#include<cstdlib>
#include<cstring>
#include<cmath>
#include<string>
#include<set>
#include<list>
#include<queue>
#include<vector>
#include<map>
#include<stack>
#include<iterator>
#include<algorithm>
#include<iostream>
#define Vartype string //顶点类型
#define EdgeType int
#define Maxnum 100 //二部图点集最大数量
using namespace std;
//图的数据结构
typedef struct Graph
{
Vartype X[Maxnum];
Vartype Y[Maxnum];
EdgeType Edge[Maxnum][Maxnum];//边表
int xnum, ynum,edgenum;//顶点数
}Graph;
//M 下标为X下标，值为匹配的Y集合中的元素下标 初始-1
int M[Maxnum];
//M是否饱和X、Y 饱和为True,不饱和为False
bool X[Maxnum],Y[Maxnum];
//可扩路P
vector<int> P;
//邻接点集合与T集合
set<Vartype> NS, T;
//标记是否已遍历过
bool visitedx[Maxnum], visitedy[Maxnum];
//初始化函数
void Init(Graph &G)
{
memset(G.Edge, 0, sizeof(G.Edge));
cout << "请输入X、Y顶点集个数:" << endl;
cin >> G.xnum >> G.ynum;
Vartype temp;
cout << "请输入X顶点集顶点名称:" << endl;
for (int i = 0; i < G.xnum; i++)
{
cin >> temp;
G.X[i] = temp;
}
//for (int i = 0; i < G.xnum; i++) cout << G.X[i] << '\t' << endl;
cout << "请输入Y顶点集顶点名称:" << endl;
for (int i = 0; i < G.ynum; i++)
{
cin >> temp;
G.Y[i] = temp;
}
//for (int i = 0; i < G.xnum; i++) cout << G.X[i] << '\t' << endl;
cout << "请输入边数：" << endl;
cin >> G.edgenum;
cout << "请输入边，空格分隔（例如： x y）：" << endl;
Vartype x, y;
for (int i = 0; i < G.edgenum; i++)
{
cin >> x >> y;
int p1 = -1,p2 = -1;
for (int j = 0; j < G.xnum; j++)
if (!x.compare(G.X[j])) { p1 = j; break; }
for (int k = 0; k < G.ynum; k++)
if (!y.compare(G.Y[k])) { p2 = k; break;}
//cout << p1 << " " << p2;
if (p1 != -1 && p2 != -1)
{
G.Edge[p1][p2] = 1;
}
else
{
cout << "未找到该边，请检查端点是否输入有误！" << endl;
break;
}
}
}
//打印图函数
void Print(Graph G)
{
cout << '\t';
for (int i = 0; i < G.ynum; i++) cout << G.Y[i] << '\t';
cout << endl;
for (int i = 0; i < G.xnum; i++)
{
cout << G.X[i] << '\t';
for (int j = 0; j < G.ynum; j++)cout << G.Edge[i][j]<<'\t';
cout << endl;
}
}
//输出可扩路
void PrintP(Graph G)
{
cout << "P:";
for (int i = 0; i < P.size(); i++)
{
if (i % 2 == 0)cout << G.X[P[i]];
else cout << G.Y[P[i]];
}
cout << endl;
}
//输出集合M
void PrintM(Graph G)
{
bool flag = false;
cout << "M:{";
for (int i = 0; i < G.xnum; i++)
{
if (M[i] != -1 && !flag) { cout << G.X[i] << G.Y[M[i]]; flag = true; }
else if (M[i]!=-1&&flag)cout << ","<< G.X[i] << G.Y[M[i]];
}
cout <<"}"<<endl;
}
//集合M与E（P）做对称差
void Delta()
{
vector<int>::iterator it;
for (it = P.begin(); it != P.end();it++)
{
int x = *it;
it++;
int y = *it;
X[x] = true;
Y[y] = true;
M[x] = y;
}
}
//深度遍历函数（递归形式）参数：图G,X点集开始结点下标start 作用：深度遍历
void DFS(Graph G,bool x,int start)
{
/*
cout << "DFS(";
if (x)cout << "x,";
else cout << "y,";
cout << start << ")" << endl;*/
//X顶点集
if (x)
{
P.push_back(start);
cout << "当前路:" << endl;
PrintP(G);
visitedx[start] = true;
for (int i = 0; i < G.ynum; i++) if (G.Edge[start][i] == 1)NS.insert(G.Y[i]);
if (NS.size() == T.size())
{
cout << "N(S)==T，没有完美匹配" << endl;
system("pause");
}
for (int i = 0; i < G.ynum; i++)
{
//取Y中M - 饱和顶点
if (G.Edge[start][i] == 1 && !visitedy[i] && Y[i])//是邻接点且未访问 M - 饱和顶点Y[i]
{
T.insert(G.Y[i]);
cout << "取Y中M - 饱和顶点" << G.Y[i] << endl;
DFS(G,false,i);//递归深度遍历结点集Y
}
//Y为M - 不饱和顶点 找到可扩路P 与M做对称差
if (G.Edge[start][i] == 1 && !visitedy[i] && !Y[i])
{
cout << G.Y[i]<< "为M - 不饱和顶点,找到可扩路" << endl;
P.push_back(i);
PrintP(G);
Delta();
PrintM(G);
//返回步骤一
for (int i = 0; i < G.xnum; i++)
{
memset(visitedx, false, sizeof(visitedx));
memset(visitedy, false, sizeof(visitedy));
P.clear();
NS.clear();
T.clear();
//取X中M - 不饱和顶点
if (!X[i])DFS(G, true, i);
}
cout << "找到完美匹配";
PrintM(G);
cout << endl;
system("pause");
}
}
P.pop_back();
cout << "返回上一层前的路径:" << endl;
PrintP(G);
return;//返回至上一层
}
else//Y顶点集
{
//cout << G.Y[start];
P.push_back(start);
cout << "当前路:" << endl;
PrintP(G);
visitedy[start] = true;
for (int j = 0; j < G.xnum; j++)
{
if (M[j]==start)//找到Y[start]X[j]属于M
{
cout << "存在"<<G.Y[start]<<G.X[j]<<"属于M" << endl;
DFS(G, true, j);//递归深度遍历结点集X
}
}
P.pop_back();
cout << "返回上一层前的路径:" << endl;
PrintP(G);
return ;//返回至上一层
}
}
//匈牙利算法
int Hungarian(Graph &G)
{
int i;
memset(M, -1, sizeof(M));
cout << "1.输入初始M 2.M从空集开始" << endl;
cout << "请选择:";
cin >> i;
if (1 == i)
{
int num;
cout << "请输入M中边的数量:" << endl;
cin >> num;
cout << "请输入边，空格分隔（例如： x y）：" << endl;
Vartype x, y;
for (int i = 0; i < num; i++)
{
cin >> x >> y;
int p1 = -1, p2 = -1;
for (int j = 0; j < G.xnum; j++)
if (!x.compare(G.X[j])) { p1 = j; break; }
for (int k = 0; k < G.ynum; k++)
if (!y.compare(G.Y[k])) { p2 = k; break; }
if (p1 != -1 && p2 != -1)
{
M[p1] = p2;
X[p1] = true;
Y[p2] = true;
}
else
{
cout << "未找到该边，请检查端点是否输入有误！" << endl;
break;
}
}
}
PrintM(G);
//步骤1 判断M是否饱和所有X元素
for (int i = 0; i < G.xnum; i++)
{
memset(visitedx, false, sizeof(visitedx));
memset(visitedy, false, sizeof(visitedy));
P.clear();
NS.clear();
T.clear();
//取X中M - 不饱和顶点
if (!X[i])DFS(G, true, i);
}
cout << "找到完美匹配";
PrintM(G);
cout<< endl;
return 0;
}
//主函数
int main()
{
Graph G;
Init(G);
Print(G);
Hungarian(G);
return 0;
}
|
Q:
Most effective way to freeze beer bottles
Last night two of my friends were having this huge argument on which was the proper way to make your beer bottles cold. One said in the freezer cause they're kept at some point dry, and the other one claimed that it was better in ice since they're more in contact with the freezing agent.
I personally think it doesn't really matter(I'd still drink both anyways) but out of curiosity, is there really a best way to freeze your beers?
A:
Well you're going to be the genius here, because as it turns out, they're both wrong.
First, we're going to eliminate "novel" options for cooling, like liquid nitrogen and fire extinguishers, and limit ourselves to ways we can cool bottles every day in the freezer.
What we need to maximize here is thermal conductivity. Since the goal here is homeostasis, we need to move heat out of the bottle and into the surrounding medium as quickly as possible. And air, as it turns out, is a pretty lousy conductor. So that makes your first friend most wrong. Keeping the bottle dry will cool it eventually, but quite slowly. However, ice isn't that much better. Because there's a lot of air still touching the bottle when it's in ice. It'll cool it better, but it's certainly still not the best option.
The best option, it turns out, is an ice water mixture, with a healthy dose of salt to help keep the water liquid, even below 0 degrees Celsius. Water happens to be an excellent conductor, and with ice to keep it cold and salt to keep it liquid, can draw heat out of bottles faster than any other non-exotic method, by a significant margin.
So, if you want to cool your bottles quickly. and ice-water bath is the ticket.
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THE BONE SCINTIGRAPHY AS A COMPLEMENTARY EXAM IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF THE AVASCULAR NECROSIS OF THE SESAMOID Objective: This study aimed to present seven cases of avascular necrosis of the sesamoid and report the role of bone scintigraphy in the diagnosis of these patients. Methods: Seven patients with clinical suspicion of avascular necrosis of the sesamoid underwent three-phase bone scintigraphy with 30 mCi of 99mTc-MDP. Results: Most of the patients were young female adults with complaints of limiting pain in the forefoot, who were making use of inappropriate footwear and/or had a history of injury with or without fracture. There was no predominance of either of the feet or between the femoral or tibial sesamoid. Two patients (28.57%) had a bipartite tibial sesamoid and one (14.29%) had splitting of the tibial and fibular sesamoids. In 100% of the patients, three-phase bone scintigraphy, combined with other propaedeutic methods, proved to be crucial for the diagnosis. The initial procedure in all cases was conservative. In four cases (57.14%), there was no remission of symptoms, and surgical excision of the necrotized sesamoid tissue was performed. In all the patients, the therapy used was effective, with complete remission of symptoms, without complications or deformities of the forefoot. Conclusions: Three-phase bone scintigraphy becomes a cornerstone of the propaedeutics when avascular necrosis of the sesamoid is suspected, through contributing towards early and accurate diagnosis and enabling allowing appropriate specialized treatment. INTRODUCTION Sesamoid is a term derived from the Greek work sesamen, because of the similarity between these bones and the seeds of a plant, Sesamum indicum, which was used as a purgative in ancient Greece. Around two thousand years ago, it was imagined that the sesamoids were a repository for the soul after death. The sesamoids are two small accessory bones that are inserted into the tendons of the short flexor of the hallux, adjacent to the medial and lateral facets of the head of the first metatarsal. The tibial sesamoid has an average size of between 12 and 15 mm, and the fibular sesamoid has an average size of between 10 and 12 mm. The upper faces of the sesamoids are covered with cartilage and articulate with the head of the first ORIGINAL ARTICLE metatarsal and the capsule of the first metatarsophalangeal joint, into which its tendons are inserted. The two sesamoids are firmly joined together by the thick intersesamoid ligament and to the base of the proximal phalange by means of the sesamoid-phalangeal ligament. In addition, they are also fixed by means of the deep transverse intermetatarsal ligament and are therefore anatomically interlinked with the second metatarsal. A bone crest divides the plantar surface of the head of the metatarsal into two longitudinal joint grooves, which are coated with joint cartilage and guide the movement of the sesamoid bones. The tendon of the long flexor of the hallux goes between the sesamoid bones, in close contact with the plantar face of the intersesamoid ligament. The sesamoids are generally chance and asymptomatic findings in imaging examinations, but should not be ignored as sites that possibly cause pain. They absorb pressure, reduce attrition and protect and stabilize the metatarsophalangeal joint and the tendons of the long flexors of the hallux. They act as a fulcrum for increasing the mechanical resistance of the tendons at the time of the impulse of gait and provide a dynamic function to the hallux, through raising the head of the first metatarsal and distributing the weight-bearing in the lateral projection of the forefoot. Despite the crucial role played by the sesamoid bones in the mechanics of the forefoot, complaints resulting from pathological conditions in these structures are often neglected or poorly diagnosed and managed. THE BONE SCINTIGRAPHY AS A COMPLEMENTARY EXAM IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF THE AVASCULAR NECROSIS OF THE SESAMOID The main blood irrigation for these small bones comes through the posterior tibial artery, which branches into the medial plantar artery and divides on entering the medial and lateral sesamoid bones at their proximal poles. Although vessels from the peripheral soft tissues are abundant, they do not appear to penetrate the cortex of the sesamoid bones. Thus, the blood supply to the sesamoid bones may come from up to three vessels. Arteries penetrate the lateral and medial sesamoid bones proximally through a single vessel that proceeds distally with a network of ramifications. In the plantar projection, vessels penetrate the non-joint surfaces of the sesamoid bones, thus forming a second source of vascularization. Lastly, small vessels also penetrate the sesamoid bones by means of the medial and lateral capsular adnexa. Disorders of the sesamoid bones are a cause of metatarsal pain and, because of the complex anatomy and numerous pain-sensitive structures in the region, their differential diagnosis may be challenging, taking into consideration the possible causes of congenital, traumatic, arthritic, infectious and ischemic nature. Dislocation of the sesamoids may be associated with metatarsalgia, callus formation and stress fractures. In 1924, Renander was one of the first authors to draw attention to avascular necrosis of the sesamoid. This is a very uncommon clinical entity, and its low incidence and incomplete definition may lead to erroneous diagnoses and delayed treatment. It needs to be differentiated from other pathological conditions such as fractures, pseudarthrosis or osteomyelitis. The present study had the aim of presenting seven cases of avascular necrosis of the sesamoids and report on the role of bone scintigraphy in diagnosing these patients. METHODS Seven patients with a clinical suspicion of avascular necrosis of the sesamoids underwent a dynamic study of blood flow in a high-resolution gamma chamber with a rectangular double detector, in anterior and posterior projections of the region of interest. Sequential images were produced immediately after injection of 30 mCi of 99m Tc-MDP for one minute, followed by static images at equilibrium. After three hours of intravenous administration of the radiopharmaceutical, images of the whole body were obtained in anterior and posterior projections, along with special late-stage static images of the regions of interest. RESULTS The patients' ages ranged from 20 to 46 years, with a mean of 31 and median of 32 years. Among the patients, six (85.71%) were female and one (14.29%) was male. Three patients (42.86%) presented a pathological condition in their right foot and four (57.14%) in their left foot. All of them presented the symptom of pain in the affected forefoot, and one (14.29%) was also found to present localized edema and rubor. All the patients were found to have been using inadequate footwear and/or they reported suffering traumatic events with or without associated fracturing. One of the patients was practicing ballet and another, soccer. Two of the female patients (28.57%) were using contraceptives. In 100% of the patients, triphasic bone scintigraphy in association with other propaedeutic methods was shown to be fundamental for the diagnosis (Figures 1, 2 and 3). The initial approach in all the cases was to prohibit the use of high heels among the female patients, suspend the use of contraceptives when these were used, provide guidance regarding the use of adequate footwear, introduce the use of insoles with retrocapital support, prescribe non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and prescribe physiotherapy. In four cases (57.14%), there was no remission of the symptoms and surgical excision of the necrotized sesamoid tissue was performed. One of the patients evolved with pain, edema and localized paresthesia, which resulted in slight claudication. This was treated conservatively with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and physiotherapy sessions. In all the patients, the therapy used was shown to be effective, with complete remission of the symptoms. Clinical inspection, radiological findings and, notably, scintigraphic findings demonstrated that the condition had been resolved, with complete pain relief and without complications or deformities of the forefoot. DISCUSSION Both metatarsal sesamoid bones are always present, and their complete ossification takes place between the ages of nine and fourteen years. This generally occurs earlier for the lateral sesamoid and among females. Ossification starting from more than one bone center leads to partition of the sesamoid bone in around 30% of individuals. The sesamoids are surrounded by a fibrous ligament structure that forms the sesamoid-phalangeal apparatus and moves under the head of the metatarsal head, thus playing an important role as shock absorbers and thereby facilitating gentle footfall from the heel to the extremity of the toes. They also increase the muscle strength at the impulsion stage of gait and protect the metatarsophalangeal joint and the tendon of the long and short flexors of the hallux. Regarding the physiopathology of the osteonecrosis, changes to the vascular supply to the accessory center of the sesamoid or fragility of the ossification centers have been reported. Repeated trauma affecting the tendons and serous membranes of the sesamoid-phalangeal apparatus and fracturing of the sesamoid bone may result in ischemia with osteonecrosis. The most frequent precipitating factors are microtrauma, sports activities such as athletics and dancing, and alignment disorders of the hind foot, such as pes cavus or pes valgus. Osteonecrosis of the sesamoid bones has unknown prevalence and is probably underdiagnosed. Most of the patients are adolescents or young adults, and women are more affected than men. Although both of the sesamoids may be affected, the tibial sesamoid is subjected to greater loads and is therefore more susceptible to this condition. Another cause of this condition could be the natural pronation of the first metatarsal, which places the tibial sesamoid in a more prominent position. It also has to be taken into consideration that sesamoid partition is more common in the tibial than in the fibular sesamoid and more common in women than in men, and that bipartite sesamoid bones fracture under lower force than do undivided sesamoids. The incidence of unilaterally bipartite medial sesamoids is around 10.7%, while bilaterally bipartite medial sesamoids occur in around 25% to 85%. Regarding blood perfusion, Pretterklieber and Wanivenhaus demonstrated that the tibial sesamoid is fed by a single vessel in 64% of women and 43% of men. The fibular sesamoid is irrigated by a single vessel in 57% of women and 50% of men. This may also explain the greater incidence of avascular necrosis in tibial sesamoids and in women. In studying the vascular supply of the sesamoids, these authors also demonstrated that the sesamoids of the left foot tend to be smaller and denser than those in the right foot, and those of males tend to be bigger than those of females. They also showed that the sesamoids of the left foot have a greater blood supply than those of the right foot and that the sesamoids of males have a greater blood supply than those of females. These authors believed that this explained the difference in size between the sesamoids observed in these groups. The differential diagnoses include nonspecific sesamoiditis; osteomyelitis; trauma with fractures; pseudarthrosis; bursitis; sympathetic-reflex dystrophy syndrome; gout and other diseases with deposition of crystals, such as hyperuricemia; joint inflammation diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and reactive arthritis; and abnormal alignment, dislocation and osteoarthritis of the sesamoid bone. The main symptom is mechanical pain that starts gradually and is reflected in the plantar surface of the head of the first metatarsal, on palpation, on putting weight on the hallux and in the final phase of the gait cycle. It is worsened by forced dorsiflexion of the hallux until becoming incapacitating. Antalgic supination of the forefoot while walking is noted 8,10). Bone scintigraphy is fundamental for early diagnosis, since scintigraphic abnormalities often precede the radiographic findings. Areas with very high uptake of radiopharmaceutical, or even with very low uptake, can be observed at the beginning of the process of necrosis. The initial treatment is based mainly on elimination of weight-bearing and support for the metatarsal arch by means of personalized footwear and molded insoles, with insertion of a pressure point posteriorly to the head of the metatarsus and an opening under the affected sesamoid. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and temporary immobilization may be necessary. There is controversy regarding the use of intra-articular injections of glucocorticoids. If the pain lasts for more than six months and is refractory to appropriate conservative treatment, partial or total sesamoidectomy with excision of the necrosed part becomes an alternative. Preference is given to a dorsal approach in order to avoid painful scars or formation of cheloids in weight-bearing areas. Surgeons should take care to protect the neurovascular bundle in repositioning the intrinsic tendons and ligaments. Anatomical knowledge of the course and distribution of the vessels becomes necessary for understanding the pathogenesis of avascular necrosis, so that orthopedists are knowledgeable about correct use of the surgical technique. It is important to keep the contralateral sesamoid bone and the surrounding fibrous structure, which stabilizes the metatarsophalangeal joint. Occasionally, patients may develop hallux varus after complete excision of the fibular sesamoid, or hallux valgus after excision of the tibial sesamoid, which may be followed by pain in the contralateral sesamoid and may even require a second sesamoidectomy. Plantar pain in the first metatarsal or a "claw" deformity of the interphalangeal joint due to diminished strength of the short flexor of the hallux may occur after bilateral sesamoidectomy. If such complications occur, analgesics and orthoses may be useful. Histological evaluations generally reveal proliferation of granulation tissue, necrosed trabeculae, reactive processes of out-of-position bone reconstitution and chondroid metaplasia. CONCLUSIONS The recent literature provides support for initial non-surgical management of cases of avascular necrosis of the sesamoid, using therapy consisting of anti-inflammatory medications, adequate footwear and elimination of weight-bearing. After the condition has continued for more than six months, surgical intervention should be considered. Triphasic bone scintigraphy plays an important role in the propaedeutics of avascular necrosis of the sesamoid. Scintigraphic studies become crucial through contributing towards an early and accurate diagnosis of the complex disorders of the sesamoid bone, which is invariably a challenge for specialists. Scintigraphy is therefore an important tool for guiding physicians regarding the appropriate treatment, thereby avoiding potentially harmful dysfunctions that drag on for a long time and especially comprise the patient's social and working lives.
|
<filename>ifs-web-service/ifs-web-core/src/main/java/org/innovateuk/ifs/async/config/AsyncThreadPoolTaskExecutorConfig.java
package org.innovateuk.ifs.async.config;
import org.innovateuk.ifs.async.executor.AsyncTaskDecorator;
import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Value;
import org.springframework.context.annotation.Bean;
import org.springframework.context.annotation.Configuration;
import org.springframework.scheduling.concurrent.ThreadPoolTaskExecutor;
/**
* Configuration for asynchronous execution threads that are spawned from main request processing threads
* (the AJP threads), and threads spawned from these asynchronous execution threads as well
*/
@Configuration
public class AsyncThreadPoolTaskExecutorConfig {
@Value("${ifs.web.ajp.connections.max.total}")
private int maxConnections;
@Value("${ifs.web.max.async.threads}")
private int maxAsyncThreads;
@Bean
public ThreadPoolTaskExecutor threadPoolTaskExecutor(AsyncTaskDecorator asyncTaskDecorator) {
ThreadPoolTaskExecutor executor = new ThreadPoolTaskExecutor();
executor.setTaskDecorator(asyncTaskDecorator);
executor.setCorePoolSize(maxConnections);
executor.setMaxPoolSize(maxAsyncThreads);
executor.setQueueCapacity(Integer.MAX_VALUE);
executor.setKeepAliveSeconds(1);
executor.setAllowCoreThreadTimeOut(true);
executor.setThreadNamePrefix("IFS-Async-Executor-");
executor.initialize();
return executor;
}
}
|
TORONTO – It is common for financial professionals to have badly outdated wills, said Dr. Thomas William Deans in a presentation here at the 2014 Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) annual meeting. But what about the late Robert Kennedy, the U.S. Senator and former U.S. Attorney General who was assassinated in 1968?
Kennedy was an attorney and he did have a will, said Deans, who is a family business succession planning expert. In addition, the will did name an executor. But the executor was none other than the late President John F. Kennedy, who had been assassinated five years earlier.
“What I’d like to know is, who was advising Robert Kennedy?” said the president of Détente Financial Press, Orangeville, Ont., Canada.
The story highlights the issues that Deans sees in today’s estate planning marketplace — namely, that roughly 125 million American and Canadian adults have no will, and that the intestacy (dying without a will) rate is roughly 50 percent. In addition, many others have wills that are sorely out of date.
This is a well-known problem in insurance and financial circles, but it is one that Deans believes insurance advisors can help address— by nudging clients to hold regular family meetings about family wealth matters, including death. In the process, insurance professionals may uncover additional opportunities for insurance solutions, he indicated.
“If insurance professionals can facilitate family conversations about money and its ultimate transfer, if they can help more families discover their will to will, it follows that you can shine a brighter light on the importance of insuring the future financial success of the family,” he said.
Writing a will should not be a solitary endeavor, Deans added. Rather, the drafting of a will should occur over time, “born from family conversation.” And the process should be about preparing heirs.
If that discussion sounds a lot like what producers learn when getting their spurs in life insurance, the parallel was probably intentional.
Only 30 percent of family businesses survive to the second generation, he pointed out, and only 3 percent survive to the third generation. In view of that, business owners who gift an operating business are not leaving gifts, he cautioned. Many times, they leave “ticking time bombs” to members of the next generation who have no interest in running the business successfully into the future or who lack the ability to do so.
For insurance professionals who want to use family meetings to support intergenerational solutions, Deans had a few suggestions.
In addition, try rekindling the ancient penchant for storytelling, in this case about the family’s history. “Advisors who can do this and do it well will reframe what a will is and, in doing so, make it one of the most exciting documents you and they write together,” he said.
|
/**
* Class ProcessFlow is a {@link cascading.flow.Flow} subclass that supports custom Riffle jobs.
* <p/>
* Use this class to allow custom Riffle jobs to participate in the {@link cascading.cascade.Cascade} scheduler. If
* other Flow instances in the Cascade share resources with this Flow instance, all participants will be scheduled
* according to their dependencies (topologically).
* <p/>
* Though this class sub-classes {@link HadoopFlow}, it does not support all the methods available or features.
* <p/>
* Currently {@link cascading.flow.FlowListener}s are supported but the
* {@link cascading.flow.FlowListener#onThrowable(cascading.flow.Flow, Throwable)} event is not.
*
* @deprecated ProcessFlow will be decoupled from Hadoop and moved to a different package in Cascading 3.0.
*/
@Deprecated
public class ProcessFlow<P> extends HadoopFlow
{
/** Field process */
private final P process;
/** Field processWrapper */
private final ProcessWrapper processWrapper;
private boolean isStarted = false; // only used for event handling
/**
* Constructor ProcessFlow creates a new ProcessFlow instance.
*
* @param name of type String
* @param process of type JobConf
*/
@ConstructorProperties({"name", "process"})
public ProcessFlow( String name, P process )
{
this( new Properties(), name, process );
}
/**
* Constructor ProcessFlow creates a new ProcessFlow instance.
*
* @param properties of type Map<Object, Object>
* @param name of type String
* @param process of type P
*/
@ConstructorProperties({"properties", "name", "process"})
public ProcessFlow( Map<Object, Object> properties, String name, P process )
{
this( properties, name, process, null );
}
/**
* Constructor ProcessFlow creates a new ProcessFlow instance.
*
* @param properties of type Map<Object, Object>
* @param name of type String
* @param process of type P
* @param flowDescriptor pf type LinkedHashMap<String, String>
*/
@ConstructorProperties({"properties", "name", "process", "flowDescriptor"})
public ProcessFlow( Map<Object, Object> properties, String name, P process, Map<String, String> flowDescriptor )
{
super( HadoopUtil.getPlatformInfo(), properties, null, name, flowDescriptor );
this.process = process;
this.processWrapper = new ProcessWrapper( this.process );
setName( name );
setTapFromProcess();
initStats();
}
private void initStats()
{
try
{
if( processWrapper.hasCounters() )
this.flowStats = new ProcessFlowStats( this, getFlowSession().getCascadingServices().createClientState( getID() ), processWrapper );
}
catch( ProcessException exception )
{
throw new FlowException( exception );
}
}
/**
* Method setTapFromProcess build {@link Tap} instance for the give process incoming and outgoing dependencies.
* <p/>
* This method may be called repeatedly to re-configure the source and sink taps.
*/
public void setTapFromProcess()
{
setSources( createSources( this.processWrapper ) );
setSinks( createSinks( this.processWrapper ) );
setTraps( createTraps( this.processWrapper ) );
}
/**
* Method getProcess returns the process of this ProcessFlow object.
*
* @return the process (type P) of this ProcessFlow object.
*/
public P getProcess()
{
return process;
}
@Override
public void prepare()
{
try
{
processWrapper.prepare();
}
catch( Throwable throwable )
{
if( throwable.getCause() instanceof RuntimeException )
throw (RuntimeException) throwable.getCause();
throw new FlowException( "could not call prepare on process", throwable.getCause() );
}
}
@Override
public void start()
{
try
{
flowStats.markPending();
fireOnStarting();
processWrapper.start();
flowStats.markStarted();
isStarted = true;
}
catch( Throwable throwable )
{
fireOnThrowable( throwable );
if( throwable.getCause() instanceof RuntimeException )
throw (RuntimeException) throwable.getCause();
throw new FlowException( "could not call start on process", throwable.getCause() );
}
}
@Override
public void stop()
{
try
{
fireOnStopping();
processWrapper.stop();
if( !flowStats.isFinished() )
flowStats.markStopped();
}
catch( Throwable throwable )
{
flowStats.markFailed( throwable );
fireOnThrowable( throwable );
if( throwable.getCause() instanceof RuntimeException )
throw (RuntimeException) throwable.getCause();
throw new FlowException( "could not call stop on process", throwable.getCause() );
}
}
@Override
public void complete()
{
try
{
if( !isStarted )
{
flowStats.markPending();
fireOnStarting();
isStarted = true;
flowStats.markStarted();
}
flowStats.markRunning();
processWrapper.complete();
fireOnCompleted();
flowStats.markSuccessful();
}
catch( Throwable throwable )
{
flowStats.markFailed( throwable );
fireOnThrowable( throwable );
if( throwable.getCause() instanceof RuntimeException )
throw (RuntimeException) throwable.getCause();
throw new FlowException( "could not call complete on process", throwable.getCause() );
}
}
@Override
public void cleanup()
{
try
{
processWrapper.cleanup();
}
catch( Throwable throwable )
{
if( throwable.getCause() instanceof RuntimeException )
throw (RuntimeException) throwable.getCause();
throw new FlowException( "could not call cleanup on process", throwable.getCause() );
}
}
private Map<String, Tap> createSources( ProcessWrapper processParent )
{
try
{
return makeTapMap( processParent.getDependencyIncoming() );
}
catch( ProcessException exception )
{
if( exception.getCause() instanceof RuntimeException )
throw (RuntimeException) exception.getCause();
throw new FlowException( "could not get process incoming dependency", exception.getCause() );
}
}
private Map<String, Tap> createSinks( ProcessWrapper processParent )
{
try
{
return makeTapMap( processParent.getDependencyOutgoing() );
}
catch( ProcessException exception )
{
if( exception.getCause() instanceof RuntimeException )
throw (RuntimeException) exception.getCause();
throw new FlowException( "could not get process outgoing dependency", exception.getCause() );
}
}
private Map<String, Tap> makeTapMap( Object resource )
{
Collection paths = makeCollection( resource );
Map<String, Tap> taps = new HashMap<String, Tap>();
for( Object path : paths )
{
if( path instanceof Tap )
taps.put( ( (Tap) path ).getIdentifier(), (Tap) path );
else
taps.put( path.toString(), new ProcessTap( new NullScheme(), path.toString() ) );
}
return taps;
}
private Collection makeCollection( Object resource )
{
if( resource instanceof Collection )
return (Collection) resource;
else if( resource instanceof Object[] )
return Arrays.asList( (Object[]) resource );
else
return Arrays.asList( resource );
}
private Map<String, Tap> createTraps( ProcessWrapper processParent )
{
return new HashMap<String, Tap>();
}
@Override
public String toString()
{
return getName() + ":" + process;
}
static class NullScheme extends Scheme
{
public void sourceConfInit( FlowProcess flowProcess, Tap tap, Object conf )
{
}
public void sinkConfInit( FlowProcess flowProcess, Tap tap, Object conf )
{
}
public boolean source( FlowProcess flowProcess, SourceCall sourceCall ) throws IOException
{
throw new UnsupportedOperationException( "sourcing is not supported in the scheme" );
}
@Override
public String toString()
{
return getClass().getSimpleName();
}
public void sink( FlowProcess flowProcess, SinkCall sinkCall ) throws IOException
{
throw new UnsupportedOperationException( "sinking is not supported in the scheme" );
}
}
/**
*
*/
static class ProcessTap extends Tap
{
private final String token;
ProcessTap( NullScheme scheme, String token )
{
super( scheme );
this.token = token;
}
@Override
public String getIdentifier()
{
return token;
}
@Override
public TupleEntryIterator openForRead( FlowProcess flowProcess, Object input ) throws IOException
{
return null;
}
@Override
public TupleEntryCollector openForWrite( FlowProcess flowProcess, Object output ) throws IOException
{
return null;
}
@Override
public boolean createResource( Object conf ) throws IOException
{
return false;
}
@Override
public boolean deleteResource( Object conf ) throws IOException
{
return false;
}
@Override
public boolean resourceExists( Object conf ) throws IOException
{
return false;
}
@Override
public long getModifiedTime( Object conf ) throws IOException
{
return 0;
}
@Override
public String toString()
{
return token;
}
}
}
|
At first glance, Marco Rubio and Jonathan Unverzagt seem to have little in common. Rubio, a 44-year-old U.S. senator and Republican presidential contender from Miami, Florida, gives fiery speeches to large crowds and has racked up some $40 million in campaign commitments. Unverzagt, a plainspoken minister and 52-year-old father of 11 from Onalaska, Wisconsin, delivers weekly sermons to small groups and collects $4,000 in tithes and offerings each Sunday from his congregation of roughly 200 at Christ is Lord Free Lutheran Church. Rubio earns a Senate salary of $174,000. Unverzagt takes home a more modest income of $65,000.
But when Unverzagt, who describes himself as a “fiscal and social conservative,” heard of Rubio’s financial struggles in recent news reports, it struck a familiar chord with him. “The numbers may change a little, but that story is quite common,” he says, especially among his friends and acquaintances. Instead of being appalled at the state of Rubio’s finances, Unverzagt says he empathized.
If you put the two of them in a room, they’d be able to swap stories of making tough financial decisions in recent years, liquidating significant sources of savings to create cash flow and dealing with the dull ache of personal debt. Granted, Unverzagt had never purchased an $80,000 boat with a windfall from an $800,000 book advance, but he did once splurge on a $700, 50-inch TV, an amount that constituted more than 10 percent of his annual $6,000 tax refund. Like Rubio, who paid off $150,000 in student loan debt, Unverzagt had long ago retired his own student loans, which totaled $40,000. And Unverzagt had never cashed out a $68,000 retirement account, but he did once liquidate $1,500 from a whole life insurance policy his father-in-law had taken out on his wife, and he stopped contributing to his pension during one five-year period—just to make ends meet.
While every presidential candidate seeks the common touch, getting oneself into financial trouble doesn’t necessarily translate into votes; Americans generally like their presidents to be competent, at finance and everything else. Asked whether Rubio’s familiar troubles made him more likely to support him for president, Unverzagt said: "Yes, but only partially. It makes him relatable, but his vision for America and his stance on the issues will be the determining factor in the vote. On the other hand, by no means does this disqualify him."
Rubio’s woes, as chronicled by the New York Times, were those of a man who entered public service from a “deep financial hole of his own making”— zero net worth, student loans, $30,000 in credit card and retail debt, and a $135,000 line of credit secured against a $735,000 home.
Unverzagt’s story parallels Rubio’s in many ways. A little more than four years ago, Unverzagt stared down what seemed like an unscalable mountain of $45,000 in credit card debt. His stomach churned. He tossed and turned at night. He experienced the symptoms of acid reflux. All of which he attributed to the disarray of his finances.
The average American is facing similar hardships, despite having overconfidence in their own knowledge of personal finance best practices. According to the Washington, D.C.-based National Foundation for Credit Counseling’s 2015 Consumer Financial Literacy Survey released in April, 70 percent of American consumers are worried about their finances. And while 92 percent of respondents reported in a March online Harris Poll that they were “very or somewhat confident in their most recent big financial decision,” whether it was purchasing a new vehicle or refinancing their mortgage, 60 percent of Americans said they didn’t maintain a budget—the highest percentage in the last six years. One in three households don’t pay off their credit card debt each month.
Turns out, American Exceptionalism has a way of seeping into our wallets, whether you are a national figure or a local pastor.
|
package org.jivesoftware.smackx;
import org.jivesoftware.smack.Connection;
import org.jivesoftware.smack.PacketCollector;
import org.jivesoftware.smack.SmackConfiguration;
import org.jivesoftware.smack.XMPPException;
import org.jivesoftware.smack.filter.PacketIDFilter;
import org.jivesoftware.smack.packet.IQ;
import org.jivesoftware.smackx.packet.SharedGroupsInfo;
import java.util.List;
/**
* A SharedGroupManager provides services for discovering the shared groups where a user belongs.<p>
*
* Important note: This functionality is not part of the XMPP spec and it will only work
* with Wildfire.
*
* @author <NAME>
*/
public class SharedGroupManager {
/**
* Returns the collection that will contain the name of the shared groups where the user
* logged in with the specified session belongs.
*
* @param connection connection to use to get the user's shared groups.
* @return collection with the shared groups' name of the logged user.
*/
public static List getSharedGroups(Connection connection) throws XMPPException {
// Discover the shared groups of the logged user
SharedGroupsInfo info = new SharedGroupsInfo();
info.setType(IQ.Type.GET);
// Create a packet collector to listen for a response.
PacketCollector collector =
connection.createPacketCollector(new PacketIDFilter(info.getPacketID()));
connection.sendPacket(info);
// Wait up to 5 seconds for a result.
IQ result = (IQ) collector.nextResult(SmackConfiguration.getPacketReplyTimeout());
// Stop queuing results
collector.cancel();
if (result == null) {
throw new XMPPException("No response from the server.");
}
if (result.getType() == IQ.Type.ERROR) {
throw new XMPPException(result.getError());
}
return ((SharedGroupsInfo) result).getGroups();
}
}
|
Role of Leaf Litter in Above-Ground Wood Decay The effects of leaf litter on moisture content and fungal decay development in above-ground wood specimens were assessed. Untreated southern pine specimens were exposed with or without leaf litter contact. Two types of leaf litter were evaluated; aged (decomposed) and young (early stages of decomposition). The moisture content of specimens was monitored, and specimens were periodically removed for visual evaluation of decay development. In addition, amplicon-based sequencing analysis of specimens and associated leaf litter was conducted at two time points. Contact with either type of leaf litter resulted in consistently higher moisture contents than those not in contact with leaf litter. Visually, evident decay developed most rapidly in specimens in contact with the aged leaf litter. Analysis of amplicon-based sequencing revealed that leaf litter contributes a significant amount of the available wood decay fungal community with similar communities found in the litter exposed wood and litter itself, but dissimilar community profiles from unexposed wood. Dominant species and guild composition shifted over time, beginning initially with more leaf saprophytes (ascomycetes) and over time shifting to more wood rotting fungi (basidiomycetes). These results highlight the importance of the contributions of leaf litter to fungal colonization and subsequent decay hazard for above-ground wood. Introduction Soil contact presents a severe deterioration hazard for wood products, but the greatest volume of wood products used outdoors is not in direct contact with the ground. In the last decade, there has been increasing interest in using less toxic preservative systems or lower preservative retentions for wood used above-ground. These preservative formulations may not be evaluated with ground-contact stake tests, and instead are evaluated using above-ground test methods. There are several standardized above-ground test methods, but accelerated evaluation of wood products intended for use above-ground has proven more difficult than ground contact evaluations. It remains unclear how well above-ground tests characterize the hazard, or if they actually accelerate the rate of decay relative to in-service applications. Most methods utilize some type of joint, connection, or layering in an effort to trap moisture, but this effect can be undermined using specimens with small dimensions. Although the smaller dimensions do allow more rapid detection of decay once it is present, smaller specimens dry more rapidly than dimensional lumber. In addition, none of the commonly used test methods simulate the accumulation of decaying organic debris that often occurs in connections of treated wood used above-ground. Specimens are typically exposed in open areas to remove variability associated with natural shading, and when organic debris (leaf litter) does accumulate, it is removed during periodic inspections. In contrast, accumulation and decomposition of leaf litter is commonly observed in wooden structures, and it is possible that the presence of this decomposing organic matter increases the decay hazard to the adjacent wood product. Tree cover has been identified as a major factor in understory biodeterioration and nutrient cycling in forest ecosystems and leaf litter has been theorized to play a role in the rate of decomposition of coarse woody debris. Although not previously reported, the same concepts could theoretically apply for residential wood structures located under the canopy of surrounding trees. It is possible that accumulation and persistence of leaf litter on the surface of residential above-ground structures can serve as both an inoculum source and a potential incubator for future fungal colonizers of the wood in contact. Decomposing leaf litter may contribute to an increased decay hazard in at least two ways. Inadequate moisture is typically a limiting factor in fungal colonization of wood used above-ground and is probable that the presence of the leaf litter slows drying of adjacent wood after rain events, thus increasing the proportion of time that the wood moisture content is conducive to decay. It is also possible that decomposing leaf litter plays a role, like soil, in providing a ready supply of nutrients and moisture that facilitates growth and sporulation of decay fungi. The latter scenario is especially problematic because it suggests that preservatives evaluated for above-ground efficacy may need to provide protection in a broad spectrum of conditions, some of which are more similar to ground contact than currently assumed. Although previous research has not directly evaluated the role of leaf litter in the decomposition of wood used above-ground, there have been reports of overlap between fungal groups associated with litter decomposition and wood decay. Researchers evaluating the ability of leaf litter-degrading fungi to also degrade wood reported that many of the isolates caused some degree of weight loss in wood, although generally not to the extent caused by fungi traditionally associated with wood decay. Hammel notes that a succession of bacteria and fungi are thought to decompose leaf litter, with Basidiomycete fungi playing a role in lignin decomposition. Schneider et al. also reported that, although more Ascomycetes were detected overall in leaf litter, Basidiomycetes did appear later in the degradation process, presumably because they were able to decompose remaining lignin compounds. It is thought that the Basidiomycete fungi that degrade leaf litter are more likely to be white than brown rot fungi, but this supposition has not been confirmed by research. However, this white rot premise was circumstantially supported by a study which reported the Basidiomycete fungi found to be degrading leaf litter also caused the litter to have a bleached appearance. Other researchers have reported a lack of Basidiomycetes, but those studies involved leaf litter in early stages of decomposition. The available tools to characterize and observe fungal communities have increased dramatically in the last two decades. The development of next generation sequencing technologies has enabled large scale community level analysis and the resulting metagenomic capabilities allow researchers to analyze mixed microbial communities of interest and observe inter and intraspecific interactions. Targeted microbial metagenomics, also referred to as metabarcoding or amplicon-based sequencing, is an extremely useful tool for dissecting complex and dynamic microbial communities that have been applied to forest soils, decaying wood, and standing trees. The application of next generation sequencing (NGS) technology to characterize leaf litter is well represented in the literature, with less attention having been paid to processed lumber and the residential built environment. For example, Purahong et al. reported dynamic shifts in fungal community composition as leaf litter ages/decomposes, where a general shift occurs from ascomycetous fungi to basidiomycetous fungi as the quality and composition of the leaf litter changes, which has also been reported by Zhang et al.. Differences have been noted between the effects of litter in deciduous and evergreen forests, where plant diversity and litter biomass are key drivers in deciduous forest, but host effects outweigh these in evergreen forests. The impacts of global warming have also been studied using NGS paired with enzymatic assays and the results of this and other studies found that decomposition rates did not accelerate with increasing temperature, but instead led to an increase in residual lignin paired with an increase of lignin degrading enzymes and increased presence of ectomycorrhizal fungi. The concept of home field advantage (HFA) is one that has garnered considerable interest in recent years, which states that plant biomass is more readily broken down in its native environment than a foreign one. This concept has not been tested in deterioration rates of processed lumber but would suggest that softwood species might degrade faster located in a predominant conifer overstory due to the prevalence of microbes adapted to breaking down the structural components of softwoods. This area represents a critical gap in our knowledge of wood decay in above-ground residential conditions and potentially challenges the current approach to wood protection. An improved understanding of factors that affect the severity of above-ground decay hazards is critical to the development and evaluation of durable wood products. It is plausible that the presence of leaf litter may heighten the decay hazard for wood used above-ground by increasing wood moisture and/or serving as an inoculum source for wood decay fungi. The objective of this study was to increase our understanding of how decomposing organic matter contributes to decay in above-ground wood structures. In this study, we assessed the characteristics of young and aged litter types, their contribution to wood moisture content and decay, and utilized amplicon-based sequencing to identify and characterize the fungi found within young and aged leaf litter and adjacent to wood in an effort to compare the fungal communities of the leafy substrate to those which successfully colonize and ultimately degrade the wood. Leaf Litter The detritus that accumulates on above-ground structures could have a wide range of sources and characteristics depending on the type and proximity adjacent trees and shrubs, and one of the challenges of this study was selecting a characteristic or representative material. Two types of leaf litter were investigated, "aged" and "young". The "aged" litter was a commercial product (Hsu organic STA Certified Leaf Compost) prepared in Wausau, Wisconsin, USA and available at garden centers in the Midwest. It has been composted for use as a soil amendment and has an appearance like coffee grounds. Product literature states that it is made from "tree leaves collected in the pristine woodlands of Wisconsin" (https://www.hsugrowingsupply.com/leaf-compost/hsu-leaf-compost). A compost analysis report was provided by the manufacturer (Table 1). The other type of litter (young) was created from leaves (silver maple, sugar maple, elm, and white oak) that had been loosely piled outdoors for approximately 18 months in the Madison, Wisconsin area. The leaves were dried and then crushed to pass through a 6 mm (0.25 in.) screen. The intent of the young leaf litter was to evaluate the effect of litter in an earlier stage of decomposition than the commercial leaf litter. A compost analysis of the young leaf litter was conducted by the same laboratory that evaluated the commercial aged litter. The relatively high organic content, and the high carbon: nitrogen ratio and poor germination vigor are indicators that the young leaf litter had undergone less decomposition than the aged litter. Respiration was relatively low for the young leaf litter, but this is probably a function of the initial sterilization and subsequent dry storage prior to analysis. In contrast, the aged leaf litter had undergone compost analysis by the manufacturer prior to sterilization. Treatment Groups Evaluated Southern pine sapwood specimens were exposed under five conditions. One condition was without any preservative treatment and without leaf litter contact ( Table 2). Comparison untreated specimens were exposed when placed in direct contact with either the aged or young leaf litter. In addition, preservative-treated specimens were exposed either with or without aged leaf litter contact. In this paper, discussion of the preservative-treated specimens is limited to the moisture content and decay evaluations. Specimen Preparation and Exposure All specimens were cut from southern pine (Pinus taeda L.) 38 by 89 mm (2 by 4 nominal) dimension lumber. The specimens were end-matched to minimize differences in moisture content and decay susceptibility associated with wood variability. One type of each specimen was cut from each of 5 "parent" boards (n = 25, specimens total, or 5 per treatment group). The lumber used for the untreated specimens was selected to be free of heartwood and other obvious defects. The preservative-treated specimens were cut from lumber that had been commercially pressure-treated with particulate copper azole at the target retention intended for above-ground use. Prior to exposure, all specimens were conditioned to uniform weight in a room maintained at 23 C and 55% RH. Two, 25 mm long stainless-steel screws were driven into each specimen 15 mm from one end to serve as electrodes for moisture content determination. The upper 13 mm depth of each hole was drilled to a larger diameter and filled with neoprene rubber sealant so that moisture measurements would be taken from the interior of the specimen. A specimen holder was constructed to allow leaf litter to be trapped against a test specimen ( Figure 1). The configuration approximately represents a moisture-trapping design in which the end of a deck board rests on doubled rim joists and butts against a fascia board. The specimen holders were constructed from 38 mm thick western redcedar lumber. Four drain holes were drilled through the bottom of the specimen holder. The specimens were placed flat in the bottom of the specimen holder, with 10 mm gap on all 4 sides of the test specimen. The designated type of leaf litter (if any) was then lightly packed into the gap around all 4 sides of the specimens until it was slightly below the upper surface of the specimen. Both the aged and young leaf litter were sterilized by autoclave prior to use to eliminate existing fungal growth. The specimens/holders were placed onto an above-ground rack at a prior to use to eliminate existing fungal growth. The specimens/holders were placed onto an aboveground rack at a test site west of Madison, Wisconsin, USA in June of 2012. Shade cloth (50% shading) was stretched over the rack to simulate the shading that might occur in areas of leaf litter deposition. Figure 1. Physical configuration of specimen holder used in this study. The wood block was surrounded by either aged or leaf litter and allowed to weather. Black holes near the bottom were used to obtain moisture content at each observation. The assembly shown represents one replicate. Specimen Evaluations Moisture Content: Specimen moisture content was evaluated on an approximate weekly basis using a General Electric Protimeter Timbermaster (Amphenol, St. Mary, PA, USA), resistance type moisture meter. The internal calibration recommended for southern pine was used in this study. Readings were taken by contacting the meter pins with the stainless-steel screws that had been inserted into each specimen. Although the accuracy of resistance type moisture meters declines above the fiber saturation point, recent research has shown that resistance moisture meters can provide useful information on moisture contents above the fiber saturation point when screws are used as the electrodes. Readings were adjusted for wood temperature as described in Lebow and Lebow. Moisture measurements were not conducted during freezing temperatures as initial attempts indicated that readings taken on frozen wood underestimated moisture contents of specimens above the fiber saturation point. Visual Decay Evaluations: After 4, 13, 24, and 41 months of exposure, the specimens were removed from the holders, brushed free of leaf litter (if applicable), and visually examined for evidence of fungal decay. They were assigned a condition rating patterned after that described in the American Wood Protection Association (AWPA) Standard E18 (O = failed, 10 = sound, with ordinal ratings 9-4 based on percent removal of wood cross section due to decay). The specimens were then returned to the holders and re-packed with the original leaf litter plus any additional litter needed to bring up to the original depth (if applicable). A visual example of an untreated pine block at the end of the test is presented in Figure 2. Specimen Evaluations Moisture Content: Specimen moisture content was evaluated on an approximate weekly basis using a General Electric Protimeter Timbermaster (Amphenol, St. Mary, PA, USA), resistance type moisture meter. The internal calibration recommended for southern pine was used in this study. Readings were taken by contacting the meter pins with the stainless-steel screws that had been inserted into each specimen. Although the accuracy of resistance type moisture meters declines above the fiber saturation point, recent research has shown that resistance moisture meters can provide useful information on moisture contents above the fiber saturation point when screws are used as the electrodes. Readings were adjusted for wood temperature as described in Lebow and Lebow. Moisture measurements were not conducted during freezing temperatures as initial attempts indicated that readings taken on frozen wood underestimated moisture contents of specimens above the fiber saturation point. Visual Decay Evaluations: After 4, 13, 24, and 41 months of exposure, the specimens were removed from the holders, brushed free of leaf litter (if applicable), and visually examined for evidence of fungal decay. They were assigned a condition rating patterned after that described in the American Wood Protection Association (AWPA) Standard E18 (O = failed, 10 = sound, with ordinal ratings 9-4 based on percent removal of wood cross section due to decay). The specimens were then returned to the holders and re-packed with the original leaf litter plus any additional litter needed to bring up to the original depth (if applicable). A visual example of an untreated pine block at the end of the test is presented in Figure 2. Comparisons of the visual ratings for the different treatment groups were based on a cumulative logit model estimated with SAS ® V9.4 (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA) procedure GLIMMIX with main effects for treatment groups and exposure time and a random effect for specimens to capture dependencies for repeat measurements over time. Comparisons of the visual ratings for the different treatment groups were based on a cumulative logit model estimated with SAS ® V9.4 (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA) procedure GLIMMIX with main effects for treatment groups and exposure time and a random effect for specimens to capture dependencies for repeat measurements over time. Amplicon-Based Sequence Analysis Amplicon-based sequencing analysis of the microbial community associated with both specimens and leaf litter was also conducted at two time points. After 25 and 41 months of exposure, selected samples of leaf litter and of wood from the specimens were collected for amplicon-based sequencing analysis. Amplicon-based sequencing was based on 4 replicates of each treatment group. Wood samples were obtained by drilling into the bottom of specimens 13 mm from the end grain and 13 mm from an edge of the wood. For simplification and cost effectiveness, only leaf litter and wood samples from untreated wood were analyzed. Samples of unexposed young and aged litter controls were included at both time points. Leaf li er samples were frozen at −30 °C for approximately 1 month before processing. Samples were mixed by hand in the plastic sample bag, 0.25 g was weighed out and DNA extracted using the MoBio Power Soil DNA Isolation Kit (Qiagen, Germantown, MD, USA). The 100 L DNA solutions were then cleaned using the MoBio Powerclean Pro DNA Cleanup Kit (Qiagen, Germantown, MD, USA), then quantified by Biotek spectrophotometer (Biotek, Winooski, VT, USA) and diluted to 10 ng/L in 10 mM Tris 1 mM EDTA (TE, pH 8). Sawdust was frozen at −30 °C for approximately 1 month before processing. Samples were mixed by hand and 0.1 g was added to 800 L 2% CTAB buffer with 0.1% beta-mercapto-ethanol and ground for 30 s with a hand drill and plastic pestle. Samples were then incubated 1 h at 65 °C and centrifuged 15,000 g for 3 min. Supernatants were transferred to spin columns from the Promega Wizard SV Genomic DNA Purification Kit (Promega, Madison, WI, USA) and manufacturer instructions for purification were followed. Samples were re-suspended in 100 L water with RNAse inhibitor as recommended then diluted to 2ng/L in TE pH 8. Twenty-five nanograms of leaf litter DNA and 5ng wood DNA samples were amplified in triplicate by PCR using ITS1F (CTTGGTCATTTAGAGGAAGTAA) and ITS2 (GCTGCGTTCTTCATCGATGC) primers with Illumina adapters for the MiSeq platform (Illumina, San Diego, CA, USA) and 22 unique identifiers on the reverse primers. The amplified region of interest is the internally transcribed spacer region 2 (ITS2) as described in De Gannes et al.. Phusion Hot Start Flex DNA Polymerase (New England Biolabs, Ipswich, MA, USA) in HF buffer was used for PCR's with the following program: 4 min at 94 °C, followed by 30 cycles of 30 s at 94 °C, 60 s at 50 °C, and 90 s at 72 °C and a final extension of 10 min at 72 °C. A 400 bp product was confirmed on 2% Agarose gel electrophoresis. Each set of replicates was combined and cleaned up with Amplicon-Based Sequence Analysis Amplicon-based sequencing analysis of the microbial community associated with both specimens and leaf litter was also conducted at two time points. After 25 and 41 months of exposure, selected samples of leaf litter and of wood from the specimens were collected for amplicon-based sequencing analysis. Amplicon-based sequencing was based on 4 replicates of each treatment group. Wood samples were obtained by drilling into the bottom of specimens 13 mm from the end grain and 13 mm from an edge of the wood. For simplification and cost effectiveness, only leaf litter and wood samples from untreated wood were analyzed. Samples of unexposed young and aged litter controls were included at both time points. Leaf litter samples were frozen at −30 C for approximately 1 month before processing. Samples were mixed by hand in the plastic sample bag, 0.25 g was weighed out and DNA extracted using the MoBio Power Soil DNA Isolation Kit (Qiagen, Germantown, MD, USA). The 100 L DNA solutions were then cleaned using the MoBio Powerclean Pro DNA Clean-up Kit (Qiagen, Germantown, MD, USA), then quantified by Biotek spectrophotometer (Biotek, Winooski, VT, USA) and diluted to 10 ng/L in 10 mM Tris 1 mM EDTA (TE, pH 8). Sawdust was frozen at −30 C for approximately 1 month before processing. Samples were mixed by hand and 0.1 g was added to 800 L 2% CTAB buffer with 0.1% beta-mercapto-ethanol and ground for 30 s with a hand drill and plastic pestle. Samples were then incubated 1 h at 65 C and centrifuged 15,000 g for 3 min. Supernatants were transferred to spin columns from the Promega Wizard SV Genomic DNA Purification Kit (Promega, Madison, WI, USA) and manufacturer instructions for purification were followed. Samples were re-suspended in 100 L water with RNAse inhibitor as recommended then diluted to 2 ng/L in TE pH 8. Twenty-five nanograms of leaf litter DNA and 5ng wood DNA samples were amplified in triplicate by PCR using ITS1F (CTTGGTCATTTAGAGGAAGTAA) and ITS2 (GCTGCGTTCTTCATCGATGC) primers with Illumina adapters for the MiSeq platform (Illumina, San Diego, CA, USA) and 22 unique identifiers on the reverse primers. The amplified region of interest is the internally transcribed spacer region 2 (ITS2) as described in De Gannes et al.. Phusion Hot Start Flex DNA Polymerase (New England Biolabs, Ipswich, MA, USA) in HF buffer was used for PCR's with the following program: Amplicon-based sequencing data were processed using the AMPtk v1.3 pipeline. AMPtk is a series of scripts to process NGS amplicon data using USEARCH and VSEARCH, it can also be used to process any NGS amplicon data and includes databases setup for analysis of fungal ITS, fungal LSU, bacterial 16S, and insect COI amplicons. It is compatible with Ion Torrent, MiSeq, and 454 data. For this analysis, overlapping 2 250 bp Illumina MiSeq reads were merged using USEARCH9, forward and reverse primers were removed from the merged reads, and the reads were trimmed or padded with N's to a set length of 250 bp. Operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were generated for each sample, which is used to describe taxonomically distinct groups of fungi. Processed reads were quality trimmed based on accumulation of expected errors less than 1.0 and clustered using the UPARSE algorithm using default parameters (singletons removed, 97% OTU radius). An OTU table was generated by mapping the original reads to the OTUs using VSEARCH 1.9.1 and the OTU table was subsequently filtered to eliminate "index-bleed" at 0.5%. Taxonomy was assigned using a combination of UTAX and global alignment (USEARCH to the UNITE database ) and non-fungal OTUs were removed prior to downstream data processing. was used to perform community analysis to provide more quantitative information on specific relationships within the data set. Lack of fit was evaluated based on PCORD's stress and instability measurements. Output OTU tables from the previous section were imported and used to address the following questions: Community Analysis and Species Richness Analysis 1. Does time of exposure to leaf litter impact fungal colonists in the wood (25 vs. 41 months)? Comparisons performed on wood only-removed all leaf litter from the dataset. Fungal matrix had OTUs occurring less than 10 times removed (total of 677 OTUs analyzed). Fungal matrix was relativized by sample unit to standardize sampling depth. Groupings were made of wood from each sample period (25 months, 41 months) exposed to each litter type (no litter, aged, and young) resulting in six factorial treatment groups of interest. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) ordinations and multi-response permutation procedures (MRPP) were performed using the Sorensen distance measure for both. Group comparisons of interest for this question included 1v4, 2v5, 3v6. Additionally, groups 1-3 (25 months) and 4-6 (41 months) ( Table 2) were combined for an additional MRPP analysis to look at the effect of year on wood fungal communities. 2. How well does community structure match from litter to wood? Comparisons performed on all samples, both leaf litter and wood. Fungal matrix had OTUs occurring less than 10 times removed (total of 2223 OTUs analyzed). Fungal matrix was relativized by sample unit to standardize sampling depth. Groupings were made of each leaf litter type (aged, young) and wood exposure type (aged litter, young litter) were compared between sampling periods (25 months, 41 months) for a total of eight exposure scenarios to compare similarity between the leaf-litter to the wood to which it was exposed. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) and MRPP were performed using Sorensen distance measure for both. Group comparisons of interest for this question included 1v5, 2v6, 3v7, 4v8. 3. Were there any differences between aged and non-aged litter? These analyses were run on the whole dataset. In addition to the aforementioned analyses, indicator species analyses (ISAs) were used to detect, and describe the significance of, fungal taxa indicative of a priori treatments. Due to multiple group-comparisons, only highly significant taxa were included. Additional tests of species richness were also performed in PC-ORD to determine the contributions of organic detritus to species richness when placed in contact with wood. Diversity measures were calculated using the following formulae: S = Richness = total count of non-zero elements in a row, Functional Guilds Analysis To provide additional contextual information on the fungal species from this study, OTUs from ampTk were further processed using Funguild, an online tool for characterizing fungal species within a community based on their ecological roles. Funguild builds on taxonomy data in the output OTU table to include ecological function for each identified fungal species and classifies them based on biological function (saprophyte, parasite, endophyte, etc.), wood saprobes are also characterized in Funguild and decay type is typically indicated as brown, white, or soft rot fungi. The goal of the guilds characterization was to determine if different groups of fungi predominate when leaf litter sources were varied or absent and to determine if the presence of absence of leaf litter had any impacts on the guild composition which could in turn affect rates of wood decay. Specimen Moisture Content As expected, contact with leaf litter was associated with higher moisture contents in all the untreated and wood specimen and this effect was observed with both the aged and young leaf litter for the untreated specimens ( Figure 3). Within 6 months of exposure, untreated specimens in contact with leaf litter had moisture contents consistently above 30%, and moisture contents were above 40% for the vast majority of the exposure period. Even the specimens exposed without leaf litter often had moisture contents above 30% by the second year of exposure. Average moisture contents were slightly lower in the treated specimens, but those in contact with aged leaf litter typically had moisture contents above 30% and often had moisture contents above 40%.. Average moisture content for unexposed wood blocks compared to wood exposed to aged and young leaf litter (n = 5). Note higher swings in moisture content when leaf litter is present and slightly higher moisture content (MC) in aged vs. young litter. Error bars omitted for readability. Average standard errors were 2.4%, 4.20%, and 3.63% for no leaf litter, aged leaf litter, and young leaf litter, respectively. Visual Decay Evaluations The specimens placed in contact with aged leaf litter exhibited more evidence of fungal decay than did specimens not placed in contact with leaf litter (p = 0.0002), as did specimens placed in contact with young leaf litter (p = 0.0005; Figure 4). After 41 months of exposure, one of the untreated specimens exposed to aged leaf litter was so decayed that it crumbled upon removal from the specimen holder and was rated as a "0" on the adopted AWPA rating scale. This specimen also had a carpenter ant infestation. A second untreated specimen exposed to aged leaf litter was sufficiently. Average moisture content for unexposed wood blocks compared to wood exposed to aged and young leaf litter (n = 5). Note higher swings in moisture content when leaf litter is present and slightly higher moisture content (MC) in aged vs. young litter. Error bars omitted for readability. Average standard errors were 2.4%, 4.20%, and 3.63% for no leaf litter, aged leaf litter, and young leaf litter, respectively. Visual Decay Evaluations The specimens placed in contact with aged leaf litter exhibited more evidence of fungal decay than did specimens not placed in contact with leaf litter (p = 0.0002), as did specimens placed in contact with young leaf litter (p = 0.0005; Figure 4). After 41 months of exposure, one of the untreated specimens exposed to aged leaf litter was so decayed that it crumbled upon removal from the specimen holder and was rated as a "0" on the adopted AWPA rating scale. This specimen also had a carpenter ant infestation. A second untreated specimen exposed to aged leaf litter was sufficiently decayed to rate a "6" on the AWPA rating scale. Although the aged leaf litter specimen ratings were not statistically different than those for the young leaf litter across time (p = 0.3100), they were statistically different at 41 months (p = 0.0003). One of the treated specimens exposed to the aged litter (not coincidentally a specimen with low preservative retention) also had clear evidence of decay along one edge. Decay was less obvious in specimens in contact with the young leaf litter, but two untreated specimens did have some decay. Only one untreated specimen not in contact with leaf litter showed slight evidence of decay, although a second specimen was considered to have "possible" early stages of decay. Figure 3. Average moisture content for unexposed wood blocks compared to wood exposed to aged and young leaf litter (n = 5). Note higher swings in moisture content when leaf litter is present and slightly higher moisture content (MC) in aged vs. young litter. Error bars omitted for readability. Average standard errors were 2.4%, 4.20%, and 3.63% for no leaf litter, aged leaf litter, and young leaf litter, respectively. Visual Decay Evaluations The specimens placed in contact with aged leaf litter exhibited more evidence of fungal decay than did specimens not placed in contact with leaf litter (p = 0.0002), as did specimens placed in contact with young leaf litter (p = 0.0005; Figure 4). After 41 months of exposure, one of the untreated specimens exposed to aged leaf litter was so decayed that it crumbled upon removal from the specimen holder and was rated as a "0" on the adopted AWPA rating scale. This specimen also had a carpenter ant infestation. A second untreated specimen exposed to aged leaf litter was sufficiently decayed to rate a "6" on the AWPA rating scale. Although the aged leaf litter specimen ratings were not statistically different than those for the young leaf litter across time (p = 0.3100), they were statistically different at 41 months (p = 0.0003). One of the treated specimens exposed to the aged litter (not coincidentally a specimen with low preservative retention) also had clear evidence of decay along one edge. Decay was less obvious in specimens in contact with the young leaf litter, but two untreated specimens did have some decay. Only one untreated specimen not in contact with leaf litter showed slight evidence of decay, although a second specimen was considered to have "possible" early stages of decay. Amplicon-Based Sequencing Analysis A total of 3352 fungal OTUs were recovered from the metagenomic analysis. Taxonomically, 1948 of the recovered OTUs were Ascomycetes, 537 were Basidiomycetes, 162 Glomeromycetes, with fewer representatives of the Mucoromycetes or other relevant species. In addition, 361 Agaricomycete OTUs were recovered, these include the mushroom forming fungi that comprise most of the commonly known decay fungi. Fifty OTUs classified as belonging to the order Polyporales were recovered. A complete OTU table with annotated taxonomic designations for all samplings is available as Supplemental Table S1 on the MDPI website. The OTU table generated using AMPtk was imported for further community analysis using PC-ORD and Funguild. Amplicon-based sequencing data has been archived at the National Center for Bitoechnology Information (NCBI) sequence read archive (SRA) under Bioproject# PRJNA612060. Community Analysis and Species Richness Analysis The results of the community analysis showed differences between treatments based on the fungal species composition in wood both with and without leaf litter and across sampling intervals. Combined for both years, aged leaf litter had a distinctly different fungal community than young leaf litter (MRPP p = 0.0001 A = 0.123). Significant differences were noted between aged and young litter and wood exposed to either young or aged litter. The results from the community analysis are summarized in Table 3 and contain references to proceeding Non-metric Multi-dimensional Scaling (NMDS) ordinations as well as contain lists of indicator species associated with comparisons of interest. significantly different from their paired wood at both time points, which could be an indication of early leaf colonizers that may not be able to establish in wood. Other pairings were not significantly different, indicating there may be some carry over directly from aged litter to wood. Comparing only wood fungal communities without regard to litter treatment groups showed little community differences between wood samples in 25 months and 41 months (MRPP; p = 0.039; A = 0.017). Based on these results, it is suggested that fungal species composition was mostly similar after 24 and 41 months of above-ground exposure when looking at the wood only ( Figure 5C). It should be noted that there were far fewer OTUs detected in wood vs. leaf litter, so this likely has a large influence on this data set. Although the p-value was significant, the low A-value indicative of within-group heterogeneity being expected by chance led to our conservative assessment of wood fungal communities. With wood removed from the dataset (looking at litter only), there are still clear differences between young and aged leaf litter (MRPP p = 0.009, A = 0.126) regarding fungal species composition ( Figure 5D). However, over time, litter species composition stayed relatively similar between 25 months and 41 months for both young (MRPP p = 0.677; A = −0.026) and aged (MRPP p = 0.651; −0.031) leaf litter. The results of the indicator species analysis (ISA) are presented previously in Table 3. Indicator species are compiled for several comparisons of interest made during the earlier community analysis. Indicator values were only deemed relevant below the p = 0.01 level and a calculated indicator score of 60% or higher (p < 0.01; IV ≥ 60%). As presented in the table, each question required a unique ISA to elucidate ecologically relevant indicator taxa for the comparisons of interest. In each category, the maximum indicator value is an indicator of how often each species occurs in the highlighted condition. Figure 5. NMDS ordinations depicting: (A) Similarity between wood fungal communities exposed to aged (A), young (Y), or no leaf litter (N); (B) similarities between all treatment groups: unexposed controls (lf14-lf16HM (young) and lf-16SB (aged) compared to exposed leaves leaf14-16Y (young) and leaf14-16A (aged) and finally wood exposed to either young (Y) or aged (A), as well as no litter (N). To observe the effects of leaf litter on fungal colonists over time (25 vs. 41 months), multi-response permutation procedures (MRPP) were performed on wood samples only and compared wood from 25 months (25 mos.) exposed to aged, young, and no leaf litter to wood from 41 months (41 months) subject to similar exposure. MRPP was deemed to be the more suitable option for analysis in this case due to uneven sample numbers, which are not ideal for a more robust analysis, such as permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA). The results ( Figure 5A) indicate that wood with no litter (Wood14N and Wood16N) were more similar in species composition than those exposed to either aged (A) or young (Y) litter. NMDS axis 1 accounted for 34.7% of the variation, NMDS axis 2 accounts for 19.6% of the variation, and axis 3 (not shown) accounted for 13.4% of the variation (Stress = 11.998, Instability = 0.0000, and p = 0.004). In order to test overall similarity in community structure from litter to wood, comparisons were made of all samples, both litter and wood and grouped as such: Figure 5B. Young and aged leaf litter controls (14CY, 16CY and 14CA, 16CA) at the two time points remain nearly identical in community structure, indicating that there was similar sequencing coverage between time points. The communities' group by leaf type and leaf samples (right side of figure) separate from wood samples (left side of figure). Young leaf samples were significantly different from their paired wood at both time points, which could be an indication of early leaf colonizers that may not be able to establish in wood. Other pairings were not significantly different, indicating there may be some carry over directly from aged litter to wood. Comparing only wood fungal communities without regard to litter treatment groups showed little community differences between wood samples in 25 months and 41 months (MRPP; p = 0.039; A = 0.017). Based on these results, it is suggested that fungal species composition was mostly similar after 24 and 41 months of above-ground exposure when looking at the wood only ( Figure 5C). It should be noted that there were far fewer OTUs detected in wood vs. leaf litter, so this likely has a large influence on this data set. Although the p-value was significant, the low A-value indicative of within-group heterogeneity being expected by chance led to our conservative assessment of wood fungal communities. With wood removed from the dataset (looking at litter only), there are still clear differences between young and aged leaf litter (MRPP p = 0.009, A = 0.126) regarding fungal species composition ( Figure 5D). However, over time, litter species composition stayed relatively similar between 25 months and 41 months for both young (MRPP p = 0.677; A = −0.026) and aged (MRPP p = 0.651; −0.031) leaf litter. The results of the indicator species analysis (ISA) are presented previously in Table 3. Indicator species are compiled for several comparisons of interest made during the earlier community analysis. Indicator values were only deemed relevant below the p = 0.01 level and a calculated indicator score of 60% or higher (p < 0.01; IV ≥ 60%). As presented in the table, each question required a unique ISA to elucidate ecologically relevant indicator taxa for the comparisons of interest. In each category, the maximum indicator value is an indicator of how often each species occurs in the highlighted condition. As a final metric of the fungal community, species richness was calculated for each exposure scenario and the results of the richness analysis are shown in Table 4. No significant differences were noted between evenness, or 2 independent measures of diversity. Some differences were noted in species richness with highest species richness observed in aged leaf litter and lowest species richness observed in wood in contact with aged litter, but this was not significantly different from wood not exposed to leaf litter. Moving the analysis from leaf litter into solid wood presents a significant bottleneck as fungal colonization is limited by space and available moisture. Guild Descriptions Out of a total of 3213 OTUs, 2070 were assigned guild information using the Funguild software. A complete OTU table with annotated guilds data is presented as Table 2. A total of 257 OTUs were classified as animal pathogens, these are not discussed here as they are likely not involved in the breakdown of woody biomass. A total of 144 OTUs were classified as dung saprotrophs (DSAP), mostly characterized as having broad host ranges and occurring on soil, grass, dung, or rotten wood. Sixty-four OTUs were classified as ectomycorrhizal fungi (ECTOMY) of which one was also classified as a white rot (Sistotrema brinkmannii). Twelve OTUs were classified as bryophyte parasites (BRYPAR) (various species of Pluteus, Galerina, and Hymenoscyphus). Only 8 OTUs were classified as arbuscular mycorrhizae and were only identified to the order level (Diversisporales, Gigasporales, Archeosporales, and Glomerales), all within class Glomeromycetes. Pie charts indicating the guild composition of each exposure scenario is presented in Figure 6. A general shift was noted as the litter ages, with the guild composition moving from predominately soil saproptrophs to a more balanced composition that included higher percentages of litter saprotrophs, wood saprotrophs, and fungal pathogens. wood with no leaf litter in contact, (F) wood exposed to young leaf litter, and (G) wood exposed to aged leaf litter. Note differences in relative proportion of fungal guilds and increased proportion of wood saprophytes (WSAP) between young and aged litter and wood exposed to both young and aged litter. Functional guild assignments performed using FungGuild. Figure legends to the right are defined in the text. Specimen Moisture Content It is likely that the lower moisture contents in the treated specimens reflect differences in wood properties rather than an effect of the preservative treatments. Specimens cut from one of the treated parent boards contained heartwood, and these specimens consistently produced relatively low moisture content readings. In general, the moisture readings indicate that the specimens placed in contact with leaf litter had moisture contents conducive for the growth of decay fungi. Decay fungi require a moisture content of at least 20% to sustain any growth, and higher moisture contents (over 29%) are required for initial spore germination. For optimal growth, brown and white rot decay fungi typically prefer wood in the moisture content range of 40-80%. Soft rot fungi, however, tend to prefer these conditions for colonization and growth, which can also severely decay wood under these conditions. wood with no leaf litter in contact, (F) wood exposed to young leaf litter, and (G) wood exposed to aged leaf litter. Note differences in relative proportion of fungal guilds and increased proportion of wood saprophytes (WSAP) between young and aged litter and wood exposed to both young and aged litter. Functional guild assignments performed using FungGuild. Figure legends to the right are defined in the text. A total of 353 OTUs were classified as wood saprotrophs (WSAP). These were more prevalent in the litter compared to the wood and between the wood samplings, more were detected in the 41-month sampling. Among the wood saprotrophs, 86 OTUs were described as having traits indicative of soft rot, 63 were described as having traits indicative of brown rot, 54 were described as having traits indicative of white rot, 3 were classified as being either brown or white, but this was due to only being described to the family taxonomic level. The remaining 151 were classified as NULL meaning a functional trait could not be determined. The NULL group was a mixture of microfungi with agaricoid, gasteroid, tremelloid, or phalloid growth morphologies and represent fungi in the database that have not yet been assigned trait information. Brown rots were detected in both leaf litter and wood and the predominant species identified was Dacrymyces capitatus. Rhodonia placenta was also detected in wood, but only in the 24-month leaf and wood samples. White rots were much more diverse in both the leaf litter and the adjacent wood, and the most common white rot fungal genera identified were Irpex, Phlebia, Phaeanerochaete, Gleoporus, Ceriporia, Sistronema, Trametes, and Peniophora. Specimen Moisture Content It is likely that the lower moisture contents in the treated specimens reflect differences in wood properties rather than an effect of the preservative treatments. Specimens cut from one of the treated parent boards contained heartwood, and these specimens consistently produced relatively low moisture content readings. In general, the moisture readings indicate that the specimens placed in contact with leaf litter had moisture contents conducive for the growth of decay fungi. Decay fungi require a moisture content of at least 20% to sustain any growth, and higher moisture contents (over 29%) are required for initial spore germination. For optimal growth, brown and white rot decay fungi typically prefer wood in the moisture content range of 40-80%. Soft rot fungi, however, tend to prefer these conditions for colonization and growth, which can also severely decay wood under these conditions. Visual Decay Evaluations The aged leaf litter contributed to decay development in the untreated specimens and did so to a greater extent than the young leaf litter. There are at least four possible mechanisms for the aged litter promoting decay. One is moisture entrapment and the elevation of specimen moisture content to a range more conducive to fungal growth. Another is that the litter served as the germination site for inoculum that subsequently colonized the wood. A third possibility is that the fungi initially became established in the wood but benefited from nutrient, extractives, or lignified residues that diffused into the wood from the leaf litter. A fourth possibility is that there are simply fungi present that can decompose both litter and wood. Moisture content does not appear to be the sole mechanism because the specimens in contact with young leaf litter had similar moisture contents but exhibited less evidence of decay. Some of the specimens not in contact with any leaf litter also maintained relatively high moisture contents. Amplicon-Based Sequencing Analysis The results of this study agree with the basic findings of many studies that have focused on the dynamics of fungi in leaf litter [8,11,34,35,62,. As leaves accumulate, they typically contain a lot of leaf and soil saprophytes, that can readily break down the leafy debris into less complex and more nutritionally devoid substances. As the composition of the leaf litter changes to more closely resemble soil, the composition of fungi found in the litter shift and reflect a more specialized consortium of fungi that can readily exploit more nutrient poor resources, which is the situation in wood. These fungi are those that are able to exploit the basic structural components (cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin) that make up the recalcitrant portions of the leaf litter (petioles, branches, twigs, etc.) as well as any non-durable wood that comes in contact with the leaf litter. Lignin content has been the focus of several studies as a rate limiting factor in decomposition and nutrient cycling, where proportional shifts in more the recalcitrant compounds serves to throttle litter decomposition as a conservation strategy to prevent depletion of soil nutrients and would also theoretically select for fungi that are able to break down lignin, i.e., white rot fungi. The compositional shift that was noted in our study has been reported by several additional studies and others, where a gradual replacement of ascomycetous fungi (leaf saprobes) with more basidiomycetous (wood saprobe fungi) due to the changing litter composition, also noted in Zhang et al.. This result highlights the importance of routine preventative maintenance of wood in above-ground exposures because over time the fungal composition will shift, and the result will be higher inoculum loads of wood decay basidiomycetes present in close contact with the wood surfaces. Community and Richness Analysis When comparing litter between samplings (Age Combined, Table 3), a total of six fungal species were found to be significantly associated with the leaf litter after 41 months of test exposure (Sistotremastrum guttuliferum, Peniophorella pubera, Peniopherella praetermissa, Arrhenia spp., Rhodonia (Postia) placenta, and another species of Sistotremastrum only identified to the genus level). Peniophorella praetermissa was identified as a prominent white rot isolated by Clausen and Lindner when looking at performance of shaded pine and maple lap joints, also in Madison, WI. When comparing the aged to young litter (Years Combined), three fungal species were found to be associated with the aged litter (Ganodermataceae sp., Coprinellus sp., and Dacrymyces capitatus). Several species of Dacrymyces are occasional rots on wood including external wood work, window framing, or spruce shingles, but all seem to be overly wet environments similar to this study. Fruiting bodies of fungi resembling Dacrymyces sp. were photographed on samples at the end of this study (Figure 2), so these results were consistent with conditions observed during the test. When data are separated by year (Years Separate), Polyporus spp., Hebeloma spp., Hyphodermella spp., Corinopsis spp., and Lepista spp. were all found to be significantly associated with aged litter after 25 months of field exposure, while Peniophera spp. was found to significantly associated with the aged litter samples after 41 months exposure. When comparing the fungal taxa only in the wood (Age Combined), Sistotrema spp. was found to be significantly associated with wood samples after 25 months exposure while Subulicystidium brachysporum, Arrhenia sp., and Rhodonia placenta were found to be significantly associated with wood samples after 41 months exposure. R. placenta is commonly used in laboratory assays to evaluate decay resistance and has been shown to modify lignin in decayed samples, the remainder of these fungi are commonly found on late state coarse wood debris. It is worth noting the abundance of ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi found within each of the above comparisons which indicates ECM fungi may contribute to the overall litter and wood decay fungi processes although they are not always considered as such. ECM fungi were also abundant in previous samplings by Kirker et al. looking at soil fungal communities in soils subjected to long term preservative exposure. Prior studies have also noted the importance of ECM fungi in the overall decay process [78, as well as potential soil bioremediation tools. The overall results of these analyses indicate that aged organic detritus appears more similar to and likely contributes a fair amount to the species composition of the adjacent wood and that young and aged litter develop distinct fungal communities. Young litter likely promotes growth and establishment of more litter decomposing fungi than wood decay fungi. Guild Descriptions As noted previously, a general shift in guild composition was noted as the litter aged and was also observed in wood exposed to aged litter. It is suspected that this shift is in response to the changing nutritional value of the substrate which would in turn select for a higher proportion of fungi that can breakdown the remaining woody biomass, which would also agree with the findings of Purahong and Zhang et al. demonstrating shifts in community composition as the substrate is altered. The majority of the OTUs classified as dung saprotrophs were isolated from the leaf litter, but some were detected in wood as well (Preussia pilosella, Sprorormia subticinensis, Sordaria fimicola, Chaetomium globosum). As noted previously in the results, one of the detected fungal OTUs is considered to have both ectomycorrhizal characteristics but is also often characterized as a white rot fungus. S. brinkmannii is considered a weak white rot fungus and is often followed in succession with more late stage wood rot fungi such as Stereum hirsutum or Bjerkandara adusta. Interestingly, S. brinkmannii may be capable of both significant wood decay and for ectomycorrhizal associations with both conifers and hardwoods. Since there was only one specimen that rotted to the point of failure on our rating scale after 41 months, most of these samples would be considered at early stages of decay. Relatively high diversity of ectomycorrhizal fungi were detected in the leaf litter (both young and aged) and representatives of corticoid (ex. Sistoterma, Tulasnella, and Tomentella), agarocoid (ex. Tricholoma, Hebeloma, Russula, Cortinarius), boletoid (ex. Suillus spp. and Fuscoboletinus spp.), clavaroid (ex. Thelephora spp.), and gasteroid (ex. Scleroderma, Tuber, and Elaphomyces spp.) basidiomycete fungi were detected, as well as numerous microfungi, which were only classified to the family level (Helotiaceae and Ceratobasidaceae). Ectomycorrhizal fungi are typically considered symbionts in the soil environment and not considered active wood decay fungi, however previous studies have shown that they are an integral part of nutrient cycling in forest soils and leaf litter. Comparing brown rots to white rots, much less diversity was noted in the brown rot guilds compared to the white rot guilds. This is likely due to the composition of the substrate; the leaf litter was composed of mostly hardwood leaves and would theoretically support growth of white rot fungi over brown rots and the data bear this out to some degree. There were noticeable temporal differences in certain fungi, but these should not be attributed to early or late successional histories based on our limited sampling; further studies would be needed to substantiate these in a meaningful way. Soft rot fungi were more prevalent in the leaf litter and sporadic in the wood but did increase in numbers between the 24-and 41-month wood samples. Among the unassigned or NULL trait group, the majority of these OTUs were only found in the leaf litter samples and only a few OTUs (Fusarium, Cladopsorium and Orbilia spp.) were detected in the wood samples. A notable exception was Simocybe sumptuosa, which is a brown spored agaric in the Crepidotaceae family that has been previously isolated from Picea logs in Norway. This species was detected in the 24-month wood samples but not the 41-month wood samples. The diverse pool of wood saprophytes detected in this study give clear indication that the buildup of organic detritus on and adjacent to wood above-ground provides a ready source of fungal inoculum and that many of these fungal species can readily colonize wood given the proper conditions. The wood samples processed in the genomic portion of this study were untreated southern pine and additional studies are on-going to understand this process in wood that is chemically treated. Conclusions The purpose of this study was to demonstrate that leaf litter presents a ready source of fungal inoculum for wood above-ground and can negatively impact the performance of untreated wood. The results of this study highlight several important factors for consideration: The first is that the buildup of organic detritus contributes to the moisture accumulation and subsequent moisture content of adjacent wood. The second is that aged litter in contact with wood in above-ground scenarios contributes to increased wood decay over the 41-month exposure. Additionally, organic detritus contributes to the above-ground decay process by providing a large and diverse assemblage of fungal inoculum including wood decay fungi. Over time, the proportion of wood decay fungi increases as the litter ages and compositionally becomes more similar to soil. If this is applied to an above-ground decking situation, years of accumulation of leaf litter can collect in inaccessible areas and the result is potentially ground contact decay pressure in a very localized area. This can affect not only the surface decking, but also the adjacent sub-structural elements, such as deck joists and ledger boards. Although the fungal community established in the young litter was significantly different from the adjacent wood, there was similarity between the aged litter fungal community and the wood exposed to the litter at both time points. Communities detected in both leaf litter types in 24 months remained in the litter at 41 months indicating that the organisms persist once established. Similarly, those fungi detected in wood at 24 months were similar to those detected at 41 months. The unexposed wood (no litter) was the least similar suggesting that without litter there was less inoculum available in proximity to the wood and inoculum may come from outside sources. A shift in community and guild composition between aged and young litter that persisted through subsequent samplings. While ascomycetes predominated the earlier exposures, more basidiomycetes were present in the aged litter. The results of this study raise an important consideration when protecting wood exposed above-ground: If leaf litter is not routinely removed from the wood surface, a more severe decay risk may be present than prescribed in current building code designations. Areas where leaf litter is likely to collect and not accessible to routine maintenance may require wood preservative retentions intended for ground contact scenarios. Future studies will build on this concept and use a similar approach to understand these exposure scenarios at different weathering sites and when leaf litter is exposed to chemically treated wood.
|
<gh_stars>0
import { Injectable } from '@nestjs/common';
@Injectable()
export class AppService {
getHello(): any {
return { message: 'hello from the backend, another test' };
}
}
|
//
// GesturePasswordView.h
// GesturePassword
//
// Created by hb on 14-8-23.
// Copyright (c) 2014年 黑と白の印记. All rights reserved.
//
#import <UIKit/UIKit.h>
#import "TKGesturePasswordTouchDelegate.h"
#import "TKGesturePasswordButtonDelegate.h"
#import "TKTentacleView.h"
/**
* @Author 刘宝, 2015-04-14 10:04:55
*
* 手势的界面
*/
@interface TKGesturePasswordView : UIView<TKGesturePasswordTouchDelegate,TKGesturePasswordButtonDelegate>
/**
* @Author 刘宝, 2015-04-14 09:04:52
*
* 初始化
*
* @param frame 大小区域
* @param type 手势密码风格
* @param innerCircle 是否初始显示中心小圆
*
* @return
*/
-(id)initWithFrame:(CGRect)frame style:(TKGesturePasswordType)type innerCircle:(BOOL)innerCircle;
/**
* @Author 刘宝, 2015-04-14 11:04:57
*
* 按钮事件处理代理
*/
@property (nonatomic,weak) id<TKGesturePasswordButtonDelegate> buttonDelegate;
/**
* @Author 刘宝, 2015-04-14 11:04:57
*
* 触摸滑动事件处理代理
*/
@property (nonatomic,weak) id<TKGesturePasswordTouchDelegate> touchDelegate;
/**
* @Author 刘宝, 2015-04-14 11:04:40
*
* 显示的用户图片
*/
@property (nonatomic,retain) UIImage *userImage;
/**
* @Author 刘宝, 2015-04-14 11:04:26
*
* 显示用户的账号信息
*/
@property (nonatomic,copy) NSString *userAccount;
/**
* @Author 刘宝, 2016-03-10 14:03:43
*
* 是否返回按钮
*/
@property (nonatomic,assign) BOOL isCanBack;
/**
* @Author 刘宝, 2016-03-16 14:03:39
*
* 返回键的位置
*/
@property (nonatomic,copy)NSString *position;
/**
* @Author 刘宝, 2016-03-17 00:03:13
*
* 连接线的样式，0：不带箭头，1：带箭头
*/
@property (nonatomic,copy)NSString *lineStyle;
/**
* @Author 刘宝, 2015-01-30 14:01:22
*
* 清理初始化原始手势界面
*/
- (void)resetGesturePassword;
/**
* @Author 刘宝, 2015-04-15 19:04:20
*
* 设置用户状态
*
* @param state
*/
- (void)setUserState:(NSString *)state errorFlag:(BOOL)errorFlag;
/**
* @Author 刘宝, 2015-04-16 09:04:18
*
* 设置头部手势密码小图
*
* @param password 密码
*/
- (void)setTitleGesturePassword:(NSString *)password;
@end
|
/**
*
*/
package soars.application.visualshell.object.role.base.edit.tab.legacy.command;
import java.awt.BorderLayout;
import java.awt.Color;
import java.awt.Dimension;
import java.awt.FlowLayout;
import java.awt.Frame;
import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
import java.awt.event.ItemEvent;
import java.awt.event.ItemListener;
import javax.swing.BoxLayout;
import javax.swing.JLabel;
import javax.swing.JPanel;
import soars.application.visualshell.common.selector.ObjectSelector;
import soars.application.visualshell.common.tool.CommonTool;
import soars.application.visualshell.main.ResourceManager;
import soars.application.visualshell.object.entity.spot.SpotObject;
import soars.application.visualshell.object.role.agent.AgentRole;
import soars.application.visualshell.object.role.base.Role;
import soars.application.visualshell.object.role.base.edit.EditRoleFrame;
import soars.application.visualshell.object.role.base.edit.tab.base.RulePropertyPanelBase;
import soars.application.visualshell.object.role.base.object.base.Rule;
import soars.application.visualshell.object.role.base.object.legacy.command.SpotVariableCommand;
import soars.common.utility.swing.button.CheckBox;
import soars.common.utility.swing.combo.ComboBox;
/**
* @author kurata
*
*/
public class SpotVariableCommandPropertyPanel extends RulePropertyPanelBase {
/**
*
*/
private JLabel _targetSpotVariableLabel = null;
/**
*
*/
private ComboBox _targetSpotVariableComboBox = null;
/**
*
*/
private CheckBox _spotCheckBox = null;
/**
*
*/
private ObjectSelector _spotSelector = null;
/**
*
*/
private CheckBox _spotVariableCheckBox = null;
/**
*
*/
private ComboBox _spotVariableComboBox = null;
/**
* @param title
* @param kind
* @param type
* @param color
* @param role
* @param index
* @param owner
* @param parent
*/
public SpotVariableCommandPropertyPanel(String title, String kind, String type, Color color, Role role, int index, Frame owner, EditRoleFrame parent) {
super(title, kind, type, color, role, index, owner, parent);
}
/* (non-Javadoc)
* @see soars.application.visualshell.object.role.base.rule.edit.tab.base.RulePropertyPanelBase#on_create()
*/
@Override
protected boolean on_create() {
if ( !super.on_create())
return false;
setLayout( new BorderLayout());
JPanel basicPanel = new JPanel();
basicPanel.setLayout( new BorderLayout());
JPanel northPanel = new JPanel();
northPanel.setLayout( new BoxLayout( northPanel, BoxLayout.Y_AXIS));
insert_horizontal_glue( northPanel);
setup_target_spot_variable_comboBox( northPanel);
insert_vertical_strut( northPanel);
setup_spot_selector( northPanel);
insert_vertical_strut( northPanel);
basicPanel.add( northPanel, "North");
add( basicPanel);
setup_apply_button();
adjust();
return true;
}
/**
* @param parent
*/
private void setup_target_spot_variable_comboBox(JPanel parent) {
int pad = 5;
JPanel panel = new JPanel();
panel.setLayout( new FlowLayout( FlowLayout.LEFT, pad, 0));
_targetSpotVariableLabel = create_label(
ResourceManager.get_instance().get( "edit.rule.dialog.command.spot.variable.spot.variable.label.name"),
true);
panel.add( _targetSpotVariableLabel);
_targetSpotVariableComboBox = create_comboBox(
( ( _role instanceof AgentRole) ? get_agent_spot_variable_names( false) : get_spot_spot_variable_names( false)),
_standardControlWidth, false);
panel.add( _targetSpotVariableComboBox);
parent.add( panel);
}
/**
* @param parent
*/
private void setup_spot_selector(JPanel parent) {
int pad = 5;
JPanel panel = new JPanel();
panel.setLayout( new FlowLayout( FlowLayout.LEFT, pad, 0));
_spotCheckBox = create_checkBox(
ResourceManager.get_instance().get( "edit.rule.dialog.command.spot.variable.spot.check.box.name"),
true, true);
_spotCheckBox.addItemListener( new ItemListener() {
public void itemStateChanged(ItemEvent arg0) {
_spotSelector.setEnabled(
ItemEvent.SELECTED == arg0.getStateChange());
on_update( ItemEvent.SELECTED == arg0.getStateChange(),
_spotSelector,
_spotVariableCheckBox,
_spotVariableComboBox);
}
});
panel.add( _spotCheckBox);
_spotSelector = create_spot_selector( true, true, panel);
_spotVariableCheckBox = create_checkBox(
ResourceManager.get_instance().get( "edit.rule.dialog.spot.variable.check.box.name"),
true, true);
_spotVariableCheckBox.addItemListener( new ItemListener() {
public void itemStateChanged(ItemEvent arg0) {
on_update( _spotCheckBox.isSelected(),
_spotSelector,
_spotVariableCheckBox,
_spotVariableComboBox);
}
});
panel.add( _spotVariableCheckBox);
_spotVariableComboBox = create_comboBox( null, _standardControlWidth, false);
panel.add( _spotVariableComboBox);
parent.add( panel);
}
/**
*
*/
private void adjust() {
int width = _targetSpotVariableLabel.getPreferredSize().width;
width = Math.max( width, _spotCheckBox.getPreferredSize().width);
_targetSpotVariableLabel.setPreferredSize( new Dimension( width, _targetSpotVariableLabel.getPreferredSize().height));
_spotCheckBox.setPreferredSize( new Dimension( width, _spotCheckBox.getPreferredSize().height));
}
/* (non-Javadoc)
* @see soars.application.visualshell.object.role.base.rule.edit.tab.base.RulePropertyPanelBase#reset(soars.application.visualshell.common.selector.ObjectSelector, soars.common.utility.swing.button.CheckBox, soars.common.utility.swing.combo.ComboBox)
*/
@Override
protected void reset(ObjectSelector objectSelector, CheckBox spotVariableCheckBox, ComboBox spotVariableComboBox) {
if ( !objectSelector.equals( _spotSelector))
return;
CommonTool.update( spotVariableComboBox, !_spotCheckBox.isSelected() ? get_agent_spot_variable_names( false) : get_spot_spot_variable_names( false));
super.reset(objectSelector, spotVariableCheckBox, spotVariableComboBox);
}
/* (non-Javadoc)
* @see soars.application.visualshell.object.role.base.rule.edit.tab.base.RulePropertyPanelBase#update(soars.application.visualshell.common.selector.ObjectSelector, soars.common.utility.swing.button.CheckBox, soars.common.utility.swing.combo.ComboBox)
*/
@Override
protected void update(ObjectSelector objectSelector, CheckBox spotVariableCheckBox, ComboBox spotVariableComboBox) {
if ( !objectSelector.equals( _spotSelector))
return;
super.update(objectSelector, spotVariableCheckBox, spotVariableComboBox);
}
/* (non-Javadoc)
* @see soars.application.visualshell.object.role.base.rule.edit.tab.base.RulePropertyPanelBase#update(soars.application.visualshell.object.entiy.spot.SpotObject, java.lang.String, soars.application.visualshell.common.selector.ObjectSelector, soars.common.utility.swing.button.CheckBox, soars.common.utility.swing.combo.ComboBox)
*/
@Override
protected void update(SpotObject spotObject, String number, ObjectSelector objectSelector, CheckBox spotVariableCheckBox, ComboBox spotVariableComboBox) {
if ( !objectSelector.equals( _spotSelector))
return;
super.update(spotObject, number, objectSelector, spotVariableCheckBox, spotVariableComboBox);
}
/* (Non Javadoc)
* @see soars.application.visualshell.object.role.base.rule.edit.tab.base.RulePropertyPanelBase#update(soars.application.visualshell.common.selector.ObjectSelector)
*/
@Override
protected void update(ObjectSelector objectSelector) {
update( objectSelector, _spotVariableCheckBox, _spotVariableComboBox);
}
/* (Non Javadoc)
* @see soars.application.visualshell.object.role.base.rule.edit.tab.base.RulePropertyPanelBase#update(soars.application.visualshell.object.entiy.spot.SpotObject, java.lang.String, soars.application.visualshell.common.selector.ObjectSelector)
*/
@Override
protected void update(SpotObject spotObject, String number, ObjectSelector objectSelector) {
update( spotObject, number, objectSelector, _spotVariableCheckBox, _spotVariableComboBox);
}
/**
*
*/
private void initialize() {
if ( _role instanceof AgentRole) {
_spotCheckBox.setSelected( false);
_spotSelector.setEnabled( false);
} else {
_spotCheckBox.setSelected( true);
_spotCheckBox.setEnabled( false);
_spotSelector.setEnabled( true);
}
}
/**
*
*/
protected void set_handler() {
_spotSelector.set_handler( this);
}
/* (Non Javadoc)
* @see soars.application.visualshell.object.role.base.rule.edit.tab.base.RulePropertyPanelBase#on_setup_completed()
*/
@Override
public void on_setup_completed() {
reset( _spotSelector, _spotVariableCheckBox, _spotVariableComboBox);
super.on_setup_completed();
}
/* (Non Javadoc)
* @see soars.common.utility.swing.panel.StandardPanel#on_ok(java.awt.event.ActionEvent)
*/
@Override
protected void on_ok(ActionEvent actionEvent) {
_parent.on_apply( this, actionEvent);
}
/* (non-Javadoc)
* @see soars.application.visualshell.object.role.base.rule.edit.tab.base.RulePropertyPanelBase#set(soars.application.visualshell.object.role.base.rule.base.Rule)
*/
@Override
public boolean set(Rule rule) {
initialize();
if ( null == rule || !_type.equals( rule._type) /*|| rule._value.equals( "")*/) {
set_handler();
return false;
}
String[] values = SpotVariableCommand.get_values( rule._value);
if ( null == values) {
set_handler();
return false;
}
if ( !set( values[ 1], values[ 2], _spotCheckBox, _spotSelector, _spotVariableCheckBox, _spotVariableComboBox)) {
set_handler();
return false;
}
_targetSpotVariableComboBox.setSelectedItem( values[ 0]);
set_handler();
return true;
}
/* (non-Javadoc)
* @see soars.application.visualshell.object.role.base.rule.edit.tab.base.RulePropertyPanelBase#get()
*/
@Override
public Rule get() {
String spotVariable = ( String)_targetSpotVariableComboBox.getSelectedItem();
if ( null == spotVariable || spotVariable.equals( ""))
return null;
String value = get( _spotCheckBox, _spotSelector, _spotVariableCheckBox, _spotVariableComboBox);
if ( value.equals( ""))
return null;
return Rule.create( _kind, _type, SpotVariableCommand.get_rule_value( spotVariable, value));
}
}
|
ISLAMABAD -- Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif resigned on July 28 shortly after the country's Supreme Court ordered his removal from office in connection with corruption charges stemming from the Panama Papers leak in 2016.
The five-judge panel's unanimous decision, issued amid tight security in the capital, Islamabad, and Sharif's immediate resignation plunged the nuclear-armed nation into a political crisis.
Crowds poured into the streets of Islamabad to celebrate the court decision, while opposition leader Imran Khan, the cricket star turned politician who led the campaign against Sharif, declared a "huge victory" and "good omen" for Pakistan.
But in Sharif's power base of Lahore in Punjab Province, sporadic protests broke out, with supporters of the prime minister burning tires, blocking streets, and chanting, "We won't accept this decision."
The court ruling came immediately after an investigative panel alleged that Sharif's family could not account for what it said was vast wealth in offshore companies.
"He is no longer eligible to be an honest member of the parliament, and he ceases to be holding the office of prime minister," Ejaz Afzal Khan, one of the judges, said in court.
In a brief statement, Sharif's office said Sharif "relinquished his charge" as prime minister after learning of the Supreme Court's decision.
The statement suggested that the decision was unjust and said Sharif had "serious reservations about the judicial process," but that he stepped down to show his respect for the judiciary and rule of law.
Crowds assembled outside the Supreme Court in Islamabad, where more than 3,000 security personnel were deployed ahead of the ruling.
Opponents of Sharif celebrated the decision.
"I want to tell the nation that it is a huge victory of yours," opposition leader Imran Khan told supporters in Islamabad. Khan last year had threatened mass street protests unless Sharif's wealth was investigated.
"I am seeing the destination of a new Pakistan in front of me," he said.
Khan asked supporters of his Tehrik-e Insaf party to make their way to Islamabad on July 30 to celebrate the opposition's victory in a "battle against corrupt elements."
He said he would announce his future course of action at the rally.
"Pakistan's courts have made a prime minister accountable," Tehrik-e Insaf party member Fawad Chaudhry said, adding: "Today is a day of victory for Pakistan."
Pakistani media reported that a criminal investigation would also be launched against Sharif, who was serving as prime minister for the third time, and his family.
He has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in the case while calling the inquiry into his family’s finances a conspiracy.
"This is not accountability, it is revenge," Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafiq tweeted before the verdict. "In an effort dislodge us, the democratic system has been made a target."
The Supreme Court also ordered a criminal investigation into the assets of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, an ally of Sharif who has been credited with helping Pakistan's economy reach its fastest pace of growth in a decade.
Sharif's ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party, which has a majority in parliament, is expected to name a new prime minister to hold office until elections due next year.
Pakistan's figurehead president, Mamnoon Hussain, is expected to convene the National Assembly once Sharif's party nominates a successor.
Sharif, 67, is among the major political casualties of the Panama Papers leaks that brought offshore finance under the spotlight.
Documents from the Panama-based Mossack Fonseca law firm that were made public in April 2016 revealed that three of Sharif’s four children owned offshore companies and assets not shown on his family's wealth statement.
Sharif's son Hussain Nawaz at the time acknowledged owning offshore companies but insisted they used legal money to set up businesses abroad.
In 2016, Icelandic Prime Minister Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson stepped down amid public outrage that his family had sheltered money offshore.
One of Sharif's two previous stints as prime minister was cut short by a military coup in 1999.
He returned from exile to win a convincing victory in parliamentary elections in 2013.
No prime minister has completed a full term in power in Pakistan since the country gained independence from British colonial rule in 1947.
Sharif's brother, Shehbaz, who is chief minister of Punjab Province, is a possible contender for the prime minister's job.
Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, the speaker of the national assembly; Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, the minister of petroleum; Khurram Dastgir Khan, the commerce minister; and Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif have also been named as possible contenders.
Pakistan's Supreme Court had once previously disqualified a prime minister. In 2012, it ruled that Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani was guilty of contempt and ordered him removed from office.
|
The Story: A teacher, in trouble after discussing Jesus in her classroom, turns to a passionate lawyer to save her job and stick up for her faith. The Lowdown: More faith-based proselytizing, this time styled as a dreary, languid courtroom drama. Solely for the converted.
God’s Not Dead 2 — unfortunately not titled God’s Still Not Dead or God’s Not Dead Again — doesn’t involve an unbeatable, unstoppable rampage by a Jason Voorhees-like God bent on destruction and propagandizing Christianity. Alas, that might be fun, something God’s Not Dead 2 has no interest in. Instead, it’s a long-winded, paranoid screed, part courtroom drama, part stacked-deck argument. This is a film aimed solely at a Christian audience. Because of this, like so many strictly Christian films, there’s little concern over what one might call traditional cinematic qualities — acting, writing, style, an amount of entertainment value. Instead, the sole focus is The Message and how big, shiny and overt it can be and how much Christian panic the film can stir up.
This film’s predecessor, 2014’s God’s Not Dead (can we go without one movie having a sequel), went after the evil, mustache-twirling atheist professors squeezing Christ out of our nation’s universities. Part two takes a look at the public school system, as teacher Grace (Melissa Joan Hart) gets in hot water when she compares Martin Luther King, Jr.’s words to those of Jesus. Thanks to a nasty cabal of school board members and our country’s great bogeyman, the ACLU, gnashing and wailing and wanting Grace (very subtle symbolism, by the way) sacked for her words, she turns to Tom (TV actor Jesse Metcalfe) a lawyer and atheist (one of the good ones, certainly) to save not only her job but to defend religious freedom in America.
This is done — at least in the way the film lays it out — in a specifically dishonest manner. It’s a decidedly unbalanced affair, with the scheming atheists who tempt high school students with Ivy League educations and rail against Christianity on TV. The film’s Christians, on the other hand, just want to have their faith without their children being cursed and yelled at by angry heathens. It’s all skewed out of whack, especially since these roving gangs of godless intellectuals are roaming around a decidedly Christian Arkansas.
The whole thing feels reckless and phony, exaggerating the state of things and deforming the arguments of its opposition. And even then, the film fails to be interesting or entertaining, with the film’s cast of retreads and director Harold Cronk’s decidedly inert (or lack of) style, all of it aggravated by a running time 30 minutes too long, mixed in with a whole lot of feckless talking and little else. What’s amazing is none of this matters. God’s Not Dead 2 — with an intense focus on a core audience — is critic proof and since it’s based on the kernel of the idea that Christians are being systematically targeted by the godless establishment, so anything I say about the film can also be easily dismissed. Who cares, then, if the film is drab and chintzy and achingly dull? Rated PG for some thematic elements.
|
/**
* Just few of these just to be sure even though it is probably unnecessary
*/
@Test
public void testSupports() {
assertTrue(evaluator.supports(IdmRole.class));
assertFalse(evaluator.supports(BaseEntity.class));
assertFalse(evaluator.supports(IdmIdentityDto.class));
}
|
The present invention relates to a method and structure for forming two or more separate heat sinks on a single module in an arrangement having a heat sink within a heat sink (or nested heat sinks) and with each heat sink respectively coupled to each of a plurality of devices (die, socket) having different heights.
Modern electronic components typically include numerous circuits operating at high speed and generating substantial heat. In many applications, it is desirable to employ one or more heat sinks to remove heat from the electronic heat-generating components, such as central processing units (CPUs), etc., to assure that the components function properly and reliably. A heat sink is a passive heat exchanger that cools the device by dissipating heat into the surrounding medium. A typical heat sink comprises a base for contacting with the heat-generating component to absorb the heat originated from the heat-generating component and a plurality of parallel planar fins attached to the base. The fins are used for dissipating the heat to ambient air.
With the development of various types of electronic modules, an array of many discrete components may be mounted to a surface of a single circuit board, a substrate, or a chip carrier package. In some circumstances, more than one of the components must be cooled. Since the components are generally of different heights and their top surfaces are thus at different levels, conventional heat sinks can not meet the requirement to intimately contact with the top surfaces of the components simultaneously to remove the heat from all the components. Thus, more than one of individual heat sinks needs to be employed to remove heat from each component. Accordingly, a large amount of space is required to install the heat sinks, thus restricting space for other components; furthermore, it is both expensive and time-consuming to attach individual heat sinks to each component.
|
Development and preliminary validation of a measure of social inclusion for use in people with mental health problems: The SInQUE Background: Social exclusion can be both a cause and a consequence of mental health problems. Socially inclusive practice by mental health professionals can mitigate against the stigmatizing and excluding effects of severe mental illness. Aim: To develop and test the validity of a measure of social inclusion for individuals with severe mental illness the Social Inclusion Questionnaire User Experience (SInQUE). Method: The domains of the SInQUE were chosen to reflect the domains of social inclusion identified in the Poverty and Social Exclusion Survey. Patients with severe mental illness were recruited from rehabilitation, general and forensic psychiatric services and were asked to complete the questionnaire in an individual interview with a researcher. Results: Sixty six patients with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder completed the SInQUE, alongside measures of psychiatric symptoms, needs and quality of life, to assess its acceptability, and concurrent and construct (convergent and discriminant) validity. The SInQUE took 45 minutes to complete and was found to have good concurrent and discriminant validity. Convergent validity was established for two domains: social integration and productivity. Conclusion: Preliminary findings suggest that the SInQUE may be a useful tool for assessing and monitoring social inclusion in individuals with severe mental illness. It has construct and concurrent validity with measures of unmet need and quality of life in this group. Further testing of the reliability of the SInQUE on a larger population is indicated.
|
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// Demo: CPP-06-D.04: ASCII-Table Output - setf() Version //
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
int main(void)
{
const int min = 32;
const int max = 255;
int begin = min;
int end = max;
// get table begin parameter
cout << "Enter ASCII Table Begin [" << min << ".." << max << "]: ";
cin >> begin;
// check for valid input range
if ((begin < min) || (begin > max)) begin = min;
// get table end parameter
cout << "Enter ASCII Table End [" << begin << ".." << max << "]: ";
cin >> end;
// check for valid input range
if ((end < begin) || (end > max)) end = max;
// output ascii table header
cout << endl << " CHAR " << "DEC " << "HEX " << "OCT" << endl;
// show integer base prefix, using setf() function
cout.setf(ios::showbase);
// output ascii table characters
for (int i = begin; i <= end; i++)
{
// output table horizontal line
cout << " |-----|----|----|----|" << endl;
// output char
cout << " " << (char)124;
cout << " '" << (char)i << "' ";
// output decimal value
cout << (char)124;
cout.width(4);
cout.setf(ios::right, ios::adjustfield);
cout.setf(ios::dec, ios::basefield);
cout << i;
// output hex value
cout << (char)124;
cout.width(4);
cout.setf(ios::left, ios::adjustfield);
cout.setf(ios::hex, ios::basefield);
cout << i;
// output octal value
cout << (char)124;
cout.width(4);
cout.setf(ios::left, ios::adjustfield);
cout.setf(ios::oct, ios::basefield);
cout << i << (char)124 << endl;
}
// output ascii table footer
cout << " |-----|----|----|----|" << endl;
return 0;
}
|
/**
* Convert object to proper Ruby String representation of an id. This will not work for any string.
* It must represent an identifier the systems knows about.
*
* @param runtime
* @param object
*/
public static RubyString ids(Ruby runtime, IRubyObject object) {
ByteList identifier;
if (object instanceof RubyString) {
identifier = ((RubyString) object).getByteList();
} else if (object instanceof RubySymbol) {
identifier = ((RubySymbol) object).getBytes();
} else {
identifier = object.convertToString().getByteList();
}
return inspectIdentifierByteList(runtime, identifier);
}
|
The Truth Is Out There (In a Library)
In the opening of the 1989 John le Carré novel The Russia House, a British publisher visiting Moscow is given three "grubby" notebooks by a woman at a book fair. She insists the notebooks contain a great work of literature and must be published outside the Soviet Union. Later, the publisher discovers high-quality sketches of military technology, drawn by someone "who could think with a pencil," a man deep within the Soviet military-industrial complex who delivers a powerful message about the arms race. "The American strategists can sleep in peace," he writes. "The Soviet knight is dying inside his armor. He is a secondary power like you British. He can start a war but cannot continue one and cannot win one. Believe me."
Le Carré, it turns out, was remarkably prescient — as I discovered one day while working at a green-felt-covered table at the Hoover Institution Library and Archives at Stanford University, doing research for a book on the end of the Cold War. Milton Leitenberg of the University of Maryland had given me a tip that a former Kremlin official had deposited papers there. Now they were spread out in front of me: original memorandums, handwritten notes in journals, and drafts of various official documents, all written in Russian. They had been stashed away over many years by Vitaly Katayev, an aviation and rocket designer by training who was assigned in 1974 to the Defense Department of the Central Committee of the Soviet Communist Party. Although little known to the outside world, Katayev had a prime seat in the heart of Kremlin decision-making until the Soviet collapse.
Katayev’s files offered a firsthand look inside the Soviet military-industrial complex, from the Kremlin to the sprawling network of factories and design bureaus to the weapons in the field. This kind of raw material — internal debates over the Soviets’ illicit biological-weapons program and original flight-test results of the SS-18 intercontinental ballistic missile, for example — never saw the light of day during the Cold War, and very little of it has come out even since the Soviet collapse.
Those archives hold important lessons for today. One is the value of knowing your adversary in a conflict. Often during the Cold War, Washington didn’t see Moscow clearly. President Ronald Reagan, for example, devoted much rhetoric to the dangers of Soviet military power. But Katayev’s papers suggest the Soviet knight was indeed dying inside his armor. The Soviet missiles were not as accurate as the West had thought. The "window of vulnerability" that Reagan warned about did not exist. Yet the Kremlin masked these shortcomings through secrecy and bluster, and Americans’ own insecurities fed into the perceptions of Soviet strength.
Katayev could have been the model for the le Carré character: He, too, could think with his pencil. For two decades, he kept meticulous entries in his journals — including drawings of missile parts — and preserved sheaves of these original memos. After fruitless years of trying to start a business in the new Russia of the 1990s, Katayev deposited his papers at the Hoover library, perhaps hoping someday to return to write about them. But he died in an accident in 2001.
Katayev had marked one box of documents to be sealed for a number of years. When it was opened in 2007, I found evidence of high-level decisions about the secret Soviet germ-warfare program, which violated the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention. Among the documents was a May 1990 memo from Lev Zaikov, the Politburo member for the military-industrial complex, to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, outlining details of the program. The initiative was so sensitive that Zaikov had his typist leave a space before the word "weapons" throughout the memo and had handwritten each mention of "biological."
The Katayev papers are only bits and pieces of evidence, of course, and as such they are a metaphor for the fragmentary nature of our understanding of what governments do behind closed doors. Take the Stasi archives in Berlin, for example, which catalog the information gleaned from East Germany’s 91,000-person-strong secret police. Five percent of the archives were destroyed just before the regime’s collapse, but more than 60 miles of files still remain (and that’s not pieces of paper put end to end — that’s filing cabinets). For the last 15 years, a small staff has reassembled hundreds of thousands of shredded documents — illuminating everything from high-ranking spies in the West to the institutionalized program of illegal blood doping in sport. At the current rate, however, it will take hundreds of years to finish the task.
Other archive finds have illuminated the British government’s willing collusion in decades of massive bribes by arms contractors to win Saudi purchases of military hardware, the secret talks between apartheid South Africa and Israel over nuclear-weapons technology, and U.S. overtures to Iran in the late 1990s. At the same library where I found Katayev’s papers, there are now 7 million documents and secret records from Iraq’s ruling Baath Party, which were rescued from Baghdad following the 2003 invasion. Who knows what surprises these files hold?
There are large gaps that remain in our understanding of state secrets. The Soviet Union and its Communist Party may be gone, but the records of their leaders and decisions, which profoundly changed the 20th century, remain under lock and seal in the Russian archives. I have my own list of mysteries waiting to be solved: What, for example, did the Soviets intend to do with the germs they developed for war? And what about the actual biological-warfare weapons they were developing, or the targets they were intended to attack?
That’s a story I sure would like to find in a musty box someday.
|
<filename>src/ir/error.rs<gh_stars>1-10
//! Error management for IR creation.
use ir;
use std;
/// Errors that can be raised when creating an IR instance.
#[derive(Debug, Fail)]
pub enum TypeError {
#[fail(display = "type `{}` is not valid on the targeted device", t)]
InvalidType { t: ir::Type },
#[fail(display = "{} must have a return type", inst)]
ExpectedReturnType { inst: ir::InstId },
#[fail(
display = "{} rounding is incompatible with type `{}`",
rounding,
t
)]
InvalidRounding {
rounding: ir::op::Rounding,
t: ir::Type,
},
#[fail(display = "expected {}, got `{}`", expected, given)]
WrongType {
given: ir::Type,
expected: ExpectedType,
},
#[fail(display = "unexpected type `{}`", t)]
UnexpectedType { t: ir::Type },
}
impl TypeError {
/// Ensures a type is equal to the expected one.
pub fn check_equals(given: ir::Type, expected: ir::Type) -> Result<(), Self> {
if given == expected {
Ok(())
} else {
Err(TypeError::WrongType {
given,
expected: expected.into(),
})
}
}
/// Ensures the given type is an integer type.
pub fn check_integer(given: ir::Type) -> Result<(), Self> {
if given.is_integer() {
Ok(())
} else {
Err(TypeError::WrongType {
given,
expected: ExpectedType::Integer,
})
}
}
/// Ensures the given type is a floating point type.
pub fn check_float(given: ir::Type) -> Result<(), Self> {
if given.is_float() {
Ok(())
} else {
Err(TypeError::WrongType {
given,
expected: ExpectedType::Float,
})
}
}
}
/// Indicates what kind of type was expected.
#[derive(Debug)]
pub enum ExpectedType {
/// An integer type was expected.
Integer,
/// A floating point type was expeccted.
Float,
/// A specific type was expected.
Specific(ir::Type),
}
impl std::fmt::Display for ExpectedType {
fn fmt(&self, f: &mut std::fmt::Formatter) -> std::fmt::Result {
match self {
ExpectedType::Integer => write!(f, "an integer type"),
ExpectedType::Float => write!(f, "a floating point type"),
ExpectedType::Specific(t) => write!(f, "type `{}`", t),
}
}
}
impl From<ir::Type> for ExpectedType {
fn from(t: ir::Type) -> Self {
ExpectedType::Specific(t)
}
}
/// An error occuring while manipulating an ir instance.
#[derive(Debug, Fail)]
pub enum Error {
#[fail(display = "{}", _0)]
Type(#[cause] TypeError),
#[fail(display = "dimensions must have a size of at least 2")]
InvalidDimSize,
#[fail(
display = "dimension {} appears twice in the increment list",
dim
)]
DuplicateIncrement { dim: ir::DimId },
#[fail(
display = "the access pattern references dimension {}, but is not nested inside",
dim
)]
InvalidDimInPattern { dim: ir::DimId },
#[fail(
display = "no mapping found between dimensions {} and {}",
lhs,
rhs
)]
MissingDimMapping { lhs: ir::DimId, rhs: ir::DimId },
}
impl From<TypeError> for Error {
fn from(e: TypeError) -> Self {
Error::Type(e)
}
}
|
<gh_stars>0
package net.teraware.model.helper;
import net.teraware.model.Cart;
import net.teraware.model.bean.ProdottoBean;
public class CartEntry {
private ProdottoBean prodotto;
private int quantita;
public CartEntry(ProdottoBean prodotto, int quantita) {
this.prodotto = prodotto;
this.quantita = quantita;
}
public ProdottoBean getProdotto() {
return prodotto;
}
public int getQuantita() {
return quantita;
}
public void setProdotto(ProdottoBean prodotto) {
this.prodotto = prodotto;
}
public void setQuantita(int quantita) {
this.quantita = quantita;
}
@Override
public int hashCode() {
final int prime = 31;
int result = 1;
result = prime * result + ((prodotto == null) ? 0 : prodotto.hashCode());
result = prime * result + quantita;
return result;
}
@Override
public boolean equals(Object obj) {
if (!(obj instanceof Cart)) return false;
ProdottoBean other = (ProdottoBean) obj;
if (other.getIdProdotto() == this.prodotto.getIdProdotto()) return true;
return false;
}
@Override
public String toString() {
return "CartEntry [prodotto=" + prodotto + ", quantita=" + quantita + "]";
}
}
|
This invention relates to optical communication and more particularly to a semiconductor laser module incorporating a driver circuit therein, adapted for use as a light transmitter for a high speed transmission system of the giga-bits band.
The conventional semiconductor laser modules incorporating a driver circuit therein for use in medium speed light transmission of several hundreds Mb/sec or below are described in IEEE, journal of Lightwave Technology, LT-2, No. 4 (1984) p. 398. As disclosed in this article, the connection between a semiconductor laser and an IC mounting board mounting a semiconductor laser driving IC is done by wire-bondings. The inductance of a wire used for wire-bonding is, for example in the case of using a Au wire of 25 .mu.m diameter, about 1 nH per 1 mm length. In the above-mentioned conventional art, four wires are used in parallel in order to reduce the inductance and suppress the deterioration of the modulation performance.
When a wire or wires of wire-bonding are used for the connection between the semiconductor laser and the driver IC, since the thermal resistance of the wire is high, the flow of heat generated in the driver IC into the semiconductor laser can be suppressed to a low flow. But, the inductance becomes a problem. In the prior art, the inductance is reduced by increasing the number of wires. When applied in a high speed transmission system of several hundreds Mb/sec or above and particularly the ultra-high speed transmission system of the giga-bits band, the mutual inductance among a plurality of wires and the parasitic reactance such as stray capacitance become problems and may form factors for causing deterioration of the modulation characteristics. Also, the dispersion in the wire length arising from the dispersion in the wire-bonding process also causes dispersion in the performance of the module.
The above-mentioned prior art does not take the points of the stray capacitance, the parasitic inductance, and the dispersion in the performance which become problems in the high speed transmission system and more particularly in the giga-bits band, into consideration and has problems in the high speed modulation action in the giga-bits band. Reference may be made to Nos. JP-A-62-112389, JP-A-58-119690, JP-A-5370689 and JP-A-53-68588.
|
package com.spring.biz.common;
import org.aspectj.lang.JoinPoint;
public class BeforeAdvice {
// public void beforeLog() {
// System.out.println("[사전처리-BeforeAdvice.beforeLog]"
// + "비즈니스 로직 수행전 로그");
//
// }
public void beforeLog(JoinPoint jp) {
String methodName = jp.getSignature().getName(); //실행될 메소드명
Object[] args = jp.getArgs(); //메소드에 전달된 값. 매개변수(인자-argument, 파라미터-parameter)
System.out.println("[사전처리] " + methodName + "() 메소드"
+ ", args정보: " + args[0].toString());
}
}
|
Diagnosis of leachate from a closed landfill, impact on the soil and treatment by coagulation flocculation with alginate and ferric chloride This aim of study is to assess the diagnosis of leachate impacts on the soil of the closed landfill of the city of Mohammedia for several years and the treatment of these releases by coagulationflocculation with a liquid effluent rich in FeCl3 rejected by a company of steel (Maghreb STEEL) and also by alginate produced less expensive. Indeed, the leachate generated from closed dumping site at MESBAHIATE (Mohammedia, Morocco) was investigated. This leachate is characterized by a high chemical oxygen demand (COD) content which varies around 3,000 mg/L, a Kjeldahl total nitrogen concentration varying around 1,500 mg/L whereas the content in ammonium has a concentration of 960 mg/L. In addition, the BOD5/COD ratio is much less than 0.2, which indicates that the organic matter is not easily biodegradable, and subsequently justifies the use of physico-chemical treatments such as coagulationflocculation. In order to monitor the leachate treatment by coagulation flocculation, several parameters were analyzed including: the turbidity, the COD, and the volume of the sludge decanted. The results showed that coagulationflocculation by ferric chloride and alginate were very effective for reducing turbidity. This reduction reaches 95% and 86% for FeCl3 and Alginate, respectively. The removal of COD by FeCl3 30% and Alginate showed yields of 67% and 60%, respectively at optimal concentrations of 120 and 2,500 mg/L, respectively, for Alginate and FeCl3 30%.
|
An Interesting Relationship between Maternal Adipose Tissue Thickness and Maternal Pelvicalyceal System Dilatation. PURPOSE To evaluate whether maternal body mass index (BMI), visceral adipose tissue (VAT) thickness, and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) thickness have effects on maternal pelvicalyceal system dilatation, which develops during pregnancy. MATERIALS AND METHODS Between April 2018 and November 2018, a total of 120 pregnant between aged 18-35 years in their third trimester were included in this prospective observational study. For each pregnant woman, SAT and VAT thicknesses were measured and renal sonography was performed by the same radiologist and obstetric ultrasound was performed by the same obstetrician. Nine patients were excluded from the study because their maximal caliceal diameters were less than 5 mm. Ultimately, 111 patients were divided into three groups according to the maximal calyceal diameter (MCD). Results: Asymptomatic hydronephrosis was diagnosed in 108/111 (97.3%) of the patients. There were 53 patients in group 1 (MCD of 5-10 mm), 39 patients in group 2 (MCD of 10-15 mm), and 19 patients in group 3 (MCD of >15 mm). There were statistically significant differences in terms of maternal SAT and VAT thickness between the groups (p=.001). There were also statistically significant differences found between the groups for the estimated fetal weight and birth weight (p=.024, p=.003, respectively). In the correlation analysis, there was a negative correlation between maternal SAT thickness, VAT thicknesses, BMI, and maximal calyceal diameter (p=.001). CONCLUSION In this study, a relationship between maternal BMI, VAS thickness, SAT thickness, the estimated fetal weight, birth weight, and renal pelvicalyceal dilatation have been shown. Increasing maternal adipose tissue may have a protective effect of mechanical pressure of growing uterus on the ureters.
|
/*
* Package @donmahallem/remark-variables
* Source https://donmahallem.github.io/js-libs/
*/
import { get } from 'dot-prop';
import { Root } from 'mdast';
import { Content, findAndReplace, Node, Parent } from 'mdast-util-find-and-replace';
import { Plugin, Transformer } from 'unified';
import { VFile } from 'vfile';
interface IPluginOptions {
data: any;
}
/**
* Remark Plugin for inline template variables
*
* @param options
* @param options.data data to inline
* @returns Plugin
*/
// eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
export const plugin: Plugin =
(options: IPluginOptions): Transformer =>
(node: Node | Parent, file: VFile): Node => {
// eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-unsafe-assignment
const result: Node & {
index: number | null;
map: Node | null;
endIndex: number | null;
} = findAndReplace(
node,
// eslint-disable-next-line no-useless-escape
/\{\{[a-zA-Z\.\- ]+\}\}/,
(match: string): string => {
const cleanedKey: string = match.slice(2, match.length - 2).trim();
// eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-unsafe-argument
return get(options.data, cleanedKey) || 'unknown';
}
// eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
) as any;
if (result.endIndex === null || result.index === null || result.index === -1 || !result.map) {
return node;
}
const rootNode: Root = node as Root;
rootNode.children = [
...rootNode.children.slice(0, result.index),
result.map,
...rootNode.children.slice(result.endIndex),
] as Content[];
return rootNode;
};
|
Tritium labelling of a cholesterol amphiphile designed for cell membrane anchoring of proteins. Cell membrane association of proteins can be achieved by the addition of lipid moieties to the polypeptide chain, and such lipid-modified proteins have important biological functions. A class of cell surface proteins contains a complex glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) glycolipid at the C-terminus, and they are accumulated in cholesterol-rich membrane microdomains, that is, lipid rafts. Semisynthetic lipoproteins prepared from recombinant proteins and designed lipids are valuable probes and model systems of the membrane-associated proteins. Because GPI-anchored proteins can be reinserted into the cell membrane with the retention of the biological function, they are appropriate candidates for preparing models via reduction of the structural complexity. A synthetic headgroup was added to the 3-hydroxyl group of cholesterol, an essential lipid component of rafts, and the resulting cholesterol derivative was used as a simplified GPI mimetic. In order to quantitate the membrane integrated GPI mimetic after the exogenous addition to live cells, a tritium labelled cholesterol anchor was prepared. The radioactive label was introduced into the headgroup, and the radiolabelled GPI mimetic anchor was obtained with a specific activity of 1.37TBq/mmol. The headgroup labelled cholesterol derivative was applied to demonstrate the sensitive detection of the cell membrane association of the anchor under in vivo conditions.
|
Treatment of acquired myasthenia gravis Although the number of therapeutic options available has increased greatly over the past three decades, experts in the field continue to debate over the therapeutic approach that awards the greatest success for patients with myasthenia gravis (MG). There is no standard measure of disease severity, and no therapy has been demonstrated efficacious by rigorous, prospective controlled studies. Because 22% of untreated patients achieve remission and another 18% experience marked improvement, it is difficult to sort out therapeutic improvement from the natural history of the disease. However, with current modes of therapy the 25% mortality of untreated patients has clearly decreased, suggesting that untreated patients are at risk for exacerbation. The art of providing safe care for patients with MG lies in deciding when to treat and when not to treat aggressively. No single regimen is appropriate for all patients. The goal of therapy is to produce normal function, with rapid onset of the effect. The ideal therapy should have minimal side effects, be easy to administer, and be available at low cost. A number of factors influence the decision process. The rate of progression, along with the severity and distribution of the weakness, is the most important consideration for immediate therapeutic decisions. Long-term therapy is also influenced by age, gender, the presence of concomitant disease, and the response to previous therapy. Concern for the potential presence of a thymoma is greater in some patients and will alter the plan for therapy. Clinical considerations also include the general health of the patient, the presence of other diseases such as diabetes mellitus or thyroid disease, and the resources or ability to comply with a therapeutic strategy. At any point in the course, there are influences that may unmask the degree of weakness (Table 1 and Table 2). View this table: Table 1.
|
Horizontally oriented plates in clouds Horizontally oriented plates in clouds generate a sharp specular reflectance signal in the glint direction, often referred to as"subsun". This signal (amplitude and width) may be used to analyze the relative area fraction of oriented plates in the cloud top layer and their characteristic tilt angle to the horizontal. We make use of spaceborne measurements from the POLDER instrument to provide a statistical analysis of these parameters. More than half of the clouds show a detectable maximum reflectance in the glint direction, although this maximum may be rather faint. The typical effective fraction (area weighted) of oriented plates in clouds lies between 10-3 and 10-2. For those oriented plates, the characteristic tilt angle is less than 1 degree in most cases. These low fractions imply that the impact of oriented plates on the cloud albedo is insignificant. The largest proportion of clouds with horizontally oriented plates is found in the range 500-700 hPa, in agreement with typical in situ observation of plates in clouds. We propose a simple aerodynamic model that accounts for the orienting torque of the flow as the plate falls under its own gravity and the disorienting effects of Brownian motion and atmospheric turbulence. The model indicates that the horizontal plate diameters are in the range 0.1 to a few millimeters. For such sizes, Brownian forces have a negligible impact on the plate orientation. On the other hand, typical levels of atmospheric turbulence lead to tilt angles that are similar to those estimated from the glint observation. Introduction Airborne visual observation of clouds from above sometime shows a glint like-feature that seems to originate from the cloud layer. We have personally observed this pattern on four occasions, all of them from relatively low cloud layers (i.e. 1-3 km) during commercial flight over land surfaces in France and Canada. The narrowness of the glint signature indicates that it is generated by elements that are large compared to the visible light wavelength (little diffraction) and that are perfectly horizontally oriented. For a while, we have been doubtful about this interpretation, thinking that we might be mislead by a surface contribution transmitted through the cloud layer. Indeed, the presence of small water bodies over land surfaces generates very intense and narrow glint patterns, as can be identified during clear sky flights, that are similar to the observation made over the clouds. The question is whether the cloud optical thickness is large enough to eliminate the direct surface contribution to the signal (the surface contribution that is scattered in the cloud cannot generate a highly anisotropic signature). The question was settled with the observation of a similar very narrow glint pattern from a cloud layer over the ocean. In the vast majority of cases, the ocean surface roughness causes the glint pattern generated at the air-water interface to be much broader than that generated by small water bodies or that observed over clouds. The transmission within the cloud can only generate an even broader feature. This observation rules out the surface contribution hypothesis and we are left with the cloud contribution hypothesis. It provides further evidence that the pattern observed over cloudcovered land is indeed a result of mirror like reflection within the cloud. This interpretation is actually commonly accepted for such observations, referred to as subsuns (). In fact, this hypothesis only confirms the interpretation of other optic phenomena, such as the parhelia and sun pillars (, Sassen, 1986 that are explained by the presence of horizontally oriented plates in clouds. In situ measurements in clouds confirm the existence of hexagonal plates, and other planar crystals, of various aspect ratios, albeit with no indication on their orientation (;, Pruppacher andKlett, 1997). Finally lidar measurements pointing to nadir show stronger backscatter signal and lower depolarization ratio than with a few degree off zenith pointing, which is interpreted by the presence of horizontally oriented plates (Platt, 1978;,, Sassen and Benson, 2001. Therefore, the presence of horizontally oriented plates in clouds is attested by numerous observations. Chepfer et al analyze the presence of higher cloud reflectance in the glint direction from spaceborne measurements, which is a strong indication of the presence of horizontally oriented crystal faces in the clouds, and found that this feature is apparent for roughly half of the analyzed clouds. On the other hand, little is known on the fraction of such plates in the cloud, and on the angular spread around the horizontal orientation. In this paper, we make use of specific spaceborne reflectance measurements to quantify the fraction and angular spread of plates with a preferred orientation. We then develop a simple model of plate orientation as a response to aerodynamical torques resulting from the plate fall. The model provides constraints on the plate dimensions that are evaluated in comparison to the observations. Measurements The POLDER (Polarization and Directionality of the Earth Reflectances) instrument was launched onboard ADEOS (ADvanced Earth Observing Satellite) in August 1996. Acquisition was quasicontinuous from late October to the end of June of 1997, when the failure of the platform solar panel terminated the operation of all instruments on board. Nevertheless, eight months of measurements are available and allow original studies thanks to the uniqueness of the measurement principle. Another similar instrument was launched onboard the ADEOS-II platform in December 2002, which itself failed in October 2003. The instrument is composed of a wide field-of-view lens, a filter wheel and a detector (Deschamps et al.;. The filter wheel permits radiance measurements in eight spectral bands from 440 nm (blue) to 910 nm (near IR, water vapor absorption). The detector is a bi-dimensional CCD array with 242 x 274 independent sensitive areas. One snapshot yields an image of a portion of the Earth of size roughly 2400 x 1800 km 2, similar to what a camera with a wide field-of-view lens would provide, with a spatial resolution on the order of 6 km equivalent to 0.3°. The pixels in the image are viewed with various zenith angles and azimuths. The zenith angle at the surface varies between 0° at the image center, to 60° crosstrack and 50° forward and aft. In most cases, depending on the solar position with respect to the satellite, there is one pixel that is observed exactly (at the POLDER pixel angular resolution) in the glint geometry. The pixels surrounding this particular pixel are observed with a slightly different viewing geometry. Assuming that the target does not change significantly between the pixels (details below), this opens the way for a measurement of the reflectance directional signature within a few degrees of the glint direction. The change in glint angle between two adjacent pixels is typically 0.3°. It results mostly from the change in viewing geometry rather than the change in illumination geometry. One such snapshot is acquired, for each spectral band, every 20 s. There is a large overlap of the areas observed by successive snapshots. As a consequence, the area of interest, which is observed with a geometry close to the specular direction, is also observed within a few minutes from very different directions (see Figure 1). These additional viewing directions allow an estimate of the reflectance directional signature for larger variations of the glint angle, and also a measurement of the reflectance spatial variability when the effects of the directional signature are expected to be small. Thus, one may verify that the reflectance variations observed close to the specular direction are the result of the directional signature, and not a spurious consequence of the surface heterogeneity. In addition, the POLDER instrument has polarization capabilities that are used here to identify the single scattering contribution to the total cloud reflectance. A cloud field always shows some optical thickness spatial variability that generates significant reflectance heterogeneity. Because the glint directional signature is derived from the apparent spatial structure, this heterogeneity generates some noise on the procedure. On the other hand, the polarized reflectance saturates rapidly as a function of optical thickness. This is because the polarized signal is mostly generated by the single scattering contribution (multiple scattering is non polarized). For a cloud optical thickness larger than about 2, the cloud polarized reflectance is sensitive to the polarized scattering phase function and not to the optical thickness. Thus, the polarized reflectance is better suited than the total reflectance to identify single scattering features such as the specular reflectance over horizontally oriented plates. Figure 2 shows a cloud field observed with the POLDER instrument. This image was acquired over the North Atlantic (notice the coastlines of Iceland and the southern tip of Greenland on the top of the images). The images are RGB color composites using the three polarized channels of POLDER at 865, 670 and 440 nm. The top image is a "classical" view in total light. Clear areas are dark, with a slight bluish color due to atmospheric scattering. The bottom image is the same in polarized light. Note that the color scale ranges from 0 to 0.1, when it is from 0 to 0.8 for the former (reflectance units). Clear areas appear blue because the light generated by molecular scattering is strongly polarized and larger for the blue (440 nm) channel. The white arc band that extends from Iceland to Greenland corresponds to the cloud-bow and is observed for a scattering angle of roughly 140 degrees. It is a very strong indication of the presence of spherical droplets Goloub, 1998, ). At other directions, the cloud field appears rather dark in polarized light except for the glint direction. This direction is at the center of the concentric circles that indicate the off-glint angles by step of 10 degrees. In the glint direction, a stronger reflection is observed both in total light and in polarized light (zoomed images to the right). The angular width of the brighter area is on the order of 3 degrees. Let us stress that it is not an artifact of the cloud field structure. A similar bright spot is observed in the glint direction for all POLDER acquisitions over this cloud field, and is not apparent when the same area is seen from a different direction. Over the zoomed images, some colors may be observed on the glint pattern (blue to the North, red to the South). These colors do not have a geophysical origin, but result from the non-simultaneous acquisition of the three channels: a given Earth pixel is observed from slightly different directions. When the directional signature is very strong, as is the case here, the small change in viewing geometry result in a significant change in reflectance, and thus an abnormal spectral (color) signature. Finally, let us point to the small area towards the bottom part of the images, just below the number "52" in the un-zoomed images. This image is rather dark in total light (top) but is bright in polarized light. This feature results from the ocean glint that is strongly polarized (i.e. the polarization ratio is close to 1). The surface glint is much broader than the cloud glint, a direct consequence of the different tilt angles for the cloud crystal and ocean surface. At the very specular point in fig. 2, the cloud presence hides the surface below, so that the observed signature is generated by the cloud only. At the bottom of the image, there is no cloud field so that one can observe the surface contribution. Because of surface roughness, the surface glint pattern is broad and, as a direct consequence, rather faint. In Figure 2, it is depicted in polarized light only because the dynamic is much larger than in total light. Although this image shows the best example of a subsun that we have looked at, it is far from exceptional. We now develop a procedure for a quantitative analysis of the feature. Radiative Transfer Model In this section, we propose a simple model of radiative transfer within the cloud. The purpose of the model is to account for the reflectance highly anisotropic pattern observed in the glint direction. Since multiple scattering generates radiance with a smooth directional signature, we only consider the single scattering. The comparison with the measurements must account for the multiple scattering contribution that goes in addition to that quantified here. This contribution may be assumed constant over the small solid angle that we consider. The cloud is composed of a fraction of plates oriented close to the horizontal, embedded with either randomly oriented plates and/or other crystal shapes that do not generate glint. We assume that the orientation distribution of near horizontal plates follows a simple Gaussian law: The normalized probability f that a plate is tilted by an angle n is where d n is a solid angle and is a characteristic tilt angle. The normalization of this function uses an approximation that is valid for small. There is no justification for the choice of a Gaussian function other than its simplicity and the fact that it is physically plausible (no discontinuity in the distribution or its derivative). On the other hand, the comparison with the measurements does not permit to favor any of the various distribution functions that we have tried. The tilt angle n is related to the sun and view geometry through: where s and v are the sun and view zenith angles, is the relative azimuth, and is the angle between the sun and view directions. Note that, in the principal plane, n =| s - v |/2. Both the observation pixel and the sun have a finite half width of 0.15 and 0.25° respectively. The corresponding tilt angle variations depend on the geometry and are on the order of ±0.15 degrees. The sunlight is incident to the cloud with the sun zenith angle s. As the light penetrates the cloud, the direct beam is attenuated through particle scattering. Let us consider a slab of the cloud with an effective density of scattering surfaces dS . A fraction is horizontally oriented, whereas the rest is random. As the direct beam goes though this slab, a fraction dS is intercepted by horizontal plates, and a fraction (1-)/(2 s ) dS is intercepted by the non-oriented particles ( s is the cosine of the sun zenith angle). The total interception is Only the near-horizontal plates generate a specular signature. Let us consider the particles oriented within d n. The fraction of incoming light intercepted by these particles is flux that is specularly reflected by the top face of these particles is: where E is the incoming direct beam flux at the top of the slab, and F is the Fresnel reflectance. Accounting for internal refraction and reflection, there is an additional contribution that is almost as large as the first term 1. The total flux is therefore twice as much as that given in eq. 1 While a fraction of the light intercepted by the plate is directly reflected by its upper face, the largest part is transmitted. Some of it goes through multiple internal reflection and is eventually transmitted through the upper face. After exiting the plate, this contribution has the exact same direction as the first reflection. If R is the Fresnel reflectance (parallel or perpendicular component), the first reflection is proportional to R, whereas the various components resulting from internal reflection are proportional to (1-R) 2 R 2n-1. where n is the number of reflections on the bottom face. Summing the components leads to a total reflectance proportional to 2R/(1-R), which is very close to 2R.. The solid angles of the plate normal d n and that of the corresponding reflected radiance d r are related through € d r = 4 s d n. Using this relationship, eq. leads to: The double path (down and up) transmittance between the top of the cloud and a level z is and The total radiance is the vertical integral of each cloud slab contribution. Assuming a significant optical thickness (larger than about 2 so that the transmission in eq. takes negligible values), integration of equations and leads to: Measurements indicate that is much smaller than 1. In such case, the expressions for K x simplify. The reflectance is: Similarly, the polarized reflectance is: where Q is the second element of the Stokes vector, and F p is the polarized Fresnel reflectance (, eq. 5-6). This expression relates the highly anisotropic reflectance signal generated by horizontally oriented plates to the relative fraction of such plates in the cloud field and to the angular spread of their orientation. The single scattering reflectance measurement probes the cloud top (i.e. the layer with a typical optical thickness of 1). POLDER measurements such as those shown in Figure 2 can be used to retrieve and. Within a few degrees of the glint direction, all terms in equation except for the exponential show relatively small variations. Assuming that is on the order of 1° (0.02 radians) or smaller, the reflectance directional signature is then mostly a function of the tilt angle. Figure 3 shows an example of POLDER measurements together with the fitted result. The polarized reflectance is shown as a function of the tilt angle n that was computed from the viewing geometry as in equation. One may verify that the large directional signal close to zero tilt angle is not apparent for other tilt angles, which is a strong evidence that it is not a consequence of spatial heterogeneity. On this particular case, the retrieved and are 7 10 -3 and 0.4 degrees. Note that the uncertainty on the tilt angles, resulting from the finite sun width and observation resolution, yields an uncertainty on that is on the order of 0.1 degree or less. Statistical analysis Eight months of POLDER data were available at the time of the study (i.e. before the launch of ADEOS-2). From the full POLDER dataset, we have extracted all pixels viewed with a direction close to the glint direction. Cloudy pixels were selected with a simple threshold on the reflectance (670 nm reflectance greater than 0.5 in all directions). This simple test selects snow covered surfaces which are latter discriminated from their apparent pressure (see below). For each cluster of pixels, the measured polarized reflectance was fitted by a simple function of n with parameters, and an additive low order polynomial that accounts for other processes that generate polarized reflectance, in particular molecular and cloud particle scattering. The RMS difference between the measurements and the best fit quantifies its quality. We define a signal-to-noise as the ratio of the RMS to the Gaussian function amplitude. The inversion is done independently for 670 nm and 865 nm. Thus, the comparison of the two estimates provides some indication on the retrieval error. Fig 4 shows a coherence, the scatter is large in regards to the rather low variability. Yet, the noise in the estimate is less than a few tenths of a degree in most cases. Figure 6 shows a map of the retrieved plate fractions. Note that no satisfactory cloud fields are found in some places, in particular in the tropical regions (no homogeneous cloud fields with a large enough reflectance). On the other hand, at mid-latitude, many estimates are available so that we show the geometric mean of the estimates over 2x2° boxes. The main purpose of this map is to demonstrate that there is no apparent land-sea bias, which provides further evidence that the observed feature is not a surface effect. Figure 7 shows a cumulative histogram of retrieved for various cloud pressure ranges. The cloud pressure is estimated from the ratio of two reflectance measurements centered on the oxygen A band at 765 nm (). A reflectance peak in the glint direction is observed in a fair number of cases. Roughly half of the cloud fields that are suitable for our analysis (homogeneity and reflectance criteria) present a significant glint-like signature, in agreement with Chepfer et al.. On the other hand, this signature is rather faint. The retrievals indicate a typical fraction of oriented plates in the range 0.1 to 1 percent. Note that, because the characteristic angle is rather small, even such small fractions yield a reflectance signature of several percent (see eq. 9). The cumulative histograms indicate some differences between the various pressure ranges. Highest clouds (above 500 hPa) have a lower proportion of horizontal plates than lower clouds. The largest proportion of clouds with horizontally oriented plates is found in the range 500-700 hPa. For all pressure ranges, most are found close to 1 degree. Note that the largest tilt angles (i.e. larger than 3 degrees) are almost entirely found in the low atmospheric layers (i.e. below 700 hPa). As for the low range of tilt angles, virtually none of the clouds above 300 hPa show a characteristic angle smaller than 0.5 degree and the relative fraction increases as the pressure increases. These results are discussed in the final section after an analysis of the plate fall aerodynamic. Plate fall hydrodynamic model In this section, we analyze the orientation of a plate that falls in a fluid as a result of its own weight. We assume that the crystal shapes are hexagonal plates. Theoretical and experimental work show that the stability of the plate orientation depends on the Reynolds number € Re = u d / where d is the plate diameter, u is the fall speed and is the fluid viscosity. At very low Reynolds number (Re<0.39), viscous processes dominate the flow with no stabilizing torque, and the plate falls keeping its initial orientation (Schmiedel, 1928, Willmarth et al, 1964. For larger Re, 0.39<Re<80, the fluid around the body becomes increasingly turbulent, generating stable rear eddies, in turn resulting in a dynamical torque. The torque tends to orient the plate horizontally. In this regime, the plates have a stable horizontal orientation, and the dynamical torque corrects any deviation of this orientation. For even larger Reynolds, Re>80, the fluid around the plate is fully turbulent, leading to intermittent eddy detachment and shedding. In that regime, the motion during the fall depends on the Froude Number Fr, either side-to-side oscillation "flutter" (Fr<0.67, see ) or end-over rotation "tumbling" (Fr>0.67). The observation of horizontally oriented plates indicates that the Reynolds number is in the range 0.39<Re<80. For this particular regime, we now seek the deviation from the horizontal as a function of the plate size. It requires the knowledge of the fall speed u. By definition of the drag coefficient C D, the fall speed is related to the plate mass m through: where f is the fluid density and m is the plate mass ( € m = s h d 2 /4, h the plate thickness). The drag coefficient tends to € 32 / Re −1 for very small Reynolds number, and to a constant for large ones (Willmarth et al, 1964). A fit through theoretical and experimental data yields: From eq. and and the definition of Re, one gets: where s is the plate density. The solution of eq. is: As stated above, oriented plates are expected for Reynolds numbers between 0.3 and 80. From equation, this range corresponds to plate diameters from about 0.1 to a few millimeters (see Fig. 10). Such sizes are consistent with in situ measurements of the largest crystal sizes in ice clouds. They are very much larger than the solar wavelength used here, which justifies the neglect of diffraction in the radiative transfer model. The terminal velocities predicted by the model for the millimeter size particles are 0.55 m s -1, which is consistent with Heymsfield et al.. We now consider the orientation of a plate during its fall. Several torques act on a plate that are a function of its fall speed, orientation, and rotation. The net effect of these torques is to orient the plates to the horizontal (for the proper range of Reynolds number). In addition, Brownian motion of the air molecules and air turbulence generate stochastic forces that disrupt the plate orientation. The equation that describes the plate inclination around one axis within the plate writes: where I is the plate inertial momentum, expresses the friction, expresses the dynamical torque, M(t) is the Brownian torque, and is the vertical angle of fall. For simplicity, we consider that the ice crystal remains in the regime where is close to zero and the fall is vertical, so that The fluid viscosity generates a torque that counters rotation. The friction coefficient can be computed exactly (Happel and Brenner, 1973) in the low Reynolds number limit although, as will be shown below, its exact expression is not needed here. The dynamical torque results from the non-symmetrical air flow around the plate as it falls with a tilt angle. The torque amplitude is discussed in Katz. The expression for is: where C 0 is a coefficient determined from experiments to be on the order of 0.2. Note that this value is in agreement with the theoretical value of /16 obtained for infinitely thin plates (Tanabe and Kaneko, 1994). For submicron plates, the main stochastic force M(t) that acts on the particles orientations results from Brownian motion. For larger particles, atmospheric turbulence may also be significant. The stochastic torque has the property Dirac function and D is the kinetic energy at the considered scale. In our simple model, D is proportional to the sum of Brownian motion energy, k T, and the fluid turbulence kinetic energy at the scale of the particles and is the rate of dissipation of turbulent kinetic energy per unit mass. In equation the threshold corresponds to the Kolmogorov scale at which turbulent gradients become regular. The second theorem of fluctuation-dissipation yields Equation is a generalized Langevin equation. By virtue of the central limit theorem, the stationary distribution of is Gaussian and Note that the angle discussed above is a tilt angle along one direction; say the x-axis direction. The same discussion applies to the tilt with respect to the y-axis. Because the stochastic forcing in the two directions is uncorrelated, the resulting tilt angles are uncorrelated. For small angles, the tilt angle with respect to the zenith z follows € z 2 ≈ x 2 + y 2. Thus, Figure 10 shows the predicted quadratic tilt angle € z 2 as a function of the particle size d. Two cases of cloud pressure and temperature are shown: (400hPa, 220K) and (800hPa, 270K) for three levels of atmospheric turbulence from weak to strong. For the h/d ratio, we made use of the empirical relationship found by Heymsfield for Cirrus cloud plates: where d is given in m. On the same figure are shown the bounds for the intermediate range of that is necessary for a preferred planar orientation during plate fall. The model indicates that stable fall is expected for plates that are larger than 100 m and smaller than a few millimeters. A similar conclusion was obtained by Sassen. Such sizes are consistent with in-situ measurements of the largest crystal sizes in ice clouds. For such diameters, our model assumes d/h ratios between 6 and 40, which is the proper order of magnitude. The model predicts that, for a given atmospheric turbulence, the tilt angle varies by a factor of two to three over the range of favorable plate sizes. The predicted tilt angle varies by an order of magnitude from weak to strong level of atmospheric turbulence. Typical values for moderate level of turbulence (=10 -2 m 2 s -3 ) are on the order of one degree, i.e. in good agreement with the observation. Such "typical" value of turbulence have been measured at larger scales than those considered here. It is possible that small-scale processes, such as the wake of cloud particle fall, generate additional turbulence at such scales. However, such additional source is not necessary to explain the observations. Note also that Brownian motion only (i.e. without turbulence) predicts much smaller values of tilt angles. For the favorable range of plate sizes, Brownian stochastic torques can be neglected. Discussion and Conclusions The occurrence of glint like patterns over cloud fields is a frequent phenomenon, discernable from the cloud polarized reflectance in more than half of the cases. Let us stress that this observation is possible in polarized light only. In "natural" light, the spatial structure of the cloud reflectance is much larger than in polarized light, which makes it generally impossible to extract the single scattering contribution from the total cloud reflectance. Because the glint pattern is generated by single scattering within the cloud, it was possible to design a very simple model that reproduces the glint cloud reflectance pattern as a function of the effective fraction of horizontally oriented plates within the cloud and of their typical deviation from horizontality. This was possible by making a number of hypotheses. Diffraction was neglected in our model. This may be justified from the fact that only those plates that are larger than typically 100 m may orient properly. Their size is then much larger than the solar wavelengths, in which case the geometric optics is appropriate. We assumed a gaussian tilt function for the plates. Although other functions would be possible, the results on the typical tilt and the fraction of plates would not vary significantly from a different choice. The scatter in the data was found too large to favor a function rather than another. Another difficulty in the data processing results from cases where the glint signature is actually so intense that the measurements at its center are saturated. In such case, the inversion is constrained by the wings of the glint signature with additional uncertainty on the inverted parameters. Finally, note that our measurements are sensitive to the cloud top only (a few optical thickness units). The contribution from lower layers is scattered in the upper cloud layers, which effectively wipes out the glint signature. With these hypotheses, the measurements indicate that the effective fraction of horizontally oriented plates in the cloud is generally in the range 0.1 to 1%. Although glint signatures are observed for clouds at all pressure levels, the largest fractions are found for those clouds in the range 500-700 hPa. At mid-latitudes, where most of the cloud glint signatures are observed (Figure 6), this corresponds to typical temperature on the order of -10 to -30°C, This range of temperature is consistent with that derived from ground-based lidar observation of oriented plates in clouds (Sassen and Benson, 2001). Although the specular contribution to the reflectance in the glint direction can be larger than the non-specular contribution, it is significant only over a rather small solid angle. The quantitative model indicates that the detected signal is generated by a very small (typically 0.1 to 1%) fraction of the ice crystals (weighted by their effective surface). The horizontal orientation may impact the cloud albedo through a change of the sunlight interception (Takano and Liou, 1989) but not more than a factor of 2. To the first order, the impact scales with the fraction of such horizontally oriented plates. Our results indicate that, although the effect of the horizontally oriented plates on the glint directional signature (and on other optical phenomena) is large, the impact on the cloud albedo is generally insignificant. The measurements indicate tilt angles that are generally very close to one degree. Such value is fully consistent with the prediction of the aerodynamic model for moderate level of turbulence. The model predicts that the typical tilt angles vary between 0.5 and a few degrees from weak to strong turbulence, a range that is in good agreement with the observations. We also note that the largest tilt angles (i.e. a few degrees) are mostly measured for low clouds (P app >700 hPa) where strong levels of atmospheric turbulence are expected. These observations are strong indications of the simple model validity. Nevertheless, a strong limitation of the aerodynamic model is the assumption that horizontal surfaces are found over hexagonal plates only. In practice, both airborne measurements (e.g. ) and laboratory experiments (e.g. Bailey and Hallet, 2002) indicate that there are many other planar crystals (Pruppacher and Klett, 1997). In particular for the large sizes that appear suitable for oriented fall, there is a tendency for branching to occur. Clearly, for crystal shapes other than the simple hexagonal plate that was considered here, many parameters of the model may change: Effective density is most probably lower, resulting in smaller fall velocities for a given diameter; in addition, both the aerodynamic torque and the moment of inertia depends on the particle shape. As a consequence, the quantitative predictions of our simple model only apply to the hexagonal plates, and are increasingly inaccurate for more complex shapes. On the other hand, as branching increases, some loss of symmetry is expected, in which case the orientation is unlikely to be strictly horizontal. Thus, we hypothesized that surfaces that are horizontal within a few tenths of a degree are only possible for the simplest, highly symmetrical, crystals, i.e. hexagonal plates. Acknowledgments The data in this paper were based on measurements acquired by the CNES/POLDER-1 instrument onboard the NASDA/ADEOS-1 platform. We thank Andy Heymsfield and two anonymous reviewers for valuable comments on an earlier version of the manuscript.
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. The diagnostic demands of the neurogenic disturbances of the voiding of the bladder in patients with myelodysplasia are summarized in tabulated form. It is reported in detail on own experiences of the authors with urodynamic measuring methods and with the electromyography of the striated musculature of the floor of the pelvis. At present the two methods are not yet used everywhere and they are a considerable enrichment of the diagnostics.
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<filename>solaris/eval/iou.py
import geopandas as gpd
def calculate_iou(pred_poly, test_data_GDF):
"""Get the best intersection over union for a predicted polygon.
Arguments
---------
pred_poly : :py:class:`shapely.Polygon`
Prediction polygon to test.
test_data_GDF : :py:class:`geopandas.GeoDataFrame`
GeoDataFrame of ground truth polygons to test ``pred_poly`` against.
Returns
-------
iou_GDF : :py:class:`geopandas.GeoDataFrame`
A subset of ``test_data_GDF`` that overlaps ``pred_poly`` with an added
column ``iou_score`` which indicates the intersection over union value.
"""
# Fix bowties and self-intersections
if not pred_poly.is_valid:
pred_poly = pred_poly.buffer(0.0)
precise_matches = test_data_GDF[test_data_GDF.intersects(pred_poly)]
iou_row_list = []
for _, row in precise_matches.iterrows():
# Load ground truth polygon and check exact iou
test_poly = row.geometry
# Ignore invalid polygons for now
if pred_poly.is_valid and test_poly.is_valid:
intersection = pred_poly.intersection(test_poly).area
union = pred_poly.union(test_poly).area
# Calculate iou
iou_score = intersection / float(union)
else:
iou_score = 0
row['iou_score'] = iou_score
iou_row_list.append(row)
iou_GDF = gpd.GeoDataFrame(iou_row_list)
return iou_GDF
def process_iou(pred_poly, test_data_GDF, remove_matching_element=True):
"""Get the maximum intersection over union score for a predicted polygon.
Arguments
---------
pred_poly : :py:class:`shapely.geometry.Polygon`
Prediction polygon to test.
test_data_GDF : :py:class:`geopandas.GeoDataFrame`
GeoDataFrame of ground truth polygons to test ``pred_poly`` against.
remove_matching_element : bool, optional
Should the maximum IoU row be dropped from ``test_data_GDF``? Defaults
to ``True``.
Returns
-------
*This function doesn't currently return anything.*
"""
iou_GDF = calculate_iou(pred_poly, test_data_GDF)
max_iou_row = iou_GDF.loc[iou_GDF['iou_score'].idxmax(axis=0, skipna=True)]
if remove_matching_element:
test_data_GDF.drop(max_iou_row.name, axis=0, inplace=True)
# Prediction poly had no overlap with anything
# if not iou_list:
# return max_iou_row, 0, test_data_DF
# else:
# max_iou_idx, max_iou = max(iou_list, key=lambda x: x[1])
# # Remove ground truth polygon from tree
# test_tree.delete(max_iou_idx, Polygon(test_data[max_iou_idx]['geometry']['coordinates'][0]).bounds)
# return max_iou_row['iou_score'], iou_GDF, test_data_DF
|
/*
* Copyright 2013 the original author or authors.
*
* Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
* you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
* You may obtain a copy of the License at
*
* https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
*
* Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
* distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
* WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
* See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
* limitations under the License.
*/
package org.springframework.batch.core.jsr.configuration.xml;
import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
import static org.junit.Assert.assertNotNull;
import javax.batch.api.Batchlet;
import org.junit.Test;
import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
import org.springframework.batch.core.BatchStatus;
import org.springframework.batch.core.Job;
import org.springframework.batch.core.JobExecution;
import org.springframework.batch.core.JobParameters;
import org.springframework.batch.core.Step;
import org.springframework.batch.core.launch.JobLauncher;
import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Qualifier;
import org.springframework.test.context.ContextConfiguration;
import org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringJUnit4ClassRunner;
@ContextConfiguration
@RunWith(SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.class)
public class SimpleJobParsingTests {
@Autowired
public Job job;
@Autowired
@Qualifier("step1")
public Step step1;
@Autowired
@Qualifier("step2")
public Step step2;
@Autowired
@Qualifier("step3")
public Step step3;
@Autowired
public JobLauncher jobLauncher;
@Autowired
public Batchlet batchlet;
@Test
public void test() throws Exception {
assertNotNull(job);
assertEquals("job1", job.getName());
assertNotNull(step1);
assertEquals("step1", step1.getName());
assertNotNull(step2);
assertEquals("step2", step2.getName());
assertNotNull(step3);
assertEquals("step3", step3.getName());
assertNotNull(batchlet);
JobExecution execution = jobLauncher.run(job, new JobParameters());
assertEquals(BatchStatus.COMPLETED, execution.getStatus());
assertEquals(3, execution.getStepExecutions().size());
}
}
|
****
## DEDICATION
For Christine, Honora, & Violet Ashwell
## CONTENTS
1. _Cover_
2. _Title Page_
3. _Dedication_
4. Contents
5. West of the Known
6. Adela
7. Accidental
8. The Diplomat's Daughter
9. The Peculiar Narrative of the Remarkable Particulars in the Life of Orrinda Thomas
10. James III
11. Snake Doctors
12. The Mourners
13. Recognition
14. That We May All Be One Sheepfolde, or, O Saeculum Corruptissimum
15. _Author's Note_
16. _Acknowledgments_
17. _About the Author_
18. _Credits_
19. _Copyright_
20. _About the Publisher_
# Guide
1. Cover
2. Contents
3. Chapter 1
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3. v
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## West of the Known
My brother was the first man to come for me. The first man I saw in the raw, profuse with liquor, outside a brothel in New Mexico Territory. He was the first I know to make a promise then follow on through. There is nothing to forgive. For in the high violence of joy, is there not often a desire to swear devotion? But what then? When is it ever brung off to the letter? When they come for our blood, we will not end, but go on in an unworldly fever.
I come here to collect, my brother said from the porch. If there was more I did not hear it for Uncle Bill and Aunt Josie stepped out and closed the door. I was in the kitchen canning tomatoes, standing over a row of mason jars, hands dripping a wa'try red when in stepped a man inside a long buckskin coat.
I'm your brother, Jackson, the man smiled, holding out his hand.
I did not know him. And he did not in particular look like me.
I'm Lavenia, I said, frantic to find an apron to wipe upon.
I know who you are, he said.
I put my hands up.
Dudn't matter, he said, and the red water dripped down his wrist, We're kin.
With the sun behind him, he stood in shadow. Like the white rider of the Four Horsemen come to conquest, and I would've cut my heart out for him then.
Jackson walked to the stove and handed me down an apron from a hook, saying, I reckon we got the same eye color. But your shape's your ma's.
I couldn't not go. Uncle Bill and Aunt Josie saw me fed but were never cherishing. I did not dread them as I did their son, Cy.
What comes in the dark?
Stars.
Cooler air.
Dogs' bark.
Cy.
Always I heard his step before the door and I knew when it was not the walking by kind. I would not move from the moment my cousin came in, till the moment he went out, from when he took down my nightdress, till I returned to myself to find how poorly the cream bow at my neck had been tied.
In the morning, when Cy was about to ride into town and I was feeding the chickens, we might joke and talk, or try. I had known Cy all my remembered life. We had that tapestry of family to draw upon.
The night Jackson came for me, I heard Cy's step. My carpetbag, which I had yet to fill, fell from my hands. Hush said the air, like a hand in the dark coming for your mouth. Cy came in and went to my bedroom window, fists in his pockets, watching the ox in the field knock about with its bell. Drunk. Not certain how, since no one at dinner had any spirits but Jackson, who'd brought his own bottle and tucked in like it was his last meal.
You gonna go with him, huhn? Cy spoke through his teeth, a miner having once broken his jaw.
He is my brother, I said.
Half-brother, Cy said, turning toward me.
He's older'n me so I guess I best listen, I said, suddenly dreadfully frightened that somehow they would not let me leave.
Jackson an me're the same age. Both born in '50. You remember when he lived here? It was you and Jackson and your ma.
I don't remember Ma and I don't remember Jackson, I said.
It were a real to-do: your pa joining up to be a Reb, leaving us his kids and squaw. She was a fine thing tho. That Indian gal. They lost you know . . . Cy sat me down on the bed by my wrist. . . . The Rebs. His hands pinching the tops of my arms, he laid me back. You know what kind of man Jackson is? I heard Cy ask. He was a damned horse thief. Old John Cochran only let him go cause of my pa.
You done? Jackson leaned in the doorway, whittling a stick into a stake.
I jumped up. I'm sorry I'm just getting started, I said, kneeling to pick up the carpetbag.
Get a wiggle on, girl, Jackson said, coming in.
Cy walked out, knocking Jackson's shoulder as he passed.
Jackson smiled. Hey now, I don't wanna put a spoke in your wheel, but how you think you're gonna load all that on one horse?
I'm sorry. Is it too much? I whispered and stopped.
Why are you whispering? he asked.
I don't want them to think we're in here doing sumthin bad, I said and lifted open the trunk at the bottom of my bed.
Look here, Jackson said, You're gonna come live with me and my best pal, Colt Wallace, in New Mexico Territory. And Sal Adams, if we can locate the bastard, so pack as little as you can.
Jackson made like he was gonna sit on the bed, but instead picked my bustle up off the quilt. I got no notion how you women wear these things, he said.
I don't need to bring that, I said.
You know, Lavenia, you weren't afraid of nuthin. When I was here you was a game little kid. He spun the bustle up and caught it.
I disremember, I said.
He looked at me, the tip of his knife on his bottom lip, then went back to whittling. When I'm with you, I won't let no one hurt you. You know that? he called back as he walked toward the kitchen.
Jackson threw me up on the horse, saying, Stay here till I come back. An don't get down for nuthin. Promise me.
Yessir. I promise, I said, shooing a mosquito from my neck, I swear on my mother's grave.
Don't do that, he said.
Why? I asked.
Cause she weren't a Christian.
Wait.
What?
Nuthin.
The dark of the Texas plain was a solid thing, surrounding, collecting on my face like blued dust. The plain and I waited in the stretched still till we heard the first gunshot, yes, then a lopsided shouting fell out the back of the house. The chickens disbanded. A general caterwauling collapsed into one dragged weeping that leaked off into the dogs the stars and the cool.
Jackson opened the door and the horse shifted under me.
Please, I asked, What did you do?
Jackson tossed the bloody stake into the scrub and holstered his pistol. I killed that white-livered son of a bitch, he said, jerking my horse alongside his.
And the others? I asked.
You know they knew, don't ya? Aunt Josie and Uncle Bill. He let go and pulled up ahead, They knew about Cy. Now you know sumthin, too, he said.
Through the dark I followed him.
A few mornings after, we rode into a town consisting of a general store, two saloons, and a livery. We harnessed the horses round the back of one of the saloons. Jackson dug a key out from under a barrel and we took the side door. He went behind the empty bar and set down two scratched glasses.
You used to be more chipper, he said. Don't be sore. An eye for an eye is in the Bible.
There's a lot of things in the Bible. Thou shalt not kill, for one, I said, sitting up on a stool.
Waal, the Bible is a complicated creature, he said, smiling. And you and I're living in Old Testament times. He poured me a double rye. I can't warn a trespasser with no sugar tongue. I have to make it so he don't come back and you don't go bout that cordially, minding your manners. No ma'am, I have to avenge the harm done upon me. But I can tell you that I don't kill wantonly.
And I don't drink liquor, I said, pushing the glass back across the wood still wet from the night.
Truth is, he clinked my glass, I shouldn't have left you. When I run away I mean. It's jest being you was a girl, and so little, a baby almost, I figured Bill an Josie'd take to you like you was their own, especially after your ma and our pa went and died. But those folks didn't do right. They didn't do right at all. We can agree on that, can't we?
I don't know I guess we can, I said and a rat run under my feet.
Those folks, they weren't expecting me to come back. But no one's gonna hurt you when I'm around—that there is a promise.
I picked up my glass. We'd run out of food on the trail the morning before and as we broke camp, Jackson'd made me a cigarette for breakfast.
But I didn't know what you were fixing to do, I said, running my tongue over the taste of ash in my mouth.
You didn't? Let me look about me for that Bible cause I'd like you to swear on it.
Can you even read?
Enough. Cain't spell tho. He refilled my glass, Look, it ain't your fault this world is no place for women.
But us women are in it, I said.
Have another, he said. Don't dwell.
A bare-armed woman appeared in a ribboned shift, breasts henned up; she went into Jackson and said Spanish things. He smiled, giving her a squeeze, Go on then, he said to me. Go with Rosa, she'll take care a you. Imma go get a shave and a haircut. Should I get my mustache waxed and curled?
I laughed despite myself. The whore held out her hand, Come with me, Labinya.
Upstairs, she poured water in a washstand. Some slipped over the side and spilled onto the floor; she smiled then helped me take off my clothes heavy with stain. Her nose had been broken and she was missing two top teeth on either side. I stood there while the whore washed me like a baby. I wondered if this was something she did to men, lingering on their leafless parts for money.
On the bed, divested, I could not care what next would befall me. There was no sheet only a blanket; I covered my head with the itch of it and cried. I cried cause as sure as Hell was hot I was glad Cy was gone, cause I could not understand why when first Jackson took my hand I had known he was not good but bad, and I knew that right then I was good but would be bad in the days to come, which were forever early and there as soon as you closed your eyes.
The whore was still in the room. But when I grew quiet, the door shut, and I could not hear her step, for the whore was not wearing shoes.
Since I was between hay and grass, my brother dressed me as a boy. It only needed a bandanna. I's tall for my age and all long lines so it was my lack of Adam's apple he had to hide if I was gonna work with him and not for the cathouse, since my face was comely enough tho never pleased him, it looking too much like my mother's (he said and I did not know).
In the back of the saloon, the bandanna Jackson was tying bit the hair at the nape of my neck. Lord, I think you grew an inch these last few months, Jackson said then turned my chin to him. Why're you making that face?
Cause it pulls, I said, playing with my scabbard. Jackson had gotten me a whole outfit: a six-shooter, belt and cartridges.
Waal, why didn't you say so? Needs to be shorter, he whipped the bandanna off, Hey Rosa, gimme them scissors again. What d'ya mean no por favor? She said you got pretty hair, Lav. Rosa, why don't you make yourself useful and get us some coffee from the hotel—Arbuckle if they got it—and have that barkeep pour me another whiskey on your way out. Lavenia, I am gonna cut it all off if that is all right with you.
I shrugged as Colt Wallace of the white-blond hair who could speak Dutch and play the fiddle came into the saloon with Sal Adams who always wore a big black hat and had told me when he taught me three-card monte that his father had one lung and ate only turnips.
Hey boys, you ready for a hog-killing time tomorrow? Sit down here, honey. See Rosa, Lavenia don't mind! Jackson shouted to the whore who was going out into the night and across the street in her trinkets and paint.
Jackson, said Colt, dragging a chair to our table away from the games of chance. What are you doing to the fair Lavenia Bell?
Keeping her from launching into a life of shame, an helping her into one of profit, Jackson said, and my black hair fell down around me. Sal, gimme her hat. Lavenia, stand up. Go on. There. She looks more like a boy now, don't she?
Sal smiled and said, A boy with a woman's heart.
Colt gave an old-fashioned Comanche yell, then said, Sure she looks like a boy cause she's flat as an ironing—
Jackson had both hands round Colt's throat. The table tipped and Sal stepped in the middle of them, steadying it. Fall back, Jackson, Sal said. Colt misspoke. Didn't you? You understand, Colt, how such words might offend?
Choking, Colt tried to nod.
Please don't, Jackson! I ain't hurt none by it. Truly, I said. Listen, I don't even want breasts.
Why not? Jackson turned to look at me.
I don't know—guess they'd get in the way of shootin?
Jackson laughed and let him loose.
Sure Sal, coughed Colt. I mean, I didn't mean nothing by it, Jackie. I meant to say they'll think Lav's a boy long as they don't look at her in the eyes.
What the hell you mean by that? Jackson asked, rounding on Colt again.
He means she's got long eyelashes, Sal said, taking our drinks from one of the whores.
Shoot Jackie, ain't we friends? Here, Colt toasted, To good whiskey and bad women!
It was a day's ride. Sal stayed to guard the town square and watch for any vigilant citizens with guns, while Colt and I went with Jackson into the bank, the heft of worry in my bowels. There was only one customer inside, a round man in spectacles, who Colt thrust into and said, Hands up, with his loud flush of a laugh, as Jackson and I slid over the counter, six-shooters out, shouting for the two bank tellers to get down on their knees.
Open up that vault, said Jackson.
We can't do that, sir, the older teller said. Only the bank manager has the key. And he's not here today.
Get the goddamn money. This whole town knows you got a key.
Sir, I would if I could but—
You think I got time for this? Jackson hammered the older teller in the face with his pistol, and the man thrashed over, cupping his nose. Jackson straddled him as he lay on the ground, saying, Now you open that vault right quick.
The older teller blinked up at him through bloody hands, I won't do that. I refuse to be . . .
Jackson thumped the older teller's head with the butt of his right pistol and that older teller began to leak his brain. There was a sting in my nose as I watched him drip into the carpet. Until then, I had no notion that blood was child-book red. Jackson turned to the younger teller, who looked frantic at me.
Son, you wanna live? Jackson asked.
I willed him to nod.
Gesturing to me, Jackson said, Give this boy here all the bonds, paper currency and coin in these bags.
Hurry it up back there! hollered Colt, forcing the customer to his knees and peeking out the front door, Sumthin's up! Sal's bringin the horses!
Me and the younger teller, Jackson's pistol cocked on him, stuffed the burlap sacks as Jackson climbed backward through the bank window. That's enough. Now get on your knees, he said.
As I tossed Jackson the first sack, the young teller rose up and grabbed me from behind, snatching my gun, waving it at us, shouting, You cowardly bushwackers, attacking an unarmed man! You're a whore herder—this girl is a girl!
Jackson shot the young teller in the chest, dove through the window and got back my gun. He slapped it into my stomach. Shoot him, he said.
Who? No, I pushed the gun away.
Hey! Colt shouted, What in hell is goin on? They're gonna have heard them shots!
I looked to the young teller rearing in his blood. Please Jackson, don't make me do that, I said.
Put him out of his misery, honey. He's gonna die either way.
I raised the gun then just as quick lowered it. I cain't, I said.
You're with us, ain't ya? Jackson was standing behind me, the warm of his hand went on the meat of my back, After all Lavenia, you just done told that boy my name.
Colt's gun sounded twice from the front.
And so I shot the young teller dead through the eye and out of that bank we rode into the bright forever.
Alone, jest us two, in what I had by then guessed was her actual room, tho it had none of the marks of the individual, the whore put the whiskey between my fingers.
Èl no debería haber hecho esto, she said, locking the door and loosening my bandanna.
Leave it, I stared in her mirror. Make me drunk, I said. I want the bitter of that oh-be-joyful.
Drink. She put the glass to my lips, then took it back and topped it off, asking, How old you?
Fifteen. Sixteen in June, I said. The whiskey tore a line down my stomach to let the hot in. Wait. If you can speak English, then why don't you?
She shrugged, handing me back a full glass, Is more easy for men to think the other.
And I ain't a man, I said.
She nodded. Why you brother dress you like one?
So when we ride no man messes with me and I don't mess with my bustle. Is it hard being a—a soiled dove? I drank. It's awful hard on one being a gunslinger.
She smiled with her missing teeth, took off my coat and shirt then sat down inside the bell of her ruffled skirt. My husband die when I you age, she said. I make good money this place.
Money . . . I repeated, and took the whiskey off her bureau where it sat next to a knife and a small bottle of Best Turkey Laudanum. I got money now I guess, I said and laid a few dollars down. If you don't mind, I said and droppered laudanum into my whiskey, I hope this will stupefy me. I drank it and flopped back on the bed.
Where you mama?
Dead. When I was three. My pa's sister raised me. Aunt Josie.
You papa?
I shook my head, Dead from the war.
Solo Jackson, she said.
Hey Rosa, what if sumthin bad happened that I did?
The door handle turned, then came a knocking and my brother: Hey Rosa, lemme in there. I gotta see her. Lavenia?
I scrambled up.
Rosa put her finger to her lips, Lavenia no here.
She's gotta be—hey, Lavenia, Lavenia! C'mon now. Come out and jest let me talk to ya for a minute, honey.
I swallowed more whiskey'd laudanum. Hey Rosa, I whispered, holding out my free hand.
No now, Jackie, Rosa said, taking it.
If you did a bad thing but you didn't mean to? Cause he was gonna die anyways either way. I pulled till her head went under my chin. But he was alive and then he wasn't and I did that, I did.
Jackson no good.
No, no good, I said.
You have money? You take and go. Far.
But I'm no good, I said.
Open this damn door! Jackson pounded. Listen Rosa, your pussy ain't worth so much to me that I won't beat your face off.
Hush up! I shouted, Shut your mouth! The shaking door stilled. I don't want you, I said.
Lavenia, I heard him slide down the door. Hey, don't be like that.
I leaned my forearm and head onto the wood. Why? I asked.
Baby girl, he said, don't be sore. Not at me. I cain't.
Why did you make me? I asked.
Darlin, those men seen our faces. What we did we had to do in order to save ourselves. That there was self-defense. Sure, it's a hard lesson, I ain't gonna falsify that to you.
But I'm wicked now, I said, feeling a wave of warm roll me over. I slid.
Hey, I heard him get to his feet, Hey you lemme in there.
Rosa put her hand over mine where it rested on the lock. The augury of her eyes was not lost on me. As soon as I opened the door, Jackson fell through, then tore after her.
Jackson don't, I yanked him by the elbow as he took her by the neck. You—she didn't do nothing but what I told her to!
He shook me off but let her go. Go on, get out, he slammed the door and galloped me onto the bed, tackling me from behind and squeezing until I tear'd. I did not drift up and away but instead stayed there in what felt to be the only room for miles and miles around. He spoke into my hair, saying, We're in this together.
Jackson, I sniffed and kicked his shin with the back of my heel, Too tight.
He exhaled and went loose, The fellas are missing you down there.
No, they ain't.
They're saying they cain't celebrate without the belle of the Bell's.
I rolled to face him, pushing the stubble of his chin into my forehead, Why do you want to make me you?
Would you rather be a daughter of sin?
I _am_ a daughter of sin.
You know what I mean. A . . . Jackson searched his mind, A frail sister.
I could not help but laugh. He whooped, ducking my punches till he wrestled me off the bed and I got a bloody nose. You hurt? he asked, leaning over the edge.
Lord, I don't know, I shrugged in a heap on the floor, sweet asleep but awake. I cain't feel a thing. Like it's afternoon in me, I said.
Jackson glanced over at the laudanum bottle and backhanded me sharp and distant. Don't you ever do that again, you hear?
My nose trickled doubly but I said, It doesn't hurt. I tried to peel Jackson's hands off his face, Hey it truly truly doesn't!
I laughed and he laughed and we went down to the saloon drinking spirits till we vomited our bellies and heads empty.
The next night two deputies walked into the saloon and shot out the lights. In the exchange of dark and flash, a set of hands yanked me down. I'd been drinking while Jackson was with Rosa upstairs. I got out my six-shooter but did not know how to pick a shadow. A man hissed near my head and I crawled with him to the side door.
Out of the fog of the saloon, Colt stood, catching his breath, saying, There ain't nothing we can do for Jackson and Sal. If they take them to the jail, we'll break them out. C'mon.
No, I said, getting up.
A couple bystanders that had been gawking at the saloon were now looking to us.
Lavenia, Colt took me tight by the shoulder, and swayed us like two drunkards into the opposite direction. In the candlelight of passing houses, Colt's hand, cut by glass, bled down my arm.
At the end of the alley, Colt turned us to where three horses were on a hitch-rack. We crouched, untying the reins, and tho my horse gave a snort, it did not object to the thievery, but we were not able to ride out of town unmolested. The sheriff and his deputy were waiting and threw us lead. Buckshot found my shoulder, and found Colt, too, who slid like spit down his horse and onto his back, dead.
Hey there Deputy, said Jackson through the bars, How much for a clean sheet of paper and that pen?
The men outside the jail began shouting louder. The silver-haired sheriff sat at his desk, writing up a report, ignoring us all.
This un? the deputy stopped his pacing.
I'll give you twenty whole dollars, Jackson said. I'll be real surprised if I make it to trial, so least you could do is honor my last request.
There were a few scattered thumps on the door.
Won't we make it to trial? I asked.
Well darlin, there's a mob out there that's real upset bout me shooting that bank teller and that marshal and that faro dealer and that one fella—what was he? A professor of the occult sciences!
I laughed. The men kicked at the door. The sheriff checked his Winchester.
Jackson chuckled, I'm writing against the clock. The windows smashed as if by a flock of birds. Jackson didn't look up from writing.
Now sheriff, you won't let them hurt my baby girl will ya? You gotta preach to them like you was at Judgment Day. Gotta tell them that this young girl here was jest following me, was under a powerful family sway. Deputy, would you kindly give this to her.
The deputy took the letter.
The sheriff said, Son, there are about forty men out there with the name of your gang boiling in their blood. By law the two of us must protect you and that child. I jest hope we don't die in the attempt.
_Thee Dream_ —
_Dremp't I was with you, Lav,_
_near yur breth so dear._
_I never new no one lik you_
_and I wisht you wer near._
_No Angel on earth or Heven,_
_could rival your Hart,_
_no Deth or distunce can Us part._
_If any shud tell you_
_they love you eternully,_
_there is no one you tell em_
_who Loves you lik Me._
_Fare well! My sister and frend,_
_Allso my Bell of Bells,_
_Yors I Hope,_
_Jackson Bell_
The forty exited the street and entered our cells.
They dragged Jackson and I into the dogs the stars the cool and the night. Their hands in what hair I had; my hands underbrush-burned and bound together in bailing wire.
In an abandoned stable somewhere behind the jail, they made Jackson stand on a crate and put the noose hanging from the rafters round his neck. They were holding down the deputy and the sheriff, who looked eyeless cause of the blood, having been beaten over the head.
I was brought to Jackson and saw the rope round his neck weren't even clean.
Hey gal, my brother said, You're my final request. Now what do you think? Don't you think I kept my promise to you? You'll be all right. If you cain't find Sal, Rosa will take care a you.
I nodded and the men pulled me back.
Hey you ain't crying, are ya? Jackson called out, swallowing against the rope. C'mon, quick—you got any last thing to say to me?
The men brought me to a crate and tied a noose around my neck.
What the hell's going on? Jackson asked.
You all cannot murder a woman without a fair trial, the sheriff started up.
Now fellas, it ain't s'posed to go like this. Listen to the sheriff here—Jackson said and the men walloped him in the belly.
Lavenia Bell, the men asked, crowding me, What is your final request?
Sometimes I wish I were just a regular girl, not a whore or an outlaw or playacting a man. I had a father for two years and a mother for three, but I cannot remember what that was like, if they care for you better or hurt you less or if they keep you no matter what it costs them.
The girl first, the men said.
I am not afraid, I said. You kept your promise good. Thank you for you.
Have you no wives, no sisters or daughters? shouted the sheriff.
I felt the thick of hands on my waist.
Wait! Don't y'all see? She would never done nuthin without me not without me—
The noose tightened.
The sheriff was struggling to get to his feet, hollering. Boys this will weigh heavy on your souls!
Hey I'm begging you to listen—look boys, it weren't her that killed them tellers it was me—only me!
Up on the crate, it was that hour before sun, when there was no indication of how close I was to a new morning. I waited for the waiting to break, for the dark of the plain in my face to bring me to dust.
## Adela, Primarily Known as The Black Voyage, Later Reprinted as Red Casket of the Heart
**by Anon.**
**1829**
We did not understand how she came to be alone. We wished to know more, the more that she alone could tell us. It was well understood in our village that Adela was a beauty, albeit a beauty past her day. But this was of little consequence to us, no?
We came not to spy and discover if indeed her bloom had faded; we came because Mother did not nod to Adela in the street when so rarely she passed, under a parasol despite there being no sun; we came because we knew that on occasion Adela had a guest of queer character who alighted in her courtyard well past the witching hour; we came because Father fumbled to attention when we dared mention our neighbor "Adela" at supper, piping her syllables into the linen of our diminutive napkins; and finally, we came because Adela alone welcomed us: we, the unconsidered, the uninvited, the under five feet high.
Uncountable afternoons that year, after we had gotten our gruel —some of us trammeled up with the governess, others, the tutor—we raced en bloc to the back of beyond, letting ourselves into the bedimmed foyer of Adela's ivy-shrouded, crumbling house. She who was alone could not wish to be, yet she alone had made it so, and we altogether wished to know why. Fittingly, we slid in our tender, immature fingers to try and pry Adela open. Perchance she felt this to be a merciless naϊveté; as if we, Edenic formlings, did not yet have the knowledge of our collective strength.
What is it, the youngest of us ventured to ask, That has caused you to cloister yourself all through your youth? A thwarted wish to be a nun or a monk?
It was easy for us to envision Adela pacing down a windowless hall, needlework dragging over stone, her nun's habit askew.
Her stockinged toes working their way into the topmost corner of the divan, Adela fluttered in her crinoline. She pressed the back of her hand to a crimson'd cheek, laughing, Oh dearest children, why it has been years since I have blushed! I suppose I must confess that it was as lamentable a story as any of you could wish . . .
One with pirates, we asked, One of dead Love and dashed Hope? Then we all at once paused, for her eyes summoned a darkling look as if she had drifted somewhere parlous, somewhere damned.
Pirates? Adela? Pirates?
No, she cried with a toss of her head. The lamp dimmed and the window rattled, lashed by a burst of sudden rain.
Adela, we did chorus, Adela?
Her silhouette bolted upright, Children? The lamplight returned restoring Adela's dusky radiance. You curious cherubs, why it's a foolish tale of romantic woe. I was in love and my love turned out to be quite mad, and well we know, no candle can compare to fire. And so I have chosen to remain alone.
But for us the mystery had only begun. Who was this Unnamed Love? Was he of our acquaintance? Had he wed another? Was his corpse buried in the village graveyard? Was he locked in a madhouse wherein he paced the floors, dribbling "Adela" into the folds of his bloodstained cravat? We wished to know and demanded that she tell us.
Oh, he is quite alive, murmured Adela languidly, pouring herself a glass of Madeira, _meio doce_ , to the brim, stirring, spilling it with her little finger, passing the glass around when we begged for a driblet.
Is he married? we asked, our lips stained with wine.
He is not. Though I have heard it said that he is betrothed . . . to a lovely heiress of a small but respectable estate in North Carolina.
We choked on our commutual sip, Won't you stop him if indeed you love him? You will, won't you? Tell us you will, Adela, do!
No indeed. I wish them happy, she said with a deep violet tongue.
We did not think she could mean what she did say. We pressed her as we refilled her glass, Do you love him still? Was it not a lasting attachment?
Oh yes. I'll love him forever. But what of it? she asked.
How was it possible, we mulled aloud, That Love did not rescue the day? Was this not what she had read to us from these very volumes by which we were surrounded? What of _The Mysteries of Udolpho_? Lord Byron's _Beppo_?
Adela nodded in affirmation yet was quick to forewarn, Do not forget the lessons of _Glenarvon_
But should not Love and Truth strive against aught else, ergo it is better to Perish Alone in Exile? Adela, you must be mistaken, we assured her, the oldest patting the top of her bejeweled hand, For if your Love knew you loved him in perpetuum, he would return and return in a pig's whisper!
That would be ill-judged, nor would I permit such a thing, she snapped. As I said, he is quite mad and impossible to abide. Please, let us not speak of it, it was all too too long ago.
Adela, we wheedled, Won't you at least tell us the name of your lost love? Don't you trust us, Adela? Why there is nothing you do not know of us! Nothing we have not gotten down on our knees to confess! You know that we borrowed Father's gun and we shot it; that we broke Mother's vase and we buried it; that we contemplated our governess and tutor in the long grass giving off strange grunts and divers groans till their caterwauling ceased in a cascade of competing whimpers.
Now hush! Didn't I tell you not to speak of that? Very well. His name is Percival Rutherford, she yawned, entreating us to close the blinds.
It was a bad plan. A wicked plan. We did not know if it came from us or the Devil so full was it of deceit. At home, milling in the library, in perusal of our aim, we selected a volume of Shakespeare's Comedies, since they all ended in marriage and marriage was by and large our end. The Bard, we suspected, had a number of strategies upon the matter.
We set about with quill and ink and put our nib to paper. Sitting cross-legged on the dais of a desk whilst we huddled below in consternation, the oldest clapped us to attention to declaim, feather aloft:
• Dressing as boys or the boys of us dressing as girls!
We were uncertain as to what this would achieve and thus struck it off.
• Dressing Adela in disguise so that she can visit Percival and get high-bellied!
We were equally uncertain as to whether Adela was past the fecundating age.
• Have Adela rescue her love from a lioness thereby making him everlastingly indebted to her!
While there was no doubt in our collective hearts that Adela could, if put to the test, best a lion—was she not the owner of a mighty sword that hung on her wall belonging to her long-deceased father?—we did doubt we could procure a lioness in this part of the country. The second oldest elbowed their way up to the desk, chastising the oldest for bothering to scribble down a strategy that was so abominably foolhardy. The oldest sneered back that the second was the one with no veritable sense of Byronic ideals. To which the second scoffed, Airmonger! But the oldest merely chose to employ a snub and concluded:
• Fake Adela's death and give Percival report of it? Or! Send a false missive to each, swearing that one loves the other!
Enough, barked the second oldest, crossly claiming that no remedy to our ails could be hit upon in the Comedies. Thus, we began undividedly to search elsewhere in the Canon and quickly fell upon our consensual favorite, _Othello_. We conferred, then confirmed by a show of hands: we must find Adela a beau to make her lost love jealous; Percival, in turn, would wrestle with the arrogance of his tortured soul until goaded into a violent show of love, which would cure him of his madness, whereupon they would be wed, us serving as the bridal party.
Our unanimous impetus was thus: one day, someday, one by one, we would leave this village and behind us, Adela: a tawny, companionless outcast. This we found insupportable.
It had come to our attention that the ladies of the village were increasingly fond of the new architect, Mr. Quilby, who had taken a lodging above the apothecary. Our aunts were made prostrate admiring his finely wrought neckties and excellent leg. He is not quite Brummell, the second oldest of us had quipped, not thoroughly convinced of Quilby's suitability let alone his foil status. However, the oldest had been quick to counter that Adela was a spinster by most everyone's calculations—though no lamb dressed in ewe's clothes, with a countenance that was beyond pleasing to the eye—still most of the unattached gentlemen would think her a Tabby. However, Mr. Quilby, the oldest had gone on to expostulate, Has streaks of silver in his sideburns plainly visible. A man of his years will be less concerned by Adela's being a Thornback.
The following afternoon we tromped through the fields and into the village square, where we found Mr. Quilby at his drafting table, his sleeves rolled high. Under our arms we had baskets of fresh-baked bread and preserves, for we knew how to be satisfactorily winning children, to lisp and wreathe smiles when such a display was demanded.
Mr. Quilby was intrigued by our description of the enchanting recluse with whom all men dangled and yet no man had ever snared. He quizzed us as to why we thought him the one to win such an elusive prize? Though Quilby admitted he well understood that as the village's newest bachelor, matchmaking mamas would be upon him, he owned he was surprised to find that they would recruit their children to employ such endeavors.
We said in one breath that we believed Adela to be lonely and thought perhaps it would cheer her to have a worthy friend near to her in age in whom she could confide. Quilby, breaking off a chunk of bread said, betwixt his chews, that he was not adverse to such a meeting. The second oldest of us deplored the profusion of Quilby's crumbs, hissing that Quilby was not capable of being the understudy's understudy let alone the rival. But Quilby, unmindful of this sally, inquired, How do you think you could lure such a confirmed hermit?
But we were there well before him. The next evening, the youngest of us was meant to take part in a glee at the chapel, a recital to which Adela had long been promised to attend. In this fashion, was Quilby gulled and the first act of our accursed cabal complete.
On the day in question, we were trembling in our boots and slippers, shaking in our corsets and caps, when at long last Adela slipped in at the back of the church. She was a trifle haggard, but we conjectured that if our Star was noticeably dimmed, Quilby would only be made less shy on his approach. In the final applause, the oldest of us mimed to Quilby that he should come make her acquaintance, which Quilby did with a genteel air, bowing and being so courtly as to bestow a light kiss atop Adela's hand. The second of us was obliged to yield an approving nod. That blush which we ourselves had beheld only the other day returned and we pursued it down Adela's throat and across her breasts. Bobbing a sketch of a curtsey, Adela made to turn, fretful for her carriage, but Quilby was quick to inquire, M'am, is it you that lives in the old Nelson place?
Why yes, sir, I am a Nelson. My father passed it on to me when he died.
You see, I am an architect and I thought it quite a rare specimen of local architecture.
Very likely, sir, she mumbled.
M'am, I do wonder if I might take it upon myself to intrude upon you, and pay a visit to view the interior?
Feeling the weight of the eyes of the village bearing down upon her, Adela flung out her consent and fled.
Mother appeared at our sides, peeved we'd been seen speaking to Adela, though she would not shew her displeasure before Mr. Quilby with whom she became something of a coquette.
But we, with the newly acquired address of Percival Rutherford in our combined grasp, sent our hero an invitation for Adela's forthcoming, fictive nuptials to Quilby, thus setting the stage for a disastrous second act.
He was not what we expected. No, he, who burst into Adela's parlor inarticulate and unannounced, in a mode of dress which was slightly outmoded. He, who had not even donned a white, frilled poet's shirt to our thronged disappointment. On first perusal, his chin flapped, his considerable belly paunched and his forehead accordioned. It was a rum go, his hasty shuffling to the pianoforte, where moments before we had been in concert, ranging from soprano to falsetto, the boys of us having dropped neither balls nor voices, while Adela played and Quilby turned pages with gusto.
Adela got to her feet, crying out in wonderment, Percy? But this, too, was a disappointment: an unsatisfactory sobriquet. It would have been better had he been named Orlando or Ferdinand or Rhett, even calling him Rutherford we thought would have more than sufficed.
I apologize for coming without so much as sending my card, but I find I must speak with you, his breaking voice inviting despite the want of delicacy in his manner.
Adela flushed, confirming that we had made no synchronized misstep. Pray Percy, this is—you sir, are unexpected. I have guests.
We sensed it was not us to whom she was referring and used this vexed pause to reexamine our attempt at a retrieved Gallant. Percy did have a thin black mustache of which the second oldest was mightily pleased, and waves of disheveled black hair of which the oldest suspected the application of curl papers, but we contemporaneously disregarded this, for Percy displayed the requisite lock-clutching. His skin was appropriately pale, a near silky iridescence and we could forgo, on this occasion, to note the plump shadows beneath both his eyes. Lips ruby, chin cleft, sadly brown not blue eyes—yet he was the owner of a fine aquiline nose that any Antony might have had. We would have continued to be encouraged by our mustered précis as we concomitantly plumbed our imaginations in order to restore the bloom of his cankered youth, had not Percy abruptly swooned, causing Adela to bid us: Fetch me the smelling salts!
To this very day, we are haunted by the image of Percy splayed unceremoniously across the divan, his black curls crushed in Adela's lap whilst she wafted him awake. Mr. Quilby, mumpish, hovered, desperate to comment on the impropriety of Percy's head resting so near Adela's nether region. But Quilby bit back his tongue, bided his time and played his part, inquiring, Should a doctor be fetched?
Adela brushed back Percy's hair as he blinked awake and struggled to sit. I do apologize, Percy blenched. I am not altogether well.
Ashley Quilby, declared Quilby coming forth to shake hands, How do you do?
This is Percy Rutherford, said Adela, then looking down meaningfully, Percy, no doubt you are fatigued. Why don't you retire to the guest bedroom while you are thus indisposed?
Percy staggered up, nodding vaguely, his greatcoat slipping to the carpet, his stare fixed but not seeing, a rolling intensity in that mad, reckless eye.
Percy having taken his leave, Quilby signaled to us. We affected to be admiring the parlor's wood paneling. He then asked Adela with the utmost civility, I take it that he is known to you? Does this gentleman come unannounced often?
Percy is—we were, you see, childhood friends, wavered Adela.
Friends, repeated Quilby.
Well to own the truth, when I was very young and very silly, we almost eloped.
Good God, ejaculated Quilby, laughing.
Adela's smile did not reach her eyes. Yes, well never fear, we were caught by Percy's mother, and we outgrew such . . . pranks.
Quilby asked Adela to take a turn in the garden. She put out her hand, That does sounds agreeable. Will you excuse us, my angels?
Of course, we curtsied and bowed. But as the joint benefactors of her fortune, we naturally followed, concealing our youthful limbs in the bramble.
Once in the garden, Mr. Quilby pumped her palm, saying, Adela, my darling girl—I mean to say, dear madam—I am compelled to confess that since making your acquaintance, I have felt myself enraptured in your presence. This has not happened, nor did I imagine it ever would, since a mild case of calf-love in Virginia almost thirty years ago!
Adela looked pained but primly amused. I thank you. I expect at our age it does seem that it is past all hope.
I suppose it is all too soon but I feel the expediency of—Mr. Quilby dropped to one knee crushing the toes of her slipper and she yelped. Oh sweet heart, forgive me! I am all nerves. Ahem, Quilby cleared his throat, Adela, my pet, I would like permission to pay my addresses to you.
We shuddered in the shrubbery. We had not expected this hasty realization of our fiction. Adela's expression remained bland, as if Quilby had merely inquired about the weather. Eventually, she made a movement, lifting her chin, looking up at what seemed to be the heavens, but we side by side saw to be the guest bedroom window, and with a gleam in her eye, she said: Why, yes.
After Mr. Quilby had departed, we stationed ourselves at the parlor windows, which looked out onto the garden. Ensemble'd, we watched Adela while she read, or rather tried in vain to read, flinging down novel after novel. Hearing a heavy tread on the stairs, she paused and we shrank to the sill, pushing the windows open an inch. Percy came striding through the parlor doors, promptly accosting her, So he's the man you are going to marry? Foisting himself upon her where she lay curled on the divan, he lifted up her skirts to administer some tutor-like touching, from which Adela, no governess, tore away.
You're being a dead bore, she cuffed him.
I find myself unable to resist, came his protest.
You hypocrite, Adela said. What would your betrothed have to say to this vulgarity?
Percy began to turn wildly about the parlor. I don't care! I got the invitation!
Adela watched him from beneath heavy lids. What invitation? You haven't changed. Do I not have a right to happiness after all this time? I'm not a girl in the first blush of youth.
But I am meant to be the one, Percy sobbed, tearing at his corkscrews.
We, Adela included, were similarly disconcerted; we did not expect that our Gallant should blub.
Pray Percy, don't be vexed. How did you get here? she asked, leading that sad romp back to the divan.
Putting his head on her shoulder, the ramshackle Percy wiped his nose against her sleeve. I suppose you'll think it ill-judged of me, but I borrowed my mother's carriage, he said.
Your dibs out of tune again? she asked.
Percy shrugged, tracing the plunging neckline of Adela's gown. I'm at a stand save for Mother's coin. She leaned back languidly, watching the movement of his fingers. Percy slipped a hand between cloth and flesh. Is that it, Adela, he groped, pinching, You're marrying that man for his money?
Adela was rueful with an air of recklessness we had never witnessed. Pooh, I'm not going to keep correcting you. Though Quilby is a kind, most obliging man. One could not wish for more. In a husband.
Percy kissed down the side of her neck. I may not have Quilby's fortune, Adela, but you shall always be She and I am He.
Adela seemed to collect herself and fobbed him off. Oh, fetch me a drink.
He spied the Madeira, Your father's brand? You think me a fool but I will not let you get away with this, he growled, pouring.
Behind the window, our mouths were watering.
Whatever do you mean? she stood and we ducked.
I won't, he said and polished off the Madeira, holding out an emptied glass. If your precious Quilby knew what you really are, do you think he would still countenance the nuptial?
Nuptial? Stop it. You wouldn't. Adela filled his glass and handed it to him but not before dipping in her little finger.
But I would, he countered. Depend upon it. Percy took that finger in his mouth and suckled. Adela tried to pull away.
She frowned. Your mother would not permit us to be together now as she did not permit it then.
Percy threw her hand from him: O blast your secret! tossing his glass in the fire, almost rousing us to burst into applause. He shall not have you! our summoned Gallant roared and flew up the stairs, leaving Adela with the arduous task of picking up hundreds of shards of glass.
This too was not what we had expected. Adela had a secret. And this secret was spoiling our plot. We bunched under a marble cherub to consider a concurrent abandoning of ship. But the second oldest leapt up on the angel's knee, a hand round its marble neck and holding a penknife high, condemned us roundly as traitors to the cause, rasping, We must needs rally! Each of us must take a blood vow to help Adela no matter what the twist!
Hand in hand, we solemnly rose to the penknife and were poked, suckling our little fingers as hard as any Percy. In line unbroken, we marched and orbited Adela who was still kneeling in the shards.
Weep no more, we have come! But before we tell you the wrongs we wish to undo, you must tell us, Adela, what is your secret? What are you?
Adela brushed her mussed dress with shaky fingers. Oh no. Oh my dears . . . You see, my father, was not a gentleman but a pirate, and he saved Percy's father's life. His sole request was that Percy's father keep watch over me, his motherless daughter born on the wrong side of the blanket. Yes. That Merry-begot was myself.
Till then we had never met a Two-legged Tympany We inspected her anew for signs. Why did your father jilt your mother? Was it at the altar, we asked, our eyes filling with the image.
Adela turned to gaze into the fire, muttering, It is abominable that this should happen now. I thought I should be safe! Oh but why did I ever hope to escape?
Will you toss Quilby aside, Adela? we asked rubbing our hands together. You must! The second oldest averred, Quilby will certain not want you, Adela, if you are a base-born.
But Mr. Quilby has been all tenderness. Dear children, please be kind, please endeavor to understand what you cannot possibly . . .
We moved as one to tug her skirts but exchanged this tactic for a rough shake. Percy knows your secret and still loves you, Adela! We will go and fetch him and he will whisk you away!
No, she cried, You will not! I will not!
Is there something more that you are not telling us? we inquired.
No, don't be silly, little ones, she said.
You would unburden all to us, wouldn't you? You wouldn't want to wound us by keeping more secrets. Mother might ask what we've been up to all day and why we look so bluedeviled. It makes us ever so sad that you do not trust us as we thought. Why, we are positively sick! we choked. We're about to have spasms! On cue, the youngest of us started sobbing. Oh won't Mother wonder why all our eyes are so red, why our complexion is so wan? Shall we unburden ourselves to her, Adela, shall we?
Adela stared at us as if we she hardly knew. I am so tired, she said in a strangled voice not quite her own. No. Don't, please. I will tell you. I will have done.
We laid on our fronts, our chins on our fists, rapt to receive!
My father was a tawny-moor of the West Indies and because of it, Percy's mother would not allow us to be married. He is badly dipped and lives practically on her purse-strings.
We will here divulge that we were jointly taken aback. We had never seen the daughter of a tawny-moor before, let alone stood in the daughter of a tawny-moor's library. We did not desire to think of Adela differently, but we could not deny that she had become someone quite Other.
You have been unfaithful to us, Adela, we quavered and asked if we could touch the hair of a black base-born.
She lowered her head, saying, But you must believe that I had no intention of breaking your trust.
The oldest of us traced her cheek as if a slight swarth should rub off. Our fingers fingering her, the second oldest speculated, Her moorness merely lends her character—the secret was only an error in judgment. And she does not look yellow-pined, the oldest approvingly replied. No indeed, she is perfectly fair, the second urged and concluded, Why the curtain is not down, but we are in another tale entirely!
All the while Adela stood, unmoving, watching us from far back in her eyes.
However, we all must agree she is metamorphose'd and that for this she must suffer, the oldest said feverishly kissing her hand in the manner of a Percy.
Adela flushed, snatching it away rigidly, How dare you! Do not touch me! You are but still in the Nursery!
The oldest climbed on Adela's desk, clapping us to attention, declaiming, quill aloft:
• Suiciding by poison or suiciding by knife!
We were dubious as to what this would achieve and thus we struck it off.
• Bake her children in a pie, then invite her to the feast!
Not only did Adela not have children, but we were uncertain as to whether we wanted to be in a Revenge Tragedy.
• Be strangled, be drowned, have her eyes gouged out?
While there was no doubt in our collective minds that Adela could, if put to the test, achieve a nobly gory end, we did not know how to go about it.
The youngest of us tripped forward, opening _Troilus and Cressida_. Zounds! cried the oldest, Adela'd make a beautiful prisoner of war. We can sell her and our early idyllic notion of the ownership of love will remain ours evermore. False as Cressid, concurred the second.
Just then Percy, the Percy whom we ourselves had procured, whom we had selected as the hero of our hobbyhorse, leaned in the door with a pistol cocked. You naughty children, he smiled yet snarled. Now since you are so anxious to be a part of Adela's fate, I will prevail upon you all to tie up my darling girl with the curtain cord.
We shall not, we sputtered. We haven't sold the Negress so she is not yours!
The Devil she isn't! He shrieked, lifting the pistol.
Percy, you fool, they are but children! Adela exclaimed.
Percy pointed his gun at us. I suspect it is these brats who have entrapped you. I wouldn't have taken you for such a milksop, Adela. O my sweet martyr, Percy cackled. My little devils, shall you help your bit of ebony to her cross?
We did not want to do it but we altogether did; the sum of us helped the villain. Adela offered us no violence, not even when some of us, being fascinated by her whimper, tightened the cord so that it bit into her breast.
So my underlings, how would you choose this story to end? Love or Death? Percy pointed the barrel at the oldest: You, choose.
The oldest of us looked to the rest of us, but we shook our heads, having come to no unanimous answer. We had not had the time to parley.
Come child, let me see how well Adela has magicked you, he said.
L-l-love? stuttered our oldest and the rest of us, knowing it necessary, absolutely necessary, to preserve an absolutely unified front, followed suit: Love! Love! Love!
Percy crowed. Well I do believe Love has conquered all. Adela, my sweet, Percy congratulated her wryly, You have taught them so well.
Not I, replied Adela. For I would have chosen Death.
Don't be such a ninnyhammer, spat Percy, shaken.
No, she corrected, You cannot think me so chicken-hearted. All these years I have done without you, what makes you suppose I should want your uneven tyranny now?
All were silent. Then Percy drawled: It would be best to gag her mouth, she's ruining my arc. We, wrenching down more curtain rope, pushed it into the wetness of her mouth.
However, Quilby, unheralded, unexpected, taking us by unawares, burst into the parlor, bellowing in horrified accents, Adela, my poor girl! Damme, what has this blackguard done?
She's a black base-born and she wants Death! we shouted.
Quilby's eyes fairly started out of his head. She is God's creature, he said, throwing off his coat then loosening his cravat. And you shall not harm her.
The two men, prodigiously embroiled in fisticuffs, grappled at each other, vying for the pistol. Adela worked furiously to extricate her wrists and, once free, pulled down her gag, crying, No you shall not! rushing toward Percy. And we, en masse, ran as one toward Death, wedding our wee bodies with hers, until her, our, their fingers wrapped about the pistol.
O Adela, though we now know the Why, that How is known solely by those individual fingers which pulled the lone trigger. We only know presently, and indeed knew then, that he looked more elegant in death than we ever knew him to be in life, or even when we first had collaboratively imagined entangling him.
We, no longer the children we have been, have never forgotten that, no matter what shade the skin, the blood is always red. And for this denouement, we beg you, Adela, to forgive.
_Finis._
## Accidental
At Black Creek, the water is the color of tea, mosquitoes bite and sand soaks through our motel towels. I look for snakes—water moccasins—the man I met at the Super 8 in Picayune says you can smell them coming. I don't smell anything but my mother's Oil of Olay on my face. In the water, just like on her skin, it smells of sweet almonds. Though my legs are already lesioned with bites, I swim to where it's deepest, where the branches of broken trees swirl. Afternoons like these, I wish I lived in the time of Mark Twain, floating down the river in a canoe, reckless about insects and reptiles, armed with a shotgun and a short life expectancy.
After our swim, he drives me to the Flea, empty except for us and the two hags that run it. I'm not saying I'm better than them, but I do have all my teeth. I slip between the racks of forsaken clothes—shrunk, stained, pilled—and use a bent comb on my wet hair in a warped mirror at the back.
Out front, he asks me where I want to go next. He has dull teeth beginning to brown, and though he isn't bad-looking and offers to buy me lunch, it'll be best if he doesn't know where I'll be staying while I'm in Hattiesburg, so I ask for a ride to the graveyard rather than a local motel.
He looks at me sideways because no one new has been buried there since 1926, but even the long dead need a social call, and there was something downright elegant about mourning in the nineteenth century: the baroque epitaphs where death comes in sleep, by icicle, through a glorious, perilous fall from a swing. On the drive there, he plays the radio too loud, and I'm glad of an excuse not to talk. Coming to Mississippi to track down my father is a gamble, but I am not relying on luck.
As soon as his car pulls up to the graveyard, I shoulder my bag and hop out.
"Hey, if you could—" he strains through the passenger window with a ducked head, cigarette dangling from his lips, a freckled hand leaning on the gearshift.
But I am already standing more than a couple of steps away from the curb on the steaming cemetery grass. "Appreciate you," I nod and walk off. My mother says leaving is my art form, but I think I'm losing my flair.
The graveyard is hilly and dotted with Confederate flags. Masonic squares and compasses etched every five stones or so. I sit down with a book by an _Esther_ and wait for my underwear to dry.
Two hundred years ago, if a family member died, I would have had to prepare their body. The flesh would have literally come into my hands, and I would experience their death with all my senses. I would have to wash and dress them, plug their orifices, prop their mouth shut, rouge their cheeks, and arrange them on a bed as if they were asleep—as if in a few hours they would wake up and ask me something, or ignore me where I was sitting drinking coffee. But after a few hours I would see that their eyelids were unwilling, and would feel the torpidity in their face so that then I could be past avoiding their death and into the full heart of grief.
I myself have only seen one dead body. The woman was my age, my height, my build. Both of us had brown hair, both did a brief stint in real estate, both dropped out of community college. She left school after a year, and I stopped midway. I am an only child, and she was the oldest but an only child for the first nine years. We both loved to swim and each once lived by the water, she in Cape May, me in Pensacola; as kids we took swimming lessons at our community rec centers since neither of our mothers could afford anything private. The year before she was killed, she took surfing lessons in Costa Rica; I took one ten years ago in Galveston with my stepbrother, Hank. In court for vehicular manslaughter, I didn't look as the woman's sister spoke of the family's online memorial page, after prison I watched the page fill and in one photo, I swear we have the same jacket.
Here's where we start to diverge. She was newly divorced and had no children, while I had a baby at fifteen and never married. But when I stood near her still-breathing body, waiting for the ambulance to come, I felt we were interchangeable. It could've been me in her blind spot.
Near evening, I hitch a ride to a motel along the highway. But some people are not as decent as the freckled guy. Some people are encouraged by my size, since as a small woman, even at thirty-seven, from far away I could look like a child. And so some people force you to reveal as you pretend to root in your bag for a tissue with your left hand, the little pistol that you are now holding comfortably in your right. These red-thick ballcappers need to sense that, as my mother said when she gave me the gun, that you wanna use it, that you've been waiting to use it on any motherfucker dumb enough to be dumb. These people, you see, can only understand humanity at gunpoint. As I walk away from him down the highway, the driver calls me a cuntfaced bitch out his window, detailing my impending bodily harm, but I think he now knows that I too have fears, hopes, dreams.
I go to see a friend of the family, or it would be more correct to say _a friend of my father's_ , and am pleased to discover that Lonnie has a new wife. We sit on his unelevated porch outside Hattiesburg, my hand over my cup to keep out the bugs. It is hard to tell what is hotter, the air or the coffee.
Lonnie's new wife, Carly, is highlighted blond with nails pearled pink: they gleam lilac in the edging sun burning our shins. Though he's old enough to be both of our fathers, she is suspicious, and I'd like to reassure her that I have no designs on Lonnie, who even at the age of sixty-seven likes to go downtown to the old train depot and busk, singing Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, some Woody Guthrie. His long hair grows out from the bottom half of his bald head like an evil monk. He's ugly, which is why he always wears aviators. Says it makes the ugly rugged.
He doesn't understand what I am doing here. "This is not your South anymore."
"No, but I have come," I say, "to borrow it again. I'm only living in Virginia at my mom's while she's sick, and once she's doing better who knows where I'll be?"
"How's your boy? How's Levi doing? Is he rising to the occasion?"
I think about my son while I sip my coffee. "He's having a hard time with it, so I can't say he's much help. He doesn't like hospitals."
"How old is he now?"
"He'll be twenty-two in October."
Lonnie grunts. "That's what comes of not having a father figure."
My eyes meet his. "By that you mean Hank?"
"I mean any man."
"Well, I'm okay with hospitals, and I'll be back there soon enough. After I find Dad."
"That's what you come to Hattiesburg to find?"
"That and a land without a mall."
When I was a kid I lived with my father every summer, which I associate with blackened hot dogs, mothers threatening to break their children's legs, rain-sad bean bags in the plastic ruin of back yards, unicorn and Elvis icons on tilted shelves, ghost stories told on rusting merry-go-rounds, sunburnt stallion men named Bubba shoveling potato salad, and peeing in the basement of the Lodge after passing through a gauntlet of suck-cheeked old men in trucker caps. It was a hellish kind of heaven. I wore what I wanted (hot pink, white cotton T-shirts, bikinis); ate what I wanted (cereal, pepperoni pizza, chocolate milk shakes, chicken fingers, ketchup sandwiches); and played all day (spies, kickball, tag) and stayed up till morning reading all night ( _Anne of Avonlea, James and the Giant Peach, Island of the Blue Dolphins_ ).
Lonnie and my father played baseball together at the Lodge. On those weekends, my father and whatever woman was holding court would bring me to the games in the back of their pickup truck beside two coolers of beer and box wine. At night in the parking lot, win or lose, I would lay in the truck bed sucking back sodas and eating candy, watching as the drunks mooned each other until I passed out sugar-drowned under the stars.
My father was a nervy man who leaned more toward a domineering antagonism than violence. Most of the time we got on, as long as I didn't talk too smart. I saved confessionals for my mother. Sometimes in the mornings I would catch him looking at me while I lay in the hammock reading, one dirty foot thrown over doing the rocking, and he'd shake his head as if wondering whose kid I really was. But I had his brown hair and brown eyes and his Sicilian skin that went gold in the sun.
"Do you know where he is?" I ask Lonnie. "His phone's been disconnected."
"Well, he ain't dead . . ." Lonnie waits, "but he might as well be. It's been hard to keep in touch. He missed the wedding, said he'd been in the hospital. Of course that's the drinking. You know how he goes through his phases. A few months back I saw him at the golf course. I'm guessing he still lives off Old Highway 49 with that woman"—he turns to his woman—"what's her name? Kathleen? Darlene?"
"Kim," Carly says, recrossing her legs.
"Yeah, that's the one."
My father has been married three times. To my mother, then to Hank's mother, and to my mother again. Problem is, he and my mother are still married. I explain to Lonnie that my mother keeps mailing the divorce papers that my father promises to sign but somehow never does. Before she got sick, she hired a process server who had no luck and tried to get a court order to have the notice published in the paper, but the judge denied it, saying she hadn't done enough to find him.
"So now she's sent you," Lonnie says.
"I have a better chance of finding him than anyone else," I say, picking a gnat out of my coffee.
"But what does it matter now?" Lonnie asks.
"Ever since she got sick, it's been bothering her, keeps her up some nights. I think she just wants to be done with him. She says it would give her relief."
"I can understand that." Carly nods.
Lonnie shrugs. "Maybe he'll want to marry that Kim instead."
Kim is a frosted, compulsive tanner who's about sixty. She and my father stay in whatever town until the last casino kicks them out, and then they pack up their camper, and it's on to the next. For eleven years, he's been dragging around this toxic woman who breaks up his every relationship except with their two dogs.
At first, I tried to befriend Kim. When she sent me a silver bracelet for my birthday, I called to thank her, and she told me that my father had begun drinking again. I sighed and said: "I am gonna kill that man." When she got off the phone she started bawling, telling my father I said I wished he were dead. Ten minutes later, he called me up yelling. How easily he believed it.
We turn to look at the wind chimes on Lonnie's porch floating out a stain-glassed tune.
"You wanna stay here while I drive Carly up to Memphis to visit her kids?" he asks.
"I'm all right." I put my emptied cup down. "I was thinking I might stay near Hank."
"That boy's the last thing you need."
"That boy is forty. And Dad . . . Dad must be seventy now. This could be the last time I see him."
"Might could be," Lonnie says, his eyes trying to tell me something I cannot know yet.
But he needn't worry. When I go looking for Dad, I don't go expecting to find a father. We have no relationship, only a joint claim on a past.
We are the children of the white sands, though we are no longer children and seem to know less. On the walk from my motel room to Hank's truck, his eyes light up like I'm something to see and I'm fifteen again, unfilled in all the right places.
Hank's on a buttload of painkillers and a new antianxiety. He complains his shoulder's acting up, so he drives with one arm; the wind thinning what's left of his auburn hair. He doesn't know where to put me because he's back with his girlfriend, so he's driving me to a motel near him in Slidell.
Says he's gotten fat and likes it. Says when you're fat, food tastes better. I listen to him explain that he still cheats on his girlfriend. Even though now he makes a concerted effort not to. Of course, Hank would never use the word _cheat_.
"I've never called her my girlfriend," he says in the truck outside the motel whose broken sign holds a piece of notebook paper saying $29.99 A Night.
"I'm sure that's how she knows she's not," I say.
"We've had lots of talks about my issues," he says. "It's not something I keep secret."
I tie my hair back. "Good for you. Lemme have a few of those painkillers before I go."
"For what? I know it sounds crazy, darlin, but I'm not as bad as I used to be."
I shrug. "I have sore armpits. Maybe it's arthritis or breast cancer."
"Baby, that's anxiety. I'll give you one of these other things." He opens the faded gym bag that sits between us.
I swallow one dry then open the passenger door. "Do you think, if things had gone differently, we could've been happy together?"
His eyes down, he shakes three pills from a plastic sandwich bag. "Wouldn't have been the worst thing in the world. What're you doing tomorrow?"
"Going out to that trailer park in Gautier Lonnie told me about and see if Dad's there."
"Why didn't you rent a car at the airport? You short on money?"
"Why, you got some to lend me?" I climb out of the truck.
When I look back, he's staring at me. "Don't tell me you're hitching. From Virginia? Lucinda, that's not okay."
I smile at my name. He's the only one who doesn't call me Lucy. "I flew into New Orleans then got some rides the rest of the way." I shut the door and walk up the motel's concrete steps. But on the balcony, I stop and dangle over. "Hey."
He puts down the window. His green eyes are dreaming. "Hey."
Inside his face is the face I knew. "Come up here."
"I don't think that's a good idea," he says.
"You have to," I say.
Morning. Unquiet at the motel. My brain vigilant and my body consumptive. It does not help that I wake with the train. Between four and five A.M., the locomotive's blare casts a pall over any optimism I might have been storing up for the coming day. Lying next to Hank in the dark morning of the night, I imagine all the ways my life could've gone, which turns into thinking about the best way to shut off my brain. But I would never do that to my son.
I get up and look at the pictures in my wallet. The first is of Levi. He's little here. Maybe six or seven. The picture has a white border and is sunlight saturated. He's wearing a red life jacket and behind him is a gold radiance of lake. The edges are curling, one corner bent having spent 730 days under my pillow.
Levi might have green eyes like Hank, but he has his own face. Though he's about to be twenty-two, long and lean, a hood always over his head, he still has the penitent soft regard he had when he was eight. At that age he was a boy who couldn't fall asleep until the grown-ups did, who tried to stay awake because he was afraid of the moon.
We're not close. At this hour I can admit that. I'm barely his mother in more than name. I know he's a good kid even if he gets high listening to reggae, believes in government conspiracies, and is considering joining the Marines. Even though he's at that age where the smallness of his compassion pinches.
Hank sleeps like a teenager who's still growing. Around six, I wake him up so he can get home before his girlfriend leaves for work. He rushes into the bathroom and runs the sink. I hear violent splashing.
After last night's pills, my color feels high and my scalp tight. There is a taste in my mouth I don't like. I want to take a cold shower, change my underwear then pack up before the knock of housekeeping and be on my way to Gautier.
Hank comes out of the bathroom saying he needs to pick up coffee because he and his girlfriend are running low. The motel light does bad things to his hair. I don't say much because I am remembering the rules of the way this goes. He sits, busy packing his gym bag until he gets up to hug. His hug makes me smell of him. He's always worn too much deodorant.
When I go into the fluorescent-lit bathroom he comes to the door but not so I can see him. "Aren't you leaving?" I ask my face under the gray film over the mirror.
"Are you upset?"
"Why would I be?" I look older today.
"I just don't know that I could have ever given you what you want," he says into the door frame.
I tie my hair up for a shower and flip on the overhead fan.
"You need money?" he asks. "I don't like you hitching. I can give you some money for a rental. How's three hundred?"
I almost laugh. "Don't worry about me." I pull a stiff, chlorined towel from the rack and lay it across the top of the toilet.
"You think I should send some to Levi? I'm doing all right now."
"She'll be late for work if you don't hurry."
Even with the shower and fan I can hear the door slam.
When I was fourteen my father married Hank's mother, and moved in with them.
In June, I came for my visit. Hank was the star running back on his high school team. He barely fit through the door but was as yielding as he could be. And he was pretty. No one else would ever say they couldn't stop thinking about me.
In July, we stole his mother's car and ran away. He probably imagined we'd be gone a few days, I thought forever. We lasted a month, running out of money in Florida. That last week we parked out in Destin where we slept in the car and lived on the beach. The bikinis got to Hank. The water got to me. I was sent home to my mother pregnant, and she was irate, even when it turned out that Hank would only be my stepbrother for another few weeks.
I put on the socks I thieved from the Flea and start walking toward the highway. I'm a little worried about money. I'm only spending when I'm on the road. I know that as soon as I'm done here I should go right back to my mother's in Virginia and get a job, but ever since I was in prison, I've tried in vain to make myself do the things that ought to be done. Of course I have held various jobs: convenience store clerk, waitress, organic farmer (well a brief spell in Mexico where I was paid in food and shelter), but it is so hard to live in the place where everyone knows your shame.
I'm close to Highway 59 when Hank's truck pulls up on the side of the road and he heaves himself out, wearing his glasses. "Get in," he says, "I'm taking you to Gautier."
"Your girlfriend's gonna leave your ass for good."
He wipes his wet hair off his forehead. "I don't want you hitching—it ain't the sixties."
"Are you high?" I move my bag, which has begun cutting into my shoulder.
"Not more than usual."
Every few years either Hank or I try to get back together. It never works much past a week's delirious phone calls and a fevered meet up in an overpriced motel. Hank knows me like nobody does, but when we're together everything seems to escalate in a bad way.
I get in the truck and turn to him, his eyes look glazed behind his lenses. "You can't drive," I say, "you're drunker than Cooter Brown."
He waves me off. "I'm fine. Just had some bourbon. Top shelf. I had to get to it before her."
"It's nine-thirty."
"It's been a busy morning." He goes to start the ignition.
I put my hand over his keys. "I'm not riding with you in this condition."
"Goddamn it, Lucinda, don't be so puritanical. Do you want to go to Gautier or not?" He throws up his hands. "You drive then."
I grab my bag from the floorboard. "I'll get myself there. I don't need you to come with me."
He turns in his seat. "You must have your damn license back by now."
I shake my head. "I don't." I hesitate. "I haven't driven since the accident."
He stares at me. "But it's got to have been fifteen years or more . . . How did you meet me last year in Alabama?"
I look at the dust on the toes of my boots. "I took a bus and then I took a cab."
He massages his eyes under his glasses. "Look, it'll be fine, honey. You'll remember. It'll all come back to you."
The night the woman that I killed died was cloudy, rainless, overhead a mystery of sky. It was September and I wanted to be close to my youth and the secret purity of death. I walked my mother's acres spilling my second beer and communing with the trees. When I started my car it was two in the morning. She was leaving a bar at the exact same time. As I drove, the night swelled and pulled black before me. I went too fast because I felt I had to. I broke her chest because I didn't see.
"Lucinda?"
I hug my bag and close my eyes.
"Darlin, I'll be right here if you forget."
I hear Hank get out of the truck and walk around, then open the passenger door. "Scoot over," he says. I don't move. He puts a warm hand on the side of my face and says in my ear: "Do it for your mother."
I take a deep breath, let go of the bag and slide over. I adjust the seat so I'm closer to the wheel. I turn the keys too hard and the engine sounds angry. Then I push my foot down on the brake and my right hand moves us from park. Next is the gas and if my body will obey, we go backward.
My father's not at the trailer park, but his neighbors remember him. They seem to think he moved to one in Mobile. They said Kim was with him and left behind a birdcage and two plastic flamingoes, which Hank and I decline to retrieve.
By the time we reach the trailer park in Mobile where the land has no trees and everything is blasted desolate by the sun, it's late afternoon. Hank's girlfriend has been calling him, but he hasn't answered. He just looks down at his phone, watching it tremble. I wonder how much longer he'll hold out.
When we pull up, my father is sitting on the crooked porch steps, hugging his knees to his chest like a boy exhausted from swimming. He's in cutoff jeans, holding a tallboy and when he sees who's in the truck, he comes off the porch to greet us in the gravel drive, his walk an agile stagger. I can tell that he's coming off a bender the way his grainy eyes pucker. Kim stays at the kitchen window making fried chicken, and he doesn't invite us in.
"Hey now." He gives me a rub on the back and shakes Hank's hand. "Didn't expect to see you two. Tweedle Dee"—he taps my head and, eyeing Hank—"Tweedle Dumb."
Hank drags three plastic chairs over the dirt coming up through the grass.
"Y'all staying in Mobile?" My father sits and his cartoon tattoos distend over his belly. Somehow you can see his ribs and the man still has a gut.
"I've come here looking for you, Dad."
He squints at me, annoyed, like I'm yelling. "Well, now you found me." He looks away.
I decide to try for sweetness. "What happened to your phone? You need a bill paid or something?"
"Don't offer him nothing," says Hank.
"Naw, I don't need to be wasting my money. It's Kim that likes gabbing on the phone, not me. Let her waste hers. How long's it been, girl? You look exactly the same. But you, Hank, you put on some weight, boy."
"It's been about three years, Dad," I say.
He looks at me with yellowed brown eyes. "Three years? You must not have seen this, then. We bought this here." He waves proudly behind him at the flimsy butter-green trailer.
"Where'd you get the money for that, Carl?" asks Hank.
"Counting cards at Blackjack."
"But you can't pay for your damn phone bill?"
"Leave it, Hank," I tell him. "I got something important to say to you, Dad."
"Hey he ain't knock you up again, did he?"
Hank is on his feet, his plastic chair toppled over. Behind him is a row of mailboxes with crosses on top.
"Hank," I stand, my arm out, "the man is seventy—he's too old to fight."
Hank glares at him. "He ain't too old to start one."
My father doesn't bother getting up, but all his old effrontery is mottled sublimely in his face. "I'll be in my grave before you get a hit over me." He turns and spits in the dust near my feet. "Girl, you come all the way out here just to tell me some bad damn news? Well go on then. Who'd you kill this time? Whatever it is I ain't paying for it. Even if I had the money, and I don't."
Like a switch has been thrown, my eyes fill.
"I knew it'd be like this," Hank says. "You want me to beat the shit out of him?"
"Dad," I say, my throat tight, "we're going."
"That's y'all's decision." My father crosses his arms over his chest.
Hank steps in front of me, saying under his breath, "What about your momma?"
When my mother told me on the phone that she had stage four cancer, I stubbed out my cigarette in the green curl of my apartment complex's front yard, but smoke continued to rise from the butt like it was rising from the ground. She asked me to come home and take care of her and I wanted to say no. I have barely taken care of anybody, not myself, not even Levi. He was seven when I first left. For the two years I was in, I wouldn't let her bring him to the prison. After I got out, I owed the state, the hospital, and couldn't look at anyone who knew me, and so I left again.
I take the papers out from my bag and hand them to my father. "Mom needs you to sign these."
He looks at them and immediately gets red. "I ain't signing anything."
I open my bag again, taking out the gun. "Then I need you to sign those."
Hank tries to grab my arm, but I step away. "Hank, you can wait in the truck, but I'm not leaving without him signing."
"You better not do anything crazy, you being a felon." My father grins, but his eyes are boiling.
"Hank, give him the pen."
My father glares at the pen in Hank's hand. "You're forcing me illegally? Under duress?"
"That's right, Dad, criminal that I am."
"It's a shame that a child would pull a gun on her own father. I want you to know Kim's in there calling the police."
Hank is looking from me to my father to Kim in the kitchen window. I don't look at the trailer, even the thought of this terrifies me. "I don't care," I say.
"I don't think you have the balls to use it." My father gestures to the little pistol.
I lift it from his chest to his head. "But you wouldn't be the first person I've killed, right?"
"Honey," Hank says, "we can figure out a better way to do this."
"If I did sign," says my father, "and I'm not saying I will, I want the two of you to never come round here again."
"Carl, why would we want to, with you always poking old wounds?" says Hank, disgusted.
My father looks at me, hands on his hips. "Why does she want me to sign it now?"
"Because she's sick. Because she's dying and she doesn't want to die as your wife. She might live another year, but then she's gone." The tears come now, fat and terrible. "And we'll never see her again. There won't be an again. So we have to say yes to whatever she wants, to whatever she asks me and you."
"Of what?" My father demands, running a hand through his gray hair. "She's dying of what?"
I gesture at Hank and wipe my face with my shirt. "Cancer," Hank says.
"So please sign it," I say. "Please. It's what she wants."
My father takes the pen and leaning on Hank's back, signs the papers in his uneven scrawl. Hank takes them and looks them over. I let the gun drop, but can't bring myself to put it back in my purse. As I walk to the truck, my legs jelly, desperate to sit and hide in that hot metal space away from the light, Kim comes out onto the porch and in the snap of the screen I hear my father say, "You think you'd feel these things." Said to himself as if he were an actor who finally finds he is alone onstage.
Hank drives us to Panama City and parks in front of the beach. He buys a bottle of Canadian whiskey and we lie out in the truck bed. I take off my boots and he rubs my feet. It's warm but there's a merciful thick breeze.
"Can I ask you something?" Hank props himself up on an elbow.
"Why not?" I take a drink from the bottle and curl my back on his chest.
"Why'd you wait so long to tell Levi I was his father?"
"I don't know." I shrug deeper into his body. "Mom always said it was better that way. She thought it would be confusing for him since you were my stepbrother."
He sits up. "That again? It wasn't even for a year."
"But still." Above, the stars are too many to count.
"If he'd known I could've done more." Hank lifts the bottle from me. "You think I should've done more?"
"I don't know," I say, but I do know.
He takes a long drink. "It's not looking like I'm gonna have me any other kids, which means Levi's my only son and what have I done for him?"
I take back the bottle, tracing its mouth with my finger, round and round. "When I was a little girl, sometimes at church they'd skip the service and stage Judgment. You never knew whether Mrs. Monroe in the starring role of Jane, or Mr. Daniels playing Lance were gonna be damned or resurrected based on the measure of their various sins until the angels or devils came to take them. But who took them was never the worst part, it was the waiting."
He leans forward, looking down at me. "You saying it's too late?"
I sit up and try to find where the night meets the water. "The truth is my mom does everything—did everything for him anyway."
"But I feel bad, Lucinda," Hank says. "Could you maybe tell her that? I want her to know, I really do, that I feel so bad." He sinks back until he's lying flat.
When Levi was born, I didn't want to be a mother. I thought I would, or hoped I would later. I don't wish that it didn't happen, I only wish it had happened differently.
In the morning, the beach is empty except for a couple of joggers. Hank and I strip naked and race each other down the hot white sand to the breaking waves. We are happy, we are frightened, and we are not saved.
## The Diplomat's Daughter
THE KALAHARI DESERT, BEIRUT, 2001–2011
Natalia used to be a wife. His name was Erik. His name was Viggo. His name was Christien. His name was Lucas. His name was Nils.
He hit her. They had no children. He drove a motorcycle. Ran a company. Was a pastor, a surfer, an accountant. He taught her how to shoot, to drink, to bleed. Her husband. Her boss. Her man. See her as student, as interpreter, as waitress. See her learning how to skin: you start at the neck, then you dig into the hide, into the cooling fat, and pull away from what lived.
She had a missionary zeal he did not give her. It was a fatalistic streak he admitted from the start was hers. He was, you see, a Calvinist at heart.
"Erik," she asked, "am I ready?"
"No," he joked, scratching his beard. "It's Christien."
Christien.
When she spoke that name always her voice hid behind her.
What he did to her was done to them all. There was an essential equality in their small company. But she could admit she was the favorite. Though attention is not always a benefit. In some cases, it merely means more scrutiny. And for the purpose of building endurance, they were all Erik's in ways he thought necessary.
When training was over she was called to his temporary office. The door locked as it closed and the room shrank.
"You did well, Natalia," Erik said, walking out to meet her.
"Thank you." She was almost happy.
He pushed his thumbs into her shoulders, kneading bone as she undressed and bent over the desk. Through the pendulum of the blinds she saw the dust that colored everything wheat. The bunkers trembling in the sear. The absence of humanity.
"It is a simple assignment. And in a week I'll meet you there." He straightened, zipping up his pants. "Now have you learned your Spanish?"
She laughed. "Where am I going? Mexico?"
"Ask Lucas," he said.
"I don't like that game." She frowned. "Besides, training's over you said."
Out in the world, she was most often Viggo Hjort's wife: when buying guns, guarding the client, making a drop. But for those few last months of 2010, she worked alone in Beirut, becoming familiar with the city, going for long walks by the sea, getting closer to the boy, to the bomb.
The night before the bomb, she startled awake in the dark, queasy with dread. It was only pacing the apartment, drinking Cokes, going over him again and again: Daddy—what he'd looked like, everything he'd ever said—collecting proof that she'd once been a daughter, which allowed Natalia to fall back to sleep. By the time she heard the alarm, her alarm had dissolved; its logic evasive. And by the time she was facing the bathroom mirror brushing her teeth, Erik had arrived in the lobby, and Natalia was ready to be a wife again.
LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA, 1997
"But I don't wanna go in the kitchen—Bill's still watching TV," Milla said.
Overhead, the fan curdled the air in the trailer and the cicadas beat their bodies against windows that had no screens.
"Go to sleep then." From where she lay on the mattress, Natalia couldn't see the moon, but she could see it pushing bright against the wall.
"My stomach hurts," Milla said.
Natalia yawned. "Put pants on if you're going out there."
Milla flipped onto her back, squeezing up her stomach. "Fat people still get hungry you know. Mom told me I might get skinny when I hit puberty. If I get tall then my fat will stretch out. What? I'm the liar? We were supposed to stop by Bill's then go to Grandma's. I don't know if you've noticed, but this shithole isn't Grandma's."
"Stop moving, you're making the sheet come off. It just got too late to drive."
"You mean Mom got too drunk to drive. If we call Dad—"
"No." Natalia sat up, pointing at her. "You hear me, Milla? No." She flopped back down, fanning her long brown hair across the yellowed pillow. "Besides, it's like a seven-hour time difference."
Milla rolled up. "I'm getting a bowl of cereal."
She grabbed Milla's arm. "Put pants on, I said."
Milla twisted free, making for the kitchen. Natalia scrambled across the mattress, pinning her to the door, hissing, "If you go out there I'll put peanut butter all over your face and set the dog on you."
Milla tried to bite her. Natalia took her by the shoulders and slammed her against the door, smacking her head against the hollow wood, and she dropped to the carpet.
"Hey." Natalia lightly kicked her thigh. "Get up. You're okay." She tried to pull her up by the shoulder. "C'mon. Hey, you're not crying, are you?"
"No." Milla sniffed.
Three years older and a foot taller, Natalia scooped her little sister up.
"Put me down, retard," Milla said.
"Don't say retard." Natalia tossed her onto the mattress. "You're overtired."
Milla rolled away until her forehead touched the wall. "Mom's high."
"She's drunk."
"She got pills from Bill," Milla said. "I saw her."
"She met Bill in rehab."
"I guess she's not cured," said Milla and rolled back to her, watching, waiting, polite.
Natalia sat down. "Already?" She'd had a feeling that this time it would last longer.
Milla pressed her forehead to Natalia's thigh. "What should we do?"
Natalia was still, then she crawled to the foot of the mattress and found Milla's soccer shorts. "Put these on. We're leaving."
"We are?"
Natalia went to the door then turned. "Stay here. I'll be back."
She padded out into the blue sheen of TV. Bill, their mother's new boyfriend, was slack-jawed in the sagging armchair. Maybe a man like him had a gun she might need. She checked the drawers, but in his kitchen thick with trash, she only found his keys. Through the open bedroom door, she could see her mother's feet, something sticky gone black smashed to one heel.
Back in the bedroom, locking the door behind her, she opened the window, hoisting Milla out and lowering her onto the ticking grass.
In the trapped heat of Bill's car, Milla kicked off her sandals, bouncing. "You think you can drive this?"
"I think so," Natalia said, pinching her bottom lip, staring into the now cryptic black of the country road.
"But you've only done parking lots with Daddy."
"When I start it, I'll have to go fast."
"You think they'll call the police on us?"
"They're on drugs," Natalia said, thinking of the gun she didn't have, of ways to get home, of how when their mother picked them up that morning she'd been the mother they couldn't remember but had always wanted. Natalia found the lights and slid in the key. "Seat belt," she said.
THE KALAHARI DESERT, 2002
Why do it to her? Why do it so fast? During her training, Natalia begged him to be patient. To teach her to wait without waiting. "Again?" she asked. "Okay. I'm ready."
God, she was sore. All of inside. She was urine and sweat, but still she longed for water.
Better to be back in the box. Better the water dripping through the cloth over her face. At least then she had her clothes and wasn't spread-eagle on a mattress. "Again?" she asked without ever seeing who she was asking. "Okay, hurry. I'm ready."
When she was little, she always got cold in the ocean. Her lips would turn purple, but still she refused to get out. Because she loved to swim, to feel the force of something bigger all around. "Again?" she asked, or at least made that shape with her mouth.
Erik put a hand on her forehead. "I don't want to hurt you. But this way nobody can."
LEXINGTON, VIRGINIA, 2001
"Well, I'm not gonna pretend this is not the most bullshit thing—" The pause in this tirade was merely in order to wipe a fleck of melting butter from her pearls. Then their mother raised her knife, holding it up like a spear, eyeing both her daughters with something approaching dislike. "Why do you have to be so extreme, girl?" Waiting for no answer, their mother pointed with an oleaginous finger, "You like these? George gave them to me. Aren't they gorgeous?" These pearls were then dangled over Natalia's unmarred hollandaise. "Your father doesn't seem to buy you anything chic so I have no idea what you'd wear them with but they'd sure look pretty on you, honey."
Natalia stared mutely down at three strips of bacon unbroken on her gilt-edged plate, another present from George, who had more money than Bill, than Lon, than even Daddy.
"Talia, I know we're all God's creatures, but can't you at least eat the yoke? It's protein."
"Mom, you know Natalia doesn't eat meat," Milla said.
"But look at those legs—like two strings hanging from your shorts."
"I notice, Mother dearest, that you didn't eat your yoke," said Milla, eating everything but her crusts.
"I'm on a new diet. Now I don't know but I'm not sure those refugees'll have eggs in Kag . . . Kang?"
Natalia looked out the window.
"Kangwa. They'll have eggs," said Milla, unsure.
"Let your sister talk. They won't have chickens cause they're starving for the Lord's sake. Honey. Talia. Look at me, honey. Look at me and not the dead pig."
Milla reached across the table. "I'll eat them."
"Now you don't need them, Milla! Girl, you are getting on my last nerve." Their mother rearranged the bracelets down her arm, spacing them neatly. "Nossir, I am not lending my blessing to this saintly crusade."
"She wants to help people," said Milla, taking the pearls and winding them until they pinched around her wrist.
"She wants to be a martyr," said their mother.
"I believe that qualifies as Jesusy."
"Why don't you just stay here? Didn't you say you'd like to volunteer at a women's shelter? There's one in Lynchburg. One in Charlottesville too." She elegantly sucked butter off the outside of her palm. "I have a hard time believing that your father of all people thinks this Kang-wah is safe. But then we are speaking of a diplomat that's never successfully brokered a peace. Y'all think he's a saint, but that man only thinks with one of his heads and it doesn't have a cerebral cortex."
Milla spat out her eggs. Natalia frowned at her, saying, "You know it's too early to leave."
"And I want y'all to meet George," said their mother. "He'll be back from work any minute. Look, if you want to travel we could go to Paris. Would you like that? That's where George took me on our honeymoon. Just like Lon and your daddy. Talia, make eye contact. People are gonna take you for an Asperger's. I am certain they got people in need in France."
"A Saturday and he's at work?" Milla said. "Have you ever wondered if he's having an affair? With his intern mayhaps? I'm not saying for definite, but you'd be stupid to rule it out. I mean, Exhibit A, Dad."
Natalia pushed away from the table and stood. "You win. I'm calling us a cab."
On the train from Charlottesville to D.C., Milla picked her cuticles bloody. "I have decided to pawn Mom's pearls. Yo quiero un new bike. How much do you think I'll get?"
"We were supposed to take the three P.M. It's only eleven. Now Daddy's going to want to know why we're home early."
"He shouldn't have made us come," Milla said.
"It's her birthday." Natalia took their tickets from her backpack. "I guess I'll tell him I felt sick."
"Are you proposing you lie? Thou? What kind of dastardly—"
"Did you steal her Valium?" asked Natalia.
Milla held up a vial. "You perhaps refer to this? Did thou not witnesseth that they give her the shakes? I call it an act of grace."
"What do they do to you?" Natalia tried to grab it.
"Fuck off." Milla sat on the vial. "They make my scalp hot. Occasionally. If Mom does any more she's gonna be in eternal pause."
"Let me look at your hands. They're bleeding. Milla, fine, I'm not going to take it."
Milla held out her hands and Natalia wiped them off with the underside of her T-shirt.
"Maybe you'll save some hot refugee's soul."
Natalia showed the passing train conductor their tickets. "They're already Christian, dumbass."
"But are they Faith Redeemers we ask ourselves?"
"Ask the pastor," said Natalia.
"I don't talk to that wolf in sheep's clothing, that charlatan, that—"
"—Machiavel?" Natalia finished.
"I hope you know," said Milla, "that I'm not ever going to Mom's without you. She'll have to wait till you come back."
"It's only for a year." Natalia leaned back against the hum of her seat, watching a tattoo of waves rippling around the bicep of a man in a bleached tank top weaving down the aisle, steadying himself on the headrests. "Maybe she'll be sober when I get back."
"I've never told you don't go, did I? Nope, because I'm not like her. _I_ would never do that. You sure you don't want these?" asked Milla, whipping the pearls in Natalia's face.
"Stop."
"If you don't want them I'm going to go between the train cars and throw them out. Because I don't want them. Unless you want them?"
"Stop, Milla."
"Do you want them?"
"Get out of my face." Natalia snatched the pearls from Milla.
"See, you wanted them."
WASHINGTON, D.C., 2001
The morning she was leaving for Kangwa, Daddy made her milk drowned over sugared coffee. It was in the dining room, before the sun before the airport before the refugee camp before the massacre before she was kidnapped recruited trained before she knew snipers before she knew checkpoints, Daddy lifted the heat-heavy hair off her forehead and asked if she was ready saying We aren't going to wait because Milla is not coming down to say good-bye.
GUANAJUATO, 2005
In a night of steam, Natalia walked into the grim cantina and bought a Coke. Outside, dust swept over the road and the people were slick with heat. Her tank top, already sticking to her back, sagged under the haze of the cantina's red and teal Christmas lights. She counted five men inside. They had a careless menace.
Erik was sitting at a sodden bar wide enough for three. In Copenhagen, he'd been in a tux, but here he was dressed in a T-shirt and khaki shorts stained above the knees. His blond hair was long and he'd grown a thick beard. He had come as Christien.
She walked by him, choosing one of the plastic tables facing the entrance and smoothing down her short hair. Immediately, he swaggered over with two tequilas.
"May I join you?" His blue eyes had gone small in the lean red bloat of his face.
"Of course, yes," she said in Spanish.
"What is your name?"
"Anastasia, but everybody calls me Ana."
They drank—the smell of meat frying on their skin—until the cantina emptied to the bartender and waitress. Uneasy, she'd been careful to pour most of the tequilas under the table and into the dark.
"Why don't you come here." He patted his lap.
She sat on him and he tipped her chin, looking into her eyes. "You must remain Ana."
It was her first assignment alone. She had been living in a seedy hotel for days, constipated and unable to eat. Mosquitoes preyed on her, waking her every hour because she slept with the light on.
"I am," she said, annoyed. From over his shoulder, she saw the bartender looking at her, a different bartender, she thought, than the one before.
"Ana is not Natalia. Cut contact with Arturo."
She liked Arturo. "Okay."
"Two blocks west is your new hotel. Room eleven. There is a key in your pocket. A nine-millimeter under the mattress. Do not leave the room until you hear from Victor."
"Who's Victor? It's raining."
"Your new source. Arturo is dead. You will have to run or get soaked."
"What happened?" she asked though the death was as distant to her as if it had been committed centuries ago.
"He was beheaded," Erik said. He looked like he hadn't slept either. "You see why I tell you that you must be careful to remain Ana?"
Arturo had said he had a girlfriend who was pregnant. "Was it the cartel?" Now the baby had no father. "Who told them he was talking to us?" She swallowed a mouthful of tequila.
He shook his head, dismissive. "We will deal with them later. Give it no thought. Concentrate on the task at hand."
But she was trying to remember Arturo's girlfriend's name. Luz? Liliana? It was a name she liked. The waitress was watching her.
He tilted back in his chair and lit a cigarette. "It's getting late. You're lingering."
But like a child from its mother, she didn't want to be parted.
"Don't worry," he said. "I'm never far."
"Why are you Christien?" she whispered into her tequila.
Erik's laugh was coarse, amplified, detached.
"Mitt hjärta,"—two fingers traced Natalia's spine—"he's the one who puts them on the rack."
BEIRUT, 2011
Natalia was nothing but a faceless body of about medium height stumbling toward the agents through the ruins of drooping concrete. A bad fit in a men's oversized sweatshirt. Blood browning where there might have been a nose.
When the hood was removed and the hair from her eyes and the gag from her mouth, she produced a smile, which revealed that either in the explosion, or perhaps during the beatings, she had lost more than one tooth.
"Natalia Edwards?" asked the suit guiding her into the backseat.
She hesitated then nodded, her eyes watering. It had been so long since she'd heard an American accent; it sounded like a banjo. The driver was older, anonymous, monitoring both her and the road. The agent was young and sandy-haired, his scalp showing pink through his hair's part.
He handed her a bottle of water and the van began to move away, perhaps toward the embassy. She closed her eyes, feeling him looking. She felt no real interest in the agent, even if he was saving her from the blandly unbearable pain of the police.
"Does my family know I'm alive?" she asked.
"The State Department has contacted your father," he said. "Are you cold? We've got blankets in the back."
She drank more water, swishing it around, tasting the dank iron of old blood, trying not to ask about Erik. "Is he coming to get me?"
"Well, that's a little complicated, isn't it, Ms. Edwards? Since you and your fellow consultants have been interfering with military operations."
She turned back to the window, hiding her face, seeing what the sun had bleached.
"So of course," the agent hurried on, "we have a few questions, before you see him, before we can let you back in the States, before—"
"—Before I get medical attention," Natalia finished without turning.
She dropped the emptied water bottle. It rolled into the tip of the agent's loafer. He gave a waspish, mechanical smile like an actor in a bad play.
PRESENT, WASHINGTON, D.C.
In the black-and-white picture, Daddy is squatting in the grass at the bottom of a green hill that photographed gray. His left arm is reaching to pet a monstrous cat. It is an unwanted advance. The sun has whited out his left side. Wite-Out, as in the corrective product, the pungent neon white paste that obscures but does not hide a mistake, and white out, the meteorological phenomenon where due to snow or sand the horizon is erased, no shadows are cast and one is blinded by white. Both of these are in effect.
In the future, depending on what artifacts remain, people might suppose him a saint, blessing the cat, absolving it of its sins in contrast to the grubby schoolgirl on his right, whose hand, also outstretched, is about to yank the cat's head.
In this picture, Milla is little again. Her smile has more than a couple of gaps. She has a boy's haircut: heavy bangs and shaved at the neck. The right side of her face, the side farthest away from Daddy, is in shadow.
Natalia's not in it. But somehow she's there. You just can't see her.
BEIRUT, 2011
"Any other names, aliases?"
(Katya Durmashkina, Anastasia Ray, Lynn Feldman, Suheir Ali.)
"Do I need to repeat that?"
"Lawyer." Natalia sat blindfolded and strapped to a chair.
"I apologize but I don't think there's any in town. Why were you tailing the boy? You might as well speak freely at this point. Your CEO, Erik Carlsson"—she heard the agent flipping through a file—"alias Viggo Hjort, Nils Tjader, Lucas Westerberg, Christien Thomsen, died in the explosion. Risk Control International has closed."
"There he is," Erik had said in her ear.
"Are you sure?" she'd asked.
"Of course," he said. "Do it before he gets any closer to the building. Are you ready?"
Her neck ached as she'd leaned forward through the blown-out window. There was a place in her neck where she carried the day they'd met. A knot which sometimes slid to her shoulder. A hard, desert pain that would not be pushed out.
"Now," her husband said.
All she had to do was shoot the boy with a bomb strapped to his back, the boy in the suicide vest. But she had not expected him to be beautiful. To be seventeen with God on his lips.
She went backward out of the room, down the stairs, through the front door until she was facing where the boy stood on the other side of the street. Through the traffic, the boy saw her, his eyes the color of the sea.
As she saw him going for the detonator, the dust bit and bled her ears. The scorched graffiti of the pocked buildings was eaten invisible. She'd crawled over a child's bike and into a red arc of blood. The arm chewed off by the blast was not the boy's, and she checked, not hers. She tried to radio Erik. Shouting his every name, and since no one could hear, the name for the father she'd once had.
The heavy steel door opened and a soldier stepped into the interrogation room. "Sir? We have a situation."
The agent stood, scraping his chair back.
The door closed. Her forehead dropped to the table. Erik gone. Her husband. Her boss. Her man.
The door opened. She sat up. Katya's hands folded in Ana's lap; Suheir crying under her blindfold; Lynn's burns starting to itch. She heard arguing.
"Daddy," she said.
PRESENT, WASHINGTON, D.C.
The bed is too comfortable. She's stripped the sheets. How can she sleep in this room where soccer shrines hang with the blue ribbons of state championships? Where a poster of Milla with her foot on the ball is signed at the bottom in black marker? Where her sister's high school reading list lines the book shelf? Where all the objects of Milla are intact except the plastic white stars lining the ceiling that no longer light up when Natalia plugs them in? She is the wrong sister in the wrong room, the daughter who died but is still alive.
Natalia leaves Milla's room and goes downstairs where the house is buzzing with Daddy's high-tech security alarm, the radioactive locusts and AC. She opens a Coke and lays on the couch with the lights out. She can feel the ghost of Milla stomping down the hall, affectionate and graceless, going into the kitchen to make brownies. Her own room has been made into a study.
The wind picks up and she hears the trees beating each other in the backyard. She gets up and peers at the photographs on the wall, finding one of her high school graduation, a shiny girl in a shiny blue gown—vice president, Key Club, National Honor Society—she'd played soccer too but was never as good.
She picks up her Coke and turns off the AC. If she could just see Milla for five minutes and put her arms around her, tell her she loves her. But Milla won't come to the house or answer her calls. She doesn't forgive her for not coming back, for letting them think she was dead, for failing to be the good, big sister. They'll never be close again because of all she did and did not do.
In the kitchen, his chair turned to the sliding glass doors, Daddy sits in an old robe waiting for morning. Natalia can feel the tiredness radiate off him. In Beirut, when she first saw him, she could feel she was his daughter, felt the lines of their lives intersect. But now that she's home, they're strangers, afraid of blaming each other, then hating each other, and losing each other all over again.
"Hey, honey." He looks older than sixty in the hangdog of his neck and chin. She's aged him. "Have some of our fine Colombian coffee. Did you get any sleep on that old couch?"
"Not much." Natalia hesitates, then pulls up a chair next to him like she used to in the mornings before school. "Are you going back to Bogotá?"
"Not for a while yet." He crosses an ankle over his knee. "I have to go into the office and throw my weight around while they're investigating you."
"I hope it won't affect your position."
"I'm almost retired." He puts a hand on the top of her head. It stays there for an impossible moment, then unable to stand it, she gets up and goes to the counter.
"This one looks familiar," she says, facing the cupboard and taking down a mug. "Turkey Trot." She looks back at him. "Daddy?"
He's watching the birds outside. "You came in fifth."
"Daddy. I don't want you to think I'm ungrateful."
"I'd call you lucky," he says, not without bitterness.
"Somehow I don't feel very lucky." She puts the mug back and chooses another. "Look . . . I can't live here, I can't stay in Milla's old room. It doesn't feel right."
"I'll arrange something," he says slowly, his eyes on a red cardinal.
"Don't worry about me, I'll take care of it."
He looks at her. "I'm on the line for you, Natalia. If you want to stay elsewhere, then we're talking a place of my choosing." He looks back out the window. In the backyard, the sun is tearing the horizon pink. "And I'd like you to see your mother before you go." He uncrosses his legs. "There's cream in the fridge."
"Sugar?"
"By the stove. At least there's one thing about you that hasn't changed." He waits. "Do I still know you?"
It's the question she's been dreading. "I don't know," she says.
"Your mother has not changed. But when we thought you were gone, Milla needed her and so I finally had to give over to God and forgive the woman."
"I don't expect forgiveness."
He gets up. "Well you make it so damn hard. You're only home because that man is dead—" He cuts himself off, oddly out of breath.
But she can't speak to her father of Erik. It seems a violation to mention him. Instead she says, "You said you have a heart condition? What does that mean?"
"They scraped out my arteries. Give me another." He holds out his mug and she pours in fresh coffee. Then he rests the mug on his knee, watching the liquid slant then settle. "Didn't I teach you to value your family and your faith?"
"Am I on trial?"
"Not before me, but when the time comes I worry for your soul," he says.
She wants to tell him that she couldn't shoot the boy because of him, couldn't take one life to keep a hundred, couldn't save Erik because he taught her to fear the stain on her immortal soul.
"I thought you had to die to the world to save it." She looks into his tired red eyes. "I was wrong."
KANGWA, 2001
After the women's prayer group, Natalia left the confines of the tents—tarps stretched over a patchwork of corrugated tin. She walked along the outside of the camp, looking out at the border: a bronzed, anonymous nineteen-year-old girl. Near a pile of plastic debris and broken cooking pots, there was a Humvee.
"Hello," said the driver in English. He was a giant blond man. Under his American accent, there was a foreign undulation.
"Hello," she said, apprehensive, looking around for any other person.
"You shouldn't be out here alone." He had pale, sad eyes that looked like they were being drained. "The local patrolmen aren't above rape. You are part of the Faith Redeemed Ministry?"
"Yes sir, we're building an orphanage." She wondered who he was. Not old, not young, remote but not condescending.
"I thought that all of you had returned to the States," he said.
"Some of us are staying with our pastor."
"Has he mentioned that the army is heading east? They're looking for Rebels hiding in these camps."
She shrugged. "This camp is just widows and kids."
"You should leave," he said without urgency.
"We want to finish what we've started," she said, repeating the words her pastor had said that morning.
"What about your family?" he asked. "Don't they think you should be coming home?"
"I'm nineteen."
"I see," he said, smiling and leaning out of the window. "I am Erik."
She relaxed under his smile. "Natalia. Are you German?"
"Swedish. I like the name Natalia. It becomes you."
When he said her name, it was as if he saw only her and the rest of the world blurred behind her. Then she felt ugly in her stained tie-dye T-shirt, her worn Tevas, the gold cross necklace from Daddy. "I should get back," she said, gesturing weakly at the camp. "They're expecting me."
Natalia woke with the screaming. She lay for too long sweating under her wool blanket. The shots seemed to be coming from the opposite side of the camp.
She crawled out of her tent and found people pushing in every direction. She rushed to the pastor's tent, but it was on fire. Stepping back, she turned into a pile of men's bodies, some facedown, some spilled at odd angles, all of them curled and flailed against one another, and next to them was a heap of children lying like discarded toys, legs burned, their small heads full of bloody gaps. She screamed, but no one seemed to know her. Only a young soldier came toward her, dragging a woman already gouged by bullets and she ran—running toward the blue line of morning as if eventually she would become it. For it seemed to her that there was only the earth and no God.
Natalia was at the edge of the camp, lying next to an old woman with a mouthful of flies. A man was speaking over her in a language she did not understand. He was wearing fatigues and handed another man his gun, then carried her body to a truck bed. Over the scalding metal, she stared up at a placid sky. She knew then that she had died.
Erik held a canteen to her peeling lips and cupped the back of her head. He put a jacket over her waist, saying in English, "You're in shock." He opened a medical kit. "This will sting," he said. Her eyes closed. His hum was louder than thought. Then he was gone, and she too went.
Then Erik said, "Open your legs," not knowing that she was only a body.
There was another man standing with him, bearded, uneager.
"He has been trained as a doctor. He must look."
The man said something. He looked even more harassed. Her body jerked when he touched her knee, causing the jacket to slip. There was dried blood on her thighs.
"Breathe," Erik said, holding her shoulders to the truck bed.
Someone somewhere was making a terrible sound.
Erik pressed the jacket over her mouth. "It will all be over soon." He peeled one of her hands from the side of the truck and held it.
Her foot kicked then her body dropped back. Tears wet the sides of her hair. Her legs parted.
"Söt flicka." He smoothed the tears. "Let us take care of you."
After he and the man had spoken, she was propped against Erik in the truck bed, her head under his chin.
"We couldn't interfere," he said, his fingers combing out the clots of dirt in her hair. "It isn't what we were hired to do—it's against the interest of the mining company allied with the army."
"I don't understand . . . Are you a soldier?" Her lips split when she spoke.
"A mercenary," he said. "And they"—he gestured at a truck behind them beginning to pull away—"they are a private military. They're leaving before the UN arrive. I've finished my contract and will stay with you until they come. But you must call me Viggo."
"Why?"
"Because Erik has a criminal record, while Viggo is an accountant."
She closed her eyes. "Is everyone I knew dead?"
"Some escaped. You'll find them and go back to the States."
She thought of her childhood bedroom, of Milla, of Daddy, of the mundane safety of home and was repelled. "I can't," she said.
"Why not?"
"Because somewhere on the other side of the world I'm screaming."
He was silent for a moment, then said, "What happened to you was a short hell."
She opened her eyes. "Where will you go?"
"Back to Stockholm. I'm opening my own company. Not a little army but a group of analysts."
She wet her cracked lips. "Do you know what the soldiers did to me?"
"I know," he said.
She shifted in his arms, hugging herself. "Do you know exactly?"
"I can make a very good guess."
"Because you're a mercenary," she said then reached up, stopping his hand in her hair. "Have you done what they did?"
"No." He brought her hand down and held it. "But not one of us is better than any other."
She turned to see his face. From that angle, he looked like a minor god who knows the world but is not of it.
"You're safe, young, and alive," he said. "The only thing that matters is now. Say it over and over."
"I wish I was like you," she said, looking into the wreckage of the tents and though she was dead she tried to breathe.
THE KALAHARI DESERT, 2002
"What are you thinking of?" he asked.
"Sleep. Bacon," she said.
"You need to center yourself. Find a focal point."
"How can I if I can't see?"
"Begin to feel your feet spreading on the ground. Empty your body. You must remember this when you're frightened and know that terrible things are about to be done."
"Should I be frightened?"
"Let go of thought, let go of your body."
When he carried the heat of her in his arms, Natalia knew safety. She knew that if she could be with Erik, she would not fear death. If they would not be parted, death would be okay, whatever the eternal boredom, possible nothingness, lack of personality. If she could be with Erik, death would take only her body.
"Are you there?" she asked.
"I'm here," Viggo said.
"Again?" she asked.
"I'm coming in," Nils said.
"Who?" she asked.
"Again," Lucas said. "Almost over," said Christien and Natalia was cold.
"Erik?" she asked.
"Yes," he said.
"I'm ready."
## The Peculiar Narrative of the Remarkable Particulars in the Life of Orrinda Thomas,
AN AMERICAN SLAVE
WRITTEN BY HERSELF.
"THE POETRY OF THE EARTH IS NEVER DEAD"
~ KEATS
LONDON
PUBLISHED BY ASHWELL & CRAWFORD,
STATIONERS' HALL COURT
1840
EDITOR'S NOTE
Upon the Editor's journeying south to Turnwood Plantation in order to discover what fate had befallen his younger brother, Frederick Crawford, he was acquainted with these papers whose tale furnishes that history. At the time of its composition, its author, Orrinda Thomas, who has been known to the Editor since a child, could not foresee what barbarous events would transpire. Yet the Editor can attest that he has found these eloquent words to be not only written unaided, but deplorably true, and a rebuke to those who revel in the oppression of their fellow man and dare to do it in Christ Jesus's name. It is the Editor's intention to demonstrate how the pernicious cruelty and terror of slavery in this country endangers all men black and white, from North to South.
RALPH CRAWFORD
BOSTON, March 25th, 1840
_August 28th, 1838_
We sleep outside so we will not be smothered. The breeze rolls in from the river, over the levee, down the corridor of oak trees and into our makeshift bedrooms on the verandah. It is late August, and Louisiana is the eighth circle of Hell.
Last night, I watched the smoke from the sugar vats. Observed that the Spanish moss in my mattress is hardly flat. (Likely the house slaves do not think mine worthy of the rolling pin.) I could not sleep for waiting. For what? Keats's immortal Nightingale? The Communion of William Cullen Bryant? Nothing in the wind but night and smoke. Yet, near dawn, my reward:
_Lord, You alone have chosen me, yet_
_this ornate darkness keeps me from sleep._
The lines came with that queer, molten flush which signals a passion of Poesy. But instead of the customary frenzy of the next passage, I was seized by the unnerving certainty that one day Greatness shall indeed be conferred upon me, and I will be more than the High Brown Bard, the Sable Songstress, the Nigger Muse . . . and simply Orrinda Thomas, poet. The price of the Sublime remains to be seen.
Your superstition is getting worse with age, said Crawford buttering his toast this morning as we sat in Turnwood's rose and ivory dining room, the gold-framed figures of the plantation's patriarchs sternly disgusted by the sight of a black woman sharing _le petit dejeuner_ with a white man.
"Think of Orpheus," I said.
"Jam?" he asked.
"No, I thank you—whose song moved Gods and mortals alike. Despite his greatness, Orpheus was torn to pieces by the Maenads. They could not hear his voice for their howls."
"Your thesis?" he asked, stirring his tea.
"It is the poet's Bad End," I said, lifting my cup.
But this foreboding is not solely my fancy. Our arrival in Louisiana did not augur well. On our way to Turnwood Plantation, our carriage stopped at a town but I did not descend. It was as if everything bad that ever happened there had lingered. Goodness did not live there, only a suspicious poverty of the Spirit. Porches offered barefoot children aged in their movements, and men whose eyes repeated the violence done to them.
Crawford climbed down from our carriage, leading the horses to a trough of water (outside of what we took to be their General Store—more resembling an outhouse). He tipped his hat to the clerk with his unrelenting air of refinement, but that fellow was too busy gaping at me to notice Crawford hiss through his teeth: "Orrinda, do not get down." The children had begun drifting toward us like white gnats.
When I was a child, I developed the infernal, nervous habit of smiling when about to get a beating. I'd be begging hard for forgiveness all the while grinning. Mrs. Johnson would be winded trying to thrash the smile out of me, so what had I to do yesterday morning but sit in the carriage and Smile?
Crawford tossed his top hat in the carriage and leapt up, shouting to the horses as the children clotted and swarmed, throwing eggs and rocks, howling oaths at our backs. (Baboon and the like.) Somehow they had gotten wind that the Savage Poet had come.
"This journey is foolish beyond permission!" I cried, hugging my head to my knees.
"The more fool you for consenting to come with me!" Crawford laughed, lashing the horses on.
"But why in the world do we skip gaily into the belly of the beast?" I wailed. "It is one thing for me to be a learned Negro in Boston, but Louisiana?"
"O Orrinda . . ." Thankfully, he was struck in the neck by an egg. The yoke of indignity silenced his ill-considered oratory until we slid into the haze of the pines; the town clinging like an illness just past which leaves one sour and weak.
At last, Crawford slackened the reins, saying, "We should see this as proof of how mightily you are needed here."
"Oh yes," I said, smoothing out my skirt. "They need me hanging from one of these trees."
"Come now. We must be brave. Do you not see that of all the places that must witness Negroes not as beasts of burden but as brethren capable of Beauty. Bards—"
"Being bludgeoned by alliteration! I do hope that isn't the new Introduction to my book, Crawford."
"Minx," he said, rubbing his neck with his handkerchief. "Is the egg gone? This is a new cravat."
"But truly, if I am not greatly mistaken these Southerners have no wish to see me as any thing more than a nigger parrot who has forgotten her cage. I've never performed farther South than Philadelphia, I fear—"
"Look." Crawford drew the carriage to a halt. "Perfectly haunting," he said.
I looked. The trees tunneled over us, grim and decadent, dark in their green. I wondered what terrified fugitives lurked in the marshes.
"Won't you please," he begged.
As is by far his worst habit, Crawford likes me to recite whenever we flee a mob. I leaned back in my seat, tipping my face to the threatening trees:
_My Love is deeper than my Desire_
_To possess. It is a living thing_
_That doth remain though I expire_
_To bed the field and turn the page. It sings_
_Past me, voice an opiate choir._
_'Tis more than the love I desire._
Crawford gaily applauded my poem, the prospect of those we shall conquer, and the money we will receive because of it. I only hope I live to again see the East.
Last night, I heard the bell of my girlhood. I began to perspire the lonely revulsion of Virginia, a state sixteen years past. Like one possessed, I left my bed on the Turnwood verandah and drifted along the balustrade to the back of the Great House. From the second-floor window, I saw the slaves coming up through the dark, passing the overseer, his hand itching on a whip of cowhide, and watched them fill their empty gourds in the trough and disappear into the waving cane. By dawn, the fields were burning with song.
Dinnertime now. How on earth will I eat while being served by them? Will read before bed. Am but twenty pages into Mary Shelley's _Mathilda._ Though already it is darkly—indeed lavishly sentimental, I am again persuaded by Crawford's taste in the Gothic. Perhaps I should try my hand at the Novel?
Yours, &c.
Orrinda
_August 29th, 1838_
This morning Crawford insisted we ride to the slave market in New Orleans. To be brief, I told him I would rather sit in the stocks. To which he replied: "My dear, I should deserve only your trust." I could hardly persuade my legs to the door. Crawford was Very Much Disappointed in my Lack of Spirit and remained Certain Fine Poetry Shall Come of It. The man is torturous for my Art. I cannot agree with this punitive bent of Philosophy, though I have ever regarded it as a Truth that Pain can yield worthy literary Sentiment, but can it not also give way to the utter tripe of the Sentimental?
Yet as I am but a toy, a jade in a cage, a darling spectacle, I went.
I will confess that since arriving to the Inferno di Turnwood, I am not myself. Though I am treated here in the grand style, my mind misgives. The Widow Turnwood's gestures are falsely sugared. Ha. And for what purpose? I cannot fancy why the owner of at least thirty slaves would pay _me_ twenty hundred dollars merely to recite?? And there is something more . . . nagging . . . like the spectre behind these the moon-fretted trees: tender and indignant.
And my Crawford. . . . Do I condemn his avidity, which has led me to Turnwood, or do I commend his mad heart, which has, in the liveliest sympathy, liberated me?
Crawford feels we can convert the Widow to the Great Cause. _Malo periculosam, libertatem quam quietam servitutem_. But I find in her no Angelina Grimké. If the Widow Turnwood's conscience is so troubled, why not set her slaves free, or simply leave? Crawford says she has been a widow but a year, is convent-raised, and claims to have been kept up till now utterly apart from the pernicious workings of Turnwood.
Before we left for the slave market, the Widow, not knowing whither we were bound, requested my presence in the parlor for the first time since our arrival. I went upstairs and told Crawford, who gave a Solomon grin, saying: "Her timing is impeccable."
I followed him down the stairs onto the second-floor landing. "Cannot you tell it?" I said. "I am much too fatigued."
He stopped. "But it is you who are her curio." He lifted my curls from my shoulders, turning me to arrange them down my back.
"But I believe _you've_ inspired some tender emotions in that lily-white heart."
"Perhaps." He smiled. "I was a bit too forward in our correspondence."
"If by that you mean you encouraged her to harbor romant—"
"I mean," he interrupted, "I got her up to twenty hundred dollars." He twisted my hair into a chignon. "My sweet girl, you are too cruel. Think upon the money. Shall we wear it up for the reading? A confection of piety and exposure?" He tucked his chin over my right shoulder. "You shan't have to tour for a year if you don't wish. You will have time to compose. Is this not what you wanted?"
"I would rather do a hundred performances in Massachusetts than one here," I said. "This place exhausts me, it is a reproof to see their wounds, hear their cries while I mince about free."
"But if this venture is a success—"
"Then what?" I stepped away. "Who knows how many other disconsolate, rich widows secluded in palmetto-fringed oases of bondage would wish to witness the circus of my verse?"
"Why limit ourselves to a Northern audience?" he asked.
"I do not imagine the Widow knows the difference between Byron and Mrs. Sigourney!"
"Remember to touch your collarbone," he said. "It—"
"Signals fragility. I know!"
He held out his hand. And because . . . O I know not what excuse to give but I took it.
"I adore you," he said.
We walked down the curling staircase along a painted fresco and into the foyer until we stood outside the parlor door.
"I know that too," I said, letting go of his hand. "Endeavor to come in on your cue, won't you?"
How to describe Madam Sop? She is a fair, willowy, round-faced creature. Moon-faced, I would say. This is not to suggest she is not prettyish what with her streaming golden hair and cornflower blue eyes (a poor man's Lady Rowena) but that her countenance is marred by her perpetually startled expression. She droops like a guilty puppet; head too big for her body. Her manner appears one of cloying docility but her nails are bitten to the quick. In short, she is a pitiable creature so why do I despise her? _Why?_ For she is the sort of Southerner who loves to hear the colored man sing his sorrows but would never forgo the ease of her daily luxuries to not be the origin of his lament.
In the oppressive mahogany of the gilt crimson parlor, we sat in the clock-notched silence until the Widow Turnwood gathered the audacity necessary for speech, uttering: "Thank you for doing me the honor of coming to Turnwood."
"Indeed no, it is I, ma'am, who must thank you for your gracious and bold invitation," I said.
She inhaled sharply, "Will you read 'I Walked in Cambridge'?"
"Whatever you wish," I simpered.
She gazed into the black marble fireplace. "I wonder if I could ask you . . ."
"Please, ask me any thing at all. For you, I am an open book."
"How is it that Mr. Crawford discovered you?"
Curtain up. The harmless, belaurel'd Negro takes center stage. I cleared my throat and took a sip of tea: "I was born in Virginia to Mr. William Thomas. He had a plantation some twenty miles from Manassas. My father was Mr. Thomas's brother. My mother had once belonged to Mr. Thomas, but shortly after my birth was sold to a nearby farm. Her name was Delia. I was Mr. Thomas's daughter's slave. Though dear Belinda was more like a sister to me."
"Do you recall your mother?" the Widow asked.
"Some Sundays she would get a pass and come up to the Great House while the other slaves were congregating for their weekly serving of flour and lard, but my image of her is dim. Every year I imagine a different face . . ." I've always hated that line. I am fully sensible of its truth but how long it has been since I experienced it as true!
Crawford burst into the parlor: "Orrinda, I hope—" Then, feigning affectionate surprise: "Mrs. Turnwood? Oh, why good morning! Had I known you were present, I never would have so carelessly interrupted. I beg your pardon."
A premature entrance overdone. Wasted on the Widow. For him, she is already captive.
"I was telling her of Belinda," I said.
"Dear Belinda," Crawford cried, "whose unpolluted kindness we shall not soon forget! It is she who taught Orrinda to read and write and speak French."
"Yes," I agreed flatly. "I was a happy child then for I scarcely comprehended I was a slave."
"But what happened to her?" asked the Widow.
I stared fixedly into a supposedly unfathomable distance. "One day, Belinda turned blue. Her little neck swelled like a bull's, and she died." I swallowed an imagined lump. "After the death of her child, Mrs. Thomas fast followed, and Mr. Thomas quitted the plantation, sending his slaves to the speculator."
Here, Crawford dropped his head and voice in a compassionate brood and thus began to pace: "Orrinda was made to march for miles to the auction block. Her bare feet bloody, ankles raw from chains. When finally they reached their destination, the stench of the pens was that of human misery. There, rubbed with bacon fat to appear healthy, Orrinda was bought by Mr. Johnson of Southern Virginia. Then one afternoon, when she was but eleven years old, she was sent into the parlor with a tray of refreshments for Miss Julia, Mr. Johnson's daughter, and Miss Julia's Northern guests."
"I was not in good spirits." I smiled tremulously. "For old Mrs. Johnson had seen me spill molasses and tied me to a tree, stripping me from head to waist and whipping me until she was defeated by her own fatigue."
"Orrinda had no kin," murmured Crawford, coming to stand behind my chair. "No Belinda, no mammy to grease her torn back so her dress would not stick. She slept alone in the corner of the attic on a pile of rags. Awake half the night with hunger. But as Orrinda set the tray on the table, Miss Julia, fresh from Lady's Seminary, began to read from a slim volume."
"I could not know then," I said rising valiantly to my feet. "That it was 'The Lake' by Alphonse de Lamartine. I knew only of a provoking familiarity and stopped, rapt, deciphering. _L'homme n'a point de port, le temps n'a point de rive; il coule, et nous passons._ I did not realize that I had been thus standing, when a gentleman of about medium height stepped from the visitors and remarked upon it."
"It was Mr. Crawford!" breathed the Widow, clasping both her hands together.
"Yes!" I trilled. "Who is this? he asked Miss Julia. Why that is little Orrinda, Miss Julia said. Do you know French, Orrinda? he asked. Miss Julia laughed, Don't be absurd, Frederick—what a notion! But he said, _Connaissez-vous français?_ I could not help but answer him: _Oui monsieur je fais. Ai-je eu des ennuis? Où suis-je pas?_ Miss Julia, shocked into indignation, ordered me out. But instead of going into the kitchen to grate corn, I hid upstairs in the linen closet. The next morning, when finally my belly overcame my fear, I emerged. But instead of a whipping, I was told to wash, for the gentleman who had spoken French had bought me and would be my deliverer."
"How peculiar," murmured the Widow.
Yet I think that Chapter is the least peculiar of all. What of that day we first set out for Boston? Being overawed by this man, differing so widely from any of the men of my acquaintance, I was made mute. I had no very clear notion of what would be expected of me, neither did I know that I now belonged to a Northern man who had no house, no farm, nor any other slaves. The second son of a large Unitarian family, Crawford was intended for Divinity, then perhaps Law, but had instead left Harvard to roam the country.
That night he gave me the corn bread in his saddlebag while he kindled a fire. I stayed by the horse, a creature I understood.
When he sat down to warm himself, he laughed. "I'm not going to eat you, child."
He has a high, inelegant laugh that makes his eyes slit.
"Wouldn't you like to sit?" he suggested.
I squat down on the other side of the fire, all agitation; the corn bread molding to my fist.
"You are perhaps wondering why I bought you," he began. "I admit I am also wondering this myself. But when you stood there, Orrinda, so transported, and answered me in French—French! A single phrase entered my mind: _By grace ye are saved._ And I knew I had to save you, you poor wretch. I saw that barbarous old witch, Mrs. Johnson, giving you a whipping out by the barn, mutilating your little back."
I uncurled the corn bread and began to love him.
He closed his eyes and leaned back against a tree. "You know, I saw Buckminster in the pulpit once. I was only a boy, but after seeing his performance I knew I could resign my ecclesiastical ambitions. My family was mistaken in me. You see, I've always had grace, but in Boston, they want holy novelty." He looked at me with eyes cavalier, gray, and acute. "And wouldn't they flock"—he smiled—"to hear you recite unimpeachable French."
Thus ended my days as a slave.
Today in the slave market no muse arrived. Only we appeared amid the throng in the form of two subdued visitors. How could we become contemplative when Cato's back made so great an impression? It was skin made drought, ridged with the memory of fish.
I wish God would see fit to tell me why Cato's life should have been one of undeserved torture and I should escape. What am I that I do not suffer like him? In the pens, I saw manacled babes destined to be parted without mercy from their mothers whose lives will descend into insupportable grief. I could not stand there idle, well fed in silk.
I leaned forward and squeezed Crawford's arm. "Do you see him?"
"Who?"
"The one they're about to bid for. Look at him. Bid."
Crawford peered round a portly man to glimpse the block. "For that poor, blistered devil? I don't know that Mrs. Turnwood would appreciate the gift."
"Not for her."
He looked at me. "Are you mad? We are here to witness this earthly hell, no more—we're bound to see a thousand wretches like him."
"He'll go for nothing. I'll pay for him from my earnings."
"Orrinda, if we dare free this man, Turnwood's neighbors will string us up before you've spoken a single stanza," he said.
The bidding for Cato began, but no buyers lingered, for the marks were to them a sure sign of rebellion.
"Did you not say that in Louisiana I would be a beacon in this darkest hour of inhumanity?" I hissed.
"We are not here to seek confrontation—not to mention how we are grossly outnumbered! We endeavor to enlighten as we entertain."
I looked at my Crawford. There is as of yet no white in his hair, but it has begun its peaked retreat and the skin around his eyes is lined and thin. Though his eyes are those same waves in winter and around their dark centers, gold blooms. I have memorized this face and know its every crease, stray whisker, secret expression.
"I believe you claimed to adore me? Then buy him," I said.
Crawford pinched and slapped Cato's arms and thighs. Made a show of inspecting his teeth. Then strutted to the back of the market to strip Cato naked and pay $400 for him.
In the carriage, waiting for Crawford to obtain the Bill of Sale, Cato examined me, noting my fine dress, store-bought shoes, and unabashed familiarity with his new master. Gaunt and dusty, his perturbed eyes fairly bent from his face. All I could do was smile and offer water. In such a hostile crowd, I dared not tell him he was to be freed.
He hesitated and with a hunted look asked, "Miss, he a fair marster?"
"Very fair," I said.
"Because I'se belonged to the meanest white man that ever walked the earth. He liked to whup me then rub some pepper on it. Seem like this Marster don't even talk mean."
"He does not believe in whipping," I said.
Cato grinned at this vision. "Now I hopes that is the gospel truth."
I do confess I think Cato will be a friend. _Bon nuit!_
Yours, &c.
Orrinda
_September 1st, 1838_
Crawford is ill. Perhaps with swamp fever. I would not know since I am not allowed to wait upon him. The Widow Turnwood frets I will catch the sickness, not being native to Louisiana. She assures me she nursed her husband all through his dying.
There is no greater hell than this. I cannot be satisfied mewed up here with my disordered heart. All night I stayed outside his door. I could feel Crawford waiting for me. Heard him saying: "Someone has hit me with a plank."
But _she_ alone ministers to him and the house servants watch me. What can I do?
This afternoon I heard him retching, gasping for the strength to purge yet again, and I had to go to him. I could not keep no I couldn't from opening the door and finding the Widow wiping his mouth, bending to kiss his forehead.
"Orrinda." She reddened. "The draft!"
The draft indeed. That bedroom was as sealed as a tomb.
I wanted to put my hands about her neck and squeeze. Feel her Adam's apple under my thumbs. If he dies without me seeing him, I'll kill her.
My sole comfort is the now profuse Cato who at length declares: "It ain't Marster Fred's time."
Cato is the best of men. We did right to free him. I must protect Cato should Crawford die. But he can't. He has to live. Please God, let him live. Please, please, please. I'll do anything.
Cato's little boy was sold on the block a year ago. Their Master needed the money. The boy's name was Frank after Cato's baby brother who was whipped to death by their mistress. What kind of mother lashes another's baby dead? These sinners resound throughout Time. You put slivers of glass in their tea but they come again.
Strange to write twice in one day. I ought not. No.
Tonight in the dark before morning again I heard singing. I opened my bedroom door to find Cato gone from his pallet in the hall. Not cool out now but the air has some ease and we sleep indoors. I went past the plantation hospital, the sufferers groaning with swelling, past the sugarhouse and stables. I could not be afraid following the hum for I was a perfect ghost myself, unable to see my hands before me.
A group of slaves stood in a ditch among pine-knot torches. Behind them, a slave graveyard full of wooden posts and crosses, names scratched with no dates. The preacher held up both palms, reading them as he swayed with his sermon, though his hands were naked of any book. When he finished he dropped to sitting on a log, his countenance bright with exultation. There was a shout: "The Debil has no place here!" The untiring congregation made a ring, shuffling right in a circle, the banjo talking and hands clapping. Daring to tap my foot ever so softly, I stood undetected in the brush, or so I imagined, when a field woman snatched up my arms, bending them back. "You ain't meant to be here," she said, glaring at me as if I had struck her.
"I'm looking for Cato," I insisted. "I'm not—"
"You ought not be here, Miss O." Cato came forward.
"Cato, I didn't mean to intrude," I said. "Only it is the most wonderful poetry!"
"Go on back to the house. I be up. Please, Miss O. You ain't supposed to be here."
Why stay when you are not wanted? Why did I bother to protest? Has it not always been my lot to be Apart?
Cato soon returned to the Great House, wavering in the bedroom doorway, contrite. "They ain't mean to go rough on you," he said.
I was sitting by the window. I kept my back to him, saying, "I had but little reason to expect otherwise."
"She didn't wanna hurt you none."
"There are few who don't," I said.
"Well I reckon I never knowed what folks is gonna do but I knows what you done for me. I told them how good you be—you an Marster Fred—how you done freed me."
I leapt up and shut the door. "Cato," I hissed, "no one is meant to know that! You could be in danger now."
"Miss O, I seed your heart and knowed you what they been praying for. Your reading in a few days?"
"Yes . . . why?" I asked.
"You seen what devilment that overseer up to. All my born days I met up with devils like he. They gon run, Miss O, but if we ain't help our brethern they can't ever get loose."
"Why? Isn't the Widow a kinder mistress than most?"
"But that damned overseer do as he please. He shot a nigger like she a horse. They mistress don't see what she don't care to. But all the white folks round here gon come hear you read."
"Don't remind me." I groaned, sitting back down by the window.
"They won't be recollecting their slaves, be busy listening to what joyment you gon preach. And since you a famous nigger, nobody but the house slaves set to watch you."
Our eyes met. "We can't. Not without—Cato listen, we have to wait to talk to Crawford. He'll help."
"They can't wait."
I looked away. "Well then they will be ravaged by dogs."
"You a mighty clever gal," he said.
"Is my vanity so transparent? Cato, I'm not that sort of clever. I'm a poet for Godsake. What on earth can I do?"
He stepped closer to me. "They needs guns," he said.
Outside, the slaves' singing stretched across the fields, catching and hanging in the trees.
"They'll be caught," I said.
Cato waited like he waits for Heaven.
"We might as well slit our necks tonight," I said.
Cato's face can have this embalmed despair.
"No women or children will be hurt?" I asked.
"I sees to it myself," Cato said.
Yours, &c.
Orrinda
Two new lines:
_Hearing them hounds let loose in the night_
_Chasing the slave with the broken jaw_
_September 6th, 1836_
A ghastly series of events. Where to begin? I suppose my tête-à-tête with the Widow Turnwood. She was greatly desirous of speaking with me before the reading. Again, I sat across from her in the parlor, the house women listening at the lock.
"Tonight at your reading there may be those very much opposed," she said.
"You must assure your neighbors it is only poetry," I said.
"I have tried to console myself with that very reasoning," she said, looking down at the fingers she had picked raw. The hem of her dress was filthy. "But you must realize that in these parts nobody lets their Negroes read or write, some even refuse to let them pray."
"Will they come then bearing clubs?" I smiled.
"Gracious, no! Not to this house. They have too much consideration for the memory of my husband. What I mean is that in their hearts, Orrinda, they are good people, and I have ever regarded that there are those among them, Christian souls, who deplore barbarity toward their slaves, and indeed, care for them as their own."
"Yet, I have heard that here a man was flogged for carrying a book which opposes slavery. I must tell you—I do not understand why you have asked me to come here."
She reached forward and picked up a copy of my book from the table. "When my husband died last year, I was wholly alone. A cousin of mine in New York sent me books, yours among them. Your words seemed to understand just how alone. Imagine my disbelief to find that you were a slave! And when I wrote to Mr. Crawford, he was convinced that we must meet. I can tell you that you have my word as a Christian that I will safeguard you tonight. And if something were to befall Mr. Crawford, I will see you and Cato safely to Boston. For it wouldn't be safe for two slaves to travel there alone."
"Yes," I said, staring at the wall.
There it was again.
"You are too kind," I said.
That word again.
"I must go," I stood.
O I had heard it the first time she had said it, but now there was no mistaking that the Widow Turnwood believed me a Slave.
I found Crawford convalescing in the library, his feet up, and the sun a bright square on his chin. I shut the door, my stomach in my chest.
He turned his head, and there is no more overworked, apt word for it—he looked quite beautiful there in the light.
"You seem severe," he said. "What have I done now?"
"Are we free?" I asked. "And I beg you will tell me the truth."
"What's the matter?" He set his feet down. "Are you crying?"
"Is Cato truly free? Did you free him?"
"Of course," Crawford said. "I thought we agreed not to publicize it until safely above the Mason-Dixon. For Godsake, Orrinda, if you are going to have some sort of hysterical outbur—"
"Am I?" I pressed my hand to my heart and could feel the beat in my head.
"Is this a fit of nerves?" he smiled.
"Crawford," I said. "Crawford."
His face was all eyes. "Why on earth are you asking me that?"
"I'm not." I covered my face. "Oh God, I'm not . . ."
I turned into a blunt gas meant to wander for all eternity in a sick fog.
Crawford was up on his feet, bustling me away from the door, whispering fiercely: "Listen, I will explain it. Listen, in Boston, what did it matter? Being a free state: you _were_ free. It was my intention to get the papers, I swear to you, but out of sheer neglect, sloth really! I didn't. A sin for which I pray you'll forgive, and you will, Orrinda, you must. For it was not to own you, never to own you. I didn't even remember that you were anything but free until Anthea, I mean, Mrs. Turnwood invited us South. My deceit, my only deceit—for to utterly protect you as you are not kin to me—was to leave you a slave so that no one here can lawfully harm you. I realize the false wisdom of this but—"
"Crawford," I said, "you are telling me that you haven't found the chance to file my papers in sixteen years? How can I believe you even if I wanted to?" I turned from him and back toward the door.
He stepped in front of me. "Orrinda, you needn't be jealous."
"O but who could come between us?" I pushed past. "We are joined by the letter of the law."
"We can leave," he said to my back.
I stopped.
He came to me and took my hands. "Listen." He squeezed. "Listen."
"Let go," I said, but my arms were too weak to pull away.
"We will leave right this moment," he said.
I stared at him. "Are you mad? The reading is in a matter of hours."
"Whatever you want, I shall do it. I swear."
I tried to read his face. "But you lie so easily," I said. "You are a liar. You would leave without the money? You?"
"I will do as you wish. I swear upon my life."
Of course, I wanted to run. Run until we can't, until we fall into the sea and are extinguished by unforgiving waves. But I thought then of the slaves laboring in the fields, blood flowing as freely as heat, and how only I could give them guns.
I pulled my hands out of his. "I'll do the reading. We'll get our money. Then we leave."
"Good girl." He smiled, drying my cheek with a handkerchief that smelled faintly of eggs.
I hate him. He purports to be my liberator, my ever-abiding champion, but it has never been true. A slave can be beaten, branded, flogged, shot, raped, maimed for the slightest infraction imagined or real. A slave is starved of all sustenance, body and soul, which would allow them to feel free to be human. I have never not been this thing—slave—that corrupts all things. How is it that I love the man who keeps me a thing, which can be beaten, branded, flogged, shot, raped, maimed, burned, gouged, flayed, killed . . . ?
He picked up the novel he had been reading off the floor. " _Charlotte Temple_ again. Dreadfully overblown." He tried to laugh.
"I want to go to my room."
He stepped aside and I went toward the door. "Wait," he said. "You will forgive me, eventually, won't you?"
I kept walking.
"You should know my will says you are to be emancipated at my death."
"O?" I whispered without turning, "Is that what it is to be adored?"
I felt I was walking over glass to get out of the house and into the sun where somewhere in the sugar a slave was screaming. O for a life where I were invisible! Where I were the color of air! But I am the nethermost of all the earth's creatures: a Brown Woman. And how the world wishes to punish me for being born to these two sins!
When the housekeeper secreted me a set of keys, I marched into the Widow Turnwood's bedroom and searched it from top to bottom. For tomorrow's moonless night, I gave the slaves three guns.
I don't care what they do with them. I don't care if they shoot us all. Such is the daily horror of their existence, which so we passively witness, that they should make our world a hell and then we will know what God is.
Yours, &c.
Orrinda
_September 7th, 1836_
I have come to my Bad End.
Tonight thirty-odd neighbors gathered. Expectation riot in the parlor. A room holding villains and well-wishers both. I stood at the podium where too many men eased near, their eyes telling me of a cold desire to mutilate my flesh. The Widow Turnwood hovered in the corner by the tea, aghast at her own misbegotten temerity. But all the flaxen hair in the world could not hide her.
Crawford, the showman who figured himself the conduit, the vampire who flattered himself a prophet, delivered an introduction evoking me as a stunted Athena, an obedient goddess, never surpassing the miniature form born of his thigh.
We had agreed that I would perform only Nature poems: those limited, early works of lyrical mimickings and indulgent odes to America's landscapes. Verse which asks no questions, has no economy, and is but a blundered attempt at metaphysical complexity—the dregs of my youth.
After my first poem, not a soul clapped but the Widow: my graceless, beleaguered benefactress whose mind is not half as sharp as her heart. In the ensuing silence after my second poem (the Widow having exhausted her defiance), I paused, spying a black man at the back of the audience. This man was not known to me. I wondered why had he not gone with the other slaves and prayed Cato far afield.
Yet this did not occasion my revolt. For indeed, even in that horrified delay did I intend to be good. Did I not open with "I Walked in Cambridge" followed by "Thou Art My Ode"? I would have been a perfect paragon of black redemption had I not seen a slave child darting down the corridor of oak trees after his elders through the window behind the rows of simmering white faces. I knew then why I am here. Knew I must speak, though it bring the walls down about me. Knew I have been afraid to be seen fully, to have my heart exposed with all its merciless sorrow for unnamed blood spilling even now, easily and unjustly, into the ground.
"I hope," I said without looking at the crowd, "you will humbly permit me to share my newest work. It is an early sketch. I beg you will pardon its rough edges."
Then I looked at the one I thought I loved most in this world, my master, Mr. Frederick Crawford, whose gray eyes communicated a horror transparent.
_Lord, You alone have chosen me, yet_
_This ornate darkness keeps me from sleep_
_Hearing them hounds let loose in the night_
_Chasing the slave with the broken jaw_
_Who was salted in the sun._
_You will know him by his sin_
_Tell the Lord, he is coming,_
_Tell his son he is dead and gone_
_Throw his boy three times over him_
_Gather stones to hold down his grave_
_Because it has begun to rain_
I did not see the man who sent his fist. I tasted only the blood he left. I buckled under the bitter heat in my mouth. I screamed for Crawford, but people swelled the room. Down behind the podium, a man caught me about the neck. He was older than I had imagined my murderer to be. With deaf blue eyes and a grandfather's belly, his knees went between my legs as he punched me in the head. But there was a gunshot and my would-be murderer released me. As I raised myself to my elbows I saw the slave who had been at the back of the audience holding a gun. He shot the overseer then fired wildly into the crowd. A neighbor shot him in the chest, but the slave only fell to his knees and with a jubilant scream found and shot his mistress. The Widow Turnwood fell like a child slipping down the stairs. Crawford ran to her and the neighbor shot him in the head. Crawford landed on his back, his leg bent under him, bleeding onto the already crimson carpet.
How long I was alone in time. How long held there. Alone.
There was a corpse near my shoulder. I knew I had to wipe my hands in its blood, to paint myself dead and lay facedown so that when men came across me, I was fortunate that they kicked me until they believed me only a body. Realizing that there was not a living slave left to kill, they ushered out their women and furiously mounted their horses to fetch their hounds for the hunt.
When finally the Great House went quiet, I crawled out. "Crawford?" I called for no reason at all for I could see him lying in a circle drawn by overturned chairs and the trampled pages of my poetry. He was a heap, made innocent by the hole in the back of his head. His nose and eyes bleeding profusely. I tried to keep in the blood. I tried. But you have to be a god.
"You ought not move him, Miss O," Cato said, kneeling next to me.
I grabbed him by both shoulders. "What are you doing here? They'll come back!"
"I ain't sees George," he said, looking down at Crawford. "I knew he had a gun so I come back to fetch him. And now Marster Fred bout to go on to his just reward."
For a moment I could not get my voice out. "Who is George?" I said.
Cato pointed to the dead slave. "Ise reckon can't blame the man."
"Listen."
He shook his head. "That overseer kilt his wife giving her bout five hundred lashes. Cut to bone."
"Cato. Listen. You've been very brave. But that's over now. Get me paper I'll write you a pass. Perhaps you could make it to Boston, to Crawford's family. They'll help you. They're abolitionists. I'll write them a letter. There must be paper in the desk."
"Laws." He shooed me.
"Please do as I say! I don't want to see what they'll do to you. George is dead, Crawford's practically dead, the Widow's dead—we're all dead, but not you, not yet."
"Can't run without you, Miss O."
I pushed at him. "Go on! You're free!"
"We both free," he said.
I choked out a laugh. "No, not me. I'm a slave till he's dead. Crawford never freed me. And the irony is that still I cannot leave him here to die alone."
Cato looked down at his hands. "Ise awful sorry."
"I'll be fine. Just go."
Cato nodded slowly. "You right. But could I look at your writings for I go? Always did want to see your words."
"But you can't read," I said, looking down at Crawford who was not quite dead but so close to dying I could not believe it. "O, what does it matter," I said to him and Cato. "We must hurry."
I found my journal on the floor by the podium. As I picked it up, I turned to see Cato take out one of the guns I'd given him and shoot Crawford twice in the chest.
I have always thought, well someday he will die, Crawford will die, no matter how I love him he will. But I had hoped it would at least be far away when I would not know it, and here he went and exited without one word to me of how I should live.
I screamed and dogs howled and Cato rushed me out to where the fields were sweetly burning.
In the smoke I cried, "Will we get free?"
"If not in this world then for sho the next," Cato said.
And now we run for our lives.
Yours, &c.
Orrinda
## James III
I hustled left at the car dealership, picking my way over the loose gravel in the road, hopping up on the concrete bridge to the safety of the smooth. I stopped running when I got to the top of the station steps and took advantage of my inhalerless wheezing and checked out the platform situation. No one but a dude in a black baseball cap, tattoos up his neck. He was circling the telephone pole, eating (I am nearsighted) fries?
"Damn," the boy swallowed at me as I stepped down onto the wooden train platform. I was barefoot in November and way too fat to hide.
"I'm good," I said. I even managed to shrug.
He stared at the blood and boogers weighing down my upper lip. I wiped at it with my sweatshirt sleeve, which was still too big for me and hung over my hands, meaning I hadn't grown this fall, meaning puberty was still avoiding me like I was some amateur stalker. "Yo, can I git some of those napkins?" I asked without crying.
He furnished me with a hamburger'd stack. "Man"—he popped in a definite fry—"you got your ass beat. Oh shit, they take yo shoes too? Damn, that's some Oliver Twist shit right there. Know what you need?" He finished off the last of his soda.
"Mr. Brownlow," I said, referring to the old man who saves Oliver in Dickens.
"Who?" he asked.
"No one," I said.
"You need ice." He offered me his cup. "You shaking, man."
"I'm shivering," I corrected him and sat down on the bench so I could steady my elbows on my knees. Now that I'd stopped running I was cold, the hair at the back of my neck damp and spiraling tight.
"Damn." He sat down next to me. "You just a little dude. Your feet don't even touch the ground."
There was no point dignifying that with a response so I merely emptied the ice out onto two napkins. It was a common/alienating observation better ignored. If I wasn't being called gay or a little bitch while getting punched in the side of the head like I used to at my old school, my policy was to let that shit slide.
"This the wrong time of year to get your shoes took. And I'm thinking your nose might could be broke. It's all cut right there." He demonstrated on his.
"I know." I casually turned away from him, sliding the ice to that spot.
"What grade you in?"
"Ninth."
"Ninth? You don't look like you in ninth. You go to Lower Merion? You know a dude named Tyrese?"
"No." I was so cold I couldn't feel my toes.
"Where you go?"
"Friends." I reached down and squeezed them, even though I could barely feel my fingers either.
"What? I said where you go."
"Friends. It's a Quaker school. Kinda religious, namsayin."
"Like the oats? Like—what's that old dude's name? Benjamin Franklin!" He leaned back. "Bennie, the man on the big bill." He wiped his hands on his jeans then turned his baseball cap around.
"He wasn't a Quaker," I said.
"What y'all's beliefs?"
"I don't know. I just go there." I really did not feel like talking about peace and justice right that minute.
"You don't know?" he repeated, my fictitious ignorance paining him.
"I'm not a Quaker," I snapped, looking down the tracks for the train.
"How long you been going there?"
"Since sixth grade," I muttered.
"Sixth grade? Then you best know!"
I sighed. "Man . . ." and switched up napkins. "In the priesthood of all believers. The light of God in everyone. Service. Peace." My stomach did a hari-kari. I had to go to the bathroom real bad.
He thought/chewed the lone, brown shrimp'd french fry left in his bag. "Yeah. That's deep, man. I'm interested in shit like that. Quakers. I'm Wallace."
"James."
"Train's coming." Wallace hopped up and shot his bag into the trash can as the light of the train pushed through the dark to find us. "You going home?"
I thought of how upstairs my little brother had been crying like he knew I was the only one who could hear him. "No." I slipped off the bench, scanning the gloomily fluorescent parking lot. None of the cars were Mom's. I knew she wouldn't come but I had thought somehow she might come. "I can't," I told the light posts, the empty cars, the white paint keeping them apart.
"Ey!" Wallace waved at me from the yellow-painted edge of the platform.
I limped across the freezing concrete. "You think the conductor will be okay with letting me on?"
"You ain't contagious, is you?"
"I'm serious, man."
Wallace looked me up and down. "You best throw them nasty-ass napkins in the trash. And roll up yo sleeves—you don't want to be looking like you killed nobody."
"I meant I'm not wearing shoes," I said as I hopped from foot to foot, trying to fight frostbite.
"So?" He was mystified.
"Ain't that illegal?"
"What you mean?"
"Not wearing shoes in a public place—ain't that illegal?"
He lifted his eyebrows. "You weird."
Well, shit was weird. I had no phone, no shoes, no glasses. Nothing but a ten-dollar bill in my khakis. But even though I might've looked like a crackhead, I was more like a martyr, and ten dollars were enough to get me to Aunt Bernice.
As the train cars rattled by, Wallace said, "Here man, let me give you my card." He handed me a glossy black business card. "You might be in need of my services."
The train stopped and the conductor stepped out as I turned the card over. "This just has your name and e-mail. What services do you offer?"
"Son, you name it, I can provide. For a price," he said and hopped up on the steps.
On the train, Wallace swung into his own seat, stretching his legs across the cracking blue vinyl. I took the row behind him and put up my hood worrying, would Mrs. P. give me another extension on my courtly love paper? She liked me. Thought I was the next Terrance Hayes. I didn't know who that was but I told her Yeah. Ostensibly, I would have to lean on this scholastic partiality.
Wallace pushed himself up so his chin hooked the top of the seat. "Man, let me tell you one thing."
I was stroking my nose, trying to find which part hurt the worst. As my skin began to thaw, my ears burned.
"Pain lets you know you alive," he said and flopped back down.
I exchanged glances with my reflection and wished I could talk to my dad.
Sometimes at night I woke with my back stuck to the sheet, remembering finding Dad asleep on the couch. I guess him and Mom were having issues even then. The windows open and a white curtain blowing on his face. Air so cold it was wet.
"Dad?"
In Grandmomma's stories, men died of drafts. Sometimes they'd crossed an Obeah woman, or been cursed by some dude in love with their wife. But most times the draft meant a duppy was coming cuz somewhere, sometime these men had done something bad.
I slammed the window shut to wake him.
"J?" Dad said, hitting back the curtain. "What you doing?"
"Why are you sleeping on the couch?"
"Your mother said I was snoring."
I saw he was still wearing his shoes. "Where were you?"
"Out. Why you up?"
I'd knelt at his head, knowing he might dodge/comfort me. "I'm thinking bad thoughts."
"Again? Boy, you know you got to get your sleep. You got school in the morning." He made room for me on the couch.
"What do I do?" I asked, getting under.
"Think good thoughts." He'd yawned, tucking me in.
Sometimes at night, I imagined he was still there sleeping under the white curtain in that cold, safe room.
When we got to Suburban Station, I saw Mom in the crowd on the platform. A copper-headed woman getting on as I was about to step off. I pushed my way to her, knowing it was impossible, but because I have never not known her, I sometimes made her have superhero powers. When I squeezed close enough to brush her coat, I didn't need my glasses to see that this lady couldn't have even been Mom's cousin. She wasn't black—she was like Mexican or something.
"Ey, James!" Wallace called down to me from the escalator as it carried him up and into the city. He grinned as my eyes found him. "You alive, son! You alive!"
According to the homies in puffy coats on the plastic chairs around their stoop who took one look at my nose and agreed I was too fucked up to fuck with, it was eight-thirty at night. On the real though, I had found and tied two plastic bags over my feet, was legally blind, and all I had left in the world were bloodstained sweatpants with seven dollars and fifty cents in them. And still, I didn't cry. I did have this feeling like I was being followed, but when I randomly/anxiously turned, all I saw was that the way I had come was dark.
I hobbled down Fitzwater and Eighteenth, passing flat-fronted brick row houses with long white windows and worn stone steps on my way to Aunt B's. But my rush was in vain: no one was home. Not even a damn Welcome mat for my ass. I slumped on the bottom step, perching my Pathmark heels on some weeds coming up out of the sidewalk and wiped at my dripping/clogged nose. There was no way I was gonna cry even though I was kind of starting to cry.
Self-snitching: crying had been a problem since I was nine. But back then, people were cool with it. I had earned my tears. Cuz when I was nine, my dad went to prison, my parents got divorced, and Mom and me moved out of Philly to her ex-boyfriend's house in Bryn Mawr. But three years later to still be getting all inconsolable about negligible shit? Like when I misspelled _remainder_ on the floor of the State Spelling Bee? (A gaffe I ascribe to it being 6 a.m. and a fear of large white crowds.) I mean, people at Friends paid more in tuition than people in my old school paid for rent in a year—what was to cry over now?
The fuzz of a woman in lavender scrubs with some animal on them stood over me. "Lord child, you scared me." Aunt Bernice hugged me quick but just as quick pulled back. "What happened to your face?"
The concern in my aunt's voice disturbed my weak hold on ocular dignity. "Nothing." I looked down. "I got in a fight after school. Tenth graders. Way bigger than me."
Aunt Bernice turned my chin as my cousin, Nahala, slammed the car door, saying, "Oo you got hit good, huhn?"
"Your nasal passages blocked?" asked my aunt, decorously ignoring my cousin.
"Not really," I said.
Then in rapid fire: "You been throwing up? Your neck hurt? This happened at your school? Does your mother know?"
I thought back to Mom, waiting in the pickup line at school, the flags at the top of the flagpole on the side of the gym snapping. I had spotted her leaning out the window of our black SUV in aviator sunglasses, seeing me and smiling then spitting out her gum. Behind her was Jacquon, trapped in his car seat, looking happy to see me when I climbed in front and gummy smiling to let out some drool. Today it had seemed like going home would be okay. I wondered what Jacquon was doing.
"She ain't home yet," I said. "She went out. To dinner. With a friend."
Aunt Bernice unlocked the door. "Well, it don't look too crooked."
Soon I was deep in the scratchy cushions of Aunt Bernice's couch where back in the day I had made some dope-ass forts. I swaddled myself in one of Grandmomma's quilts with an ice pack until Nahala tickled my feet.
"Stop it." I kicked.
"You were dreaming," she said.
"I'm just resting my eyes."
"Ew, you sweating over everything."
"No, I'm not." I sat up and my damp sweatshirt peeled from my back.
"You can't call or nothing before you come over? This ain't no motel."
"I forgot my phone," I said.
Aunt Bernice came out from the kitchen where she was reheating coffee. "Nahala, give your cousin a clean shirt and socks."
"You forgot your shoes too?"
I looked at my dirty cracked feet. "They stole them."
"Sure," drawled Nahala. "C'mon. Somebody have to kill me before I let them take my shoes." I followed her into her room where she had flung open her closet. "First, we need to get you up out of that crusty-ass sweatshirt."
I sat on her bed and raised the hoodie she'd thrown at me to my eyes. Just as I'd suspected: glitter. "This is not really me," I said.
"You right, beige isn't so good with your skin. You darker than your mom. Yasmine kinda look mixed."
"So?" I heard a dish fall without breaking in the kitchen.
"So what you need"—she said _need_ too loud—"is bright colors."
Aunt Bernice stepped in holding a thermos. "J, you want to come and have them take a look at your nose? Nahala, don't you have something a little more . . . for a man in there."
"Not that are gonna fit his fat ass," my cousin said.
"Girl, ain't nothing ever easy with you. Just find him something in my stuff. It'd be good to have a doctor make sure, honey," she said to me.
"It doesn't hurt anymore," I said.
"I find that hard to believe. I've got to get to work. Call your mother and let her know what's going on," Aunt Bernice said and went out.
Nahala listened for the front door then rolled her head to me. "I know, you know."
"What are you talking about?"
"I know what goes down in yo house. Yasmine told me Karl's been tripping. But she let him beat on you?"
"I don't know what you mean."
"I mean, you ain't his son. But none of this would've happened if she hadn't got up in his face."
"Who?"
"Your moms." She made a sound of disgust. "Nigga, don't play dumb. If you wanna be with a crazy-ass dude like Karl, you don't go popping off at the mouth."
"You're retarded," I said, my face blank/combusting.
"I'm not the issue. I'm the type of chick dealing with what God's given me. Your mom—"
"Shut up!" I rolled up and ran blindly at Nahala, trying to ram her backward into the closet, but she reached up and grabbed the top of the door frame and thrust me back with her foot so that I fell and rolled off the bed.
"Oh hell no! Ain't you had your ass beat enough already? Come on now, I ain't about to fight no nine-year-old."
"I'm twelve," I fumed, scrambling up.
She patted the bed. "Come on, I ain't mad at ya. Look J, all I was trying to say was that I feel yo mom. I do. Yasmine just trying to hold down her man. I mean, she has love for you, obviously. But who you think is paying for your fancy-ass school?"
"I have a scholarship." I stayed where I was.
"That don't pay for it all."
"My dad pays the rest."
Nahala snorted. "Yo dad can't pay for a phone call. My mom puts money in his account every month. Your dad . . . listen to your cheesy ass." She slapped her thigh, cackling.
I digested this. Then my next step was clear. "I'll pay you to take me to see my dad."
"Boy you must be out your mind."
"Fifty dollars. C'mon, you're eighteen, you can take me. Please?"
"You got fifty dollars?"
"Not on me—at home."
"Who you foolin?" she said.
"Seventy-five? I swear I have it. Drive me in the morning when your mom's asleep."
"Seventy-five dollars?" She pretended to hesitate. "Karl do this to you?"
"Maybe." I sat down on the corner of her bed, pressing my nose where it hurt the most. "Maybe I did something to him."
"Yeah, right," she said and pulled a suitcase down from the shelf at the top of her closet. "I got something that'll fit you." She unzipped it and threw me a shirt. I put it to my face. The letters N.W.A.
"This is yours?" I asked, surprised.
"Your dad's."
"It's dope." I swallowed and was glad to be blind, running down the hall and into the bathroom where I squeezed his T-shirt to my chest and did not cry.
We drove our dead granddaddy's faded blue Buick sedan over an hour and a half to get to the prison in a rain that cut silver. We didn't try to talk over the acrobatics of the radio's R&B until the storm got so heavy Nahala had to pull over. She turned the radio off and we passed a two-liter bottle of Cherry Coke back and forth, listening to the beating the roof was taking.
"This kind of weather gets me moody." Nahala burped and began picking at the steering wheel. "Thunder in the morning. Don't make no sense."
"Stop hogging." I pulled the bottle from her. "How old is this car?"
"Older than both us put together."
"What if the roof starts leaking?"
"Hope you can swim." She handed me the bottle cap. "Why didn't you call your mom?"
"Why didn't she call me?"
"You think she knows you with us?"
"Why not." I put my forehead to the window, looking up into a sky of dirty-looking rain. Sometimes after one of her fights with Karl, Mom would come up into my bedroom and look at me like she didn't know which one of us was in trouble. "She's probably fine," I said.
"Damn, now I got to pee. You seen bruises?" Nahala asked.
"Not on her face." A red smear of brake lights glowed in front of us.
"What about Jacquon?"
"Never." I flushed and right away I could picture his sad face—how he pushed his bottom lip out before he cried. "Karl's never touched Jacquon."
"Not yet."
"I couldn't take him—he's a baby and I'm a kid. Mom will watch out for him."
Nahala gave me a look. I pointed to the car in front of us. "I believe they're moving," I said and turned up the music until I couldn't hear the rain.
"Hi," I said to my dad/mystery man who was a hunched blur behind the Plexiglas. "What's up?" Meaning I had totally forgotten what to say. Maybe this was the wrong move. What could Dad do? He was more helpless than me: a neon'd prisoner of the state, segregated from my low-grade worries.
Nahala snatched the phone from me. "Hi Uncle James." She handed it back, still facing my dad but eavesdropping on the girl next to us crooning to her man.
"I want to know what's up with you," he said to me.
"I don't know. I just wanted to see you, I guess."
"Now you see me."
"No, I don't actually," I said.
"What happened?"
"I don't have my glasses."
"Son. What happened to your face?"
"I got in a fight."
"At school?" He sounded surprised. "Ain't they supposed to be teaching you to turn the other cheek?"
"This kid, this big kid, he—"
"Nigga"—Nahala smacked my shoulder—"I ain't drove your ass down here for you to lie."
The phone line went silent/aggrieved.
"You know why you named James?" he asked.
"No," I sulked into my T-shirt, then mumbled, "after you."
"And I'm named after my father, your granddaddy. Now that man? That man was born evil and done stayed that way. But because he was named James, I got named James, and your grandmomma said you got to be named James that way at the end of the day you got his hard and my heart. You James the third."
"Dad, to be honest—"
"Finally," said Nahala.
"I came here to tell you I need to move back to Philly. Can I move in with Aunt Bernice? Say yes."
"What's wrong with living with your mother?" he asked.
"I hate that bitch."
"Yo! Who you talking to with that mouth? That's not being how I taught you to be."
Even Nahala looked at me with big NO eyes.
"You know what that fight did to you?" he said. "It put fear back in your heart. Last thing you need is move back to Philly. Now what's your name?"
"Dad." I thumped my fist on the counter.
"Boy, I want to hear that name out yo mouth."
"James Marcus King the third."
"Amen," said Nahala.
"At least those rich kids ain't packing nine millimeters," he said.
I folded my arms over my chest. "All I want is to live in Philly with Aunt Bernice, is that so much to ask?"
"Why? Why do you want that so bad?"
I said nothing, listening to the beat of my heart. Even though it was November, the AC was blowing morgue breath down my neck, and this time I knew who the duppy was hunting.
"Now I realize you probably think because I'm in here I can't help you, right?"
"It's not that. It's . . ." I wished I could see his eyes properly.
"What? Ain't nothing you can't tell me."
"Okay." I took a breath. "At school, they tell us violence is a short-term satisfaction, and I know that's right, the right thing, but what about defending someone you love? I mean, you're not supposed to do anything? You're just supposed to stand by and watch them get killed?"
"Who's getting killed?"
"It's hypothetical, Dad."
"Your mother? What you really talking about is revenge, son. You want to hurt them for the hurt they just did, but even if you f—muff them up, that don't heal the first hurt. That's done. That's past. Now you just like them: somebody who hurts people."
I felt like he wasn't really getting me. "But if someone was hurting me wouldn't you—"
"What? Wouldn't I what?" he asked all wild.
"If someone was trying to kill me, Dad . . . wouldn't you?" But I couldn't say it. How could I—being there—say it?
He was holding the phone with both hands. "If something was ever to go down, to happen to my son? Man, I just couldn't be in this world . . ." he trailed/choked.
"Dad?" I gripped the phone tight.
"I just hate seeing you like this, man. Bad enough I can't hug you or even shake yo hand, but now I got to see you all busted up and I can't do nothing? You know I live for my kid." He covered his face.
"Uncle James?" asked Nahala.
"Dad?" His head was down. "It's just my nose! I mean, I'm alive, I'm okay. Right? Dad?"
"Oh you gon be okay." He looked up, wiping his face. "We is making sho of that. Now you tell me exactly what happened."
"James," said Nahala. "James," said my dad.
But when I opened my mouth there was a God-robbing crack in my chest and I knew that my life was not ever gonna come correct. So I put my head down on the counter so no prison dudes would see and cried like a nine-year-old into the phone to my dad.
Yesterday I was at home with my dresser against the door, Petrarch on my lap, and Mom downstairs in Where Were You Bitch? (featuring Karl). I was listening, trying to figure out if the crashing was bodies or furniture, and at the same time read the _Rime Sparse._
I went into the hall. Why? Cuz my little half brother was crying and I didn't want Karl to come up. Even though it was November in Bala Cynwyd, I was sweating in the house's sunless heat debating whether or not to call the police. In his room, Jacquon was in his crib, snuffling on his fuzzy red back, gumming the corner of a soft plastic book.
I went in his room. "What's good, little man?"
He stopped chewing and rolled toward me, blinking at me through the wooden bars.
"Hi," I whispered and picked him up, his big ol head still wobbly so I cradled him in my arms.
A door slammed and Mom, high on Prosecco, was shouting.
"How's life in the crib?" I set him back down to pick his pacifier up off the rug and rubbed the carpet fuzz off with my sleeve, wishing Mom and Karl would die/vanish and then Jacquon and me could live with Aunt Bernice until I was eighteen and we moved into my place. Downstairs, furniture began to slide and Jacquon's gold eyes went all portentous. "You okay," I said and rubbed his little back and wound his mobile of fluffy baby birds so they sang and spun, but then Mom screamed and we screamed too.
Then I was standing in the middle of their bedroom holding the phone. But it felt like a toy cause Mom's crying was louder than any dial tone. Soon my hands were pushing through Karl's magazines until they found his gun, black and shining at the bottom of his nightstand drawer. As I skidded down the hall, I passed by Jacquon, sitting up in his crib and as our eyes met, I glanced/transmitted: Look, I'm sorry I'm about to shoot your dad but I'm doing it before he kills our mom. A lot of that might of got lost in translation (him being before language as he was), but I swear we had an agreement.
At the top of the stairs, I was still in the place of where I might not do it. But as I walked down, the gun behind my back, I saw Karl's big square head over my mom as he choked her on our hand-knotted New Zealand wool door mat. All I could do was point the gun and close my eyes, wishing as I pulled that we all died and reappeared somewhere easy.
There was a metal roar and I opened my eyes. Karl was standing up, his mouth dropped, looking at a bullet buried in the wall to his right. "What the fuck?" he shouted.
Both of them were looking at me, alive and angry.
"James?" Mom coughed, crawling against the foyer wall. I tripped down the stairs, gun out, coming at Karl until it poked his chest.
"Calm down, man." Karl tried to back away.
"James!" Mom was up and her hand was out. "You give me that gun!"
But I lifted it to Karl's head. I just wanted him to go away forever. I didn't care how—just away.
"Listen to your mother, man," he said. "You're a—a good kid."
"James!" My mom tried to get my attention. "I don't want anybody getting hurt."
I looked over at the charms which had pierced so many: the Curtises, the Rashans, the Calvins, the Rays and Derays. But that hair coppered, those breasts immoveable, thus a body to make any video vixen anxious, meant nothing to me. "She is your mother," Dad had said when they were taking him off to prison. "She is your diamond. You take care of her for me. You're the James of the house now—" and he had smiled to show me that he believed I could do it. I looked at my mother, saw the left side of her mouth cut red and her cheek swelling elastic, and I told her, "But Mom, you're hurt."
As I was looking at her, Karl punched me in the face. My glasses bit under my eye and my nose cracked. Without thinking, I hit him with the gun as he was coming at me, smashing whatever I could until he went away, then I dropped back, cupping my screaming nose.
When I wiped my stinging eyes, I could make out Mom bending over him, seeing if _he_ was okay, begging, "Karl? Karl?"
He shoved her off, cradling his head as he sank to his knees.
"Mom?" I called to her from where I was on the floor.
She stumbled over and lifted my chin, her gold necklace penduluming into the blue silk of her shirt. "Oh baby—" She hesitated to touch the swelling between my eyes. "Your nose."
I took her hand. "Let's get Jacquon and go."
She snatched it back. "We got to get you some ice." She tried to wipe the blood from my nose with the bottom of her shirt.
"Ow! Stop!"
She cringed. "Does it hurt?"
"No it feels amazing!"
"Boy, this is no time for attitude," she snapped, then stood wringing her hands. "Shit, shit! What am I gonna do?"
"Let's go!"
"I can't." She covered her face then straightened. "I'll get you some ice. Stay here."
"Can't you at least call the police?" I yelled at her as she rushed toward the kitchen.
Karl tried to get up without falling. There was a trickle of blood coming from a dent on his forehead.
"Mom?" I was on my feet. The room tilted and I remembered the gun. "Mom?" I called again, frantically looking around the foyer. Nothing on the hardwood but the rug and my broken glasses.
"What?" Mom hurried back in. "What's wrong?" She eyed Karl and grabbed my arm. "Come in the kitchen with me, c'mon!"
"You're dead, man," moaned Karl.
Mom changed direction, pulling me with her. "This way."
"Stop," I hissed as she tried to wrestle me to the front door. She angled it open. I dug my fingers into the doorframe. "The gun!"
"I have it—" She pushed me out the door and I spilled onto the front step, my hands slapping the chilled concrete, the door slamming behind me. I lay there in my blood/defeat, listening to dogs bark somewhere in our cul-de-sac.
And when Jacquon's cries appeared, they were little paper airplanes over my head, and like the ones at school, somehow they always find me. I forgot about Mom—she was an adult, she could take care of herself—all I wanted was to go back in for my little brother so I got up and beat on the door until I heard Karl scream, "That's him! Motherfucker, I'm gonna kill you!"
My legs went seasick, blood stopped going to my brain, and my stomach started signaling a loss of control in my bowels, cuz the duppy was there behind that door, ready to drag me toward death where I would forget my name.
What happened, Dad? I left. Because the body betrays, forgets us—who we are, who we love—saves itself and what we think the world is melts like crayons that leave no mark but a mess. I didn't faint; didn't pee my pants; I ran. My legs pumped and the blood rushed up from my stomach to my head.
Of course I thought of them as I ran, thought of calling the cops, of going back, but instead I told myself that they'd be okay cuz at the end of the day Mom said she had the gun.
We left the prison and hours later I was cutting across our yard in Nahala's too-small flip-flops, lifting the pouting stone cherub on the porch for the spare key. A neighbor two houses down was backing out of his driveway and seeing me, braked. I stood there, staring through the gnats playing over the flattop hedges, waiting for his window but he just rolled out with a screech down the cul-de-sac. I went to the doorstep where Wallace and Nahala stood in the rude chatter of birds. An SUV was in the driveway.
"This is a bad idea," said Nahala, done pounding on the door. "I don't think she's home. Imma call your mom again."
"I got the key. It's all good," I said.
"Oh yeah?" she asked. "Then why we got him here?"
Wallace looked down at her from his almost impressive height. "For protection," he said.
"How much you getting?" she asked.
"Fifty."
"Fifty?" She laughed.
"Nahala! That's all I have," I told Wallace. "I'm broke y'all, broke."
"J, let's just go. Wait till your dad speaks with your mom."
"When's that gonna happen? He can't call her, she has to call him. She won't do it."
"Look, you can stay at my house forever—I don't care."
"He want to make sure his mom's okay. Girl," Wallace said, "you ain't got to worry when I'm around."
"Whatever." Nahala rolled her eyes.
I put the key in the lock. Maybe I was thinking if I could just get into bed and go to sleep, I would wake up and nothing bad would have happened. But when I got upstairs Jacquon's crib was empty, his little striped dog lying on its side. My room was how I'd left it: Petrarch's sonnets facedown on the bed. Downstairs, I heard Nahala calling Hello?
"This some Quaker shit?" Wallace appeared behind me and picked up the book.
"No. I was supposed to be writing a paper about courtly love. But it was due today so . . ."
"Too late," he said.
Nahala came running up the stairs. "No one. Let's go. It's freezing in here. Jacquon at day care?"
I wondered if I'd ever see my little brother again. "Probably," I said, coasting down the hall like I was sitting in a hovering armchair. I wandered toward the cracked door of Mom and Karl's bedroom.
"Go on," said Nahala, "Open it."
My stomach somersaulted and landed wrong on its back. "You do it," I told Wallace.
"It's your house," he said.
"Ain't I paying you?"
"Y'all chicken." Nahala put a hand on the door, then paused. "J, maybe you should close your eyes."
"Why?" asked Wallace, uncomfortable.
"Yeah why, Nahala? I can't even see."
"Cuz you just a kid."
We all stared at her hand, shrinking back from the door as it opened like tourists at a zoo with no cages. But there was nothing inside except bedsheets feeding a pile of clothes on the floor.
"See! Nothing," said Nahala.
"I'm gonna see if my glasses are downstairs," I announced, heading down the hall.
Wallace followed. "Ain't they smashed?"
"Maybe I can tape them."
Nahala grabbed my elbow. "I'm ready to leave."
"Why?" I asked/taunted, letting Wallace step in front of me.
"Because it feels like a haunted house up in here." She took my hand going down the stairs. "I don't even like scary movies."
In the foyer, Wallace moved a coat off the entryway bench so he could sit down. "Y'all hungry? Ey." Wallace pulled my broken glasses from underneath him. "These yours?" He held the one good lens to my eye and I had a moment of clarity. "Can you see?"
"Yeah." Seeing our foyer, I felt all of the heat shut out of my body and a cold weight pour in.
"Y'all check the kitchen?" Wallace let his arm drop and my vision went.
"They would have heard me calling," said Nahala. "You two do what you want, I'm gonna wait in the car."
But I had to make certain. I left Wallace and Nahala and walked, a kid displaced, into the deserted rooms I'd once inhabited through a house that felt visited by the plague. I went into the living room and through the dining room where Jacquon's high chair stood, its white tray flipped up, cereal alphabets glued to the bottom by old milk, but I never made it to the kitchen cuz there was a bloodstain burning the beige carpet before the linoleum.
I screamed.
"Is it wet?" Wallace whispered from somewhere behind me.
"I ain't touching it," hissed Nahala.
"You hear that?" I asked but could not turn my body.
"Sirens," Nahala murmured.
Wallace walked in front of me, squatting over the stain.
"Are they coming closer?" I asked, the siren's bullying wail like a bubble rising.
"They not for us," I heard Wallace say as the edges of my world curled/burned gray.
"Hey." Nahala pulled at me. "James."
"/"
"James!"
"/"
"James?"
"/?"
"It ain't blood," she said.
And I dropped into her arms, the living having gone out of my boy's legs.
"It's coffee," she told me as they helped me escape. "You okay, little man," Wallace said, carrying me out, "we got you—you okay."
But it wasn't me who wouldn't be okay, it was them, him, the little brother I was leaving behind.
## Snake Doctors
Almost four years ago in February of 1999, my mother called to tell me that my grandfather had died. Such an announcement is not an unprecedented occurrence in the life of a thirty-two-year-old man, but what makes it remarkable is that I had not known he was alive. My grandfather, Robert Sibley, had gone to prison in 1938, leaving his wife, my grandmother, Lorene, three months pregnant with their first and only child. It had always been my understanding that he'd died in prison.
Ever since her last divorce, my mother calls me whenever she is upset. I am much more amenable to conversation than my brother, who is somewhat of a hermit in West Texas and considering jettisoning his phone. After an inquiry into my health (I am severely diabetic), she told me that she had received a letter from my grandfather's lawyer containing a strange document, which she described as a joint confession by Robert and his twin sister, Izabel. But one extraordinary observation I wish to make here, is that my great-aunt, Izabel, died in the hospital at the age of seven in 1925 from a severe bout of polio. With my mother's permission, I have reprinted the original unedited manuscript here in its entirety. I welcome readers, especially those familiar with my family's colorful history, to write in.
Saul R. Sibley, January 2003
ROBERT
This is how it went: my sister curled across the backseat of my Chevrolet, her tiny, twisted feet dangling above the floorboard. My new wife, Lorene, sitting up front, digging her body against me as I drove. When we had left Texas in the dark morning heat, my sister had been asleep, and now as the sun stewed in the Arkansas sky, she still slept.
Lorene kept saying we were lost. To the dashboard, the windshield, the birds on the telephone line. We'd only been married a few months and I believed we were in love. But when I finally gave in and pulled over, rolling down the window, an odor filled the car—just like the one Mother said came from the factory. It was how the town made its money before the hospital. Strange that a town known for its cure would smell like poison. But that's how I knew we were there, that in a mile or so we would get out of the car and smooth our best, sweat-wrinkled clothes as we walked toward the white clapboard church to see my mother's body for the last time.
That's when I heard Izabel speak. "We're close," she said, pushing her words into the foul air. And I knew my sister had been awake the whole ride, dreaming of the man in the lavender and white, the doctor who had injected his "cure" into our mother's cancerous veins.
IZABEL
After Mother's funeral, we drove to our room in the Tourist Court and I yanked off my smart shoes, taking my old pair from the suitcase. "It's too hot to go into town," Lorene said from the cot, trying to pull her dull copper bangs over bald eyebrows with fingers so fat she couldn't get her wedding ring off without soap. Pale old Lorene who had married my brother only six months ago.
"I'm not hot," I said, tying on my shoes, the right sole wedged for my short leg.
"Lord, and I'm tired too." She yawned.
"Who cares what you are," I said and my brother scowled at me from across the room with narrowed eyes. We have dark eyes. Russian eyes Mother said. Black Sunday eyes Robert called them. He pushed up his glasses, then switched on the electric fan.
"Oh my, that's better," said Lorene, posing for him, disheveled on the double cot. Touching her thin bangs over and over.
_Brothers and sisters_ —the pastor had spoken as if before a crowd, though there was only the three of us there— _He who believes in me will live, even though he dies._ Not even a headstone saying Clementine Sibley 1894–1938 because it was not ready in time.
_Brother and sisters_ —the pastor who had only half his damn teeth— _We commit this body to the ground._ The sermon all wrong for the lovely stranger he had come to talk about. Apple blossoms in the dirt. Pink in the white of them: the flush before good-bye. No crowd. None of the good dancers who used to drive Mother around. Only Robert, me, and old Lorene.
_Brothers and sisters_ cried the man in lavender and white during his radio show that came on at one in the morning every night— _There is no need for radiotherapy or the disfiguring knife of the radical mastectomy._ And Mother, whose waist had become hollowed and sour, whose cancerous nipples were wont to bleed, turned up the volume and pushed her aching head to the speakers.
"You want to go into town for god knows what reason," said Lorene, pulling a stained Sears and Roebuck catalog off the nightstand. "But look at you, you're overfatigued."
"I'm fine," I said, my thumb on the scissors in my pocket.
"I read that too much sleep makes you just as tired as if you hadn't got any." She tore a page from the catalog.
Robert, my twin, held out a bottle of Coke. "Drink this. It'll wake you up."
But I turned away and went to pack my smart shoes. Mother had bought them last year. They rubbed my left heel so hard it bled. In the shoe store, the salesman's hand had disappeared up Mother's calf. They went into the back room while I waited at the counter. Ring the bell if my boss comes by, the salesman said. It takes pain to be beautiful, Mother told us.
"I'm going," Robert said, hitting the top of the bottle on the dresser. The cap flipped over on the carpet.
"That's mine," I said.
"I guess you already drank yours." He took a sip.
"No, I didn't."
He shrugged. "You can have this one."
"You already drank half of it."
He handed my Coke to Lorene.
"Thank you, honey," Lorene said, elbowing her way up to sitting to take it. "Listen," she said.
Robert turned to her. I looked out of the window over the grimy, orange kitchenette.
"We've been through just about the hardest thing, laying Mother Clementine in her grave. But she is right with Jesus and that's what matters." She set the Coke on the nightstand.
Robert nodded to please her.
"Honey," she continued, arranging her slip to hide her varicose veins, "I'm feeling poorly. You understand why, don't you? Could you get me a little hooch? Just a little won't hurt a thing."
"I guess." Robert took off his black fedora. He looked older than me, his forehead all creased, though he was only older by a minute.
"Don't forget to keep your hat on if you go out in that sun," she said.
I snatched the Coke from the nighstand and rushed out.
"Robert!" I heard Lorene whine then yell at me: "Wait!"
But I was gone, Coke spilling over the sleeve of my borrowed black dress as I limped down the gravel path.
ROBERT
It was easy to catch up with my sister and trail her through the winding blocks of stone buildings and gingerbread houses. When she stopped outside a bakery, I stopped to clean my glasses. Inside, a woman behind the window's yellow cursive was holding high a rolling pin.
"I know what you're up to," I said, watching the woman flatten the dough until it was smooth.
"Oh do you now."
"I didn't say anything because I didn't want to worry Lorene."
My sister began watching the woman behind the window too.
"The man in lavender and white," I said. That was what Mother had called the doctor because those were the only colors he wore.
Izabel shrugged. "I want to see him for myself."
"So he couldn't stop her from dying. Who but the Lord can do that?" I loosened my collar and tie.
She started walking, saying over her shoulder, "He's a quack. Somebody should put a stop to him."
I stepped in front of her outside the drugstore. "And it's going to be you?"
She said nothing, jamming her hands into the pockets of her dress.
"C'mon, let's go back, have a meal. Lorene will be wondering where we got to."
"You're not going to keep me from him." She went around me.
I yanked her back by the elbow. "I could if I wanted."
She laughed just to get at me. I slapped my hands down on both her shoulders, digging my fingers in. She sighed like the hurt was a relief.
I let go, glancing in the drugstore to see if anybody saw me. "I didn't mean to," I said.
"You never do." She stared hard at the sidewalk.
I was surprised. Usually she got nasty when I hurt her accidentally. "You can holler at him all you like, Iz, but nothing you can say will change a thing."
"Why not?"
"Because he's crazy and rich."
She rubbed her shoulders. "Rich off of people who sold everything because they thought they'd get well."
I began to rub her shoulders too. "There aren't any cures for pain," I said. "You get duped if you go looking for them."
Lorene was right, she looked tired. Her big beautiful dark eyes scraped out. "A day like today we can do what we want," she said.
I tried to distract her. "Look at that." I pointed. In the drugstore window, a gold-braided felt elephant was hanging from a lilac string. "When we were little, we had one just like that," I said. She turned to watch the elephant spin and I felt soothed like Mother was standing behind us saying, "We'll see."
"I've been meaning to tell you something," I said. I could tell that already my tone made her nervous. "Now's probably not the best time—finances being what they are—but Lorene's going to have a baby. She wanted to tell you herself, though I figured it was better if I did." Then I smiled like I thought I should.
"What do you want me to say?" she said.
"Are you happy for me?"
"You don't have money for a baby."
"We'll manage." My collar still felt too tight. I undid another button. "It's gotta rain in Panhandle someday. I'll get another job and maybe soon we could buy the house back."
"Go in and get the elephant," she said.
"I don't have enough on me. You want a doughnut?"
She shook her head. "How can you be hungry today of all days?"
"I'm thirsty too."
She got excited. "We could go drink from the creek. They built the whole town over it. It's supposed to heal. Mother said it was holy to the Indians."
"We should get back, Iz. Lorene . . ."
"I'll go to the hospital by myself," she said.
"You're crazy if you think you're going there without me."
"Come on then." She gave me a sly smile. "I'm happy for you."
We went past a post office choking on green ivy, past a hotel with a wooden cuckoo clock, and stopped at the top of a road washed green under the arch of the trees.
"This is the way," Izabel said, shifting deeper into her right hip. I gave her my arm and she leaned on me as we turned to look behind us down the slope of the street. At its bottom was the car parked in the Tourist Court, Mother in her new grave, and my unborn baby in Lorene.
IZABEL
We walked through a maze of white gazebos toward the cancer hospital, which had once been a grand hotel. At the entrance, a starched nurse pushed a wheelchaired lady across the lawn.
My brother swept off his hat before the women. "Good afternoon," he said.
"Good afternoon." They nodded.
"My name is Robert Sibley and I'd like to speak with the doctor if I could."
So polite, cautious even. I knew better and said nothing. I was busy watching the windows for a glimpse of lavender and white. A white tie. A white jacket. A lavender cravat. He thought they were the two most beautiful colors in the world. Or at least they foretold of a long life without debt.
The nurse smiled, blond and soft in white. "Do you have an appointment?"
"No, ma'am," Robert said. "My mother, Clementine died here and I'm hoping he could speak about her last days."
"You poor dear," said the lady in the wheelchair.
The nurse stroked the lady's hair like a little girl plays with her second best doll. "I'm sorry but the doctor is busy on his rounds. I will certainly tell him that you were here."
Robert was about to walk away. I put my hand on his arm. "How long will he be?" he asked.
"Oh I'm afraid the doctor won't be done until late tonight." The nurse bent over a white table and poured from a pitcher of water. She handed the woman a full glass. "Water?" she asked us.
"Did you know my mother?" I asked the nurse. "Clementine Sibley."
Under her smile, I could see the nurse getting anxious. She didn't want me talking about patients dying, that here it was all they ever did, that the only ones to walk out were the ones who had never been sick—only the hypochondriacs with their ulcerated eyes and their clean clean bodies left "cured."
"Clementine was a very charming woman. But she was too far along by the time she reached us. I only wish she hadn't waited so long to come. Though we never turn anybody away." The nurse smiled down at the woman. "Because I can't tell you how many times I've seen the hardest case leave cancer free."
I looked at the woman in the wheelchair, too weak to walk. She called us poor, but she was the fool who had likely sold every last thing to die alone in pain. "What kind of cancer do you have?" I put my hands in my pocket and felt for the scissors. "The truth is," I said, "you have to get it cut out and they don't believe in that here."
"Poor thing," the nurse said to the woman almost confidentially. "There's all kinds of grief."
Robert took me by the wrist but I kept talking. "At first you'll feel better, then you'll feel worse, and they tell you that's exactly how you're supposed to feel so that in the end you're too sick to leave."
The woman tried to wheel herself away, dropping her glass. "You let that be," the nurse said. "Let me wheel you back into the shade." She took the handles of the wheelchair, saying, "I'm sorry for your loss."
Robert dragged me across the lawn until we were behind a statue of stone horses attempting escape. I tried to pull loose but he hugged me tight, our faces so close I could see under his nose where he had cut himself shaving. In the fuss, it had started to bleed.
"See everybody's sorry," he said.
Why did he give up so easy? My twin, my brother, both of us out of the same body.
"Just let it be."
We could have found the man in lavender and white right then.
"You're not breathing—breathe."
So I breathed in Robert and the horses and a world that didn't have my mother in it.
ROBERT
We walked off the road and through the woods to the creek. The so-called healing waters. But it couldn't ever cure us.
I knew she was mad at me because I was mad at her. It was already a hard day—why'd she have to go and make it harder? We burned under every word, every turn of the head.
We stopped at the bank overlooking the creek, the water wide and deep enough to reflect the trees, the sound of it a relief. I found a patch of open grass and sat down to roll some tobacco. "Be careful," I said, "there's snakes."
"I love the water," she said, ignoring me.
I pointed at the dragonflies floating between the pines. "See, snake doctors all over the place." When I'd finished rolling a cigarette, I said, "You think I don't know about Mother."
Izabel picked up a big, mossed stick and sat down with her right leg straight. She looked like a puppet with a couple of snapped strings. "Just small town gossip," she said.
But when Mother came home late, you could smell where she'd been. "Lorene says the whole town knows." A smell like curdled milk but sweet.
"Lorene's just jealous," Izabel said, grinding the stick into the dirt.
"Of what?"
"She's already sagging."
"Shut your mouth."
"You married her not me." She was writing her name in the dirt.
"They call Mother the town whore."
Izabel threw the stick at me. It hit me in the chest, staining my white shirt. I grabbed it off the ground and she scrambled up. "Don't," she said.
It was like a hot tightness wanted out of my skin and the only way was to hit something. I swung the stick. It missed. A practice swing. I only needed to hit her once and then I'd be done. It'd be all out. Then I'd feel empty and clean and sorry. And I'd love her. I'd be flooded with love. It always came rushing right back afterward.
I whacked her in the hip and she yelped. I wouldn't have done it again if she hadn't smiled. Maybe it was nerves. Maybe spite. But she smiled.
I swung hard and hit her leg. She cried out, stumbling back, looking behind her at the creek, then quickly back up at me.
"Don't," I said, dropping the stick.
But it hadn't even hit the ground before she was making for the bank's edge. I'd never seen her move so fast. I came after her as she went sliding down the bank and into the creek, falling forward, her head going under the thick current, mud on the bottom loosening, clouding the water and swallowing her whole.
When Mother brought Izabel home from the polio ward, where for weeks she'd been sealed off in a little cell with a window like the porthole of a sunken ship, I was so much bigger than my sister that I could pick her up, and I did, carrying her from the car to the kitchen where Mother opened a jar of cherries and we stuck in our whole hands, and Mother, still a girl herself, didn't get mad but laughed at the sweet red mess. She scooped Izabel up and ran down to our pond, where she put a hand under my sister's back while she floated, saying, "Now doesn't that feel good?" And I knew it did, everything did because we had a beautiful mother we could touch.
I jumped in and found my feet could feel the bottom. I waded to her as quick as I could, going under so I could lift her up. She coughed into my shoulder as I carried her back up the incline of the muddy bank. "Are you hurt?" I asked, setting her down.
She sat with her hands covering her face. "I'm fine," she said but couldn't stop shaking.
"Dammit." I looked away while she tried to compose herself. "I dropped my cigarette. Probably set the woods on fire." I bent to slap the weeds from her wet dress.
I found the cigarette still burning and began smoking it, wandering my patch of grass. Izabel came and leaned against a tree, and as she wrung out her skirt, I saw something heavy in her pocket.
"What's that?" I pointed.
"Scissors," she said.
"Why are you carrying them?"
"They were Mother's. I brought them from home."
She stood there, squeezing the water from her dark hair and I knew I should ask something more but didn't.
I stamped out my cigarette. "I know she wasn't a whore, but those men treated her like she was."
She rubbed her hip. "Or maybe they liked her but nobody wanted to get married."
"That's Mother talking. Here." I came over and slipped off her shoes and shook the water out. "Sit down if you're hurting."
"I don't want to get my dress muddy."
"Iz, how would you have liked to go around town, running into men—damn ugly men—having them smile at you because they know and you know that they've been all over your mother?"
"Put my shoes back on," she said.
I slid them on her feet. "Let's go," I said.
Izabel rubbed the dirt off her hands. "No, not yet."
"You're tired." I didn't like the look on her face.
She hobbled over and made me sit, taking off my hat and pushing the hair from my forehead. Standing over me, she drew lines with her fingers on my scalp. "There's only one thing to do," she said.
"You keep saying the doctor took our money but she took it first. She's the one who sold the house."
Izabel's hands went still. "We have to kill the man in lavender and white," she said.
The night before Mother left for the hospital, I found her naked on her knees in the kitchen. Not a light on. Maybe she was praying. I don't know what she was doing. When I put her to bed, I could smell liquor sour on her breath. I didn't want her going to the hospital in Arkansas. I wanted her to stay in Texas and have the surgery. I sat with her until the early hours of the morning. When I got up and went into the kitchen, I found Izabel with her head down on the kitchen table, the sun creeping up her crooked waist. She turned her head. We both knew Mother was falling for another phony, the last man who would tell her whatever she wanted to hear.
IZABEL
At the Tourist Court, Lorene started me a bath, pretending to be sweet but feeling smug. Then she sat and smoked on the toilet while I sat on the edge of the bath, waiting for the hot water to cover my dirty feet.
"Nice big ole bathtub, ain't it," Lorene said. "Be good to have one like it at home." She cocked back her head and blew smoke at the ceiling. "You were gone a long time. What kept you?"
"I'm a slow walker." I began to unbutton my dress.
"What happened to your clothes?"
I said nothing looking at the mud drying on my hem.
"You're in a mood. Did you slip?" Lorene pressed her lips together and smiled. "I'll stay for a little while and make sure you don't slip again."
Our eyes met.
"Go away," I said.
She stubbed her cigarette out in the sink, took the pack from the top of the toilet, leaned back, and lit another. "C'mon honey, don't be shy."
Was my brother really in love with Lorene? When Mother was in love, she would run a fever. She couldn't eat or sleep. She would whistle in the garden, her hands beating the dirt.
"Stay or go—I don't care."
I got up and yanked the shower curtain around the tub then went behind the curtain and finished unbuttoning my dress, pulling it over my head and dropping it on the floor. I unlocked my stiff right knee, my hands helping it to bend, and slipped under the water. When I stuck my head out from behind the curtain, I saw that Lorene was inspecting a pimple in the mirror.
"You think you know me," I said, soaping my arms, shoulder to nails. Then my waist, my womanhood, my legs, and my tiny, twisted feet.
"You know we've lived in the same town for years," Lorene said, "but your family always kept apart. That was your mother's doing. I don't want to speak ill, but that was her way of acting high and mighty, though truth be told, it didn't hide what folks knew." She waited. "Ain't you gonna say any thing at all?"
I wobbled up with a splash, the water glazing my tilted hips, the curve of my spine, my whittled short right leg, and pulled open the curtain.
Lorene looked up, staring at the red welts Robert had made with the stick.
"See," I said, "I didn't slip."
Lorene drank the gin Robert bought and fell asleep on the cot. I lay down on a blanket on the floor in Mother's old nightdress. Robert came out from the bathroom. "We'll leave in the morning," he said, setting his glasses on the nightstand. Without his glasses, he looked more like me. "Why don't you go up on the cot next to Lorene?" he said.
I turned onto my side to see his face, slipping my hand under the pillow. "Remember when we thought the world was ending? That Sunday the duster came so thick and fast, and I couldn't find you," I said.
"I was in the yard." He lay back on the cot, his hands behind his head. "It got real cold and windy. Then black. I could hear the birds going nuts, but I couldn't see a thing."
"It swallowed the sun and made us blind."
"Then I heard you calling and I crawled to the house. Where was Mother?" he whispered.
"At the doctor."
"The doctor's closed on Sunday."
I turned onto my back. "Remember we sat wrapped in that wet sheet for hours."
"Remember you saying it was like Pompeii?"
"That like them we would suffocate."
"That it was the End Days."
"This is just like then."
"But then there was a next day, and a next. We only have to wake up."
I got up, pushing on my damp shoes. "I'm going with or without you," I said.
"It was her choice to come here." He rolled over, his face turned from me. "She was going to die anyway."
"Not alone in a hospital room." I walked out the door.
Outside, the warm air wanted to be close. There was no part of me it did not find. I climbed into Robert's car, shutting the door and sinking into the seat as if it were hot sand. I watched Robert hurry from the bungalow and run to the top of the Tourist Court's drive, stopping to peer both ways down the empty road.
I pushed the car door open calling to him in a low voice. He looked frightened when he turned. The lump in his throat was mine.
On those warm midnights when we waited up for Mother, we would tell stories, sing, dance, howl—anything to fill the house. But we would never talk about the men, never mention their names or wonder where they'd gone. All my life, I loved only her and Robert, and so did not understand how you could let someone you did not love inside you.
ROBERT
I parked at the foot of the drive leading up to the hospital. Izabel got out first, stopping in front of the headlights, her face smooth like it was made of marble. I turned off the car and found her in the dark.
We went across the lawn, past the gazebos to the back entrance of the hospital. When she opened the door, light from a crystal chandelier dropped onto her hair like the moon on water. I stood a foot behind her, hatless in still wet shoes. Through the door, there was a staircase and farther down the hall, I could see the front lobby where two china dogs stood guarding a giant white stone fireplace. Izabel brought out the scissors and my face went hot, my head too light.
"Come on," she whispered.
"Wait." I tried to think of something. "Scissors?" I said.
"They're sharp."
"You should've brought a gun. Or at least a knife." I waved the gnats from my face. "Even if you stabbed him, it wouldn't kill him, it'd only make a mess."
"Not if I get him right in the neck."
"You're not tall enough," I said.
"I'll ask him to kneel down and pray with me for her."
"He'd overpower you, easy."
"I'm going," she said, and I could see that her hands were shaking. "Are you coming?"
I wished we were still on the floor of the Tourist Court, wished that we had never come, wished she could just be filled with dumb love and never feel what was not fair.
"No," I said and the door closed, leaving me standing in the dark, croaking night.
I cracked the door and watched her go toward the staircase, its walls pink with gold flowers, when the blond nurse from the afternoon appeared in the hall pushing a gurney. I opened the door wider, thinking Izabel would run back out, but instead she turned and limped up the stairs.
"You're not allowed in here," the nurse cried, going after her and dragging her back down by the arm. I stepped into the hall. Izabel swung around and without thinking—for it was just the pure clean release of the poison for which there is no cure—drove the scissors into the nurse's waist. The nurse screamed, clutching at the red eating the white of her uniform.
Izabel toppled backward, letting go of the scissors now lodged in the nurse's body. She didn't try to get up, but stayed sprawled on the last few steps, staring at the nurse where she'd collapsed on the hall floor white and sweating, her blood all over the tile.
I stepped carefully around the nurse and helped my sister up. She was so light—it was like she was not even there.
The nurse wasn't moving much but her eyes were on me like she thought I would help her.
"I need the scissors," said my sister. "They're Mother's."
"I'm not getting them," I said and my head filled again with hot air.
We stood over the nurse who was sobbing now in a blind, lost way. I thought of my mother in her last hour, alone and in enough pain to have forgotten where she was, maybe her name, us.
"She might live," said Izabel.
I drove west, leaving the nurse, Lorene, Mother, the baby—everyone but my sister, until they put her in a little cell again.
AFTERWORD
After some investigation, I located the records of the case, which found Robert Sibley guilty of manslaughter at the courthouse in Dalhart. Evidently, the nurse he stabbed died in the early hours of the morning. Of course, there was no mention of Izabel. I have gone through each of the scenes multiple times and realized that the other characters were only ever truly speaking to Robert, and that Izabel existed for him alone. Was my grandfather haunted all his life by his sister? Or did he conjure her ghost in 1938 to spur him to vengeance when their mother died of cancer at a hospital of ill-repute? Questions like these are impossible to answer and maddening to raise.
The man in lavender and white, the founder and self-appointed "doctor" running the cancer hospital in Arkansas, makes no appearance in these particular transcripts, though upon further research it seems that he does come to his own sad end: dying alone on a boat of cirrhosis of the liver, a submachine gun his only companion.
Saul R. Sibley, January 2003
## The Mourners
The clocks had been stopped and she did not know if a day had yet passed only that it had been light then dark, and now the light had come again, but had it yet been a day? In this uncertain passage of time, she had not had thought. Instead a road of airless wool had unfurled wide in her head, winding monotonous through the astonishment of her loss.
Just before, when Henry had lain swamped in his own blood, his wife had heard his mother telling the new Negro cook as they stood outside the bedroom door with the dinner tray: "There is an art to dying and the boy does not have it—never mind he has been dying since first he was born." Out the bedroom window in the fermenting dark, a loose dog had again started baying. "Should I turn over a shoe, Henry?" his wife had asked, wiping her folded handkerchief across his mouth. Henry's eyes were closed, active in their closing, the collar of his nightshirt flecked red. Having been married to him fifteen years she had grown accustomed to his notseeing. Notseeing his mother's slights when first he brought her to Mississippi. Notseeing her unseemly origins. Notseeing her father's vulgar, dubious profession. Notseeing Judah's exhausted frailty betrayed by the transparency of that child's skull.
For days now his wife had heard voices speaking of her, the Yankee, so of course a Negro lover, a motherless daughter who had entrapped Henry. Whether this was spoken as she sat there in the swelter of the parlor as the townsfolk came in to view the body she could not tell, she knew only that the voices were those of women.
Her own mother had not bothered giving her a name. Perhaps predicting that she would not live past birth, it then being a time of yellow fever, or perhaps imagining that if she were to survive girlhood, she would enter into the fleshly profession, adopting a name meant to jollify men—Diamond Dolly, Baby Minnie, Big Kitty—rendering a name prior to that undertaking inconsequential. It was her father who had named her Emmeline. Emmeline, after his sister who while still a girl had fallen from a tenement window in the Lower East Side.
Emmeline stood in the stately plush oppression of the parlor and went to where her husband had been placed, propped, arranged, displayed, to where the day was finding its way into his body, choking the candles and compression of flowers.
That rot in the heat could not be her Henry. The dull gold hair she had combed and cut, the smooth emaciated body she had bathed, making certain to touch every part—the left hollow of his collarbone, the stilldamp behind his knees, the indent of his lower back—because it was said that a dead person's spirit could enter through your hands she had gripped and kneaded his fast ossifying skin, pinching his spirit into hers.
For it was through the body that they had first understood each other. When first he saw her outside of the finishing school, he had taken her hand as if he had been waiting for her.
His dying left her in a strange muscular silence: a black halo of notsound. If ever they were to speak again it must be now through the spirit.
She closed her eyes and traced the scrolled back of the sofa to the center of the parlor, nipping her shin on a serving tray. She walked until she banged into the wall, bruising her left knee, sliding along until she felt the door. When she opened it, she opened her eyes.
No sunlight striping the hall's floral patterned wallpaper. No pallbearers coming to carry him away. Nobody to tell her if it had yet been a day and if she, Emmeline, once the wife of Henry Stovall, was free to leave his body.
Emmeline was not seen leaving the house except for Sundays. On the church bench, the weeping veil of black crepe could not wholly hide her, but she felt sequestered, screened. Only Judah, squirming on her lap, could slip under and touch, his fingers reminding with their hot wet that though no longer a wife, she must be a mother. The baby clutched her skirts as if trying to steer her, melting his yellow curls into folds of her heavy black serge. Kissing his hands was enough to make him smile for she was his religion.
Every night before midnight, Emmeline let herself out of the whitewashed front door and hastened down the line of cedars clotting the path, her skirts rushing over the ivy trailing down the roots as a net of branches spread above, dissecting the night sky.
Over Henry's grave, the damp silence was swallowed thick and she was nakedly awake in the stutter of birds and stars calling through the melt and sway of Spanish moss suffocating the trees.
HENRY JAMES STOVALL
1855–1889
She called but he would not come.
Nine months passed before Emmeline received a letter from her father, Zebediah Ferris. In it, he made no mention of Henry, or of the year and a day that a widow must wait when in deep mourning. He wrote only: "I need you here."
She did not comprehend his urgency but recognized the habitual, cryptic pattern of all his attending her. When on holiday from The Select School for Young Ladies in Atlanta, she would arrive at a temporary town of picks, shovels and pans to live with him among the drinking, whoring and gambling. Either he had ignored her, or furiously concealed her in a hotel, setting Wilkie, a former buffalo hunter and his enforcer, at her door.
Emmeline could not disregard the letter. It was her father who had sent her East to the expensive school, he who made certain that her marriage to Henry Stovall, variously contested by his family, had taken place, he who had been the originator of all her good fortune and as he was fond of saying: the devil has his price.
Outside the parlor, Judah, a condensed weight on her hip, dropped his head on her breast.
"Sleepy, button? Yes, we'll do it now," she kissed and kissed him. "We'll do it quick."
Mother Stovall did not look up from her bookkeeping until Emmeline spoke saying, "Mother," and the parlor filled up with a static, continuous ire as she raised her goldgray head but not her pen asking, "Yes? What is it?"
Emmeline hesitated. "I'm afraid I've had a letter from my father."
"It's about time. I saw it delivered."
"He said that he wants—well truly he needs me to come out West. And I feel I ought." Emmeline shifted Judah onto her other hip.
"Hadn't you better not. To take a trip? Now? Why it isn't at all seemly. Write that you will come in three months."
Emmeline turned away, lingering near the piano. Judah stretched to pick the wax at the bottom of a candle perched next to the sheet music. "But how could people, Christians I mean, find fault in my traveling to see my family? Is that not a duty? Not a wise and sensible course?"
"Nonsense. The world will know it as a lack of respect for the memory of the dead. That you should have the courage to go against it—a Stovall would not contemplate it—it must be the extravagance of your age talking." Mother Stovall put down her pen. "Wasn't _Harper's_ right that the sham lady will always be manifest?"
Emmeline put her chin on Judah's hair. "I have no wish to be the cause of talk, Mother." As she kissed his head, her lips felt for the thin, compact burn of a fever. She began vainly humming. He had yet to fall ill.
"Don't you take that boy if that's what you are supposing."
Emmeline opened her mouth.
"Why? Why Judah is as susceptible as ever his brothers were. Traveling for so many days on a dusty road will kill him if he isn't first slain by Indians."
"Won't my father want to see him, having never done so? He never got to meet August, or even Caleb."
"There was reason for that." Mother Stovall sniffed. "Caleb. You always had a partiality for that boy—petting him so."
Caleb had died in the time it had taken her to change her dress. He had squeezed her hand crying "Mama," and she had cradled him as she did the day he was born. She had not believed he could die.
"And should I care what he of nopast may desire? He whose scandalous vocation Henry did not care to dwell on, nor whoever your mother may have been, yet how could not I? Being a Stovall of Mississippi, how could not I?"
Mother Stovall had clung to this refrain for fifteen years, brandishing it whenever she could: a dull, starved outrage gone solid.
Reaching for a pinecone, Judah toppled a frame from the mantel. Emmeline crouched on the empty bricked hearth where Henry's rifle leaned with Caleb's fishing rod, saying, "Judah, now look—you almost broke it." It was a painting Mother Stovall had done: a small portrait of Henry, a blond boy in short pants. She laid it facedown on the mantel.
"As a man Henry did not have to dwell, but we women must. You and I must."
Judah kicked and Emmeline set him down, watching him toddle and yank on a curtain rope. "Gently. No, I'd not have him fall ill, of course not. Be gentle with it, Judah. And I am sorry if it gives some reason to talk, but I have to go. Mammy Eula can care for him while I'm away. It won't be for long. A week or two. It couldn't be for long."
The goldgray head lowered back to the bookkeeping, scratching over the household accounts. "What would you not do for that horror of a man? As if you are his dog and he has said, Come."
For what did her father need her, to what use could she, a mother, a new-made widow, a woman of thirty-two, be put to by a brothel-owner in a cowboy town? When the stagecoach rattled in and the ditched road bucked her one last time, the black lace went tight around her throat. But as the driver opened the door and her hands accepted his, the constriction of lace left her.
The two remaining passengers, a pregnant woman and a hazy notyoung whore, grimaced at the mud track meant to be a main street, at the slop pot stench of the tents, at the baleful eyes of purblind men. Emmeline stood in the center of the thoroughfare, drawing back her heavy crepe veil, letting in the din of burnt hard necks. How long it had been since she had known this incongruous measure of relief which now undid her as she staggered tranquil into the dusty hotel?
"Hell is in session, Emme. The town lost its marshal last month."
"Did he run, Pa?" she asked, sitting on a chair by his bed, her hands clasped tight in her lap. She could not get comfortable.
"Naw, he was strung up. Turns out he used to be a bandit before he turned lawman and had returned to the old ways. Made a miscalculation robbing a bank near Fort Worth and those folks came down here for justice. I myself could not help him though you might have said he was a friend." He said this while he paced the hotel room, a dirty glass of whiskey in hand.
"Oh dear. Well, I do hope they broke his neck first."
"Naw, not that rabble. He hung there like an angry chicken for nigh on two hours turning blood purple."
"Now Bart, you're exaggerating. It was half that, and it was a bank near Galveston not Fort Worth." Madame Cora, her dyed blond curls rolled tight to her head, in far finer dress than Emmeline, smiled triumphantly from above a cape of fox fur.
"Jeysus," said Wilkie from where he stood by the door twisting the stillred of his mustache. "Sure is durn good to see ya, Emme. You look right well. Glad you come help us with them Morgan boys."
"Shut your mouth, Wilkie," said her father finally sitting down on a chair on the other side of the bed, a ragged titan in a new suit.
Till then she had avoided the dirty patch covering his left eye, waiting for him, but in the tension of all in the room she now sensed an agreed deflection. "What happened to your eye, Pa?"
The new gauntness of the large, square face glared at her. He leaned over the bed, flipping the patch to show a ruined hole damp with healing. "The girls got the men a little too excited and they took to shooting out the lights. That's how some celebrate their salary."
She wondered why he bothered with the lie. "Who did it, Pa? Was it these Morgans?"
"I see you're still in mourning for Henry. But now ain't you always in black." His remaining eye which was also her eye scraped at her. "I reckon since you're dark, being a widow becomes you."
"Pa?" Her voice close on a whisper, as if they were alone. "The night before Henry died, I heard a dog."
"Howling?"
"Yes." She nodded, her eyes wide.
"Did you now?" He too came soft at speech but with an austerity she could not at that moment match.
"Yes Pa. Howling and howling. It wouldn't stop. I don't know whose dog—I don't know just whose it was. And it was odd but I remembered something Ma had said, and it is one of the few things I ever recall her saying to me, but when Flossie—do you remember Flossie?—was sick with fever, Ma said that when someone is dying you must go under the bed and turn over a shoe. Remember?" He was the only person she had told, could tell.
"And did you," he asked, "did you turn over a shoe?"
"I only remembered what Ma had said when I was in the garden with the minister and he was asking me what kind of coffin did I want. But when I went up and asked Henry—" She scratched her cheek. "No I didn't do it right away. Do you think, Pa—?"
"It hasn't been a year, has it, Emme dear," said Cora, folding and refolding her cape over powdered breasts. "What with losing two sons and then your husband, Lord, why you don't know yourself. It's a good thing you come here to be with us."
"I'll have to go back soon," Emmeline said.
"I thought you might bring the boy," said her father.
Her face burned for she was wishing she had not come at all. "Judah is too like his father and brothers." Emmeline untied her bonnet and smoothed the veil, seeing Judah when he woke in the morning, his undiluted joy upon seeing her face. Who else would ever look at her like that? "I suppose you want me as madam." She spoke now with the vigilant serenity which kept her intact.
"I didn't spend money on your fancy school for that. Besides, I got one here. Cora gabbles on but she knows her trade. I'll give her that much. You being the grand lady in the Old States is worth something. I ain't about to throw away all that damn accomplishment."
"And since I've come on," Cora said, "a trick here can earn five dollars—ten a week and you got fifty. We got a whole bunch of new girls too, did you see? Oh, they got to feeling blameful at the start but then they watch as their savings pile up! Emmeline honey, you could be an angel to your father now in his time of need."
"Shut your mouth, woman. There's a man who wants to meet you, a man I want you to marry."
"The man who shot out your eye?" Emmeline asked.
"The man who shot out my eye is dead."
"You do not mind if Wilkie remains, do you Mayor Gibson? It is a great comfort to my father to know that I am accompanied until I am able to hire a female companion."
"Dear madam, as you wish. Have you had trouble finding a suitable abigail?"
From across an unvarnished table in the shadowed vacuum of the hotel parlor, there was a brutish, glittering air about the fact that Mayor Gibson's coat reeked of cigar smoke and his breath was saccharine with brandy. He was a man who did not wear his weight well. The corpulent pucker under his eyes seemed to be dragging itself from the bone.
"Well sir, I did not know that I would be visiting for quite this long, and I find, without the least surprise, that there is a scarcity of respectable women in town."
"Ma'am, I myself will make inquires on your behalf."
"It is most kind in you," she said and smiled in her light, fatal way.
"Your father has told me that you have recently lost your husband to consumption."
"Yes sir." At his mentioning Henry, she began to detest him.
"Such a cross to bear when already you have said farewell to others. How long has it been?"
Her throat went dry. What was Judah doing now? Likely playing in the garden, or sleeping on Mammy Eula's lap. "Coming on eleven months."
"So recent, so recent. Why it might feel to you he were alive yesterday. It did so with my sweet wife and little girl child. Time passes differently for the bereaved, does it not? And when you wake in the morning, there are those first moments when you are innocent of knowing like Adam in Eden." He pressed a limp hand over her glove and through the black kid came a damp heat. "Your father said I would find us of a similar understanding."
This man she was supposed to marry was a fool. She felt behind her to where Wilkie stood, thumbs in the pockets of his shabby waistcoat, and was scalded by his notwatching.
"Sir, I will confide to you that the reason I have stayed is because I am dreadfully worried, dreadfully worried that I might lose my father." She heard her words as if someone else was speaking.
"I do believe, ma'am, that we will meet those that we have lost, that itself Death is but one level of our moving closer toward God."
"I would like . . . I do believe that as well. Yet I cannot help but feel my father is fortunate that the bullet which took his eye did not pierce his brain."
"In these parts, danger predominates in so many of our young men's dispositions."
"But sir, I have heard that these Morgan brothers are regular bandits, that they ride with posses and such, robbing the Mexican ranch—"
"As I myself am no Wild Bill, it has seemed best to let such beasts deal with their own. Is it hard on you there being no Methodist church in town? Is it possible you might find comfort at a small gathering I sometimes frequent? I could introduce you to our celebrated Miss Ada."
She finally felt she could withdraw her hand. "What takes place at these gatherings?"
"The assembled ask Miss Ada questions of metaphysical abstraction and she answers with what I would deem supernatural eloquence. You would find her elocution upon the subject of the deceased most enlightening."
"I suppose that I sometimes feel there is nothing noble in my grief." This may have been the one true thing she had spoken.
"There is that which assuages the mourner, the one who has yet not charted the passage to the grave and may have a vague horror upon its account. Why ma'am, if I could but show you the liberation that could be yours—but I do not seek to proselytize, only offer you the solace which I have found. If I could arrange it, Mrs. Stovall, would you care to join us?"
"I think—"
"Your father seemed to feel you might."
"—Yes. He is so often right," she smiled and Mayor Gibson smiled at her, wiping his hands on his thighs. "I could do with the solace you speak of. Though I can't help but think that I would know some measure of it if I knew my father were safe from the Morgans. You see, talk of them taking their revenge is all over town. It seems unjust when it was Shep Morgan who shot Pa, and Pa who was simply defending himself. But Shep being their kin, the Morgans shall never see reason."
"Would it ease your mind if I had a warrant put out for their arrest?"
"It would . . ." She pretended to be flustered. "No, yes it would, that would, it's true."
"Please do speak freely. Are we not friends?"
She decided to lower her eyes. "I don't wish to seem ungrateful, sir."
"You could never." Again, he pressed her hand.
Now she looked straight at him. "As long as the Morgan brothers are alive, my father is in danger."
"And as mayor, I could see that they hang?"
"My father believes it would ease my mind."
"And he being so often right?"
She need say nothing, she had won him, and was impatient for the game to end.
"Dear lady, I shall see it done."
"Thank you."
"Now that we are friends you must call me Jasper."
"Thank you, Jasper," she said.
Emmeline tucked the letter in a drawer next to a memorial tintype of August, her first baby upturned and openmouthed in her arms. Henry had not wanted Caleb photographed saying we had him for eight years, we will not forget him. He had a signet ring made; the band filled with Caleb's hair.
The day of August's burial it had rained, but rain so light she could not feel it, and still the dirt would not go soft, lending the shovel a feverish tinny rasp that bit and bit. But the morning after Caleb died she and Henry walked the sunny fields, their sweat and tears loose in the gold lead heat. Now she could not clearly see Caleb's face. She who had made him—her and Henry and God.
"You're a right good girl."
She turned from the dresser to face the balcony. She had to close her eyes to say it. "My boy is ill." But he was with Mammy Eula, a better nurse than herself, she knew. She hated hearing her babies cry, the pained mewl that none of her words could soothe. "I have to go back." She pulled her trunk onto the bed, opening it.
Wilkie folded his arms, as if to shrink his bulk. "He'll get better. Don't you fuss yerself. Thet Miss Ada is a medium."
She needed fresh air, outside, the fresh air. "I'll tell Pa. I can come back once Judah's well." From the balcony she could see Mayor Gibson passing below. "Am I the only woman who isn't a whore that Mayor Gibson has known in years?" She watched as a drunk was thrown from a saloon by two men who stood over him as he yelled. They took turns kicking and punching him until he went quiet in the mud.
"An you wearing black. He likes thet."
"Mayor Gibson is a powerful man. He's gonna be governor someday." Her father came into the room but not onto the balcony.
"It's all a humbug—spirit rappers," Wilkie spat.
"As long as Miss Ada ain't managed by P. T. Barnum she's all right in my books," her father said.
"It ain't right," Wilkie said.
She felt impatient with Wilkie, her father, the choking weight of the air. "Judah is ill, Pa."
"There's always a spider bite or a cut or a cold. You can't keep them from the peril of the world—it's the world, Emme."
"Yes, but I have to go back. You do see, don't you?" The words were said with a narrowing restraint.
"You're gonna marry the mayor."
"Pa, I'm not trying to get your back up but must it be marriage?"
"Emme, that man there is a civilizee, he don't wanna be seen with no soiled dove. Decency and order, that's what this town is coming to."
She tried to wring the irritation from her voice. "But even if the mayor does hang the Morgans there will come more just like them."
"That's why I need this fellow in my pocket and your marriage is gonna put him there. I'm a man of business, I can't go around having my eye shot out by every hayseed that has a hankering, now can I?" He watched Mayor Gibson walk by the drunk and enter the saloon.
"I'll marry him when I come back, I promise."
"She's a beauty, ey?" Her father came behind her, clapping his hands down on her shoulders.
She flinched. "I will, Pa. But I have to be with Judah."
"When she was a kid and she'd play outside in the thoroughfare, grown men'd watch her and weep. Remember that Wilkie?"
"But what if he should be like Caleb or August? I have to—" She tried to twist away but he propelled her inside. He shoved her down into the chair in front of the dresser, keeping his hands on her shoulders.
"Her mother too. Some men'll perish over a woman. Not me, but some. Emme wouldn't know but plenty tried to buy her mother off me. Lillie had a little of everything in her . . . German, Mexican, Ethiope . . . and in them days, Wilkie, any drop made you a slave."
"Is there affection, Pa? Is there any affection between us?"
He grabbed her by the jaw. "And my Emme was so pretty, so pretty—"
She tried to pry off his hands and get up but he wrapped both hands around her neck so she sat back down.
"So when the fellas came round, asking when she'd be ready to fuck, it was me—not Lillie, not the drunk with no head for business so soaked no man wanted to get horizontal with her—it was me who held them off, me who made Emme a lady and married her to money. Wilkie, I'll admit I never expected a man as wealthy as Henry Stovall, but I knew him for a reckless sort when I first laid eyes on him. Holding hands with Death all his life made him a gambler who wouldn't pay any heed to the objections of his family."
"Zeb," Wilkie said, his hands tentatively reaching.
Her father thumbed her throat. "But I still hadn't achieved a happy ending. For there was, you see, an impediment. What was that impediment, Wilkie? What was it? You remember?"
"Zeb, now I don't mean to argufy but Emme's a right biddable girl. Sho she's seen to it we'll see them Morgan boys hanged. There ain't no need to speak on days past."
"That's right, her mother. Because not only was Lillie a whore but a negress and that kind of union ain't legal in Mississippi, not then and not now, it being, according to law, incestuous and void. But as I knew Henry was the type to perish over a woman I said: pay me and they will never hear a whisper, those high-class Mississippi Stovalls. Because I am not the type to perish over a woman, because no matter what she is I am her father, I dosed Lillie's whiskey with enough laudanum to kill an elephant."
He let her go.
She stared at him in the mirror and then into her own eyes realizing that she already knew.
"Now Emme's a fine lady, she can afford to have sensibility, but not me and I tell you, Wilkie," her father said, his voice proud and violated, "how sharper than a serpent's tooth is it to have a thankless child."
"Now you may join hands," said Miss Ada from where she sat in a bloom of crepe and camphor at the head of the table.
Mayor Gibson took Emmeline's left hand and an old woman retrieved her right. She ground her teeth so she wouldn't pull away and tried to watch the medium crease with effort then fall bland, passive for the so-called spirit, intoning: "We are here tonight to seek the divine illumination of our spirit guides."
Emmeline rolled her head from side to side, stretching her aching neck. And who indeed should be her spirit guide?
AUGUST THAYER STOVALL
1876–1876
5 mo. 11 d.
"So small, so sweet, so soon!"
CALEB EDMOND STOVALL
1877–1885
8 Y's 4 mo. 15 d.
"When blooming youth is snatch'd away!"
HENRY JAMES STOVALL
1855–1889
In the 34 year of his age.
"Earth hath no sorrow that heaven cannot heal."
Not Judah. She was leaving tomorrow morning on the next stage. To please her father, she would marry the mayor, but first she would go home to her son. She needed to feel the weight of him, his damp head in the crook of her arm.
"We should all concentrate on our most pressing question with loving reverence," said Miss Ada.
Did she who could not believe in Heaven have a question? Emmeline crossed and uncrossed her legs, resisting the urge to kick. Did there exist a persistent, incorporeal presence hungry and blind and monotonous as hate, one neither wholly living or dead who by being neither was cursed to wander with eternal incomprehension of both? When death came did that which animated dissolve back into the earth, or was there some union of energy wherein some shape or rather in no shape she would be with them again? Or did the straining and longing and recoiling of this life beget nothing but a silence beyond notsound? Why did this frowsy woman not weighing a hundred pounds fetid with camphor insist on trumpeting her talent of conjuring demon or angel or humbug?
Heat soaked Emmeline's neck like a rash, sweat itching her scalp. She should say she was too hot but she shouldn't interrupt. Well and if it got worse she—
She was kneeling in a graveyard. The stone slab that covered the length of a coffin was cracked, shards of granite caved in. From the oak trees around her, music was playing: fiddles and brass, the clap of boots stamping, as if somewhere there were dancing.
"Emme?"
She heard a cough.
"Henry?"
He cleared his throat. "I can't see a damned thing."
She reached through the hole and through the dark, braying and sweet, she saw Henry's discolored face, a moving bruise under his eyes. "You've come back—" She crushed herself in him. "I just want to be with you," she said into his beard. "I just have to. I can't be without you. I don't want to, Henry!"
"Sweet girl," he said but she could not see his tongue move.
"If I die, will I get to be with you?" She kissed him and he tasted of sour earth. "You have come for me, haven't you?" She held his face in her hands, memorizing the ruin of eyes notblue.
He shook as if swimming up to her. "I don't want you to worry, darlin. He's with me now."
"Who? Caleb? Judah?"
She heard a noise and looked up. It was as if she were at the bottom of a well. Two faces peered down at her through a tunnel, a man and a woman whom she did not know. They seemed so urgent—shouting for her, though she did not know what they wanted, who they were, or now who she was, but that there was something of where they were which vaguely had to do with her, whoever she was. In this paralyzed musing she found herself, regardless of having made no decision, materializing into the room where they were, into the rolling furnace of a body which was hers.
"Emmeline, Emmeline" they insisted until she knew her name.
She lay in the dark on a sofa, the candles having gone out. Mayor Gibson and Miss Ada were bent over her, fanning her, holding up smelling salts. She burst into tears. The silence, that black halo of notsound, had left her.
Emmeline slept into the next afternoon. It was almost sundown when she woke in a daze, everything tilted, the sun crackling like light rain through leaves. She thought she was in her bedroom in Mississippi hearing a baby cry in the next room. Standing, the blood roared oversweet in her ears. She saw the sealed letter on the dresser. She went to the nightstand, rinsing the sulfur from her mouth, and picked up her Bible, a wedding gift from Henry, as neither her mother nor her father had ever seen fit to give her one. But she set it back down between a bottle of perfume and her pincushion, placing the pipe that had been Henry's on its cover, and again washed her mouth. She could not taste clean.
On the balcony with the letter, the town went quiet and forgotten.
Leaving off her veil, she stumbled down to the thoroughfare. At the window of a dance hall, she watched a man two-stepping with a tawny whore and everything in her body went incredulous with ache and she knew herself to be that little girl standing outside her father's brothel, looking in the window at her glazed sharp mother tendering up her soft impervious breasts, manufacturing ardor for the men sore and mean with desire and her father at the glass saying No you cannot come in.
The men and the whores had turned to stare. She was beating the window with her fists until she heard her left hand break. Then she ran through the streets until First Street, north until she reached the treeless graveyard. There, she found her mother's grave in the older section, buried under piles of stones the same as the bandits.
LILLIE FERRIS
1840–1874
"Sleep on now, and take your rest."
Cradling her aching hand, Emmeline knelt on the cracked dirt before her mother's wooden marker. "You were never like a mother . . . But I'm sorry," she cried, "I am. But now Judah's gone where do I go? I can't go back but I can't stay."
"M'am."
A young man's voice in the falling arrested dark.
"Do y'see this here? This is my younger brother. You might look at me and think well he musta been mighty young. He was, an my mamma charged me with his keeping but I guess I did not keep him."
She refused to turn to him—to the constant anonymous need of the world.
"I didn't even kill him like Cain did Abel. Naw, I did nothing but carry him until he died right there in my arms."
She felt him pressing the empty space behind her and itched with a violent grim frustration.
"It shoulda been me or Virgil or Jim. Christ, it's hard."
If she were to die here, if this man were to kill her now, what would be etched on her grave?
"Look at me, lady, I ain't bad-looking. Goddammit, I was accounted handsome back in Carolina."
Not dead but gone on before?
"Hey." His hand on her shoulder. "I swore I ain't gonna pay for it ever again after that."
Asleep in Jesus?
He pulled her. "I could use some comfort."
Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
"Ain't this is an old grave? Why you still wearing black?" The young man stood over her drinking from a bottle of rye in the stain of the abating twilight.
She was silent then said, "I'm a widow. This is my mother's grave."
His hand went down her arm. "Did you love him?"
Her mind's eye passed through as many images of Judah as it could conjure until he was a sleeping infant across her lap with his thin, perfect skin and lightly open mouth.
"Yer husband," he said, turning the diamond ring on her wedding finger. "The one yer widowed from."
"Of course."
"But you're gonna marry again?" He would not let go her hand. "I reckon you ought not."
"What then would you propose?"
"Honor the memory of the dead like I'm gonna."
"How do you do that?"
"I'm gonna murder the son of a bitch who kilt my little brother. Me, ma'am? I'm a thorough cutthroat."
"I'm thirsty," she said. "Would you have enough? Of the rye?"
"Would it be fittin?"
Her smile was bitter, brief. "You sir, have never been a delicately bred female at the mercy of her father."
He let her take the bottle and asked with anxious subjection, "Do I seem ugly to you?"
"How can I say when most of you is hiding under that beard."
He stared down at her mother's grave. "How did she pass?"
"She was a whore. How ever do they all pass?"
"Lillie Ferris. She related to Zebediah Ferris?"
"He's my father," she said and sweat parted down her back.
The young man seized her wrist and the bottle smashed at her feet. He dragged her to where shep morgan had been painted on a white post above a new grave. She was not afraid because it seemed to be happening so slowly.
"Why'd he have to shoot him?" He shook her. "It were an accident. Cause Shep—Shep he weren't the swaggering type. Not like the rest of us, you see?"
He shook her until she laughed. "Do I see?" she said.
He threw her away from him. "He was jest turned fourteen."
"A boy."
"Why'd he do it then?"
"Don't you know how men do?" she asked.
"I know how men die," he said.
"So do I," she said and began to walk away.
He went to her again, blocking her path. She stopped and her face hollowed with ache.
"I'm gonna kill your father. That offend you?" he enunciated this as if through her he could reach the ears of that man.
"Why should it? Very little is likely to offend me. I have spent a good amount of time among countless examples of intoxicated humanity."
"You think I am that?"
"I suppose you must be born astray like all other men. You've come of age in a time rife with fearmongering. But Henry always said that I could not fully know, being born a woman, and perhaps I don't, but then being I am on the outside perhaps I can see it all."
Because he too was a prisoner of the fragile flesh, because it would be a quick chaos that in its intricate burn would hold still time, because she could, she asked: "Would you lie with me?"
He seemed to try and outright laugh, sifting the voice that had spoken to him amongst all the other voices that had ever spoken. "You jest ask me to fuck? For a fact?" He was trembling, peering at the flat land, the backs of the buildings. "Out here?"
She stepped close enough to inspect the freckles across his sunburnt nose, the coarse twist of his red hair. He looked hungry, decorous, and young—far younger than she.
"Ain't you pledged to marry?"
"I've decided to take your advice." She began unbuttoning the neck of her dress.
His fingers trailed hers helplessly. "What'd I advise?"
"To honor death."
She led him to an open space between the graves. He took off his coat and made a bed in the dust, punching it soft.
"Is that comfortable?"
She laid back, pushing her head in the folds of his coat and feeling the ground's retreating heat. He looked away as she bunched up her skirts.
"Come here," she said.
He took off his hat and knelt between her legs, dogged and secret. "Do we—what's your name?"
"Emmeline," she said, unbuckling his pants and helping him to angle inside.
Above them, a hot wind dissolved into the dark.
## Recognition
When I saw her instantly I felt that I had known her before. We smiled at each other across the small ballroom. The lift of her eyebrows, the look in her eyes—why else would she have smiled? She knew me as well. Yet I couldn't place her, couldn't remember a woman with red hair, and when I weaved my way to where she was standing by the crudité, she had vanished.
I took another glass of wine from a passing server, vaguely surprised she hadn't waited. Then one of the experts who had been on that afternoon's panel beckoned to me, demanding to know what I made of his ludicrous theory about the recent discovery of the bodies. I made some hackneyed excuse and slipped away. Of course, he only wanted to compare my work with his, in hopes that I felt my theories were being threatened, which would validate his feeble cogitations. If it weren't for the opportunity to tour the dig, I wouldn't even entertain sequestering myself in a roomful of small, tedious men in such a far-flung place.
On the second floor, I stood at the window of this unconvincing attempt of a hotel and looked out at the primordial red mesa with its vertical layers of white and red sandstone and the unquenchable man-made desert spreading at its feet. I went to the desk, scanning my notes from the panel, unable to contemplate even outlining my article on submerged sectarian movements. Nor could I imagine how logging the panel's pedantic minutiae would add anything substantial to my book. For a moment, I longed to be back in that wonderful period of productive isolation two years ago where I kept myself alive on dried cranberries. But inspiration would have to wait until I viewed the dig in the morning. I was, after all, the unofficial guest of honor.
I slipped off my shoes and lay on top of the duvet, musing instead about the red-haired woman. Brown freckles, green eyes, a round face, lushly pretty—none of that struck me as familiar. What I recognized was located in her expression, her smile. If only I could have heard her voice, I felt certain I would've been able to place her. I went idly through a few names, students I'd had, colleagues I'd dated, but no. I yawned. It wouldn't do to stay up obsessing over a nameless woman when I needed to be at my sharpest in the morning. I resolved to find her during tomorrow's antiquated complimentary breakfast.
As I rolled onto my side, the generator kicked off. The room went fatally dark and heat crept in. I sat bolt upright. Through the window, I fancied I could make out the dig's floodlights, rows of small tents glowing in the night. But indeed, that was impossible—it was much too far away.
It was getting hotter and the blasted windows didn't open. I peeled off my blazer and unbuttoned my shirt, feeling the breath starting to stack in my chest. I took a sip of rainwater from the glass on the bedside table and could distinguish voices in the hall, then the generator clicked into rhythm and there was a wash of cold air, light.
In the morning, I woke hours before breakfast and wandered the hotel's maroon lobby wondering why it had been done in a style contemporary fifty years ago. Saturated in mauve, gold and beige, it tried to exude the confidence of a gleaming sterility, simply unattainable in this day and age. The front desk was curiously unmanned, but I managed to scare up a cup of coffee and stepped outside, walking past the landscaped cacti. A valet getting into a jeep glanced at me. Guests weren't supposed to venture beyond the drive without water or a guide. Or a gun, some said, as if the doomers still eking out an existence here were lurking, violently resentful at our curiosity. But it was the desert itself that offered hostility. Particularly, the man-made desert. Or that was my perspective on radically consumed spaces. Bibb's advocating for a return to fear, was what my detractors said. A gallingly shallow misreading of my work, but I was used to it, and what was wrong with a healthy dose of fear? If one feared the right thing, that was.
I went back in for a refill and when I returned, I came upon the red-haired woman standing alone at the edge of the drive, a conference brochure in hand. As I approached, she turned and I said, "You look familiar."
She stared at me with her rather wide eyes and precise gaze, and I was oddly reminded that some female spiders eat their mates after copulation.
"It's not a line," I told her.
Then she laughed and seemed softer, with a hint of the maternal. "You really don't remember?"
"I'm afraid I don't." I smiled. "Lee Bibb." I put out my hand.
She took it, holding rather than shaking it. "Sydney Martin. But that's my married name. We knew each other before that."
Married. For some unfathomable reason I was instantly depressed, though we had never dated, I was peculiarly sure of it.
"I'm divorced now," Sydney said as if reading my mind. "Well separated, it's almost finalized. I've kept my married name. I've had it so long. I got married very young." This last sentence took her away and I too began to picture her very young, though I could make out gray coming in at her temples.
"Did we know each other in school? I think I'd remember if I knew you at university."
"No, even before that." She smiled, quite mischievous now.
I was thoroughly mystified. Could she have been as far back as the orphanage? My time there was relatively misty, and for a smattering of months, utterly blank. Not to imply I had been mistreated, _neglected_ would be a better word. However, anyone could've read the details of my experience in one of my interviews. Perhaps we'd never met. Perhaps her name wasn't even Sydney.
"I presume this is what brought you?" I gestured to the photograph of the dig on the front of her brochure.
"Isn't it what brought everybody?" she said, managing not to sound flippant, and we both looked in the direction of the dig with a kind of reverence.
"It is a rare discovery," I said. "Perfectly preserved bodies apparently."
"They knew it would happen to them," she said in a positively dreamy tone.
I glanced at her half-closed eyes and was slightly repelled. "They had warnings certainly. There'd actually been a storm the week before, not of that magnitude, but still formidable."
To start, the community had consisted of three families who wanted to live off the grid after the war: the Corbins, Wilkes, and Ashes. Together, they bought the semiarid land dirt cheap, set up tents, and began gardening and building homes, believing they'd gotten a bargain, unaware that the land, which had long been scalped and plugged with pesticides, was turning into a desert.
In the beginning, there was enough in the water table to hold a lawn, some trees, and eventually they set up solar panels to harness the sun. Apparently, it was Dale Corbin who first sought to move away from the alternative homesteader ideals they'd loosely nourished and opened up the community to moneyed families who wanted to escape but had a nostalgic longing for playgrounds, pools, and paved roads. For Corbin, it turned out that the community was less about religion or sovereignty or major collapse as it was a way to realize a suburban utopia.
After fifteen years, there were forty-seven people. In thirty-five, there were close to two hundred souls. But by then, the water they could barely afford was no longer for sale. It was a matter of time before the land dried out. Most decamped, but those who stayed evidently became more fanatical. Though to be fair, there weren't many places that would've willingly let them in. In the end, it was reported that there were roughly thirty-six people left—plus or minus a child.
"But of course," I told Sydney, "hardly anyone imagines disaster will befall them."
"I've read your article on the Corbins," she said. "Help me understand: why only write about them and not the Ashes or Wilkes?"
"The Corbins were the first to come, last to leave. Ultimately, they had the bigger arc, unlike the Ashes and Wilkes clans who were a fairly dour lot."
"I disagree. All of their contributions built the community and should be valued," she said.
"Ah, and here I thought you were a kindred spirit."
"I think I am. But you come across as obsessed with the Corbins."
It wasn't a new criticism. I'd even heard people at the conference calling me a Corbinite—such puerile designations already cropping up. "I admit I'm fascinated by the tension between those who became considerably entrepreneurial, or sort of low-level cornucopians, versus those who were Utopian survivalists with your standard back-to-the-land composting toilets—not to imply there weren't those in between."
She considered me with those bewitching green eyes. "Have you been here before?"
I wasn't sure why she asked, since the dig had only just opened. "No," I said.
"I've been coming back here for years, long before they built this hotel. Don't you think it's beautiful?" She turned to face the desert.
I didn't think it was beautiful. Nor would I have described it as such. It was too powerful for beauty.
The armored convoys pulled up and I could tell that despite their geriatrically sized sunglasses, the sordidly muscular guides were annoyed that we were standing unattended. Suddenly aware of the time, I excused myself and returned to my room to change. As I buttoned up my shirt, I mused that Sydney had never told me where we'd met, she'd managed to thoroughly evade the question.
Chad looked nothing like I'd been imagining. For one, he was much older than he'd sounded, on the short side with large watery blue eyes. He had donned a straw hat that could have been a sombrero and seemed to be constantly gorging on a toothpick. This was the man who had discovered the dig, and if rumor were to be believed, he had opened the hotel in hopes of a tourism boom once the dig became public. Bit of a crass move, but while others believed that the community had long since fled, Chad realized that a few diehards had tried to wait out the cataclysmic dust storm and had uncovered their preserved bodies.
"I'm a big fan." He shook my hand with clammy ardor as we met outside of the largest square of the site near the remains of a shed that had once housed the community's livestock. "I've been following your work ever since you found the recording of that underground commune—that was amazing, really masterful." He led me over to the mob of academics assembled around a wheelbarrow.
In their midst, the anxious desire to view the bodies was amplified, and the scene suddenly struck me as rather ghoulish. I was gratified that Sydney was not among us, although I surmised this was because a select few had been invited, conference attendees being virtually the lowest rung.
Chad, briefly removing his sombrero to reveal a bald dome, marched us assiduously down the dirt-hewn stairs and we descended into the site, which was roughly the size of a small town square. He chummily insisted I be next to him and as we walked, pointed into the various squares identifying animal bones, battered remnants of plastic water bottles, and scattered metal pipes—relics of the community's modest plumbing.
What was in the last square was simply extraordinary: an unearthed house, its boards peeling white paint; then to its left, an empty inground pool, the blue tiles misted with sand; and finally, across what had presumably been their main street was an empty diner, its floor partially filled with drifts of sand, the occasional red stool peeking out, and the jagged edges of what was left of its windows winking in the ruthless sun. Amidst the collective approbation, I massaged my temples, feeling a bleak headache beginning behind my eyes.
Chad motioned us inside where tufts of sagebrush and shale rock had broken through a floor littered with bits of rotted ceiling and fallen beams. "The house," he told us, "was one of the earliest built, and used, we believe, as their community center. Later structures, like their houses were much more architecturally advanced. If you look at the back of the pantry door in what was their kitchen, you can see evidence of a wonderful tradition where they recorded the children's heights over the years with lead. Some of the names still remain."
Here I noted that unlike the scholars, Chad and his coterie of _guides_ acted as if this were a military operation. They were visibly armed, and with the exception of Chad's sombrero, in soldierly garb.
"Is there more than what you've dug up here? Or is this the bulk of it?" I asked, feeling a tight nausea in the pit of my stomach. I wondered if it was something I ate, then remembered that I hadn't eaten this morning.
"Do you think you've found all of the bodies?" asked the paunchy sycophant who'd tried to corner me yesterday.
"Absolutely, but we think there's much more to be found," Chad said, unable to contain a significantly self-satisfied smile. "We've been spending most of our time preserving the bodies."
A surge of heat flared up the back of my neck. In vain, I tried to take deep cooling breaths. But felt myself starting to drift, dark edges crackling at the corners of my consciousness, then I slipped and was a boy walking alongside my bike, the chain having slipped off yet again. I could feel my child's frustration like steam from the road after a summer rain. I was wheeling my bike home along our main street, the road's black-gray scarring the gold grass. The center of town was starkly deserted, the general store closed and the sidewalks empty, though in the distance I rather thought I could hear other children playing in the community pool. As I passed the dry fountain in the town square, I was transfixed by its stone serpent coiled in the middle with an open mouth, its ominous red tongue bleached pink from the sun. I was longing for shadow, for a glass of water, for a mother's touch on my stinging knee—the most immediate of balms.
Outside of the house the grass was dead, even the poor succulents had curled in on themselves. I heard a bell tolling in the distance as I opened the front door, calling for my mother, the chilled air swallowing my child's voice. I walked through the sunlit living room and into the kitchen where I found a mug in portentous shards on the floor.
"Mom? Dad?" I wandered up the stairs but only heard the perpetually sucking sound of the air-conditioning. In my bedroom, I washed my hands in a bowl of water and dabbed the water with a finger over my cracked lips. Then downstairs, the door slammed shut and someone came panting up the stairs. Quite soon, my mother appeared in the partially open doorway, her eyes pink and swollen.
"Here you are," she said, coming in and taking my face in her sonorous hands. "I thought I told you to be home an hour ago?" Then she let me go, her mind full of something else, but she continued to speak rather automatically. "You had me worried—I was out looking for you."
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"Nothing," she said too cheerfully, wiping her nose. "We're going for that trip. Get your bag."
"I unpacked it."
"What? Why?" She seemed momentarily aghast.
"I had to use it for school."
"Pack it again. Now."
"Where's Dad?"
She suddenly shook me roughly by the shoulders. "Just do as I said." Then she was gone.
"Can I still go to Mark's birthday party?" I asked.
"Five minutes," she called back.
However, two minutes later, she was in my room in sneakers and a backpack. I'd only just located my bag and slowly unzipped it. She snatched it from me, haphazardly stuffing clothes inside. "Downstairs," she said.
Before we stepped outside, she had me crouching down with her in the foyer while she peered through the front window, then herded me down the driveway.
"I don't want to." I tried to get loose.
"Humor me," she said, staring grimly ahead.
"Lee?" Chad had a hand on my forearm. "Are you all right?"
I turned and looked at him. "I was . . . I was dreaming."
"Your eyes were open," he said.
I became aware that the entire group was staring rather blankly at me. "I've been feeling nauseated." Though I was confounded myself, something not dissimilar had happened before while I was doing field research on the collapse of a literally underground cult. I'd felt faint in one of their tunnels and the annihilating darkness invoked an otherworldly hallucination. A peril of the job.
"Okay," said Chad, glancing at one of the guides. "Let's get you somewhere you can sit down and recoup." He smiled at the group and handed me his canteen. "Hangovers and the desert definitely don't mix." Everyone gave the usual parsimonious social laugh.
One of the guides stepped forward and began leading the group through the salient features of the white house. Chad remained with me until they were out of earshot. "Look man, I don't want to unveil the bodies without you there. Like I said when we first spoke, I really dug your article on the Corbins—you nailed their mentality. I almost felt like it was a guiding voice telling me where to look."
It was seldom that I was at a loss for words, but I was floundering now. I only wanted to get out of the dig and lie down. "I wouldn't want you to change your schedule on my account. Do carry on without me. I only need to step above ground for a few minutes at most."
"Listen Lee," he paused, "can I call you Lee?"
My eyes met his massive orbs. "I prefer Bibb."
"Bibb, we can totally wait. We want you to be there, for the article. I want our debut to be something powerful."
"It's more of an essay actually, but that's irrelevant. At any rate, I'll be back shortly." I struggled to sound rational but my desire to escape was becoming unbearable.
"Sure, sure." He clapped me too forcefully on the back and gave some sort of complex hand signal to one of the guides.
Above the dig, I felt I could breathe, though in every direction I saw nothing but unending stretches of scrub and sand and this began to overpower me. Since everyone was apparently still on-site, it was reasonably unlikely that I was being observed so I sat down, not caring what damage the dust might do to my slacks. I let my chin drop to my chest and put my hands over my burning eyes. I knew I must put a stop to these spells before I garnered the undesired reputation of wilting. Yet it struck me as bizarre that I would dream (remember?) my mother and that the narrative would be one of flight. Was there indeed a time we were forced to run away? And who was Mark?
"It's overwhelming, isn't it?"
I looked up to find Sydney above me, her hair on fire in the sun. "What are you doing here?" I said.
"I told you, I've been coming here. You could call me Chad's first guide, when guides were just people to show you the way and not thugs."
"Old friends then?" I joked.
She didn't respond to this and instead looked quite steely. "Why aren't you down there? Isn't this the moment you've been waiting for? The great unveiling."
It was a rare occasion that I would willingly conduct myself in a manner I knew to be pathetic before a powerfully attractive being, but without further ado, I stuck my head between my knees and found that my deodorant had long since failed me. "Actually, I'm feeling under the weather, and honestly, I could care less about this silly article when I should be concentrating on the last chapters of my book, which isn't principally based on this community but submerged secular communities at large. I'm on a deadline after all." I kept attempting to take deeper breaths but had the impression that there was less and less room in my chest.
"Breathe out," Sydney said. "Then you can let the air in."
I exhaled and felt the tightness rippling over my face leave. "Thank you." I sighed.
"I wonder why you're here," she said.
"Sydney"—suddenly recalling my hallucination—"I had a dream of sorts. No doubt influenced by my research on this place—I really am dehydrated."
She gave a thick, irresistible laugh. "What were you doing in your dream?"
"Running away. With my mother." Something tickled my throat and I coughed.
"Some say that childhood is a dream."
"Not anyone who's lived in an orphanage." I got to my feet and dusted off my slacks. "What was strange was that there was no father in this dream."
"Do you remember where you know me from?" she asked.
I shook my head.
"Soon," she said soothingly and somehow I felt that this was precisely the case.
We walked to the bottom of the site where everyone was waiting. The feeling that I might become faint again clung to me, and I went so far as to consider holding Sydney's hand, or asking her to take my arm, lest I keel over.
"Bibb!" Chad rushed over, slowing as he recognized Sydney. "You two know each other?"
I glanced at her serene virtually noble expression. "We met this morning."
Chad did not precisely appear pleased with this admission. I wasn't altogether certain that he wouldn't bar her way as he stood there with his arms folded, a guide looming at his side. "You can come if you want," he finally said. I decided I would skewer him in my article.
"I know," she replied.
Chad ignored this and ushered me to the front of the group outside of the diner. The moment we entered, the air changed, as if signaling some disruption in time for in front of us were roughly thirty spontaneously desiccated bodies under gauze.
One by one, Chad's team unveiled the bodies whose skin had thinned to a brown parchment clinging to bone, each face arguably distinct, and some, if not all of their features visible. As my eye traveled down the rows, I fancied that the expression of one had something of the familiar about it. I stooped over her, close enough to touch and see the places where her skull showed through. My traitorous pulse began to quicken.
As far as I was aware, Chad was watching me with interest, so I quietly backed away from the open mouths and cringing postures to where Sydney stood near the entrance, not surveying our fascinated shock but seeming stricken. I took out my notepad, pretending to write. She stared at the bodies, looking like she might fold in on herself. I looked at the floor, or more specifically, a trail of ants on the floor to avoid looking at either her or the bodies. Soon I moved toward the door, my vision trembling, smiling and waving Chad over.
"Great work here. I'm wondering how I might get back to the hotel? I've just had a spectacular idea for the article and want to get it all down." I dug my nails into my palm in a valiant effort to stay upright.
Chad's face lit up and I fled.
Back in my room, I flopped onto the bed, trying to summon that scene in the driveway with exactitude. The sun was going down, leaving the desert black and splashing the walls with a lavalike light. I was strangely unable to think of much of anything until stars filled the darkening sky like shattered glass. Chilled, I wrapped myself in the duvet and sat cocooned by the window. When I closed my eyes, I could conjure the sliver of a vision: I saw my mother and myself at the end of our street joined by another woman and a little girl. Without speaking, we children agreed that something bad was transpiring—the presence of another child only served to seal the certainty of badness.
"Did anyone see you?" my mother asked her mother.
The little girl's mother shook her head. "They've probably noticed we're not there by now."
"Nobody will come looking right away," my mother said. "It's not far. Keep walking."
The other woman looked up at the sky. "We'd better hurry."
When I looked back at our house, the sky was so dark it had put the sun out.
I jumped. A knock at the door. Through the eyehole, I spied Sydney. I threw off the duvet and quickly dressed again.
"Was your hair always red?" I asked as I let her in.
"I dye it," she said and closed the door behind her. "Why aren't you down there celebrating with everyone?"
"After beholding those bodies, revelry doesn't quite feel seemly." I moved my papers from the room's only chair.
"You feel sorry for them?" she asked.
"Their final emotion was one of terror." I turned and looked at her. "I'm decidedly haunted by the children, and perhaps their mothers, holding them in that last, frightful moment."
"But those mothers chose to stay, forced their children to stay even when they knew a deadly dust storm was coming."
"You're right, strictly speaking. Most of them knew the storm's magnitude, but they didn't _know_ what that would mean. Please, have a seat."
She sat, drawing her legs underneath her and twisting her long red braid in one hand. "We have something remarkable in common," she said, folding her hands in her lap.
Despite the fact that I'd been waiting to hear these very words, I was compelled to walk to the window and pretend to look out in order to hide my expression.
"We know what it is to survive the end of the world as we know it. To be abandoned."
Somewhat composed, I turned to look at her. "Where do I know you from?"
"You already know," she said.
"The orphanage," was my pithy reply.
"Yes." The dip of her head made me think of tulips, or the stem of a tulip. Hardy yet graceful. "Let me ask you something, Lee," she said. "Why do you advocate for a return to fear?"
"A most popular misinterpretation. I discuss the value of the emotion. Similar to pain, it is telling us something."
Echoing my earlier gesture, she gazed out at the night sky. "I've always come back here. I was old enough to remember leaving here, walking out of town until we could see the canyon. I remember how frantically my mother started digging in the ground. I had no idea what the hell she was doing until I saw the steel hatch. Then we climbed down the ladder and there it was: a huge concrete bunker stuffed with supplies for the end of the world." She smiled. "And when I asked her why are we hiding here? She told me that the biggest dust storm in our history was coming, and I was not impressed. I mean, I was a kid and dust storms had been happening ever since I could remember. They were scary and dirty but that was the way things were, you know?"
I sat on the corner of the bed. "But what about your father? Did you abandon him to this potentially lethal dust storm?"
"I don't know the exact details. All I remember is that he was a Corbin and the Corbins wanted to wait it out, they forced the whole community to wait it out. So she took off with me and another mom and her kid."
I felt the oddest sensation in my limbs like an engine had turned on in my bones. "And the other child, he was a boy?"
"Yes," she said, just like I knew she would.
"And he ended up in the orphanage like you?"
"Yes." Her eyes met mine. "You have to help me."
When I closed my eyes I could see a black ocean wave of dust rolling toward me. "Yes," I said. I was that boy.
There was only one guide on duty, since everyone else was making merry at the hotel. Once I reiterated whom I was, he was relatively happy to let us in. I was, after all, nothing but a harmless scholar, pomposity my only defense.
Outside of the diner, as one might expect, I hesitated before subjecting myself to the morbid horror of the bodies. But once Sydney went in, I had to follow, keeping my gaze as well as I could away from their petrified faces, but every once in a while my eyes strayed. The half melted children were particularly disturbing. Sydney's dissent was valid: the community's bodies didn't truly merit this sort of archaeological preservation. Once Chad had ascertained how they died, then they should have been interred, but these sort of hermetic sects provoked a gruesome fascination, as well I knew.
"Did you know any of them?" I asked.
"Yes."
I broached the question as delicately as possible. "Your parents?"
She shook her head then pointed at the nearest body. "But that was my uncle, and the swimming instructor. I feel bad that I wasn't a better student. I always gave the poor guy a hard time."
"What happened to your mother? The mothers?"
"No one was supposed to open the bunker door once the dust storm started because the place would fill with sand and we'd be buried alive. I remember my mom repeating that nine or ten times. They'd just put us in sleeping bags and given us a pack of cards. It was fun—like we were on a camping trip, until we heard this banging that kept getting louder and louder. We kids begged to know what it was, but our mothers wouldn't answer, they only exchanged looks. Then the hatch flew open and I saw my father's head. At first, I thought he'd come to join us and I was happy, but pretty soon it was clear that he'd come to take us back. It was crazy—sand was whipping round the room, and outside the sky was howling. Our mothers rushed up the stairs and forced him out and when the hatch closed behind them, the bunker went dark." She paused, swallowing until her voice came back to her.
"We waited and waited for our mothers. We waited until we couldn't breathe. When we finally dared to open the hatch, there was no sign of anyone, the town, or any living thing." She looked away from the bodies and at me.
I knew then why my childhood was so fragmented—the trauma of losing my mother, and in such a manner. To have her hands tucking me into a sleeping bag one moment and then vanishing the next. It was interesting to see how differently Sydney and I, two children of the same traumatic event, had turned out. Her reaction was to return to the site. Whereas I, by forgetting it, had sought to catalog the tragic flaw of other sects.
"It feels so true," I said.
"It is true," she said.
I was exquisitely light-headed, barely able to breathe let alone think. "What do we do now?"
"It's a space that needs to be laid to rest. The land itself needs to heal, to be away from humans."
I nodded. I'd never felt prompted to take part in anything approaching the sacred. I'd always admired the impulse, or at least been fascinated by it, but never belonged to it.
She opened her bag and showed me a hoard of lighter fluid and matches. "I'm sure we're being filmed, so we'll have to be quick, and of course, they'll know it was us, which means we'll have to hide out in the desert for a while. I have a place we can stay. But if you're going to do this with me, you know your career will be over. Think about that."
There was a profound strumming in my chest. "Perhaps I can be a sort of radical fugitive scholar," I joked helplessly.
I reached in for a bottle of lighter fluid and solemnly doused the bodies while Sydney headed for the white house. When I threw the match, the flame spread faster than thought, fracturing the bodies' delicate shells housing their bones. Momentarily blinded by the light, an unsubstantial thing thick as dream, I thought of how I loved and feared my mother's audacity.
Then I heard a flare burst in the air and Sydney rushed back in out of breath. "We better get out of here," she said. "I don't trust that guide not to shoot at us." She grabbed my hand and we ran up the stairs of the site and toward our jeep to head into the unspeakably vast desert like we had so many years before. Then I had been so afraid, but now when I heard the screech and roar of a convoy coming upon us, I felt enveloped by the purity of a true act.
Chad pulled in front of us with two of his adherents and hopped out waving a gun, his sombrero gone and his eyes more compellingly massive than I thought possible. "What have you done?" he screamed.
"Was I a Corbin?" I asked Sydney. Despite the mayhem, or because of it, I desperately needed to know.
"Calm down," she said to Chad, putting her hands up. "What's done is done."
"Or an Ashe?" I asked.
She looked over at me. "What?"
"Was I an Ashe? Quick!"
She stared at me as if frightened. "What do you mean? Lee . . . you were never here."
But the dark heat was so dreadfully familiar, especially when she tried to run, as was the suffocating silence after the bullets, from so many guns, at such close range, had ripped into her lovely face, and too my cry at the agony only a man-made death could give.
## That We May Be All One Sheepefolde, or, O Saeculum Corruptissimum
Downstairs, do the floorboards creak. The servant boy bestirred from dream. The world that wast is a pernicious, noble dream. Sometime do I suspect I am its only dreamer. For all I love are gone. The world presently gray, black, cracked, brown.
Now when I wake always my body acheth: a noxious inflammation of the stomach; divers pangs gripeth under both mine arms; a disorder which produces a constriction about my breast; and am I oft visited by horrible vomitings. Verily, the reason for waking one scarce knows, for living is a prayer that hath yet to be answered. Though long have I been frail of health, I trow that in my green old age am I too disordered, my soured skin rivelled up.
"Jerome?"
Rising from my pallet, I find my jerkin bloody. Yet, it is not I who is bleeding—never is it I who hast bled. Mercifully though the blood is not dry, none stains the blanket.
"Jerome?"
I throw off my nightcap, strip, start a fire, pull a doublet over my smock, and once the water on the hearth begins to boil, drop in my jerkin, stirring and poking out the blood.
"Jerome, art thou awake?"
Lifting my dripping jerkin from the cauldron with the poker, I hang it out the window to dry whereupon I hear the boy on the steps.
"Peace!" I shout. "Go downstairs. I come."
When I reach the bottom of the winding stair, I see that near the ware-bench, the boy is stacking books and eating a crust. He casts upon me blue eyes, free from wrangle.
"Good morrow," saith he. "Art thou hungry?"
After the fire at St. Paul's Cathedral, I moved the bookstore hither. Twas not long after that when the city met with plague, and this orphan boy, then a beggarly pickthank, began haunting my pages, though he knew not how to read. It is to me an irony that I should now sell that for which men have burned.
"I fear I have no appetite this morning," I saith.
I guide him by the shoulder, walking him past the great Chaucer, _The Falls of Princes_ by Lydgate, _The Passetyme of Pleasure,_ the _Gesta Regum Anglorum_ and _Historia Brittonum_ , shelves of Italianates: Petrarch and Boccaccio, the workes of our righteous Pagans: Quintilian, Aristotle, Pliny, Plato, the epistles of Tulle . . . and take down _The Flour of Curtesye_.
"Time," quoth I, handing him the volume, "to become a lowly copyist."
At this the boy smiles. How ready he is. Never does he lament the want of a printing press and thus revile the work of transcribing.
"Shall not I first clean the upstairs?" he asks.
"Nay, I wot it does not need it and is in proper order from thy previous good services."
Upstairs, I sit heavy on my pallet and find blood creased between my fingers, dried at the hilt of my knife. Jerome he called, yet was my name once Uthred. And like the boy, was this old badger an orphan. If I could again fast knit my life to God—by God I would _._ For there be some mornings when I wake to bells that no longer ring, and I am returned to the days of my novitiate in the Year of Our Lord 1536 when I wast a black monk in Marston Abbey.
I did not know how I had come to be at Marston Abbey. I knew only that as a small lad I had been given unto the brothers who had taught me grammar, rhetoric, logic, liturgy, and to love God; a love which wast then as necessary and natural as breath. When tilling the fields, when collecting honey, when copying manuscripts sacred and profane, God wast with me. In this quietude did I glory.
Yet long had my lack of origins troubled me, and twas the day after our St. Swithin's Day feast when I came upon the Abbott in the Lady's Chapel, and mayhap made bold by the summer's heat, did I solicit him upon this great matter.
"Abbott," said I, "may I ask thee for counsel?"
He was sitting in a deep study under the chancel where sinners were painted falling into Hell. Around his tonsure, his hair grew grey with white and this same hair sprouted thick over his fingers. He stirred from his abstraction and did see me. "How now son Jerome?"
"Abbott, am I right thankful to offer up my service to the abbey, but is it not fitting that I know Uthred before I become Jerome?"
"What meanest thou?"
"I know not what wast my family. If it be their wish that I become a man of God—or even which of them brought me to the abbey when I wast a child. Wast my mother? My father?"
He patted the wooden pew. "Thy mother. Dost thou not remember?"
"Nay, though now my mind conjures images to accompany the story. What was she?"
"Wherefore dost thou inquirest with so stern a brow?"
At his sudden raillery, I could not but produce a smile. "In faith, Abbott, I trow not why I should when so seldom have I meditated upon my birth."
"But now someone hast spoken words which leads thee to believe that thou hast something of which to be ashamed?"
I lowered my head in assent for too well he saw into my heart.
"Thy mother was a yeoman's daughter who had alas come in the way of a bumptious man who did not take care of her innocence and youth."
"A fallen woman?"
"We all are fallen from grace, Jerome. All of us banished from the Garden. Judge not those in need of thy compassion. She did not have the means to keep thee, nor the wish to bring ignominy on her family."
I sat full heavy with this then asked, "What county wast she of?"
"Methinketh from the east, Middlesex."
"Had she kinsfolk in our village? Is't possible she still visits? Does she know that I am here as a novice?"
The Abbott gazed into the stained glass of Our Mother. "Thy mother is no longer among the living. She did take her life after thy birth. Her spirit sank and she could not abide the sin."
Twas the loss of a thing I had never thought to imagine I had. Yet would this be a trifle against the loss which would follow the feast day of Saint Luke the Evangelist, as the leaves and the cold mists fell.
It were a morning as many a morning. I knelt on the cold stones in the new day's blue light and prayed. When I heard the bells of Matins, I slipped on my sandals, put up my hood, and rustling from my cell, went through the dormitory across the yard towards the chapel. There by God's strange glory saw I a man in a fur-trimmed jerkin, walking the arched tunnel which lined the square of the courtyard with the Subprior, followed by ten men dressed in fine livery. The man was tall with hair brownish-black. His boyhood looks could be guessed at by what remained in his face. Like the fog which had settled, I pressed my body to the walls, and none did spy me as they passed through the cloister. Much startled, I hurried onto the chapel, dipping my fingers in the holy water, taking my place at the end of the row with the other novices, waiting for the ringing bells, hastening footsteps, doors closing, to pass on unto silence.
Afterwards, I joined the other novices and met our novice master who must needs shew us how to arrange our habits, hold our hands and head, to walk with modest solemnity. None knew who the man in a fur-trimmed jerkin could be, though some had seen him enter the Abbott's parlour. That day were we to practice verse in order to have fluency whence professing God's Truth, but this was interrupted when we were told that a Royal Commissioner, carrying a list of Instructions and set of Injunctions, had come to visit with each of us.
"Thou art the last to be summoned to stand before the Royal Commissioner," quoth the Subprior, a man of drooping eye and thick tongue, his tanned arms resting on the taut of his belly. Unlike the Abbott, all about him was pageant.
"What doth he ask of us, Brother?" I said meekly, though was I chafed by this allusion to my being not from a family of nobility or fortune.
"He is here to apply the law of God through the King. He shall have ye swear to the King's Supremacy over our church and to no longer defend the power of the pope, now Bishop of Rome."
I had heard rumor of some such thing, but hadst not believed it possible till now. "How should I answer?"
"Thou wilt do whatever is necessary for our abbey to please Master Cromwell," quoth he, churlish. "Thou wilt not obstinately stand from the Crown."
The Royal Commissioner gave a start when shyly did I enter. Behind him hung a tapestry of our Savior sitting on a Rainbow, His woundful eyes gilt with the grace of sacrifice.
"I am John Haskewell," quoth he in a voice melodious rough. "Ye be Brother Jerome?"
"Ay sir," quoth I, curious.
"And from what town comes thy family?" He examined my person with a discomfortable arrogance, then proceeded to pour himself wine.
"I know not, sir. I am an orphan. The Lord, who never forsakes, did take me up."
"Better fare than the workhouse, ey? And how many years art thou?"
"Nineteen, sir."
John Haskewell sipped from the Abbot's gold plate cup in a manner indifferent. "What dost thou copy now?"
" _Confessio Amantis_ by John Gower."
He looked into the wine, reciting, "'A book between the twaie,/Somewhat of lust, somewhat of lore'?"
I flushed. "Yes, sir. Thou art familiar?"
"I?" He refilled the cup. "I got no further than 'The Book of Constance.' I verily believe thou art to be commended to journey on, Brother. Sit." He indicated a stool.
He walked up to a tapestry figured in silver and fondled the cloth. "Dear Brother Jerome, I shall not tarry: I have heard report of laxity in this abbey."
"Nay," quoth I, vexed, "I assure you, sir, tis a false report."
"Could it be that thou doth not believe a fellow monk speaks true? Would thee"—he turned back to me—"so famed within these walls for thy honesty, mark thy brother out as a liar? I profess it would displease me heartily to discover this man guilty of perjury. I so detest having to decide if a just punishment be a pillory or a hanging."
Was I clean amazed. It was many moments before I could declare any thought by mouth. "Sir, in faith, I have not known any of my brothers to ever utter an untruth."
He set down his cup, stretched his arms, then flung himself down onto the Abbot's high-backed oak chair. "I am glad to hear thee confirm his innocency, Brother." He yawned. "Howbeit, it is a great shame that your Abbott allows some monks here to be so merry drunk after Compline that they snore through the Night Office, is it not?"
"Certainly sir, have I never witnessed such acts."
"Nay? Yet thou didst tell me that none of thy brethren lie." And thence, his frivolous aspect began to recede and his thievish eyes lit gravely upon me. "But for all that, Brother, dost thou believe Abbott Wendover art a good man?"
"The best of men. I wot of no heart more kind-conceived than the Abbott's."
"Yet he is friends with men of perverse minds, servile usurpers many of them, and thus in time may his mind be flattered into corruption. Yet thou, the chiefest bud of Marston Abbey, could guard him against such heretics."
"I am naught but a novice."
He sat up, leaning forward. "I would argue that thee art favored above others. Aye Jerome, this day have I heard it said thou art the Abbott's best loved. Why is that so? Is't thy pretty mouth?"
I looked at my sandals, vainly suppressing my complexion.
"Sweet modesty." He stood. "If thou shalt keep me abreast of the Abbott's conduct, I will write unto Master Cromwell that the Abbott is innocent. In this way we shall safeguard him and warn him of any maligners."
"Sir, it would be against my vow of obedience."
"Know ye what is writ here?" John Haskewell pointed to his letter book open on the table. "It saith that thou shalt receive no women in the abbey, not even lay servants. That none including the Abbott must leave the grounds. And that all monks under four and twenty should be dismissed. Yes, Jerome of no county and no family, ye are reckoned to be but nineteen. And where wouldst thou go? What stranger should take thee in? I verily trow that thou wilt meet me and tell me of the Abbott's doings, wilt thou not?"
I swallowed, perplexed. "Mayhap I—"
"Good lad. It is said thou art a scholar. Thou couldst be studying true knowledge at The Schools. Fore God, what dost thou learn in this place?"
"To love and be loved by God. To love all men through God. To love as God loves."
John Haskewell's expression was soft amused. "Thine heart has no hesitation. Even if thy path is awry." He placed a hand on my head. "Kneel."
I slipped from the stool and knelt.
"Do you swear to renounce Rome, to acknowledge and confess it lawful that his Highness should be Supreme Head of the Church of England?"
My mouth obeyed.
"Ye will see no women. Ye will not leave the abbey. Though thou art nineteen, will I petition Master Cromwell to see thee spared and thus not made to leave. This service have I done for no man."
"Sir." I rose and bowed, sicklied by this sudden alliance. "Am I not unthankful."
The boy has ague. I drag my pallet closer to the fire, pour him a cup of meade, and bid him drink.
"Jerome, have I not got currants and barberries for the roasted conies," he frets.
"Marry, then shall I go to the market and get them," saith I.
"What if a customer come?"
"And pray why are ye such a woeful spirit?"
"Thou art woeful also, Jerome."
Very heavy am I following his gaze. He looks to my jerkin stirring in the window. Faith, though the blood is washed away, I cannot lightly forget. "I wish only thou wast well."
"Did thou stain it?" he asks.
"I pray thou take thy rest now." Ought I let him slumber? What if he should not wake?
Downstairs, I begin to copy _Confessio Amantis_.
Thrice John Haskewell summoned me to meet him in secret. That final night, I waited, standing under the wrathful flutter of the willow tree I loved during the day, cudgeling my mind for some such prattle to deliver which would hint at no vice—though well I knew that once in his presence, it was hard to dissemble.
As soon as he swung down from his horse, he called, "Have ye heard any lewd communication from the other monks?"
In the dark, I could not spy the familiar dissipation under his eyes, and as he neared, the shadows made his complexion smooth, adding the charm of youth to his looks.
"Nay, John."
He tied his horse to a tree. "I wot right well that the young oft find it hard to denounce the old believing they be worthy of pity."
I covered a yawn. "My brothers are men of God. To me they have talked of naught improper. Therefore, again can I not confirm thy tedious suspicion."
He had a laugh that was profuse with a music absent elsewhere in his disposition.
"And thou, Jerome?" A wet wind scattered through the branches, discharging a decay of leaves. "Thou art young"—he walked toward me, no longer merry—"and must have longing for fleshly delights."
But did I long only for these perilous nights.
"It is not unnatural," he continued, goatish. "Not that thee have acted upon thy desires, I accuse thee not of that, but we all have our secret sins."
"It is true I am not free from sin," said I, "but none of them be secret."
He drew too close. "Thou hungerest to lie with a woman, touching the privy parts of her body, using her as a man doth his wife."
I stepped back. "Nor am I a stranger to curiosity, nor divorced from my body but delight in its workings."
He stepped with me and I could smell the wine. "Then art thou more inclined toward buggery, surrounded as thee are by these pedants. Do ye wish to play the woman with a man's cock? Do the servant boys tempt thee?"
Disgusted, I made to leave. "I need not suffer these carnal-minded accusations."
He appeared in my path. Though I was the taller was he of far greater girth. He put a hand on my shoulder as if measuring its width. "It is unkind in me to tease thee. Wisdom, thou knowest, so seldom accompanies age."
"I am tired. What is it thou desireth to know?"
"What letter did the Abbott read on the Memorial of Francis of Assisi?"
I allowed my puzzlement to show. "The letter by the Bishop of Rome?"
"It is true then. The Abbott remains loyal to the old church."
"No, the Abbott is a true servant to the King. On what charge could thee accuse him?"
"Did thou not sayeth, Brother, that thou wast troubled by a ceremony that the Abbot held exalting the Bishop of Rome? The charge is treason."
"Thou dost mangle my words!"
"My poor child." He smiled. "Have ye not bethought that there are those within these walls who are dissatisfied with the Abbott?"
Never had I the occasion to consider. "Then wherefore have need of me, if there are these others?"
"The King has no wish to see his abbots dead. And I wot the Abbott is a kindly man for all his papish folly. Thou couldst save him from a traitor's death. Tell me that he has frequented taverns or mayhap dallied in a maiden's lap, and instead of the rope, he will be deemed unfit to have charge of the abbey."
I shook my head.
"Then will he die." He shrugged away, sourish. "Fear not, when the abbey falls, I will see thee rewarded."
"My vows of chastity, obedience and poverty are my reward—I seek no more than that."
He laughed. "Without these walls thou wilt be broken ere thee hast lived an hour. Think how simple it was for a stranger to gain thy trust—to become intimate with thee?"
"But thou art not a stranger. And I know thou wouldst not see an unjust murder done. For thou knowest he is as a father to me—John!" I took him by the shoulder, directing to me his scent, his gaze, the very pith of him which was to remain to me unknown.
Mine eyes met his and I felt my spirit overcome by his practiced malaise.
"Verily," I choked, letting go, "I have known that thou wert mine enemy."
"Yet didst thou wish to love as God loves, loving even thine enemy," he mocked, then became intent, "Jerome, would thou not desire to save thy father's life?"
I stared at my tormentor in new confusion.
"Ye must know him for thy father, but it cannot be proved unless thee admit thou art his bastard. You fool, why dost thee think thou art favored?"
I pulled away and began to run. He knocked me down and when I caught back my breath, I found him kneeling at my side.
"Dost thou know who told me of the pope's letter? The Subprior." He smiled. "How easily you are surprised, little monk. Worry not, he too wilt suffer the traitor's reward. Unless thou wouldst say that thy father hast sinned. Even to say that he hast gone hawking—"
The brush had scraped my hands and feet bloody. I stood, grieved but fixed. "I should trust thee, a servant of Cromwell, that he is my father? Thou may knowest me and aread my frailty. Yea, my heart may be transparent and easy to guile—marry, to thee it is nothing but a child's toy. But thou knowest not the purity of the Abbott."
"Verily I see that thou art a proud child and thy pride wilt not permit thee to see his life spared."
I brushed the mud from my robe. "I trust in God's merciful goodness that nothing will hap to him."
The Royal Commissioners ransacked the Abbot's rooms in the morning, searching through his papers for evidence of treason against the King. After Lauds, I was about to wander back to my cell, when I was summoned to meet the Abbott in the Lady's Chapel. Though well I knew I would not find consolation in solitude, I fretted he had discovered my disloyalty.
"My son," he quoth then fell silent.
I prostrated myself before him, then sat by his side. Immediately, his accustomed bulk was of comfort.
"Abbott, I pray thou wilt submit unto John Haskewell and resign thy place."
"And what should become of ye, aged and young, were I to do so? I must away to be examined by Cromwell and Parliament, and I trust to God that I can see our abbey spared from suppression yet again."
"Abbott, prithee let me accompany thee to see Master Cromwell."
"Nay my son, the Prior and the Subprior already go."
"Abbott, I beseech thee to surrender. I know not what John Haskewell will do to thee."
"I may suffer worldly harm, but shall I suffer far less in the hereafter."
I was confounded by his sweet resolution and bowed mine head. "Yes, Abbott. Always am I helped forward by thine example."
"I beg thee not to worry, child, by God's grace shall I be wonderfully delivered. And thee must to Oxford. It is for this I have called thee."
"Oxford? No, by this light, I will stay here until thou returnest."
"Jerome, because thou hast shown thyself to be a scholar of worth, wilt thou study at Gloucester College. This day shalt thou go."
"I had thought it was decided we had best wait till next year?"
"It hast been made possible. I trust thy wit and discretion on this matter."
I put up mine hood.
"Yes, my son?"
"My father . . ." I kept mine eyes low. "Thou saith he wast a bumptious man?"
"Oh, a waggish, vainglorious fellow."
"What did he—did he know of me?"
"He did not know of thee until long after thy birth. But when he learned of thy mother's death did he repent his former life and take orders."
"He is a monk?"
"O aye, he is an abbot."
"Oh let me come! I will tell such lies the ears of heaven will bleed but thou shalt be spared!"
He smiled but did not look upon me. "Thou must to Oxford. This is my wish."
My eyes watered sharp. "But what shall I do without thee?"
His hand took up mine. This was the hand that had first lifted me from my heart's poverty. "Suffer we, my son?"
"Yes," I said, "we suffer much."
"I trust we never suffer alone, and in that lies our salvation, in that lies the heart of God."
Men seized the Abbott, taking him to where their saddlebags were stuffed with our jewels and gold plate. John Haskewell was the last to mount, shouting: "Ye are no longer monks. Your servants are dismissed. Marston Abbey is now the property of the King." Never did he look in my direction.
Before nightfall, the townsfolk, divers of whom we brothers had tended when sick, fed when hungry, counseled when vexed, descended on the monastery, stripping the roof and pillaging relics, taking books with which to wipe their arses. I gathered what volumes I could and straightaway rode to Oxford. I wept to abandon such dear familiarity.
The boy has a fever and begs me not to give him burnt dung with honey. I tell him next he will bid me put a turnip up his nose. I say if he is good I will get him a hot codling.
By my troth, I thought I had grown weary of meddling with this world for whose wickedness there is no remedy, but now by this blood-guilt am I more than lost, now am I damned. And here do I dally in needless contemplation when I shouldst be making haste to the market to buy lavender, sage, marjoram, rose and rue to make a mixture for the boy's head. And a baked apple and those berries . . . But for what? Belike he shalt not live beyond this night, and perchance he should, am I no guide for the innocent. It is merciful to let him die, and ease his suffering.
I approach the pallet where he is sleeping, his cheek rose with heat, and think how easy t'would be to grant him everlasting sleep.
When I had word that the Abbott was being taken back to Marston, I made haste to return. It had felt unnatural to study in a walled garden of bluebells and wander the verdant hedges of Oxford with such sorrow pressing in.
I knew not then that the Abbot had had a brief trial, heard not before his peers in Parliament, but by a jury of Cromwell's false friends who had found him guilty of treason.
As I rode up, the deserted abbey was first reflected in the pond. Our roof had gone. I walked about the ruins, then saw on the hill next to The Tower, a hastily erected gallows where three ropes hung. There stood I in my dread.
Shaking sick, I prayed in what was left of the nave. Twas almost dark when I walked mine horse under the abbey gate, and there I did see where they had piked the Abbot's head.
So cumbrous was mine horror upon the gore that wast my father's face, twas the full desolation of mine heart. It was then that God left me.
Yesterday I was upstairs when I heard the boy welcome a customer. As I came down the winding stair, saw I a man bent over the boy whose countenance recalled to me John Haskewell. I stepped back into the shadow of the stair and listened to him cajole the boy, then inquire for a copy of _Confessio Amantis_. Doubtless it was he. It couldst not have been another. Always will I know that unsparing voice. When he left, I flew down, and bid the boy to close the shop.
"I must go out this night," said I.
"Can I come with you?" he asked.
"Nay, thou shalt eat thy supper and off to bed."
The boy was angry and in a manner peeved began to rekindle the fire, making more dirt than flame.
I followed John Haskewell until he stopped outside a tavern. I stayed out of the light then laggardly went in after him.
Most of the Royal Commissioners of the Suppression hadst sith been rewarded, granted lands, knighted excepting Cromwell who was beheaded by King Henry for marrying him unto the unhandsome Queen Anne. For near on thirty years, I heard nothing of John Haskewell but that some vitriol launched by him against the King's favorite had him turned off in disgrace.
Time had ravaged him. He had sith grown stout and pilgarlic, though now hadst he a thick beard. A singlewoman accosted him but he was too whittled for a dalliance and kept at the ale, jesting with any buffoon who wouldst harken. In a dark corner, recalling the treasuring safety of the abbey, those hours given over to abundant study, I drank myself merry.
When finally he left the tavern, I was fast upon him. Without thought, I, once Brother Jerome of Marston Abbey, resolved to do a murder. As he walked down a darkened alley, I struck the old knave until he staggered and fell.
"Devil take thee!" he swore. "What dost thou want of me?"
I kicked him until I could no longer.
"Look at me," I said and knelt in the muck, roasting in my scorn, pulling his face to mine. "Dost thou know me thou villainous toad?" I smashed his face into the ground.
"Sir," he tried blindly to crawl away, "whatere harm thee thinkst I have done I swear I have not!"
"Likely there is much blood on your conscience." I kicked him again and he fell flat. "But this night do I avenge my father's murder."
He cursed foully, then seemed to swoon.
I tried to shake him awake. "Do you remember Brother Jerome?"
"Who is't," he slurred awake, "who is't thou thinkst I murdered? Tell me a name . . ."
"Thou art to blame for the death of Abbot Wendover." I put my knife to his throat.
He began to sob and cough up blood. "Nay, have mercy upon me, sir." His weeping marked through the filth down his pitted face. "O God, after thy great goodness . . ."
The knife went from mine hand. As he prayed, I could not do it. Yet too late was it for mercy.
"Get to thy feet, swine." I tried to raise him up but he could not stand.
"Brother . . ." He lolled at my feet.
"Get ye home. Get up!"
His eyes slung back his head. "Dost thou know me?"
I knelt again. "I am Jerome. Thou art John—art thou not?"
He began to still. "Long I to go to God," he muttered, his eyes searching backward into the darkness of his skull.
I drew his head onto my lap. On his forehead, I marked a cross with my thumb, and prayed: "Through this holy anointing, may the Lord in his love and mercy help thee with the grace of the Holy Spirit. . . . May the Lord who frees thou from sin save thee and raise thee up. Through this holy anointing, may the Lord pardon thee what sins thou hast committed . . ."
And there on my knees did he die.
Night has come and the baked apple with which I did seek to beguile the boy has grown cold. All around his head is a halo of damp. He hath caught so bad a fever he is almost dead.
"Jerome? Thirsty."
"Here." I kneel next to my pallet, lifting a cup of tea to his lips.
"Do not go."
"Pick up thy spirits. I will stay by thee."
"Jesu, am I weary."
"Ay"—I put a cool cloth over his forehead—"we are weary with our burthen."
Mayhap this boy is not for the world of men and well I know I am not worthy to guide him. Yet sweet Lord, take him not. I will not promise Thee that I can again conjure the pure faith of my youth—forgive me that at least—but let me find a way near Thee.
_Make me a clean heart. Renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thine holy Spirit from me._ O God, in the most corrupt of centuries, hear my prayer.
## AUTHOR'S NOTE
The latin phrase "O saeculum corruptissimum" or "the most corrupt of centuries" comes from a letter by a sixteenth-century monk Robert Joseph and is cited in _The Division of Christendom: Christianity in the Sixteenth Century_ by Hans Joachim Hillerbrand.
## ETERNAL THANKS
To Denise Shannon whose luminous patience, generosity, and literary divination is unparalleled.
To Megan Lynch whose brilliance and magical literary zeal made it happen, Eleanor Kriseman, and everyone at Ecco whose incredible support brought the book into the physical world.
To Arthur Flowers, George Saunders, and Dana Spiotta, three brilliant points of light who led the way.
To the Fabulous Five: Rachel Abelson, Mildred Barya, Martin De Leon, Rebecca Fishow, and Dave Nutt whose incisive feedback and fantastic work goaded/inspired me.
To the Syracuse University Creative Writing Program for the space and time to read, to write, to be an artist.
To Carmen Amaya, my prophet and earliest reader.
To Paul Cody who was the first to go to the mat.
To Anais Koivisto, my moral center and artistic high tide.
To Linda Longo, my fairy godmother.
To Ben Marcus who plucked me out of obscurity.
To Stephen Squibb who fed me whiskey and always made me feel it was gonna happen.
To Jessie Torrisi who let me slip stories under her door.
To Baron Vaughn, my brother and best friend.
To Ryan Senser and Team 383 who were my haven.
To Leo Allen who introduced me to the mysterious workings of the S.S.S.C.
To Melissa Cleary Pearson and Vineeta Shingal whose great hearts made a small, crucial donation.
To the Colgate Writers Conference who told me I was a writer.
To Andrew Milward, Steven Barthleme and the Center for Writers at the University of Southern Mississippi; Charlie Baxter and the Breadloaf Writers Conference.
To _The American Reader_ , Granta.com, _The O. Henry Prize Stories_ , _The Cupboard_ , _Fence_ , and Bryan Hurt.
To my family who loved and made me.
To Julian Isaiah whose imminent arrival forced me to finish the book.
Last and Most to Christopher Brunt ". . . when I touch you / in each of the places we meet / in all of the lives we are, it's with hands that are dying / and resurrected." ~ Bob Hicok
## ABOUT THE AUTHOR
**CHANELLE BENZ** has published short stories in _The American Reader, Fence_ , and _The Cupboard_ , and on Granta.com, and is the recipient of an O. Henry Prize. She received her MFA at Syracuse University as well as a BFA in acting from Boston University. She is of British-Antiguan descent and currently lives in Houston.
Discover great authors, exclusive offers, and more at hc.com.
## CREDITS
COVER ART AND DESIGN BY SARA WOOD
## COPYRIGHT
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
THE MAN WHO SHOT OUT MY EYE IS DEAD. Copyright © 2017 by Chanelle Benz. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
Ecco® and HarperCollins® are trademarks of HarperCollins Publishers.
FIRST EDITION
EPub Edition January 2017 ISBN 9780062490766
ISBN 9780062490759
## ABOUT THE PUBLISHER
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Appears in the French translation as "Alela."
The earliest edition attests to a far more implicit positivism, arguably a glass half-full tone, emphasized in the substitution of "yes?" for "no?"
Here, punishment. There is yet another edition, likely from the turn of the century and, as such, establishes that upon meeting the children, Adela applies a poultice to their wounds, thereby tinging her kindness with practices of the occult.
A Gothic novel by Byron's jilted lover Lady Caroline Lamb, that Byron himself reviled as a "Fuck and Publish" in which the innocent, Calantha (the avatar for Lamb), is seduced by the evil antihero, Glenarvon (a thinly veiled portrayal of Byron). Both Calantha and Lamb were subsequently ruined.
See Mamney, "In works such as Shakespeare's _Othello_ , the female character is a canvas onto which the male character ejaculates his fears of emasculation and desire for dominance."
The reference to Beau Brummell (1778–1840), the innovator of the modern man's suit and inspiration of the Dandy movement, many scholars believe, infers that Quilby will not suffer Brummell's profligate fate of dying penniless and mad.
Nineteenth-century audiences suspected that Adela suffered from syphilis. This disease was thought to result in hardened lesions on the trunk, which serves to give a double resonance to "thornback."
This negation of their mother's sexuality is an example of the _male policing_ the children engage in to mediate any potentially disruptive female power.
An oblique reference to Percy as a dissolute alcoholic.
Yet another veiled barb as to Adela's sexual depravity, for since the success of Emperor Augustus's propaganda machine, Cleopatra has long been portrayed as oversexed.
This trope was frequently used to denote a "wild child," however in the context of the Byronic hero discourse, the children are referring to the acute chronic melancholy of Percy's ruttish dissipation.
Adela is revealing that, by bringing his agenda of disharmony upon her, Percy is threatening to dismantle her authenticity with his financial cacophony.
Such vernacular as "merry"-ness suggests that Adela's "merry" sexual misconduct has been enjoyed since birth.
Note the children's conception of Adela's bastardy approaches deformity.
_Adela,_ lighting the way for _Wuthering Heights_ , is known to have thoroughly inspired Charlotte Brontë to pay homage in the creation of Heath-cliff, the construction of Moor as man, allowing Brontë to position the subaltern as the vessel of violent agency.
This fluidity in their conception of race typically predates the nineteenth century and is most often found in the eighteenth century, when skin color was a less fixed secondary identity marker. For a charming and oft incisive exploration of this, see Roxann Wheeler's _The Complexion of Race: Categories of Difference in Eighteenth-Century British Culture._
A Creole female, which Adela has now claimed as her identity, was commonly depicted in the discourse of white colonial domination as lascivious and unstable due to the West Indian heat.
This carries the connotation of Percy's animalistic virility astride Adela's noble savagery. See Dowd, whose _Barbarous Beasts, White Toys, and Hybrid Paternities: Considerations on Race and Sexuality in the Caribbean_ examines these tensions.
This accusation hearkens to the seemingly fixed, misogynist association between West Indian women and black magic which was stereotypical during the period in which "Adela" was composed.
In the first German translations, it is curious to note that "she" rather than "he" dies.
|
A novel duplication of PRMD13 causes North Carolina macular dystrophy: overexpression of PRDM13 orthologue in drosophila eye reproduces the human phenotype In this study, we report a novel duplication causing North Carolina macular dystrophy (NCMD) identified applying whole genome sequencing performed on eight affected members of two presumed unrelated families mapping to the MCDR1 locus. In our families, the NCMD phenotype was associated with a 98.4kb tandem duplication encompassing the entire CCNC and PRDM13 genes and a common DNase 1 hypersensitivity site. To study the impact of PRDM13 or CCNC dysregulation, we used the Drosophila eye development as a model. Knock-down and overexpression of CycC and CG13296, Drosophila orthologues of CCNC and PRDM13, respectively, were induced separately during eye development. In flies, eye development was not affected, while knocking down either CycC or CG13296 mutant models. Overexpression of CycC also had no effect. Strikingly, overexpression of CG13296 in Drosophila leads to a severe loss of the imaginal eye-antennal disc. This study demonstrated for the first time in an animal model that overexpression of PRDM13 alone causes a severe abnormal retinal development. It is noteworthy that mutations associated with this autosomal dominant foveal developmental disorder are frequently duplications always including an entire copy of PRDM13, or variants in one DNase 1 hypersensitivity site at this locus.
|
/*
* Copyright (c) 2016, The OpenThread Authors.
* All rights reserved.
*
* Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
* modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:
* 1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
* notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
* 2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright
* notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the
* documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
* 3. Neither the name of the copyright holder nor the
* names of its contributors may be used to endorse or promote products
* derived from this software without specific prior written permission.
*
* THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS"
* AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE
* IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE
* ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE
* LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR
* CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF
* SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS
* INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN
* CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE)
* ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE
* POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
*/
/**
* @file
* This file implements the diagnostics module.
*/
#include "diag_process.hpp"
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <openthread/instance.h>
#include "common/code_utils.hpp"
#include "utils/wrap_string.h"
namespace ot {
namespace Diagnostics {
const struct Diag::Command Diag::sCommands[] =
{
{ "start", &ProcessStart },
{ "stop", &ProcessStop },
{ "channel", &ProcessChannel },
{ "power", &ProcessPower },
{ "send", &ProcessSend },
{ "repeat", &ProcessRepeat },
{ "stats", &ProcessStats },
{ NULL, NULL },
};
struct Diag::DiagStats Diag::sStats;
int8_t Diag::sTxPower;
uint8_t Diag::sChannel;
uint8_t Diag::sTxLen;
uint32_t Diag::sTxPeriod;
uint32_t Diag::sTxPackets;
otRadioFrame * Diag::sTxPacket;
bool Diag::sRepeatActive;
otInstance *Diag::sInstance;
void Diag::Init(otInstance *aInstance)
{
sInstance = aInstance;
sChannel = 20;
sTxPower = 0;
sTxPeriod = 0;
sTxLen = 0;
sTxPackets = 0;
sRepeatActive = false;
memset(&sStats, 0, sizeof(struct DiagStats));
sTxPacket = otPlatRadioGetTransmitBuffer(sInstance);
otPlatDiagChannelSet(sChannel);
otPlatDiagTxPowerSet(sTxPower);
}
void Diag::ProcessCmd(int aArgCount, char *aArgVector[], char *aOutput, size_t aOutputMaxLen)
{
if (aArgCount == 0)
{
snprintf(aOutput, aOutputMaxLen, "diagnostics mode is %s\r\n", otPlatDiagModeGet() ? "enabled" : "disabled");
ExitNow();
}
for (const Command *command = &sCommands[0]; command->mName != NULL; command++)
{
if (strcmp(aArgVector[0], command->mName) == 0)
{
command->mHandler(aArgCount - 1, (aArgCount > 1) ? &aArgVector[1] : NULL, aOutput, aOutputMaxLen);
ExitNow();
}
}
// more platform specific features will be processed under platform layer
otPlatDiagProcess(sInstance, aArgCount, aArgVector, aOutput, aOutputMaxLen);
exit:
return;
}
bool Diag::IsEnabled(void)
{
return otPlatDiagModeGet();
}
void Diag::AppendErrorResult(otError aError, char *aOutput, size_t aOutputMaxLen)
{
if (aError != OT_ERROR_NONE)
{
snprintf(aOutput, aOutputMaxLen, "failed\r\nstatus %#x\r\n", aError);
}
}
void Diag::ProcessStart(int aArgCount, char *aArgVector[], char *aOutput, size_t aOutputMaxLen)
{
otError error = OT_ERROR_NONE;
OT_UNUSED_VARIABLE(aArgCount);
OT_UNUSED_VARIABLE(aArgVector);
otPlatRadioEnable(sInstance);
otPlatRadioSetPromiscuous(sInstance, true);
otPlatAlarmMilliStop(sInstance);
SuccessOrExit(error = otPlatRadioReceive(sInstance, sChannel));
otPlatDiagModeSet(true);
memset(&sStats, 0, sizeof(struct DiagStats));
snprintf(aOutput, aOutputMaxLen, "start diagnostics mode\r\nstatus 0x%02x\r\n", error);
exit:
AppendErrorResult(error, aOutput, aOutputMaxLen);
}
void Diag::ProcessStop(int aArgCount, char *aArgVector[], char *aOutput, size_t aOutputMaxLen)
{
otError error = OT_ERROR_NONE;
OT_UNUSED_VARIABLE(aArgCount);
OT_UNUSED_VARIABLE(aArgVector);
VerifyOrExit(otPlatDiagModeGet(), error = OT_ERROR_INVALID_STATE);
otPlatAlarmMilliStop(sInstance);
otPlatDiagModeSet(false);
otPlatRadioSetPromiscuous(sInstance, false);
snprintf(aOutput, aOutputMaxLen,
"received packets: %d\r\nsent packets: %d\r\nfirst received packet: rssi=%d, lqi=%d\r\n"
"\nstop diagnostics mode\r\nstatus 0x%02x\r\n",
static_cast<int>(sStats.mReceivedPackets), static_cast<int>(sStats.mSentPackets),
static_cast<int>(sStats.mFirstRssi), static_cast<int>(sStats.mFirstLqi), error);
exit:
AppendErrorResult(error, aOutput, aOutputMaxLen);
}
otError Diag::ParseLong(char *aArgVector, long &aValue)
{
char *endptr;
aValue = strtol(aArgVector, &endptr, 0);
return (*endptr == '\0') ? OT_ERROR_NONE : OT_ERROR_PARSE;
}
void Diag::TxPacket(void)
{
sTxPacket->mLength = sTxLen;
sTxPacket->mChannel = sChannel;
for (uint8_t i = 0; i < sTxLen; i++)
{
sTxPacket->mPsdu[i] = i;
}
otPlatRadioTransmit(sInstance, sTxPacket);
}
void Diag::ProcessChannel(int aArgCount, char *aArgVector[], char *aOutput, size_t aOutputMaxLen)
{
otError error = OT_ERROR_NONE;
VerifyOrExit(otPlatDiagModeGet(), error = OT_ERROR_INVALID_STATE);
if (aArgCount == 0)
{
snprintf(aOutput, aOutputMaxLen, "channel: %d\r\n", sChannel);
}
else
{
long value;
SuccessOrExit(error = ParseLong(aArgVector[0], value));
VerifyOrExit(value >= OT_RADIO_CHANNEL_MIN && value <= OT_RADIO_CHANNEL_MAX, error = OT_ERROR_INVALID_ARGS);
sChannel = static_cast<uint8_t>(value);
otPlatRadioReceive(sInstance, sChannel);
otPlatDiagChannelSet(sChannel);
snprintf(aOutput, aOutputMaxLen, "set channel to %d\r\nstatus 0x%02x\r\n", sChannel, error);
}
exit:
AppendErrorResult(error, aOutput, aOutputMaxLen);
}
void Diag::ProcessPower(int aArgCount, char *aArgVector[], char *aOutput, size_t aOutputMaxLen)
{
otError error = OT_ERROR_NONE;
VerifyOrExit(otPlatDiagModeGet(), error = OT_ERROR_INVALID_STATE);
if (aArgCount == 0)
{
snprintf(aOutput, aOutputMaxLen, "tx power: %d dBm\r\n", sTxPower);
}
else
{
long value;
SuccessOrExit(error = ParseLong(aArgVector[0], value));
sTxPower = static_cast<int8_t>(value);
otPlatDiagTxPowerSet(sTxPower);
snprintf(aOutput, aOutputMaxLen, "set tx power to %d dBm\r\nstatus 0x%02x\r\n", sTxPower, error);
}
exit:
AppendErrorResult(error, aOutput, aOutputMaxLen);
}
void Diag::ProcessSend(int aArgCount, char *aArgVector[], char *aOutput, size_t aOutputMaxLen)
{
otError error = OT_ERROR_NONE;
long value;
VerifyOrExit(otPlatDiagModeGet(), error = OT_ERROR_INVALID_STATE);
VerifyOrExit(aArgCount == 2, error = OT_ERROR_INVALID_ARGS);
SuccessOrExit(error = ParseLong(aArgVector[0], value));
sTxPackets = static_cast<uint32_t>(value);
SuccessOrExit(error = ParseLong(aArgVector[1], value));
VerifyOrExit(value <= OT_RADIO_FRAME_MAX_SIZE, error = OT_ERROR_INVALID_ARGS);
sTxLen = static_cast<uint8_t>(value);
snprintf(aOutput, aOutputMaxLen, "sending %#x packet(s), length %#x\r\nstatus 0x%02x\r\n",
static_cast<int>(sTxPackets), static_cast<int>(sTxLen), error);
TxPacket();
exit:
AppendErrorResult(error, aOutput, aOutputMaxLen);
}
void Diag::ProcessRepeat(int aArgCount, char *aArgVector[], char *aOutput, size_t aOutputMaxLen)
{
otError error = OT_ERROR_NONE;
VerifyOrExit(otPlatDiagModeGet(), error = OT_ERROR_INVALID_STATE);
VerifyOrExit(aArgCount > 0, error = OT_ERROR_INVALID_ARGS);
if (strcmp(aArgVector[0], "stop") == 0)
{
otPlatAlarmMilliStop(sInstance);
sRepeatActive = false;
snprintf(aOutput, aOutputMaxLen, "repeated packet transmission is stopped\r\nstatus 0x%02x\r\n", error);
}
else
{
long value;
VerifyOrExit(aArgCount == 2, error = OT_ERROR_INVALID_ARGS);
SuccessOrExit(error = ParseLong(aArgVector[0], value));
sTxPeriod = static_cast<uint32_t>(value);
SuccessOrExit(error = ParseLong(aArgVector[1], value));
VerifyOrExit(value <= OT_RADIO_FRAME_MAX_SIZE, error = OT_ERROR_INVALID_ARGS);
sTxLen = static_cast<uint8_t>(value);
sRepeatActive = true;
uint32_t now = otPlatAlarmMilliGetNow();
otPlatAlarmMilliStartAt(sInstance, now, sTxPeriod);
snprintf(aOutput, aOutputMaxLen, "sending packets of length %#x at the delay of %#x ms\r\nstatus 0x%02x\r\n",
static_cast<int>(sTxLen), static_cast<int>(sTxPeriod), error);
}
exit:
AppendErrorResult(error, aOutput, aOutputMaxLen);
}
void Diag::ProcessStats(int aArgCount, char *aArgVector[], char *aOutput, size_t aOutputMaxLen)
{
otError error = OT_ERROR_NONE;
OT_UNUSED_VARIABLE(aArgCount);
OT_UNUSED_VARIABLE(aArgVector);
VerifyOrExit(otPlatDiagModeGet(), error = OT_ERROR_INVALID_STATE);
snprintf(aOutput, aOutputMaxLen,
"received packets: %d\r\nsent packets: %d\r\nfirst received packet: rssi=%d, lqi=%d\r\n",
static_cast<int>(sStats.mReceivedPackets), static_cast<int>(sStats.mSentPackets),
static_cast<int>(sStats.mFirstRssi), static_cast<int>(sStats.mFirstLqi));
exit:
AppendErrorResult(error, aOutput, aOutputMaxLen);
}
void Diag::DiagTransmitDone(otInstance *aInstance, otError aError)
{
VerifyOrExit(aInstance == sInstance);
if (aError == OT_ERROR_NONE)
{
sStats.mSentPackets++;
if (sTxPackets > 1)
{
sTxPackets--;
TxPacket();
}
}
else
{
TxPacket();
}
exit:
return;
}
void Diag::DiagReceiveDone(otInstance *aInstance, otRadioFrame *aFrame, otError aError)
{
VerifyOrExit(aInstance == sInstance);
if (aError == OT_ERROR_NONE)
{
// for sensitivity test, only record the rssi and lqi for the first packet
if (sStats.mReceivedPackets == 0)
{
sStats.mFirstRssi = aFrame->mInfo.mRxInfo.mRssi;
sStats.mFirstLqi = aFrame->mInfo.mRxInfo.mLqi;
}
sStats.mReceivedPackets++;
}
otPlatDiagRadioReceived(aInstance, aFrame, aError);
exit:
return;
}
void Diag::AlarmFired(otInstance *aInstance)
{
VerifyOrExit(aInstance == sInstance);
if(sRepeatActive)
{
uint32_t now = otPlatAlarmMilliGetNow();
TxPacket();
otPlatAlarmMilliStartAt(aInstance, now, sTxPeriod);
}
else
{
otPlatDiagAlarmCallback(aInstance);
}
exit:
return;
}
extern "C" void otPlatDiagAlarmFired(otInstance *aInstance)
{
Diag::AlarmFired(aInstance);
}
extern "C" void otPlatDiagRadioTransmitDone(otInstance *aInstance, otRadioFrame *aFrame, otError aError)
{
OT_UNUSED_VARIABLE(aFrame);
Diag::DiagTransmitDone(aInstance, aError);
}
extern "C" void otPlatDiagRadioReceiveDone(otInstance *aInstance, otRadioFrame *aFrame, otError aError)
{
Diag::DiagReceiveDone(aInstance, aFrame, aError);
}
} // namespace Diagnostics
} // namespace ot
|
<reponame>AvivBenchorin/OpenSearch-Dashboards
/*
* SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
*
* The OpenSearch Contributors require contributions made to
* this file be licensed under the Apache-2.0 license or a
* compatible open source license.
*/
/*
* Licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one or more contributor
* license agreements. See the NOTICE file distributed with
* this work for additional information regarding copyright
* ownership. Elasticsearch B.V. licenses this file to you under
* the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may
* not use this file except in compliance with the License.
* You may obtain a copy of the License at
*
* http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
*
* Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing,
* software distributed under the License is distributed on an
* "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY
* KIND, either express or implied. See the License for the
* specific language governing permissions and limitations
* under the License.
*/
/*
* Modifications Copyright OpenSearch Contributors. See
* GitHub history for details.
*/
import React, { Fragment } from 'react';
import {
EuiFieldText,
EuiFormRow,
EuiLink,
EuiSelect,
EuiSwitch,
EuiFieldNumber,
} from '@elastic/eui';
import { FormattedMessage } from '@osd/i18n/react';
import { DefaultFormatEditor, FormatEditorProps } from '../default';
import { FormatEditorSamples } from '../../samples';
import { LabelTemplateFlyout } from './label_template_flyout';
import { UrlTemplateFlyout } from './url_template_flyout';
interface OnChangeParam {
type: string;
width?: string;
height?: string;
urlTemplate?: string;
}
interface UrlFormatEditorFormatParams {
openLinkInCurrentTab: boolean;
urlTemplate: string;
labelTemplate: string;
width: string;
height: string;
}
interface UrlFormatEditorFormatState {
showLabelTemplateHelp: boolean;
showUrlTemplateHelp: boolean;
}
interface UrlType {
kind: string;
text: string;
}
export class UrlFormatEditor extends DefaultFormatEditor<
UrlFormatEditorFormatParams,
UrlFormatEditorFormatState
> {
static formatId = 'url';
iconPattern: string;
constructor(props: FormatEditorProps<UrlFormatEditorFormatParams>) {
super(props);
this.iconPattern = `/plugins/indexPatternManagement/assets/icons/{{value}}.png`;
this.state = {
...this.state,
sampleInputsByType: {
a: ['john', '/some/pathname/asset.png', 1234],
img: ['go', 'stop', ['de', 'ne', 'us', 'ni'], 'cv'],
audio: ['hello.mp3'],
},
sampleConverterType: 'html',
showUrlTemplateHelp: false,
showLabelTemplateHelp: false,
};
}
sanitizeNumericValue = (val: string) => {
const sanitizedValue = parseInt(val, 10);
if (isNaN(sanitizedValue)) {
return '';
}
return sanitizedValue;
};
onTypeChange = (newType: string) => {
const { urlTemplate, width, height } = this.props.formatParams;
const params: OnChangeParam = {
type: newType,
};
if (newType === 'img') {
params.width = width;
params.height = height;
if (!urlTemplate) {
params.urlTemplate = this.iconPattern;
}
} else if (newType !== 'img' && urlTemplate === this.iconPattern) {
params.urlTemplate = undefined;
}
this.onChange(params);
};
showUrlTemplateHelp = () => {
this.setState({
showLabelTemplateHelp: false,
showUrlTemplateHelp: true,
});
};
hideUrlTemplateHelp = () => {
this.setState({
showUrlTemplateHelp: false,
});
};
showLabelTemplateHelp = () => {
this.setState({
showLabelTemplateHelp: true,
showUrlTemplateHelp: false,
});
};
hideLabelTemplateHelp = () => {
this.setState({
showLabelTemplateHelp: false,
});
};
renderWidthHeightParameters = () => {
const width = this.sanitizeNumericValue(this.props.formatParams.width);
const height = this.sanitizeNumericValue(this.props.formatParams.height);
return (
<Fragment>
<EuiFormRow
label={
<FormattedMessage id="indexPatternManagement.url.widthLabel" defaultMessage="Width" />
}
>
<EuiFieldNumber
data-test-subj="urlEditorWidth"
value={width}
onChange={(e) => {
this.onChange({ width: e.target.value });
}}
/>
</EuiFormRow>
<EuiFormRow
label={
<FormattedMessage id="indexPatternManagement.url.heightLabel" defaultMessage="Height" />
}
>
<EuiFieldNumber
data-test-subj="urlEditorHeight"
value={height}
onChange={(e) => {
this.onChange({ height: e.target.value });
}}
/>
</EuiFormRow>
</Fragment>
);
};
render() {
const { format, formatParams } = this.props;
const { error, samples, sampleConverterType } = this.state;
return (
<Fragment>
<LabelTemplateFlyout
isVisible={this.state.showLabelTemplateHelp}
onClose={this.hideLabelTemplateHelp}
/>
<UrlTemplateFlyout
isVisible={this.state.showUrlTemplateHelp}
onClose={this.hideUrlTemplateHelp}
/>
<EuiFormRow
label={
<FormattedMessage id="indexPatternManagement.url.typeLabel" defaultMessage="Type" />
}
>
<EuiSelect
data-test-subj="urlEditorType"
value={formatParams.type}
options={format.type.urlTypes.map((type: UrlType) => {
return {
value: type.kind,
text: type.text,
};
})}
onChange={(e) => {
this.onTypeChange(e.target.value);
}}
/>
</EuiFormRow>
{formatParams.type === 'a' ? (
<EuiFormRow
label={
<FormattedMessage
id="indexPatternManagement.url.openTabLabel"
defaultMessage="Open in a new tab"
/>
}
>
<EuiSwitch
label={
formatParams.openLinkInCurrentTab ? (
<FormattedMessage id="indexPatternManagement.url.offLabel" defaultMessage="Off" />
) : (
<FormattedMessage id="indexPatternManagement.url.onLabel" defaultMessage="On" />
)
}
checked={!formatParams.openLinkInCurrentTab}
onChange={(e) => {
this.onChange({ openLinkInCurrentTab: !e.target.checked });
}}
/>
</EuiFormRow>
) : null}
<EuiFormRow
label={
<FormattedMessage
id="indexPatternManagement.url.urlTemplateLabel"
defaultMessage="URL template"
/>
}
helpText={
<EuiLink onClick={this.showUrlTemplateHelp}>
<FormattedMessage
id="indexPatternManagement.url.template.helpLinkText"
defaultMessage="URL template help"
/>
</EuiLink>
}
isInvalid={!!error}
error={error}
>
<EuiFieldText
data-test-subj="urlEditorUrlTemplate"
value={formatParams.urlTemplate || ''}
onChange={(e) => {
this.onChange({ urlTemplate: e.target.value });
}}
/>
</EuiFormRow>
<EuiFormRow
label={
<FormattedMessage
id="indexPatternManagement.url.labelTemplateLabel"
defaultMessage="Label template"
/>
}
helpText={
<EuiLink onClick={this.showLabelTemplateHelp}>
<FormattedMessage
id="indexPatternManagement.url.labelTemplateHelpText"
defaultMessage="Label template help"
/>
</EuiLink>
}
isInvalid={!!error}
error={error}
>
<EuiFieldText
data-test-subj="urlEditorLabelTemplate"
value={formatParams.labelTemplate || ''}
onChange={(e) => {
this.onChange({ labelTemplate: e.target.value });
}}
/>
</EuiFormRow>
{formatParams.type === 'img' && this.renderWidthHeightParameters()}
<FormatEditorSamples samples={samples} sampleType={sampleConverterType} />
</Fragment>
);
}
}
|
def create_symbol_table(root):
set_depth(root, 0)
stack = Stack(root)
symbol_table = STable()
other_modules = {}
for node, children, ntype in stack:
if ntype == "Import":
for name in node.names:
name_val = name.asname or name.name
symbol_table[name_val] = ()
elif ntype == "ImportFrom":
if node.names[0].name == '*':
try:
imp_mod = importlib.import_module(node.module)
for name in dir(imp_mod):
if name[0] != '_':
symbol_table[name] = stack_top(scopes)
except ImportError:
print "Error: local system does not have {}. Skipping!".format(node.module)
pass
else:
for name in node.names:
name_val = name.asname or name.name
symbol_table[name_val] = stack.get_scopes(src_module=node.module)
elif ntype == "ClassDef" or ntype == "FunctionDef":
symbol_table[node.name] = stack.get_scopes()
elif ntype == "Name" and not is_load(children) and not has_global(stack.scope_tail(), node.id):
symbol_table[node.id] = stack.get_scopes()
elif ntype == "arguments":
if node.vararg:
symbol_table[node.vararg] = stack.get_scopes()
if node.kwarg:
symbol_table[node.kwarg] = stack.get_scopes()
elif ntype == "Global":
set_globals(scopes[-1], node.names)
set_lineno(node, children)
for child in children[::-1]:
set_depth(child, node.depth + 1)
stack.append(child)
stack.check_and_push_scope()
print "Symbol table is "
print symbol_table
return symbol_table
|
/**
* Created by gamekonglee on 2018/4/13.
*/
public class ScGoods {
public int id;
public int amount;
public String property;
public String attr_stock;
public String attrs;
public Product product;
public double price;
public String img;
public String getImg() {
return img;
}
public void setImg(String img) {
this.img = img;
}
public double getPrice() {
return price;
}
public void setPrice(double Price) {
this.price = Price;
}
public int getId() {
return id;
}
public void setId(int id) {
this.id = id;
}
public int getAmount() {
return amount;
}
public void setAmount(int amount) {
this.amount = amount;
}
public String getProperty() {
return property;
}
public void setProperty(String property) {
this.property = property;
}
public String getAttr_stock() {
return attr_stock;
}
public void setAttr_stock(String attr_stock) {
this.attr_stock = attr_stock;
}
public String getAttrs() {
return attrs;
}
public void setAttrs(String attrs) {
this.attrs = attrs;
}
public Product getProduct() {
return product;
}
public void setProduct(Product product) {
this.product = product;
}
}
|
Cryptides: functional cryptic peptides hidden in protein structures. Peptidergic hormones, neurotransmitters, and neuromodulators are extracellular signaling molecules that play central roles in physiological signal transmissions between various cells, tissues, and organs. These factors are primarily translated as inactive precursor proteins according to the genetic information. These precursor proteins are then cleaved by various proteases including signal peptidases and processing enzymes to produce matured bioactive factors. During these processes, various fragmented peptides are also produced from the same precursor proteins. Such fragmented peptides may have various unexpected biological activities that have not been identified yet because these peptides are considered to be produced and released along with mature factors at the same secretary pathways. Recently, we found that various fragmented peptides of mitochondrial proteins that are produced during the maturation processes, such as fragments of cytochrome c oxidase, activate neutrophils whose functions are distinct from their parent proteins. These findings suggest the existence of many different functional peptides whose functions have not been identified yet. These unidentified peptides may play a variety of roles in various regulatory mechanisms, and therefore, they are expected to provide novel regulatory and signaling mechanisms, "Peptide World".
|
The Ministry of Health has found Havelock North's water contamination cost about $21 million - with residents the worst affected.
Photo: RNZ / Jemma Brackebush
The campylobacter infection hit the town last August and afflicted more than 5000 people with illness, filling the hospital and potentially contributing to three deaths.
The investigators measured the next best thing that people could have been doing if they had not been sick. That and the value of direct costs added up to the total figure of $21,029,288.
Read the full report: (PDF; 1351kb)
A report commissioned by the ministry said some 5088 households were affected by the crisis, and the cost to each household was about $2440.
Those costs included the cost of people getting sick and being unable to go to work or school or carry out other tasks.
Some were unable to look after their children, while others had to drive all over town to visit doctors or to get fresh water or other supplies.
They also had to do far more laundry and cleaning.
This left the households to foot a bill of more than $12,420,000 making up the majority of all costs from the crisis.
Photo: Ministry of Health / Sapere research group
The report also said not all consequences of the outbreak could be quantified in monetary terms, with personal stress, loss of public faith in the water supply, and "scarring" of the community adding to the societal bill.
The report said about 25 percent of the population of Havelock North was aged over 65 based on the 2013 Census, and the town also had a large number of school aged children.
"The DHB .... is aware of a number of community-dwelling older people affected by campylobacter who have since become significantly more dependent on community support services, or who have required transfer to residential care," the report said.
"Both these scenarios represent potential rapid and significant progression of frailty."
Twelve people had to go to hospital with a variety of conditions which were hastened by campylobactyer infection.
They included hypotension, lower leg cellulitis, urine retention, delirium and pneumonia.
The report was at pains to note it was conducting an economic inquiry - using the principle of the "opportunity cost" - rather than a medical one.
It acknowledged there were many other costs that could not be measured.
The second biggest share of the costs, $4,133,080, was borne by local government. These included investigating the cause of the outbreak, providing boiled water and re-engineering existing water supply systems.
It also covered the cost of paying for an official inquiry, which made up about half the price.
|
def sign(plain_text, secret_key, did, nonce):
if len(plain_text) <= 0:
return ""
params = [
secret_key,
nonce,
did,
"{}".format(b64encode(plain_text))
]
path = os.path.join(CUR_PATH, UTILS_LIB_PATH)
sign = ctypes.CDLL(path).sign
sign.argtypes = [ctypes.c_char_p] * 4
sign.restype = ctypes.c_char_p
result = sign(*params)
if result is None or len(result)<=0:
raise Exception("failed to run sign, result empty")
return result
|
#ifndef LTCKPT_LTCKPT_STAT_H
#define LTCKPT_LTCKPT_STAT_H 1
#include "ltckpt_common.h"
#include "ltckpt_config.h"
#include <stdio.h>
#if LTCKPT_CFG_STATS_ENABLED
#ifndef LTCKPT_STAT_LOGFILE
#define LTCKPT_STAT_LOGFILE "/tmp/ltckpt.out"
#endif
#warning LTCKPT STATISTICS ENABLED --- DON'T USE FOR PERFORMANCE BENCHMARKING
void ltckpt_stat_add(void* r_addr);
void ltckpt_stat_clear();
void ltckpt_stat_dump();
void ltckpt_stat_init();
#else
#define ltckpt_stat_add(x)
#define ltckpt_stat_clear()
#define ltckpt_stat_dump()
#define ltckpt_stat_init()
#endif
#endif
|
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an eyepiece, and more particularly to a viewfinder lens system for use in a single lens reflex camera.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As a viewfinder lens system for use in a single lens reflex camera, a doublet type lens system which consists of two glass lens elements cemented to each other is known. However, such a construction requires a cementing step for cementing two lens elements to each other in its manufacturing procedure. Thus, it causes the increase of the cost of the production, the undesirable mixture of dust and bubbles in the cementing layer, the error of centration of two lens elements cemented to each other and, the undesirable coloring of the lens system due to the coloring of the cementing layer. Furthermore, such cementing may cause and increase of reflectance at the cemented surface, since a cementing material having a suitable refractive index for reducing the reflectance at the cemented surface does not exist.
A viewfinder lens system of a separate type which consists of two lens element with an air space therebetween is proposed. For example, in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application (Tokkaisho) No. 53-135657 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,265,529, a viewfinder lens system, consisting from the object side, a positive first lens element and a negative second lens element with an air space formed therebetween, is disclosed. In this lens system, since the surface configuration of each of the elements is almost unchanged from the doublet type lens system, the radius of curvature of the eye side surface of the first lens element is almost equal to that of the object side surface of the second lens element. However, although the error of centration and the deviation of the thickness of the cemented layer from the designed thickness scarcely influences aberrations of the whole lens system in the doublet type lens system, in the separate type lens system, the deviation of the actual distance of two lens elements from the designed distance and the slight displacement of each lens elements will cause to be introduce a great change in aberrations.
In U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,217,048 and 4,437,750, another separate type viewfinder lens system which consists of, from the object side, a nagative first lens element and a positive second lens element with an air space formed therebetween is disclosed. However, in a lens system, since the radius of curvature of the eye side surface of the first lens element is almost equal to that of the object side surface of the second lens element and since such a radius of curvature is extremely small, any error in mounting would cause a great amount of aberration.
|
// GetPaintingsURLs returns a list with the URLs of the paintings of wikiart
func GetPaintingsURLs(artistURL string) []string {
var paintingsURLs []string
var wikiartProtocol string = viper.GetString("wikiart_protocol")
var wikiartURL string = viper.GetString("wikiart_url")
c := colly.NewCollector()
c.OnHTML(".painting-list-text-row a", func(e *colly.HTMLElement) {
var paintingURL string = fmt.Sprintf("%s%s%s", wikiartProtocol, wikiartURL, e.Attr("href"))
paintingsURLs = append(paintingsURLs, paintingURL)
})
c.OnRequest(func(r *colly.Request) {
logrus.Tracef("Visiting %s", r.URL.String())
})
c.Visit(artistURL)
return paintingsURLs
}
|
import { getSingleParam } from './utils';
const isValidator = (value: unknown, params: [unknown] | { other: unknown }) => {
const other = getSingleParam(params, 'other');
return value === other;
};
export default isValidator;
|
REQUIREMENTS AND LONG-TERM DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR FAST-SPECTRUM TRANSMUTATION FUELS IN THE U.S An objective of the Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative in the United States is to develop technologies for transmutation of transuranic elements currently in spent light water reactor fuel. The advantages of fast-spectrum reactors, including accelerator-driven systems, are recognised. Because low-to-zero conversion-ratio designs are desired, fuels with little or no fertile uranium are required. Based upon institutional experience with fast reactor fuels, a set of requirements for the new fuels and a conceptual long-term development plan have been drafted to guide the development process. Many of the proposed requirements are similar to those that would be used for a sodium-cooled fast reactor; although such requirements are tentative, they provide a useful basis for initiation of the programme. The long-term development plan indicates that demonstration of a new fuel technology could be accomplished in less than 25 years, but successful technology development and convenient access to test facilities is assumed.
|
<gh_stars>0
# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
# @Time : 2020-05-28 14:29
# @Author : leocll
# @Email : <EMAIL>
# @File : config.py
import os
import logging
class Config(object):
def __init__(self):
"""
build的基础配置类
"""
self.name: str = 'main' # 程序名
self._target_file: str = 'main.py' # 程序入口文件名
self._src_dir: str = os.getcwd() # 程序源码文件夹路径
self._build_dir: str = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(self.src_dir), 'builder') # build文件夹路径
self._hook_file: str = '' # hook文件路径
self.excludes_file: str = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), 'excludes') # excludes文件路径
self.ignores_file: str = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), 'ignores') # ignores文件路径
self.single: bool = False # 是否build为单文件程序
self.no_compile: bool = False # 是否不需要编译
self.compile_dir: str = os.path.join(self.build_dir, 'compile') # 编译文件夹
@property
def target_file(self) -> str:
return self._target_file
@target_file.setter
def target_file(self, n: str):
self._target_file = n
if not self.name:
self.name = os.path.splitext(n)[0]
@property
def target_path(self) -> str:
return os.path.join(self.src_dir if self.no_compile else self.compile_dir, self.target_file)
@property
def target_src_path(self) -> str:
return os.path.join(self.src_dir, self.target_file)
@property
def src_dir(self):
return self._src_dir
@src_dir.setter
def src_dir(self, n: str):
self._src_dir = n
if not os.path.isdir(n):
logging.error("PyBuilder directory doesn't exists: %s" % n)
raise Exception("PyBuilder directory doesn't exists: %s" % n)
@property
def build_dir(self):
return self._build_dir
@build_dir.setter
def build_dir(self, n: str):
self._build_dir = n
self.compile_dir = os.path.join(n, 'compile')
@property
def hook_file(self):
return self._hook_file
@hook_file.setter
def hook_file(self, n: str):
if n:
self._hook_file = n
# Hook
from ._hook import Hook
Hook.start4file(n)
def parse(self, name, target_file='', src_dir='', build_dir='',
hook_file='', excludes_file='', ignores_file='', single=False, no_compile=False):
"""
解析基础配置
:param name: 打包后的程序名
:param target_file: 入口文件相对于`src_dir`的相对路径
:param src_dir: 源文件根目录路径，默认为运行环境的根目录路径
:param build_dir: build目录路径，默认为与运行环境的根目录同级的`builder`目录
:param hook_file: hook文件路径
:param excludes_file: `excludes`文件路径
:param ignores_file: `ignore`文件路径
:param single: 是否build为单文件程序，默认为False
:param no_compile: 是否不编译.py文件，默认为False
:return:
"""
self.name = name or self.name
self.target_file = target_file or self.target_file
self.src_dir = src_dir or self.src_dir
self.build_dir = build_dir or self.build_dir
self.hook_file = hook_file or self.hook_file
self.excludes_file = excludes_file or self.excludes_file
self.ignores_file = ignores_file or self.ignores_file
self.single = single
self.no_compile = no_compile
default_config = Config()
if __name__ == '__main__':
pass
|
<reponame>shawwn/openai-server
import os
import sys
import requests
from tqdm import tqdm
if len(sys.argv) != 2:
print('You must enter the model name as a parameter, e.g.: download_model.py 124M')
sys.exit(1)
model = sys.argv[1]
subdir = os.path.join('models', model)
if not os.path.exists(subdir):
os.makedirs(subdir)
subdir = subdir.replace('\\','/') # needed for Windows
name = 'model.ckpt'
for filename in ['checkpoint','hparams.json','encoder.json','vocab.bpe','model.ckpt.index', 'model.ckpt.meta', 'model.ckpt.data-00000-of-00001']:
filename = filename.replace('model.ckpt', name)
bucket = os.environ.get('BUCKET', 'gpt-2')
path = os.environ.get('MODEL_DIR', 'gs://{bucket}/{subdir}'.format(bucket=bucket, subdir=subdir)).lstrip('gs:').strip('/')
url = "https://openaipublic.blob.core.windows.net/" + path + "/" + filename
r = requests.get(url, stream=True)
if not r.ok and filename == 'checkpoint':
raise FileNotFoundError(url)
if not r.ok:
continue
with open(os.path.join(subdir, filename), 'wb') as f:
file_size = int(r.headers["content-length"])
chunk_size = 1000
with tqdm(ncols=100, desc="Fetching " + filename, total=file_size, unit_scale=True) as pbar:
# 1k for chunk_size, since Ethernet packet size is around 1500 bytes
for chunk in r.iter_content(chunk_size=chunk_size):
f.write(chunk)
pbar.update(chunk_size)
if filename == 'checkpoint':
with open(os.path.join(subdir, filename)) as f:
for line in f:
if line.startswith('model_checkpoint_path'):
name = line.split(':', 1)[1].strip().strip('"')
|
Outcome of community-based rehabilitation program for people with mental illness who are considered difficult to treat. This observational study investigated the outcomes of a community-based rehabilitation program that was designed to enhance social functioning, social inclusion, and well-being of people with mental illness who were considered treatment failures by psychiatric professionals in Italy. Of the 144 patients who entered the program, 131 started the program and 109 completed either 12 or 18 months of treatment. Illness severity was assessed by the Health of the Nation Outcome Scales (HoNOS) and social functioning by the Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale (SOFAS). On the HoNOS, 33% of patients showed reliable change. On the SOFAS, 27% showed reliable change, although the change was substantial for few patients. Over time, patients showed moderate but significant improvements on the HoNOS and SOFAS. The HoNOS subscales concerning interpersonal relationships and social inclusion showed significant change. Very isolated people with mental illness gained some advantages from this rehabilitation program that was based on a close relationship with a key worker; however, the program duration may have been inadequate to produce substantial changes. Our findings warrant further research based on controlled studies.
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def contracted_strings_to_tensor_terms(pdaggerq_list_of_strings):
tensor_terms = []
for pq_string in pdaggerq_list_of_strings:
coeff = float(pq_string[0])
single_tensor_term = []
actions = []
for ts in pq_string[1:]:
bs = string_to_baseterm(ts)
if isinstance(bs, TensorTermAction):
actions.append(bs)
else:
single_tensor_term.append(bs)
tensor_terms.append(
TensorTerm(base_terms=tuple(single_tensor_term), coefficient=coeff,
permutation_ops=actions)
)
return tensor_terms
|
This invention relates to internal combustion engines and more particularly to improved apparatus for injecting water vapor and similar vapors in the form of low pressure steam into an internal combustion engine.
It has long been recognized that the effective octane rating for fuels for internal combustion engines may be increased by injecting water vapor, alcohol-water vapor and other vapors into the engine cylinders along with the air-fuel mixture. The injected vapors produce different effects including lowering combustion temperatures and thereby lowering the flame front propagation rate. This, in effect, is the same as an increase in the effective octane rating for the fuel. The lower combustion temperatures also improve the composition of the exhaust gases by reducing the formation of nitrous oxides and other pollutants. The retardant action on the flame front propagation rate also reduces or eliminates engine "knock" or "ping", thereby allowing either a higher engine compression ratio and/or a greater advance in the ignition timing. These changes, in turn, may provide a greater horse power output from the engine and/or a lower fuel consumption rate. Still another benefit received from vapor injection is a reduction in carbon deposits on the piston and cylinder walls. This in turn reduces engine wear and also reduces contamination of the engine lubricating oil.
Various methods have been used in the past for injecting water vapor and the like into the cylinders of internal combustion engines for controlling combustion. One early method merely involved passing intake air through an evaporator for moistening the air. Moistening may be accomplished by various techniques such as by passing the air through a porous member which is wetted with the liquid or by bubbling the air through a reservoir or tank holding the liquid. Moistened air has also been injected into the engine's intake manifold. However, with this method, the quantity of moisture added to the air is limited. Another prior art method involves spraying liquid directly either into a carburetor intake or into the intake manifold for the engine. With this method, it is difficult to provide a uniform air-fuel-water vapor mixture to all cylinders. There is also difficulty in uniformly atomizing the sprayed liquid to prevent large droplets of the liquid from entering at least some of the cylinders.
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<reponame>chipgw/openbfme<filename>bigreader/include/bigarchive.hpp
#pragma once
#include "types.hpp"
#include <set>
#include <cstdio>
namespace OpenBFME {
class BigArchive {
public:
enum Backend {
BigFile,
Folder
};
typedef std::set<BigEntry> EntryList;
private:
EntryList entries;
/* Only one entry can be open at a time per archive, this remembers which one it is. */
const BigEntry* currentEntry;
/* For BigFile backend this is the archive file.
* For Folder backends it is the file for the currentEntry. */
FILE* file;
/* File or folder path of the archive. */
string archiveFilename;
/* The current Backend of the file. Almost should be const, but isn't calculated in the constructor. */
Backend backend;
/* Open the archive file in a BigFile backend.
* If called with a folder backend returns true if an entry is already open. */
bool open();
/* Close any open file. */
void close();
/* Open an entry based on backend. */
bool openEntry(const BigEntry& entry);
public:
BigArchive(const string& filename);
~BigArchive();
/* Find out what type of Backend to use and fills entries. Returns false on error. */
bool readHeader();
/* Search for and open an entry, nullptr if not found. */
const BigEntry* openFile(const string& filename);
/* Get a single character from a text file. */
EXPORT character getChar(const BigEntry& entry);
/* Put a single character back into a text file. */
EXPORT void ungetChar(const BigEntry& entry, character c);
/* Seek to a position inside the entry. */
EXPORT bool seek(const BigEntry& entry, uint32_t pos);
/* Return the current position inside the entry. */
EXPORT uint32_t tell(const BigEntry& entry);
/* Returns true if the current position is not within the file bounds. */
EXPORT bool eof(const BigEntry& entry);
/* Extract a file to the specified directory. */
EXPORT bool extract(const BigEntry& entry, const string& directory, bool fullPath, bool ignore, bool overwrite);
/* Extract all entries into given directory. */
EXPORT bool extractAll(const string& directory, bool ignore, bool overwrite);
/* Make a .big file out of a set of entries. */
EXPORT static bool writeBig(const EntryList& entries, const string& filename);
/* Make a .big file out of a folder. */
EXPORT bool writeBig(const string& filename);
inline const string& getArchiveFilename() { return archiveFilename; }
inline const Backend& getBackend() { return backend; }
/* Only used inside the library, not exported. */
EntryList::const_iterator begin();
EntryList::const_iterator end();
};
}
|
Transfection efficiency of pORF lacZ plasmid lipopolyplex to hepatocytes and hepatoma cells. AIM To develop a novel non-viral gene delivery system, which has a small particle size and a high transfection efficiency to hepatocyte and hepatoma cells. METHODS Lipid-polycation-DNA lipopolyplex (LPD) was prepared by mixing plasmid DNA and polylysine. The resulted polyplex was incubated for 10 min at room temperature, following the addition of preformed cationic liposomes. The morphology of LPD was observed by transmission electron microscopy. The diameter and surface charge of LPD were measured by photon correlation spectroscopy (PCS). The nuclease protection ability of LPD was evaluated by agarose gel electrophoresis. Estimation of the transfection efficiency was performed by galactosidase assay in Chang cells and SMMC-7721 cells. RESULTS LPD had a regular spherical surface. The average diameter and the zeta potential of LPD were 132.1 nm and 26.8 mV respectively. LPD could protect plasmid DNA from nuclease degradation after 2 hours incubation at 37 degrees while the naked DNA degraded rapidly. The average transfection efficiencies were 86.2+/-8.9% and 72.4+/-6.5% in Chang cells and SMMC-7721 cells respectively. CONCLUSION LPD has a rather small particle size and a high transfection activity. LPD may be a good non-viral vector for application in some gene delivery. INTRODUCTION Gene therapy focuses on the therapeutic use of genes, and has achieved considerable advances in the treatment of both acquired and inherited diseases. The success of gene therapy rests on the development of a vector that can selectively and efficiently deliver a gene to the target cells with minimal toxicity. The vectors used to date can be classified into viral and non-viral groups. Non-viral delivery systems for gene therapy have been increasingly proposed as safer alternatives to viral vectors. They have the potential to be repeatedly used with minimal host immune response and are targetable, stable in storage, and easy to produce in large quantities. These advantages have provided the impetus to continue their development. So far, several non-viral delivery systems have been developed, such as liposomes, nanoparticles hydrogel emulsion and peptide nucleic acid. Complexes formed between cationic liposomes and plasmid DNA are the predominant non-viral vectors employed for the transfection of eukaryotic cells in research laboratories. Currently, several cationic liposomal formulations have also undergone clinical evaluation as vectors for gene therapy in cancer and cystic fibrosis. However, the efficiency and specificity of non-viral delivery systems are not so high. To improve the transfection efficiency, some cationic lipids and polymers have been synthesized. Ligand or antibody mediated targeting of gene transfer has also been widely explored. Furthermore, nuclear localization sequences (NLS) are studied to help the entry of plasmid DNA from cytoplasm into nucleus. The liver possesses a variety of characteristics that make this organ very attractive for gene therapy. The proportion of administered macromolecules internalized by hepatocytes depends on their particle size and biochemical characteristics. Only relatively small molecules can pass the fenestrate of sinusoidal endothelial cells of the liver, since their diameter is about 100 nm. Polycations as a formulation component have been shown to enhance the efficiency of liposomesmediated gene transfer both in vitro and in vivo. Specifically, lipid-polycation-DNA lipopolyplexes (LPD) have appeared promising as efficient gene-delivery vehicles for systemic administration. In this study, we developed a novel lipopolyplex formulation, which is small in particle size and high in transfection efficiency to hepatocytes and hepatoma cells. Materials Plasmid pORF lacZ (3.54 kb) was purchased from Invivogen (USA). Poly-L-lysine (PLL, M r 29 000), dimethyldioc tadecyl ammonium bromide (DDAB) and -galactosidase reporter gene staining kit were purchased from Sigma. Hepatoma cell line SMMC-7721 and hepatocyte cell line Chang were obtained from Shanghai Cell Institute, China Academy of Sciences. Cell culture media DMEM and RPMI 1640 were obtained from Gibco Co. (USA). Qiagen Giga Endo-free plasmid purification kit was purchased from Qiagen (CA.USA). All the other chemicals and reagents used were of the analytical grade obtained commercially. Plasmid DNA preparation Plasmid pORF lacZ (3.54 kb), is a eukaryotic expression vector containing the EF-1/HTLV hybrid promoter within an intron. The lacZ gene codes for the enzyme -galactosidase, whose activity allows for quick determination of cells expressing the lacZ gene. pORF-lacZ plasmid DNA was isolated and purified from DH5- E coli using the Qiagen Giga Endo-free plasmid purification kit. DNA concentration and purity were quantified by UV absorbance at 260 nm and 280 nm on a GBC UV cintra 10e spectrophotometer. The structural integrity and topology of purified DNA were analyzed by agarose gel electrophoresis. LPD preparation Cationic liposomes composed of DDAB/cholesterol were prepared with the molar ratio of 1:1. The lipid mixture was dissolved in appropriate chloroform and a thin lipid film was formed in a round-bottomed flask by drying the solvent using a rotary evaporator. The film was hydrated at 60 with the addition of 10 mM herpes buffer (pH7.4). The lipids were resuspended and then undergone ten passes through an extruder with 200, 100 nm polycarbonate membranes respectively. LPDs were formed by mixing equal volumes of DNA and PLL. DNA and PLL were both diluted from the stock with 10 Mm herpes buffer. After mixed, the solution was briefly vortexed, and the resulting polyplexes were incubated for 10 min at room temperature. Concentrated cationic liposomes were subsequently added to the DNA/PLL mixture to achieve the desired final component concentrations and ratios. Size and zeta potential Diameter and surface charge of lipopolyplexes were measured by photon correlation spectroscopy (PCS) (Malvern zetasizer 3000 HS, Malvern Instruments Ltd., UK) with a 50 mV laser. Twenty l of LPD was diluted by 3 ml of 10 mM herpes buffer and added into the sample cell. The measurement time was set at 2 min (rapid measurement) and each run consisted of 10 subruns. The measurements were done at 25 at an angel of 90°. The size distribution followed a lognormal distribution. The potential of the lipid carriers at the surface of spheres, called the zeta potential( ), was derived from the mobile particles in electric field by applying the smoluchowsky relationship, which was measured at least three times and at an average of appropriate concentrations of samples. Negative stain electron microscopy Just prior to use, the former-coated 100-mesh copper girds were prepared by glow discharging. The girds were then floated on 25 l of samples for 90 s, wicked off, and floated on drops of 1% aqueous uranyl acetate for 90 s. Finally, the samples were wicked off, dried in air and stored at room temperature. Negative stain electron micrographs of LPD were taken using a JEM-100SX electron microscope. Stability in DNase I Naked DNA or LPDs were incubated with DNase I solution (0.32 U/g DNA) at 37 for 5 min, 1 h and 2 h respectively. The enzyme reaction was stopped by addition of 0.5M EDTA. Triton X-100 (final concentration 1% v/v) was added to destroy the bilayer structure of liposomes and 0.9% w/v heparin was added to release DNA from PLL/DNA complexes. The samples were carefully added to the wells of a 0.8% agarose gel at a volume (representing 1 g of DNA per well). The gel was run in TBE buffer containing 0.5 g/ml EtBr at 100V for 1 h. Subsequently, the gel was removed from the tank and visualized under UV light by molecular analyst software. Cell transfection Chang cells and SMMC-7721 cells were cultured in DMEM and RPMI-1640 respectively with 10% fetal bovine serum and streptomycin (100 g/ml). The cells were seeded at 210 5 cells per well onto 6-well plates 24 h before transfection. The cells were about 70% confluence at the time of transfection. Then the cells were washed twice by PBS, and 1 ml of serum-free and antibiotics-free medium was added into each well. For each well in a transfection, LPDs containing 5 g pORF-1acZ were overlaid and mixed gently. The cells were incubated with LPD for 5 hours at 37 in a CO 2 incubator. Following incubation, LPD was removed and the cell surfaces were rinsed thoroughly and treated with 2 ml fresh complete medium. Then the cells were returned to the incubator for a further 45 h to allow intracellular gene expression to proceed. X-gal staining Estimation of the transfection efficiency was performed using galactosidase assay. After the desired time of incubation, the cells were washed with PBS twice and fixed with 2% formaldehyde and 0.2% glutaraldehyde for 10 minutes at room temperature. Then the cells were rinsed twice and stained by X-gal (20 mg/ml) according to the manufacture's instructions. The cells were incubated at 37 overnight and observed under a microscope. The transfected cells were blue after X-gal staining. For each well, five visual fields were chosen randomly. Cells stained blue were counted and the transfection efficiency was calculated as the percentage of the blue cells in each field. Morphology, particle size and zeta potential Transmission electron microscopy (Fignre 1) demonstrated the regular spherical surface of LPD. Figure 2 shows the average diameter of LPD being 132.1 nm with a very narrow distribution (polyindex 0.148). Figure 3 illustrates the zeta potential of LPD being 26.8 mV in 10 mM herpes buffer (pH 7.4). Figure 2 Size distribution of LPD. The particle size was measured by photon correlation spectroscopy (Malvern zetasizer 3000 HS). The average diameter of LPD is 132.1 nm. Figure 4 shows that LPD could protect plasmid DNA from nuclease degradation after 5 minutes, 1 hour and 2 hours of incubation at 37 while the naked DNA degraded rapidly. DISCUSSION The amount of intact DNA present in LPD cannot be directly assayed by gel electrophoresis as the complexation hinders the binding between DNA and ethidium bromide. Therefore Triton X-100, a widely used detergent is employed to destroy the liposomal bilayer. Furthermore, dissociation of cationic polymer and DNA is also required. Traditionally, DNA is dissociated from PLL by digestion with trypsin and phenol extraction. This procedure is time-consuming and the lost DNA during extraction is immeasurable. Some new dissociation methods have been established based on the fact that the interaction between DNA and PLL was mainly due to electrostatic bonds. By raising the pH of electrophoretic buffer above the pKa of PLL, PLL could become less protonated, thus reducing the charge and thereby allowing the complexes to disossociation under electrophoretic conditions. However, when pH was higher than 11.6, ethidium bromide would lose its affinity for DNA and fluorescence was lost. In this study, heparin at final concentration of 0.9% (w/v) was added to release DNA from the complexes. Heparin, as an anionic polysaccharide can bind to PLL by electrostatic interaction. When enough amount of heparin was added, DNA could be completely released from PLL-DNA complexes. The presence of heparin did not interfere with the gel electrophoresis, so the sample could be loaded directly. The size and surface charge of lipopolyplex could influence their physical stability, in vivo distribution, cellular interaction and extent of cell uptake. After intravenous administration, particles larger than 7 m are normally filtered by the smallest capillaries of the lungs, and particles smaller than 7 m in diameter may pass the smallest lung capillary beds and be entrapped in the capillary network of the liver and spleen. Particles between 100 nm and 2 m in size are rapidly cleared from the bloodstream by the mononuclear phagocytic system (MPS). Typically in practice, 80-90% of hydrophobic particles were opsonized and taken up by fixed macrophages of the liver and spleen, often within a few minutes of intravenous administration. Zeta potential measurements can be a useful tool for characterizing colloidal drug delivery systems. They can give information about the surface properties of the carrier and therefore helping determine how the constituent molecules are organized. In this study, the LPDs had a positive zeta potential of 26.8mV. Therefore, they could interact with negatively charged cell surface, which resulted in cellular internalization. Furthermore, plasmid DNA in LPDs was shielded from nuclease digestion due to the formation of charge complexes. It has become clear that cationic liposome plays several roles in the process of transfection, such as condensing and protecting DNA, binding to cell surface, triggering endocytosis and releasing DNA/lipid complexes from endosome. The size of condensed DNA is thought to be critical for in vivo delivery because the particle size influences not only the biodistribution but also the efficiency of cellular uptake through endocytosis. At an appropriate condition, cationic polymer PLL can precondense plasmid DNA more effectively than cationic liposomes. Therefore, LPD has a rather small particle size and a high transfection activity in hepatocytes and hepatoma cells. LPD may be a superior vector for some applications in gene delivery compared to regular DNA/liposome complexes. Structurally, this formulation has been found to be a virus-like particle, each containing a condensed genome as the core and a lipidic shell as the envelope. The liver possesses a variety of characteristics which make this organ very attractive for gene therapy. Although some of the virus-mediated gene transfer systems have been found to be quite effective, their usefulness is limited, given that they induce an immune response, leading to the rapid rejection of transduced cells. To overcome this problem, our further work will focus on the use of LPD in the treatment of liver cancer.
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Developing a harmonized heat warning and information system for Ontario: a case study in collaboration Background Heat wave early warning systems help alert decision-makers and the public to prepare for hot weather and implement preventive actions to protect health. Prior to harmonization, public health units across Ontario either used independent systems with varying methodologies for triggering and issuing public heat warnings or did not use any system. The federal government also issued heat warnings based on different criteria. During heat events, adjacent public health units in Ontario and the federal government would routinely call heat warnings at different times with separate public messages, leading to confusion. This article describes the collaborative process and key steps in developing a harmonized Heat Warning and Information System (HWIS) for Ontario. Setting Public health units across Ontario, Canada, collaborated with the federal and provincial government to develop the harmonized HWIS for Ontario. Intervention In 2011, stakeholders identified the need to develop a harmonized system across Ontario to improve heat warning services, warning criteria, and health messaging. Through a 5-year process facilitated by a non-governmental organization, the three levels of government collaborated to establish the Ontario HWIS. Outcomes The province-wide HWIS was implemented in 2016 with the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Cares release of the harmonized HWIS Standard Operating Practice, which outlined the notification and warning process. Implications The lessons learned could help spur action in other provinces and jurisdictions internationally in the development of similar health evidence-based warning systems, including in particular those for protecting public health during extreme heat events. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.17269/s41997-020-00337-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. Implications The lessons learned could help spur action in other provinces and jurisdictions internationally in the development of similar health evidence-based warning systems, including in particular those for protecting public health during extreme heat events. Introduction Heat wave early warning systems alert the public and health officials to impending hot weather and activate interventions to protect the public from the negative health impacts from extreme heat. Beginning in 2012, public health units (PHUs) across Ontario worked with various partners to develop a province-wide Heat Warning and Information System (HWIS). This was a unique collaboration that brought together all orders of government with different mandates, needs, and degrees of activity and experience around heat warning systems. All partners involved came together voluntarily and agreed on a common purpose and process. Unlike other activities spurred by heat emergencies, the development of a HWIS for Ontario was undertaken proactively and driven by public health units. This case study outlines the process for establishing the harmonized system in Ontario, including the impetus for action, the role of key partners, and the launch of the new system. Several key lessons are described that could help other jurisdictions looking to implement their own harmonized systems. Context Heat events can have a major impact on health. In the summer of 2003, Europe experienced unseasonably hot weather which resulted in approximately 70,000 deaths (). Canada is not exempt from heat-related deaths. In 2009, an extreme heat event contributed to 156 excess deaths in the province of British Columbia (Kosatsky 2010), while in Quebec, extreme heat events led to more than 280 excess deaths in 2010 () and an estimated 86 deaths in 2018 (). High temperatures in summer have been associated with increases in mortality across the province of Ontario (). In the City of Toronto, for example, Pengelly et al. estimated heat contributed to an average of 120 deaths per year. The research shows that heat is most likely to affect already vulnerable populations such as people with low income, those who are very young or old, or those who experience homelessness (Berry and Richardson 2016). Climate change projections indicate the number of hot days in Ontario could double by mid-century and triple by the end of the century (). Heat-related health risks can be reduced through systematic development of heatwave early warning systems (WHO and WMO 2015). These systems, which include the Heat Warning and Information System (HWIS) described in this article, alert the public and decision-makers to prepare for hot weather and implement measures to avoid negative health effects (). Post-event analyses of extreme heat events in Canada, the United States, and Europe concluded that heatrelated deaths are preventable if evidence-based alerting and risk communications protocols are present (). Prior to the implementation of the HWIS in 2016, there was no consistent approach or terminology for issuing heat warnings in Ontario. PHUs that had systems in place used different triggers for calling heat warnings and public messaging also varied by jurisdiction. Local media would report heat warnings from one PHU that often reached residents in adjacent communities where a heat warning had not been issued, resulting in considerable public confusion. Moreover, the Government of Canada would also issue its own climatebased heat warnings for all regions of Ontario. This further led to situations where a heat warning for a community or region might be called by the federal government but not by the local PHU, or vice versa. In 2011, PHUs expressed, through workshops and informal discussions, the need to develop a single harmonized heat warning system across Ontario to improve and unify health messaging. This was emphasized in a survey in 2012 where 94% of PHUs surveyed identified as a high or medium priority the need for a more coordinated and consistent methodology for calling heat health alerts. While the 2008 version of the Ontario Public Health Standards required PHUs to increase public awareness of health risk factors associated with extreme weather and climate change (e.g., extreme heat events), those same PHUs were not specifically mandated by the Ontario provincial government to have heat alert and response systems. PHUs across the province had developed a range of independent systems. Several PHUs did not issue heat warnings. However, for those that did, there was often a lack of region-specific health evidence to inform the selection of heat warning triggers. Prior to 2016, many heat warnings were based primarily on climatology and issued by PHUs when extreme daily humidity conditions (humidex) reached 40. It was unclear whether these humidex-based warnings were health protective. Intervention A series of workshops beginning in 2011 brought together partners and generated discussions on how best to collaborate to resolve inconsistencies in existing heat warning systems across Ontario. The partners included public health units, Health Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada, the Ontario Ministry of Health & Long-Term Care, Public Health Ontario, and Clean Air Partnership, who were retained to facilitate the process. The partners established the Ontario Heat Health Project Team (Project Team) and a Terms of Reference with an objective "to develop an efficient, coordinated, evidence-based system comprised of standardized criteria for calling heat warnings with language easily understood by the public as well as the flexibility to address local vulnerabilities and needs". See Supplementary Material for a complete list of partners. Working groups were then created to identify tasks and timelines necessary to fulfill the vision and mission. The working groups In the first year of the collaborative, the Project Team agreed on key priorities and established three working groups: Establishing the health evidence Health Canada and Public Health Ontario, with input from the Research Working Group, conducted an epidemiological analysis of the impacts of heat on the health of Ontarians to establish evidence-based heat warning triggers for different geographic regions across Ontario (). Additional research included a jurisdictional scan to better understand the state of heat alert and response systems in Ontario, across Canada and internationally. Based on the research, as well as practical considerations around forecast processes, three geographic zones were established in Ontario for calling warnings along with their associated triggers (see Table 1). This approach has ensured that the heat warnings, and the triggers underpinning them, are standardized across Ontario, making it easier to communicate the warnings to the public. At the same time, the creation of the three zones allowed the heat warnings to be tailored to the differences in meteorological conditions and heat health vulnerability identified across the different regions through the epidemiological analysis. These new heat warning triggers were based on Ontario-specific health evidence, replacing the previous patchwork of heat warning triggers, which were often selected without relevant heat health data. Identifying consistent terminology The Project Team agreed upon consistent terminology for communicating heat warnings (i.e., "heat warning") and for when they extended beyond 2 days (i.e., "extended heat warning"). This was challenging as some PHUs had existing printed communication material using different terminologies that were familiar to local partners. However, there was a strong agreement on the need for consistent language among the partners that helped to overcome this challenge. The partners recognized that consistent language would reduce confusion and increase the likelihood that Ontarians would take appropriate health-protective action. Piloting the harmonized heat warning and information system The Project Team identified the 2015 Pan and Parapan American Games (hereafter, Games) being held in Southern Ontario during the months of July and August as a timely opportunity to test the feasibility of the HWIS. The Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, with support from the Governance Working Group, drafted a Standard Operating Practice (SOP) to provide information on the heat warning triggers, terminology, and notification processes. Environment and Climate Change Canada also began issuing heat warnings in accordance with the new triggers across Ontario. All ten PHUs within the Games' footprint, and four outside of the footprint, piloted the HWIS for the duration of the Games. A mid-summer check-in with PHUs identified issues and informed adjustments to Environment and Climate Change Canada's services. The post-heat season survey found that PHUs recognized the value of consistent heat warning terminology. Environment and Climate Change Canada conducted post-heat season interviews with its meteorological forecasters and verified its services, including how it issues early heat notifications as well as the forecast accuracy. Taken together, these postheat season assessment exercises were important steps for informing refinements to how partners issued heat warnings prior to the launch in 2016. Outcomes The Ontario HWIS was broadly implemented in 2016 with the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care's release of the harmonized HWIS SOP, which outlined the notification and warning process (Fig. 1). Post-heat season surveys helped the project team measure success in terms of implementation of the harmonized HWIS and experiences reported by PHUs across Ontario. Among all 36 PHUs surveyed, 24 reported that they adopted both the harmonized heat warning triggers and terminology in 2016. This increased in 2017 with 33 PHUs reporting that they had adopted the harmonized heat warning triggers and terminology. Survey respondents provided positive feedback on the HWIS, acknowledging improvement over the previous patchwork of heat warning systems and sharing their heat health activities including outreach to vulnerable populations, monitoring health impacts, and evaluating heat health efforts. These surveys provided a way to measure the success of the harmonized HWIS in that they identified an increase in evidence-based public health practice, in particular the use of Ontario-specific health evidence to establish heat warning triggers. Lessons learned The HWIS project overcame many issues ranging from crossjurisdictional governance to the varied PHU resources and contexts. The following is a summary of key lessons learned. Establish a joint vision early on with all potential partners All potential partners were engaged at the outset in establishing a shared vision. This early buy-in kept project partners focused on achieving a common goal. Defining this vision made it possible for all partners to agree on common objectives and focus on work areas that were within the scope of the project. Working groups provided regular updates on key deliverables back to the Project Team, which reviewed progress on tasks to ensure the project was on track. Allow sufficient time to build consensus Allowing time to build consensus helped increase trust and understanding between partners. The process took longer than initially expected because of the partners' varied interests. Time was dedicated at meetings to discuss operational issues, allowing partners to learn from each other and appreciate their respective challenges. While the work leading up to the launch took several years, once there was agreement on the new harmonized system, the implementation rolled out quickly and effectively. Leverage and respect the expertise and resources of partners An asset mapping exercise identified the range of resources that each partner brought to the process, allowing them to take responsibility for implementing actions within their mandates. The participatory approach created the space for PHUs to proactively contribute, take a leadership role, and feel ownership over the initiative. All partners provided important contributions. The PHUs-both those that had experience in issuing heat warnings and those new to the process-provided their expertise in implementing public health protection measures. Health agencies at the provincial and federal levels undertook the analysis of temperature-related health impacts in Ontario that underpinned the heat warning levels. Environment and Climate Change Canada applied their Monitoring Monitoring: Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) monitors w eather forecast. Early Notification Early Notification: ECCC advises PHU that conditions/criteria are forecast to be met in advance of a Heat Warning. Warning is issued publicly 12-18 hours in advance of criteria being achieved. Heat Warning Heat Warning: ECCC advises PHU that conditions/criteria have been met. PHU gives a heads-up to municipalities and partners that conditions have been met and to prepare. PHU notifies media of Heat Warning as appropriate (e.g. share health protective messaging w ith public). Extended Heat Warning Extended Heat Warning: Continued if forecast conditions persist as advised in previous email to PHU. PHU notifies and w orks w ith municipalities and community partners w ithin the context of local plans to implement/ensure implementation of response activi ties as appropriate. De-escalation Notification of De-escalation: ECCC issues public notification that Heat Warning is ended as conditions are no longer in effect. PHU notifies municipalities and community partners. PHUs may decide on additional notifications to media, on w ebsite, etc. expertise on the meteorological data, in collaboration with PHUs, to operationalize the new heat warning and information system. Respect for the contributions of each partner was key to achieving a harmonized system. Additionally, by coordinating HWIS with multiple levels of government, it opened up a dialogue and opportunities for better collaboration and information sharing during heat events. Build an evidence-based system All Project Team members agreed that the new system should be evidence-based. Public Health Ontario and Health Canada led the analysis of health impacts, while Environment and Climate Change Canada ensured that the weather data and climatology corresponded with the health evidence and could be used in practice by weather forecasters when issuing warnings. The Project Team synthesized the results of the health and meteorological analysis so that each partner could share the information with their respective organizations. Be willing to compromise Some PHUs had existing heat alert systems developed with local stakeholder involvement. Changing these systems meant that materials needed redeveloping and staff had to work with the local community to adjust existing communications and responses. Because trust and a shared vision had been established, PHUs were more willing to compromise, accept, and implement the proposed changes. Incorporate feedback throughout the process Continuous feedback and evaluation was key to ensuring the project met its objectives. Various methods were used throughout the project to ensure that concerns of all partners were addressed. Annual post-season surveys allowed PHUs to learn from each other's experiences and provided valuable information for provincial/federal partners to inform their services. The long-term success of the HWIS will be assessed through regular feedback from all partners. Develop a standard operating practice The SOP for a harmonized HWIS, released by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, was a useful tool to ensure clarity and consistency with heat warnings across Ontario. The PHUs were integral to drafting and reviewing the SOP, which helped ensure that the document was relevant to their context. Work with a trusted third-party facilitator An independent facilitator was essential to the success of this initiative. Clean Air Partnership ensured the project maintained momentum and remained on task. As a neutral facilitator, they helped chair meetings to resolve issues and differences of opinion. They were chosen because of their experience working on environmental health issues, their relationship with program leads at all levels of government, and their experience convening multi-stakeholder events. Clean Air Partnership's flexibility in adapting to the needs of the group was key to their success in facilitating the project and being an intermediary when any issues arose. Seize the opportunities when they arise Implications and conclusions As the climate continues to change, many communities across Ontario are expected to experience more frequent and intense extreme heat events. Effectively adapting to and preparing for these events requires a consistent and coordinated health evidence-based approach that is supported by all levels of government. This case study shows how agencies at the local, provincial, and federal level can work together to reach a common objective to better protect health from extreme heat events while allowing each organization to lead components that fall within their mandate. This approach helped create ownership of the initiative among partners as it progressed. The strong interpersonal relationships that developed across organizations were an essential enabling component and also created an atmosphere where people were comfortable speaking openly about challenges and pathways to reach solutions. The lessons learned from this project have already been useful for spurring action in other regions of Canada. Participation from Alberta Health at a Project Team workshop in 2013 served to catalyze the development of a similar health evidence-based approach to issuing heat warnings in Alberta in 2016. Manitoba and Saskatchewan soon followed using a similar heat warning approach in 2017, and expansion to Atlantic Canada, British Columbia, Yukon, and the Northwest Territories took place in 2018. Meanwhile, the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care has continued to move heat warnings forward in the province with the release of their Healthy Environments and Climate Change Guideline in 2018 under which all PHUs are now required to reduce the health impacts of heat events using tools like the HWIS. The development of a harmonized HWIS in Ontario serves as an invaluable model for other provinces and jurisdictions wanting to adopt similar health evidencebased systems.
|
/**
* @author Alexander Ronsse-Tucherov
* @version 2019-08-24.
*/
public class ProviderAdapter extends RecyclerView.Adapter<ProviderAdapter.PAHolder> {
List<Provider> l;
int selectedPosition = 0;
public ProviderAdapter(List<Provider> l) {
this.l = l;
}
@NonNull
@Override
public PAHolder onCreateViewHolder(@NonNull ViewGroup parent, int viewType) {
LayoutInflater inflater = LayoutInflater.from(parent.getContext());
View provider = inflater.inflate(R.layout.provider_view, parent, false);
return new PAHolder(provider);
}
@Override
public void onBindViewHolder(@NonNull final PAHolder holder, final int position) {
holder.p = l.get(position);
holder.t.setText(holder.p.name);
if (holder.p.selected) {
holder.t.setBackgroundResource(R.drawable.background_emphasized);
selectedPosition = position;
} else {
holder.t.setBackgroundResource(R.drawable.background);
}
holder.t.setOnLongClickListener(new View.OnLongClickListener() {
@Override
public boolean onLongClick(View view) {
return true; //true so the event doesn't fall through to onClick
}
});
holder.t.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {
@Override
public void onClick(final View view) {
final RecyclerView rv = view.findViewById(R.id.provider_recycler);
if (holder.p.selected) {
return;
}
try {
FutureTask<Void> t = new FutureTask<>(
new Callable<Void>() {
@Override
public Void call() throws Exception {
DataHelpers.setDefault(AppDatabase.getInstance(
view.getContext().getApplicationContext()).providerDao(),
holder.p);
return null;
}
}
);
ExecutorService executor = Executors.newFixedThreadPool(1);
executor.execute(t);
t.get(1, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
} catch (ExecutionException | InterruptedException | TimeoutException e) {
Log.e("LGS", "Failed to set default providers with a " + e.getClass().getCanonicalName());
}
notifyItemChanged(position);
l.get(selectedPosition).selected = false;
notifyItemChanged(selectedPosition);
selectedPosition = position;
}
});
}
@Override
public int getItemCount() {
return l.size();
}
public static class PAHolder extends RecyclerView.ViewHolder {
Provider p;
TextView t;
public PAHolder(@NonNull View itemView) {
super(itemView);
t = itemView.findViewById(R.id.provider_name_textview);
}
}
}
|
<reponame>Yoname/yomo
package main
import (
"context"
"encoding/json"
"fmt"
"time"
"github.com/yomorun/yomo/pkg/rx"
)
// NoiseDataKey represents the Tag of a Y3 encoded data packet.
const NoiseDataKey = 0x10
// ThresholdSingleValue is the threshold of a single value.
const ThresholdSingleValue = 16
// ThresholdAverageValue is the threshold of the average value after a sliding window.
const ThresholdAverageValue = 13
// SlidingWindowInMS is the time in milliseconds of the sliding window.
const SlidingWindowInMS uint32 = 1e4
// SlidingTimeInMS is the interval in milliseconds of the sliding.
const SlidingTimeInMS uint32 = 1e3
// NoiseData represents the structure of data
type NoiseData struct {
Noise float32 `json:"noise"`
Time int64 `json:"time"`
From string `json:"from"`
}
// Print every value and alert for value greater than ThresholdSingleValue
var computePeek = func(_ context.Context, i interface{}) (interface{}, error) {
value := i.(*NoiseData)
// Calculate the actual noise value
value.Noise = value.Noise / 10
// Calculate latency
rightNow := time.Now().UnixNano() / int64(time.Millisecond)
fmt.Println(fmt.Sprintf("[%s] %d > value: %f ⚡️=%dms", value.From, value.Time, value.Noise, rightNow-value.Time))
// Compute peek value, if greater than ThresholdSingleValue, alert
if value.Noise >= ThresholdSingleValue {
fmt.Println(fmt.Sprintf("❗ value: %f reaches the threshold %d! 𝚫=%f", value.Noise, ThresholdSingleValue, value.Noise-ThresholdSingleValue))
}
return value.Noise, nil
}
// Compute avg of every past 10-seconds IoT data
var slidingAvg = func(i interface{}) error {
values, ok := i.([]interface{})
if ok {
var total float32 = 0
for _, value := range values {
total += value.(float32)
}
avg := total / float32(len(values))
fmt.Println(fmt.Sprintf("🧩 average value in last %d ms: %f!", SlidingWindowInMS, avg))
if avg >= ThresholdAverageValue {
fmt.Println(fmt.Sprintf("❗❗ average value in last %d ms: %f reaches the threshold %d!", SlidingWindowInMS, avg, ThresholdAverageValue))
}
}
return nil
}
// Handler will handle data in Rx way
func Handler(rxstream rx.RxStream) rx.RxStream {
stream := rxstream.
Unmarshal(json.Unmarshal, func() interface{} { return &NoiseData{} }).
Debounce(50).
Map(computePeek).
SlidingWindowWithTime(SlidingWindowInMS, SlidingTimeInMS, slidingAvg).
Marshal(json.Marshal)
return stream
}
|
Relative impact of HLA phenotype and CD4CD8 ratios on the clinical expression of hemochromatosis Hemochromatosis is a hereditary ironoverload disease linked to HLA. The clinical expression of hemochromatosis is influenced by sex and age. However, other factors must account for the notorious heterogeneity of expression of the disease independent of sex, age, and HLA phenotype. The present study attempts to clarify some of these additional factors based on exhaustive statistical analysis of data collected from 43 selected patients with hemochromatosis. The statistical analysis focused on three groups of variables: the first group included variables reflecting the clinical expression of the disease; the second group represented the biochemical and hematological values at the time of diagnosis; and the third group consisted of the independent variables sex, age, HLA phenotype, and Tcell subset profile, i.e., the percentages and total numbers of CD4+ and CD8+ cells and the CD4CD8 ratios. The results show that the relative expansion of the two main Tcell subsets, in the context of the HLA phenotype, correlates significantly with the clinical expression of hemochromatosis and the severity of iron overload. The present findings substantiate further the postulate that T cells have a role in the regulation of iron metabolism.
|
Jason Adams surrenders in fatal Lamborghini crash
Jason Adams has filed a response to a civil lawsuit accusing him of cashing more than $3.8 million worth of unauthorized checks from Dr. Alireza Sadeghi, the Uptown plastic surgeon who owned the Lamborghini Adams was driving when he crashed into a floodwall on May 4, killing passenger Kristi Lirette. (Photo by Michael DeMocker, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)
(Michael DeMocker)
The Uptown plastic surgeon who accused the driver in a fatal Lamborghini crash of cashing millions in forged and unauthorized checks used the driver to make a $357,000 "severance package" payment to a former staffer with whom the doctor had carried on a sexual relationship, according to the driver's response to a civil lawsuit.
Jason Adams, 30, a former business partner of Dr. Alireza Sadeghi, 40, asserts that he's always acted in good faith with the physician, who was aware of their financial transactions and participated in them, the response says.
"Mr. Adams believes this lawsuit is completely baseless and without any merit," said David Courcelle, Adams' attorney, who filed the answer to Sadeghi's lawsuit in Jefferson Parish on Tuesday (Oct. 25).
Attorneys for Sadeghi declined to comment because the case is in litigation.
Sadeghi, a plastic surgeon and owner of Aesthetic and Reconstruction Breast Center, filed suit against Adams on Sept. 24, accusing Adams of cashing more than $3.8 million in unauthorized checks from the business to pay for personal expenses and other ventures while Adams handled the surgery center's financial operations.
Before the civil petitions began flying, both men were arrested in unrelated criminal cases in Orleans Parish. Sadeghi pleaded not guilty to second-degree rape and five counts of video voyeurism, accused of raping his former wife and recording videos of her and other unconscious patients without their consent.
Meanwhile, Adams was charged with vehicular homicide in the May 4 death of Kristi Lirette, 23. Adams was driving 118 mph with a blood-alcohol content of .11 percent - over the legal 0.08-percent legal limit - when his Lamborghini crashed into a floodwall on Tchoupitoulas Street in New Orleans, police said. He has pleaded not guilty in the criminal case.
In Sadeghi's civil lawsuit, Adams is accused of cashing a number of unauthorized checks from Sadeghi's business between March 5, 2015 and Jan. 28, 2016, including a $2 million check.
Adams countered, saying Sadeghi knew and trusted him to act in the doctor's best interests, so much so that Sadeghi asked Adams to handle a "very sensitive matter as a result of an intimate sexual relationship with his" (Sadeghi's) employee, according to the response to the civil suit.
Sadeghi negotiated a severance agreement with the unidentified employee, paying her $357,000 and a desktop computer in exchange for her promise not to sue for wrongful termination, sexual harassment and other grounds, according to a copy of the severance agreement included with the lawsuit response.
Adams paid the employee through his company, Elite Medical Enterprises LLC., at Sadeghi's instruction, the lawsuit says.
Adams asserts that he did not forge Sadeghi's signature on the $2 million check, as the doctor's lawsuit alleges. It was Sadeghi who suggested the loan, which was to be used to purchase a building, Adams' filing says. Sadeghi signed the check and received a promissory note.
When Adams thanked Sadeghi for the money, Sadeghi responded that he was happy to do so because it removed cash from his community property ledgers while he was going through a "nasty divorce," the lawsuit response says.
Adams denied any wrongdoing in the matter.
Adams "never unlawfully converted any funds belonging to the plaintiffs, never forged any signatures, never breached the imaginary fiduciary duty that plaintiff assert... and never breached any alleged oral contract," the response says. "Any discussions and dealings were always fully understood, open and transparent."
Calling Sadeghi a well-education physician, Adams' response says the doctor directed all the financial transactions and regularly checked his bank account, making it unlikely that he was unaware that more than $3.7 million had left his account without his permission.
Adams' attorneys asked the court to dismiss Sadeghi's lawsuit.
|
// LoginInit initiates the authentication process, returning a KE1 message blinding the given password.
// clientInfo is optional client information sent in clear, and only authenticated in KE3.
func (c *Client) LoginInit(password []byte) *message.KE1 {
m := c.OPRF.Blind(password)
credReq := &cred.CredentialRequest{Data: m}
ke1 := c.Ake.Start(c.Group)
ke1.CredentialRequest = credReq
c.Ake.Ke1 = ke1.Serialize()
return ke1
}
|
Republican senators are pulling out every fake excuse they can think of for filibustering an extension of jobless benefits for the long-term unemployed on Tuesday. The majority leader, Harry Reid, was mean to us and wouldn’t let us offer amendments, they say. Democrats refused to pay for the benefits. It’s President Obama’s fault people can’t find work because he won’t approve the Keystone XL oil pipeline.
The truth is the Republican Party simply does not believe that job-seekers who have been out of work for six months or longer deserve government assistance. The most hardhearted believe cutting benefits will give people an incentive to get back to work. The most cynical are hoping for widespread misery, which they can then pin on “Obama’s economy” for political gain in the elections this fall. Whatever the reason, nearly five million unemployed people will go without benefits by the end of 2014, unless the party backs down.
The most appalling demand from Republicans was that the benefits be paid for with cuts to other programs. For example, Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire proposed requiring that parents have a Social Security number to receive the child tax credit — a move that would eliminate an important anti-poverty measure for millions of children who are citizens though their parents are not.
In the past, Congress has generally extended emergency jobless benefits without demanding an offset. The current level of long-term unemployment, about 2.6 percent, is much higher than it was when previous emergency jobless benefits expired and were renewed.
|
Recent findings in classification of osteogenesis imperfecta by means of existing dental symptoms. The findings are based on a clinical investigation conducted on forty-nine patients suffering from osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), as well as on a questionnaire study in which 117 osteogenesis imperfecta-affected persons or their parents were involved. The survey established pathological tooth discolorations as well as tooth abrasions. Dentinogenesis imperfecta (DI) was more frequently found in primary teeth than in permanent teeth. There were no gender-specific differences. Radiological abnormalities were found in both, abraded and/or discolored teeth, as well as in clinically normal appearing teeth. In most cases there were club-shaped extensions of the pulp chambers and obliterations of the root canals. The probability that dentinogenesis imperfecta occurs as an accompanying symptom of osteogenesis imperfecta was not dependent on the degree of skeletal severity. The self-assignment according to A and B forms of osteogenesis imperfecta types I and IV in accordance with the presence/absence of dental symptoms was contradictory, since the literature was based on varying classifications.
|
Parking at Le Port in St Ouen's Bay has been restricted to 12 hours, to deter vehicles from parking overnight.
It's also hoped the move will create more spaces for islanders to access the beach more easily.
Now, drivers will not be able to use the car park for more than 12 hours in any 24 hour continuous period.
In addition to the time limit on parking, there will be changes to the layout of the car park so that longer vehicles cannot access the narrower areas.
The Jersey car park is regularly used as an unofficial campsite and has led to antisocial behaviour and hygiene issues according to St Peter's Honorary Police.
The use of the car park as a camping spot has created issues for St Peter. These changes will assist the parish in properly regulating the area and ensuring that the car park is available to serve the needs of all users, particularly during peak summer months.
|
#!/usr/bin/env python
#author <EMAIL>
"""Castor API sample program.
/*
* Licensed to the Apache Software Foundation (ASF) under one or more
* contributor license agreements. See the NOTICE file distributed with
* this work for additional information regarding copyright ownership.
* The ASF licenses this file to You under the Apache License, Version 2.0
* (the "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance with
* the License. You may obtain a copy of the License at
*
* http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
*
* Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
* distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
* WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
* See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
* limitations under the License.
*/
"""
# Suppress too-many-lines
# pylint: disable=C0301, W0703
import os
import logging
from . import castorapi
#Set up logger
logging.basicConfig(
level=logging.INFO,
format='%(asctime)s.%(msecs)03d %(levelname)-6s %(name)s %(thread)d :: %(message)s',
datefmt='%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S')
LOGGER = logging.getLogger(__package__)
def getenv(var, default=None):
""" fetch environment variable,
throws:
exception if value and default are None
returns:
environment value
"""
value = os.getenv(var, default)
if not value:
if not default:
raise Exception(var + " environment variable must have a value")
value = default
return value
def main():
"""main"""
host = getenv('RABBIT_BROKER')
port = int(getenv('RABBIT_PORT'))
user = getenv('RABBIT_USER')
password = getenv('<PASSWORD>')
vhost = getenv('RABBIT_VHOST')
cert = getenv('CERT', 'cert.pem')
feed_queue = getenv('PUBLISH_QUEUE')
reply_queue = getenv('SUBSCRIBE_QUEUE', ' ')
LOGGER.info("Starting...")
context = castorapi.CastorContext(host, port, user, password, vhost, cert=cert)
try:
with castorapi.CastorMessenger(context, feed_queue, reply_queue) as castor:
#List the devices
LOGGER.info("Requesting sensor listing...")
message = castor.request_sensor_list()
reply = castor.invoke_service(message)
sensor = reply['serviceResponse']['service']['result']['ts_ids'][0]
LOGGER.info("First sensor: %s", sensor)
#Retrieve some time series
LOGGER.info("Requesting time series for sensor '%s'...", sensor)
message = castor.request_sensor_data(sensor, "2001-07-13T00:00:00+00:00", "2020-08-13T01:00:00+00:00")
reply = castor.invoke_service(message)
values = reply['serviceResponse']['service']['result']['count']
LOGGER.info("Time series values: %d", values)
except Exception as err:
LOGGER.info("Error %r", err)
if __name__ == '__main__':
main()
|
I’m originally from Massachusetts and think Sen. Elizabeth Warren is a political hack who embarrasses the Commonwealth. When Trump called her “Pocahontas,” I thought it was funny because she has previously falsely claimed that she has Native American heritage. Nevertheless, the left never misses an opportunity to call Trump a racist.
I worked for Sen. Rand Paul and a number of other Republican Senators, and that may color my view of Warren. I deeply respect Democratic Senators who try to make the world a better place, but Warren isn’t doing anything other than setting herself up to run against Trump for president in 2020.
Himms cited Warren’s fight against the CRomnibus in 2014 over changes to the Dodd-Frank financial regulatory bill that spawned the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) as evidence of her being effective, but I remember that fight well and it is proof that Warren is ineffectual. Himms wrote, “But perhaps more significantly, Warren displayed a restraint that has kept her, largely, in the good graces of her colleagues. Unlike Cruz and Sen. Mike Lee, to whom she often is compared, Warren made her opinion known and then allowed her colleagues to vote as they saw fit. Cruz and Lee, meanwhile, threatened to tank the whole funding package and kept their colleagues in Washington for a few late-night and weekend sessions ahead of their holiday recess.” Himms conceded that “Warren’s restraint may have lost her the battle,” but I don’t think Warren actually wanted to win. Unlike Sens. Lee and Cruz who fought hard to defund Obamacare, Warren hardly fought at all. Her’s was a fake fight, failure theater, so that she could make others believe she was willing to fight her own party.
I don’t think Trump is a racist for making fun of Warren’s cultural appropriation of Native American heritage. One could make a strong case that, if Warren is not a native person, her act of claiming that heritage is a racist act. Of course, the left would never label her a racist for falsely claiming to be Native American, because liberal Democrats are immune from being called racists.
America was dumbfounded when then-NAACP President Rachel Dolezal falsely claimed to be African-American to forward her career. It seemed ridiculous to falsely claim minority status. The same can be said of Warren if she used her false claim of Native American heritage to forward her career—until she was caught.
Warren claimed during a debate against Sen. Scott Brown in 2012 that her father’s family didn’t want her parents to marry because her mother was “part Delaware and part Cherokee.” In another debate Brown argued that Warren changed her racial designation at different stages of her career when it helped her. Indeed, it is damning that Warren claimed Native American heritage at some points but not at others. Therefore, making fun of Warren for her false claims of being a Native American is 100 percent appropriate and not racist.
The left has called every Republican under the sun a racist at some point this year. I can’t remember the last time I watched CNN or MSNBC where somebody didn’t call Trump, his staff, or his voters racist.
Trump’s joke about Warren was not racist, yet the left and Republican Never-Trump movement can’t let an opportunity to take a cheap shot at Trump pass.
|
<filename>tinylinks/tests/views_tests.py
"""Tests for the views of the ``django-tinylinks`` app."""
from django.contrib.auth.models import Permission
from django.test import TestCase
from django.core.urlresolvers import reverse
from django_libs.tests.mixins import ViewRequestFactoryTestMixin
from mixer.backend.django import mixer
from mock import patch
from requests import Response
from .. import views
from ..models import Tinylink
class TinylinkViewTestsMixin(object):
def setUp(self):
self.user = mixer.blend('auth.User')
# User needs this permission to access the create view.
self.user.user_permissions.add(Permission.objects.get(
codename="add_tinylink"))
self.user.user_permissions.add(Permission.objects.get(
codename="delete_tinylink"))
self.tinylink = mixer.blend(
'tinylinks.TinyLink', short_url="vB7f5b",
long_url="http://www.example.com/thisisalongURL", user=self.user)
self.second_user = mixer.blend('auth.User')
self.second_user.user_permissions.add(Permission.objects.get(
codename="add_tinylink"))
self.second_user.user_permissions.add(Permission.objects.get(
codename="delete_tinylink"))
self.staff = mixer.blend('auth.User', is_staff=True, is_superuser=True)
class TinylinkListViewTestCase(ViewRequestFactoryTestMixin,
TinylinkViewTestsMixin, TestCase):
"""Tests for the ``TinylinkListView`` generic view class."""
view_class = views.TinylinkListView
@patch('requests.get')
def test_view(self, mock):
resp = Response()
resp.status_code = 200
mock.return_value = resp
self.is_callable(user=self.staff)
self.is_callable(user=self.user)
self.is_not_callable(user=self.user, data={'validateABC': True},
post=True)
self.is_not_callable(user=self.user, data={'validate999': True},
post=True)
self.tinylink.long_url = "http://www.google.com"
self.tinylink.is_broken = True
self.tinylink.save()
self.is_postable(user=self.user, data={
'validate{0}'.format(self.tinylink.id): True}, ajax=True)
self.assertFalse(Tinylink.objects.get(pk=self.tinylink.pk).is_broken,
msg="Link should be valid.")
class TinylinkCreateViewTestCase(ViewRequestFactoryTestMixin,
TinylinkViewTestsMixin, TestCase):
"""Tests for the ``TinylinkCreateView`` generic view class."""
view_class = views.TinylinkCreateView
def test_view(self):
self.is_callable(user=self.user)
# User is redirected to a predefined form.
# She can change the short URL or add a more readable one.
self.is_postable(user=self.user, to_url_name='tinylink_update', data={
'long_url': 'http://www.example.com/foobar'})
class TinylinkUpdateViewTestCase(ViewRequestFactoryTestMixin,
TinylinkViewTestsMixin, TestCase):
"""
Tests for the ``TinylinkUpdateView`` generic view class.
"""
view_class = views.TinylinkUpdateView
def get_view_kwargs(self):
return {'pk': self.tinylink.id, 'mode': 'change-short'}
def test_view(self):
self.login(self.user)
# Redirect to list after saving.
data = {
'long_url': self.tinylink.long_url,
'short_url': 'foobar',
}
self.is_postable(user=self.user, data=data,
to_url_name='tinylink_list')
class TinylinkDeleteViewTestCase(ViewRequestFactoryTestMixin,
TinylinkViewTestsMixin, TestCase):
"""Tests for the ``TinylinkDeleteView`` generic view class."""
view_class = views.TinylinkDeleteView
def get_view_kwargs(self):
return {'pk': self.tinylink.id}
def test_view(self):
# Raise 404 if user is not author of the tinylink.
self.is_not_callable(user=self.second_user)
self.is_callable(user=self.user)
self.is_postable(user=self.user, data={'Foo': 'Bar'},
to_url_name='tinylink_list')
class TinylinkRedirectViewTestCase(ViewRequestFactoryTestMixin,
TinylinkViewTestsMixin, TestCase):
"""
Tests for the ``TinylinkRedirectView`` generic view class.
"""
view_class = views.TinylinkRedirectView
def get_view_kwargs(self):
return {'short_url': self.tinylink.short_url}
def test_view(self):
resp = self.redirects(user=self.user)
# Valid redirection to long URL.
self.assertEqual(
resp.get('Location'),
self.tinylink.long_url,
msg=('Should redirect to long url. Response was {0}'.format(resp)))
view_amount = Tinylink.objects.get(pk=self.tinylink.pk).amount_of_views
self.assertEqual(view_amount, 1, msg=(
'Should set the view amount to 1. Amount:{0}'.format(view_amount)))
# Invalid short URL. Send to a 404-like template.
resp = self.client.get('/aaaaa/')
self.assertIn(
reverse('tinylink_notfound'),
resp.get('Location'),
msg=('Should redirect to "Not found" page if short_url is'
' inexistent. Response was {0}'.format(resp.get('Location'))))
def test_can_handle_urls_with_percent_characters(self):
"""Regression test due to reported internal server errors."""
tinylink = mixer.blend(
'tinylinks.TinyLink', user=self.user, short_url='abcdef',
long_url='http://www.example.com/test%20Efile.pdf')
resp = self.redirects(user=self.user, kwargs={
'short_url': tinylink.short_url})
self.assertEqual(
resp.get('Location'),
tinylink.long_url,
msg=('Should redirect to long url. Response was {0}'.format(resp)))
class StatisticsViewTestCase(ViewRequestFactoryTestMixin,
TinylinkViewTestsMixin, TestCase):
"""Tests for the ``StatisticsView`` generic view class."""
view_class = views.StatisticsView
def test_view(self):
self.is_not_callable(user=self.user)
self.user.is_staff = True
self.user.save()
self.is_callable(user=self.user)
|
/** A variable in a logical expression.
* @author Stella Java Translator
*/
public class PatternVariable extends Skolem {
public int boundToOffset;
public static PatternVariable newPatternVariable() {
{ PatternVariable self = null;
self = new PatternVariable();
self.dependentPropositionsIndex = null;
self.dynamicSlots = KeyValueList.newKeyValueList();
self.surrogateValueInverse = null;
self.variableValueInverse = null;
self.homeContext = ((Module)(Stella.$MODULE$.get()));
self.definingProposition = null;
self.variableValue = null;
self.skolemType = null;
self.skolemName = null;
self.boundToOffset = Stella.NULL_INTEGER;
LogicObject.logLogicObject(self);
return (self);
}
}
public static Skolem createSkolemForUnmappedVariable(PatternVariable variable, KeyValueMap mapping) {
{ Stella_Object skolem = mapping.lookup(variable);
List createdskolems = ((List)(mapping.lookup(Logic.KWD_CREATED_SKOLEMS)));
if (skolem != null) {
return (((Skolem)(skolem)));
}
skolem = Logic.createVariableOrSkolem(variable.skolemType, null);
mapping.insertAt(variable, skolem);
if (createdskolems == null) {
createdskolems = List.list(Stella.NIL);
mapping.insertAt(Logic.KWD_CREATED_SKOLEMS, createdskolems);
}
createdskolems.insert(skolem);
return (((Skolem)(skolem)));
}
}
public static PatternVariable copyVariable(PatternVariable self, KeyValueMap mapping) {
{ PatternVariable copy = ((PatternVariable)(mapping.lookup(self)));
if (copy != null) {
return (copy);
}
copy = Logic.createVariable(self.skolemType, self.skolemName, false);
if ((((Keyword)(Logic.$PRINTMODE$.get())) == Logic.KWD_REALISTIC) ||
(((Keyword)(Logic.$PRINTMODE$.get())) == Logic.KWD_FLAT)) {
copy.skolemName = self.skolemName;
}
else {
{ String copyname = "?CP_" + Native.string_subsequence(self.skolemName.symbolName, 1, Stella.NULL_INTEGER);
copy.skolemName = Symbol.internSymbol(copyname);
}
}
copy.skolemType = self.skolemType;
if (((Stella_Object)(Stella_Object.accessInContext(self.variableValue, self.homeContext, false))) != null) {
{ PatternVariable object000 = copy;
Stella_Object value000 = ((Stella_Object)(Stella_Object.accessInContext(self.variableValue, self.homeContext, false)));
Stella_Object oldValue002 = object000.variableValue;
Stella_Object newValue000 = Stella_Object.updateInContext(oldValue002, value000, object000.homeContext, false);
if (!((oldValue002 != null) &&
(oldValue002.primaryType() == Logic.SGT_STELLA_CS_VALUE))) {
object000.variableValue = newValue000;
}
}
}
mapping.insertAt(self, copy);
return (copy);
}
}
public static void simulateBindVariableAndPropagateConstraints(PatternVariable variable, List goalsequence) {
{ GoalRecord goalrecord = PatternVariable.goalRecord(variable);
Logic.simulateBindVariableToValue(variable);
Logic.collectClosedGoals(goalrecord.generatorGoals, goalsequence);
Logic.collectClosedGoals(goalrecord.otherGoals, goalsequence);
{ Proposition g = null;
Cons iter000 = goalrecord.generatorGoals.theConsList;
for (;!(iter000 == Stella.NIL); iter000 = iter000.rest) {
g = ((Proposition)(iter000.value));
Proposition.propagateSingleValuedConstraints(g, goalsequence);
}
}
{ Proposition g = null;
Cons iter001 = goalrecord.otherGoals.theConsList;
for (;!(iter001 == Stella.NIL); iter001 = iter001.rest) {
g = ((Proposition)(iter001.value));
Proposition.propagateSingleValuedConstraints(g, goalsequence);
}
}
}
}
public static Proposition cheapestGeneratorGoal(PatternVariable variable, Object [] MV_returnarray) {
if ((Stella.$TRACED_KEYWORDS$ != null) &&
Stella.$TRACED_KEYWORDS$.membP(Logic.KWD_OPTIMIZER)) {
{
Stella.STANDARD_OUTPUT.nativeStream.println();
Stella.STANDARD_OUTPUT.nativeStream.println("CHEAPEST: " + variable + " GENERATORS: " + PatternVariable.goalRecord(variable).generatorGoals);
}
;
}
{ Proposition bestgoal = null;
double bestcost = Stella.NULL_FLOAT;
double bestfanout = Stella.NULL_FLOAT;
double generatorcost = Stella.NULL_FLOAT;
double generatorfanout = Stella.NULL_FLOAT;
{ Proposition goal = null;
Cons iter000 = PatternVariable.goalRecord(variable).generatorGoals.theConsList;
for (;!(iter000 == Stella.NIL); iter000 = iter000.rest) {
goal = ((Proposition)(iter000.value));
generatorcost = Proposition.estimateGoalCost(goal);
generatorfanout = Proposition.estimateGoalFanout(goal);
if ((generatorfanout != Stella.NULL_FLOAT) &&
((bestfanout == Stella.NULL_FLOAT) ||
((generatorfanout < bestfanout) ||
((generatorfanout == bestfanout) &&
(generatorcost < bestcost))))) {
if ((generatorfanout == 1.0) &&
(generatorcost == 1.0)) {
{ Proposition _return_temp = goal;
MV_returnarray[0] = FloatWrapper.wrapFloat(1.0);
MV_returnarray[1] = FloatWrapper.wrapFloat(1.0);
return (_return_temp);
}
}
bestgoal = goal;
bestfanout = generatorfanout;
bestcost = generatorcost;
}
}
}
if (bestfanout != Stella.NULL_FLOAT) {
{
if ((Stella.$TRACED_KEYWORDS$ != null) &&
Stella.$TRACED_KEYWORDS$.membP(Logic.KWD_OPTIMIZER)) {
Stella.STANDARD_OUTPUT.nativeStream.println(" SELECTED: " + bestgoal + " " + bestcost + " " + bestfanout);
}
{ Proposition _return_temp = bestgoal;
MV_returnarray[0] = FloatWrapper.wrapFloat(bestcost);
MV_returnarray[1] = FloatWrapper.wrapFloat(bestfanout);
return (_return_temp);
}
}
}
else {
{ Proposition _return_temp = null;
MV_returnarray[0] = FloatWrapper.wrapFloat(0.0);
MV_returnarray[1] = FloatWrapper.wrapFloat(0.0);
return (_return_temp);
}
}
}
}
public static GoalRecord goalRecord(PatternVariable variable) {
return (((GoalRecord)((((ExtensibleVector)(KeyValueList.dynamicSlotValue(((QueryIterator)(Logic.$QUERYITERATOR$.get())).dynamicSlots, Logic.SYM_LOGIC_OPTIMIZER_GOAL_RECORDS, null))).theArray)[(variable.boundToOffset)])));
}
public static boolean variableBoundP(PatternVariable variable) {
return ((PatternVariable.safeBoundTo(variable) != null) ||
(((Stella_Object)(Stella_Object.accessInContext(variable.variableValue, variable.homeContext, false))) != null));
}
public static Stella_Object generateOneQuantifiedVariable(PatternVariable self, boolean typedP) {
{ Symbol name = PatternVariable.generateNameOfVariable(self);
if (typedP &&
(!(Logic.logicalType(self) == Logic.SGT_STELLA_THING))) {
return (Cons.cons(name, Cons.cons(Surrogate.symbolize(Logic.logicalType(self)), Stella.NIL)));
}
else {
return (name);
}
}
}
public static Stella_Object generateOneVariable(PatternVariable self, boolean typedP) {
{ Stella_Object value = null;
if (((Justification)(Logic.$CURRENTJUSTIFICATION$.get())) != null) {
value = Logic.justificationArgumentBoundTo(self, null);
}
if (value == null) {
value = Logic.safeArgumentBoundTo(self);
}
if ((value != null) &&
((!(value == self)) &&
(!Skolem.quantifiedObjectVariableP(self)))) {
return (Logic.generateTerm(value));
}
else {
{ Symbol name = PatternVariable.generateNameOfVariable(self);
if (typedP &&
(!(Logic.logicalType(self) == Logic.SGT_STELLA_THING))) {
return (Cons.cons(name, Cons.cons(Surrogate.symbolize(Logic.logicalType(self)), Stella.NIL)));
}
else {
return (name);
}
}
}
}
}
public static Symbol generateNameOfVariable(PatternVariable self) {
if (((KeyValueMap)(Logic.$SKOLEMNAMEMAPPINGTABLE$.get())) != null) {
{ Skolem temp000 = ((Skolem)(((KeyValueMap)(Logic.$SKOLEMNAMEMAPPINGTABLE$.get())).lookup(self)));
self = ((temp000 != null) ? ((PatternVariable)(temp000)) : self);
}
}
if (((KeyValueList)(Logic.$CANONICALVARIABLENAMEMAPPING$.get())) == null) {
return (self.skolemName);
}
{ Stella_Object canonicalname = ((KeyValueList)(Logic.$CANONICALVARIABLENAMEMAPPING$.get())).lookup(self);
if (canonicalname == null) {
canonicalname = ((Symbol)(Logic.SYSTEM_DEFINED_ARGUMENT_NAMES.nth(Native.setIntSpecial(Logic.$CANONICALVARIABLECOUNTER$, ((Integer)(Logic.$CANONICALVARIABLECOUNTER$.get())).intValue() + 1))));
((KeyValueList)(Logic.$CANONICALVARIABLENAMEMAPPING$.get())).insertAt(self, canonicalname);
}
return (((Symbol)(canonicalname)));
}
}
public static void printQuantifiedVariable(PatternVariable self, OutputStream stream) {
if (((Boolean)(Stella.$PRINTREADABLYp$.get())).booleanValue()) {
PatternVariable.printVariableName(self, stream);
}
else {
PatternVariable.printVariable(self, stream);
}
}
public static void printVariable(PatternVariable self, OutputStream stream) {
if ((((Justification)(Logic.$CURRENTJUSTIFICATION$.get())) != null) &&
(Logic.justificationArgumentBoundTo(self, null) != null)) {
Logic.prettyPrintLogicalForm(Logic.justificationArgumentBoundTo(self, null), stream);
return;
}
{ Stella_Object value = ((((ControlFrame)(Logic.$PRINTINFRAME$.get())) != null) ? PatternVariable.boundToInFrame(self, ((ControlFrame)(Logic.$PRINTINFRAME$.get()))) : PatternVariable.safeBoundTo(self));
if (value != null) {
PatternVariable.printVariableName(self, stream);
stream.nativeStream.print(Logic.VARIABLE_BINDING_SEPARATOR);
{ Object old$PrintreadablyP$000 = Stella.$PRINTREADABLYp$.get();
try {
Native.setBooleanSpecial(Stella.$PRINTREADABLYp$, true);
Logic.printVariableValue(value, stream);
return;
} finally {
Stella.$PRINTREADABLYp$.set(old$PrintreadablyP$000);
}
}
}
}
Skolem.printValueOfChain(self, stream, Logic.innermostOf(self));
}
public static void printVariableName(PatternVariable self, OutputStream stream) {
Skolem.printSkolemName(self, stream);
}
public static void printKifVariable(PatternVariable self) {
{ OutputStream stream = ((OutputStream)(Logic.$PRINTLOGICALFORMSTREAM$.get()));
if (Skolem.quantifiedObjectVariableP(self)) {
PatternVariable.printQuantifiedVariable(self, stream);
}
else {
PatternVariable.printVariable(self, stream);
}
}
}
public static int hashUnboundGoalVariable(PatternVariable var, Vector arguments, int code) {
{ int varindex = 1;
{ Stella_Object arg = null;
Vector vector000 = arguments;
int index000 = 0;
int length000 = vector000.length();
int i = Stella.NULL_INTEGER;
int iter000 = 0;
for (;index000 < length000; index000 = index000 + 1, iter000 = iter000 + 1) {
arg = (vector000.theArray)[index000];
i = iter000;
if (var == arg) {
return (Stella.hashString("#v", code + varindex));
}
else if (Stella_Object.isaP(arg, Logic.SGT_LOGIC_PATTERN_VARIABLE) &&
(arguments.position(arg, 0) == i)) {
varindex = varindex + 1;
}
}
}
throw ((StellaException)(StellaException.newStellaException("Shouldn't get here!").fillInStackTrace()));
}
}
public static void printOneVariableBinding(PatternVariable variable) {
Stella.STANDARD_OUTPUT.nativeStream.print(variable.skolemName + "=");
if (variable.boundToOffset != Stella.NULL_INTEGER) {
{ Stella_Object value = ((((ControlFrame)(Logic.$PRINTINFRAME$.get())) != null) ? PatternVariable.boundToInFrame(variable, ((ControlFrame)(Logic.$PRINTINFRAME$.get()))) : PatternVariable.safeBoundTo(variable));
Logic.printUnformattedLogicalForm(value, Stella.STANDARD_OUTPUT);
}
}
else {
Stella.STANDARD_OUTPUT.nativeStream.print(Logic.SYM_STELLA_NULL);
}
Stella.STANDARD_OUTPUT.nativeStream.print(" ");
}
public static boolean bindVariableToValueP(PatternVariable variable, Stella_Object value, boolean autocleanupP) {
if ((value == null) ||
(!Logic.argumentBoundP(value))) {
if (((((QueryIterator)(Logic.$QUERYITERATOR$.get())) != null) &&
(((QueryIterator)(Logic.$QUERYITERATOR$.get())).partialMatchStrategy != null)) &&
((QueryIterator)(Logic.$QUERYITERATOR$.get())).partialMatchStrategy.allowUnboundVariablesP()) {
return (true);
}
{ Object old$PrintreadablyP$000 = Stella.$PRINTREADABLYp$.get();
try {
Native.setBooleanSpecial(Stella.$PRINTREADABLYp$, true);
Stella.STANDARD_WARNING.nativeStream.println("WARNING: Tried to bind " + variable + " to NULL value. Potentially a PowerLoom bug");
Logic.helpSignalPropositionError(Stella.STANDARD_WARNING, Logic.KWD_WARNING);
} finally {
Stella.$PRINTREADABLYp$.set(old$PrintreadablyP$000);
}
}
return (false);
}
value = Logic.instantiateExternalBindings(value);
if (autocleanupP) {
{ PatternRecord patternrecord = ((QueryIterator)(Logic.$QUERYITERATOR$.get())).currentPatternRecord;
int ubstackoffset = patternrecord.topUnbindingStackOffset;
boolean successP = false;
successP = PatternVariable.helpBindVariableToValueP(variable, value);
if (!successP) {
PatternRecord.unbindVariablesBeginningAt(patternrecord, ubstackoffset + 1);
}
return (successP);
}
}
else {
return (PatternVariable.helpBindVariableToValueP(variable, value));
}
}
public static boolean helpBindVariableToValueP(PatternVariable variable, Stella_Object value) {
if (((Keyword)(Logic.$TYPE_CHECK_STRATEGY$.get())) == Logic.KWD_LOOKUP) {
{ boolean typeisokP = false;
{ Object [] caller_MV_returnarray = new Object[1];
typeisokP = Logic.checkCoercedTypeP(value, variable.skolemType, true, caller_MV_returnarray);
value = ((Stella_Object)(caller_MV_returnarray[0]));
}
if ((!typeisokP) &&
Description.nonInferableP(Logic.surrogateToDescription(variable.skolemType))) {
if ((Stella.$TRACED_KEYWORDS$ != null) &&
Stella.$TRACED_KEYWORDS$.membP(Logic.KWD_GOAL_TREE)) {
Stella.STANDARD_OUTPUT.nativeStream.println("*** type violation: var=" + variable.skolemName + " type=" + variable.skolemType + " value=" + value);
}
return (false);
}
}
}
else if (((Keyword)(Logic.$TYPE_CHECK_STRATEGY$.get())) == Logic.KWD_NONE) {
}
else {
{ OutputStringStream stream000 = OutputStringStream.newOutputStringStream();
stream000.nativeStream.print("`" + ((Keyword)(Logic.$TYPE_CHECK_STRATEGY$.get())) + "' is not a valid case option");
throw ((StellaException)(StellaException.newStellaException(stream000.theStringReader()).fillInStackTrace()));
}
}
{ Stella_Object boundtovalue = (((QueryIterator)(Logic.$QUERYITERATOR$.get())).currentPatternRecord.variableBindings.theArray)[(variable.boundToOffset)];
Stella_Object variablevalue = ((Stella_Object)(Stella_Object.accessInContext(variable.variableValue, variable.homeContext, false)));
Logic.elaborateInstance(value);
if ((variablevalue != null) &&
(boundtovalue == null)) {
variablevalue = Logic.valueOf(variablevalue);
PatternVariable.setPatternVariableBinding(variable, variablevalue);
return (Stella_Object.eqlP(variablevalue, value));
}
else if (boundtovalue == null) {
PatternVariable.setPatternVariableBinding(variable, value);
}
else if (Stella_Object.equalP(Logic.valueOf(boundtovalue), Logic.valueOf(value))) {
return (true);
}
else {
return (false);
}
return (true);
}
}
public static boolean failsAntecedentTypeCheckP(PatternVariable v1, Stella_Object i2) {
if (((Keyword)(Logic.$TYPE_CHECK_STRATEGY$.get())) == Logic.KWD_LOOKUP) {
{ Surrogate type = v1.skolemType;
boolean typeisokP = ((((QueryIterator)(Logic.$QUERYITERATOR$.get())) != null) &&
(((QueryIterator)(Logic.$QUERYITERATOR$.get())).partialMatchStrategy != null)) ||
Logic.checkStrictTypeP(i2, type, true);
if ((!typeisokP) &&
Description.nonInferableP(Logic.surrogateToDescription(type))) {
return (true);
}
else {
return (false);
}
}
}
else if (((Keyword)(Logic.$TYPE_CHECK_STRATEGY$.get())) == Logic.KWD_NONE) {
return (false);
}
else {
{ OutputStringStream stream000 = OutputStringStream.newOutputStringStream();
stream000.nativeStream.print("`" + ((Keyword)(Logic.$TYPE_CHECK_STRATEGY$.get())) + "' is not a valid case option");
throw ((StellaException)(StellaException.newStellaException(stream000.theStringReader()).fillInStackTrace()));
}
}
}
public static boolean failsUnificationTypeCheckP(PatternVariable v1, Stella_Object i2) {
if (((Keyword)(Logic.$TYPE_CHECK_STRATEGY$.get())) == Logic.KWD_NONE) {
return (false);
}
else if (((Keyword)(Logic.$TYPE_CHECK_STRATEGY$.get())) == Logic.KWD_LOOKUP) {
{ Surrogate type = v1.skolemType;
boolean typeisokP = ((((QueryIterator)(Logic.$QUERYITERATOR$.get())) != null) &&
(((QueryIterator)(Logic.$QUERYITERATOR$.get())).partialMatchStrategy != null)) ||
Logic.checkStrictTypeP(i2, type, true);
if ((!typeisokP) &&
Description.nonInferableP(Logic.surrogateToDescription(type))) {
return (true);
}
else {
return (false);
}
}
}
else if (((Keyword)(Logic.$TYPE_CHECK_STRATEGY$.get())) == Logic.KWD_SHALLOW_DISJOINT) {
if ((v1.skolemType != null) &&
NamedDescription.disjointClassesP(Logic.getDescription(v1.skolemType), Logic.getDescription(Logic.logicalType(i2)))) {
return (true);
}
return (false);
}
else if (((Keyword)(Logic.$TYPE_CHECK_STRATEGY$.get())) == Logic.KWD_DISJOINT) {
{ Surrogate type1 = null;
Surrogate type2 = null;
{ Proposition p = null;
Iterator iter000 = Logic.unfilteredDependentIsaPropositions(v1).allocateIterator();
loop000 : while (iter000.nextP()) {
p = ((Proposition)(iter000.value));
if (p.kind == Logic.KWD_ISA) {
type1 = ((Surrogate)((p.arguments.theArray)[1]));
break loop000;
}
}
}
if (type1 == null) {
return (false);
}
if (Surrogate.subtypeOfP(Stella_Object.safePrimaryType(i2), Logic.SGT_LOGIC_LOGIC_OBJECT)) {
{ LogicObject i2000 = ((LogicObject)(i2));
{ Proposition p = null;
Iterator iter001 = Logic.unfilteredDependentIsaPropositions(i2000).allocateIterator();
loop001 : while (iter001.nextP()) {
p = ((Proposition)(iter001.value));
if (p.kind == Logic.KWD_ISA) {
type2 = ((Surrogate)((p.arguments.theArray)[1]));
break loop001;
}
}
}
}
}
else {
type2 = Logic.logicalType(i2);
}
if (type2 == null) {
return (false);
}
return (NamedDescription.disjointClassesP(Logic.getDescription(type1), Logic.getDescription(type2)));
}
}
else {
{ OutputStringStream stream000 = OutputStringStream.newOutputStringStream();
stream000.nativeStream.print("`" + ((Keyword)(Logic.$TYPE_CHECK_STRATEGY$.get())) + "' is not a valid case option");
throw ((StellaException)(StellaException.newStellaException(stream000.theStringReader()).fillInStackTrace()));
}
}
}
public static Stella_Object boundToInRecord(PatternVariable self, PatternRecord record) {
return ((record.variableBindings.theArray)[(self.boundToOffset)]);
}
public static Stella_Object boundToInFrame(PatternVariable self, ControlFrame frame) {
{ Vector bindings = ControlFrame.operativePatternRecord(frame).variableBindings;
int offset = self.boundToOffset;
if ((bindings != null) &&
((offset != Stella.NULL_INTEGER) &&
(offset < bindings.length()))) {
return ((bindings.theArray)[offset]);
}
else {
return (null);
}
}
}
public static Stella_Object safeBoundTo(PatternVariable self) {
if (((QueryIterator)(Logic.$QUERYITERATOR$.get())) != null) {
{ Vector bindings = ((QueryIterator)(Logic.$QUERYITERATOR$.get())).currentPatternRecord.variableBindings;
int offset = self.boundToOffset;
if ((bindings != null) &&
((offset != Stella.NULL_INTEGER) &&
(offset < bindings.length()))) {
return ((bindings.theArray)[offset]);
}
}
}
return (null);
}
public static Stella_Object boundTo(PatternVariable self) {
return ((((QueryIterator)(Logic.$QUERYITERATOR$.get())).currentPatternRecord.variableBindings.theArray)[(self.boundToOffset)]);
}
public static void changePatternVariableBinding(PatternVariable variable, Stella_Object newvalue) {
{ PatternRecord patternrecord = ((QueryIterator)(Logic.$QUERYITERATOR$.get())).currentPatternRecord;
int vboffset = variable.boundToOffset;
(patternrecord.variableBindings.theArray)[vboffset] = newvalue;
}
}
public static void setPatternVariableBinding(PatternVariable variable, Stella_Object value) {
if ((Stella.$TRACED_KEYWORDS$ != null) &&
Stella.$TRACED_KEYWORDS$.membP(Logic.KWD_QUERY_STACKS)) {
Stella.STANDARD_OUTPUT.nativeStream.println("set-pattern-variable-binding: " + variable + " " + value + " F" + ControlFrame.debugFrameId(((QueryIterator)(Logic.$QUERYITERATOR$.get())).currentPatternRecord.controlFrame));
}
{ PatternRecord patternrecord = ((QueryIterator)(Logic.$QUERYITERATOR$.get())).currentPatternRecord;
int vboffset = variable.boundToOffset;
int ubstackoffset = patternrecord.topUnbindingStackOffset + 1;
(patternrecord.variableBindings.theArray)[vboffset] = value;
patternrecord.topUnbindingStackOffset = ubstackoffset;
(patternrecord.unbindingStack.theArray)[ubstackoffset] = (IntegerWrapper.wrapInteger(vboffset));
}
}
public static PatternVariable renameLogicVariableApart(PatternVariable variable, boolean destructiveP) {
{ Object old$Module$000 = Stella.$MODULE$.get();
Object old$Context$000 = Stella.$CONTEXT$.get();
try {
Native.setSpecial(Stella.$MODULE$, variable.homeModule());
Native.setSpecial(Stella.$CONTEXT$, ((Module)(Stella.$MODULE$.get())));
{ Symbol newname = Stella.localGensym(variable.skolemName.symbolName);
if (!(destructiveP)) {
variable = PatternVariable.copyVariable(variable, KeyValueMap.newKeyValueMap());
}
variable.skolemName = newname;
return (variable);
}
} finally {
Stella.$CONTEXT$.set(old$Context$000);
Stella.$MODULE$.set(old$Module$000);
}
}
}
public static void addVariableType(PatternVariable variable, Surrogate newtype, KeyValueList table, Cons visiblevariables) {
if (!visiblevariables.memberP(variable)) {
return;
}
{ List types = ((List)(table.lookup(variable)));
if (types == null) {
table.insertAt(variable, List.list(Cons.cons(newtype, Stella.NIL)));
}
else {
{
{ Surrogate t = null;
Cons iter000 = types.theConsList;
for (;!(iter000 == Stella.NIL); iter000 = iter000.rest) {
t = ((Surrogate)(iter000.value));
if (Logic.logicalSubtypeOfP(t, newtype)) {
return;
}
if (Logic.logicalSubtypeOfP(newtype, t)) {
types.remove(t);
PatternVariable.addVariableType(variable, newtype, table, visiblevariables);
return;
}
}
}
types.insert(newtype);
}
}
Native.setBooleanSpecial(Logic.$ADDEDNEWTYPEp$, true);
}
}
public static boolean freeVariableP(PatternVariable variable, Proposition proposition) {
{ Keyword testValue000 = proposition.kind;
if ((testValue000 == Logic.KWD_FORALL) ||
(testValue000 == Logic.KWD_EXISTS)) {
if (((Vector)(KeyValueList.dynamicSlotValue(proposition.dynamicSlots, Logic.SYM_LOGIC_IO_VARIABLES, null))).memberP(variable)) {
return (false);
}
}
else {
}
}
{ boolean alwaysP000 = true;
{ Stella_Object arg = null;
Vector vector000 = proposition.arguments;
int index000 = 0;
int length000 = vector000.length();
loop000 : for (;index000 < length000; index000 = index000 + 1) {
arg = (vector000.theArray)[index000];
if (Stella_Object.isaP(arg, Logic.SGT_LOGIC_PROPOSITION)) {
if (!PatternVariable.freeVariableP(variable, ((Proposition)(arg)))) {
alwaysP000 = false;
break loop000;
}
}
}
}
{ boolean value000 = alwaysP000;
return (value000);
}
}
}
public static boolean topLevelExistentialVariableP(PatternVariable variable, Description description) {
return ((!description.ioVariables.memberP(variable)) &&
(description.internalVariables.memberP(variable) &&
PatternVariable.freeVariableP(variable, description.proposition)));
}
public static PatternVariable innermostVariableOf(PatternVariable self) {
for (;;) {
{ PatternVariable tightestvariable = self;
Stella_Object value = null;
for (;;) {
value = ((Stella_Object)(Stella_Object.accessInContext(tightestvariable.variableValue, tightestvariable.homeContext, false)));
if ((value != null) &&
Logic.variableP(value)) {
tightestvariable = ((PatternVariable)(value));
}
else {
return (tightestvariable);
}
}
}
}
}
public static Stella_Object accessPatternVariableSlotValue(PatternVariable self, Symbol slotname, Stella_Object value, boolean setvalueP) {
if (slotname == Logic.SYM_LOGIC_BOUND_TO_OFFSET) {
if (setvalueP) {
self.boundToOffset = ((IntegerWrapper)(value)).wrapperValue;
}
else {
value = IntegerWrapper.wrapInteger(self.boundToOffset);
}
}
else if (slotname == Logic.SYM_STELLA_VARIABLE_NAME) {
if (setvalueP) {
self.skolemName = ((Symbol)(value));
}
else {
value = self.skolemName;
}
}
else {
if (setvalueP) {
KeyValueList.setDynamicSlotValue(self.dynamicSlots, slotname, value, null);
}
else {
value = self.dynamicSlots.lookup(slotname);
}
}
return (value);
}
public Surrogate primaryType() {
{ PatternVariable self = this;
return (Logic.SGT_LOGIC_PATTERN_VARIABLE);
}
}
}
|
package andioopp.model.domain.world;
import java.util.List;
/**
* A lane which contains {@link Cell} objects.
*/
public class Lane {
private final List<Cell> cells;
public Lane(List<Cell> cells) {
this.cells = cells;
}
/**
* Returns the number of Cells.
*/
public int getNumberOfCells() {
return getCells().size();
}
/**
* Returns a List of the Cells in a column.
*/
public Cell getCell(int col) {
return getCells().get(col);
}
/**
* Returns a List of the Cells in the Lane.
*/
public List<Cell> getCells() {
return cells;
}
}
|
Design and Fabricate the Remote Monitor on the Scenic Spot Based on Integrated Sensor System Based on the embedded Linux system, established the integrated sensing system to monitor the scenic spot and transmit the collected data to the users. The platform based on the ARM11 development board as the hardware of the system. Used the sensors to collect the different data and pictures and then they were transmitted by the wired and wireless mode. Set up the small Web server by the Boa (small Web server) and realized the integrated Web technology and CGI (Common Gateway Interface) program. According to the difference information of the scenic spot, the mobile platform collected the needed data and transmitted it to the control platform by the ZigBee wireless module and displayed in the embedded platform. The administrator can realize monitoring all the spots of the scenic and control the terminal equipments in the whole day. Copyright © 2014 IFSA Publishing, S. L.
|
Novel high-voltage, high-side and low-side power devices with a single control signal Novel high-voltage, high-side and low-side power devices, whose control circuits are referred to as the tub, are proposed and investigated to reduce chip area and improve the reliability of high-voltage integrated circuits. By using the tub circuit to control a branch circuit consisting of a PMOS and a resistor, a pulse signal is generated to control the low-side n-LDMOS after being processed by a low-voltage circuit. Thus, the high-voltage level-shifting circuit is not needed any more, and the parasitic effect of the conventional level-shifting circuit is eliminated. Moreover, the specific on-resistance of the proposed low-side device is reduced by more than 14.3% compared with the conventional one. In the meantime, integrated low-voltage power supplies for the low-voltage circuit and the tub circuit are also proposed. Simulations are performed with MEDICI and SPICE, and the results show that the expectant functions are achieved well.
|
Bazaar Labs, the creator of a mobile application for sharing what movies and television you’re watching called Miso, just announced that it has raised a seed round of undisclosed size.
Miso is modeled on Foursquare, the mobile application for sharing your location with friends. Foursquare creates a social gaming experience around where you are, and Miso creates a similar experience about what you’re watching. Users “check in” to let their friends know what they’re watching and can also post their commentary. Then they win various badges as rewards for certain kinds of activity.
Cofounder and chief executive Somrat Niyogi told me he sees the announcement of Google TV, a service for accessing the Web and Android applications on your television, as a sign of growing interest in the creation of a richer experience around TV watching. But he said it’s probably easier for viewers to access that experience through a second device, rather than on the TV itself — namely, through the iPhone or now through the computer via the Miso Web application, which is launching today. There’s also an iPad version of Miso on the way, Niyogi said.
The San Francisco startup’s funding comes from a number of well-known angel investors, including early PayPal employee/Slide executive Keith Rabois, YouTube cofounder Jawed Karim, and early Google employees Georges Harik, Richard Chen, Thomas Korte, and Kurt Abrahamson. (Disclosure: Harik is an investor in VentureBeat.) Rabois has also signed on as an advisor.
|
#include "net.h"
#include <arpa/inet.h>
#include <fcntl.h>
#include <iostream>
#include <netdb.h>
#include <sys/epoll.h>
#include <sys/socket.h>
#include <unistd.h>
#include <utility>
namespace util {
namespace {
using std::chrono_literals::operator""ms;
// Order time points in *descending* order so that they are put in *ascending*
// order in a heap.
constexpr auto by_time = [](auto& l, auto& r) {
return l.time > r.time;
};
void must(const status& status) {
#ifndef NDEBUG
// In debug builds only, crash the application if the given operation does not
// succeed.
if (!status.success()) {
std::cerr << status << '\n';
std::abort();
}
#endif
}
// Shared implementation for await_in and await_out: register interest for an IO
// operation in the epoll instance.
template <io_state::task io_state::*op>
status await_op(file_handle epoll, io_state& state,
io_state::task resume) noexcept {
state.*op = std::move(resume);
epoll_event event;
event.events = EPOLLONESHOT | (state.do_in ? EPOLLIN : 0) |
(state.do_out ? EPOLLOUT : 0);
event.data.ptr = &state;
if (epoll_ctl((int)epoll, EPOLL_CTL_MOD, (int)state.handle, &event) == -1) {
return std::errc{errno};
} else {
return status_code::ok;
}
}
// Base status manager for get_address_info codes.
struct gai_code_manager : status_manager {
constexpr std::uint64_t domain_id() const noexcept final {
// Randomly chosen bytes.
return 0x42'db'f4'41'b0'62'a2'b1;
}
constexpr std::string_view domain() const noexcept final {
return "address_info";
}
std::string_view name(status_payload payload) const noexcept final {
return gai_strerror(code(payload));
}
bool failure(status_payload payload) const noexcept final {
return code(payload) != 0;
}
status_code canonical(status_payload payload) const noexcept final {
switch (code(payload)) {
case 0: return status_code::ok;
case EAI_ADDRFAMILY: return status_code::client_error;
case EAI_AGAIN: return status_code::transient_error;
case EAI_BADFLAGS: return status_code::client_error;
case EAI_FAIL: return status_code::permanent_error;
case EAI_FAMILY: return status_code::not_available;
case EAI_MEMORY: return status_code::transient_error;
case EAI_NODATA: return status_code::not_available;
case EAI_NONAME: return status_code::client_error;
case EAI_SERVICE: return status_code::not_available;
case EAI_SOCKTYPE: return status_code::not_available;
case EAI_SYSTEM: return status_code::unknown_error;
default: return status_code::unknown_error;
}
}
constexpr int code(status_payload payload) const noexcept final{
return payload.code;
}
void output(std::ostream&, status_payload) const noexcept final {}
void destroy(status_payload) const noexcept final {}
};
static constexpr gai_code_manager gai_code_manager;
// Build an error object from a get_address_info error code.
error gai_error(int code) {
if (code == EAI_SYSTEM) {
// When the code is EAI_SYSTEM, the more detailed error is in errno.
return error{std::errc{errno}};
} else {
status_payload payload;
payload.code = code;
return error{status(gai_code_manager, payload)};
}
}
// Retrieve the address for a socket.
template <auto get_socket_address>
result<address> get_address(const socket& socket) noexcept {
// Retrieve the socket address information.
sockaddr_storage raw_storage;
sockaddr* storage = reinterpret_cast<sockaddr*>(&raw_storage);
socklen_t size = sizeof(raw_storage);
if (get_socket_address((int)socket.handle(), storage, &size) == -1) {
if (errno == ENOTCONN) return {};
return error{std::errc{errno}};
}
// Convert the address into human-readable host and port strings.
char host[1024], decimal_port[8];
int status = getnameinfo(storage, size, host, sizeof(host), decimal_port,
sizeof(decimal_port), NI_NUMERICSERV);
if (status != 0) throw gai_error(status);
return address{host, static_cast<std::uint16_t>(std::atoi(decimal_port))};
}
// RAII wrapper for addrinfo objects.
class addr_info {
public:
// Resolve an address into an addrinfo list.
static result<addr_info> resolve(const char* address,
const char* service) noexcept {
addrinfo* info;
int status = getaddrinfo(address, service, nullptr, &info);
if (status != 0) return gai_error(status);
return addr_info{info};
}
constexpr addr_info(addrinfo* info) noexcept : value_(info) {}
~addr_info() noexcept {
if (value_) freeaddrinfo(value_);
}
// Non copyable.
addr_info(const addr_info&) = delete;
addr_info& operator=(const addr_info&) = delete;
// Movable.
addr_info(addr_info&& other) noexcept
: value_(std::exchange(other.value_, nullptr)) {}
addr_info& operator=(addr_info&& other) noexcept {
if (value_) freeaddrinfo(value_);
value_ = std::exchange(other.value_, nullptr);
return *this;
}
constexpr addrinfo* get() const { return value_; }
private:
addrinfo* value_;
};
// Change a file handle to non-blocking mode.
status set_non_blocking(socket& socket) {
int flags = fcntl((int)socket.handle(), F_GETFL);
if (flags == -1) return std::errc{errno};
if (fcntl((int)socket.handle(), F_SETFL, flags | O_NONBLOCK) == -1) {
return std::errc{errno};
}
return status_code::ok;
}
// Allow a socket to rebind to the same port.
status allow_address_reuse(socket& socket) {
int enable = 1;
int r = setsockopt((int)socket.handle(), SOL_SOCKET, SO_REUSEADDR, &enable,
sizeof(int));
if (r == -1) return std::errc{errno};
return status_code::ok;
}
struct host_port {
char host[248];
char port[8];
};
result<host_port> get_host_port(const addrinfo* info) noexcept {
host_port out;
const int status =
getnameinfo(info->ai_addr, info->ai_addrlen, out.host, sizeof(out.host),
out.port, sizeof(out.port), NI_NUMERICSERV);
if (status != 0) return gai_error(status);
return out;
}
} // namespace
unique_handle::unique_handle() noexcept : handle_(file_handle::none) {}
unique_handle::unique_handle(file_handle handle) noexcept
: handle_(handle) {}
unique_handle::~unique_handle() noexcept { must(close()); }
unique_handle::unique_handle(unique_handle&& other) noexcept
: handle_(std::exchange(other.handle_, file_handle::none)) {}
unique_handle& unique_handle::operator=(unique_handle&& other) noexcept {
must(close());
handle_ = std::exchange(other.handle_, file_handle::none);
return *this;
}
file_handle unique_handle::get() const noexcept { return handle_; }
unique_handle::operator bool() const noexcept {
return handle_ != file_handle::none;
}
status unique_handle::close() noexcept {
if (handle_ == file_handle::none) return status_code::ok;
if (::close((int)handle_) == -1) {
return status(std::errc{errno}, "from close() in unique_handle::close()");
}
return status_code::ok;
}
result<io_context> io_context::create() noexcept {
io_context context;
if (status s = context.init(); s.failure()) return error{std::move(s)};
return context;
}
io_context::io_context() noexcept {}
status io_context::init() noexcept {
epoll_ = unique_handle{file_handle{epoll_create(/*unused size*/42)}};
if (!epoll_) {
return error{
status(std::errc{errno}, "from epoll_create in io_context::create()")};
}
return status_code::ok;
}
io_context::io_context(unique_handle epoll) noexcept
: epoll_(std::move(epoll)) {}
void io_context::schedule_at(time_point time, task f) noexcept {
work_.push_back({time, std::move(f)});
std::push_heap(work_.begin(), work_.end(), by_time);
}
status io_context::run() {
// TODO: Find a neat way of tracking how many pending IO operations the
// context has and use this to allow run() to return when all work finishes.
while (true) {
// Run all work that should have triggered by now.
const time_point now = clock::now();
while (!work_.empty() && work_.front().time <= now) {
std::pop_heap(work_.begin(), work_.end(), by_time);
work_item work = std::move(work_.back());
work_.pop_back();
work.resume();
}
// Wait for IO until the next work item is ready.
const int timeout_ms =
work_.empty() ? -1 : (work_.front().time - now) / 1ms;
std::array<epoll_event, 256> events;
const int num_events =
epoll_wait((int)epoll_.get(), events.data(), events.size(), timeout_ms);
if (num_events == -1 && errno != EINTR) {
return error{
status(std::errc{errno}, "from epoll_wait in io_context::run()")};
}
for (int i = 0; i < num_events; i++) {
auto& state = *static_cast<io_state*>(events[i].data.ptr);
unsigned mask = events[i].events;
// If an error occurred or the socket was closed, treat it as both read
// and write being ready. The handlers will attempt their operations and
// discover the errors themselves.
if (mask & (EPOLLERR | EPOLLHUP)) mask |= EPOLLIN | EPOLLOUT;
// Run handlers that are ready. These are scheduled rather than being
// invoked directly to avoid having to deal with reentrancy.
if ((mask & EPOLLIN) && state.do_in) {
schedule(std::exchange(state.do_in, nullptr));
}
if ((mask & EPOLLOUT) && state.do_out) {
schedule(std::exchange(state.do_out, nullptr));
}
mask = (state.do_in ? EPOLLIN : 0) | (state.do_out ? EPOLLOUT : 0);
if (mask) {
// There are other pending I/O handlers. Update the event entry.
events[i].events = EPOLLONESHOT | mask;
if (epoll_ctl((int)epoll_.get(), EPOLL_CTL_MOD, (int)state.handle,
&events[i]) == -1) {
return error{
status(std::errc{errno}, "from epoll_ctl in io_context::run()")};
}
}
}
}
}
status io_context::register_handle(io_state& state) noexcept {
epoll_event event;
event.events = 0;
event.data.ptr = &state;
if (epoll_ctl((int)epoll_.get(), EPOLL_CTL_ADD, (int)state.handle, &event) ==
-1) {
return status(std::errc{errno}, "in io_context::register_handle()");
}
return status_code::ok;
}
status io_context::unregister_handle(file_handle handle) noexcept {
if (epoll_ctl((int)epoll_.get(), EPOLL_CTL_DEL, (int)handle, nullptr) == -1) {
return status(std::errc{errno}, "in io_context::unregister_handle()");
}
return status_code::ok;
}
status io_context::await_in(io_state& state, io_state::task resume) noexcept {
return await_op<&io_state::do_in>(epoll_.get(), state, std::move(resume));
}
status io_context::await_out(io_state& state, io_state::task resume) noexcept {
return await_op<&io_state::do_out>(epoll_.get(), state, std::move(resume));
}
class address_internals {
public:
static addrinfo* get(const address& address) noexcept {
return (addrinfo*)address.data_;
}
};
result<address> address::create(const char* host,
const char* service) noexcept {
address a;
if (status s = a.init(host, service); s.failure()) return error{std::move(s)};
return a;
}
status address::init(const char* host, const char* service) noexcept {
addrinfo* info;
const int status = getaddrinfo(host, service, nullptr, &info);
if (status != 0) return gai_error(status);
if (data_) freeaddrinfo((addrinfo*)data_);
data_ = info;
return status_code::ok;
}
address::address() noexcept : data_(nullptr) {}
address::~address() noexcept {
if (data_) freeaddrinfo((addrinfo*)data_);
}
address::address(address&& other) noexcept
: data_(std::exchange(other.data_, nullptr)) {}
address& address::operator=(address&& other) noexcept {
if (data_) freeaddrinfo((addrinfo*)data_);
data_ = std::exchange(other.data_, nullptr);
return *this;
}
address::operator bool() const noexcept { return data_; }
result<std::string> address::to_string() const noexcept {
const auto* a = (addrinfo*)data_;
result<host_port> temp = get_host_port(a);
if (temp.failure()) return error{std::move(temp).status()};
if (a->ai_family == AF_INET6) {
return "[" + std::string(temp->host) + "]:" + temp->port;
} else {
return std::string(temp->host) + ":" + temp->port;
}
}
std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& output, const address& a) {
if (!a) {
return output << "(no address)";
} else if (auto x = a.to_string(); x.success()) {
return output << *x;
} else {
return output << "(" << x.status() << ")";
}
}
result<socket> socket::create(io_context& context,
unique_handle handle) noexcept {
socket out;
if (status s = out.init(context, std::move(handle)); s.failure()) {
return error{std::move(s)};
}
return out;
}
socket::socket() noexcept {}
status socket::init(io_context& context, unique_handle handle) noexcept {
if (!handle) return client_error("cannot init a socket with an empty handle");
context_ = &context;
handle_ = std::move(handle);
state_ = std::make_unique<io_state>();
state_->handle = handle_.get();
if (status s = context.register_handle(*state_); !s.success()) {
return error{std::move(s)};
}
return status_code::ok;
}
socket::~socket() noexcept {
if (handle_) {
must(context_->unregister_handle(handle_.get()));
if (status s = shutdown();
s.failure() && s != status{std::errc{std::errc::not_connected}}) {
must(s);
}
}
}
socket::operator bool() const noexcept { return (bool)handle_; }
file_handle socket::handle() const noexcept { return handle_.get(); }
io_context& socket::context() const noexcept { return *context_; }
io_state& socket::state() const noexcept { return *state_; }
status socket::shutdown() noexcept {
if (::shutdown((int)handle_.get(), SHUT_RDWR) == -1) {
return status(std::errc{errno}, "in socket::shutdown()");
} else {
return status_code::ok;
}
}
socket::socket(io_context& context, unique_handle handle,
std::unique_ptr<io_state> state) noexcept
: context_(&context),
handle_(std::move(handle)),
state_(std::move(state)) {}
namespace tcp {
stream::stream() noexcept {}
stream::stream(socket socket) noexcept
: socket_(std::move(socket)) {}
void stream::read_some(span<char> buffer,
std::function<void(result<span<char>>)> done) noexcept {
auto& state = socket_.state();
auto handler = [&state, buffer, done] {
int result = ::read((int)state.handle, buffer.data(), buffer.size());
if (result != -1) {
done(buffer.subspan(0, result));
} else {
done(error{std::errc{errno}});
}
};
if (status s = socket_.context().await_in(state, std::move(handler));
!s.success()) {
done(error{std::move(s)});
}
}
void stream::read(span<char> buffer,
std::function<void(result<span<char>>)> done) noexcept {
// read is composed of a sequence of read_some calls.
struct reader {
stream* input;
span<char> buffer;
std::function<void(result<span<char>>)> done;
span<char>::size_type bytes_read = 0;
void run() {
input->read_some(buffer.subspan(bytes_read), *this);
}
void operator()(result<span<char>> result) {
if (result.failure()) {
done(std::move(result));
return;
}
bytes_read += result->size();
if (bytes_read < buffer.size()) {
run();
} else {
done(buffer);
}
}
};
reader{this, buffer, std::move(done)}.run();
}
void stream::write_some(
span<const char> buffer,
std::function<void(result<span<const char>>)> done) noexcept {
auto& state = socket_.state();
auto handler = [&state, buffer, done] {
int result =
::send((int)state.handle, buffer.data(), buffer.size(), MSG_NOSIGNAL);
if (result != -1) {
done(buffer.subspan(result));
} else {
done(error{std::errc{errno}});
}
};
if (status s = socket_.context().await_out(state, std::move(handler));
!s.success()) {
done(error{std::move(s)});
}
}
void stream::write(span<const char> buffer,
std::function<void(status)> done) noexcept {
// write is composed of a sequence of write_some calls.
struct writer {
stream* output;
span<const char> remaining;
std::function<void(status)> done;
void run() {
output->write_some(remaining, *this);
}
void operator()(result<span<const char>> result) {
if (result.failure()) {
done(std::move(result).status());
return;
}
remaining = *result;
if (!remaining.empty()) {
run();
} else {
done(status_code::ok);
}
}
};
writer{this, buffer, std::move(done)}.run();
}
stream::operator bool() const noexcept { return (bool)socket_; }
io_context& stream::context() const noexcept { return socket_.context(); }
acceptor::acceptor() noexcept {}
acceptor::acceptor(socket socket) noexcept : socket_(std::move(socket)) {}
void acceptor::accept(std::function<void(result<stream>)> done) noexcept {
auto& state = socket_.state();
auto handler = [&context = socket_.context(), &state, done] {
int handle = ::accept4((int)state.handle, nullptr, nullptr, SOCK_NONBLOCK);
if (handle == -1) {
done(error{std::errc{errno}});
return;
}
result<socket> s =
socket::create(context, unique_handle{file_handle{handle}});
if (s.success()) {
done(std::move(*s));
} else {
done(error{std::move(s).status()});
}
};
if (status s = socket_.context().await_in(state, std::move(handler));
!s.success()) {
done(error{std::move(s)});
}
}
acceptor::operator bool() const noexcept { return (bool)socket_; }
io_context& acceptor::context() const noexcept { return socket_.context(); }
result<acceptor> bind(io_context& context, const address& address) {
const addrinfo* const info = address_internals::get(address);
// Create a socket in the right address family (e.g. IPv4 or IPv6).
result<socket> socket = socket::create(
context,
unique_handle{file_handle{::socket(info->ai_family, SOCK_STREAM, 0)}});
if (socket.failure()) return error{std::move(socket).status()};
// Switch the socket to non-blocking mode. This way if we try to perform any
// blocking operation before it is ready it will fail immediately instead of
// blocking.
if (status s = set_non_blocking(*socket); s.failure()) {
return error{std::move(s)};
}
// Allow binding to a previously used port. This allows us to shut down and
// restart the server without waiting for a minute or so for the TCP timeout
// to expire.
if (status s = allow_address_reuse(*socket); s.failure()) {
return error{std::move(s)};
}
// Bind to the address.
const int bind_result =
::bind((int)socket->handle(), info->ai_addr, info->ai_addrlen);
if (bind_result == -1) return error{std::errc{errno}};
// Start listening for incoming connections.
const int listen_result =
::listen((int)socket->handle(), acceptor::max_pending_connections);
if (listen_result == -1) return error{std::errc{errno}};
return acceptor{std::move(*socket)};
}
result<stream> connect(io_context& context, const address& address) {
const addrinfo* const info = address_internals::get(address);
// Create a socket in the right address family (e.g. IPv4 or IPv6).
result<socket> socket = socket::create(
context,
unique_handle{file_handle{::socket(info->ai_family, SOCK_STREAM, 0)}});
if (socket.failure()) return error{std::move(socket).status()};
// Switch the socket to non-blocking mode. This way if we try to perform any
// blocking operation before it is ready it will fail immediately instead of
// blocking.
if (status s = set_non_blocking(*socket); s.failure()) {
return error{std::move(s)};
}
// Connect to the address.
const int connect_result =
::connect((int)socket->handle(), info->ai_addr, info->ai_addrlen);
if (connect_result == -1) return error{std::errc{errno}};
return stream{std::move(*socket)};
}
} // namespace tcp
} // namespace util
|
. Although the morbidity of porphyria is rare, the surgical and anesthetic managements of patients with porphyria should be prudent, for various stresses including surgery and anesthesia may cause occurrence or exacerbation of this disease, occasionally resulting in the mortal course. Several drugs such as barbiturate, diazepam, pentazocine, and pancuronium, which can be used during anesthesia or after operation, reportedly exacerbate the disease. Furthermore, the acute exacerbation of porphyria may be misdiagnosed as acute abdomen, ileus, acute appendicitis, cholelithiasis, urolithiasis, or ectopic pregnancy. The managements of patients with acute porphyria during anesthesia and after surgery are discussed along with the introduction of our case report. Since there is no definitive treatment of porphyria, the most important thing is to understand the disease and to prevent the acute exacerbation of the disease. When patients are suspected of porphyria or possible porphyria, careful management is required during anesthesia and after operation with selecting secure drugs against the disease.
|
#!/usr/bin/python
'''
(C) Copyright 2018-2019 Intel Corporation.
Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
You may obtain a copy of the License at
http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
limitations under the License.
GOVERNMENT LICENSE RIGHTS-OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE
The Government's rights to use, modify, reproduce, release, perform, display,
or disclose this software are subject to the terms of the Apache License as
provided in Contract No. B609815.
Any reproduction of computer software, computer software documentation, or
portions thereof marked with this legend must also reproduce the markings.
'''
from __future__ import print_function
import os
import re
import json
import random
import string
from pathlib import Path
from errno import ENOENT
from time import sleep
from avocado import fail_on
from avocado.utils import process
from conversion import c_uuid_to_str
from daos_api import DaosApiError, DaosServer, DaosContainer, DaosPool
from ClusterShell.Task import task_self
from ClusterShell.NodeSet import NodeSet
class DaosTestError(Exception):
"""DAOS API exception class."""
def get_file_path(bin_name, dir_path=""):
"""
Find the binary path name in daos_m and return the list of path.
args:
bin_name: bin file to be.
dir_path: Directory location on top of daos_m to find the
bin.
return:
list: list of the paths for bin_name file
Raises:
OSError: If failed to find the bin_name file
"""
with open('../../../.build_vars.json') as json_file:
build_paths = json.load(json_file)
basepath = os.path.normpath(build_paths['PREFIX'] + "/../{0}"
.format(dir_path))
file_path = list(Path(basepath).glob('**/{0}'.format(bin_name)))
if not file_path:
raise OSError(ENOENT, "File {0} not found inside {1} Directory"
.format(bin_name, basepath))
else:
return file_path
def process_host_list(hoststr):
"""
Convert a slurm style host string into a list of individual hosts.
e.g. boro-[26-27] becomes a list with entries boro-26, boro-27
This works for every thing that has come up so far but I don't know what
all slurmfinds acceptable so it might not parse everything possible.
"""
# 1st split into cluster name and range of hosts
split_loc = hoststr.index('-')
cluster = hoststr[0:split_loc]
num_range = hoststr[split_loc+1:]
# if its just a single host then nothing to do
if num_range.isdigit():
return [hoststr]
# more than 1 host, remove the brackets
host_list = []
num_range = re.sub(r'\[|\]', '', num_range)
# differentiate between ranges and single numbers
hosts_and_ranges = num_range.split(',')
for item in hosts_and_ranges:
if item.isdigit():
hostname = cluster + '-' + item
host_list.append(hostname)
else:
# split the two ends of the range
host_range = item.split('-')
for hostnum in range(int(host_range[0]), int(host_range[1])+1):
hostname = "{}-{}".format(cluster, hostnum)
host_list.append(hostname)
return host_list
def get_random_string(length, exclude=None):
"""Create a specified length string of random ascii letters and numbers.
Optionally exclude specific random strings from being returned.
Args:
length (int): length of the string to return
exclude (list|None): list of strings to not return
Returns:
str: a string of random ascii letters and numbers
"""
exclude = exclude if isinstance(exclude, list) else []
random_string = None
while not isinstance(random_string, str) or random_string in exclude:
random_string = "".join(
random.choice(string.ascii_uppercase + string.digits)
for _ in range(length))
return random_string
@fail_on(DaosApiError)
def get_pool(context, mode, size, name, svcn=1, log=None, connect=True):
"""Return a DAOS pool that has been created an connected.
Args:
context (DaosContext): the context to use to create the pool
mode (int): the pool mode
size (int): the size of the pool
name (str): the name of the pool
svcn (int): the pool service leader quantity
log (DaosLog, optional): object for logging messages. Defaults to None.
connect (bool, optional): connect to the new pool. Defaults to True.
Returns:
DaosPool: an object representing a DAOS pool
"""
if log:
log.info("Creating a pool")
pool = DaosPool(context)
pool.create(mode, os.geteuid(), os.getegid(), size, name, svcn=svcn)
if connect:
if log:
log.info("Connecting to the pool")
pool.connect(1 << 1)
return pool
@fail_on(DaosApiError)
def get_container(context, pool, log=None):
"""Retrun a DAOS a container that has been created an opened.
Args:
context (DaosContext): the context to use to create the container
pool (DaosPool): pool in which to create the container
log (DaosLog|None): object for logging messages
Returns:
DaosContainer: an object representing a DAOS container
"""
if log:
log.info("Creating a container")
container = DaosContainer(context)
container.create(pool.handle)
if log:
log.info("Opening a container")
container.open()
return container
@fail_on(DaosApiError)
def kill_server(server_group, context, rank, pool, log=None):
"""Kill a specific server rank.
Args:
server_group (str): daos server group name
context (DaosContext): the context to use to create the DaosServer
rank (int): daos server rank to kill
pool (DaosPool): the DaosPool from which to exclude the rank
log (DaosLog|None): object for logging messages
Returns:
None
"""
if log:
log.info("Killing DAOS server {} (rank {})".format(server_group, rank))
server = DaosServer(context, server_group, rank)
server.kill(1)
if log:
log.info("Excluding server rank {}".format(rank))
pool.exclude([rank])
@fail_on(DaosApiError)
def get_pool_status(pool, log):
"""Determine if the pool rebuild is complete.
Args:
pool (DaosPool): pool for which to determine if rebuild is complete
log (logging): logging object used to report the pool status
Returns:
PoolInfo: the PoolInfo object returned by the pool's pool_query()
function
"""
pool_info = pool.pool_query()
message = "Pool: pi_ntargets={}".format(pool_info.pi_ntargets)
message += ", pi_nnodes={}".format(
pool_info.pi_nnodes)
message += ", pi_ndisabled={}".format(
pool_info.pi_ndisabled)
message += ", rs_version={}".format(
pool_info.pi_rebuild_st.rs_version)
message += ", rs_done={}".format(
pool_info.pi_rebuild_st.rs_done)
message += ", rs_toberb_obj_nr={}".format(
pool_info.pi_rebuild_st.rs_toberb_obj_nr)
message += ", rs_obj_nr={}".format(
pool_info.pi_rebuild_st.rs_obj_nr)
message += ", rs_rec_nr={}".format(
pool_info.pi_rebuild_st.rs_rec_nr)
message += ", rs_errno={}".format(
pool_info.pi_rebuild_st.rs_errno)
log.info(message)
return pool_info
def is_pool_rebuild_complete(pool, log):
"""Determine if the pool rebuild is complete.
Args:
pool (DaosPool): pool for which to determine if rebuild is complete
log (logging): logging object used to report the pool status
Returns:
bool: pool rebuild completion status
"""
get_pool_status(pool, log)
return pool.pool_info.pi_rebuild_st.rs_done == 1
def wait_for_rebuild(pool, log, to_start, interval):
"""Wait for the rebuild to start or end.
Args:
pool (DaosPool): pool for which to determine if rebuild is complete
log (logging): logging object used to report the pool status
to_start (bool): whether to wait for rebuild to start or end
interval (int): number of seconds to wait in between rebuild
completion checks
Returns:
None
"""
log.info(
"Waiting for rebuild to %s ...",
"start" if to_start else "complete")
while is_pool_rebuild_complete(pool, log) == to_start:
log.info(
" Rebuild %s ...",
"has not yet started" if to_start else "in progress")
sleep(interval)
def verify_rebuild(pool, log, to_be_rebuilt, object_qty, record_qty, errors=0):
"""Confirm the number of rebuilt objects reported by the pool query.
Args:
pool (DaosPool): pool for which to determine if rebuild is complete
log (logging): logging object used to report the pool status
to_be_rebuilt (int): expected number of objects to be rebuilt
object_qty (int): expected number of rebuilt records
record_qty (int): expected total number of rebuilt records
errors (int): expected number of rebuild errors
Returns:
list: a list of error messages for each expected value that did not
match the actual value. If all expected values were detected the
list will be empty.
"""
messages = []
expected_pool_info = {
"rs_toberb_obj_nr": to_be_rebuilt,
"rs_obj_nr": object_qty,
"rs_rec_nr": record_qty,
"rs_errno": errors
}
log.info("Verifying the number of rebuilt objects and status")
pool_info = get_pool_status(pool, log)
for key, expected in expected_pool_info.items():
detected = getattr(pool_info.pi_rebuild_st, key)
if detected != expected:
messages.append(
"Unexpected {} value: expected={}, detected={}".format(
key, expected, detected))
return messages
def check_pool_files(log, hosts, uuid):
"""Check if pool files exist on the specified list of hosts.
Args:
log (logging): logging object used to display messages
hosts (list): list of hosts
uuid (str): uuid file name to look for in /mnt/daos.
Returns:
bool: True if the files for this pool exist on each host; False
otherwise
"""
file_list = (uuid, "superblock")
expect = len(file_list) * len(hosts)
actual = 0
nodeset = NodeSet.fromlist(hosts)
task = task_self()
log.info("Checking for pool data on %s", nodeset)
for fname in file_list:
task.run(
"test -e /mnt/daos/{}; echo $?".format(fname), nodes=nodeset)
for output, node_list in task.iter_buffers():
if output == "0":
actual += len(node_list)
else:
nodes = NodeSet.fromlist(node_list)
log.error("%s: /mnt/daos/%s not found", nodes, fname)
return expect == actual
class CallbackHandler(object):
"""Defines a callback method to use with DaosApi class methods."""
def __init__(self, delay=1):
"""Create a CallbackHandler object.
Args:
delay (int, optional): number of seconds to wait in between
checking if the callback() method has been called.
Defaults to 1.
"""
self.delay = delay
self.ret_code = None
self.obj = None
self._called = False
def callback(self, event):
"""Return an event from a DaosApi class method.
Args:
event (CallbackEvent): event returned by the DaosApi class method
"""
# Get the return code and calling object from the event
self.ret_code = event.event.ev_error
self.obj = event.obj
# Indicate that this method has being called
self._called = True
def wait(self):
"""Wait for this object's callback() method to be called."""
# Reset the event return code and calling object
self.ret_code = None
self.obj = None
# Wait for the callback() method to be called
while not self._called:
print(" Waiting ...")
sleep(self.delay)
# Reset the flag indicating that the callback() method was called
self._called = False
class TestParameter(object):
# pylint: disable=too-few-public-methods
"""A class for test parameters whose values are read from a yaml file."""
def __init__(self, value, default=None):
"""Create a TestParameter object.
Args:
value (object): intial value for the parameter
default (object, optional): default value. Defaults to None.
"""
self.value = value if value is not None else default
self.default = default
def __str__(self):
"""Convert this object into a string.
Returns:
str: the string version of the parameter's value
"""
return str(self.value)
def set_value(self, name, test, path):
"""Set the value for the paramter from the test case's yaml file.
Args:
name (str): name of the value in the yaml file
test (Test): avocado Test object to use to read the yaml file
path (str): yaml path where the name is to be found
"""
self.value = test.params.get(name, path, self.default)
class TestDaosApiBase(object):
# pylint: disable=too-few-public-methods
"""A base class for functional testing of DaosPools objects."""
def __init__(self, cb_handler=None):
"""Create a TestDaosApi object.
Args:
cb_handler (CallbackHandler, optional): callback object to use with
the API methods. Defaults to None.
"""
self.cb_handler = cb_handler
def get_params(self, test, path):
"""Get the pool parameters from the yaml file.
Args:
test (Test): avocado Test object
path (str): yaml namespace
"""
for name, test_param in self.__dict__.items():
if isinstance(test_param, TestParameter):
test_param.set_value(name, test, path)
def _call_method(self, method, kwargs):
"""Call the DAOS API class method with the optional callback method.
Args:
method (object): method to call
kwargs (dict): keyworded arguments for the method
"""
if self.cb_handler:
kwargs["cb_func"] = self.cb_handler.callback
method(**kwargs)
if self.cb_handler:
# Wait for the call back if one is provided
self.cb_handler.wait()
class TestPool(TestDaosApiBase):
"""A class for functional testing of DaosPools objects."""
def __init__(self, context, log, cb_handler=None):
"""[summary].
Args:
context (DaosContext): [description]
log (logging): logging object used to report the pool status
cb_handler (CallbackHandler, optional): callback object to use with
the API methods. Defaults to None.
"""
super(TestPool, self).__init__(cb_handler)
self.context = context
self.log = log
self.uid = os.geteuid()
self.gid = os.getegid()
self.mode = TestParameter(None)
self.name = TestParameter(None)
self.group = TestParameter(None)
self.svcn = TestParameter(None)
self.target_list = TestParameter(None)
self.scm_size = TestParameter(None)
self.nvme_size = TestParameter(None)
self.pool = None
self.uuid = None
self.info = None
self.connected = False
def get_params(self, test, path="/run/pool/*"):
"""Get the pool parameters from the yaml file.
Args:
test (Test): avocado Test object
path (str, optional): yaml namespace. Defaults to "/run/pool/*".
"""
super(TestPool, self).get_params(test, path)
@fail_on(DaosApiError)
def create(self):
"""Create a pool.
Destroys an existing pool if defined and assigns self.pool and
self.uuid.
"""
self.destroy()
self.log.info("Creating a pool")
self.pool = DaosPool(self.context)
kwargs = {
"mode": self.mode.value, "uid": self.uid, "gid": self.gid,
"scm_size": self.scm_size.value, "group": self.name.value}
for key in ("target_list", "svcn", "nvme_size"):
value = getattr(self, key).value
if value:
kwargs[key] = value
self._call_method(self.pool.create, kwargs)
self.uuid = self.pool.get_uuid_str()
@fail_on(DaosApiError)
def connect(self, permission=1):
"""Connect to the pool.
Args:
permission (int, optional): connect permission. Defaults to 1.
Returns:
bool: True if the pool has been connected; False if the pool was
already connected or the pool is not defined.
"""
if self.pool and not self.connected:
kwargs = {"flags": 1 << permission}
self.log.info(
"Connecting to pool %s with permission %s (flag: %s)",
self.uuid, permission, kwargs["flags"])
self._call_method(self.pool.connect, kwargs)
self.connected = True
return True
return False
@fail_on(DaosApiError)
def disconnect(self):
"""Disconnect from connected pool.
Returns:
bool: True if the pool has been disconnected; False if the pool was
already disconnected or the pool is not defined.
"""
if self.pool and self.connected:
self.log.info("Disonnecting from pool %s", self.uuid)
self._call_method(self.pool.disconnect, {})
self.connected = False
return True
return False
@fail_on(DaosApiError)
def destroy(self, force=1):
"""Destroy the pool.
Args:
force (int, optional): force flag. Defaults to 1.
Returns:
bool: True if the pool has been destoyed; False if the pool is not
defined.
"""
if self.pool:
self.disconnect()
self.log.info("Destroying pool %s", self.uuid)
self._call_method(self.pool.destroy, {"force": force})
self.pool = None
self.uuid = None
self.info = None
return True
return False
@fail_on(DaosApiError)
def get_info(self):
"""Query the pool for information.
Sets the self.info attribute.
"""
if self.pool:
self.connect()
self._call_method(self.pool.pool_query, {})
self.info = self.pool.pool_info
def check_pool_info(self, pi_uuid=None, pi_ntargets=None, pi_nnodes=None,
pi_ndisabled=None, pi_map_ver=None, pi_leader=None,
pi_bits=None):
# pylint: disable=unused-argument
"""Check the pool info attributes.
Args:
pi_uuid (str, optional): pool uuid. Defaults to None.
pi_ntargets (int, optional): number of targets. Defaults to None.
pi_nnodes (int, optional): number of nodes. Defaults to None.
pi_ndisabled (int, optional): number of disabled. Defaults to None.
pi_map_ver (int, optional): pool map version. Defaults to None.
pi_leader (int, optional): pool leader. Defaults to None.
pi_bits (int, optional): pool bits. Defaults to None.
Returns:
bool: True if at least one expected value is specified and all the
specified values match; False otherwise
"""
self.get_info()
checks = [
(key,
c_uuid_to_str(getattr(self.info, key))
if key == "pi_uuid" else getattr(self.info, key),
val)
for key, val in locals().items()
if key != "self" and val is not None]
return self._check_info(checks)
def check_pool_space(self, ps_free_min=None, ps_free_max=None,
ps_free_mean=None, ps_ntargets=None, ps_padding=None):
# pylint: disable=unused-argument
"""Check the pool info space attributes.
Args:
ps_free_min (list, optional): minimum free space per device.
Defaults to None.
ps_free_max (list, optional): maximum free space per device.
Defaults to None.
ps_free_mean (list, optional): mean free space per device.
Defaults to None.
ps_ntargets (int, optional): number of targets. Defaults to None.
ps_padding (int, optional): space padding. Defaults to None.
Returns:
bool: True if at least one expected value is specified and all the
specified values match; False otherwise
"""
self.get_info()
checks = []
for key in ("ps_free_min", "ps_free_max", "ps_free_mean"):
val = locals()[key]
if isinstance(val, list):
for index, item in val:
checks.append((
"{}[{}]".format(key, index),
getattr(self.info.pi_space, key)[index],
item))
for key in ("ps_ntargets", "ps_padding"):
val = locals()[key]
if val is not None:
checks.append(key, getattr(self.info.pi_space, key), val)
return self._check_info(checks)
def check_pool_daos_space(self, s_total=None, s_free=None):
# pylint: disable=unused-argument
"""Check the pool info daos space attributes.
Args:
s_total (list, optional): total space per device. Defaults to None.
s_free (list, optional): free space per device. Defaults to None.
Returns:
bool: True if at least one expected value is specified and all the
specified values match; False otherwise
"""
self.get_info()
checks = [
("{}_{}".format(key, index),
getattr(self.info.pi_space.ps_space, key)[index],
item)
for key, val in locals().items()
if key != "self" and val is not None
for index, item in enumerate(val)]
return self._check_info(checks)
def check_rebuild_status(self, rs_version=None, rs_pad_32=None,
rs_errno=None, rs_done=None,
rs_toberb_obj_nr=None, rs_obj_nr=None,
rs_rec_nr=None):
# pylint: disable=unused-argument
"""Check the pool info rebuild attributes.
Args:
rs_version (int, optional): rebuild version. Defaults to None.
rs_pad_32 (int, optional): rebuild pad. Defaults to None.
rs_errno (int, optional): rebuild error number. Defaults to None.
rs_done (int, optional): rebuild done flag. Defaults to None.
rs_toberb_obj_nr (int, optional): number of objects to be rebuilt.
Defaults to None.
rs_obj_nr (int, optional): number of rebuilt objects.
Defaults to None.
rs_rec_nr (int, optional): number of rebuilt records.
Defaults to None.
Returns:
bool: True if at least one expected value is specified and all the
specified values match; False otherwise
"""
self.get_info()
checks = [
(key, getattr(self.info.pi_rebuild_st, key), val)
for key, val in locals().items()
if key != "self" and val is not None]
return self._check_info(checks)
def _check_info(self, check_list):
"""Verify each pool info attribute value matches an expected value.
Args:
check_list (list): a list of tuples containing the name of the pool
information attribute to check, the current value of the
attribute, and the expected value of the attribute.
Returns:
bool: True if at least one check has been specified and all the
actual and expected values match; False otherwise.
"""
check_status = len(check_list) > 0
for check, actual, expect in check_list:
self.log.info(
"Verifying the pool %s: %s ?= %s", check, actual, expect)
if actual != expect:
msg = "The {} does not match: actual: {}, expected: {}".format(
check, actual, expect)
self.log.error(msg)
check_status = False
return check_status
def rebuild_complete(self):
"""Determine if the pool rebuild is complete.
Returns:
bool: True if pool rebuild is complete; False otherwise
"""
self.get_info()
return self.info.pi_rebuild_st.rs_done == 1
def wait_for_rebuild(self, to_start, interval=1):
"""Wait for the rebuild to start or end.
Args:
to_start (bool): whether to wait for rebuild to start or end
interval (int): number of seconds to wait in between rebuild
completion checks
"""
self.log.info(
"Waiting for rebuild to %s ...",
"start" if to_start else "complete")
while self.rebuild_complete() == to_start:
self.log.info(
" Rebuild %s ...",
"has not yet started" if to_start else "in progress")
sleep(interval)
self.log.info(
"Rebuild %s detected", "start" if to_start else "completion")
@fail_on(DaosApiError)
def start_rebuild(self, server_group, rank, daos_log):
"""Kill a specific server rank using this pool.
Args:
server_group (str): daos server group name
rank (int): daos server rank to kill
daos_log (DaosLog): object for logging messages
"""
msg = "Killing DAOS server {} (rank {})".format(server_group, rank)
self.log.info(msg)
daos_log.info(msg)
server = DaosServer(self.context, server_group, rank)
server.kill(1)
msg = "Excluding server rank {} from pool {}".format(rank, self.uuid)
self.log.info(msg)
daos_log.info(msg)
self.pool.exclude([rank])
def check_files(self, hosts):
"""Check if pool files exist on the specified list of hosts.
Args:
hosts (list): list of hosts
Returns:
bool: True if the files for this pool exist on each host; False
otherwise
"""
return check_pool_files(self.log, hosts, self.uuid.lower())
def write_file(self, orterun, processes, hostfile, size, timeout=60):
"""Write a file to the pool.
Args:
orterun (str): full path to the orterun command
processes (int): number of processes to launch
hosts (list): list of clients from which to write the file
size (int): size of the file to create in bytes
timeout (int, optional): number of seconds before timing out the
command. Defaults to 60 seconds.
Returns:
process.CmdResult: command execution result
"""
self.log.info("Writing {} bytes to pool {}".format(size, self.uuid))
env = {
"DAOS_POOL": self.uuid,
"DAOS_SVCL": "1",
"DAOS_SINGLETON_CLI": "1",
}
current_path = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))
command = "{} --np {} --hostfile {} {} {} testfile".format(
orterun, processes, hostfile,
os.path.join(current_path, "write_some_data.py"), size)
return process.run(command, timeout, True, False, "both", True, env)
class TestContainerData(object):
"""A class for storing data written to DaosContainer objects."""
def __init__(self):
"""Create a TestContainerData object."""
self.obj = None
self.txn = None
self.records = []
def get_akeys(self):
"""Get a list of all the akeys currently being used.
Returns:
list: a list of all the used akeys
"""
return [record["akey"] for record in self.records]
def get_dkeys(self):
"""Get a list of all the dkeys currently being used.
Returns:
list: a list of all the used dkeys
"""
return [record["dkey"] for record in self.records]
def write_record(self, container, akey, dkey, data, rank=None,
obj_class=None):
"""Write a record to the container.
Args:
container (TestContainer): container in which to write the object
akey (str): the akey
dkey (str): the dkey
data (str): the data to write
rank (int, optional): rank. Defaults to None.
obj_class (int, optional): daos object class. Defaults to None.
Raises:
DaosTestError: if there was an error writing the record
"""
self.records.append({"akey": akey, "dkey": dkey, "data": data})
try:
kwargs = {
"thedata": data, "size": len(data), "dkey": dkey, "akey": akey,
"obj": self.obj, "rank": rank}
if obj_class:
kwargs["obj_cls"] = obj_class
(self.obj, self.txn) = container.container.write_an_obj(**kwargs)
except DaosApiError as error:
raise DaosTestError(
"Error writing data (dkey={}, akey={}, data={}) to "
"container {}: {}".format(
dkey, akey, data, container.uuid, error))
def write_object(self, container, record_qty, akey_size, dkey_size,
data_size, rank=None, obj_class=None):
"""Write an object to the container.
Args:
container (TestContainer): container in which to write the object
record_qty (int): [description]
rank (int, optional): [description]. Defaults to None.
obj_class (int, optional): [description]. Defaults to None.
Raises:
DaosTestError: if there was an error writing the object
"""
for _ in range(record_qty):
akey = get_random_string(akey_size, self.get_akeys())
dkey = get_random_string(dkey_size, self.get_dkeys())
data = get_random_string(data_size)
# Write single data to the container
self.write_record(container, akey, dkey, data, rank, obj_class)
# Verify the data was written correctly
data_read = self.read_record(container, akey, dkey, data_size)
if data != data_read:
raise DaosTestError(
"Written data confirmation failed:"
"\n wrote: {}\n read: {}".format(data, data_read))
def read_record(self, container, akey, dkey, data_size):
"""Read a record from the container.
Args:
container (TestContainer): container in which to write the object
akey (str): the akey
dkey (str): the dkey
data_size (int): size of the data to read
Raises:
DaosTestError: if there was an error reading the object
Returns:
str: the data read for the container
"""
try:
read_data = container.container.read_an_obj(
data_size, dkey, akey, self.obj, self.txn)
except DaosApiError as error:
raise DaosTestError(
"Error reading data (dkey={}, akey={}, size={}) from "
"container {}: {}".format(
dkey, akey, data_size, container.uuid, error))
return read_data.value
def read_object(self, container):
"""Read an object from the container.
Args:
container (TestContainer): container in which to write the object
Returns:
bool: True if ll the records where read successfully and matched
what was originally written; False otherwise
"""
status = len(self.records) > 0
for record_info in self.records:
akey = record_info["akey"]
dkey = record_info["dkey"]
expect = record_info["data"]
try:
actual = self.read_record(container, akey, dkey, len(expect))
except DaosApiError as error:
container.log.error(error)
status = False
finally:
if actual != expect:
container.log.error(
"Error data mismatch: expected: %s, actual: %s",
expect, actual)
status = False
return status
class TestContainer(TestDaosApiBase):
"""A class for functional testing of DaosContainer objects."""
def __init__(self, pool, cb_handler=None):
"""Create a TeestContainer object.
Args:
pool (TestPool): the test pool in which to create the container
cb_handler (CallbackHandler, optional): callback object to use with
the API methods. Defaults to None.
"""
super(TestContainer, self).__init__(cb_handler)
self.pool = pool
self.log = self.pool.log
self.object_qty = TestParameter(None)
self.record_qty = TestParameter(None)
self.akey_size = TestParameter(None)
self.dkey_size = TestParameter(None)
self.data_size = TestParameter(None)
self.container = None
self.uuid = None
self.opened = False
self.written_data = []
def get_params(self, test, path="/run/container/*"):
"""Get the container parameters from the yaml file.
Args:
test (Test): avocado Test object
path (str, optional): yaml namespace. Defaults to
"/run/container/*".
"""
super(TestContainer, self).get_params(test, path)
@fail_on(DaosApiError)
def create(self, uuid=None):
"""Create a container.
Args:
uuid (str, optional): contianer uuid. Defaults to None.
"""
self.destroy()
self.log.info("Creating a container")
self.container = DaosContainer(self.pool.context)
self.container.create(self.pool.pool.handle, uuid)
self.uuid = self.container.get_uuid_str()
@fail_on(DaosApiError)
def open(self):
"""Open the container.
Returns:
bool: True if the container has been opened; False if the container
is already opened.
"""
if not self.opened:
self.log.info("Opening container %s", self.uuid)
self.container.open()
self.opened = True
return True
return False
@fail_on(DaosApiError)
def close(self):
"""Close the container.
Returns:
bool: True if the container has been closed; False if the container
is already closed.
"""
if self.opened:
self.log.info("Closing container %s", self.uuid)
self.container.close()
self.opened = False
return True
return False
@fail_on(DaosApiError)
def destroy(self, force=1):
"""Destroy the container.
Args:
force (int, optional): force flag. Defaults to 1.
Returns:
bool: True if the container has been destroyed; False if the
container does not exist.
"""
if self.container:
self.close()
self.log.info("Destroying container %s", self.uuid)
self.container.destroy(force)
self.container = None
self.written_data = []
return True
return False
@fail_on(DaosTestError)
def write_objects(self, rank=None, obj_class=None):
"""Write objects to the container.
Args:
rank (int, optional): server rank. Defaults to None.
obj_class (int, optional): daos object class. Defaults to None.
"""
self.open()
self.log.info("Writing objects in container %s", self.uuid)
for _ in range(self.object_qty.value):
self.written_data.append(TestContainerData())
self.written_data[-1].write_object(
self, self.record_qty.value, self.akey_size.value,
self.dkey_size.value, self.data_size.value, rank, obj_class)
@fail_on(DaosTestError)
def read_objects(self):
"""Read the objects from the container and verify they match.
Returns:
bool: True if
"""
self.open()
self.log.info("Reading objects in container %s", self.uuid)
status = len(self.written_data) > 0
for data in self.written_data:
status &= data.read_object(self)
return status
|
Local alt-country singer John Meeks says he searched long and hard before he found the female vocalist to accompany him on his country duets. He had two songs ready but no singer. He looked all over town, scouring websites of San Diego’s female vocalists to find the right voice, the Tammy Wynette to his George Jones, the Kitty Wells to his Red Foley — country voices he grew up listening to.
The search ended when he found singer-songwriter and 2008 SDMA nominee for best pop album Joanie Mendenhall.
Over a few drinks at the bar that night, Meeks asked Mendenhall if she’d like to sing the female parts for his duets.
“Actually, I think his words of choice were, ‘Hey, thanks for not singing like you have marshmallows in your mouth, want to try some of these duets?’ It was a funny invitation from a stranger, but I took it as a compliment,” wrote Mendenhall in an email.
Though, for Mendenhall, performing as a duo has taken a while to get used to.
Since that meeting, the two have performed several times together around town and plan to start recording the duets this month at Mendenhall’s recording studio. Their next show is at Evocal in Costa Mesa on February 20.
|
Toward a common focus in psychotherapy research. Documenting the schisms in clinical psychology, the author suggests that clinical scientists lay aside theoretical allegiances and work together by adopting a common focus in psychotherapy research on the determinants of effectiveness. Citing evidence showing that personal and interpersonal factors are primary determinants of effectiveness, the author suggests that humanism, broadly defined, provides the best philosophical and theoretical "home" for psychotherapy. Based on the evidence presented in the article, the author describes the revolutionary changes that must occur in research, training, and practice to bring clinical psychology into alignment with the findings of contemporary science.
|
Estimating CO2 exchange at two sites in Arctic tundra ecosystems during the growing season using a spectral vegetation index Measurements of carbon fluxes in Arctic tundra landscapes are generally obtained through intensive field work and involve the use of chamber and/or micrometeorological tower techniques. However, findings in a variety of nonArctic ecosystems have demonstrated the potential of remote sensing-based techniques (particularly spectral vegetation indices) to provide estimates of CO2 exchange in a more timely and efficient manner. As the firststep towards modelling Arctic regional and circumpolar fluxes of CO2 using remotely sensed data, we investigated the relationships between plot-level fluxes of CO2 and a vegetation spectral reflectance index derived from hand-held radiometric data at two sites. These relationships were evaluated for variations in vegetation cover type and environmental factors using data collected during the short Arctic growing season. Overall, this study demonstrated a relationship between the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and measurements of mean site gross photosynthesis...
|
Microscopic changes in the lymphocyte densities of lymphatic nodes under the action of He-Ne laser radiation An investigation was made of changes in the densities of small, middle-sized, and large lymphocytes when the popliteal lymphatic nodes of white rates were exposed to (lambda) equals 0.63 micrometers He-Ne laser radiation with the energy densities of 0.3, 3, and 30 J cm-2. Initially, different anatomical structures of the left and right popliteal lymphatic nodes had virtually similar lymphocyte densities. After a single exposition of these lymphatic nodes to low-intensity He-Ne laser radiation, lymphocyte densities changed. These changes were dependent on the energy density of laser radiation. It was found that the energy density of 0.3 J cm-2 produced insignificant changes. As the energy density increased, the density of lymphocytes exhibited more pronounced changes. The energy densities of 0.3 and of 3 J cm-2 initiated activation processes in the lymphoid tissue of lymphatic nodes. The energy density of 30 J cm-2 produced notable destructive changes in the tissue of lymphatic nodes. Apart from that, it was found that the contralateral (non-exposed) lymphatic node revealed similar changes in the density of lymphocytes as compared with the exposed lymphatic node. This provided evidence for a systemic reaction of the immune system to He-Ne laser radiation.
|
<reponame>s-onecoin/fabric<filename>membersrvc/ca/aca.go
/*
Copyright IBM Corp. 2016 All Rights Reserved.
Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
You may obtain a copy of the License at
http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
limitations under the License.
*/
package ca
import (
"bytes"
"encoding/asn1"
"errors"
"math/big"
"strings"
"time"
"crypto/ecdsa"
"crypto/x509"
"crypto/x509/pkix"
"database/sql"
"github.com/golang/protobuf/proto"
"github.com/spf13/viper"
"golang.org/x/net/context"
"google.golang.org/grpc"
"github.com/hyperledger/fabric/core/crypto/primitives"
pb "github.com/hyperledger/fabric/membersrvc/protos"
"google/protobuf"
)
var (
//ACAAttribute is the base OID to the attributes extensions.
ACAAttribute = asn1.ObjectIdentifier{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10}
)
// ACA is the attribute certificate authority.
type ACA struct {
*CA
}
// ACAP serves the public GRPC interface of the ACA.
//
type ACAP struct {
aca *ACA
}
// ACAA serves the administrator GRPC interface of the ACA.
//
type ACAA struct {
aca *ACA
}
//IsAttributeOID returns if the oid passed as parameter is or not linked with an attribute
func IsAttributeOID(oid asn1.ObjectIdentifier) bool {
l := len(oid)
if len(ACAAttribute) != l {
return false
}
for i := 0; i < l-1; i++ {
if ACAAttribute[i] != oid[i] {
return false
}
}
return ACAAttribute[l-1] < oid[l-1]
}
func initializeACATables(db *sql.DB) error {
if _, err := db.Exec("CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS Attributes (row INTEGER PRIMARY KEY, id VARCHAR(64), affiliation VARCHAR(64), attributeName VARCHAR(64), validFrom DATETIME, validTo DATETIME, attributeValue BLOB)"); err != nil {
return err
}
return nil
}
//AttributeOwner is the struct that contains the data related with the user who owns the attribute.
type AttributeOwner struct {
id string
affiliation string
}
//AttributePair is an struct that store the relation between an owner (user who owns the attribute), attributeName (name of the attribute), attributeValue (value of the attribute),
//validFrom (time since the attribute is valid) and validTo (time until the attribute will be valid).
type AttributePair struct {
owner *AttributeOwner
attributeName string
attributeValue []byte
validFrom time.Time
validTo time.Time
}
//NewAttributePair creates a new attribute pair associated with <attrOwner>.
func NewAttributePair(attributeVals []string, attrOwner *AttributeOwner) (*AttributePair, error) {
if len(attributeVals) < 6 {
return nil, errors.New("Invalid attribute entry")
}
var attrPair = *new(AttributePair)
if attrOwner != nil {
attrPair.SetOwner(attrOwner)
} else {
attrPair.SetOwner(&AttributeOwner{strings.TrimSpace(attributeVals[0]), strings.TrimSpace(attributeVals[1])})
}
attrPair.SetAttributeName(strings.TrimSpace(attributeVals[2]))
attrPair.SetAttributeValue([]byte(strings.TrimSpace(attributeVals[3])))
//Reading validFrom date
dateStr := strings.TrimSpace(attributeVals[4])
if dateStr != "" {
var t time.Time
var err error
if t, err = time.Parse(time.RFC3339, dateStr); err != nil {
return nil, err
}
attrPair.SetValidFrom(t)
}
//Reading validTo date
dateStr = strings.TrimSpace(attributeVals[5])
if dateStr != "" {
var t time.Time
var err error
if t, err = time.Parse(time.RFC3339, dateStr); err != nil {
return nil, err
}
attrPair.SetValidTo(t)
}
return &attrPair, nil
}
//GetID returns the id of the attributeOwner.
func (attrOwner *AttributeOwner) GetID() string {
return attrOwner.id
}
//GetAffiliation returns the affiliation related with the owner.
func (attrOwner *AttributeOwner) GetAffiliation() string {
return attrOwner.affiliation
}
//GetOwner returns the owner of the attribute pair.
func (attrPair *AttributePair) GetOwner() *AttributeOwner {
return attrPair.owner
}
//SetOwner sets the owner of the attributes.
func (attrPair *AttributePair) SetOwner(owner *AttributeOwner) {
attrPair.owner = owner
}
//GetID returns the id of the attributePair.
func (attrPair *AttributePair) GetID() string {
return attrPair.owner.GetID()
}
//GetAffiliation gets the affilition of the attribute pair.
func (attrPair *AttributePair) GetAffiliation() string {
return attrPair.owner.GetAffiliation()
}
//GetAttributeName gets the attribute name related with the attribute pair.
func (attrPair *AttributePair) GetAttributeName() string {
return attrPair.attributeName
}
//SetAttributeName sets the name related with the attribute pair.
func (attrPair *AttributePair) SetAttributeName(name string) {
attrPair.attributeName = name
}
//GetAttributeValue returns the value of the pair.
func (attrPair *AttributePair) GetAttributeValue() []byte {
return attrPair.attributeValue
}
//SetAttributeValue sets the value of the pair.
func (attrPair *AttributePair) SetAttributeValue(val []byte) {
attrPair.attributeValue = val
}
//IsValidFor returns if the pair is valid for date.
func (attrPair *AttributePair) IsValidFor(date time.Time) bool {
return (attrPair.validFrom.Before(date) || attrPair.validFrom.Equal(date)) && (attrPair.validTo.IsZero() || attrPair.validTo.After(date))
}
//GetValidFrom returns time which is valid from the pair.
func (attrPair *AttributePair) GetValidFrom() time.Time {
return attrPair.validFrom
}
//SetValidFrom returns time which is valid from the pair.
func (attrPair *AttributePair) SetValidFrom(date time.Time) {
attrPair.validFrom = date
}
//GetValidTo returns time which is valid to the pair.
func (attrPair *AttributePair) GetValidTo() time.Time {
return attrPair.validTo
}
//SetValidTo returns time which is valid to the pair.
func (attrPair *AttributePair) SetValidTo(date time.Time) {
attrPair.validTo = date
}
//ToACAAttribute converts the receiver to the protobuf format.
func (attrPair *AttributePair) ToACAAttribute() *pb.ACAAttribute {
var from, to *google_protobuf.Timestamp
if attrPair.validFrom.IsZero() {
from = nil
} else {
from = &google_protobuf.Timestamp{Seconds: attrPair.validFrom.Unix(), Nanos: int32(attrPair.validFrom.UnixNano())}
}
if attrPair.validTo.IsZero() {
to = nil
} else {
to = &google_protobuf.Timestamp{Seconds: attrPair.validTo.Unix(), Nanos: int32(attrPair.validTo.UnixNano())}
}
return &pb.ACAAttribute{attrPair.attributeName, attrPair.attributeValue, from, to}
}
// NewACA sets up a new ACA.
func NewACA() *ACA {
aca := &ACA{NewCA("aca", initializeACATables)}
return aca
}
func (aca *ACA) getECACertificate() (*x509.Certificate, error) {
raw, err := aca.readCACertificate("eca")
if err != nil {
return nil, err
}
return x509.ParseCertificate(raw)
}
func (aca *ACA) getTCACertificate() (*x509.Certificate, error) {
raw, err := aca.readCACertificate("tca")
if err != nil {
return nil, err
}
return x509.ParseCertificate(raw)
}
func (aca *ACA) fetchAttributes(id, affiliation string) ([]*AttributePair, error) {
// TODO this attributes should be readed from the outside world in place of configuration file.
var attributes = make([]*AttributePair, 0)
attrs := viper.GetStringMapString("aca.attributes")
var attrOwner *AttributeOwner
for _, flds := range attrs {
vals := strings.Fields(flds)
if len(vals) >= 1 {
val := ""
for _, eachVal := range vals {
val = val + " " + eachVal
}
attributeVals := strings.Split(val, ";")
if len(attributeVals) >= 6 {
attrPair, err := NewAttributePair(attributeVals, attrOwner)
if err != nil {
return nil, errors.New("Invalid attribute entry " + val + " " + err.Error())
}
if attrPair.GetID() != id || attrPair.GetAffiliation() != affiliation {
continue
}
if attrOwner == nil {
attrOwner = attrPair.GetOwner()
}
attributes = append(attributes, attrPair)
} else {
Error.Printf("Invalid attribute entry '%v'", vals[0])
}
}
}
return attributes, nil
}
func (aca *ACA) populateAttributes(attrs []*AttributePair) error {
tx, dberr := aca.db.Begin()
if dberr != nil {
return dberr
}
for _, attr := range attrs {
if err := aca.populateAttribute(tx, attr); err != nil {
dberr = tx.Rollback()
if dberr != nil {
return dberr
}
return err
}
}
dberr = tx.Commit()
if dberr != nil {
return dberr
}
return nil
}
func (aca *ACA) populateAttribute(tx *sql.Tx, attr *AttributePair) error {
var count int
err := tx.QueryRow("SELECT count(row) AS cant FROM Attributes WHERE id=? AND affiliation =? AND attributeName =?",
attr.GetID(), attr.GetAffiliation(), attr.GetAttributeName()).Scan(&count)
if err != nil {
return err
}
if count > 0 {
_, err = tx.Exec("UPDATE Attributes SET validFrom = ?, validTo = ?, attributeValue = ? WHERE id=? AND affiliation =? AND attributeName =? AND validFrom < ?",
attr.GetValidFrom(), attr.GetValidTo(), attr.GetAttributeValue(), attr.GetID(), attr.GetAffiliation(), attr.GetAttributeName(), attr.GetValidFrom())
if err != nil {
return err
}
} else {
_, err = tx.Exec("INSERT INTO Attributes (validFrom , validTo, attributeValue, id, affiliation, attributeName) VALUES (?,?,?,?,?,?)",
attr.GetValidFrom(), attr.GetValidTo(), attr.GetAttributeValue(), attr.GetID(), attr.GetAffiliation(), attr.GetAttributeName())
if err != nil {
return err
}
}
return nil
}
func (aca *ACA) fetchAndPopulateAttributes(id, affiliation string) error {
var attrs []*AttributePair
attrs, err := aca.fetchAttributes(id, affiliation)
if err != nil {
return err
}
err = aca.populateAttributes(attrs)
if err != nil {
return err
}
return nil
}
func (aca *ACA) verifyAttribute(owner *AttributeOwner, attributeName string, valueHash []byte) (*AttributePair, error) {
var count int
err := aca.db.QueryRow("SELECT count(row) AS cant FROM Attributes WHERE id=? AND affiliation =? AND attributeName =?",
owner.GetID(), owner.GetAffiliation(), attributeName).Scan(&count)
if err != nil {
return nil, err
}
if count == 0 {
return nil, nil
}
var attName string
var attValue []byte
var validFrom, validTo time.Time
err = aca.db.QueryRow("SELECT attributeName, attributeValue, validFrom, validTo AS cant FROM Attributes WHERE id=? AND affiliation =? AND attributeName =?",
owner.GetID(), owner.GetAffiliation(), attributeName).Scan(&attName, &attValue, &validFrom, &validTo)
if err != nil {
return nil, err
}
hashValue := primitives.Hash(attValue)
if bytes.Compare(hashValue, valueHash) != 0 {
return nil, nil
}
return &AttributePair{owner, attName, attValue, validFrom, validTo}, nil
}
// FetchAttributes fetchs the attributes from the outside world and populate them into the database.
func (acap *ACAP) FetchAttributes(ctx context.Context, in *pb.ACAFetchAttrReq) (*pb.ACAFetchAttrResp, error) {
Trace.Println("grpc ACAP:FetchAttributes")
if in.Ts == nil || in.ECert == nil || in.Signature == nil {
return &pb.ACAFetchAttrResp{Status: pb.ACAFetchAttrResp_FAILURE, Msg: "Bad request"}, nil
}
cert, err := acap.aca.getECACertificate()
if err != nil {
return &pb.ACAFetchAttrResp{Status: pb.ACAFetchAttrResp_FAILURE}, errors.New("Error getting ECA certificate.")
}
ecaPub := cert.PublicKey.(*ecdsa.PublicKey)
r, s := big.NewInt(0), big.NewInt(0)
r.UnmarshalText(in.Signature.R)
s.UnmarshalText(in.Signature.S)
in.Signature = nil
hash := primitives.NewHash()
raw, _ := proto.Marshal(in)
hash.Write(raw)
if ecdsa.Verify(ecaPub, hash.Sum(nil), r, s) == false {
return &pb.ACAFetchAttrResp{Status: pb.ACAFetchAttrResp_FAILURE, Msg: "Signature does not verify"}, nil
}
cert, err = x509.ParseCertificate(in.ECert.Cert)
if err != nil {
return &pb.ACAFetchAttrResp{Status: pb.ACAFetchAttrResp_FAILURE}, err
}
var id, affiliation string
id, _, affiliation, err = acap.aca.parseEnrollID(cert.Subject.CommonName)
if err != nil {
return &pb.ACAFetchAttrResp{Status: pb.ACAFetchAttrResp_FAILURE}, err
}
err = acap.aca.fetchAndPopulateAttributes(id, affiliation)
if err != nil {
return &pb.ACAFetchAttrResp{Status: pb.ACAFetchAttrResp_FAILURE}, err
}
return &pb.ACAFetchAttrResp{Status: pb.ACAFetchAttrResp_SUCCESS}, nil
}
func (acap *ACAP) createRequestAttributeResponse(status pb.ACAAttrResp_StatusCode, cert *pb.Cert) *pb.ACAAttrResp {
resp := &pb.ACAAttrResp{status, cert, nil}
rawReq, err := proto.Marshal(resp)
if err != nil {
return &pb.ACAAttrResp{pb.ACAAttrResp_FAILURE, nil, nil}
}
r, s, err := primitives.ECDSASignDirect(acap.aca.priv, rawReq)
if err != nil {
return &pb.ACAAttrResp{pb.ACAAttrResp_FAILURE, nil, nil}
}
R, _ := r.MarshalText()
S, _ := s.MarshalText()
resp.Signature = &pb.Signature{Type: pb.CryptoType_ECDSA, R: R, S: S}
return resp
}
// RequestAttributes lookups the atributes in the database and return a certificate with attributes included in the request and found in the database.
func (acap *ACAP) RequestAttributes(ctx context.Context, in *pb.ACAAttrReq) (*pb.ACAAttrResp, error) {
Trace.Println("grpc ACAP:RequestAttributes")
if in.Ts == nil || in.Id == nil || in.ECert == nil || in.Signature == nil ||
in.Attributes == nil || len(in.Attributes) == 0 {
return acap.createRequestAttributeResponse(pb.ACAAttrResp_BAD_REQUEST, nil), nil
}
attrs := make(map[string]bool)
for _, attrPair := range in.Attributes {
if attrs[attrPair.AttributeName] {
return acap.createRequestAttributeResponse(pb.ACAAttrResp_BAD_REQUEST, nil), nil
}
attrs[attrPair.AttributeName] = true
}
cert, err := acap.aca.getTCACertificate()
if err != nil {
return acap.createRequestAttributeResponse(pb.ACAAttrResp_FAILURE, nil), errors.New("Error getting TCA certificate.")
}
tcaPub := cert.PublicKey.(*ecdsa.PublicKey)
r, s := big.NewInt(0), big.NewInt(0)
r.UnmarshalText(in.Signature.R)
s.UnmarshalText(in.Signature.S)
in.Signature = nil
hash := primitives.NewHash()
raw, _ := proto.Marshal(in)
hash.Write(raw)
if ecdsa.Verify(tcaPub, hash.Sum(nil), r, s) == false {
return acap.createRequestAttributeResponse(pb.ACAAttrResp_FAILURE, nil), errors.New("Signature does not verify")
}
cert, err = x509.ParseCertificate(in.ECert.Cert)
if err != nil {
return acap.createRequestAttributeResponse(pb.ACAAttrResp_FAILURE, nil), err
}
var id, affiliation string
id, _, affiliation, err = acap.aca.parseEnrollID(cert.Subject.CommonName)
if err != nil {
return acap.createRequestAttributeResponse(pb.ACAAttrResp_FAILURE, nil), err
}
//Before continue with the request we perform a refresh of the attributes.
err = acap.aca.fetchAndPopulateAttributes(id, affiliation)
if err != nil {
return acap.createRequestAttributeResponse(pb.ACAAttrResp_FAILURE, nil), err
}
var verifyCounter int
var attributes = make([]AttributePair, 0)
owner := &AttributeOwner{id, affiliation}
for _, attrPair := range in.Attributes {
verifiedPair, _ := acap.aca.verifyAttribute(owner, attrPair.AttributeName, attrPair.AttributeValueHash)
if verifiedPair != nil {
verifyCounter++
attributes = append(attributes, *verifiedPair)
}
}
var extensions = make([]pkix.Extension, 0)
extensions, err = acap.addAttributesToExtensions(&attributes, extensions)
if err != nil {
return acap.createRequestAttributeResponse(pb.ACAAttrResp_FAILURE, nil), err
}
spec := NewDefaultCertificateSpec(id, cert.PublicKey, cert.KeyUsage, extensions...)
raw, err = acap.aca.newCertificateFromSpec(spec)
if err != nil {
return acap.createRequestAttributeResponse(pb.ACAAttrResp_FAILURE, nil), err
}
if verifyCounter == 0 {
return acap.createRequestAttributeResponse(pb.ACAAttrResp_NO_ATTRIBUTES_FOUND, &pb.Cert{raw}), nil
}
count := len(in.Attributes)
if count == verifyCounter {
return acap.createRequestAttributeResponse(pb.ACAAttrResp_FULL_SUCCESSFUL, &pb.Cert{raw}), nil
}
return acap.createRequestAttributeResponse(pb.ACAAttrResp_PARTIAL_SUCCESSFUL, &pb.Cert{raw}), nil
}
func (acap *ACAP) addAttributesToExtensions(attributes *[]AttributePair, extensions []pkix.Extension) ([]pkix.Extension, error) {
count := 11
exts := extensions
for _, a := range *attributes {
//Save the position of the attribute extension on the header.
att := a.ToACAAttribute()
raw, err := proto.Marshal(att)
if err != nil {
continue
}
exts = append(exts, pkix.Extension{Id: asn1.ObjectIdentifier{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, count}, Critical: false, Value: raw})
count++
}
return exts, nil
}
// ReadCACertificate reads the certificate of the ACA.
//
func (acap *ACAP) ReadCACertificate(ctx context.Context, in *pb.Empty) (*pb.Cert, error) {
Trace.Println("grpc ACAP:ReadCACertificate")
return &pb.Cert{acap.aca.raw}, nil
}
func (aca *ACA) startACAP(srv *grpc.Server) {
pb.RegisterACAPServer(srv, &ACAP{aca})
}
// Start starts the ECA.
func (aca *ACA) Start(srv *grpc.Server) {
aca.startACAP(srv)
Info.Println("ACA started.")
}
|
package org.jboss.eap.qe.microprofile.jwt.compatibility;
import static io.restassured.RestAssured.given;
import java.net.URISyntaxException;
import java.net.URL;
import org.jboss.arquillian.container.test.api.Deployment;
import org.jboss.arquillian.container.test.api.RunAsClient;
import org.jboss.arquillian.junit.Arquillian;
import org.jboss.arquillian.test.api.ArquillianResource;
import org.jboss.as.arquillian.api.ServerSetup;
import org.jboss.eap.qe.microprofile.jwt.EnableJwtSubsystemSetupTask;
import org.jboss.eap.qe.microprofile.jwt.auth.tool.JsonWebToken;
import org.jboss.eap.qe.microprofile.jwt.auth.tool.JwtDefaultClaimValues;
import org.jboss.eap.qe.microprofile.jwt.auth.tool.JwtHelper;
import org.jboss.eap.qe.microprofile.jwt.auth.tool.RsaKeyTool;
import org.jboss.eap.qe.microprofile.jwt.testapp.Endpoints;
import org.jboss.eap.qe.microprofile.jwt.testapp.jaxrs.JaxRsTestApplication;
import org.jboss.eap.qe.microprofile.jwt.testapp.jaxrs.SecuredJaxRsEndpoint;
import org.jboss.shrinkwrap.api.ShrinkWrap;
import org.jboss.shrinkwrap.api.spec.WebArchive;
import org.junit.Test;
import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
/**
* Tests verifying that server will reject corrupted JWT. Corrupted in this case means that the construction itself is
* flawed (such as invalid JSON document).
*/
@RunAsClient
@RunWith(Arquillian.class)
@ServerSetup(EnableJwtSubsystemSetupTask.class)
public class CorruptedJwtTest {
@Deployment
public static WebArchive createDeployment() {
return ShrinkWrap.create(WebArchive.class, CorruptedJwtTest.class.getSimpleName() + ".war")
.addClass(SecuredJaxRsEndpoint.class)
.addClass(JaxRsTestApplication.class)
.addAsManifestResource(CorruptedJwtTest.class.getClassLoader().getResource("mp-config-basic-RS256.properties"),
"microprofile-config.properties")
.addAsManifestResource(CorruptedJwtTest.class.getClassLoader().getResource("pki/RS256/key.public.pem"),
"key.public.pem");
}
/**
* @tpTestDetails Supply a corrupted JWT (JSON is missing a closing bracket) to the server.
* @tpPassCrit Corrupted JWT is rejected and user receives 401/Unauthorized.
* @tpSince EAP 7.4.0.CD19
*/
@Test
public void supplyCorruptedJwtToServerTest(@ArquillianResource URL url) throws URISyntaxException {
final URL privateKeyUrl = CorruptedJwtTest.class.getClassLoader().getResource("pki/RS256/key.private.pkcs8.pem");
if (privateKeyUrl == null) {
throw new IllegalStateException("Private key wasn't found in resources!");
}
final RsaKeyTool keyTool = RsaKeyTool.newKeyTool(privateKeyUrl.toURI());
final JsonWebToken corruptedJsonJWT = new JwtHelper(keyTool).generateJwtJsonCorrupted(JwtDefaultClaimValues.SUBJECT);
given().header("Authorization", "Bearer " + corruptedJsonJWT.getRawValue())
.when().get(url.toExternalForm() + Endpoints.SECURED_ENDPOINT)
.then()
.statusCode(401);
}
}
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package com.sproutigy.commons.binary;
import java.io.File;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.io.InputStream;
import java.io.OutputStream;
import java.nio.ByteBuffer;
import java.nio.channels.WritableByteChannel;
import java.nio.charset.Charset;
import java.nio.file.Path;
public class UncheckedBinary extends Binary {
protected Binary decorated;
UncheckedBinary() { }
UncheckedBinary(long length) {
super(length);
}
public UncheckedBinary(Binary decorated) {
if (decorated == null) throw new NullPointerException("binary == null");
this.decorated = decorated;
}
@Override
public boolean isConsumable() {
if (decorated != null) {
return decorated.isConsumable();
}
throw new UnsupportedOperationException();
}
@Override
public boolean isEmpty() {
try {
if (decorated == null) {
return super.isEmpty();
} else {
return decorated.isEmpty();
}
} catch (IOException e) {
throw new RuntimeException(e);
}
}
@Override
public boolean hasLength() {
try {
if (decorated == null) {
return super.hasLength();
} else {
return decorated.hasLength();
}
} catch (IOException e) {
throw new RuntimeException(e);
}
}
@Override
public long length() {
try {
if (decorated == null) {
return super.length();
} else {
return decorated.length();
}
} catch (IOException e) {
throw new RuntimeException(e);
}
}
@Override
public long length(boolean forceCalculate) {
try {
if (decorated == null) {
return super.length(forceCalculate);
} else {
return decorated.length(forceCalculate);
}
} catch (IOException e) {
throw new RuntimeException(e);
}
}
@Override
protected long provideLength() throws IOException {
return super.provideLength();
}
@Override
public byte[] asByteArray() {
try {
if (decorated == null) {
return super.asByteArray();
} else {
return decorated.asByteArray();
}
} catch (IOException e) {
throw new RuntimeException(e);
}
}
@Override
public byte[] asByteArray(boolean modifiable) {
try {
if (decorated != null) {
return decorated.asByteArray(modifiable);
}
throw new UnsupportedOperationException();
} catch (IOException e) {
throw new RuntimeException(e);
}
}
@Override
public InputStream asStream() {
try {
if (decorated != null) {
return decorated.asStream();
}
throw new UnsupportedOperationException();
} catch (IOException e) {
throw new RuntimeException(e);
}
}
@Override
public ByteBuffer asByteBuffer() {
try {
if (decorated == null) {
return super.asByteBuffer();
} else {
return decorated.asByteBuffer();
}
} catch (IOException e) {
throw new RuntimeException(e);
}
}
@Override
public ByteBuffer asByteBuffer(boolean modifiable) {
try {
if (decorated == null) {
return super.asByteBuffer(modifiable);
} else {
return decorated.asByteBuffer(modifiable);
}
} catch (IOException e) {
throw new RuntimeException(e);
}
}
@Override
public String asStringASCII() {
try {
if (decorated == null) {
return super.asStringASCII();
} else {
return decorated.asStringASCII();
}
} catch (IOException e) {
throw new RuntimeException(e);
}
}
@Override
public String asStringUTF8() {
try {
if (decorated == null) {
return super.asStringUTF8();
} else {
return decorated.asStringUTF8();
}
} catch (IOException e) {
throw new RuntimeException(e);
}
}
@Override
public String asString() {
try {
if (decorated == null) {
return super.toString();
} else {
return decorated.asString();
}
} catch (IOException e) {
throw new RuntimeException(e);
}
}
@Override
public String asString(String charsetName) {
try {
if (decorated == null) {
return super.asString(charsetName);
} else {
return decorated.asString(charsetName);
}
} catch (IOException e) {
throw new RuntimeException(e);
}
}
@Override
public String asString(Charset charset) {
try {
if (decorated == null) {
return super.asString(charset);
} else {
return decorated.asString(charset);
}
} catch (IOException e) {
throw new RuntimeException(e);
}
}
@Override
public byte asByte() {
try {
if (decorated == null) {
return super.asByte();
} else {
return decorated.asByte();
}
} catch (IOException e) {
throw new RuntimeException(e);
}
}
@Override
public short asShort() {
try {
if (decorated == null) {
return super.asShort();
} else {
return decorated.asShort();
}
} catch (IOException e) {
throw new RuntimeException(e);
}
}
@Override
public int asInteger() {
try {
if (decorated == null) {
return super.asInteger();
} else {
return decorated.asInteger();
}
} catch (IOException e) {
throw new RuntimeException(e);
}
}
@Override
public long asLong() {
try {
if (decorated == null) {
return super.asLong();
} else {
return decorated.asLong();
}
} catch (IOException e) {
throw new RuntimeException(e);
}
}
@Override
public float asFloat() {
try {
if (decorated == null) {
return super.asFloat();
} else {
return decorated.asFloat();
}
} catch (IOException e) {
throw new RuntimeException(e);
}
}
@Override
public double asDouble() {
try {
if (decorated == null) {
return super.asDouble();
} else {
return decorated.asDouble();
}
} catch (IOException e) {
throw new RuntimeException(e);
}
}
@Override
public char asCharacter() {
try {
if (decorated == null) {
return super.asCharacter();
} else {
return decorated.asCharacter();
}
} catch (IOException e) {
throw new RuntimeException(e);
}
}
@Override
public String toTempFile() {
try {
if (decorated == null) {
return super.toTempFile();
} else {
return decorated.toTempFile();
}
} catch (IOException e) {
throw new RuntimeException(e);
}
}
@Override
public void toFile(String path) throws IOException {
if (decorated == null) {
super.toFile(path);
} else {
decorated.toFile(path);
}
}
@Override
public void toFile(String path, boolean append) throws IOException {
if (decorated == null) {
super.toFile(path, append);
} else {
decorated.toFile(path, append);
}
}
@Override
public void toFile(File file) throws IOException {
if (decorated == null) {
super.toFile(file);
} else {
decorated.toFile(file);
}
}
@Override
public void toFile(File file, boolean append) throws IOException {
if (decorated == null) {
super.toFile(file, append);
} else {
decorated.toFile(file, append);
}
}
@Override
public void toFile(Path path) throws IOException {
if (decorated == null) {
super.toFile(path);
} else {
decorated.toFile(path);
}
}
@Override
public void toFile(Path path, boolean append) throws IOException {
if (decorated == null) {
super.toFile(path, append);
} else {
decorated.toFile(path, append);
}
}
@Override
public void to(OutputStream out) throws IOException {
if (decorated == null) {
super.to(out);
} else {
decorated.to(out);
}
}
@Override
public void to(WritableByteChannel channel) throws IOException {
if (decorated == null) {
super.to(channel);
} else {
decorated.to(channel);
}
}
@Override
public void to(BinaryBuilder binaryBuilder) {
if (decorated == null) {
super.to(binaryBuilder);
} else {
decorated.to(binaryBuilder);
}
}
@Override
public int toByteArray(byte[] target) {
try {
if (decorated == null) {
return super.toByteArray(target);
} else {
return decorated.toByteArray(target);
}
} catch (IOException e) {
throw new RuntimeException(e);
}
}
@Override
public int toByteArray(byte[] target, int targetOffset) {
try {
if (decorated == null) {
return super.toByteArray(target, targetOffset);
} else {
return decorated.toByteArray(target, targetOffset);
}
} catch (IOException e) {
throw new RuntimeException(e);
}
}
@Override
public String asHex() {
try {
if (decorated == null) {
return super.asHex();
} else {
return decorated.asHex();
}
} catch (IOException e) {
throw new RuntimeException(e);
}
}
@Override
public String asBase64() {
try {
if (decorated == null) {
return super.asBase64();
} else {
return decorated.asBase64();
}
} catch (IOException e) {
throw new RuntimeException(e);
}
}
@Override
public String asBase64(BaseEncoding.Dialect dialect) {
try {
if (decorated == null) {
return super.asBase64(dialect);
} else {
return decorated.asBase64(dialect);
}
} catch (IOException e) {
throw new RuntimeException(e);
}
}
@Override
public String asBase64(BaseEncoding.Padding padding) {
try {
if (decorated == null) {
return super.asBase64(padding);
} else {
return decorated.asBase64(padding);
}
} catch (IOException e) {
throw new RuntimeException(e);
}
}
@Override
public String asBase64(BaseEncoding.Dialect dialect, BaseEncoding.Padding padding) {
try {
if (decorated == null) {
return super.asBase64(dialect, padding);
} else {
return decorated.asBase64(dialect, padding);
}
} catch (IOException e) {
throw new RuntimeException(e);
}
}
@Override
public Binary subrange(long offset) {
try {
if (decorated == null) {
return super.subrange(offset);
} else {
return decorated.subrange(offset);
}
} catch (IOException e) {
throw new RuntimeException(e);
}
}
@Override
public UncheckedBinary subrange(long offset, long length) {
try {
if (decorated == null) {
return (UncheckedBinary)super.subrange(offset, length);
} else {
return (UncheckedBinary) decorated.subrange(offset, length);
}
} catch (IOException e) {
throw new RuntimeException(e);
}
}
@Override
public boolean equals(Object other) {
if (decorated == null) {
return super.equals(other);
} else {
return decorated.equals(other);
}
}
@Override
public int hashCode() {
if (decorated == null) {
return super.hashCode();
} else {
return decorated.hashCode();
}
}
@Override
public int compareTo(Binary other) {
if (decorated == null) {
return super.compareTo(other);
} else {
return decorated.compareTo(other);
}
}
@Override
public void close() {
try {
if (decorated == null) {
super.close();
} else {
decorated.close();
}
} catch (IOException e) {
throw new RuntimeException(e);
}
}
@Override
public boolean hasCharset() {
if (decorated == null) {
return super.hasCharset();
} else {
return decorated.hasCharset();
}
}
@Override
public Charset getCharset() {
if (decorated == null) {
return super.getCharset();
} else {
return decorated.getCharset();
}
}
@Override
protected UncheckedBinary setCharset(Charset charset) {
if (decorated == null) {
super.setCharset(charset);
} else {
decorated.setCharset(charset);
}
return this;
}
@Override
public String toString() {
if (decorated == null) {
return super.toString();
} else {
return decorated.toString();
}
}
@Override
protected Binary clone() {
if (decorated == null) {
return super.clone();
} else {
return decorated.clone();
}
}
@Override
protected void finalize() throws Throwable {
if (decorated == null) {
super.finalize();
} else {
decorated = null;
}
}
}
|
Multi-Input Deep Convolutional Neural Network Model for Short-Term Power Prediction of Photovoltaics Along with the increasing prominence of energy and environmental issues, solar energy has received more and more extensive attention from countries around the world, and the installed capacity of photovoltaic power generation, as one of the main forms of solar energy development, has developed rapidly. Solar energy is by far the largest available source of energy on Earth, the use of solar power photovoltaic system has the advantages of flexible installation, simple maintenance, environmentally friendly, etc., by the world's attention, especially the grid-connected photovoltaic power generation system has been rapid development. However, photovoltaic power generation itself is intermittent, affected by irradiance and other meteorological factors very drastically, and its own randomness and uncertainty are very large, and its grid connection affects the stability of the entire power grid. Therefore, the short-term prediction of photovoltaic power generation has important practical significance and guiding meaning. Multi-input deep convolutional neural networks belong to deep learning architectures, which use local connectivity, weight sharing, and subpolling operations, making it possible to reduce the number of weight parameters that need to be trained so that convolutional neural networks can perform well even with a large number of layers. In this paper, we propose a multi-input deep convolutional neural network model for PV short-term power prediction, which provides a short-term accurate prediction of PV power system output power, which is beneficial for the power system dispatching department to coordinate the cooperation between conventional power sources and PV power generation and reasonably adjust the dispatching plan, thus effectively mitigating the adverse effects of PV power system access on the power grid. Therefore, the accurate and reasonable prediction of PV power generation power is of great significance for the safe dispatch of power grid, maintaining the stable operation of power grid, and improving the utilization rate of PV power plants. Introduction Energy is the material basis for human survival and development and is the power source for economic construction and social development. With the rapid development of human society, energy consumption is growing exponentially, and relying on the use of a single energy source must not be able to meet the demand for energy in human society. Stand-alone photovoltaic systems are photovoltaic power generation systems that rely entirely on solar cells, and the output of the photovoltaic array is its only source of energy. e solar photovoltaic principle is now one of the most common technical means of obtaining solar energy resources and shares the responsibility of reducing carbon dioxide emissions and reducing the greenhouse effect with other renewable energy technologies. Due to the many influencing factors related to PV power output, the output characteristics are cyclical, fluctuating, and stochastic, while at the same time, the stability of the power system is definitely threatened by the large grid connection of PV plants. erefore, it is necessary to forecast the PV power generation in order to take corresponding countermeasures. Photovoltaic power generation system is a form of power generation that directly converts solar energy into electrical energy using the photovoltaic cell's photovoltaic conversion principle. e composition mainly includes solar panels, solar controllers, battery banks, and inverters. And once the weather changes during the day, the impact on the PV output power is also great, when there are clouds on a sunny day, the passing of a cloud can lead to significant fluctuations in the PV power output power. at is because the PV power generation system power generation is affected by a variety of factors, its output has obvious periodicity, volatility, and randomness making it an uncontrollable source relative to the power system after grid-connected operation, and when the scale of PV power plants is large will inevitably have an impact on the safe and stable operation of the power grid. PV power prediction is based on numerical weather forecast data or actual measured data and then combined with the geographic coordinates of the PV plant and specific geographical characteristics of the parameterization scheme, to establish a prediction model and algorithm to achieve the prediction of the output power of the PV plant in a certain period of time in the future. e ultra-short-term prediction (<4 h) mainly adopts the mixed methods of statistics and physics. e main principle is to predict the cloud movement according to the satellite cloud images taken by geosynchronous satellites, predict the radiation intensity reaching the ground, and predict the power through the solar radiation intensity and power conversion efficiency model. It is generally used for photovoltaic power generation control, power quality evaluation and R&D, and design of photovoltaic power station components. e short-term prediction (<48 h) is mainly based on NWP (weather forecast information) data. By establishing the mapping relationship between historical input data and historical output power, the predicted value of output power of photovoltaic power stations can be obtained. It is generally used for power balance and economic dispatch of power system, formulation of day ahead generation plan, power market transaction, transient stability assessment, etc. Medium and long-term prediction (>1 week) is mainly used for system maintenance arrangement, power generation prediction, etc. Accurate PV power prediction can not only provide a reliable basis for power grid generation planning, peak and frequency regulation, tide optimization, equipment maintenance, and other scheduling decision-making behaviors. Moreover, it can provide technical support for multienergy complementary and coordinated control of wind, light, water, and fire storage, and is one of the key technologies to provide the ability of the grid to accept intermittent power at scale. Multi-input deep convolutional neural networks have received high attention for their high algorithmic performance when they were proposed, and especially since the rise of deep learning, convolutional neural networks have once again attracted a lot of attention from researchers. Accurate prediction of photovoltaic power output helps the power department to adjust the dispatching plan in a timely manner, coordinate the coordination of traditional power sources and photovoltaic power generation, meet the balance of power supply and demand, and ensure the reliable operation of the power grid. Multi-input deep convolutional neural networks can use different convolutional kernels to extract different feature information of images, and its unique mechanism of local perceptual field and weight sharing can greatly reduce its network parameters and accelerate the training efficiency of the network. e multiinput deep convolutional neural network model can help reduce the rotating backup capacity and operation cost of the power system, improve the economy of grid operation, and thus promote the faster and better development of grid-connected photovoltaic power generation. e innovation points of this paper are given as follows: A multi-input deep convolutional neural network model is used to optimize the BP neural network PV power prediction model, which is of great theoretical and practical significance for alleviating energy and environmental problems, improving the energy consumption structure, improving the performance of distributed power generation systems, and developing the PV power generation industry. e background of PV power generation is introduced from the perspective of environmental energy, relevant policies, and future grid architecture; the concept and significance of PV power prediction are presented. In general, convolutional neural networks are mostly trained with a single supervised training or unsupervised training. In this paper, we propose a multiinput deep convolutional neural network model to address this problem, which can achieve a higher accuracy rate. is paper presents a multi-input deep convolution neural network model for photovoltaic short-term power prediction. e research is divided into four parts. e first part expounds on the necessity of forecasting photovoltaic power generation and the general countermeasure background. In the second part, the short-term power prediction method of photovoltaic power generation based on a multi-input deep convolution neural network is analyzed. e contents of data sets with similar dates are determined, and the short-term prediction steps of photovoltaic power generation are described. e third part analyzes the application of multi-input depth convolution neural network model in power generation prediction. rough gray correlation analysis, the performance of multi-input deep convolution neural network model is analyzed. Finally, the full text is summarized. According to the error analysis and evaluation, this paper can compare different prediction systems and prediction methods, so as to find a more suitable method to improve the prediction accuracy and algorithm efficiency and make better use of the prediction results to serve the actual production. Short-Term Power Forecasting Method of Photovoltaic Power Generation Based on Multi-Input Deep Convolution Neural Network 2.1. Determining Data Set by Similar Days. Photovoltaic power prediction technology is a much-needed in-depth study, and accurate prediction of photovoltaic power generation has a better impact on the optimal scheduling of the power grid and power quality. It can be seen that the selection of similar daily data is very important and is an important topic for our future research. Photovoltaic power generation systems include both stand-alone solar power generation systems and grid-connected solar power generation systems. e similar day has been one of the more commonly used concepts and methods in power load forecasting, wind speed forecasting, and photovoltaic power forecasting. e photovoltaic power generation system component part mainly includes photovoltaic cell array, DC sink box, grid-connected inverter, AC metering distribution box, and AC load as shown in Figure 1. First, daily data with similar weather types, i.e., similar influencing factors, to the day to be measured are selected as the training set of the model. ese daily data are collectively called similar daily data, which are also historical daily data matched with the day to be tested. For an arbitrary signal f(t) or function that satisfies f(t) ∈ L 2 (R) and (t) satisfies the wavelet tolerance condition, the continuous wavelet transform of f(t) is defined as follows: Due to the influence of external environmental and meteorological factors on PV power plants, such as PV array light angle, location, weather type, light intensity, temperature and humidity, wind speed, and cloud cover, PV power generation is prone to large fluctuations. Time-by-time solar radiation observation data constitutes a stochastic time series characteristic, which is highly random but still has deterministic laws. e half-sine model can portray this deterministic law and allocate the total daily radiation in each hour. PVG has three major characteristics: intermittency, periodicity, and randomness, together with inverter grid connection, islanding effect, and other factors, which affect the power quality of the grid and the reliability of the power supply. e large-scale access to large-capacity gridconnected photovoltaic power stations and distributed photovoltaic power sources has brought a series of problems to the planning, operation, and management of the power grid. At the same time, it is difficult to realize the complete scheduling of the power system for photovoltaic power generation. e incorporation of large-scale photovoltaic power stations into the power grid will certainly have an impact on the safe and reliable operation of the power grid. e model is simple, clear, and easy to implement, but the mechanical allocation ignores the stochastic nature of solar radiation. Meteorological and geographical factors affecting hourly solar radiation mainly include latitude: the lower the latitude, the stronger the solar radiation; weather conditions: there are more cloudy days and less solar radiation in Eastern China, Northwest China is deeply inland, with less precipitation, sunny days and more solar radiation; altitude: high altitude, thin air, good atmospheric transparency, and strong solar radiation; and sunshine duration: long sunshine duration and strong solar radiation. By discussing the meteorological and geographical factors affecting the hourby-hour solar radiation, as well as the correlation analysis of the hour-by-hour solar radiation historical data, the input of the neural network-based hour-by-hour solar radiation prediction model was determined. erefore, the prediction model of solar radiation is used to obtain the solar radiation values, after which the I/V electrical characteristics in PV modules are constructed under standard conditions. a is the scale factor, reflecting the frequency information of the signal; b is the translation factor, reflecting the time information of the signal. e signal power spectrum of wavelet transform can be defined as follows: PV cell arrays are the most important part of a PV power generation system because only PV cells can convert sunlight into electricity. Generally, cell arrays can be arranged in two ways: in series and in parallel. Similar samples are selected according to the ranking of the integrated index values and used as input to the PV power prediction model. e principle of similar sample selection is shown in Figure 2. Second, the PV power prediction is performed by statistical method or hybrid method, the core idea is to organize and analyze the data of historical power and historical influencing factors in order to discover the relationship between influencing factors and PV power output. e local Computational Intelligence and Neuroscience 3 spatial correlation between layers is used to connect the neuron node of each adjacent layer only with the upper layer neuron node, that is, close to it, local connection, and a multilayer forward network is built with the function to calculate the output M of the hidden layer: Historical power generation data can be obtained through the data acquisition system of the PV power system. ese data, also known as the time series of power, have a high autocorrelation and already contain the influence of environmental factors such as light angle and location on the power series. In order to be able to meet the application in various weather type conditions, it is necessary to add meteorological weather forecast information to correct the predicted values. A chaotic optimization neural network prediction model was developed by unifying the historical data of hour-by-hour solar radiation based on the maximum sunshine hours of the year. e model is initialized with a filter of size k for the convolution operation, whose width is the same as the word vector dimension. e convolution operation is shown in the following equation: -Sigmoid activation function number. is is used as a basis to obtain the electrical characteristics around the variation of solar radiation intensity and temperature. After that, the short-term power values of the solar power system are obtained in relation to the MPPT conversion efficiency, etc. e controller serves as the data collection and monitoring of the PV system, and the main role of the controller is to monitor the PV system within a normal operating range to ensure that the system is always in the maximum efficiency working range. Finally, using the similar day principle, the daily data with similar weather types, i.e., similar influencing factors, as the training set of the model are selected. Meanwhile, the PV power time series also has a certain periodicity, and the power value varies when it is in different seasons or different weather types, and the influencing factors such as light intensity, temperature, and humidity will cause fluctuations in the power time series. e Swish function is chosen as the activation function of the network model to improve the classification accuracy of the images. Its mathematical expression is given by the following equation: (x), sigmoid activation function number. e prediction results are analyzed for errors, and it is concluded that the chaotic optimization neural network prediction model can accurately reflect the time-by-time solar radiation change pattern. e general controller consists of two parts, the first one is the CPU because the collected and monitored data need to be processed by some analysis in order to enable the staff to better monitor the system operation status; the second part is the AD converter, whose main role is to collect the PV system operation data in real-time with high accuracy requirements. Parameters such as conversion efficiency and array area have been implicitly included in the historical power generation data because in the historical power generation time series of the array, all the power generation time series come from the same power generation system. e data itself contains the system information of the PV array, but variations in solar irradiation intensity and atmospheric temperature must be considered in the selection of input variables. Short-Term Forecasting Steps of Photovoltaic Power Generation. When a PV power generation system is connected to the grid, it is an uncontrollable source relative to the power system. When its proportion in the system is small, these generation characteristics do not have a significant adverse effect on the safe operation of the grid. erefore, there is a need for a method that can simulate the distribution characteristics of prediction errors without any preconditions. e prediction of PV power generation portfolio is shown in Figure 3. First, the formula for calculating the total output power of the PV power system is determined based on the composition characteristics of the PV arrays that make up the PV power system. e radial basis function neural network prediction model is established by taking the extra-atmospheric radiation, atmospheric quality, image brightness, and cloudiness as input factors and the surface radiation as output. To use multi-input deep neural network for PV power prediction, the number of nodes in the three layers of input, implicit, and output layers and the transfer function between the layers need to be determined, and then the prediction model is constructed. It is similar to the traditional neural network model. e input is added to the network and the output is calculated for each input vector and the value of each correlation weight W ji is corrected according to the following equation: e indirect prediction method based on solar radiation intensity is to first use the data of solar radiation to construct a relevant model to predict the intensity of solar radiation. e number of nodes in the input layer mainly depends on the input variables including PV power history data and meteorological data, where the meteorological data are mainly daily light intensity, temperature, relative humidity, wind speed. After that, the physical principle of solar cells and photoelectric conversion efficiency is used as the basis to construct the empirical expression formula of the relationship between solar radiation intensity and photoelectric conversion efficiency as well as MPPT conversion efficiency and other mutual relationships. e conversion function is given as follows: max-e maximum value of the sample. min-Minimum value of sample data. xe value of the current sample point. x -Normalize the calculated value. Secondly, according to the solar radiation prediction model, the instantaneous solar radiation intensity value of the corresponding time interval on the prediction day is predicted as the input information for predicting the maximum theoretical total output power of the PV array or the maximum theoretical output power of the solar cells alone. Learning rate is a key parameter for short-term prediction of PV power generation, representing the step length of each step, which is important for the training of the model and symbolizes the model. It is important for the training of the model and symbolizes the generalization ability of the model, but if the generalization level is too high, the model prediction accuracy will be reduced due to overfitting. In order to make the input data smooth and prevent pseudoregression, preprocessing is performed on the data, most commonly wavelet analysis, empirical modal decomposition, etc. e irradiation intensity affects the output efficiency of the photovoltaic effect from time to time, because the main element in the photovoltaic cell material is silicon, with the light radiation intensity, the electric field can be generated within the silicon material cell, due to the electric field in the external presence of load access, and then generate current and output electric power. When the learning rate exceeds a certain range, the step size is too large, the model training accuracy is not high, or is too small, the running speed is slow, the CPU memory consumption is high and the model complexity becomes high, the generalization ability becomes poor. For a given input, x ∈ R d, Computational Intelligence and Neuroscience max out hidden layer implements the function given by the following equation: Finally, according to whether the maximum theoretical output of the PV array is predicted, or the maximum theoretical output of the solar cells alone, the comprehensive efficiency of the PV array is calculated, and the short-term prediction of the PV power generation system output is based on solar radiation and PV power generation system model is obtained. If the external meteorological conditions, constant temperature and pressure, and irradiance change within a certain interval, it will bring little effect on the open circuit voltage of PV panels, in addition, the relationship between light intensity and PV power output power shows a positive correlation. Due to the diurnal fluctuation of PV power generation, the data collected from PV plants at night has little relationship with the actual PV output, so in order to maintain the consistency of the data, it is necessary to establish a uniform time window range for historical data, which plays an important role in PV power prediction modeling. Meteorological data of different regions and properties are continuously input into the computer, and through a certain prediction model, it is coordinated in terms of power and heat. e initial field, in which the mass field and the light field are basically in balance, is obtained and provided to the prediction model. e four-dimensional assimilation is mainly composed of three parts: one is the prediction model; second is objective analysis; and third is initialization. e function of the model is to extrapolate the previous data to the current analysis time; analysis is to combine the information of model prediction with the current observation data and interpolate it into the grid; and initialization is to filter the high-frequency gravity wave in the analysis field to ensure the stability of calculation. e correction and update of weights and thresholds of multiinput deep convolutional neural network also come from the negative gradient descent method, so once the corresponding nondifference function in the neural network becomes 0, that is, to say, the gradient becomes zero at this point, then the power threshold will not be updated to a better value, i.e., the update will stop. However, as the installed capacity of grid-connected photovoltaic power generation continues to expand, its proportion in the grid increases year by year, and its power generation volatility will cause an impact on the power system, directly affecting the safe and stable operation of the power system. Grey Correlation Analysis. Based on a multi-input deep neural network-based output power prediction model for photovoltaic power generation systems, a method to improve the accuracy of power prediction using gray correlation is proposed in order to reduce the volatility of power generation and the impact of randomness on power systems. Gray correlation analysis measures the degree of correlation between two variables by analyzing the relationship between them to express the degree of influence of one quantity on the other. First, all data are normalized and the absolute value of the difference is calculated for each sample point. Using weight sharing makes neurons sharing the same weights detect the same feature at different locations, and the neurons sharing the same weights are organized into a twodimensional plane to obtain the feature map. e magnitude of PV output power and the trend of PV output power is more or less different for different seasons, day types, and temperatures. To better demonstrate the model's prediction effect for sunny and nonsunny day types, the comparison curves between the prediction results and the real values for sunny and nonsunny day types are shown in Figures 4 and 5. e sample space is then mapped to a high-dimensional or even infinite-dimensional feature space by nonlinear mapping, making it possible to apply the linear learning machine method in the feature space to solve problems such as highly nonlinear classification and regression in the sample space. e nonlinearity test is effective in detecting the presence of nonlinear features in the time series and is employed by using the ADF test in EViews software. e results of the ADF unit root test for the time series of power and each influence factor are shown in Table 1. Next, the maximum and minimum values of the sample points are found and the corresponding correlation coefficients of each are calculated. From the feature extraction point of view, local perceptual fields on the two-dimensional space can extract primary visual features from the two-dimensional images. For example, endpoints, corner points, and edges at specific angles. Subsequent layers can obtain higher-level, more abstract features by combining these primary features. e day type obtained from the meteorological department is only rough information, and when linked with PV output data, it does not necessarily represent the PV output under that weather condition accurately. e PV power curves under 3 typical weather types: sunny, cloudy, and rainy are shown in Figure 6. In a convolutional layer, the parameters in the convolutional kernel are shared, i.e., the values of the parameters in a convolutional kernel remain the same during the convolution of all the image data. e process is that the error of the output signal is finally back-propagated from the hidden layer to the input layer according to the original pathway, and then the obtained error signal of each layer is assigned to all neuron units of each layer. Considering this situation, further filtering of the day types in the historical data series should be done by combining weather forecast data and the average PV output values under different day types in various seasons and subordinates, using the day type Euclidean distance. e process is to perform quantile regression calculation on the obtained prediction series and the corresponding error series after completing the point prediction to obtain the power prediction intervals at different quantile levels at a specific confidence level. 6 Computational Intelligence and Neuroscience Finally, all the correlation coefficients in each column are averaged to obtain the result. e closer the result is to 1, the higher the degree of correlation. e multi-input deep convolutional neural network uses local connections and weight sharing to extract the local features of the input at each position of the input in a convolutional manner, which effectively simulates the simple cells in the primary visual cortex of primates. Each neuron changes the individual network connection weights based on this signal, which finally makes the error signal gradually decrease. Reducing the size of the feature mapping to a constant feature set not only regulates the complexity of the network but also helps to improve generalization by reducing overfitting. If the prediction accuracy is to be improved, the training error can be further reduced by increasing the number of hidden layers of the multi-input depth network. However, the structure of the neural network becomes more complex and the number of modal functions generated is larger, which brings the problem of a large model and long training time if all of them are input to the prediction network. Performance Analysis of Multi-Input Depth Convolution Neural Network Model. A multi-input deep convolutional neural network model generally consists of a convolutional layer, a pooling layer, a fully connected layer, and an output layer. Its learning process is divided into two aspects: i.e., the forward transmission of the working signal and reverse transmission of the error signal. e performance analysis of the multi-input deep convolutional neural network model in power generation prediction has three steps, as shown in the following section: First, the original image is converted into a feature map by convolution operation through a convolution layer, where the activation function adds a nonlinear factor to the feature map. In the wind data features, although the wind speed and wind direction are similar to the power correlation, the wind speed has a more direct impact on the PV panels. at is after the input has been extracted layer by layer to learn higher-level features, only the features obtained in the last stage are fed into the classifier, and the features at that level have the same scale of a perceptual field on the input image. erefore, the data are preprocessed, and all the input features are normalized to remove the magnitudes for consistency analysis. en, the gray correlation analysis is used to filter the features that are more correlated with the actual power output, which reduces the overall computational complexity and improves the accuracy of the model. Since the results of the training process do not match the expected values, the weights and thresholds are revised to keep approaching the expected output values. e distance between a sample and the center of each class is calculated based on the classes that have been classified, and the class with the smallest distance is the class to which the sample belongs. In fact, the magnitude of light intensity directly determines the magnitude of PV power, and light intensity and PV power show a positive correlation. e output curves of power voltage under different light intensities are shown in Figure 7. Second, the pooling layer then pools these feature maps to learn more advanced feature information. e neurons in the same feature map of the pooling layer extract local features at different locations in the previous layer, while for a single neuron, the features extracted are local features at the same locations in several different feature maps in the previous layer. During daytime operation, the higher the wind speed the better the heat dissipation effect on the surface of the PV panel, and the lower the surface temperature of the PV panel, which is favorable to the PV output. So here, by proposing a similar day selection algorithm and a method to determine the training sample for the weather information of the predicted day, the selected similar day, training sample, and predicted day have the same weather type and season type. And the temperature is close, and the training process and the prediction process are more targeted to improve the accuracy of the model in predicting solar radiation intensity under nonsunny weather type conditions. By establishing the mathematical models of direct solar radiation intensity and scattered solar radiation intensity, and using the calculation formula proposed by ASHRAE, the solar radiation energy at any time and in any region can be obtained. In addition, the cloud cover correction coefficient is obtained through the influence of clouds on the solar radiation intensity, which makes it possible to calculate the solar radiation intensity in nonsunny days. Comparing the predetermined accuracy with the errors present in the calculation, the procedure is Computational Intelligence and Neuroscience completed when the result is higher than the predetermined accuracy or the number of learning exceeds the maximum number previously set. In order to take advantage of the decomposition of the deep convolutional neural network model and to reduce or avoid multiple random errors, the frequency sequences obtained from the decomposition of the model are reconstructed using the permutation entropy algorithm. Table 2 shows the decomposition results of power and time series of each influencing factor in the nonsunny day training set. Computational Intelligence and Neuroscience Finally, the final output is passed through a fully connected layer, which in turn classifies the image with a classifier. When a support vector machine is used as the classifier with a supervised training method, the feature extraction phase and the training of the classifier with differentiable weights are allowed first, and then the features obtained in the feature extraction phase are kept constant for each weight, and the features obtained in the feature extraction phase are used to train the support vector machine. To more clearly compare the classification effects of the multi-input deep convolutional neural network model and the CNN model, Figure 8 shows the accuracy variation curves of this paper's model and the CNN model with the number of training steps on the CIFAR-10 dataset. e magnitude of the weights in the network structure does not change in any way during the whole transmission process. If the output signal does not match the desired output signal during transmission, the process of error signal transmission occurs. e sparse features of the image are extracted by mapping the image to a lower dimensional space through multiple convolutional transforms and downsampling. e maximum and minimum temperatures of the predicted day are then queried, and the temperature Euclidean distance is calculated by combining the maximum and minimum temperatures corresponding to each day in history recorded in the day type library under the corresponding seasonal library in the weather forecast. en the samples of the test set are classified and discriminated by selecting appropriate discriminant rules. e method avoids information overlap by studying the internal structure of the correlation matrix of the original variables and replacing multiple correlated variables with a few variables that are independent of each other. And these few independent variables retain the main information of the original variables, which can reduce the input dimension of the model and improve the model training speed. Conclusions is paper studies the short-term power prediction method of photovoltaic power generation, and proposes a multiinput deep convolution neural network model. is method solves the problem that the historical data of photovoltaic power generation after division is discontinuous in the time dimension. Using the daily type and temperature information released by the meteorological bureau, select the most relevant similar day, and then study the short-term prediction steps of photovoltaic power generation. It solves some error problems in the prediction process and improves the accuracy and stability of prediction. Finally, the application of multi-input depth convolution neural network model in power generation prediction is analyzed. And because the previous day is not always used as a similar daily input model, the error is large, so it is practical. It has important theoretical and practical significance for alleviating energy and environmental problems, improving energy consumption structure, improving the performance of distributed generation systems, and developing the photovoltaic power generation industry. At the same time, according to the error analysis and evaluation, different prediction systems and prediction methods can be compared, so as to find a more suitable method to improve the prediction accuracy and algorithm efficiency and make better use of the prediction results to serve the actual production. Data Availability e data used to support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon request. Conflicts of Interest e authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
|
/* save the current set of favorites to the given file.
*/
static void
saveFavs(char *fn)
{
char line[1024];
FILE *fp;
int i;
fp = fopend (fn, NULL, "w");
if (!fp)
return;
fprintf (fp, "<Favorites>\n");
for (i = 0; i < nfavs; i++) {
db_write_line (favs[i].op ? favs[i].op : &favs[i].o, line);
fprintf (fp, " <favorite on='%s'>%s</favorite>\n",
favs[i].on ? "true" : "false", line);
}
fprintf (fp, "</Favorites>\n");
fclose (fp);
}
|
<reponame>MERegistro/meregistro<filename>meregistro/apps/validez_nacional/FSM.py
from models.EstadoSolicitud import EstadoSolicitud
"""
De Pendiente puede pasar a: controlado, retenido.
De controlado puede pasar a: retenido, evaluado, numerado.
De Retenido puede pasar a:controlado, evaluado
De Evaluado puedo pasar a: numerado
"""
class FSMSolicitud:
def __init__(self):
self.estados = {}
self._estadoDesde = {}
for e in EstadoSolicitud.objects.all():
self.estados[e.nombre] = e
self._estadoDesde[EstadoSolicitud.PENDIENTE] = [self.estados[EstadoSolicitud.PENDIENTE], self.estados[EstadoSolicitud.CONTROLADO], self.estados[EstadoSolicitud.RETENIDO],]
self._estadoDesde[EstadoSolicitud.CONTROLADO] = [self.estados[EstadoSolicitud.CONTROLADO], self.estados[EstadoSolicitud.PENDIENTE], self.estados[EstadoSolicitud.RETENIDO], self.estados[EstadoSolicitud.EVALUADO],]
self._estadoDesde[EstadoSolicitud.RETENIDO] = [self.estados[EstadoSolicitud.RETENIDO], self.estados[EstadoSolicitud.PENDIENTE], self.estados[EstadoSolicitud.CONTROLADO], self.estados[EstadoSolicitud.EVALUADO],]
self._estadoDesde[EstadoSolicitud.EVALUADO] = [self.estados[EstadoSolicitud.EVALUADO], self.estados[EstadoSolicitud.PENDIENTE],]
def estadosDesde(self, estado):
return self._estadoDesde[estado.nombre]
|
886Healing Hands and Thrifty Plans! A Prospective, Cost-Effective Trial in Abscess Management Cutaneous abscesses are ubiquitous presentations requiring surgical drainage in most cases. There is a wide variation across the UK in the surgical practice dealing with such common problem. The aim of this study was to reduce the costs incurred in surgical drainage of acute skin and soft tissue abscess. This was a prospective, cost-effective study of the expenses incurred in surgical drainage of acute cutaneous and subcutaneous abscesses treated under the general surgeons' care over one year. A consequential saving of £13,962 was achieved during the study period. Between October 2019 and October 2020, 322 patients with soft tissue abscesses were treated by incision and drainage in general surgery. We calculated a total cost of £55.26 per patient for this routine operation. These expenses were based on basic surgical drapes pack, standard surgical gowns, sterile gloves and obtaining and processing the microbiology specimens. We have designed and implemented a new theatre protocol specifically for this procedure, resulting in a substantial reduction of the costs to £11.90 per patient. The total savings of £13,962 do not include savings caused by abscess drainage under local anaesthesia and does not calculate the savings that occurred due to shorter inpatient stay. These extra savings will be calculated and added later. Considering the increasing financial burden on the NHS, we could make significant savings of nearly 80% of the operative costs of surgical drainage of a cutaneous abscess. We could achieve that by implementing simple modifications in the current surgical pathways without compromising patients' safety.
|
#include <bits/stdc++.h>
#define std std::
#define ll long long
#define precision(n) std fixed << std setprecision(n)
int com(int n, int k){
int i, nn = 1, kk = 1, nk = 1;
for(i = 2; i <= n; i++){
nn *= i;
}
for(i = 2; i <= k; i++){
kk *= i;
}
for(i = 2; i <= n - k; i++){
nk *= i;
}
return nn / std max(kk, nk) / std min(kk, nk);
}
int main(){
std string init, dr;
std cin >> init >> dr;
int i, qm = 0, plus1 = 0, minus1 = 0, plusdr = 0, minusdr = 0, pq, mq, sum1, sum2;
double prob, pro = 0;
for(i = 0; i < dr.size(); i++){
if (dr[i] == '?')
qm++;
else if(dr[i] == '+')
plusdr++;
else
minusdr++;
if(init[i] == '+')
plus1++;
else
minus1++;
}
if(qm == 0){
if(plus1 == plusdr && minus1 == minusdr)
std cout << precision(9) << double(1);
else
std cout << precision(9) << double(0);
}
else{
sum1 = plus1 - minus1;
sum2 = plusdr - minusdr;
prob = pow(2, qm);
pq = qm;
mq = 0;
i = qm;
while(i >= -qm){
double pr = com(qm, pq);
if(i + sum2 == sum1)
pro += pr;
pq--;
mq++;
i -= 2;
}
if(pro == 0)
std cout << precision(9) << double(0);
else
std cout << precision(9) << pro / prob;
}
return 0;
}
|
The incidence of infections in compromised patients at Groote Schuur hospital. An autopsy study. The results of a retrospective autopsy study of 115 adult patients with haematological or lymphoreticular malignancies or who had undergone transplantation procedures, are presented. The overall incidence of infection was 65%, 123 infections being detected in 75 patients. The bulk of the infections involved the gastro-intestinal and respiratory systems, other systems being considerably less frequently affected. Patients who had received allografts and subsequent immunosuppression had the highest incidence of viral inclusions, especially cytomegalovirus. Candida infections were more common than aspergillosis, and severe fungal infections were most frequent in patients with acute leukaemia who had been treated aggressively. The only other mycosis detected was cryptococcosis. Bacterial pneumonia was the most frequent infection over-all (36%). Tuberculosis, pyelonephritis and Pneumocystis pneumonitis were also encountered.
|
//definitely be improved in the future
public synchronized void oneShot() {
knownBundledPluginFileDetails = loadAndNotifyPluginsFrom(bundledPluginDirectory, knownBundledPluginFileDetails, true);
knownExternalPluginFileDetails = loadAndNotifyPluginsFrom(externalPluginDirectory, knownExternalPluginFileDetails, false);
lastRun = System.currentTimeMillis();
}
|
package com.ssp.ding.response;
import lombok.Builder;
import lombok.Getter;
/**
* 授权应用信息
*
* @author: sunshaoping
* @date: Create by in 2:59 下午 2020/6/7
*/
@Getter
@Builder
public class AgentResponse {
/**
* 授权方企业应用id
*/
private final Long agentId;
/**
* 授权方企业应用是否被禁用（0:禁用 1:正常 2:待激活 ）
*/
private final Long close;
/**
* 授权方企业应用详情
*/
private final String description;
/**
* 授权方企业应用头像
*/
private final String logoUrl;
/**
* 授权方企业应用名称
*/
private final String name;
}
|
<gh_stars>0
import unittest
import pandas as pd
from analysis.std.map_data import StdMapData
from analysis.std.score_data import StdScoreData
class TestStdScoreDataFree(unittest.TestCase):
@classmethod
def setUpClass(cls):
map_data = [
pd.DataFrame(
[
[ 100, 0, 0, StdMapData.TYPE_PRESS, StdMapData.TYPE_SLIDER ],
[ 350, 100, 0, StdMapData.TYPE_HOLD, StdMapData.TYPE_SLIDER ],
[ 600, 200, 0, StdMapData.TYPE_HOLD, StdMapData.TYPE_SLIDER ],
[ 750, 300, 0, StdMapData.TYPE_RELEASE, StdMapData.TYPE_SLIDER ],
],
columns=['time', 'x', 'y', 'type', 'object']),
pd.DataFrame(
[
[ 1000, 500, 500, StdMapData.TYPE_PRESS, StdMapData.TYPE_CIRCLE ],
[ 1001, 500, 500, StdMapData.TYPE_RELEASE, StdMapData.TYPE_CIRCLE ],
],
columns=['time', 'x', 'y', 'type', 'object']),
pd.DataFrame(
[
[ 2000, 300, 300, StdMapData.TYPE_PRESS, StdMapData.TYPE_CIRCLE ],
[ 2001, 300, 300, StdMapData.TYPE_RELEASE, StdMapData.TYPE_CIRCLE ],
],
columns=['time', 'x', 'y', 'type', 'object']),
]
cls.map_data = pd.concat(map_data, axis=0, keys=range(len(map_data)), names=[ 'hitobject', 'aimpoint' ])
@classmethod
def tearDown(cls):
pass
def test_slider_start_misaim(self):
settings = StdScoreData.Settings()
# Set hitwindow ranges to what these tests have been written for
settings.pos_hit_range = 300 # ms point of late hit window
settings.neg_hit_range = 300 # ms point of early hit window
settings.pos_hit_miss_range = 450 # ms point of late miss window
settings.neg_hit_miss_range = 450 # ms point of early miss window
settings.pos_rel_range = 500 # ms point of late release window
settings.neg_rel_range = 500 # ms point of early release window
settings.pos_rel_miss_range = 1000 # ms point of late release window
settings.neg_rel_miss_range = 1000 # ms point of early release window
# Time: 0 ms -> 3000 ms
# Location: Blank area (1000, 1000)
# Scoring: Awaiting press at slider start (100 ms @ (0, 0))
for ms in range(0, 3000):
score_data = {}
adv = StdScoreData._StdScoreData__process_free(settings, score_data, self.map_data, ms, 500, 500)
offset = ms - self.map_data.iloc[0]['time']
if offset <= settings.pos_hit_miss_range:
self.assertEqual(adv, StdScoreData._StdScoreData__ADV_NOP, f'Offset: {offset} ms')
self.assertEqual(len(score_data), 0, f'Offset: {offset} ms')
else:
self.assertEqual(adv, StdScoreData._StdScoreData__ADV_NOTE, f'Offset: {offset} ms')
self.assertEqual(score_data[0][6], StdScoreData.TYPE_MISS, f'Offset: {offset} ms')
def test_slider_start_nomisaim(self):
settings = StdScoreData.Settings()
# Set hitwindow ranges to what these tests have been written for
settings.pos_hit_range = 300 # ms point of late hit window
settings.neg_hit_range = 300 # ms point of early hit window
settings.pos_hit_miss_range = 450 # ms point of late miss window
settings.neg_hit_miss_range = 450 # ms point of early miss window
settings.pos_rel_range = 500 # ms point of late release window
settings.neg_rel_range = 500 # ms point of early release window
settings.pos_rel_miss_range = 1000 # ms point of late release window
settings.neg_rel_miss_range = 1000 # ms point of early release window
# Time: 0 ms -> 3000 ms
# Location: At slider start (0, 0)
# Scoring: Awaiting press at slider start (100 ms @ (0, 0))
for ms in range(0, 3000):
score_data = {}
adv = StdScoreData._StdScoreData__process_free(settings, score_data, self.map_data, ms, 0, 0)
offset = ms - self.map_data.iloc[0]['time']
if offset <= settings.pos_hit_miss_range:
self.assertEqual(adv, StdScoreData._StdScoreData__ADV_NOP, f'Offset: {offset} ms')
self.assertEqual(len(score_data), 0, f'Offset: {offset} ms')
else:
self.assertEqual(adv, StdScoreData._StdScoreData__ADV_NOTE, f'Offset: {offset} ms')
self.assertEqual(score_data[0][6], StdScoreData.TYPE_MISS, f'Offset: {offset} ms')
def test_slider_aimpoint_misaim__missaim_release(self):
settings = StdScoreData.Settings()
settings.recoverable_missaim = True
settings.recoverable_release = True
# Set hitwindow ranges to what these tests have been written for
settings.pos_hit_range = 300 # ms point of late hit window
settings.neg_hit_range = 300 # ms point of early hit window
settings.pos_hit_miss_range = 450 # ms point of late miss window
settings.neg_hit_miss_range = 450 # ms point of early miss window
settings.pos_rel_range = 500 # ms point of late release window
settings.neg_rel_range = 500 # ms point of early release window
settings.pos_rel_miss_range = 1000 # ms point of late release window
settings.neg_rel_miss_range = 1000 # ms point of early release window
# Time: 0 ms -> 3000 ms
# Location: Blank area (1000, 1000)
# Scoring: Awaiting hold at slider aimpoint (350 ms @ (100, 0))
for ms in range(0, 3000):
score_data = {}
adv = StdScoreData._StdScoreData__process_free(settings, score_data, self.map_data.iloc[1:], ms, 1000, 1000)
offset = ms - self.map_data.iloc[1]['time']
if offset <= settings.pos_hld_range:
self.assertEqual(adv, StdScoreData._StdScoreData__ADV_NOP, f'Offset: {offset} ms')
self.assertEqual(len(score_data), 0, f'Offset: {offset} ms')
else:
self.assertEqual(adv, StdScoreData._StdScoreData__ADV_NOTE, f'Offset: {offset} ms')
self.assertEqual(score_data[0][6], StdScoreData.TYPE_MISS, f'Offset: {offset} ms')
def test_slider_aimpoint_misaim__missaim_norelease(self):
settings = StdScoreData.Settings()
settings.recoverable_missaim = True
settings.recoverable_release = False
# Set hitwindow ranges to what these tests have been written for
settings.pos_hit_range = 300 # ms point of late hit window
settings.neg_hit_range = 300 # ms point of early hit window
settings.pos_hit_miss_range = 450 # ms point of late miss window
settings.neg_hit_miss_range = 450 # ms point of early miss window
settings.pos_rel_range = 500 # ms point of late release window
settings.neg_rel_range = 500 # ms point of early release window
settings.pos_rel_miss_range = 1000 # ms point of late release window
settings.neg_rel_miss_range = 1000 # ms point of early release window
# Time: 0 ms -> 3000 ms
# Location: Blank area (1000, 1000)
# Scoring: Awaiting hold at slider aimpoint (350 ms @ (100, 0))
for ms in range(0, 3000):
score_data = {}
adv = StdScoreData._StdScoreData__process_free(settings, score_data, self.map_data.iloc[1:], ms, 1000, 1000)
offset = ms - self.map_data.iloc[1]['time']
if offset <= 0:
self.assertEqual(adv, StdScoreData._StdScoreData__ADV_NOP, f'Offset: {offset} ms')
self.assertEqual(len(score_data), 0, f'Offset: {offset} ms')
else:
self.assertEqual(adv, StdScoreData._StdScoreData__ADV_NOTE, f'Offset: {offset} ms')
self.assertEqual(score_data[0][6], StdScoreData.TYPE_MISS, f'Offset: {offset} ms')
def test_slider_aimpoint_misaim__nomissaim_release(self):
settings = StdScoreData.Settings()
settings.recoverable_missaim = False
settings.recoverable_release = True
# Set hitwindow ranges to what these tests have been written for
settings.pos_hit_range = 300 # ms point of late hit window
settings.neg_hit_range = 300 # ms point of early hit window
settings.pos_hit_miss_range = 450 # ms point of late miss window
settings.neg_hit_miss_range = 450 # ms point of early miss window
settings.pos_rel_range = 500 # ms point of late release window
settings.neg_rel_range = 500 # ms point of early release window
settings.pos_rel_miss_range = 1000 # ms point of late release window
settings.neg_rel_miss_range = 1000 # ms point of early release window
# Time: 0 ms -> 3000 ms
# Location: Blank area (1000, 1000)
# Scoring: Awaiting hold at slider aimpoint (350 ms @ (100, 0))
for ms in range(0, 3000):
score_data = {}
adv = StdScoreData._StdScoreData__process_free(settings, score_data, self.map_data.iloc[1:], ms, 1000, 1000)
offset = ms - self.map_data.iloc[1]['time']
if offset <= 0:
self.assertEqual(adv, StdScoreData._StdScoreData__ADV_NOP, f'Offset: {offset} ms')
self.assertEqual(len(score_data), 0, f'Offset: {offset} ms')
else:
self.assertEqual(adv, StdScoreData._StdScoreData__ADV_NOTE, f'Offset: {offset} ms')
self.assertEqual(score_data[0][6], StdScoreData.TYPE_MISS, f'Offset: {offset} ms')
def test_slider_aimpoint_nomisaim__nomissaim_release(self):
settings = StdScoreData.Settings()
settings.recoverable_missaim = False
settings.recoverable_release = True
# Set hitwindow ranges to what these tests have been written for
settings.pos_hit_range = 300 # ms point of late hit window
settings.neg_hit_range = 300 # ms point of early hit window
settings.pos_hit_miss_range = 450 # ms point of late miss window
settings.neg_hit_miss_range = 450 # ms point of early miss window
settings.pos_rel_range = 500 # ms point of late release window
settings.neg_rel_range = 500 # ms point of early release window
settings.pos_rel_miss_range = 1000 # ms point of late release window
settings.neg_rel_miss_range = 1000 # ms point of early release window
# Time: 0 ms -> 3000 ms
# Location: At slider aimpoint (100, 0)
# Scoring: Awaiting hold at slider aimpoint (350 ms @ (100, 0))
for ms in range(0, 3000):
score_data = {}
adv = StdScoreData._StdScoreData__process_free(settings, score_data, self.map_data.iloc[1:], ms, 100, 0)
offset = ms - self.map_data.iloc[1]['time']
if offset <= settings.pos_hld_range:
self.assertEqual(adv, StdScoreData._StdScoreData__ADV_NOP, f'Offset: {offset} ms')
self.assertEqual(len(score_data), 0, f'Offset: {offset} ms')
else:
self.assertEqual(adv, StdScoreData._StdScoreData__ADV_NOTE, f'Offset: {offset} ms')
self.assertEqual(score_data[0][6], StdScoreData.TYPE_MISS, f'Offset: {offset} ms')
def test_slider_aimpoint_nomisaim__nomissaim_norelease(self):
settings = StdScoreData.Settings()
settings.recoverable_missaim = False
settings.recoverable_release = False
# Set hitwindow ranges to what these tests have been written for
settings.pos_hit_range = 300 # ms point of late hit window
settings.neg_hit_range = 300 # ms point of early hit window
settings.pos_hit_miss_range = 450 # ms point of late miss window
settings.neg_hit_miss_range = 450 # ms point of early miss window
settings.pos_rel_range = 500 # ms point of late release window
settings.neg_rel_range = 500 # ms point of early release window
settings.pos_rel_miss_range = 1000 # ms point of late release window
settings.neg_rel_miss_range = 1000 # ms point of early release window
# Time: 0 ms -> 3000 ms
# Location: At slider aimpoint (100, 0)
# Scoring: Awaiting hold at slider aimpoint (350 ms @ (100, 0))
for ms in range(0, 3000):
score_data = {}
adv = StdScoreData._StdScoreData__process_free(settings, score_data, self.map_data.iloc[1:], ms, 100, 0)
offset = ms - self.map_data.iloc[1]['time']
if offset <= 0:
self.assertEqual(adv, StdScoreData._StdScoreData__ADV_NOP, f'Offset: {offset} ms')
self.assertEqual(len(score_data), 0, f'Offset: {offset} ms')
else:
self.assertEqual(adv, StdScoreData._StdScoreData__ADV_NOTE, f'Offset: {offset} ms')
self.assertEqual(score_data[0][6], StdScoreData.TYPE_MISS, f'Offset: {offset} ms')
def test_slider_end_misaim__noreleasewindow(self):
settings = StdScoreData.Settings()
settings.release_window = False
# Set hitwindow ranges to what these tests have been written for
settings.pos_hit_range = 300 # ms point of late hit window
settings.neg_hit_range = 300 # ms point of early hit window
settings.pos_hit_miss_range = 450 # ms point of late miss window
settings.neg_hit_miss_range = 450 # ms point of early miss window
settings.pos_rel_range = 500 # ms point of late release window
settings.neg_rel_range = 500 # ms point of early release window
settings.pos_rel_miss_range = 1000 # ms point of late release window
settings.neg_rel_miss_range = 1000 # ms point of early release window
# Time: 0 ms -> 3000 ms
# Location: Blank area (1000, 1000)
# Scoring: Awaiting release at slider end (750 ms @ (300, 0))
for ms in range(0, 3000):
score_data = {}
adv = StdScoreData._StdScoreData__process_free(settings, score_data, self.map_data.iloc[3:], ms, 1000, 1000)
offset = ms - self.map_data.iloc[3]['time']
self.assertEqual(adv, StdScoreData._StdScoreData__ADV_NOP, f'Offset: {offset} ms')
self.assertEqual(len(score_data), 0, f'Offset: {offset} ms')
def test_slider_end_misaim__releasewindow(self):
settings = StdScoreData.Settings()
settings.release_window = True
# Set hitwindow ranges to what these tests have been written for
settings.pos_hit_range = 300 # ms point of late hit window
settings.neg_hit_range = 300 # ms point of early hit window
settings.pos_hit_miss_range = 450 # ms point of late miss window
settings.neg_hit_miss_range = 450 # ms point of early miss window
settings.pos_rel_range = 500 # ms point of late release window
settings.neg_rel_range = 500 # ms point of early release window
settings.pos_rel_miss_range = 1000 # ms point of late release window
settings.neg_rel_miss_range = 1000 # ms point of early release window
# Time: 0 ms -> 3000 ms
# Location: Blank area (1000, 1000)
# Scoring: Awaiting release at slider end (750 ms @ (300, 0))
for ms in range(0, 3000):
score_data = {}
adv = StdScoreData._StdScoreData__process_free(settings, score_data, self.map_data.iloc[3:], ms, 1000, 1000)
offset = ms - self.map_data.iloc[3]['time']
if offset <= settings.pos_rel_miss_range:
self.assertEqual(adv, StdScoreData._StdScoreData__ADV_NOP, f'Offset: {offset} ms')
self.assertEqual(len(score_data), 0, f'Offset: {offset} ms')
else:
self.assertEqual(adv, StdScoreData._StdScoreData__ADV_NOTE, f'Offset: {offset} ms')
self.assertEqual(score_data[0][6], StdScoreData.TYPE_MISS, f'Offset: {offset} ms')
def test_slider_end_nomisaim__noreleasewindow(self):
settings = StdScoreData.Settings()
settings.release_window = False
# Set hitwindow ranges to what these tests have been written for
settings.pos_hit_range = 300 # ms point of late hit window
settings.neg_hit_range = 300 # ms point of early hit window
settings.pos_hit_miss_range = 450 # ms point of late miss window
settings.neg_hit_miss_range = 450 # ms point of early miss window
settings.pos_rel_range = 500 # ms point of late release window
settings.neg_rel_range = 500 # ms point of early release window
settings.pos_rel_miss_range = 1000 # ms point of late release window
settings.neg_rel_miss_range = 1000 # ms point of early release window
# Time: 0 ms -> 3000 ms
# Location: At slider end (300, 0)
# Scoring: Awaiting release at slider end (750 ms @ (300, 0))
for ms in range(0, 3000):
score_data = {}
adv = StdScoreData._StdScoreData__process_free(settings, score_data, self.map_data.iloc[3:], ms, 300, 0)
offset = ms - self.map_data.iloc[3]['time']
self.assertEqual(adv, StdScoreData._StdScoreData__ADV_NOP, f'Offset: {offset} ms')
self.assertEqual(len(score_data), 0, f'Offset: {offset} ms')
def test_slider_end_nomisaim__releasewindow(self):
settings = StdScoreData.Settings()
settings.release_window = True
# Set hitwindow ranges to what these tests have been written for
settings.pos_hit_range = 300 # ms point of late hit window
settings.neg_hit_range = 300 # ms point of early hit window
settings.pos_hit_miss_range = 450 # ms point of late miss window
settings.neg_hit_miss_range = 450 # ms point of early miss window
settings.pos_rel_range = 500 # ms point of late release window
settings.neg_rel_range = 500 # ms point of early release window
settings.pos_rel_miss_range = 1000 # ms point of late release window
settings.neg_rel_miss_range = 1000 # ms point of early release window
# Time: 0 ms -> 3000 ms
# Location: At slider end (300, 0)
# Scoring: Awaiting release at slider end (750 ms @ (300, 0))
for ms in range(0, 3000):
score_data = {}
adv = StdScoreData._StdScoreData__process_free(settings, score_data, self.map_data.iloc[3:], ms, 300, 0)
offset = ms - self.map_data.iloc[3]['time']
if offset <= settings.pos_rel_miss_range:
self.assertEqual(adv, StdScoreData._StdScoreData__ADV_NOP, f'Offset: {offset} ms')
self.assertEqual(len(score_data), 0, f'Offset: {offset} ms')
else:
self.assertEqual(adv, StdScoreData._StdScoreData__ADV_NOTE, f'Offset: {offset} ms')
self.assertEqual(score_data[0][6], StdScoreData.TYPE_MISS, f'Offset: {offset} ms')
def test_circle_misaim(self):
settings = StdScoreData.Settings()
# Set hitwindow ranges to what these tests have been written for
settings.pos_hit_range = 300 # ms point of late hit window
settings.neg_hit_range = 300 # ms point of early hit window
settings.pos_hit_miss_range = 450 # ms point of late miss window
settings.neg_hit_miss_range = 450 # ms point of early miss window
settings.pos_rel_range = 500 # ms point of late release window
settings.neg_rel_range = 500 # ms point of early release window
settings.pos_rel_miss_range = 1000 # ms point of late release window
settings.neg_rel_miss_range = 1000 # ms point of early release window
# Time: 0 ms -> 3000 ms
# Location: Blank area (1000, 1000)
# Scoring: Awaiting press at 1st hitcircle (1000 ms @ (500, 500))
for ms in range(0, 3000):
score_data = {}
adv = StdScoreData._StdScoreData__process_free(settings, score_data, self.map_data.iloc[4:], ms, 1000, 1000)
offset = ms - self.map_data.iloc[4]['time']
if offset <= settings.pos_hit_miss_range:
self.assertEqual(adv, StdScoreData._StdScoreData__ADV_NOP, f'Offset: {offset} ms')
self.assertEqual(len(score_data), 0, f'Offset: {offset} ms')
else:
self.assertEqual(adv, StdScoreData._StdScoreData__ADV_NOTE, f'Offset: {offset} ms')
self.assertEqual(score_data[0][6], StdScoreData.TYPE_MISS, f'Offset: {offset} ms')
def test_circle_nomisaim(self):
settings = StdScoreData.Settings()
# Set hitwindow ranges to what these tests have been written for
settings.pos_hit_range = 300 # ms point of late hit window
settings.neg_hit_range = 300 # ms point of early hit window
settings.pos_hit_miss_range = 450 # ms point of late miss window
settings.neg_hit_miss_range = 450 # ms point of early miss window
settings.pos_rel_range = 500 # ms point of late release window
settings.neg_rel_range = 500 # ms point of early release window
settings.pos_rel_miss_range = 1000 # ms point of late release window
settings.neg_rel_miss_range = 1000 # ms point of early release window
# Time: 0 ms -> 3000 ms
# Location: At 1st hitcircle (500, 500)
# Scoring: Awaiting press at 1st hitcircle (1000 ms @ (500, 500))
for ms in range(0, 3000):
score_data = {}
adv = StdScoreData._StdScoreData__process_free(settings, score_data, self.map_data.iloc[4:], ms, 500, 500)
offset = ms - self.map_data.iloc[4]['time']
if offset <= settings.pos_hit_miss_range:
self.assertEqual(adv, StdScoreData._StdScoreData__ADV_NOP, f'Offset: {offset} ms')
self.assertEqual(len(score_data), 0, f'Offset: {offset} ms')
else:
self.assertEqual(adv, StdScoreData._StdScoreData__ADV_NOTE, f'Offset: {offset} ms')
self.assertEqual(score_data[0][6], StdScoreData.TYPE_MISS, f'Offset: {offset} ms')
|
George Strait and his wife, Norma, are expecting their first grandchild in February 2012, according to ABC News Radio. Their son, George (“Bubba”) Strait Jr., and his wife, Tamara, were married in December 2010. George Strait and his son have become frequent songwriting partners. Seven of their compositions will be included on George Strait’s upcoming album, Here for a Good Time, due Sept. 6 on MCA Nashville. In addition, 11 of Strait’s hits will be compiled as part of the Icon album series, scheduled for a Sept. 13 release.
|
<filename>cmd/hide_duplicates.go
package cmd
import (
"errors"
"fmt"
log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
"github.com/urfave/cli"
"github.com/vrgl117-games/roms-manager/gamelist"
)
func hideDuplicates(c *cli.Context, gamelistFiles []*gamelist.File) {
for i, leftGamelistFile := range gamelistFiles {
for _, rightGamelistFile := range gamelistFiles[i+1:] {
total := 0
hidden := 0
for j, game := range rightGamelistFile.Games {
if !rightGamelistFile.Games[j].Hidden {
total++
if _, ok := leftGamelistFile.RomNames[game.RomName]; ok {
hideGame(c, rightGamelistFile, j, fmt.Sprintf("already present in %s", leftGamelistFile.ShortPath))
hidden++
} else if _, ok := leftGamelistFile.Names[game.Name]; ok {
hideGame(c, rightGamelistFile, j, fmt.Sprintf("already present in %s", leftGamelistFile.ShortPath))
hidden++
}
}
}
log.WithFields(log.Fields{"path": rightGamelistFile.ShortPath}).Infof("%d games out of %d were marked as hidden", hidden, total)
}
}
}
func NewHideDuplicatesCmd() *cli.Command {
return &cli.Command{
Name: "hide-duplicates",
Usage: "hide duplicates games from a list of gamelist.xml files",
Flags: []cli.Flag{
&cli.StringSliceFlag{
Name: "gamelist",
Usage: "path to the <gamelist.xml> files",
Required: true,
},
&cli.BoolFlag{
Name: "override-favorites",
Usage: "unfavorite hidden games",
},
},
Action: func(c *cli.Context) error {
if c.Bool("debug") {
log.SetLevel(log.DebugLevel)
}
gamelistFiles := []*gamelist.File{}
for _, gamelistPath := range c.StringSlice("gamelist") {
gamelistFile, err := gamelist.New(gamelistPath)
if err != nil {
return fmt.Errorf("unable to open: %s %v", gamelistPath, err)
}
log.WithFields(log.Fields{"games": len(gamelistFile.Games), "path": gamelistFile.ShortPath}).Info("gamelist loaded")
gamelistFiles = append(gamelistFiles, gamelistFile)
}
if len(gamelistFiles) < 2 {
return errors.New("at least 2 gameslist.xml files are required to hide duplicates")
}
hideDuplicates(c, gamelistFiles)
for _, gamelistFile := range gamelistFiles[1:] {
if err := gamelistFile.Save(); err != nil {
return fmt.Errorf("unable to save: %s %v", gamelistFile.Path, err)
}
}
return nil
},
}
}
|
/**
* Only work on the Java URL default protocols http, https, ftp, file, and jar otherwise things
* like javascript:XX will blow up the URL class
*
* @param url
* @return Starts with any recognised protocol
*/
private boolean recognisedProtocol(String url) {
if (!Check.isEmpty(url)) {
if (isNamedAnchor(url)) {
return true;
}
try {
URL u = new URL(url);
return PROTOCOLS.contains(u.getProtocol());
} catch (MalformedURLException dontCare) {
return true;
}
}
return false;
}
|
<gh_stars>0
import logging
import unittest
from opusfilter import tokenization, ConfigurationError
try:
import jieba
except ImportError:
logging.warning("Could not import jieba")
try:
import MeCab
except ImportError:
logging.warning("Could not import MeCab")
class TestTokenization(unittest.TestCase):
def test_unknown(self):
with self.assertRaises(ConfigurationError):
tokenize = tokenization.get_tokenize(('the_best_tokenizer'))
def test_dummy(self):
tokenize = tokenization.get_tokenize(None)
self.assertEqual(tokenize("Hello, world!"), "Hello, world!")
def test_dummy_detok(self):
tokenize = tokenization.get_tokenize(None)
self.assertEqual(tokenize.detokenize("Hello , world !"), "Hello , world !")
def test_moses(self):
tokenize = tokenization.get_tokenize(('moses', 'en'))
self.assertEqual(tokenize("Hello, world!"), "Hello , world !")
def test_moses_fallback(self):
with self.assertLogs() as captured:
tokenize = tokenization.get_tokenize(('moses', 'xx'))
self.assertIn("fall-back to English", captured.records[0].getMessage())
self.assertEqual(tokenize("Hello, world!"), "Hello , world !")
def test_moses_detok(self):
tokenize = tokenization.get_tokenize(('moses', 'en'))
self.assertEqual(tokenize.detokenize("Hello , world !"), "Hello, world!")
def test_moses_options(self):
tokenize = tokenization.get_tokenize(('moses', 'en', {'aggressive_dash_splits': True}))
self.assertEqual(tokenize("Hello, fine-looking world!"), "Hello , fine @-@ looking world !")
@unittest.skipIf('jieba' not in globals(), 'jieba not installed')
def test_jieba(self):
tokenize = tokenization.get_tokenize(('jieba', 'zh'))
text = "同时，祖马革命的一代似乎对领导打破种族隔离制度15年后的南非，还不适应。"
# The expected word segmentation result is not directly given here, because there is no absolute
# standard word segmentation result in Chinese.
# Different versions of the model will output slightly different word segmentation results.
# So just assert the max length of generated tokens is less than a small value (just use 8 here).
token_max_len = max(tokenize(text).split(), key=lambda x: len(x))
self.assertLess(len(token_max_len), 8)
@unittest.skipIf('jieba' not in globals(), 'jieba not installed')
def test_jieba_detok(self):
tokenize = tokenization.get_tokenize(('jieba', 'zh'))
tokens = "同时 ， 祖马 革命 的 一代 似乎 对 领导 打破 种族隔离 制度 15 年 后 的 南非 ， 还 不 适应 。"
reference = "同时，祖马革命的一代似乎对领导打破种族隔离制度15年后的南非，还不适应。"
self.assertEqual(tokenize.detokenize(tokens), reference)
@unittest.skipIf('jieba' not in globals(), 'jieba not installed')
def test_jieba_non_zh(self):
with self.assertLogs() as captured:
tokenize = tokenization.get_tokenize(('jieba', 'en'))
self.assertIn("tokenizer only avaliable for Chinese", captured.records[0].getMessage())
@unittest.skipIf('MeCab' not in globals(), 'MeCab not installed')
def test_mecab(self):
tokenize = tokenization.get_tokenize(('mecab', 'jp'))
text = "これは英語で書く必要はありません。"
self.assertEqual(tokenize(text), "これ は 英語 で 書く 必要 は あり ませ ん 。")
@unittest.skipIf('MeCab' not in globals(), 'MeCab not installed')
def test_mecab_non_jp(self):
with self.assertLogs() as captured:
tokenize = tokenization.get_tokenize(('mecab', 'en'))
self.assertIn("tokenizer is for Japanese", captured.records[0].getMessage())
|
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