NCA INC. AC WRSA (MIX 96.9)/HUNTSVILLE bids farewell to 40-year staffer ALLEN MOORE, who hung up his headphones on FRIDAY (5/1). MOORE graduated from the UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA in 1980 and … more

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Several hundred cars were parked outside a food bank in San Antonio on Good Friday — the food bank fed 10,000 people that day. Such scenes, increasingly common across the nation and evocative...

A 10th wedding anniversary traditionally is celebrated with a gift of aluminum or tin. For Sondy Daggett, her 10th year of marriage to Liz Hoskins was marked with a gift of Champagne and...

Several hundred cars were parked outside a food bank in San Antonio on Good Friday — the food bank fed 10,000 people that day. Such scenes, increasingly common across the nation and evocative of loaves and fish, reflect the cruel facts about the wealthiest nation in the world: 80 percent of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, and 100 percent of Americans were unprepared for the COVID-19 pandemic. People are hungry due to macroeconomic and environmental factors, not because they did something wrong. Although everyone is at risk in this pandemic, the risk is not shared equally across socioeconomic classes. Universal basic health care could resolve this disparity and many of the moral and economic aspects associated with the pandemic.

Increases in the total output of the economy, or the gross domestic product (GDP), disproportionately benefit the wealthy. From 1980 to 2020, the GDP increased by 79 percent. Over that same time, the after-tax income of the top 0.01 percent of earners increased by 420 percent, while the after-tax income of the middle 40 percent of earners increased by only 50 percent, and by a measly 20 percent for the bottom 50 percent of earners. At present, the top 0.1 percent of earners have the same total net worth as the bottom 85 percent. Such income inequality produces poverty, which is much more common in the U.S. than in other developed countries. Currently 43 million Americans, or 12.7 percent of the population, live in poverty.

At the same time, 30 million Americans are uninsured and many more are underinsured with poorly designed insurance plans. The estimated total of uninsured and underinsured Americans exceeds 80 million. In addition, most of the 600,000 homeless people and 11 million immigrants in the U.S. lack health care coverage. Immigrants represent an especially vulnerable population, since many do not speak English and cannot report hazardous or unsafe work conditions. Furthermore, many immigrants avoid care due to fear of deportation even if they entered the country through legal channels.

Most people in poverty and many in the middle class obtain coverage from federal programs. On a national level, Medicaid is effectively a middle-class program and covers those living in poverty, 30 percent of adults and 60 percent of children with disabilities as well as about 67 percent of people in nursing homes. In Iowa, 37 percent of children and 48 percent of nursing home residents use Medicaid. Medicaid also finances up to 20 percent of the care provided in rural hospitals. Medicare, Medicaid and the Children’s Hospital Insurance Program (CHIP) together cover over 40 percent of Americans.

In addition to facilitating care, health care policy must also address the “social determinants of health,” since the conditions in which people live, work, and play dictate up to 80 percent of their health risks and outcomes. This means that health care reform requires programs in all facets of society. Winston Churchill first conceptualized such an idea in the early 20th century as a tool to prevent the expansion of socialism, arguing that inequality could persist indefinitely without social safety nets. Since that time most developed countries have implemented such social programs, but not the US.

All developed countries except the U.S. provide some type of universal basic health care for their residents. Universal basic health care refers to a system that provides all people with certain essential benefits, such as emergency services (including maternity), inpatient hospital and physician care, outpatient services, laboratory and radiology services, treatment of mental illness and substance abuse, preventive health services (including vaccinations), rehabilitation, and medications. Providing access to these benefits, along with primary care, dramatically improves the health of the community without imposing concerns regarding payment. Perhaps not coincidentally, the U.S. reports a lower life expectancy and higher rates of infant mortality, suicide and homicide compared to other developed countries.

Countries such as Canada, Great Britain, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, Australia, and Japan all produce better health care outcomes than the U.S. at a much lower cost. In fact the U.S. spends about twice the percentage of its GDP on health care compared to these countries. With that being said, the Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA), which facilitated a decrease in the rate of the uninsured in the U.S. from 20 percent to 12 percent, also decreased the percentage of the GDP spent on health care from 20.2 percent to 17.9 percent in just 10 years. For this reason, most economists agree that universal basic health care would not cost more than the current system, and many would also argue that the total costs of the health care system cannot be further reduced unless everyone has access to basic care.

Achieving successful universal basic health care requires a serious long-term commitment from the federal government — contributing to Medicaid and financing its expansion are not enough. It requires courage from our elected leaders. The ACA took several important steps toward this goal by guaranteeing coverage for preexisting conditions, banishing lifetime maximums for essential services, and mandating individual coverage for everyone, though Congress repealed this final provision in 2017. At present, the ACA requires refinement and a public option, thereby preserving private and employer-based plans for those who want them.

Without universal basic health care the people living at the margins of society have no assurances that they will have access to basic health care services, especially during times of pandemic. Access to food and medications is less reliable, large families live together in small spaces, and public transportation facilitates frequent exposure to others. Childhood diseases such as asthma, chronic diseases such as diabetes, and diseases related to smoking such as COPD and cancer are all likely to worsen. Quarantine protocols also exacerbate the mental health crisis, further increasing rates of domestic violence, child abuse, substance abuse, depression, and suicide. In the last six weeks over 30 million Americans have applied for unemployment benefits, and as people become unemployed, many will lose health insurance.

Access to basic health care without economic or legal consequences would greatly enhance all aspects of pandemic management and response, from tracing contacts and quarantining carriers to administering tests and reinforcing supply chains. The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected minorities and the impoverished in both mortality and livelihood. Universal basic health care helps these vulnerable populations the most, and by reducing their risk it reduces the risk for everyone. In this way, universal basic health care supports the best interests of all Americans.

Like a living wage, universal basic health care aligns with the Christian tradition of social justice and is a moral and economic imperative for all Americans. Nurses, doctors, and other health care providers often observe a sharp contrast between the haves and have-nots when seeing patients. The homeless, the hungry, the unemployed, the working poor, the uninsured; people without families, patients with no visitors, those who live alone or lack support systems; refugees and immigrants — all of these people deserve the fairness and dignity provided by universal basic health care and programs which improve the social determinants of their health. The ACA moved U.S. toward this goal, but now it requires refinement and a public option. The COVID-19 pandemic highlights the urgency of this imperative by demonstrating how universal basic health care could decrease the risks to those less fortunate, thus significantly decreasing the risks to everyone.

James M. Levett, MD, serves on the board of Linn County Public Health and is a practicing cardiothoracic surgeon with Physicians’ Clinic of Iowa. Pramod Dwivedi, MS, DrPH (c), is the health director of Linn County Public Health.

A 10th wedding anniversary traditionally is celebrated with a gift of aluminum or tin.

For Sondy Daggett, her 10th year of marriage to Liz Hoskins was marked with a gift of Champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries shared through a window.

Employees at Bickford of Marion, the assisted living and memory care center where Hoskins is a resident, surprised the couple with the anniversary gift on May 1. Despite the current coronavirus-related mitigation practices, the staff had created a special moment for the couple, who have been partners for 24 years.

Daggett burst into tears as employees played their wedding song — Billy Joel’s “The Longest Time.”

“It just touched my soul,” Daggett said.

Across the state, moments like this are relegated through windows or over a phone call. As the novel coronavirus pandemic sweeps through the country, long-term care facilities have locked down in an effort to keep residents healthy, which means their families are no longer able to hug their loved ones, or sit with them in their rooms.

For many families, the feelings at such times this time are conflicted. Typical Mother’s Day celebrations have been placed on hold, and recent milestones have been missed by those living in long-term care facilities. Simple visits through windows feel distant.

“Those are the moments you remember and you miss,” said Daggett, recalling memories of visits to Bickford of Marion from Hoskins’s grandchildren and family gatherings during the holidays.

Hoskins, who has dementia, has been a resident at Bickford since August 2019.

“The pandemic has taken this away,” Daggett said.

But beyond this new dynamic with which family members are left to grapple, they also have the constant worry that their loved one could fall ill.

So far, Bickford of Marion has not seen any cases.

“Every time you read about another outbreak — whether it’s close to home or anywhere in the country — it brings home how fortunate we are so far,” said Matt Hoskins, Liz Hoskin’s son. “I can’t imagine the anxiety the residents and staff are having once it breaks through the wall.”

As of Friday, 29 long-term care facilities across the state, which includes skilled nursing facilities and senior living centers, among others — have reported outbreaks of COVID-19 among hundreds of their staff and residents.

As a result, for some Iowans, that fear has become a reality.

Ruth Brackett’s son Jamie Degner, a 38-year-old resident at Harmony House Health Care Center in Waterloo, tested positive for COVID-19 this past week.

Degner, who has severe autism and intellectual disabilities, has been a resident there since he was 15 years old.

More than 60 residents and staff have tested positive for COVID-19 at Harmony House, an intermediate care facility. It’s one of two long-term care facilities in Black Hawk County reporting an outbreak, defined as three or more positive tests among residents.

Degner received his test results on Tuesday. He’s had lower-than-normal oxygen levels, but otherwise has recorded his usual vital signs and has not experienced symptoms.

Brackett said it is “unbelievably difficult to not be able to go be with him through this.”

As with many facilities across the state, Harmony House closed its doors to visitors in early March, when the first cases of COVID-19 began being reported across Iowa and the nation. Brackett said her son’s cognitive abilities make it impossible for him to understand that she is unable to visit because she might make him sick, so the staff instead tell Degner his mom is “at work.”

While she’s optimistic he’ll improve, Brackett worries whether Degner’s virus would take a turn for the worse.

“It’s tough because I have to trust” the staff, Brackett said. “There’s nothing I can do, so I can’t spend a lot of time dwelling on what I might do differently.”

The families that spoke to The Gazette believe the leadership at long-term care facilities are doing what they can to keep its residents safe and healthy.

At Bickford of Marion, officials have taken the unique step of promising public transparency of possible COVID-19 cases in its facility. On the website of every Bickford location is a feature recording the number of residents who have tested positive for COVID-19.

“Whether it’s COVID-19 or not, we want to be transparent with families about their loved ones’ care,” Bickford of Marion Executive Director Jacobi Feckers said. “I don’t know why other nursing homes haven’t taken that step because I haven’t spoken to other facilities, but I’m thankful that’s the route we’ve taken.”

It’s not just families who are placing their trust in management. Ron Moore is an independent living resident at Cottage Grove Place, one of the largest senior living centers in Cedar Rapids that has reported an outbreak of COVID-19 this past week.

According to the latest data from public health officials, five residents and staff there have tested positive.

The outbreak originated in the skilled nursing unit, and officials said they are working to ensure the virus doesn’t spread to the assisted-living and independent-living portions of the facility. They restricted movement between the facilities and conduct frequent temperature checks of staff.

So far, the general feeling among residents at Cottage Grove Place’s independent-living housing is that management has “done a good job” of controlling exposure.

“The feelings of the residents here are positive,” Moore said. “They appreciate what management has done to protect us.”

Still, life looks much differently at Cottage Grove Place. Moore said his schedule typically is packed with weekly book clubs and coffees with friends. Now he and his wife take walks, or try to connect with friends over email.

“I’ve found (residents) are not depressed at this time,” he said. “But in the future, if this goes on for many months? My prediction is yes, depression will be a serious thing.”

Local senior living centers have come up with unique ways to allow visitors to see their loved ones. Gina Hausknecht, a 55-year-old Iowa City resident, was able to see her mother in person for the first time in weeks after her assisted-living home, Oaknoll Retirement Community in Iowa City, created a “drive up” visit option this past weekend.

While Hausknecht sat in the car, she was able to speak with her mother, 93-year-old Ellen Hausknecht, for an hour outside the facility. Before this, it had been emotionally difficult for Hausknecht not to see her mom weekly as she usually does

“It sunk in that I don’t know when I’m going to see my mom again, and that felt really terrible,” Hausknecht previously told The Gazette.

Hausknecht said she hopes to take this year’s Mother’s Day as an opportunity to do something special, particularly given the difficult past few weeks.

“Our family isn’t super-big on these kinds of holidays but we do like to acknowledge them, and this year it feels important to take hold of any opportunity to celebrate,” she said.

Other facilities, including Bickford of Marion, also have eased restrictions on sending food and gifts to residents in time for Mother’s Day. Matt Hoskins, Liz’s Hoskins’ son, said the family’s usual Mother’s Day plans are impossible this year, so they hope to send Liz’s Hoskins artwork from her grandchildren along with other gifts.

Brackett, who will be apart from her son Degner this year, said she hadn’t planned anything for the holiday. She looks forward to her first in-person visit with him after the pandemic, when she will bring his favorite meal from McDonald’s and a new deck of Phase 10 cards.

Despite the feelings of being separated, their wedding anniversary on May 1 likely is something Daggett will cherish, she said. With Daggett acting as Hoskins caregiver since her dementia diagnosis in 2016, their wedding anniversary has been something the couple hasn’t celebrated in a significant way in some time, she said.

But that worry still creeps in the back of her mind. Daggett said she’s trying to remain “as confident as anyone can at this point.”

“I learned a long time ago you can’t worry about what you can’t control,” Daggett said. “But does that mean I still wake up at 2 in the morning worried about it? Of course I do.”

Comments: (319) 398-8469; michaela.ramm@thegazette.com

The first Ampersand web typography conference took place in Brighton last Friday. Ampersand was ace. I’m going to say that again with emphasis: Ampersand was ace! Like the Ready Brek kid from the 80s TV ads I’m glowing with good vibes.

Imagine you’d just met some of the musicians that created the soundtrack to your life. That’s pretty much how I feel.

For a long, long time I’ve gazed across at the typography community with something akin to awe at the work they do. I’ve lurked quietly on the ATypI mailing list, in the Typophile forum, and behind the glass dividing my eyes from the blogs, portfolios, and galleries.

I always had a sneaking suspicion the web and type design communities had much in common: Excellence born from actual client work; techniques and skills refined by practice, not in a lab or classroom; a willingness to share and disseminate, most clearly demonstrated at Typophile and through web designer’s own blogs. The people of both professions have a very diverse set of backgrounds from graphic design all the way through to engineering, to accidentally working in a print shop. We’ve been apprenticed to our work, and Ampersand was a celebration of what we’ve achieved so far and what’s yet to come.

Of course, web design is a new profession. Type design has a history that spans hundreds of years. Nevertheless, both professions are self-actualising. Few courses exist of any real merit. There is no qualifications authority. The work from both arenas succeeds or fails based on whether it works or not.

Ampersand was the first event of its kind. Folks from both communities came together around the mutal fascination, frustration, challenge and opportunity of web type.

Like Brooklyn Beta, the audience was as fantastic as the line up. I met folks like Yves Peters of the FontFeed, Mike Duggan of Microsoft Typography, Jason Smith, Phil Garnham, Fernando Mello, and Emanuela Conidi of Fontsmith, Veronica Burian of TypeTogether, Adam Twardoch of Fontlab and MyFonts, Nick Sherman of of Webtype, Mandy Brown of A Book Apart and Typekit, and many, many others. (Sorry for stopping there, but wow, it would be a huge list.)

Rich Rutter opened the day on behalf of Clearleft and Fontdeck at the Brighton Dome. Rich and I had talked about a web typography conference before. He just went out and did it. Hats off to him, and people like Sophie Barrett at Clearleft who helped make the day run so smoothly.

Others have written comprehensive, insightful summaries of the day and the talks. Much better than I could, sitting there on the day, rapt, taking no notes. What follows are a few snippets my memory threw out when prodded.

Who knew the original letterforms for Comic Sans were inspired by a copy of The Watchmen Vincent Connare had in his office? Or that Vincent, who also designed Trebuchet, considers himself an engineer rather than type designer, and is working at the moment on the Ubuntu fonts with colleagues at Dalton Maag.

Jason Santa Maria declared himself a type nerd, and gave a supremely detailed talk about selecting, setting, and understanding web type. Wonderful stuff.

Jonathan Hoefler talked in rapid, articulate, and precise terms about the work behind upcoming release of pretty-much all of H&FJ’s typefaces as web fonts. (Hooray!) He clearly and wonderfully explained how they took the idea behind their typefaces, and moved them through a design process to produce a final form for a specific purpose. In this case, the web, as a distinct and different environment from print.

I spoke between Jason and Jonathan. Gulp. After staying up until 4am the night before, anxiously working on slides, I was carried along by the privilege and joy of being there, hopefully without too much mumbling or squinting with bleary eyes.

After lunch, David Berlow continued the story of web fonts, taking us on a journey through his own trials and tribulations at Font Bureau when re-producing typefaces for the web crude media. His dry, droll, richly-flavoured delivery was a humorous counterpoint to some controversial asides.

John Daggett of Mozilla, editor of the CSS3 Fonts Module, talked with great empathy for web designers about the amazing typographic advances we’re about to see in browsers.

Tim Brown of Typekit followed. Tim calmly and thoroughly advocated the extension of modular scales to all aspects of a web interface, taking values from the body type and building all elements with those values as the common denominator.

Finally, Mark Boulton wrapped up the day brilliantly, describing the designer’s role as the mitigator of entropy, reversing the natural trend for things to move from order to chaos, and a theme he’s exploring at the moment: designing from the content out.

The tone of the day was fun, thoughtful, articulate, and exacting. All the talks were a mix of anecdotal and observational humour, type nerdery, and most of all an overwhelming commitment to excellence in web typography. It was a journey in itself. Decades of experience from plate and press, screen, and web was being distilled into 45-minute presentations. I loved it.

As always, one of the most enjoyable bits for me was the hallway track. I talked to heaps of people both in the pre- and after-party, and in between the talks on the day itself. I heard stories, ideas, and opinions from print designers, web designers, type designers, font developers, and writers. We talked late into the night. We talked more the next day.

Now the talking has paused for a while, my thoughts are manifold. I can honestly say, I’ve never been so filled with positivity about where we are, and where we’re going. Web typography is here, it works, it’s better all the time, and one day web and type designers everywhere will wonder, perplexed, as they try to imagine what the web was like before.

Here’s to another Ampersand next year! I’m now going to see if Rich needs any encouragement to do it again. I’m guessing not, but if he does, I aim to provide it, vigorously. I hope I see you there!

Furthermore

• Rich Rutter back in May on The Ampersand Story
• Eye Magazine: Web typography comes of age at Brighton’s Ampersand conference
• Anthony Stonehouse: Ampersand 2011
• Laura Kalbag: Notes from Ampersand
• Dave Bushell: Ampersand Conference!

Last but not least, did I mention that Rich Rutter, Mark Boulton, and I are writing a book? We are! More on that another time, but until then, follow @webtypography for intermittent updates.

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In the world of smartwatches, the two big contenders are the Apple Watch and the Fitbit Versa. The Smartwatch Showdown infographic from The Watchstrap is very timely with recent news that Google has just acquired Fitbit.

In the world of wearable gadgets, smartwatches are all the rage at the moment. The smartwatch market is growing by the day, and new and improved devices are constantly being released. This means that picking the right smartwatch can be a real head-scratcher. To help you choose the right device for your needs, we’ve compared two of the hottest smartwatches on the market: the Apple Watch Series 4 and Fitbit Versa!

If you want to find out which of these devices came on top in the end, don’t miss the comprehensive infographic below!

First, this is a great use of infographics in content marketing! The Watchstrap is an online retailer of watch bands, and the infographic is a comparison design without being a sales pitch. It draws in traffic by providing valuable information, which build credibility for their brand.

There are a handful of things I didn’t like about the design itself that could be easily improved to make this a better infographic design:

• Too much text. I realize there isn’t much data to work with, but they need to cut down the text in the infographic. Paragraphs of explanation don’t belong in the infographic, they belong on the landing page. The infographic should be short and draw in readers to the website if they want to learn more.

• The scale is wrong in the Size & Design section of the infographic. The dimensions of the Apple Watch are larger, but the graphic illustration on the page is smaller. The illustrations should be visually correct to scale.

• Eliminate any word wrap when possible. There are a number of list points that have one hanging word wrapping to a second line. This could be avoided by shortening the text or just widening the text box. There’s room in the design without wrapping some of these words.

• The URL in the footer should link to the infographic landing page, not the home page of the company site.

• Copyright or Creative Commons license is completely missing.

• Don’t obscure the source by only listing the home page URL. What’s the link to the research data?

Randall D. Eliason: The government's motion to dismiss the case against former national security adviser Michael Flynn is like nothing I've ever seen. It's a political screed dressed up as legal analysis, promoting the "deep state" conspiracy fantasies of President Trump. It epitomizes the politicization of the Justice Department under Attorney General William P. Barr. It is, in the truest sense of the word, lawless.

Today I’m sitting down with investor, serial entrepreneur and all around good human, Kevin Rose. If you’re a long timer listener, you might remember Kevin was part of 30 Days of Genius. Now the tables are turned and I’m in the hot seat as a guest on his podcast, the Kevin Rose Show. Of course, it’s always fun sitting down with one of my long time homies to unpack some of my favorite topics, including: How to build your creative muscle and why it’s becoming more important Standing out and why you’re uniquely qualified. Forgetting the “shoulds” is a must do to uncork our richest lives and much more… Big shoutout to Kevin for having me on the show … and if you haven’t already, be sure to check out his podcast The Kevin Rose Show anywhere you listen to podcasts. Enjoy! FOLLOW KEVIN: instagram | twitter | website Listen to the Podcast Subscribe   This podcast is brought to you by CreativeLive. CreativeLive is the world’s largest hub for online creative education in photo/video, art/design, music/audio, craft/maker, money/life and the ability to make a living in any of those disciplines. They are high quality, highly curated classes taught by the world’s top […]

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Recently sat down with my man Jordan Harbinger on his podcast The Jordan Harbinger Show. As a radio personality and a podcaster long before it was cool, Jordan is no stranger to the mic. It was a fun conversation and I hope you enjoy! A few of my fav topics: I share my framework for learning from the masters by deconstructing what they do and applying it My creative slumps and how I dug out How mindset matters and unwinding our self-limiting beliefs and much more … Big shoutout to Jordan for having me on the show … and if you haven’t already, be sure to check out his podcast The Jordan Harbinger Show anywhere you listen to podcasts. Enjoy! FOLLOW JORDAN: instagram| facebook | twitter | website Listen to the Podcast Subscribe   This podcast is brought to you by CreativeLive. CreativeLive is the world’s largest hub for online creative education in photo/video, art/design, music/audio, craft/maker, money/life and the ability to make a living in any of those disciplines. They are high quality, highly curated classes taught by the world’s top experts — Pulitzer, Oscar, Grammy Award winners, New York Times best selling authors and the best entrepreneurs of our […]

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This week I’m in the hot seat with one of the leading experts in mindset training. Dr. Michael Gervais is a high performance psychologist working in the trenches of high-stakes environments with some of the best in the world. His clients include world record holders, Olympians, internationally acclaimed artists, MVPs from every major sport and Fortune 100 CEOs. Dr. Gervais is also the co-founder of Compete to Create, an educational platform for mindset training. Today I’m on his podcast Finding Mastery which unpacks & decodes each guest’s journey to mastery through mindset skills and practices. If you’ve been a listener for awhile, you’ll know this is one of my favorite topics and something I wholeheartedly credit to unlocking my best work. In this episode: How I learned to trust my intuition Dr. Gervais aptly calls out two journeys to mastery: one of self, and one of craft. I share my perspective on how mastery of craft is a required step to mastering oneself We’re taught that making mistakes is bad so we should avoid them. What we really should be taught is it’s not about avoiding mistakes, it’s about error recovery. and much more… Enjoy! FOLLOW MICHAEL: instagram | twitter […]

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Motivated by quotient algorithms, such as the well-known $p$-quotient or solvable quotient algorithms, we describe how to compute extensions $ ilde H$ of a finite group $H$ by a direct sum of isomorphic simple $mathbb{Z}_p H$-modules such that $H$ and $ ilde H$ have the same number of generators. Similar to other quotient algorithms, our description will be via a suitable covering group of $H$. Defining this covering group requires a study of the representation module, as introduced by Gasch"utz in 1954. Our investigation involves so-called Fox derivatives (coming from free differential calculus) and, as a by-product, we prove that these can be naturally described via a wreath product construction. An important application of our results is that they can be used to compute, for a given epimorphism $G o H$ and simple $mathbb{Z}_p H$-module $V$, the largest quotient of $G$ that maps onto $H$ with kernel isomorphic to a direct sum of copies of $V$. For this we also provide a description of how to compute second cohomology groups for the (not necessarily solvable) group $H$, assuming a confluent rewriting system for $H$. To represent the corresponding group extensions on the computer, we introduce a new hybrid format that combines this rewriting system with the polycyclic presentation of the module.

Input transformation based defense strategies fall short in defending against strong adversarial attacks. Some successful defenses adopt approaches that either increase the randomness within the applied transformations, or make the defense computationally intensive, making it substantially more challenging for the attacker. However, it limits the applicability of such defenses as a pre-processing step, similar to computationally heavy approaches that use retraining and network modifications to achieve robustness to perturbations. In this work, we propose a defense strategy that applies random image corruptions to the input image alone, constructs a self-correlation based subspace followed by a projection operation to suppress the adversarial perturbation. Due to its simplicity, the proposed defense is computationally efficient as compared to the state-of-the-art, and yet can withstand huge perturbations. Further, we develop proximity relationships between the projection operator of a clean image and of its adversarially perturbed version, via bounds relating geodesic distance on the Grassmannian to matrix Frobenius norms. We empirically show that our strategy is complementary to other weak defenses like JPEG compression and can be seamlessly integrated with them to create a stronger defense. We present extensive experiments on the ImageNet dataset across four different models namely InceptionV3, ResNet50, VGG16 and MobileNet models with perturbation magnitude set to {epsilon} = 16. Unlike state-of-the-art approaches, even without any retraining, the proposed strategy achieves an absolute improvement of ~ 4.5% in defense accuracy on ImageNet.

Image analysis in the field of digital pathology has recently gained increased popularity. The use of high-quality whole slide scanners enables the fast acquisition of large amounts of image data, showing extensive context and microscopic detail at the same time. Simultaneously, novel machine learning algorithms have boosted the performance of image analysis approaches. In this paper, we focus on a particularly powerful class of architectures, called Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs), applied to histological image data. Besides improving performance, GANs also enable application scenarios in this field, which were previously intractable. However, GANs could exhibit a potential for introducing bias. Hereby, we summarize the recent state-of-the-art developments in a generalizing notation, present the main applications of GANs and give an outlook of some chosen promising approaches and their possible future applications. In addition, we identify currently unavailable methods with potential for future applications.

In the era of Internet of Things (IoT), Malware has been proliferating exponentially over the past decade. Traditional anti-virus software are ineffective against modern complex Malware. In order to address this challenge, researchers have proposed Hardware-assisted Malware Detection (HMD) using Hardware Performance Counters (HPCs). The HPCs are used to train a set of Machine learning (ML) classifiers, which in turn, are used to distinguish benign programs from Malware. Recently, adversarial attacks have been designed by introducing perturbations in the HPC traces using an adversarial sample predictor to misclassify a program for specific HPCs. These attacks are designed with the basic assumption that the attacker is aware of the HPCs being used to detect Malware. Since modern processors consist of hundreds of HPCs, restricting to only a few of them for Malware detection aids the attacker. In this paper, we propose a Moving target defense (MTD) for this adversarial attack by designing multiple ML classifiers trained on different sets of HPCs. The MTD randomly selects a classifier; thus, confusing the attacker about the HPCs or the number of classifiers applied. We have developed an analytical model which proves that the probability of an attacker to guess the perfect HPC-classifier combination for MTD is extremely low (in the range of $10^{-1864}$ for a system with 20 HPCs). Our experimental results prove that the proposed defense is able to improve the classification accuracy of HPC traces that have been modified through an adversarial sample generator by up to 31.5%, for a near perfect (99.4%) restoration of the original accuracy.

We perform an effectivization of classical results concerning universal coding and prediction for stationary ergodic processes over an arbitrary finite alphabet. That is, we lift the well-known almost sure statements to statements about Martin-L"of random sequences. Most of this work is quite mechanical but, by the way, we complete a result of Ryabko from 2008 by showing that each universal probability measure in the sense of universal coding induces a universal predictor in the prequential sense. Surprisingly, the effectivization of this implication holds true provided the universal measure does not ascribe too low conditional probabilities to individual symbols. As an example, we show that the Prediction by Partial Matching (PPM) measure satisfies this requirement. In the almost sure setting, the requirement is superfluous.

We study the language universality problem for One-Counter Nets, also known as 1-dimensional Vector Addition Systems with States (1-VASS), parameterized either with an initial counter value, or with an upper bound on the allowed counter value during runs. The language accepted by an OCN (defined by reaching a final control state) is monotone in both parameters. This yields two natural questions: 1) Does there exist an initial counter value that makes the language universal? 2) Does there exist a sufficiently high ceiling so that the bounded language is universal? Despite the fact that unparameterized universality is Ackermann-complete and that these problems seem to reduce to checking basic structural properties of the underlying automaton, we show that in fact both problems are undecidable. We also look into the complexities of the problems for several decidable subclasses, namely for unambiguous, and deterministic systems, and for those over a single-letter alphabet.

In this technical report we give an elementary introduction to Quantum Computing for non-physicists. In this introduction we describe in detail some of the foundational Quantum Algorithms including: the Deutsch-Jozsa Algorithm, Shor's Algorithm, Grocer Search, and Quantum Counting Algorithm and briefly the Harrow-Lloyd Algorithm. Additionally we give an introduction to Solomonoff Induction, a theoretically optimal method for prediction. We then attempt to use Quantum computing to find better algorithms for the approximation of Solomonoff Induction. This is done by using techniques from other Quantum computing algorithms to achieve a speedup in computing the speed prior, which is an approximation of Solomonoff's prior, a key part of Solomonoff Induction. The major limiting factors are that the probabilities being computed are often so small that without a sufficient (often large) amount of trials, the error may be larger than the result. If a substantial speedup in the computation of an approximation of Solomonoff Induction can be achieved through quantum computing, then this can be applied to the field of intelligent agents as a key part of an approximation of the agent AIXI.

What Is Real-Time Conversation Analytics?

In contrast to post-call conversation analytics, which provides insights after the fact, real-time call conversation analytics can point them out at present times.

In this blog, I will walk through the essential steps to build a web app that can analyze call conversations in real-time to assist an agent. Once we’re finished, we’ll have an app which will:

A composition comprising particulate solid (typically a pigment or filler), an organic medium (typically the organic medium may be a plastics material or an organic liquid) and a polyacrylic copolymer.

Each PCIe device may include a media access control (MAC) interface and a physical (PHY) interface that support a plurality of different lane configurations. These interfaces may include hardware modules that support 1×32, 2×16, 4×8, 8×4, 16×2, and 32×1 communication. Instead of physically connecting each of the hardware modules in the MAC interface to respective hardware modules in the PHY interface using dedicated traces, the device may include two bus controllers that arbitrate which hardware modules are connected to a internal bus coupling the two interfaces. When a different lane configuration is desired, the bus controller couples the corresponding hardware module to the internal bus. In this manner, the different lane configurations share the same lanes (and wires) of the bus as the other lane configurations. Accordingly, the shared bus only needs to include enough lanes (and wires) necessary to accommodate the widest lane configuration.

A bridge includes a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express interface supporting at least two lanes, an Extensible Host Controller Interface, and a Universal Serial Bus 3.0 root hub. The Peripheral Component Interconnect Express interface is used for coupling to a host. Each lane of the at least two lanes provides a highest data transmission speed. The Extensible Host Controller Interface is coupled to the Peripheral Component Interconnect Express interface for storing data transmitted by the Peripheral Component Interconnect Express interface. The Universal Serial Bus 3.0 root hub includes a first controller and a second controller. The first controller and the second controller are used for controlling data transmission of four ports, and a highest data transmission speed provided by each port of the four ports is not more than the highest data transmission speed provided by the lane.

The invention relates to polymers that can be obtained by polymerizing the monomers (A), (B), and (D), and optionally (C), where (A) is a monomer of formula (I), wherein A stands for C2 to C4 alkylene, B stands for a C2 to C4 alkylene different from A, R stands for hydrogen or methyl, m stands for a number from 1 to 500, n stands for a number from 1 to 500, (B) is an ethylenically unsaturated monomer that contains at least one carboxylic acid function, (C) is optionally a further ethylenically unsaturated monomer different from (A) and (B), (D) is a monomer of formula (II), wherein D stands for C2 to C4 alkylene, E stands for a C2 to C4 alkylene group different from D, F stands for a C2 to C4 alkylene group different from E, R stands for hydrogen or methyl, o stands for a number from 1 to 500, p stands for a number from 1 to 500, q stands for a number from 1 to 500, and wherein the weight fraction of the monomers is 35 to 99% for the macromonomer (A), 0.5 to 45% for the monomer (B), 0 to 20% for the monomer (C), and 1 to 20% for the monomer (D), and to the use of said polymers as defoamers for inorganic solid suspensions.

Various arrangements for creating and using generic universal resource indicators are presented. To create a generic universal resource indicator, one or more parameters of a universal resource indicator may be identified. An interface that permits a parameter of the one or more parameters to be selected and mapped to a variable may be presented. A selection of the parameter for mapping may be received. An indication of the variable to map to the parameter of the selection may also be received. The generic universal resource indicator having a generic parameter corresponding to the parameter of the selection may be created.

A method of mixing together liquids or liquid/solid combinations, and mixing apparatus/universal combine utilizing a vertical spinning container or vessel having a rib, or a cross rib in its bottom wall. The container is spun about a vertical axis with no wobbling component to the motion. Meshed elements are used for high shear mixing. Start/stop routines, and variable acceleration/speed values are used, to facilitate complete mixing. Use of ‘impeller’ blade stirrers is completely eliminated.

It is known by the inventor that a universal synthetic lubricant additive that can greatly enhance the performance standards of existing lubricants, petroleum based or synthetic, imparts a new and desirable property not originally present in the existing oil or it reinforces a desirable property already possessed in some degree can greatly benefit the consumer. Although additives of many diverse types have been developed to meet special lubrication needs, their principal functions are relatively few in number. This universal synthetic lubricant additive (invention) with micro lubrication technology, when used as directed will reduce the oxidative or thermal degradation of the host oil, substantially reduce the deposition of harmful deposits in lubricated parts, minimize rust and corrosion, control frictional properties, reduce wear, temperature, sludge, varnishes and prevent destructive metal-to-metal contact, reduce fuel consumption and harmful emissions while improving performance through increased horsepower and torque.

A universal linker structure is provided, in which a functional group and activating leaving group are placed on a tether, allowing the placement of an electrophile at the end of any nucleic acid sequence. The electrophile on the tether can react with a second nucleic acid carrying a nucleophile when the two nucleic acids are hybridized near one another, resulting in release of the leaving group, and creation of a functional change. The linker can be designed to destabilize the ligation product without slowing the rate of reaction. This lowers product inhibition, and the target DNA or RNA can become a catalyst for isothermally generating multiple signals for detection. This enhanced signal is demonstrated in solution experiments and in solid supported assays. The universal linkers of the present invention are simple and inexpensive to prepare, and can be appended to any polynucleotide in automated steps on a standard DNA synthesizer.

Structure of a cross universal joint is achieved in which the fact that an excessive torque was applied to a universal joint due to a collision accident or mishandling can be easily determined afterwards. Protrusions 20, which are straight lines as seen from the outside surface sides of linking arm sections 15c of a yoke 12c, are formed on the outside surfaces of the linking arm sections 15c. When an excessive torque acts and the linking arm sections 15c are plastically deformed, the protrusions 20 change from a straight line to a non-straight line. From this change it is possible to easily confirm that an excessive torque has been applied to a cross universal joint that includes this yoke 12c. Moreover, when the space between the inside surfaces of the linking arm sections 15c is taken to be D, and the length in the axial direction of the linking arm sections 15c is taken to be L, the dimensions of the parts of the yoke 12c are regulated so that the relation 3

A fixed type constant velocity universal joint has pairs of track grooves, each pair forming a wedge angle (α). The wedge angle (α) includes a wedge angle (α0) formed, when an operating angle is 0°, with respect to each of torque transmitting balls arranged in a joint center plane, and opening to the same side in an axial direction for all pairs of track grooves. Further, the pairs of track grooves are mirror-image symmetrical with each other when the operating angle is 0°.

Certain embodiments of the present invention provide robotic control modules for use in a robotic control system of a vehicle, including structures, systems and methods, that can provide (i) a robotic control module that has multiple functional circuits, such as a processor and accompanying circuits, an actuator controller, an actuator amplifier, a packet network switch, and a power supply integrated into a mountable and/or stackable package/housing; (ii) a robotic control module with the noted complement of circuits that is configured to reduce heat, reduce space, shield sensitive components from electro-magnetic noise; (iii) a robotic control system utilizing robotic control modules that include the sufficiently interchangeable functionality allowing for interchangeability of modules; and (iv) a robotic control system that distributes the functionality and processing among a plurality of robotic control modules in a vehicle.

A method is presented that enables an electronic device, having embedded wireless data communication capabilities, to be controlled from a remote terminal via a wireless network. The method includes recognizing the device, associating the device with a user, and accessing an application. The application relates to monitoring or control of the device. The application is processed through an application program interface to configure the application for a user terminal. The configured application is then accessible through a network communication for execution by the user terminal. The server or system offering the configured application may also act as a proxy between the user terminal and the electronic device, for wireless monitoring or control of the electronic device while the user terminal executes the application.

The present invention provides a method and system for secured remote provisioning of a universal integrated circuit card of a user equipment. A system includes a user equipment for initiating a request for remote provisioning of an universal integrated circuit card (UICC) in the user equipment, where the request for remote provisioning includes a machine identifier (MID) associated with the user equipment and a public land mobile network (PLMN) identifier (ID) associated with an network operator. The system also includes at least one shared key management server for dynamically generating security keys and an operator shared key using the security keys, the MID. Moreover, the system includes an operator network for generating a subscription key using the operator shared key and an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI), and provisioning the IMSI in a secured manner to the UICC of the user equipment using the security keys.

A connector device enables universal compatibility and interchangeability between any work tool accessory having a boom feature and any skid steer loader as well as controlled support of the work tool accessory. The connector device also prevents machine instability issues.

The invention relates to a universal wireless trainable transceiver unit with integrated bidirectional wireless interface functionality, and a method for same. Using a scan, push button or untrained channel mode, a user may enter into a wireless bidirectional interface mode of a trainable transceiver. The interface mode allows a user to select a sub-set of modes that include diagnostics, flash and vehicle interface. Each mode provides the trainable transceiver to communicate wirelessly in a bidirectional manner with another remote device.

The present disclosure is related to illustrative embodiments of an apparatus and method for maintaining carbonation of sparkling beverages, such as sparkling wines, cocktails, and non-alcoholic beverages such as sodas and coffee. A transparent, shatter-resistant, height-adjustable carbonation enclosure is used to contain an opened bottle of a sparkling beverage. An air-tight carbonation cap with a built-in one-way valve is used to re-carbonate the beverage inside the bottle using a pressurized gas source. The base of the carbonation enclosure includes a platform that may be used to adjust the effective height of the enclosure to fit the height of the bottle and provide an air-tight interface between an opening of the bottle and the carbonation cap. The carbonation enclosure further includes a number of openings to open air to prevent pressurization of the carbonation enclosure. Another illustrative embodiment includes a safety enclosure for multiple bottles pressurized directly by conical nozzles.

A programmable routing scheme provides improved connectivity both between Universal Digital Blocks (UDBs) and between the UDBs and other micro-controller elements, peripherals and external Inputs and Outputs (I/Os) in the same Integrated Circuit (IC). The routing scheme increases the number of functions, flexibility, and the overall routing efficiency for programmable architectures. The UDBs can be grouped in pairs and share associated horizontal routing channels. Bidirectional horizontal and vertical segmentation elements extend routing both horizontally and vertically between different UDB pairs and to the other peripherals and I/O.

Provided herein are methods for making water-soluble nanoparticles comprising a core/shell nanocrystal that is coated with a surface layer comprising enough hydrophilic ligands to render the nanoparticle water soluble or water dispersable. Methods for crosslinking molecules on the surface of a nanoparticle, which methods can be used on the above water-soluble nanoparticles also are provided. Nanoparticle compositions resulting from these methods are also provided.

A circuit (C1-C4) is employed in a TWACS transponder (T) installed in an electric meter (M). The transponder generates inbound signals (IB) transmitted from the location of the electric meter to a central location (R). Firmware (F) within the transponder controls the flow of current for each pulse through the circuit by triggering a semi-conductor device such as a SCR (X1) or TRIAC (X2). The resulting current flow through the inductor for a subsequent pulse, regardless of the pulse's polarity, will be in the opposite direction to that of the previous pulse. The result is to maintain a constant level of magnetization of the inductor core which does not have to be overcome by energy in the subsequent pulse resulting in amplitude of all the pulses imposed on an AC waveform being substantially the same.

A reel backlight structure for a mechanical reel-type game includes an undifferentiated array of LED backlights. The rows of LEDs are closely spaced apart and may extend over an arc that encompasses both three vertical stop positions and four vertical stop positions. The LEDs are mounted on a flexible substrate that may be bent to match the radius of a reel strip and held in the desired radius with mounting attachment points.

An apparatus includes a biquad filter having first and second lossy integrators and multiple input networks. Each lossy integrator includes an amplifier, and each input network is coupled to an input of the amplifier in one of the lossy integrators. Each input network includes multiple resistors and a capacitor arranged in a T-structure. In a single-ended configuration, each input network includes a grounded capacitor. In a fully-differential configuration, each input network includes one of: a grounded capacitor and a floating capacitor coupled to another input network. The amplifiers and resistors could form a portion of an integrated circuit chip, which also includes multiple input/output pins. A single grounded capacitor could be coupled to a single input/output pin of the integrated circuit chip for an input network. A single floating capacitor could be coupled to two input/output pins of the integrated circuit chip for a pair of input networks.

An apparatus to improve traction conditions for motor vehicles under winter time driving conditions is disclosed. The invention comprises a sand storage reservoir and delivery system that supplies sand to each tire of a motor vehicle to aid in traction when driving in icy or snowy conditions found in wintertime driving. The sand reservoir provides sand to a plenum through four distinct sand compartments which dispense individual slugs of sand to a series of discs, connected via a cable, which move the sand through a delivery pipe to any of the four motor vehicle tires, as selected by application levers on the sand reservoir. The reservoir and associated controls are located inside the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle with the delivery tubes located on the undercarriage of the motor vehicle.

Methods and apparatus are described to drill and complete wellbores. Such wellbores include extended reach horizontal wellbores, for example in shales, deep subsea extended reach wellbores, and multilateral wellbores. Specifically, the invention provides simple threaded subassemblies that are added to existing threaded tubular drilling and completion equipment which are used to dramatically increase the lateral reach using that existing on-site equipment. These subassemblies extract power from downward flowing clean mud, or other fluids, in an annulus to provide additional force or torque on tubular elements within the wellbore, while maintaining circulation, to extend the lateral reach of the drilling equipment and completion equipment. These added elements include combinations of The Leaky Seal™, a Cross-Over, The Force Sub™ and The Torque Sub™. The use of such additional simple elements allow lighter drilling equipment to be used to reach a given lateral distance, therefore reducing drilling costs.

The device (100) is destined to receive flanked continuous strips (1, 2) from an arrival line (L), and feed them towards a transversal cutting station (SR). The device (100) comprises: a basin (3), associated to a terminal part of the arrival line (L), destined to enable formation, in each of the strips (1, 2) of a free loop (A1, A2) in a downwards direction; deviator organs (4), at a 45° angle, provided downstream of the basin (3), destined to guide the strips (1, 2) such as to orientate them perpendicularly to the arrival direction, horizontally centered and correctly staggered in height such as to enter the transversal cutting station (SR).

An accessory for coupling to an attachment mechanism of an oscillating power tool includes a working end, an opposite rear end, and a fitment portion adjacent the rear end portion. The fitment portion includes a generally U-shaped opening having a central portion and a rearward portion open to the rear end, and configured to receive a post of a tool clamping mechanism. The fitment portion further includes a first plurality of openings in communication with and extending radially outward from the central portion, a second plurality of openings not in communication with and positioned radially outward from the central portion. The central portion, the first plurality of openings, and the second plurality of openings are configured to couple the fitment portion to a plurality of different configurations of attachment mechanisms for oscillating power tools.