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Modulation transfer function and critical flicker frequency in high-myopia patients.
Critical flicker frequency (CFF) decreases due to optic nerve and retinal damage in patients with optic neuritis or glaucoma. Because retinal degeneration is also found in high myopia, we investigated whether the modulation transfer function (MTF) and CFF are altered in patients with high myopia. Forty-six patients with high myopia (< -8 diopters, D) were recruited from our outpatient department. The control group comprised 21 young volunteers with myopia of 0 to -2 D. The myopic and control groups were similar in terms of age and sex. At all frequencies tested, the myopic group had lower CFF and higher modulation values than the control group. The mean CFF was significantly lower in myopic patients (46.8 +/- 9.0 Hz) than in control subjects (52.5 +/- 4.4 Hz). Patients with extremely high myopia (< -10 D) had significantly greater modulation values at 5, 10, 15, 55 and 60 Hz than those with moderately high myopia (-8 D to -10 D). The CFF did not differ significantly between those with extremely high (46.3 +/- 8.8 Hz) and those with moderately high (49.0 +/- 6.9 Hz) myopia. The findings of this study support that the CFF decreases and MTF increases in patients with high myopia, and that the alternation of MTF is related to the degree of myopia. CFF and MTF may, therefore, have potential as indexes to evaluate the severity of retinal degeneration in patients with high myopia. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | PubMed Abstracts |
How to Treat Hot Spots on Dogs
What are Hot Spots
Hot spots are skin irritations and can take on various forms. They may appear to bald spots at first and can then worsen to open sores that are painful. Hot spots can spread very fast so be sure to treat them as soon as you suspect your dog has them. One last note: if you notice tiny mites on your dog’s skin or hair follicles then your do has mange not hot spots. The good news is that mange is also treatable.
Hot spots are actually a form of dermatitis called acute moist dermatitis and are a bacterial skin infection. At first you may notice your dog scratching a localized area on his body. You may notice balding or a small red area that looks like a bite. This is the beginnings of a dog hot spot.
what does a hot spot look like
How do dogs get hot spots?
Hot spots can form many ways. Many times your dog is licking or scratching himself because of a some issue causing a bacterial infection leading to hot spots. Some of the common cause that will cause a dog to scratch include:
Skin allergies caused by a weak immune system. This is very common in many breeds of dog and
treated with digestive enzymes to rebuild your dog’s immune system.
Flea or tick bites
Infections on the skin
Anal sac discharge
Dirty or matted coat
Stress or loneliness
As you can see many of these causes tat can be cured with an effective dog hot spot treatment option. Others such as stress require more interaction and exercise for your dog or you will continue to notice skin problems. If left untreated it will worsen to an open sore and spread quickly so it is best to find a dog hot spot treatment once you notice a problem on your dog.
Symptoms of Hot Spots on Dogs
As mentioned earlier skin problems on dogs can be many things and how to treat hot spots on dogs can be confusing without understanding what the cause is. It is best to make a visit to your veterinarian to determine the exact issue. Some things you can look for as an owner are localized red spots that grow fairly quickly. Hair loss and open sore may also develop.
Breeds with thicker coats and prone to shedding are more susceptible to hot spots. Also, outside dogs or dog’s that swim often are also more prone.
How to Dog Treat Hot Spots
Treating hot spots is often a to step process:
Step 1:
You want to clean the infected area well. This may require removing matted hair or dried dead skin. Use an mild antispectic solution to gently clean the isolated area. Chlorhexidine and Neosporin are good choices. Do not use hydrogen peroxide as it is a bit too strong and can cause other skin damage. Once the localized area is clean you’ll want to a dog shampoo meant as a dog hot spot treatment shampoo to kill bacteria that may have spread to other parts of your dog. This step is particularly important as bacterial infections spread quickly on dogs. RenuPlex Medicated Dog Shampoo is our all natural shampoo that is very effective at treating hot spots.
Step 2: The 2nd step is to treat the root cause of the skin problem. If it is not stress or loneliness we suggest introducing a Digestive Enzyme into your dogs diet to help improve their immune system. When a dog has a weak immune system the first place it shows is on their skin. Our Dog Digestive Enzyme SkinPlex PLUS is a great supplement that has been available for over 15-years and used may many per owners successfully.
We hope this information is useful on how to treat hot spots on dogs. Please send us a note with any questions you may have.
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At Evolution Pets, we make natural dog remedies to keep your four-legged friend feeling great inside and out. Our proven products have earned the trust of thousands of veterinarians, dog groomers, and pet owners – all backed by our no-fuss satisfaction guarantee. Together, we can make your dog’s skin or health condition a thing of the past. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
Influence of various immunosuppressive agents on the occurrence of endogenous bacteraemia in mice.
The influence of six immunosuppressive agents on the occurrence of endogenous bacteraemia in mice was evaluated. The mortality rates in conventional ddY mice given cyclophosphamide (CY), fluorouracil (5-FU), methotrexate (MTX), cisplatin (CDDP) or FK-506 intraperitoneally, or dexamethasone (DXM) subcutaneously were 70, 100, 100, 100, 0 and 0%, respectively. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was isolated from 70% of mice treated with CY but from only 10% of mice treated with 5-FU and 30% treated with MTX. Enterobacteria were isolated from 90% of mice treated with 5-FU. Specific-pathogen-free (SPF) mice fed P. aeruginosa were also treated with these agents. All mice in the CY, 5-FU, MTX and CDDP groups died whereas mice treated with DXM and FK-506 showed 20% and 0% mortality, respectively. Pure cultures of P. aeruginosa were obtained from all of the mice treated with CY. Polymicrobial bacteraemia with P. aeruginosa and enterobacteria occurred in 5, 25, 5 and 5% of mice treated with 5-FU, MTX, CDDP and DXM, respectively. Enterobacterial bacteraemia was observed in 70% of mice treated with CDDP and in 5% of the DXM group. Different types of bacteraemia were induced by different immunosuppressive agents. The mechanism of immunosuppression may affect the frequency of bacteraemia and the causative organism. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | PubMed Abstracts |
Adnan Rasool
Adnan Rasool (born 1 May 1981) is a Pakistani Domestic cricketer. He played domestic cricket for various teams including Lahore Lions, Faisalabad, NBP, SNGPL and Lahore Eagles.
References
External links
Category:1981 births
Category:Living people
Category:Cricketers from Faisalabad
Category:Lahore Qalandars cricketers
Category:Lahore Lions cricketers
Category:Lahore Eagles cricketers
Category:Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited cricketers
Category:National Bank of Pakistan cricketers
Category:Pakistani cricketers | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Wikipedia (en) |
The role of hypothalamic peptide gene expression in alcohol self-administration behavior.
Self-administration of ethanol and food share many common features and Richter hypothesized that an increase in ethanol consumption would decrease feeding to balance the excess calories contained in the ethanol. Previously, we have shown that individual alcohol consumption correlates with neurotransmitter gene expression, especially in the prefrontal cortex. To test the hypothesis of Richter, we measured hypothalamic gene expression of receptors or neuropeptides of known relevance for the regulation of food intake using qPCR and correlated this to individual ethanol consumption in Wistar rats. For validation, gene expression was first correlated with body weight. We found a correlation of dynorphin, somatostatin, melanocortin-4 receptor and serotonin 5-HT(2C) with body weight and trends to correlation for CART, thus confirming the established role of the hypothalamus in the regulation of weight. For ethanol consumption, correlations were found for CRH receptors 1 and 2 and vasopressin while strong trends were observed for galanin receptor 1, orexin receptor 1, MCH and adrenoceptor alpha(1B). Therefore, alcohol consumption does seem to involve several hypothalamic systems which also mediate feeding responses and suggests that the hypothalamus, together with the prefrontal cortex, may determine the 'stopping point' of an individual. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | PubMed Abstracts |
Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman and Margot Robbie aim for Oscars in the retelling of how Roger Ailes was brought down
The trailer for Bombshell has revealed our first official look at Charlize Theron as Megyn Kelly and Nicole Kidman as Gretchen Carlson.
The Loudest Voice review – Russell Crowe flounders as Roger Ailes Read more
The Oscar-tipped drama will tell the story of how Fox News boss Roger Ailes was brought down by accusations of sexual harassment. The Oscar-winning actors star alongside Margot Robbie, who will play a fictionalised producer, while John Lithgow will play Ailes. The cast also includes Kate McKinnon, Allison Janney, Connie Britton, Rob Delaney and Malcolm McDowell as Rupert Murdoch.
Theron, last seen in romantic comedy Long Shot, recently spoke about how playing Kelly increased her understanding of the since disgraced TV personality. “I didn’t know how complicated her situation was and I think for a lot of people, they didn’t understand why she didn’t just speak up,” she said. “She was in a complicated place and as a human being, I have empathy for that. I don’t think a lot of people truly understood that.”
Lithgow has stressed that the film is about the women who stood up against Ailes rather than Ailes himself. “There’s so much talk about the very good signs that there’s so many great women’s stories being told,” he said at Sundance earlier this year. “This might be one of the best because it really is about six or seven extremely different women who have extremely different experiences and response of the crisis at Fox. I play the crisis.”
Bombshell is directed by Jay Roach, whose big screen credits include Austin Powers, Meet the Parents and Trumbo. He was also behind the award-winning political TV movies Game Change and Recount.
The film follows in the footsteps of Showtime series The Loudest Voice, which told a similar story and starred Russell Crowe as Ailes and Naomi Watts as Carlson. Ratings have been soft while reviews have been largely negative. The Guardian’s Charles Bramesco wrote that Crowe’s performance was “floundering”.
Bombshell will be released on 20 December. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | OpenWebText2 |
Q:
Return a pandas series of date time in chronological order by the original series' indices
I compiled a pandas series of date time like the following (the below shows part of the series as an example):
0 2002-02-03
1 1979-01-01
2 2006-12-25
3 2008-07-16
4 2005-05-30
Note: the dtype of each cell is 'pandas._libs.tslib.Timestamp'
For the above example, I would like to rank them by chronological order and return a series by the original series' indices like this (the second column):
0 1
1 0
2 3
3 4
4 2
I've tried using a mix of .order(), .sort(), and .index() to achieve this but to no avail so far. What will be the easiest way to do get a series of date time in chronological order by the original series' indices?
Thank you.
A:
You can use Series.rank, subtract 1 and cast to int:
a = df['date'].rank(method='dense').sub(1).astype(int)
print (a)
0 1
1 0
2 3
3 4
4 2
Name: date, dtype: int32
Parameter method in Series.rank:
method : {'average', 'min', 'max', 'first', 'dense'}
average: average rank of group
min: lowest rank in group
max: highest rank in group
first: ranks assigned in order they appear in the array
dense: like ‘min’, but rank always increases by 1 between groups
| tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | StackExchange |
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Fri, 11 Aug 2017 00:37:00 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.8.1CharmingLittleNesthttps://feedburner.google.comSubscribe with My Yahoo!Subscribe with NewsGatorSubscribe with My AOLSubscribe with BloglinesSubscribe with NetvibesSubscribe with GoogleSubscribe with PageflakesSubscribe with PlusmoSubscribe with The Free DictionarySubscribe with Bitty BrowserSubscribe with Live.comSubscribe with Excite MIXSubscribe with WebwagSubscribe with Podcast ReadySubscribe with WikioSubscribe with Daily RotationOnce upon a reality.http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CharmingLittleNest/~3/zEKxvuPVOhk/reality.html
http://charminglittlenest.com/2017/08/reality.html#respondFri, 11 Aug 2017 00:32:53 +0000http://charminglittlenest.com/?p=5283My gosh. This is probably the first time I sat down in front of my computer and just decided to do what I wanted to do…no work or scheduling things for the family. That’s what this is. “Charming Little Nest” has always been around to serve as my creative outlet. Eventually CLN grew and evolved […]<div class="feedflare">
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http://charminglittlenest.com/2017/06/rid-pests-making-porches-cute.html#respondMon, 05 Jun 2017 23:03:29 +0000http://charminglittlenest.com/?p=5264It’s gorgeous outside here! But, if you are like me, you are already battling the wasps and ants that demand to invade our pretty spaces. I brought our freshly-bloomed peonies inside and I was excited to have them fill my house with that signature sweet smell. But of course….within moments, tiny sugar-ants began crawling out! I remembered […]<div class="feedflare">
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http://charminglittlenest.com/2017/05/southern-spring-can-live-outside.html#respondMon, 08 May 2017 03:27:12 +0000http://charminglittlenest.com/?p=5240The weather has been absolute perfection lately. Everything is in full bloom and it’s warm and breezy. We have been outside nonstop. This guy mastered the “no training wheels” move, and he hasn’t looked back since. Baby Shep is at that perfect age right now. He is doing his “slithering crawl” to get around, but he […]<div class="feedflare">
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http://charminglittlenest.com/2017/04/princess-tea.html#respondSun, 23 Apr 2017 17:44:00 +0000http://charminglittlenest.com/?p=5178A wee bit overdue, but hey, who cares? Ha! Better late than never. Once upon a time there was a little girl named Georgia. Just yesterday she was a tiny baby and now she was turning three. So, it was time to celebrate this little girl. And she requested a Princess Tea Party with […]<div class="feedflare">
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http://charminglittlenest.com/2016/11/fairy-panther-our-charming-halloween.html#respondSun, 06 Nov 2016 03:48:21 +0000http://charminglittlenest.com/?p=5103I love Halloween. I start planning the kids’ costumes months before. This year, with baby Shep joining our clan, B wanted to make sure we planned a theme for the entire family. We ran through several ideas and finally settled on Peter Pan, with him being Peter and Gigi being Tink. She loved the idea. […]<div class="feedflare">
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</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CharmingLittleNest/~4/oLnzROEKojM" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://charminglittlenest.com/2016/11/fairy-panther-our-charming-halloween.html/feed0http://charminglittlenest.com/2016/11/fairy-panther-our-charming-halloween.htmlThe Marie Kondo Method for the Real Family: How I found my way through a sea of broken toys, preschool papers, and sippy cups to find sanity. Step 2: My Bookshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CharmingLittleNest/~3/lldIH92oGCw/marie-kondo-method-real-family-sea-broken-toys-preschool-papers-sippy-cups-find-sanity-step-2-books.html
http://charminglittlenest.com/2016/05/marie-kondo-method-real-family-sea-broken-toys-preschool-papers-sippy-cups-find-sanity-step-2-books.html#respondFri, 27 May 2016 20:35:53 +0000http://charminglittlenest.com/?p=5039Kondo says to go in the following order: clothes, books, papers, komono (miscellany) and finally things with sentimental value. After I finished sorting through the clothing (Step One) it was time to move onto books. Remember, my approach to this method was to treat it as a program. I would not “adapt” Kondo’s method to fit myself. […]<div class="feedflare">
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http://charminglittlenest.com/2016/05/marie-kondo-method-american-family-sea-broken-toys-preschool-papers-sippy-cups-find-sanity-step-1-clothing.html#commentsMon, 09 May 2016 04:08:09 +0000http://charminglittlenest.com/?p=4943I talked about how I discovered the Marie Kondo method in this post. After reading Kondo’s book, I have spent the last several months going through the exact steps she suggests to “tidy” one’s home. I am almost finished (for those who have read it, I am in the “komono” phase) and the changes have […]<div class="feedflare">
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http://charminglittlenest.com/2016/03/sea-salt-eczema.html#commentsSat, 26 Mar 2016 18:37:39 +0000http://charminglittlenest.com/?p=4971It seems like every parent I talk to deals with eczema. Both of my kids get it, but poor B gets it the worst. I often hear about tons of treatments and we have found things to help, but nothing ever seems to be a drastic improvement. One day, I was thinking about how my […]<div class="feedflare">
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http://charminglittlenest.com/2016/03/lifelately.html#respondFri, 25 Mar 2016 03:42:56 +0000http://charminglittlenest.com/?p=4950Good GOSH. Pregnancy with baby number three has been no joke. Gigi is right in the middle of her “terrible two’s” phase and it is wearing me out. She looks so innocent, but man does this girl have some spunk.   By the end of the day I can barely stand up….I’m just so tired! […]<div class="feedflare">
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http://charminglittlenest.com/2016/01/longing-sweet-summer-days.html#respondWed, 27 Jan 2016 02:31:17 +0000http://charminglittlenest.com/?p=4842While I was going through my photos today, I stumbled across an album from summer. We have been trapped inside with the melting snow and these pictures were a welcome sight. Since I got so off track with blogging last summer, I figured I’d show them now! The kids set up a lemonade stand. How […]<div class="feedflare">
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**Editor's Note:** This article is 1 of 2 winners of *PCD*'s 2017 Student Research Paper Contest in the Doctoral category.
Introduction
============
Obesity among children is a global public health problem ([@R1],[@R2]), and signs of metabolic syndrome (MetS) have increased among both children and adolescents over the past 25 years ([@R3],[@R4]). MetS is defined as having at least 3 of 5 risk factors: a large waist circumference, high blood pressure, fasting hyperglycemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels ([@R5]). Although few children meet all 5 MetS criteria, up to 30% of obese children have at least one element of MetS ([@R6]). A recent systematic review showed a median prevalence of MetS of 3% (range 0%--19.2%) among all children and 29% (range 10%--66%) among obese children ([@R3]). In a sample of US adolescents aged 12 to 17 years, the overall MetS prevalence was 7%, with a range from 19% to 35% among obese adolescents ([@R7]). Additionally, Hispanic adolescents had a higher MetS prevalence (11%) than non-Hispanic white adolescents (9%) ([@R8]).
MetS increases a person's risk for developing chronic disease ([@R9],[@R10]). Pediatric MetS is independently associated with type 2 diabetes and adult MetS and with subclinical atherosclerosis leading to cardiovascular disease (CVD) ([@R11],[@R12]). Additionally, research shows that obesity tracks from childhood into adulthood ([@R13]) and contributes to adverse consequences, including premature mortality and cardiometabolic disorders ([@R14],[@R15]). However, the impact of the age of obesity onset in early childhood on adolescent MetS risk has not been documented, because research has largely focused on infant weight gain and catch-up growth as predictors of health outcomes later in life ([@R16]--[@R18]). This study examined early onset obesity as a risk factor for MetS risk in adolescence. We hypothesized that obesity onset early in life is associated with a higher MetS risk score in adolescence.
Methods
=======
Study design and population
---------------------------
Participants were 677 Chilean infants who were part of an observational longitudinal study of biopsychosocial determinants of obesity and CVD risk. From 1991 through 1996, 1,933 infants were enrolled in either a preventive trial of iron supplementation to prevent iron-deficiency anemia or a neuromaturation study, a study that assessed neurodevelopment by using neurophysiological and electrophysiological techniques. The studies were conducted in Santiago, Chile, where infancy iron deficiency was widespread at the time and no national program existed for iron supplementation. Infants were from low-to-middle income, working-class communities. Inclusion criteria for the infancy studies were an uncomplicated, singleton, term, vaginal birth with birthweights of 3 kg or more, no major congenital abnormalities, and no prior iron therapy. Because of a successful national breastfeeding campaign, all but 8 infants in the cohort were initially breastfed.
Infants were recruited at age 4 to 6 months. Infants without iron-deficiency anemia were randomly assigned to high-iron supplementation, low-iron supplementation, or usual nutrition (no added iron). Further details about enrollment and trial specifications are described elsewhere ([@R19]). A total of 1,657 infants completed the preventive trial (high iron, n = 718; low iron, n = 405; usual nutrition, n = 534). Infants found to have iron-deficiency anemia, and the next nonanemic infant (the control), were treated with medicinal iron and participated the neuromaturation study ([@R20]). A total of 135 infants completed the neuromaturation study. At age 5 years, because of a cut in funding, only 2 of the 3 randomly selected preventive trial groups and neuromaturation trial participants could be evaluated. Thus, only 888 of 1,501 infants who were in the high-iron and no-added-iron groups or completed the neuromaturation study were assessed. At age 16 years, participants from the 5-year follow up were invited to participate in a study of obesity and CVD risk. A total of 677 of 888 (76%) participants agreed and were assessed from 2009 through 2012. Our analytic sample for the obesity and MetS study consisted of 673 participants from the obesity and CVD risk study who had complete data at 5 years and 16 years ([Figure](#F1){ref-type="fig"}).
{#F1}
The sample was representative of the original cohort, with no differences in infant and family characteristics, including birthweight (3.5 kg in the original cohort vs 3.6 kg in the final analytic sample), breastfeeding for at least 6 months (63% in the original cohort vs 61% in the final analytic sample), socioeconomic status (SES) (27.3 on the Graffar index \[[@R21]\] for the original cohort vs 27.0 for the final analytic sample), and household environment (30.1 on the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment \[HOME\] \[[@R22]\] scale for the original cohort vs 30.0 for the final analytic sample). The study was approved by the institutional review boards of the University of California, San Diego, the University of Michigan, and the University of Chile Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology (INTA).
Data collection and analysis
----------------------------
Participants were considered to have early onset obesity if obesity was present at age 5 years (defined as ≥2 standard deviations \[SDs\] for body mass index \[BMI\] *z* score) by using WHO growth standard indicators. BMI is a measure of weight relative to height (kg/m^2^), with age-specific and sex-specific norms ([@R23]).
Adolescents were assessed at age 16 to 17 years. Height (cm), weight (kg), waist and hip circumference (cm), and blood pressure (mmHg) were measured by a physician-investigator at INTA. Standardized procedures were used to measure weight to the closest 0.1 kg by using a SECA scale (SECA), and height to the closest 0.1 cm by using a Holtain stadiometer (Holtain Ltd) ([@R24]). Each measurement was taken twice, and a third measurement was taken if the difference between the first 2 exceeded 0.3 kg for weight, 0.5 cm for height, or 1.0 cm for waist. The WHO BMI *z* score indicator was used to dichotomize (yes/no) obesity status at adolescence, with obesity defined as an SD of 2 or more in the BMI *z* score. Fasting serum triglyceride, cholesterol, and glucose levels were assessed. Serum glucose concentration (mg/dL) was determined by using an enzymatic--colorimetric test (Química Clínica Aplicada S.A.). Triglyceride (mg/dL), and cholesterol (mg/dL) levels were determined with the Vitros dry analytical methodology (Ortho Clinical Diagnostics Johnson & Johnson Inc).
A continuous MetS risk *z* score was calculated by applying the equations developed by Gurka et al ([@R25]). The equations provide a sex-specific and race-specific *z* score measure for MetS risk based on standardized and log-transformed values for each component of the MetS.
Characteristics that may be associated with both the variable of interest and the outcome were considered covariates. For infancy, the following were considered: birthweight, SES, breastfeeding, emotional and material support provided in the home environment, iron status during infancy, and iron supplementation as part of the preventive trial. For adolescents, the following were potential covariates: age at menarche, age at the adolescent assessment, physical activity, and obesity status. Birthweight, measured in kilograms, was analyzed as a continuous measure. Iron status during infancy, coded as iron sufficient, iron deficient, or iron-deficient anemic, was dichotomized to iron sufficient (0) and iron deficient or iron-deficient anemic (1) for modeling purposes. Iron supplementation in infancy was dichotomized to iron supplementation (high or low) (1) and no iron supplementation (0). The SES variable, the Graffar index, is a pseudocontinuous variable based on a 13-item questionnaire that produces a composite score that comprises questions on mothers' and fathers' years of education, occupation, and income ([@R21]) the higher the Graffar index, the lower the SES. Questions were coded as absent (1) to plentiful (6), for a possible score range of 13 to 78. The quality of the home environment that supported the children's development was assessed with HOME, a 45-item, observer-rated checklist ([@R22]). A higher HOME score reflects a more supportive home environment for children's development. Scores range from 0 to 45. Physical activity at adolescence was measured by using a 5-item questionnaire, validated for use in young populations ([@R26]). The questionnaire addresses planned and unplanned physical and sedentary activities as a continuous score between 0 and 10. Age at menarche and age at adolescent measurement were analyzed as continuous variables.
Statistical analyses
--------------------
SAS version 9.2 (SAS Institute) was used for all statistical analyses, with the exception of computed MetS risk score, for which SPSS version 22.0 (IBM Corp) was used.
For describing sample characteristics, continuous variables were expressed as mean and SD, and categorical variables were expressed as frequencies. All variables were assessed for normality. Unadjusted comparisons between early onset obesity groups were calculated by using *t* tests for continuous outcomes and χ^2^ tests for categorical outcomes. Regression diagnostics, using tests and graphical methods, examined linear regression assumptions including linearity (residual vs predictor plot) normality (Shapiro--Wilk test), homogeneity of variance (Breusch--Pagan test) and independence (Durbin--Watson statistic). All of these assumptions were met, indicating linearity, uncorrelated and normally distributed estimated residuals with constant variance. Influence and collinearity were also examined, with no extreme deviations observed for studentized and jackknife residuals, and small leverage and Cook's distance values. Multivariable linear regression analysis was used to assess the relationship between early onset obesity and MetS risk score, adjusting for possible confounders. The full model was tested by using backward elimination. Variables that were not statistically associated with the dependent variable were manually removed. Because the study sample participated in a preventive trial, iron status during infancy and iron supplementation were initially included as covariates. Neither variable was significantly associated with the outcome, and thus both were removed from the final model. Age at menarche, which was tested in the multivariable model, was not significantly associated with outcome and therefore was dropped from the final model. Significance was set at a *P* value of less than .05. Multicollinearity between variables was assessed with tolerance level with a cut point of less than 0.10. There was no evidence of multicollinearity in the model.
Marginal structural models (MSMs) refine the adjustment made by traditional analytic approaches and predict an estimate that accounts for the bias that exists when time-dependent covariates might act as both confounders and intermediates in a linear association. We used an MSM as a sensitivity analysis to account for potential bias resulting from the inclusion of adolescent weight status in the final model; bias may arise because adolescent weight status both mediates and confounds the relationship between early-life obesity and adolescent MetS risk score. To carry out these analyses, we estimated stabilized inverse probability weights ([@R27]) and reweighted our sample to create a pseudopopulation in which the exposure, early onset obesity, is statistically independent of potential time-dependent confounders. Results from the pseudopopulation models supported initial findings, indicating limited bias resulting from the inclusion of adolescent weight status as a covariate in the multivariable linear regression model.
Results
=======
Mean age of participants at adolescence was 16.8 years, and 52.9% were male ([Table 1](#T1){ref-type="table"}). The mean birthweight in the study population was 3.6 kg (SD, 0.4 kg). Early onset obesity was found in 18.1% of the participants, of which 41.0% were girls. We found no significant differences in birthweight, sex, SES, HOME scores, and physical activity in adolescence between participants with early onset obesity and participants without early onset obesity. Obesity status at adolescence was related to early onset obesity. Of those with early onset obesity, 50% were obese at adolescence, in contrast to 6% of the comparison group (*P* \< .001).
###### Characteristics of Participants (N = 673), Study of Relationship Between Early Onset Obesity and Risk of Metabolic Syndrome Among Adolescents[a](#T1FN1){ref-type="table-fn"}, Santiago, Chile, 1991--1996 and 2009--2012
Characteristic Total Sample (n = 673) Early Onset Obesity (n = 122) No Early Onset Obesity (n = 551) *P* Value[b](#T1FN2){ref-type="table-fn"}
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------ ------------------------------- ---------------------------------- -------------------------------------------
**Infancy**
Birthweight, mean (SD), kg 3.6 (0.4) 3.6 (0.4) 3.5 (0.4) .67
Male, % 52.9 59.0 51.5 .13
Breastfeed ≥6 months, % 63.4 63.6 63.3 .96
**Iron status during infancy, %**
Iron sufficient 41.5 34.4 43.0 .06
Iron deficient 40.1 40.2 40.1
Iron deficiency anemia 18.4 25.4 16.9
**Socioeconomic status, Graffar index[c](#T1FN3){ref-type="table-fn"}, mean (SD)** 27.0 (6.3) 27.0 (6.2) 27.0 (6.3) .87
**HOME score[d](#T1FN4){ref-type="table-fn"}, mean (SD)** 30.2 (4.7) 30.2 (4.8) 30.2 (4.7) .90
**Supplementation group, %**
High iron 47.2 45.9 47.6 .96
Low iron 2.7 3.3 2.5
No added iron 42.1 42.6 41.9
Neuromaturation study[e](#T1FN5){ref-type="table-fn"} 8.0 8.2 8.0
**Adolescence**
Age at menarche[f](#T1FN6){ref-type="table-fn"}, mean (SD), y 12.5 (1.4) 12.0 (1.4) 12.5 (1.4) .01
Age at adolescent measurement, y 16.8 (0.3) 16.8 (0.3) 16.8 (0.3) .48
Physical activity score[g](#T1FN7){ref-type="table-fn"}, mean (SD) 4.1 (1.6) 4.0 (1.5) 4.1 (1.7) .38
Obesity at 16 y[h](#T1FN8){ref-type="table-fn"}, % 14.1 50.0 6.2 \<.001
Abbreviations: SD, standard deviation; HOME, home observation for measurement of the environment.
Early onset obesity defined as obese at 5 years of age following World Health Organization *z* score cut-off ≥2 SD body mass index (kg/m^2^).
*P* value for χ^2^ test for categorical variables and *t* test for continuous variables.
Graffar index is a social stratification tool used to assess socioeconomic status (range 13-78); the higher the Graffar index, the lower the socioeconomic status ([@R21]).
HOME score (range 0-45) is a home environment quality assessment tool; the higher the HOME score, the better the home environment for child development ([@R22]).
Participants in the neuromaturation study were infants found to have iron-deficiency anemia at age 6 months, and the next nonanemic infant (control) whose neurodevelopment was evaluated with neurophysiological and electrophysiological techniques ([@R20]).
Female participants only.
Physical activity score (range 0-10) assessing planned and unplanned physical and sedentary activities ([@R26]).
Obesity at 16 years defined as obese at 16-year follow-up according to the World Health Organization z score cut-off ≥2 SD for body mass index.
The MetS risk score and all variables related to CVD risk were significantly higher in the early onset obesity group, compared with the group without early onset obesity, with the exception of HDL cholesterol, which was inversely related to CVD risk, and fasting blood glucose, which did not differ between groups ([Table 2](#T2){ref-type="table"}). Participants in the early onset obesity group had significantly higher mean total cholesterol levels (156.4 mg/dL; SD, 27.9 vs 151.1 mg/dL; SD 27.5, *P* = .04) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (98.9 mg/dL, SD 24.8 vs 93.3 mg/dL, SD 24.2, *P* = .03) compared with the group without early onset obesity. Additional analyses for MetS components by sex showed that adolescent boys had significantly lower mean total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol levels and significantly higher fasting blood glucose levels and blood pressure than adolescent girls.
###### Metabolic Syndrome Risk Score[a](#T2FN1){ref-type="table-fn"} and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors Among Participants (N = 673), Study of Relationship Between Early Onset Obesity[b](#T2FN2){ref-type="table-fn"} and Risk of Metabolic Syndrome Among Adolescents, Santiago, Chile 1991--1996 and 2009--2012[c](#T2FN3){ref-type="table-fn"}
Variable Total Population (N = 673) Early Onset Obesity (n = 122) No Early Onset Obesity (n = 551) *P* Value[d](#T2FN4){ref-type="table-fn"}
---------------------------------- ---------------------------- ------------------------------- ---------------------------------- -------------------------------------------
Metabolic syndrome risk *z*score 0.3 (0.8) 1.0 (0.8) 0.2 (0.8) \<.001
Waist circumference, cm 81.3 (11.4) 94.0 (12.5) 78.5 (9.0) \<.001
HDL cholesterol, mg/dL 40.2 (10.6) 37.1 (9.5) 40.9 (10.7) \<.001
Triglycerides, mg/dL 88.2 (50.0) 103.3 (57.2) 84.8 (47.7) .001
Systolic blood pressure, mm Hg 111.7 (10.5) 117.5 (11.7) 110.4 (9.8) \<.001
Diastolic blood pressure, mm Hg 69.1 (7.1) 71.9 (7.2) 68.5 (6.9) \<.001
Fasting blood glucose, mg/dL 88.6 (9.5) 89.5 (12.2) 88.5 (8.8) .36
Abbreviations: HDL, high-density lipoprotein.
Metabolic syndrome risk *z*score calculated with sex-specific and race-specific equations with confirmatory factor analysis.
Early onset obesity defined as obese at age 5 years according to World Health Organization z score cut-off ≥2 standard deviations for body mass index (kg/m^2^).
Values are unadjusted mean (standard deviation) unless otherwise indicated.
*P* values calculated with *t* test for continuous variables for differences between the early onset obesity group and no early onset obesity group.
The final model, controlling for sex and obesity status in adolescence, indicated that early onset obesity was associated with a higher MetS risk score in adolescence (β = 0.27; 95% confidence interval \[CI\] 0.13-- 0.41, *P* \< .001) ([Table 3](#T3){ref-type="table"}) and explained 39% of the variance in the MetS risk score. The adjusted mean and standard error (SE) MetS risk score was 1.0 (SE, 0.06) and 0.7 (SE, 0.04) for participants with and without early onset obesity, respectively. Additionally, female sex was associated with a lower MetS risk score in the model (β = −0.26; 95% CI, −0.35 to −0.17; *P* \< .001), adjusting for other covariates.
###### Linear Regression Models to Determine Adjusted Associations With Participants' (N = 673) Metabolic Syndrome Risk Score[a](#T3FN1){ref-type="table-fn"}, Study of Relationship Between Early Onset Obesity and Risk of Metabolic Syndrome Among Adolescents, Santiago, Chile 2009--2012
Variable Full Model[b](#T3FN2){ref-type="table-fn"} Final Model[b](#T3FN2){ref-type="table-fn"}
--------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------- ------------------------ --------
Early onset obesity[d](#T3FN4){ref-type="table-fn"} 0.29 (0.15 to 0.44) \<.001 0.27 (0.13 to 0.41) \<.001
Obesity at 16 y[e](#T3FN5){ref-type="table-fn"} 1.18 (1.02 to 1.34) \<.001 1.20 (1.04 to 1.35) \<.001
Female[f](#T3FN6){ref-type="table-fn"} −0.29 (−0.40 to −0.18) \<.001 −0.26 (−0.35 to −0.17) \<.001
Birthweight, kg 0.08 (−0.05 to 0.21) .23 --- ---
Breastfed ≥6 months 0.01 (−0.09 to 0.11) .83 --- ---
Iron deficient during infancy[g](#T3FN7){ref-type="table-fn"} −0.02 (−0.12 to 0.08) .73 --- ---
Iron supplementation[h](#T3FN8){ref-type="table-fn"} 0.05 (−0.05 to 0.15) .35 --- ---
Graffar index[i](#T3FN9){ref-type="table-fn"} 0.004 (−0.01 to 0.01) .32 --- ---
HOME score[j](#T3FN10){ref-type="table-fn"} 0.003 (−0.01 to 0.01) .54 --- ---
Age at menarche[k](#T3FN11){ref-type="table-fn"} −0.01 (−0.06 to 0.05) .83 --- ---
Age at adolescent measurement −0.02 (−0.20 to 0.18) .86 --- ---
Physical activity score[l](#T3FN12){ref-type="table-fn"} −0.03 (−0.06 to 0.01) .10 --- ---
Abbreviations: ---, not calculated for parsimony; CI, confidence interval; HOME, home observation for measurement of the environment.
Metabolic syndrome risk score calculated with sex-specific and race-specific equations with confirmatory factor analysis.
Linear regression modeling, presenting β estimate and 95% confidence interval.
*P* values calculated by linear regression modeling, adjusted for all other listed variables in each of the models (full and final).
Early onset obesity defined as obese at age 5 years according to World Health Organization *z* score cut-off ≥2 standard deviations for body mass index (kg/m^2^). Reference: no early onset obesity.
Obesity at age 16 years defined as obese at 16-year follow-up according to World Health Organization z score cut-off ≥2 standard deviations for body mass index. Reference: no obesity at age 16 years.
Reference: male.
Includes iron deficient and iron deficiency anemia. Reference: iron sufficient.
Iron supplementation includes: high-iron and low-iron supplementation during trial. Reference: no iron supplementation.
Graffar index is a social stratification tool used to assess socioeconomic status (range 13-78); the higher the Graffar index, the lower the socioeconomic status ([@R21]).
HOME score (range 0-45) is a home environment quality assessment tool; the higher the HOME score, the better the home environment for child development ([@R22]).
Age at menarche for female participants.
Physical activity score (range 0-10) assessing planned and unplanned physical and sedentary activities ([@R26]).
Findings from the MSM, a sensitivity analysis, did not differ from findings of the multivariable regression analysis. This corroborated the effect size of early onset obesity and its relationship with MetS risk score in adolescence.
Discussion
==========
This study showed that early onset obesity was associated with greater MetS risk in adolescence. Independent of adolescent obesity status and sex, a child who had obesity at age 5 years had a higher MetS risk score (β = 0.27) at age 16. These results support our initial hypothesis.
Our findings are consistent with those in a mid-childhood cohort ([@R28]). Using a similar analytic approach and focusing on metabolic profiles that included dyslipidemia, hypertension, and insulin resistance, Garnett et al. ([@R28]) concluded that children who were overweight or obese at age 8 years were almost 7 times as likely to have CVD risk-clustering at age 15 years as those who were not overweight or obese (odds ratio, 6.9; 95% CI, 2.5-- 19.0; *P* \< .001) ([@R28]).
Boys in our cohort had higher mean MetS risk scores than girls, independent of early onset obesity and obesity status at adolescence. These results are similar to our prior findings ([@R29]) and those of US national data, in which adolescent boys were more likely to have MetS risk factors than adolescent girls ([@R9]). A recent systematic review of the prevalence of MetS in children and adolescents from 12 countries in North America and South America also found a higher prevalence of MetS among boys ([@R29]). Adolescent boys also manifested higher fasting blood glucose, higher blood pressure, and lower HDL cholesterol levels than adolescent girls. These CVD risks were primarily observed in Mexico, Canada, Colombia, and the United States ([@R30]).
This research emphasizes the value of studying longitudinal cohorts and the relevance this study's cohort to obesity in early childhood and adolescent health outcomes among Chileans. In addition to the longitudinal study design, this study has several strengths, such as the uniqueness of a Chilean cohort of infants followed successfully to adolescence, inclusion of a relatively large group of healthy infants, and good participant retention. Another strength is that the evaluation was conducted at a nutrition research center by highly trained study personnel. Furthermore, the use of a sex-specific and race-specific continuous MetS risk score is a study strength. Although continuous scores were previously developed, the methodology followed by Gurka et al and applied in this study, acknowledges correlations between the MetS components, accounting for MetS component correlation differences by sex and race/ethnicity ([@R25]).
A limitation of this study is that it may not be generalizable to other populations. The participant sample was restricted to infants who weighed 3 kg or more at birth. Thus, we cannot infer whether these relationships translate to preterm or low-birthweight infants. Also, probably because data on birthweight were restricted, we probably did not observe a relationship between birthweight and obesity. Generalization to higher-income or poverty groups is also restricted. Another limitation is lack of anthropometric data between measurement waves, thus placing participants in a BMI category at time of measurement, which might have been different a year before or after measurement. Additionally, data were unavailable on maternal or paternal obesity status, diet intake, and direct physical activity measures. Although we attempted to minimize unmeasured confounding in our study by including measures on recognized potential confounders, such unmeasured risk factors could confound the relationship between early onset obesity and MetS risk.
Notwithstanding these limitations, our findings add to the literature on early life determinants, in particular determinants related to the long-term effects of early onset obesity on MetS or other CVD-related risk factors. Future research should be conducted in populations with various races and ethnicities to substantiate these findings and address a key public health problem.
Our results underscore the public health implications of early childhood obesity for health outcomes later in life. The findings provide evidence for a clinically meaningful and significant association between early onset obesity and MetS risk score in this Chilean cohort. The results of this study emphasize the importance and need for early detection of childhood obesity and effective public health interventions.
The project was supported by grants from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (R01HL088530, principal investigator, Sheila Gahagan) and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R01HD14122, principal investigator, Betsy Lozoff, and R01HD33487, principal investigators, Betsy Lozoff and Sheila Gahagan). The authors thank the study participants and their families for their continuous involvement.
The opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors\' affiliated institutions.
*Suggested citation for this article:* Pacheco LS, Blanco E, Burrows R, Reyes M, Lozoff B, Gahagan S. Early Onset Obesity and Risk of Metabolic Syndrome Among Chilean Adolescents. Prev Chronic Dis 2017;14:170132. DOI: <https://doi.org/10.5888/pcd14.170132>.
| tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | PubMed Central |
Q:
form validation with directives
For a long time, I've been trying create my own validation on an input with angularJS (with a directive) but nothing really works.
Even if this subject has been treated many times on stack, my directive doesn't work and I suck with AngularJS.
I want to have an error message when user writes special key in my example: "hello", "hi", "coucou".
I try it on a fiddle but just the third key sends an error message.
http://jsfiddle.net/JW43C/59/
My directive :
.directive('validkey',function(){
return{
require: "ngModel",
link: function(scope, elm, attrs, ctrl){
var forbiddenKeyword = ["hello", "hi", "coucou"];
ctrl.$parsers.unshift(function(viewValue){
console.log(viewValue);
for(var i=0;i<forbiddenKeyword.length;i++){
// console.log(forbiddenKeyword[i]);
if(viewValue == forbiddenKeyword[i]){
ctrl.$setValidity('validkey',false);
console.log("error!!!!!");
}
else{
ctrl.$setValidity('validkey',true);
}
}
return viewValue;
});
}
};
});
Sorry for my english.
I start writing by my own directive (be tolerant !!)
A:
You need to break out of your loop once you hit a forbiddenKeyword.
If, for example, we type in "hi" then the code sets validkey to false on the loop where you test against "hi". But then on the next loop through (when you're checking against coucou) you'll reset the key back to true. We want to add a break so that once you hit a forbiddenKeyword you jump out of the loop and stop testing other values.
I've updated your fiddle so it works now: http://jsfiddle.net/AbKPq/
The only change was the addition of the break, so you went from this test within your while loop:
if(viewValue == forbiddenKeyword[i]){
ctrl.$setValidity('validkey',false);
console.log("error!!!!!");
}
to
if(viewValue == forbiddenKeyword[i]){
ctrl.$setValidity('validkey',false);
console.log("error!!!!!");
break; //quit out of the while loop
}
| tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | StackExchange |
The boys over at Thisismynext.com are running quite the scoop with codename “Samsung Hercules.” With a possible arrival date of August this one has some time to mature but the Thisismynext crew has quite the spec breakdown:
4.5″ 480 x 800 Super AMOLED Plus display
Android 2.3
NFC Support
42Mbps HSPA+ capable (category 24 HSDPA and category 6 HSUPA)
AWS plus 850/1900 MHz…they claim support for AT&T’s 4G will be here if the merger succeeds which interesting considering this phone is scheduled for August and the deal won’t close till next year?
These are certainly some impressive specs and if they come to fruition will make for quite the beastly phone. This might be why Thisismynext claims this phone is tagged for the “over $350″ price category. Let’s see how this one develops.
About David Beren
David is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of TmoNews.com. He considers himself a Jedi Knight, capable of leaping tall buildings in a single bound and a connoisseur of fine cell phones. He has been involved in the wireless industry since 2003 and has been known to swap out phones far too many times in any given year. Should you wish to contact him, you can do so: david@tmonews.com.
Sounds good but I’m not really a big fan of samsung. But would still like to see where this goes. And the Hercules name does sound familiar as a Samsung device for T-Mobile in the past
Thad
Sensation still has the better screen.
http://www.facebook.com/iamm0ses Nick Kane
What if this is Tmo’s Galaxy s II?
michael
Agreed
http://twitter.com/SParKlngCyaNide SparklingCyanide
even Better!
http://twitter.com/SParKlngCyaNide SparklingCyanide
even Better!
http://twitter.com/SParKlngCyaNide SparklingCyanide
even Better!
Anonymous
Thats what I’m saying. This IS the GS2 for t-mobile remember the Vibrant was a remake but still a galaxy S variant. I willing to bet the case is the same for here except we don’t get less we get more. And I imagine samsung went with Qualcomm over their own because their own chip can’t support more than 21mbps and t-mobile wanted to get 42mbps out this year. This is it.
Anonymous
From what I’ve seen the chip does top out at 21. +1 for Qualcomm right now.
Derekaggz
HOLY MOLY!
michael
Thats a nice phone.. 4.5″ display, dual core, 42mbps hspa+(verizon lte speeds), 1gb ram, dual core, 1080p recording, etc.. and based on T-mo’s and ATT’s new policy of 18 mths of android upgrades, that means it will see many upgrades, clearing the Samsung name issue.
Wow! And do they mean over 350 with a contract..!?
Hdj216
this phone is unnecessary, why would you put a dual core process to your head. You might as well put your laptop to the side of your head and talk through it. When will we look at the health issues of all these high end dual core process phone. You can brag that your phone might be the fastest in the world but you will be the fastest to get a brain tumor.
If you’re afraid of brain cancer, don’t use cell phones at all. stick to home phones.
Thad
If you’re afraid of brain cancer, don’t use cell phones at all. stick to home phones.
Anonymous
The whole “cell phones cause brain cancer” thing has been debunked. Those experiments used high-power radio waves over a short period of time to simulate low-power waves over a long period of time and it just doesn’t work that way. Also, the processor has absolutely nothing to do with the phone’s radiation levels.
Hdj216
mostly out of Europe, have linked mobile phone and personal digital
assistant (PDA) use to DNA damage, sperm death, and brain damage
including early-onset dementia. These findings regularly make big news
in the international press, but are by and large played down in U.S.
media.
Anonymous
Smh… Just because it has a dual-core doesn’t automatically mean its going to be running at full capacity 24/7 to where it would overheat. they run at low mhz’s like 300 or 500 on average unless you actually set your device to run at a high mhz for more than an hour which is just dumb.
Hdj216
Among the research cited in the study was a recent study by a Swedish
team of scientists that found a 420 percent higher risk of brain cancer
among people who had started using cellular or cordless phones as
teenagers. Older analog phones, which are now mostly off the market, had
been found to increase cancer risk by 700 percent. You really think that the government will not lie to you about cell phones when they lie about everything else over and over again.
Anonymous
Whoa!?!?
Wilma Flintstone
My thoughts exactly
Anonymous
So this is my next phone, I was hype about the sgsII but this seems better. Now as good as this phone sounds is this enough to pull you away from that N9 you were running around the room for earlier ? lmbo
Anonymous
Is this why we might not get the GSII? Because I’d rather have this….
Ferminmartin2003
Im still getting the sensation the infuse 4g for att looks cheap the htc sensation looks like a premier really well engineered phone with killer specs so sensation for me all the way samsung has disappointed me with their way past due updates and my vibrant keeps resetting the home screen on me where all my widgets and apps take a while to load
http://twitter.com/SParKlngCyaNide SparklingCyanide
OWNAGE!!!
http://twitter.com/SParKlngCyaNide SparklingCyanide
OWNAGE!!!
Keemworld
Im sure the part about it using qualcomm duel core processor instead of samsung’s is false. I know its an early “fact sheet”, but just sayin.
Anonymous
Why? It makes actual sense if you read the thing that chipset supports 42mbps HSPA+ and Samsungs only does 21mbps for the moment. It would seem like t-mobile’s choice just like when they left out the ffc in the Vibrant in exchange for an extra 8mb’s over the competition.
Keemworld
Im sure the part about it using qualcomm duel core processor instead of samsung’s is false. I know its an early “fact sheet”, but just sayin.
Keemworld
Im sure the part about it using qualcomm duel core processor instead of samsung’s is false. I know its an early “fact sheet”, but just sayin.
Fundadjj
There is always gonna be something better around the corner. I am getting the Sensation because I dont like the toy like feel of the Samsung phones, plus I have always been a fan of HTC. If you want your device to do its job and look good, it most likely wont be a Samsung device IMO. If all you want is to compare specs with ur friends, then plan on upgrading at least every six months or being behind the pack.
phone head
yea tell me about man
Zifnab2k
Agreed. Finally going to have to give in and trade in my N1 when the Sensation comes out. Can’t keep waiting until next year… I wanted a Vanilla Android, but g2x just doesn’t cut it.
Anonymous
Nexus S does it job had various compliments asking about my phone.. people especially love the slick black look when its off. But these arguments are always like chevy vs ford at the end of the day you are either one or the other. Imo though HTC has had so many reliability issues.
Fundadjj
There is always gonna be something better around the corner. I am getting the Sensation because I dont like the toy like feel of the Samsung phones, plus I have always been a fan of HTC. If you want your device to do its job and look good, it most likely wont be a Samsung device IMO. If all you want is to compare specs with ur friends, then plan on upgrading at least every six months or being behind the pack.
alex
samsung best hadrware, but worst quality, samsung and htc should team up to make a nexus!!!!
And don’t forget blessed with Sense’s soul! Okay, not if it was a Nexus, but a man can dream.
alex
samsung best hadrware, but worst quality, samsung and htc should team up to make a nexus!!!!
alex
samsung best hadrware, but worst quality, samsung and htc should team up to make a nexus!!!!
alex
samsung best hadrware, but worst quality, samsung and htc should team up to make a nexus!!!!
http://www.facebook.com/trinifellah Joel Edwards
Actually this could be Tmo’s version of the Galaxy S II, because the Infuse 4G is single core not dual, it doesn’t have NFC support and it’s not Android 2.3… the only thing that doesn’t match the Galaxy S II is the size of the screen.
http://www.facebook.com/trinifellah Joel Edwards
Actually this could be Tmo’s version of the Galaxy S II, because the Infuse 4G is single core not dual, it doesn’t have NFC support and it’s not Android 2.3… the only thing that doesn’t match the Galaxy S II is the size of the screen.
http://www.facebook.com/trinifellah Joel Edwards
Actually this could be Tmo’s version of the Galaxy S II, because the Infuse 4G is single core not dual, it doesn’t have NFC support and it’s not Android 2.3… the only thing that doesn’t match the Galaxy S II is the size of the screen.
http://www.facebook.com/trinifellah Joel Edwards
Actually this could be Tmo’s version of the Galaxy S II, because the Infuse 4G is single core not dual, it doesn’t have NFC support and it’s not Android 2.3… the only thing that doesn’t match the Galaxy S II is the size of the screen.
Anonymous
Are you sure this isn’t T-Mobile’s Version of the Samsung Galaxy II…
Anonymous
Are you sure this isn’t T-Mobile’s Version of the Samsung Galaxy II…
Anonymous
Are you sure this isn’t T-Mobile’s Version of the Samsung Galaxy II…
Anonymous
Are you sure this isn’t T-Mobile’s Version of the Samsung Galaxy II…
Noel
Guess thats why Tmo is not listed as getting the GS2 cz they are expecting the Hercules. More and more choices on Tmo…rumor has it the iPhones 4S will also find a home on magenta. Lets not forget a new Nexus is also on the way .
Wilma Flintstone
@pimpstrong:disqus Where you at dude? You called this out. You said that Tmo would get the Infuse and here it is. I am intrigued with this device. A 4.5 inch phone is very very nice. I must demo this in the store. If I like it’s build quality, I may be getting this. Along with the N9 of course.
Anonymous
Thanks for the point out Wilma! Who woulda seen this coming both of us getting the phone of our dreams within the same week!(well find out about atleast).
I’ma just tell you that it will be light, plasticy, “seemingly fragile”, but fast as $#@! and bigger than your HD2. Nuff said now excuse me I gotta pack my tent and some energy bars so I can go get in line cuz you will NOT beat me to this!
Wilma Flintstone
One Problem @PimpStrong:disqus I’m already in my local Tmo store line waiting on this beast. Maybe next time buddy. LOL!!! I’m getting this AND the N9 and you ain’t beatin me to ANY of them. :P
Wilma Flintstone
The chances of both of us getting news of the phones we want in the same week are slim but hey, IT HAPPENED!!! WOOOOHHHOOOOOOO!!!!!!! Only wish the N9 was 4.3 but still, 64GB internal makes up for that and of course… MEEEEEEGGGGGGOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL!!! Anywho, I actually wanted the Infuse when they said 4.5 inch screen (I thought the LG Star was supposed to have a 4.5 inch screen as well but I haven’t heard anything about that in a while). Anywho, I GOT to Demo this one in the store. I CANNOT pass this up. 4.5 is the perfect size for a phone screen. 4.3 – 4.5 is the screen size I’m looking for.
Anonymous
I thought about that when I said “our perfect phones” and quickly realized the Nokia phone has a puny 4″ screen. You would be downsizing. Don’t do it.
Anonymous
I think the lightness is the true reason why ppl feel the GS was plasticky.
Anonymous
HA HAHA HAHAHAHAHAAAA!! I CALLED IT Yesssssssssssssssss!!!! Thank YOU TMO NEWS!!
This is THEEE phone of all phones!!!
Wait wait wait… this is a joke right?
Kitpogi
I totally disagree on your comment, “THEEE phone of all phones”, you can’t say that when HTC Sensation is about to drop the bomb on the mobile world in June. June 8 if I’m not mistaken. Sense is way over on top of Touchwiz… way over on top of it. :-)
Anonymous
Disagree all you want my brother. When I hold this phone I’m gonna spout all kindsa rediculous “non-Sense”
http://www.facebook.com/iamm0ses Nick Kane
Lol “non-Sense”
Kitpogi
At least this time, Samsung finally heard the cries of its die-hard fans… PUT A DAMN CAMERA FLASH ON AN IPHONE REPLICA DEVICE FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! hehe
Anonymous
I can’t argue with that!
So much stuff the Vibrant shoulda had…
Anonymous
IPhone replica? I don’t recall iPhone doing anything as great as this.
whosaidwhat
Sorry but I don’t think the sensation will be the best Android phone come June 8, that tittle will still be held by the Galaxy SII. At lease the European and Asian version. I can’t speak for the US version of the SGSII since the carrier’s might rape the phone with stupid bloatware (to slow it down) and redesign.
The sensation and EVO 3D will however be the second best phones for the next few months after they are released. I am counting on Google and the Nexus 3 to put all other phones to shame come late summer. LOL. One can dream right?
Anonymous
Galaxy S II has already begun its world domination and the Sensation will be HIGHLY successful but by no means out do the SGSII.
So, I agree with ya whosaid.
Anonymous
This phone makes the Sensation look like waste of money.
Anonymous
Sick…I’ve officially jumped off the SGSII bandwagon….This should be nice.
Wilma Flintstone
LOL It’s like Pirates of the Caribbean jumping ship. I’m going to see Pirates 4 this friday also. MWUHAHAHAHA!!!!!
Anonymous
Lol exactly like that, hopefully they both live up to the hype.
Anonymous
Or maybe you jumped right back on under new name.
Anonymous
Why would I? This an infuse with SGSII insides. Sounds like a winner in my book.
Anonymous
HA HAHA HAHAHAHAHAAAA!! I CALLED IT Yesssssssssssssssss!!!! Thank YOU TMO NEWS!!
This is THEEE phone of all phones!!!
Wait wait wait… this is a joke right?
Anonymous
“The Qualcomm Snapdragon APQ8060 or the processor that is happily running in HP’s new tablet, has now finally and officially announced by the company.
This dual-core (clocked at 1.2GHz in Touchpad) comes paired up with Adreno 220 GPU and features support for Stereoscopic 3D (S3D), 1080p 30fps HD video capture and playback, console-quality gaming and full web browsing including the support for Adobe Flash 10.
According to Qualcomm, the newest member of the Snapdragon family includes two asynchronous processor cores, an integrated Adreno 220 GPU with twice the processing power of its predecessor, support for up to a 16 Megapixel camera, and can capture and display HD 1080p stereoscopic video or 8 Megapixel stereoscopic still images to an autostereoscopic panel or a 3DTV (via HDMI).
Something that we haven’t seen yesterday is the Armageddon Squadron II, an arcade flight simulation game made by Polarbit, which is apparently optimized for HP Touchpad. According to Qualcomm’s press release, this game features dynamic lightning and shading with enhanced motion blur, all thanks to that Adreno 220 GPU.
Considering these quite an impressive specs, it is no wonder that HP’s WebOS based Touchpad is working well with multi-tasking and even might have impressive GPU power under the hood as well.”
I like everything about this except the potential release date. By the time this comes out the Nexus 3 will be announced or right around the corner with Kal-El.
Decisions decisions.
Farhan
Yea. But there’s always something new around the corner especially within 3-4 months of release of a new phone. I’m holding out for the Sensation 4G. That should hold me over until Tegra 3 phones come out.
whosaidwhat
You are right about that. It’s the state of the smartphone world. A new superphone is born every 3 to 4 months thanks to Android and it’s OEM’s. Good for us geeks though.
NardVa
Tmobile is dropping some top of the line phones.
Itmustbejj
I get so tired of the whole 42mbps HSPA+ radio crap. These phones won’t even get 14 mbps so why is the possibility of an imaginary cap a selling feature? Hell most people will even get the 7.2mbps that non HSPA+ compatible radios can exceed. I’m more interested in tangible features.
Itmustbejj
*will never. That will teach me to rage post.
michael
A 14.4mbps phone will see a peak of about 12mbps because of multiple network users, not being 2 inches from the tower, etc. its possible to reach 14.4mbps but it’s not probable. Its theoretical. 21 might see 14-15 as a peak.
42mbps on a loaded network is impressive though. 20-25mbps average. Not peak. Its about average, not theoretical.
http://profiles.google.com/peacock73 Anthony Peacock
Its not the Infuse. The only thing it has in common with that phone is the screen. Everything else is the SII in fact its the SII mkII because it has the NFC support that Samsung announced would be coming to the SII in June/July.
As far as it being outdated by release I have serious doubts that the new Kal-El proc will be in any device prior to the end of the year holiday season.
Its always a fine line to walk with tech. There is always something new coming down the pipe and you can wait forever for it.
I am not sure if this will mean I wont buy a Sensation – but it sure as heck gives me pause. The ability to switch between AT&T and Tmobile frequencies alone means this phone is far more useful to me as a world traveler.
Anonymous
Nice preemptive counter arguments!!
michael
TouchWiz 4.0…?
Biggbrother
4.5″ screen with only a 480 x 800 resolution? That might not look as sharp.
These specs sound completely made up.
Anonymous
The Infuse is real. The Galaxy S II is real. Put em together and here we are.
Bimmerz
Yeah, almost as though SGS2 and the Infuse hooked up one night, and this was their love-child. ;o)
the weird thing is, it sounds alot like the greek mythology too. two gods mated… created hercules… living with the small town commoners (t-mobile) lolwut. is there something we’re all missing here? hope this thing drops…
Bimmerz
Yeah, almost as though SGS2 and the Infuse hooked up one night, and this was their love-child. ;o)
Bimmerz
Yeah, almost as though SGS2 and the Infuse hooked up one night, and this was their love-child. ;o)
Just one of the reviews that mentions how great the screen looks. It also explains the concept of the super AMOLED and why a 480×800 res doesn’t mean quite as much as it used to in the bad old days.
Chris
I find it weird that samsung is using a qualcomm cpu.
Anonymous
They can’t keep up with the demand for Exynos chips unfortunately. I won’t let that cloud my judgement tho.
Anonymous
Does Exynos support 21mbps or 42?
http://twitter.com/Zeon45 Oscar Zeon Dominguez
Sounds more like a Samsung Galaxy S 2 to me
Now_onTMO
I want the galaxy s 2… this one is too big and doesn’t have superamoled plus… just get the galaxy s 2, i don’t want this.. pffft
Anonymous
“4.5? 480 x 800 Super AMOLED Plus display”
3…2…1…
Now_onTMO
Oh, my bad hehe.. but what about the processor? Will it be as good as the equinox or better? Im gonna have to check out the infuse to see how big it is.. good spec though,most likely tmo won’t get the gs2, if so then Hercules it is..
Anonymous
Better apparently and with this you can take advantage of t-mo’s newer network when its upgraded.
Davimiddljr
No one on the corner Gotta bop like this
Can’t wear skinny jeans cause my phone don’t fit
No one on the corner gotta Hercules like this
So I rock Roc jeans cause my phone so thick
http://profiles.google.com/yogageeta Bhagiratha das
Just ordered the Galaxy S2, and even though I will only get edge service … it will hold me up until Mr. Hercules shows its face state-side.
This is great news for T-Mobile customers who are craving for a beast like the SGS2.
Kudos to T-Mobile and for Samsung, lets hope the construction of the Hercules is not all plasticky as the S2!Just ordered the Galaxy S2, and even though I will only get edge service … it will hold me up until Mr. Hercules shows its face state-side. This is great news for T-Mobile customers who are craving for a beast like the SGS2. Kudos to T-Mobile and for Samsung, lets hope the construction of the Hercules is not all plasticky as the S2!
http://www.facebook.com/people/Simon-Yu/100000989859895 Simon Yu
So you have ~$800 to spare to just hold you over..
Anonymous
Hey we’re not all broke lol. Besides, can you imagine the resale value on a Euro SGSII here in the states on Ebay? @google-53b3235f172281121aaa50f106ffc138:disqus might only lose a hundred or two.
I’m a $500+ tax for a phone kinda guy if i want so $6-650 shipped isn’t a far stretch.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Simon-Yu/100000989859895 Simon Yu
So you have ~$800 to spare to just hold you over..
Bimmerz
Whoa – who let the dogs out?! lol This sounds like it will be a beast of a phone, WTG T-Mo! =o)
That being said, I honestly don’t think that this is T-Mo’s version of the SGS2 – but rather it’s T-Mo’s version of AT&T’s Infuse. Maybe T-Mo passed on the SGS2 for this, instead…? OR…If I am wrong, and this is T-Mo’s version of the SGS2 – then this would explain, as to why T-Mo wasn’t listed with the accessories for the SGS2, as the other 3 carriers were yesterday. Since this will obviously be bigger than the other carriers versions of the SGS2.Also, if this T-Mo’s version of the SGS2 – then we’re getting the “Pro” version this time around, as Sprint did with the Epic, with the original SGS.
No matter either way, glad to see T-Mo really stepping it up this year! It’s almost like; “what acquisition”? One thing is for sure, if the acquisition does happen, then I’d say T-Mo is going out with a BANG!
P.S. I’ll believe this has quadbands when I see it – can anyone say; G2X?
Anonymous
If the specs that leaked out are correct, this phone shouldn’t be considered a SGS2. As far as I know all of the SGS phones were pretty much identical on the inside and could be developed for concurrently for the most part. The processor listed for the Hercules is the same Qualcomm dual-core that is used in the Sensation 4G.
It’s very strange that Samsung is using a processor from an outside company. Only time will tell if this is a one-off design for T-Mo or a trend. I would bet on the former, though.
Anonymous
@863edb8b5ee67ee649681fef31312513:disqus & @wielandrew:disqus The Infuse 4G is still considered a “Galaxy S phone” so why can’t the 4.5″ Galaxy S II feature having Hercules still be considered a Galaxy S II?
What else would it be?
Bimmerz
I guess it could very well be our version of the GS2, as I didn’t know that the Infuse was considered a GS phone. So many phones, and so little time to keep up with the latest, before a new phone comes out – who can keep track!? lol
Anonymous
The size of the screen isn’t the issue. Not all of the Galaxy S phones use the same size screen, and all of the screens are the same resolution anyway so it makes no difference what size they are functionally.
The problem is that the Hercules uses a different processor/GPU. If you look at apps in the marketplace, they usually only say compatible (or not) with Galaxy S phones and don’t list the individual models. They are all the same phone just with different bodies tacked on. They perform and behave basically identically. This won’t be true of the Galaxy S II and the Hercules; the Hercules will have to be developed, benchmarked, tested, debugged separately from the Galaxy S II because it is based on a different chipset.
If Samsung used the Galaxy S II moniker for the Hercules, they could run into technical issues and complaints. I can imagine users trying to run applications that are listed as working on the Galaxy S II and then complaining when they don’t work on the Hercules; compatibility won’t be essentially guaranteed anymore.
There may be 4.5″ Galaxy S phones in the works, but to be called that it will have to use the Exynos processor.
What I don’t understand is why the Galaxy S II moniker is so important to people. It’s just a silly brand name.
Bimmerz
From what I am reading, the reason for a different processor chip, is because Samsung’s doesn’t support HSPA+ 42 yet, only 21. Looking forward to seeing this phone when it comes out, and to see if these early specs hold true, as they could change.
Man you ain’t lying the way I see it they should make a superphone and stick with it by promoting it and giving it all the updates they can to that one specific phone.
phone head
Thats what Android needs to start doing with all there phones not just the nexus phones!
Aerofanbig
Thats what Android needs to start doing? You do realize Android is an operating system, its not a phone manufacturer lol Android isn’t eve a company, its software made my Google. Other companies produce phones that run on Android, such as HTC, Motorola, Samsung, LG, Huawei and others. Your beef is with them constantly coming out with new models.
And if each company made ONE super phone and stuck with it, know what happens? Same people on this board bitch and moan about the lack of development and how their 2 week old phone has “last year features”. There is no winning with tech geeks, so, we deal with bigger, better, faster, newer phones every other week
Davidmiddljr
unless your Apple and make the IPhone, which is basically what @Fam said. But they suffer from what you say also. Haven’t seen any innovation from them since 3G.
Respawn
One problem: Samsung
Anonymous
No mam samsung is the solution. When you are ready for greatness swap that skirt of yours for a set of pants and give in to what is the greatest of androids.
Respawn
It’s a good solution for those who want a P.O.S. Phone with a crap update schedule. I’ll keep my skirt, thanks.
Am123
I’d rather get the HTC Sensation if it’s going to sport a processor using the same GPU 220.
About PhoneDog
PhoneDog is one of the largest and most popular interactive mobile news and reviews resource that attracts a community of more than 2.5 million unique visitors each month. The site may have a "cute" name, but it offers up serious editorial content and video reviews that users rely on to make important decisions about their next mobile purchases. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
7. Brussels Sprouts With Maple Syrup, Cranberries, and Feta
The baked Brussels sprouts are good, but the sour and sharp cranberry-feta sprouts are much better.
Although Massachusetts is generally associated with cranberry production, Wisconsin is a true leader.
The country grew 55% of the world's cranberry supply, and most of the family owned cranberries. Cutler Cranberry, the farm I visited, is in the sixth generation of family ownership.
Lisa, one of the current owners of Cutler Cranberry, gracefully took me around the farm for a day, lent me her wader (the sexy rubber boots I wore in the photo above), and shared all about the cranberry growing process with me. I must have some misunderstandings.
First and foremost, I think that cranberries are grown in water.
Not! Cranberries actually grow on dry ground in large sandy plots called beds.
The water is used at harvest only.
The bed is inundated and the vines are shaken (or "tortured" - that's the tractor in the photo above). | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
---
abstract: 'In this paper we extend Sylvester’s approach via upper triangular compact operators to establish the discreteness of transmission eigenvalues for higher-order main terms and higher-order perturbations. The coefficients of the perturbations must be sufficiently smooth and the coefficients of the higher-order terms of the perturbation must vanish in a neighbourhood of the boundary of the underlying domain. The zeroeth order term must satisfy a suitable coercivity condition in a neighbourhood of the boundary.'
author:
- 'Andoni García[^1][ ]{}, Esa V. Vesalainen[^2][ ]{}, Miren Zubeldia[^3]'
title: 'Discreteness of Transmission Eigenvalues for Higher-Order Main Terms and Perturbations'
---
Introduction
============
Let $P$ be a formally self-adjoint elliptic constant coefficient partial differential operator in $\mathbb R^n$ bounded from below of order $k\in\mathbb Z_+$, and let $\Omega\subset\mathbb R^n$ be a bounded non-empty open set. We will consider the following interior transmission eigenvalue problem associated to $P$, $$\label{eq:ITP}
\begin{cases}
(P+Q-\lambda)v=0 & \text{in $\Omega$},\\
(P-\lambda)w=0 & \text{in $\Omega$},\\
v-w\in H^k_0(\Omega).
\end{cases}$$ Here $H^k_0(\Omega)$ denotes the Sobolev space defined as the closure of $C^{\infty}_{\mathrm c}(\Omega)$ in the Sobolev norm $H^k(\Omega)$. We say that $\lambda\in\mathbb C$ is a transmission eigenvalue if there exists a non-zero pair of $L^2$-functions $(v,w)$ solving the above system. The multiplicity of a transmission eigenvalue is the dimension of the space of solutions. In the equations above, the perturbation $Q$ will be a partial differential operator of order smaller than $k$.
The problem of transmission eigenvalues was introduced in [@Colton--Monk; @Kirsch] in connection with an inverse scattering problem for the reduced wave equation. The discreteness of the set of transmission eigenvalues was among the first general results obtained [@Colton--Kirsch--Paivarinta]. The original motivation for studying them was largely derived from the fact that some qualitative methods of inverse scattering theory, namely the linearization method [@Colton--Kirsch] and the factorization method [@Kirsch2], require using energies (or wavenumbers or frequencies) for which every incident wave scatters non-trivially. Energies which do not satisfy this condition turn out to be transmission eigenvalues, and so the discreteness of transmission eigenvalues implies that of non-scattering energies.
For the existence of transmission eigenvalues the first general result was proved in [@Paivarinta--Sylvester], and the existence of infinitely many transmission eigenvalues was established in [@Cakoni--Gintides--Haddar] soon after. This gave more impetus to the study of the topic, as transmission eigenvalues provide a new potential avenue for deriving information about a scatterer. In particular, the knowledge of interior transmission eigenvalues can be used in determining a radial scatterer [@Maclaughlin--Polyakov; @Maclaughlin--Polyakov--Sacks; @Colton--Kirsch--Paivarinta], and for non-radial scatterers, also some information about the scatterer can be derived [@Cakoni--Colton--Monk].
Most of the work on transmission eigenvalues has so far been for second-order main terms and zeroeth order perturbations. The series of papers [@Hitrik--Krupchyk--Ola--Paivarinta1; @Hitrik--Krupchyk--Ola--Paivarinta2; @Hitrik--Krupchyk--Ola--Paivarinta3] were the first to consider transmission eigenvalues for higher-order main terms. More concretely, they considered the case of general constant coefficient operators $P$, and for these a well developed scattering theory is available [@Hormander].
For more information and references on transmission eigenvalues we recommend [@Cakoni--Haddar1; @Cakoni--Haddar2].
Why higher order main terms and perturbations?
----------------------------------------------
Our motivation for considering more general higher-order main terms and higher-order perturbations is twofold. First, one would naturally like to strive for as much generality as is reasonably possible. The works [@Hitrik--Krupchyk--Ola--Paivarinta1; @Hitrik--Krupchyk--Ola--Paivarinta2; @Hitrik--Krupchyk--Ola--Paivarinta3] demonstrate how the basic features of the theory of transmission eigenvalues pleasantly carry through to higher-order main terms. Furthermore, as far as we know, higher-order perturbations have not been considered in this connection before.
Second, higher-order operators and perturbations appear in many places in both mathematics and applications. Let us mention only a few examples: fourth order equations and second order perturbations in plate tectonics and more generally thin elastic plates in mechanics [@Villaggio], equations of quantum field theory [@Esposito--Kamenshchik], the Paneitz–Branson operator of conformal geometry [@Branson], and the characterizing equation for boundary values of polyharmonic functions in the unit ball of $\mathbb C^2$ [@Bedford; @Bedford--Federbush]. Also sets of generators of centers of the algebras of invariant differential operators in many homogeneous spaces, whose joint eigenfunctions are the central objects of harmonic analysis in homogeneous spaces [@Helgason], often include higher-order operators. One notable instance of this are spaces such as $\mathrm{SL}(n,\mathbb R)/SO(n,\mathbb R)$ which are of great importance in number theory [@Goldfeld]. Last, but definitely not least, already for second-order main terms first-order perturbations appear when magnetic potentials are present in Schrödinger scattering.
Higher-order main terms with higher-order perturbations {#Esa}
-------------------------------------------------------
Arguably the most common approach to dealing with transmission eigenvalues would involve considering certain quadratic forms involving the inverse of the perturbation. With such an approach this inverse would pose obvious challenges for higher-order perturbations. The recent novel approach of Sylvester [@Sylvester] to establishing discreteness of transmission eigenvalues, which gives the most general discreteness result for $P=-\Delta$ and related divergence form main terms to date, instead turns out to be rather more amenable to such generalizations.
What we consider are perturbations of order lower than $k$ in which the positive order terms have coefficients with enough smoothness and vanish in a neighbourhood of $\partial\Omega$, and in which the zeroeth order term satisfies a suitable coercivity condition. More precisely, in this case $Q= W + \lambda^\nu V$ where $V\in L^\infty(\Omega)$ is the complex-valued zeroeth order term, $\nu\in\left\{0,1\right\}$ and $W$ is a partial differential operator of the form $$W = \sum_{1 \leqslant |\alpha| \leqslant e} W_\alpha \partial^\alpha$$ with $e\in \{0, 1, \ldots, k-1\}$ and the complex-valued coefficients $W_\alpha$ are smooth enough for each multi-index $\alpha$ and vanish in a neighbourhood of $\partial\Omega$. We are planning to relax this vanishing condition for the magnetic Schrödinger operator elsewhere.
This approach requires some a priori estimates which we derive in the spirit of [@Robbiano] using parameter-dependent pseudodifferential calculus. We emphasize here that no smoothness is required from $\partial\Omega$, and $V$ only needs to satisfy the coercivity condition near $\partial\Omega$; otherwise $V$ can be an arbitrary complex valued $L^\infty$-function.
The two cases $\nu=0$ and $\nu=1$ could be called Schrödinger and Helmholtz cases, respectively. Perturbations with $\nu=0$ appear in quantum scattering, whereas potentials with $\nu=1$ appear in electromagnetic and acoustic scattering. Although the proofs are mostly parallel for the two cases, the case $\nu=1$ is harder as in the end one needs to perform a perturbation argument with large $\lambda$ which is harder for the rather large perturbation $\lambda V$.
The case $\nu=1$ is more delicate in other ways as well: In the case where $W$ is present, the Helmholtz argument will involve $W/\lambda$, and this prevents us from excluding the possibility that the transmission eigenvalues accumulate to zero. Furthermore, for $\nu=1$, we need to invoke unique continuation and this imposes restrictions on the main term. Finally, in the case $\nu=1$, we can only treat one of the two coercivity conditions which appear in [@Sylvester]. We are planning to consider the other coercivity condition elsewhere.
Notation {#notation .unnumbered}
--------
In various exponents, $\varepsilon$ will denote an arbitrarily and sufficiently small positive real number whose value will change from one occurrence to the next. The symbol $\mathbb C^\times$ means the set of non-zero complex numbers.
In the integrals where we do not specify the integration space we mean that we are integrating over the domain $\Omega$ with respect to the Lebesgue measure $dx$, i.e. $\int = \int_{\Omega} dx$. In addition, if we do not specify the domain in function spaces, it means that we are considering the domain $\Omega$. For instance, $L^2 = L^2(\Omega)$. Furthermore, we write $\Vert \cdot \Vert$ for $\Vert \cdot \Vert_{L^2}$.
We use the standard asymptotic notations $\ll$, $\gg$ and $\asymp$. For complex-valued functions $f$ and $g$, defined in some set $X$, the notation $f\ll g$ means that there exists a constant $C\in\mathbb R_+$ so that $\left|f(x)\right|\leqslant C\left|g(x)\right|$ for all $x\in X$. The implicit constant $C$ is always allowed to depend on the dimension $n\in\mathbb Z_+$ of the ambient Euclidean space, on $\varepsilon$, and on the domain $\Omega$, on the order $k\in\mathbb Z_+$ of the main terms, and on the potentials and coefficients $V$ and $W_\alpha$ appearing in the interior transmission problem, and on anything that has been explicitly fixed. If the implicit constant depends on some other objects $\alpha$, $\beta$, …, then we write $\ll_{\alpha,\beta,\dots}$ instead of $\ll$. The notation $g\gg f$ means the same as $f\ll g$. The notation $f\asymp g$ means that both $f\ll g$ and $f\gg g$.
Acknowledgements {#acknowledgements .unnumbered}
----------------
The first author received funding from the project MTM2011-24054 Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología de España.
The second author received funding from Finland’s ministry of Education through the Doctoral Program in Inverse Problems, the Vilho, Yrjö and Kalle Väisälä Foundation, the Academy of Finland through the Finnish Centre of Excellence in Inverse Problems Research and the projects 283262, 276031 and 282938, and the European Research Council under the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP/2007-2013) / ERC Grant Agreement n. 267700.
The third author is supported by the Basque Government through the grant POS-2014-1-43 and also by the Basque Government through the BERC 2014-2017 program and by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness MINECO: BCAM Severo Ochoa accreditation SEV-2013-0323 and the project MTM2014-53145-P. She also received funding from CoE in Inverse Problems 2012-2017, University of Helsinki and UH/CoE project 79999103.
Finally, the second and third authors would like to acknowledge the generous support of the Henri Poincaré Institute, where part of this research was carried out during the thematic program in inverse problems in 2015.
The main results
================
Let $P$ be a formally self-adjoint elliptic constant coefficient partial differential operator of order $k\in\mathbb Z_+$ bounded from below, and let $\Omega$ be a bounded nonempty open set in $\mathbb R^n$. The symbol of $P$ is denoted by $P(\cdot)$.
The minimal extension of $P$ is the closed extension $$P\colon H^k_0(\Omega)\longrightarrow L^2(\Omega),$$ where $H_0^k(\Omega)$ is the closure of $C_{\mathrm c}^\infty(\Omega)$ in the Sobolev norm $\left\|\cdot\right\|_{H^k(\Omega)}$. The maximal extension of $P$ is the closed extension $$P\colon H^k_P(\Omega)\longrightarrow L^2(\Omega),$$ where $H^k_P(\Omega)$ is the function space $$H^k_P(\Omega)=\bigl\{u\in L^2(\Omega)\bigm| Pu\in L^2(\Omega)\bigr\}.$$ Furthermore, for $k\in\mathbb Z_+\cup\left\{0\right\}$ and $p\in\left[1,\infty\right]$, we denote by $W_{\mathrm c}^{k,p}(\Omega)$ those functions in $W^{k,p}(\Omega)$ which are supported in some compact subset of $\Omega$. Or equivalently, the functions in $W_{\mathrm c}^{k,p}(\Omega)$ are functions in $W^{k,p}(\Omega)$ each of which vanishes in some neighbourhood of $\partial\Omega$.
We recall here that the adjoint of the maximal extension of $P$ is the minimal extension of $P$, and vice versa. For more on minimal and maximal realizations we refer to Section 4.1 of [@Grubb].
The following is the main theorem in the Schrödinger case.
\[schrodinger-main-theorem\] Let $P$ be a formally self-adjoint elliptic constant coefficient partial differential operator of order $k\in\mathbb Z_+$ in $\mathbb R^n$ bounded from below, let $\Omega$ be a bounded nonempty subset of $\mathbb R^n$. Let $V\in L^\infty(\Omega)$ be such that in some neighbourhood of $\partial\Omega$ it only takes values from some closed complex half-plane not containing zero. Furthermore, let $W_\alpha\in W^{\left|\alpha\right|,\infty}_{\mathrm c}(\Omega)$ be complex-valued for each multi-index $\alpha$ with $1\leqslant\left|\alpha\right|\leqslant e$, where $e\in\left\{0,1,\ldots,k-1\right\}$, and write $W$ for the partial differential operator $$W=\sum_{1\leqslant\left|\alpha\right|\leqslant e}W_\alpha\partial^\alpha.$$ In the case $e=0$ we set $W=0$. Let $\Lambda$ be the set of complex numbers $\lambda$ for which there exist functions $v,w\in L^2(\Omega)\setminus\left\{0\right\}$ with $v-w\in H^k_0(\Omega)$ solving the system $$\left\{\!\!\begin{array}{l}
(P+W+V-\lambda)v=0,\\
(P-\lambda)w=0.
\end{array}\right.$$ Then the set $\Lambda$ is discrete, and each $\lambda\in\Lambda$ is of finite multiplicity.
Here $\lambda\in\Lambda$ is said to be of finite multiplicity if the space of pairs of solutions $\left(v,w\right)\in L^2(\Omega)\times L^2(\Omega)$ with $v-w\in H_0^k(\Omega)$ to the above system is finite dimensional.
Though $v$ and $w$ are a priori only in $L^2(\Omega)$, it follows from the second equation that $w\in H^k_P(\Omega)$, and from the condition for $v-w$ that also $v\in H^k_P(\Omega)$. Lemma \[estimates-for-w\] below then guarantees that also $Ww$ is a well-defined $L^2$-function and again the condition for $v-w$ guarantees that the same is true for $Wv$.
For the Helmholtz case we have the following theorem, which generalizes one of the two cases of Theorem 1.2 in [@Sylvester]. As the proof depends on unique continuation, we first define a subclass of elliptic operators following [@Wang].
An elliptic homogeneous constant coefficient partial differential operator $P_0$ is said to be of class $G$, if there exists a unit vector $\eta\in S^{n-1}$ such that for any $\xi\in\mathbb R^n$ with $P_0(\xi+i\eta)=0$ we have
- $\eta\cdot(\nabla_zP_0)(\xi+i\eta)\neq0$, where $\nabla_zP_0$ is the gradient $(\partial P_0/\partial z_1,\ldots,\partial P_0/\partial z_n)$ where $P_0=P_0(z_1,\ldots,z_n)$ is the obvious complex polynomial in $\mathbb C^n$, and
- $H(P_0)(\xi+i\eta)\neq0$, where $H(P_0)(\cdot)$ is the determinant of the complex Hessian matrix of $P_0(\cdot)$.
The condition (G1) is called Calderón’s simple characteristic condition, and the condition (G2) is called the curvature condition. Here $P_0(\cdot)$ denotes the symbol of $P_0$.
\[helmholtz-main-theorem\] Let $P$ be a formally self-adjoint elliptic constant coefficient partial differential operator of order $k\in\mathbb Z_+$ in $\mathbb R^n$ bounded from below and with principal part of class $G$, let $\Omega$ be a bounded nonempty subset of $\mathbb R^n$. Let $V\in L^\infty(\Omega)$ be such that $\Re V\geqslant-1+\delta$ in $\Omega$, and that in some neighbourhood of $\partial\Omega$ it only takes values with real parts in $\left[-1+\delta,-\delta\right]$, where $\delta\in\left]0,1\right[$.
Furthermore, let $W_\alpha\in W^{\left|\alpha\right|,\infty}_{\mathrm c}(\Omega)$ be complex-valued for each multi-index $\alpha$ with $1\leqslant\left|\alpha\right|\leqslant e$, where $e\in\left\{0,1,\ldots,k-1\right\}$, and write $W$ for the partial differential operator $$W=\sum_{1\leqslant\left|\alpha\right|\leqslant e}W_\alpha\partial^\alpha.$$ In the case $e=0$ we set $W=0$. If $e>0$ or if $P$ is not homogeneous, we assume that $k<n/2$. Assume also that $\left\|\Im V\right\|_{L^\infty}$ is sufficiently small, depending on $\Omega$, $P$ and $W$.
Let $\Lambda$ be the set of non-zero complex numbers $\lambda$ for which there exist functions $v,w\in L^2(\Omega)\setminus\left\{0\right\}$ with $v-w\in H^k_0(\Omega)$ solving the system $$\left\{\!\!\begin{array}{l}
(P+W+\lambda V-\lambda)v=0,\\
(P-\lambda)w=0.
\end{array}\right.$$ Then the set $\Lambda$ is a discrete subset of $\mathbb C^\times$, and each $\lambda\in\Lambda$ is of finite multiplicity. If $e=0$, then $\Lambda$ is a discrete subset of $\mathbb C$.
Actually, the proof offers more flexibility. For instance, we may let $W_\alpha$ and $V$ depend analytically on $\lambda\in D$, where $D$ is a connected neighbourhood of $\mathbb R$ in $\mathbb C$, to get discreteness and finite multiplicity in $D$ or $D\setminus\left\{0\right\}$, as appropriate. The coefficients $W_\alpha$ should vanish in a neighbourhood of the boundary which does not depend on $\lambda$, and their $W^{\left|\alpha\right|,\infty}$-norms should be uniformly bounded for large negative reals $\lambda$. In fact we could allow even a little growth such as $\left\|W_\alpha\right\|_{W^{\left|\alpha\right|,\infty}}\ll\left|\lambda\right|^{\delta}$ for small enough $\delta\in\mathbb R_+$. Similarly, in a compact set of $\Omega$, the potential $V$ can change analytically fairly arbitrarily as long as its $L^\infty$-norm stays uniformly bounded, or grows slowly enough, for large negative reals $\lambda$. Near the boundary, one could similarly allow analytic dependence as long as the details of the coercivity condition are uniform for large negative $\lambda$.
The conditions in the above theorems for $W_\alpha$ are formulated in terms of Sobolev spaces for simplicity. In fact, the proof only requires that $\partial^\beta W_\alpha\in L^\infty(\Omega)$ for multi-indices $\beta$ with $\beta_1\leqslant\alpha_1$, $\beta_2\leqslant\alpha_2$, …, $\beta_n\leqslant\alpha_n$. This condition comes from requiring that the adjoint $W^*$ has $L^\infty$-coefficients.
The condition that $P$ should have a principal part of class $G$ and the condition on $m<n/2$ are only required to apply the weak unique continuation theorems, Theorems 1.3 and 1.4, from [@Wang].
In both main theorems the method of proof actually implies about real transmission eigenvalues that $\left]-\infty,-C\right]\cap\Lambda=\emptyset$ for some $C\in\mathbb R_+$ which depends on $\Omega$ and all the operators in question.
Theorem \[helmholtz-main-theorem\] does not exclude the possibility that the transmission eigenvalues accumulate to zero, unless $W=0$.
Proofs of Theorems \[schrodinger-main-theorem\] and \[helmholtz-main-theorem\]
==============================================================================
Our overall strategy for proving Theorems \[schrodinger-main-theorem\] and \[helmholtz-main-theorem\] is the same as in [@Sylvester]. Setting $u=v-w$, instead of the interior transmission problem we consider the equivalent problem for $u\in H^k_0(\Omega)$ and $w$: $$\begin{cases}
(P+Q-\lambda)u+Qw=0&\text{in $\Omega$,}\\
(P-\lambda)w=0&\text{in $\Omega$.}
\end{cases}$$ Here $u$, in a sense, satisfies many “boundary conditions”, but $w$ satisfies none. We first consider the “Born approximation” by simply striking out the term $Qu$ or $\lambda Vu$, depending on whether $\nu=0$ or $\nu=1$. Once the properties of the resolvent operators of the simpler case has been dealt with, the missing term can be brought back in with a perturbation argument. This is particularly simple in the Schrödinger case but requires more work in the Helmholtz situation.
The key goal is to prove that the Born approximation has well-defined resolvent operators when $\lambda$ is a negative real number and tends to $-\infty$, that their norms are well controlled, and that they are upper triangular compact. To do all this, we will first have to prove some a priori estimates. Following [@Robbiano], we do so by using parameter-dependent pseudodifferential calculus.
We first review the pseudodifferential calculus needed, then establish the relevant a priori estimates. These estimates are then applied carefully with basic functional analysis to establish the resolvent operators and their good properties for the Born approximation. Finally, perturbation arguments allow us to move back to the original interior transmission problems, and the analogue of the analytic Fredholm theorem for upper triangular compact operators finishes the proof.
In this entire section, $P$ will be as in Theorems \[schrodinger-main-theorem\] and \[helmholtz-main-theorem\]: a fixed elliptic formally self-adjoint constant coefficient partial differential operator bounded from below and of fixed order $k\in\mathbb Z_+$. The symbol of $P$ will be denoted by the same letter, typically by writing $P(\cdot)$.
Parameter-dependent pseudodifferential operators
------------------------------------------------
The proofs for the estimates for studying the Born approximation will make use of parameter-dependent pseudodifferential operators. In order to make the presentation more self-contained, we present here, with just enough generality, the relevant definitions and results. A standard reference for this topic is [@Shubin].
Let $m\in\mathbb R$ and $k\in\mathbb Z_+$, and let $\Lambda\subseteq\left[1,\infty\right[$ be unbounded. For us, $\Lambda$ will be an interval $\left[C,\infty\right[$ for some, typically very large $C\in\mathbb R_+$. Here $m$ denotes the order of the pseudodifferential operator, and for us $k$ will be the order of the main terms in the interior transmission problem.
The symbol class $S^m_{1,0,k}(\mathbb R^n\times\mathbb R^n;\Lambda)$ consists of all those functions $$\sigma\colon\mathbb R^n\times\mathbb R^n\times\Lambda\longrightarrow\mathbb C,$$ for which $\sigma(\cdot,\cdot,\lambda)\in C^\infty(\mathbb R^n\times\mathbb R^n)$ for each $\lambda\in\Lambda$, and $$\partial_\xi^\alpha\partial_x^\beta\sigma(x,\xi,\lambda)\ll_{\alpha,\beta,\sigma}
\left(\lambda^{1/k}+\left|\xi\right|\right)^{m-\left|\alpha\right|}$$ for all $x,\xi\in\mathbb R^n$ and $\lambda\in\Lambda$, and for all multi-indices $\alpha$ and $\beta$.
The operator $\mathrm{Op}(\sigma)$ corresponding to a symbol $\sigma\in S^m_{1,0,k}(\mathbb R^n\times\mathbb R^n;\Lambda)$ is defined for Schwartz test functions $\varphi\in S(\mathbb R^n)$ by the formula $$\bigl(\mathrm{Op}(\sigma)\varphi\bigr)(x,\lambda)=\int\limits_{\mathbb R^n}e^{2\pi ix\cdot\xi}\,\sigma(x,\xi,\lambda)\,\widehat\varphi(\xi)\,\mathrm d\xi$$ for $x\in\mathbb R^n$ and $\lambda\in\Lambda$. All our pseudodifferential operators will depend on $\lambda$, but we will simplify the notation by writing $\sigma(x,\xi)$ and $\bigl(\mathrm{Op}(\sigma)\varphi\bigr)(x)$ without the lambdas.
If $m\leqslant0$, then $\mathrm{Op}(\sigma)$ extends to a bounded operator from $L^2(\mathbb R^n)$ to $L^2(\mathbb R^n)$, for each $\lambda\in\Lambda$, and more precisely, the operator norm has the pleasant upper bound $$\bigl\|\mathrm{Op}(\sigma)\bigr\|\ll_\sigma\lambda^{m/k}.$$ We would like to specifically add that for $m=0$, $$\bigl\|\mathrm{Op}(\sigma)\bigr\|_{H^s(\mathbb R^n)\longrightarrow H^s(\mathbb R^n)}\ll_{\sigma,s}1,$$ for all $s\in\mathbb R$, uniformly for $\lambda\in\Lambda$. Also, more generally for $m\in\mathbb R$, the operator $\mathrm{Op}(\sigma)$ extends to a bounded operator from the Sobolev space $H^s(\mathbb R^n)$ to $H^{s-m}(\mathbb R^n)$, again for each $\lambda\in\Lambda$.
Another important basic fact concerning pseudodifferential operators is that the composition of pseudodifferential operators is again a pseudodifferential operator, and, modulo lower-order terms, the symbol of the composition is the product of the symbols of the original operators. More precisely, if we have $\sigma_1\in S^{m_1}_{1,0,k}(\mathbb R^n\times\mathbb R^n;\Lambda)$ and $\sigma_2\in S^{m_2}_{1,0,k}(\mathbb R^n\times\mathbb R^n;\Lambda)$ for some $m_1,m_2\in\mathbb R$, then $$\mathrm{Op}(\sigma_1)\,\mathrm{Op}(\sigma_2)-\mathrm{Op}(\sigma_1\sigma_2)
\in\mathrm{Op}\!\left[S^{m_1+m_2-1}_{1,0,k}(\mathbb R^n\times\mathbb R^n;\Lambda)\right].$$
Estimates for the Born approximation
------------------------------------
We will consider large negative energies. But since it is easier to consider positive reals, we shall write $P+\lambda$ with $\lambda>0$ instead of $P-\lambda$ with $\lambda<0$.
\[estimates-for-u\] Let $u\in H_0^k(\Omega)$, $f\in L^2(\Omega)$, and $\lambda\in\mathbb R_+$, and assume that $$\left(P+\lambda\right)u=f$$ in $\Omega$. Then, for $\lambda\gg1$, $$\sum_{\left|\alpha\right|\leqslant k}\lambda^{-\left|\alpha\right|/k}\bigl\|\partial^\alpha u\bigr\|
\ll\frac1\lambda\bigl\|f\bigr\|.$$
We extend $u$ and $f$ by zero extensions to $\mathbb R^n$, so that $u\in H^k(\mathbb R^n)$ and $f\in L^2(\mathbb R^n)$. Also, now $$\left(P+\lambda\right)u=f$$ in $\mathbb R^n$. Taking Fourier transforms, we have $$\bigl(P(\cdot)+\lambda\bigr)\widehat u=\widehat f$$ in $\mathbb R^n$, and we immediately get $$\begin{aligned}
\sum_{\left|\alpha\right|\leqslant k}\lambda^{-\left|\alpha\right|/k}\bigl\|\partial^\alpha u\bigr\|
&\asymp\bigl\|\bigl(\lambda^{-1/k}\left|\cdot\right|+1\bigr)^k\widehat u\bigr\|
\asymp\frac1\lambda\bigl\|\bigl(P(\cdot)+\lambda\bigr)\widehat u\bigr\|
=\frac1\lambda\bigl\|\widehat f\,\bigr\|
=\frac1\lambda\bigl\|f\bigr\|.\end{aligned}$$
\[estimates-for-w\] Let $w\in H^k_{P}(\Omega)$, $g\in L^2(\Omega)$, $\lambda\in\mathbb R_+$, and let us fix some cut-off function $\chi\in C_{\mathrm c}^\infty(\Omega)$. Assume that $$\left(P+\lambda\right)w=g$$ in $\Omega$. Then, for $\lambda\gg1$, $$\bigl\|\chi w\bigr\|\ll\lambda^{-1/k}\bigl\|w\bigr\|+\lambda^{-1}\bigl\|g\bigr\|,$$ and for multi-indices $\alpha$ with $\left|\alpha\right|\leqslant k$, $$\bigl\|\partial^\alpha(\chi w)\bigr\|\ll\bigl\|w\bigr\|+\lambda^{\left|\alpha\right|/k-1}\bigl\|g\bigr\|.$$
We choose and fix cut-off functions $\chi_1,\chi_2\in C_{\mathrm c}^\infty(\Omega)$ so that $\chi_1\equiv1$ in $\mathrm{supp}\,\chi$ and $\chi_2\equiv1$ in $\mathrm{supp}\,\chi_1$. We write $$B=\mathrm{Op}\!\left(\frac\chi{P(\cdot)+\lambda}\right),$$ so that $$B\left(P+\lambda\right)=\chi,$$ and $B\in\mathrm{Op}\bigl[S_{1,0,k}^{-k}\bigr]$, and $\bigl\|B\bigr\|\ll\lambda^{-1}$. By pseudodifferential calculus, we have $$B\chi_1\left(P+\lambda\right)=\chi+K,$$ where $K\in\mathrm{Op}\bigl[S_{1,0,k}^{-1}\bigr]$, and so $\bigl\|K\bigr\|\ll\lambda^{-1/k}$. In particular, we now have $$B\chi_1\left(P+\lambda\right)\chi_2=\chi+K\chi_2.$$
Since $$\chi_1\left(P+\lambda\right)\chi_2w=\chi_1g,$$ we now have $$B\chi_1\left(P+\lambda\right)\chi_2w=B\chi_1g,$$ and so $$\chi w=-K\chi_2w+B\chi_1g.$$ We immediately get the estimates $$\bigl\|\chi w\bigr\|\ll\lambda^{-1/k}\bigl\|w\bigr\|+\lambda^{-1}\bigl\|g\bigr\|,$$ and $$\bigl\|\partial^\alpha(\chi w)\bigr\|\ll\bigl\|w\bigr\|+\lambda^{1/k-1}\bigl\|g\bigr\|,$$ for multi-indices $\alpha$ with $\left|\alpha\right|=1$.
Next, suppose that $N\in\left\{1,2\ldots,k-1\right\}$ is such that we have the estimates $$\bigl\|\partial^\alpha(\chi w)\bigr\|\ll\bigl\|w\bigr\|+\lambda^{\left|\alpha\right|/k-1}\bigl\|g\bigr\|$$ for all multi-indices $\alpha$ with $\left|\alpha\right|\leqslant N$, and any fixed cut-off function $\chi$. Then, for a multi-index $\alpha$ with $\left|\alpha\right|=N+1$, we shall write $\alpha=\beta+\gamma$ with multi-indices $\beta$ and $\gamma$ such that $\left|\beta\right|=N$ and $\left|\gamma\right|=1$. Arguing as above, we arrive at an identity $$\chi w=-K\chi_2w+B\chi_1g.$$ To estimate $\bigl\|\partial^\alpha(\chi w)\bigr\|$ we first observe that $$\bigl\|\partial^\alpha B\chi_1g\bigr\|\ll\lambda^{(N+1)/k-1}\bigl\|g\bigr\|,$$ because $\partial^\alpha B\in\mathrm{Op}\bigl[S^{N+1-k}_{1,0,k}\bigr]$. Next, we observe, that by the induction hypothesis, $\chi_2w\in H^N(\mathbb R^n)$ with $$\bigl\|\chi_2w\bigr\|_{H^N(\mathbb R^n)}\ll\bigl\|w\bigr\|+\lambda^{N/k-1}\bigl\|g\bigr\|,$$ and since $\partial^\gamma K\in\mathrm{Op}\bigl[S^0_{1,0,k}\bigr]$, we have $$\bigl\|\partial^\gamma K\chi_2w\bigr\|_{H^N(\mathbb R^n)}\ll\bigl\|w\bigr\|+\lambda^{N/k-1}\bigl\|g\bigr\|,$$ and since $$\bigl\|\partial^\beta\partial^\gamma K\chi_2w\bigr\|\ll\bigl\|\partial^\gamma K(\chi_2w)\bigr\|_{H^N(\mathbb R^n)},$$ we may invoke induction to finish the proof.
\[resolvent-estimates\] Let $V\in L^\infty(\Omega)$ be such that in some neighbourhood of $\partial\Omega$ it only takes values from some closed complex half-plane not containing zero. Also, let $W_\alpha\in L^\infty_{\mathrm c}(\Omega)$ be complex-valued for each multi-index $\alpha$ with $1\leqslant\left|\alpha\right|\leqslant e$, where $e\in\left\{0,1,\ldots,k-1\right\}$, and write $W$ for the partial differential operator $$W=\sum_{1\leqslant\left|\alpha\right|\leqslant e}W_\alpha\partial^\alpha.$$ In the case $e=0$ we set $W=0$. Let $u\in H_0^k(\Omega)$ and $w\in H_{P}^k(\Omega)$ solve the system $$\left\{\!\!\begin{array}{l}
\left(P+\mu W+\lambda\right)u+\lambda^{-\nu}Ww+Vw=f,\\[2pt]
\left(P+\iota W+\lambda\right)w=g,
\end{array}\right.$$ in $\Omega$ with $f,g\in L^2(\Omega)$, $\nu,\mu,\iota\in\left\{0,1\right\}$ and $\lambda\in\mathbb R_+$. Then, for $\lambda\gg1$, $$\sum_{\left|\alpha\right|\leqslant k}\lambda^{-\left|\alpha\right|/k}\bigl\|\partial^\alpha u\bigr\|\ll\frac1\lambda\bigl\|f\bigr\|+\lambda^{\varepsilon+e/k-2}\bigl\|g\bigr\|,$$ and $$\bigl\|w\bigr\|\ll\bigl\|f\bigr\|+\lambda^{\varepsilon+e/k-1}\bigl\|g\bigr\|.$$ Given a fixed cut-off function $\chi\in C_{\mathrm c}^\infty(\Omega)$, we have, in addition, the local estimates $$\bigl\|\chi w\bigr\|\ll\lambda^{-1/k}\bigl\|f\bigr\|+\left(\lambda^{\varepsilon+(e-1)/k-1}+\lambda^{-1}\right)\bigl\|g\bigr\|,$$ and $$%\sum_{1\leqslant\left|\alpha\right|\leqslant k}
\bigl\|\partial^\alpha(\chi w)\bigr\|\ll\bigl\|f\bigr\|+\left(\lambda^{\varepsilon+e/k-1}+\lambda^{\left|\alpha\right|/k-1}\right)\bigl\|g\bigr\|$$ for multi-indices $\alpha$ with $1\leqslant\left|\alpha\right|\leqslant k$, and the non-local estimate $$\bigl\|Pw\bigr\|\ll\lambda\bigl\|f\bigr\|+\lambda^{\varepsilon+e/k}\bigl\|g\bigr\|,$$ both again for $\lambda\gg1$.
We consider first the case $\mu=\iota=0$. Multiplying the first equation by $\overline w$, taking complex conjugates of the second equation and multiplying by $u$, and integrating over $\Omega$ and subtracting, we get $$\int V\bigl|w\bigr|^2=\int\overline wf-\int u\overline g-\lambda^{-\nu}\int\overline wWw,$$ where we used the fact that $\int\overline wPu=\int\overline{Pw}u$. We pick a cut-off function $\chi\in C_{\mathrm c}^\infty(\Omega)$ so that $V$ only takes values from some closed complex half-plane not containing zero in $\mathrm{supp}\left(1-\chi\right)$, and such that $\chi\equiv1$ in all the supports of all the coefficients of $W$. Now we may estimate using the Cauchy–Schwarz inequality and Lemma \[estimates-for-u\], for arbitrarily small $\kappa\in\mathbb R_+$, $$\begin{aligned}
&\bigl\|\left(1-\chi\right)w\bigr\|^2\ll\int V\bigl|w\bigr|^2
\ll\bigl\|w\bigr\|\cdot\bigl\|f\bigr\|+\bigl\|g\bigr\|\cdot\bigl\|u\bigr\|+\bigl\|\chi w\bigr\|\cdot\lambda^{-\nu}\bigl\|Ww\bigr\|\\
&\ll\frac1\kappa\bigl\|f\bigr\|^2+\kappa\bigl\|w\bigr\|^2+\bigl\|g\bigr\|\left(\frac1\lambda\bigl\|f\bigr\|+\frac1\lambda\bigl\|w\bigr\|+\frac1\lambda\bigl\|Ww\bigr\|\right)+\lambda^{\varepsilon}\bigl\|\chi w\bigr\|^2+\frac{\bigl\|Ww\bigr\|^2}{\lambda^{2\nu+\varepsilon}}\\
&\ll\frac1\kappa\bigl\|f\bigr\|^2+\kappa\bigl\|\left(1-\chi\right)w\bigr\|^2+\lambda^{\varepsilon}\bigl\|\chi w\bigr\|^2+\lambda^{\varepsilon-2}\bigl\|g\bigr\|^2+\lambda^{-\varepsilon}\bigl\|Ww\bigr\|^2.\end{aligned}$$ The norms involving $\chi w$ and $Ww$ can be estimated by Lemma \[estimates-for-w\] as $$\lambda^\varepsilon\bigl\|\chi w\bigr\|+\lambda^{-\varepsilon}\bigl\|Ww\bigr\|
\ll\lambda^{-\varepsilon}\bigl\|w\bigr\|+\lambda^{e/k-1}\bigl\|g\bigr\|.$$ Thus, for $\lambda\gg1$ and sufficiently small fixed $\kappa$, the norm of $\left(1-\chi\right)w$ on the right-hand side can be absorbed to the left-hand side, and we may continue by Lemma \[estimates-for-w\] $$\begin{aligned}
\bigl\|w\bigr\|&\ll
\bigl\|\left(1-\chi\right)w\bigr\|+\bigl\|\chi w\bigr\|\ll\bigl\|f\bigr\|+\lambda^{\varepsilon-1}\bigl\|g\bigr\|+\lambda^\varepsilon\bigl\|\chi w\bigr\|+\lambda^{-\varepsilon}\bigl\|Ww\bigr\|\\
&\ll\bigl\|f\bigr\|+\lambda^{\varepsilon-1}\bigl\|g\bigr\|+\lambda^{-\varepsilon}\bigl\|w\bigr\|+\lambda^{e/k-1}\bigl\|g\bigr\|.\end{aligned}$$ For $\lambda\gg1$, the norm of $w$ can be absorbed to the left-hand side giving $$\bigl\|w\bigr\|\ll\bigl\|f\bigr\|+\lambda^{\varepsilon+e/k-1}\bigl\|g\bigr\|.$$ Combining the above estimates with Lemmas \[estimates-for-u\] and \[estimates-for-w\] gives $$\sum_{\left|\alpha\right|\leqslant k}\lambda^{-\left|\alpha\right|/k}\bigl\|\partial^\alpha u\bigr\|\ll\frac1\lambda\bigl\|f\bigr\|+\frac1\lambda\bigl\|Vw\bigr\|+\frac1\lambda\bigl\|Ww\bigr\|
\ll\frac1\lambda\bigl\|f\bigr\|+\lambda^{\varepsilon+e/k-2}\bigl\|g\bigr\|,$$ as desired.
The estimates for $\chi w$ now follow from combining the above estimates with Lemma \[estimates-for-w\], and the estimate for $Pw$ follows immediately from the equation satisfied by $w$ and the previous estimates for $w$. The case $\mu=1$, $\nu=0$ follows immediately from the case $\mu=\nu=0$ with $f$ replaced by $f-Wu$, as the case $\mu=0$ then implies for the case $\mu=1$ that $$\bigl\|Wu\bigr\|\ll\lambda^{e/k-1}\bigl\|f\bigr\|+\lambda^{e/k-1}\bigl\|Wu\bigr\|+\lambda^{\varepsilon+2e/k-2}\bigl\|g\bigr\|,$$ where the term $\left\|Wu\right\|$ on the right-hand side can be absorbed to the left-hand side for sufficiently large $\lambda$, and now this estimate for $Wu$ can be used to get the required estimates from those given by the case $\mu=0$. Finally, whether $\mu=0$ or $\mu=1$, the case $\iota=1$ follows from the case $\iota=0$ in the same fashion, except now we replace $g$ by $g-Ww$, and the case $\iota=0$ gives the estimate $$\bigl\|Ww\bigr\|\ll\bigl\|f\bigr\|+\lambda^{\varepsilon+e/k-1}\bigl\|g\bigr\|,$$ which can be used to transform the estimates from the case $\iota=0$ to those required in the case $\iota=1$.
Resolvent operators of the Born approximation {#roba}
---------------------------------------------
The following is a special case of Banach’s closed range theorem (see e.g. Sect. VII.5 in [@Yosida]).
\[banach-closed-range-theorem\] Let $H$ be a Hilbert space, and let $T$ be a closed densely defined operator of $H$. Then the following four statements are equivalent:
1. $\mathrm{Im}\,T$ is closed in $H$.
2. $\mathrm{Im}\,T^\ast$ is closed in $H$.
3. $\mathrm{Im}\,T=(\mathrm{Ker}\,T^\ast)^\perp$.
4. $\mathrm{Im}\,T^\ast=(\mathrm{Ker}\,T)^\perp$.
In particular, to show that $T$ is surjective, it is enough to show that $\mathrm{Im}\,T$ is closed and that $T^\ast$ is injective.
Following [@Sylvester], we first consider the Born approximation, the operator matrix $$B=\begin{bmatrix}
P+\nu W&\lambda^{-\nu}W+V\\
0&P
\end{bmatrix}\colon H_0^k(\Omega)\times H^k_{P}(\Omega)\longrightarrow L^2(\Omega)\times L^2(\Omega).$$ More precisely, we will consider $B$ at large negative energies. The relevant properties will be as follows:
\[resolvent-of-the-born-approximation\] Let $P$ be an elliptic formally self-adjoint constant coefficient partial differential operator of order $k\in\mathbb Z_+$ in $\mathbb R^n$ bounded from below, let $\Omega$ be an open nonempty bounded subset of $\mathbb R^n$, and let $V\in L^\infty(\Omega)$ be such that in some neighbourhood of $\partial\Omega$ it only takes values from some closed complex half-plane not containing zero. Also, let $W_\alpha\in W^{\left|\alpha\right|,\infty}_{\mathrm c}(\Omega)$ for each multi-index $\alpha$ with $1\leqslant\left|\alpha\right|\leqslant e$, where $e\in\left\{0,1,\ldots,k-1\right\}$, and write $W$ for the partial differential operator $$W=\sum_{1\leqslant\left|\alpha\right|\leqslant e}W_\alpha\partial^\alpha.$$ In the case $e=0$ we set $W=0$.
Now, let $\nu,\mu\in\left\{0,1\right\}$ and let $B$ denote the operator $$\begin{bmatrix}P+\mu W&\lambda^{-\nu}W+V\\0&P\end{bmatrix}\colon
H^k_0(\Omega)\times H^k_P(\Omega)\longrightarrow L^2(\Omega)\times L^2(\Omega).$$ Then, for sufficiently large $\lambda\in\mathbb R_+$, the operator $B+\lambda$ is bijective, and we may consider the resolvent operator matrix $$(B+\lambda)^{-1}=\begin{bmatrix}
R_{11}&R_{12}\\
R_{21}&R_{22}
\end{bmatrix}\colon L^2(\Omega)\times L^2(\Omega)\longrightarrow L^2(\Omega)\times L^2(\Omega).$$ Here the operators $R_{11}$, $R_{12}$ and $R_{22}$ are compact, $R_{21}$ is bounded, and $\chi R_{21}$ is compact for any $\chi\in C_{\mathrm c}^\infty(\Omega)$. The operators $\partial^\alpha R_{11}$ and $\partial^\alpha R_{12}$ are compact for multi-indices $\alpha$ with $1\leqslant\left|\alpha\right|<k$, as are $\partial^\alpha\chi R_{21}$ and $\partial^\alpha\chi R_{22}$. Furthermore, we have the operator norm bounds $$\bigl\|\partial^\alpha R_{11}\bigr\|\ll\lambda^{\left|\alpha\right|/k-1},\quad
\bigl\|\partial^\alpha R_{12}\bigr\|\ll\lambda^{\varepsilon+\left|\alpha\right|/k-2},\quad\text{and}\quad
\bigl\|R_{22}\bigr\|\ll\lambda^{\varepsilon+e/k-1},$$ and $$\bigl\|R_{21}\bigr\|\ll1,\quad\text{and}\quad\bigl\|\chi R_{21}\bigr\|\ll\lambda^{-1/k},$$ where $\chi\in C_{\mathrm c}^\infty(\Omega)$ is fixed, and $\alpha$ is a multi-index with $\left|\alpha\right|\leqslant k$.
Lemma \[resolvent-estimates\] immediately implies that $B+\lambda$ is injective for sufficiently large real $\lambda$. The image of $B+\lambda$ turns out to be closed. Namely, let $\left\langle f_n,g_n\right\rangle_{n=1}^\infty\subseteq\mathrm{Im}\,(B+\lambda)$ satisfying $f_n\longrightarrow f$ and $g_n\longrightarrow g$ for some $f,g\in L^2(\Omega)$ when $n\longrightarrow\infty$, and let $\left\langle u_n,w_n\right\rangle_{n=1}^\infty\subseteq H^k_0(\Omega)\times H^k_P(\Omega)$ be such that $(B+\lambda)\left\langle u_n,w_n\right\rangle=\left\langle f_n,g_n\right\rangle$ for each $n\in\mathbb Z_+$. Since the sequence $\left\langle f_n,g_n\right\rangle_{n=1}^\infty$ is Cauchy in $L^2(\Omega)\times L^2(\Omega)$, Lemma \[resolvent-estimates\] implies that the sequence $\left\langle u_n,w_n\right\rangle_{n=1}^\infty$ is Cauchy in $H^k_0(\Omega)\times H^k_P(\Omega)$ and therefore has a unique limit $\left\langle u,w\right\rangle\in H^k_0(\Omega)\times H^k_P(\Omega)$, which by Lemma \[resolvent-estimates\] must satisfy $(B+\lambda)\left\langle u,w\right\rangle=\left\langle f,g\right\rangle$. Thus $\mathrm{Im}\,(B+\lambda)$ is closed.
Since the adjoint of $B$ is $$B^\ast=\begin{bmatrix}P+\mu W^\ast&0\\\lambda^{-\nu}W^\ast+\overline V&P\end{bmatrix}\colon H^k_P(\Omega)\times H^k_0(\Omega)\longrightarrow L^2(\Omega)\times L^2(\Omega),$$ and the zeroeth-order term of $\lambda^{-\nu}W^\ast+\overline V$ satisfies the coercivity condition as all the coefficients of $W$ vanish in a neighbourhood of $\partial\Omega$, Lemma \[resolvent-estimates\] also implies that $B^\ast+\lambda$ is injective, using the values $\mu=0$ and $\iota=1$, and so, by Theorem \[banach-closed-range-theorem\], the operator $B+\lambda$ is surjective. We have now established that for $\lambda\gg1$, the operator $B+\lambda$ is bijective and we may move on to discuss $(B+\lambda)^{-1}$.
The operator $R_{11}$ is the projection to the first component of the restriction of $(B+\lambda)^{-1}$ to the subspace $L^2(\Omega)\times\left\{0\right\}$. In other words, given $f\in L^2(\Omega)$, there exists unique functions $u\in H^k_0(\Omega)$ and $w\in H^k_P(\Omega)$ solving $$\left\{\!\!\begin{array}{l}
(P+\mu W+\lambda)u+\lambda^{-\nu}Ww+Vw=f,\\
(P+\lambda)w=0,\end{array}\right.$$ and the operator $R_{11}$ is the mapping $f\longmapsto u\colon L^2(\Omega)\longrightarrow L^2(\Omega)$ taking values in $H^k_0(\Omega)$. By Lemma \[resolvent-estimates\], we have $\bigl\|\partial^\alpha R_{11}\bigr\|\ll\lambda^{\left|\alpha\right|/k-1}$ for multi-indices $\alpha$ with $\left|\alpha\right|\leqslant k$. Similar arguments combined with Lemma \[resolvent-estimates\] also give the operator norm bounds $$\bigl\|\partial^\alpha R_{12}\bigr\|\ll\lambda^{\varepsilon+\left|\alpha\right|/k-2},\quad
\bigl\|R_{21}\bigr\|\ll1,\quad\text{and}\quad
\bigl\|R_{22}\bigr\|\ll\lambda^{\varepsilon+e/k-1},$$ again for $\left|\alpha\right|\leqslant k$. Similarly, using Lemma \[resolvent-estimates\] and a similar argument, we get the operator norm bound $\bigl\|\chi R_{21}\bigr\|\ll\lambda^{-1/k}$ for any $\chi\in C_{\mathrm c}^\infty(\Omega)$.
The operators $R_{11}$ and $R_{12}$ are compact, since by Lemmas \[estimates-for-u\] and \[resolvent-estimates\], they map $L^2(\Omega)$ boundedly into $H^k_0(\Omega)$ and the latter embeds compactly into $L^2(\Omega)$. Similarly, Lemma \[resolvent-estimates\] implies that for $\chi\in C_{\mathrm c}^\infty(\Omega)$, the operators $\chi R_{21}$ and $\chi R_{22}$ map $L^2(\Omega)$ boundedly into $H^1_0(\Omega)$ which in turn embeds compactly into $L^2(\Omega)$. Also, it is clear that $\partial^\alpha R_{11}$ and $\partial^\alpha R_{12}$, which map $L^2(\Omega)$ to $H^{k-\left|\alpha\right|}_0(\Omega)$ boundedly, are compact operators of $L^2(\Omega)$ for $1\leqslant\left|\alpha\right|<k$. We get the same claim for $\partial^\alpha\chi R_{21}$ and $\partial^\alpha\chi R_{22}$ as $\chi R_{21}$ and $\chi R_{22}$ map $L^2(\Omega)$ boundedly to $H^{k-\left|\alpha\right|}_0(\Omega)$.
Finally, it only remains to prove that $R_{22}$ is compact as well. Let $\left\langle g_n\right\rangle_{n=1}^\infty\subseteq L^2(\Omega)$ be a sequence converging weakly to zero, and let, for each $n\in\mathbb Z_+$, the functions $u_n\in H^k_0(\Omega)$ and $w_n\in H^k_P(\Omega)$ be the unique solution to $$\left\{\!\!\begin{array}{l}
(P+\mu W+\lambda)u_n+\lambda^{-\nu}Ww_n+Vw_n=0,\\
(P+\lambda)w_n=g_n,\end{array}\right.$$ so that $R_{22}g_n=w_n$. If we can show that $w_n\longrightarrow0$ in $L^2(\Omega)$ as $n\longrightarrow\infty$, then $R_{22}$ must be compact.
Let $K\subseteq\Omega$ be compact, and let $\chi_K$ be its characteristic function. Let us assume that $K$ is so large that $V$ satisfies the coercivity condition in $\Omega\setminus K$ and such that $K$ contains the supports of $W_\alpha$. Also, we assume as we may that $K$ contains an open set which contains a compact set $K'$ such that $V$ satisfies the coercivity condition in $\Omega\setminus K'$ as well. First, pick a cut-off function $\chi_1\in C_{\mathrm c}^\infty(\Omega)$ such that $\chi_1\equiv1$ on $K$. Since $\chi_1R_{22}$ is compact, we know that $\chi_1w_n\longrightarrow0$ as $n\longrightarrow\infty$, so that also $\chi_Kw_n$ tends to zero, and it only remains to prove that $(1-\chi_K)w_n$ tends to zero.
Next, let $\chi_2\in C_{\mathrm c}^\infty(\Omega)$ be such that $\mathrm{supp}\,\chi_2\subseteq K$ and $\chi_2\equiv1$ in $K'$, so that $V$ satisfies the coercivity condition in $\mathrm{supp}\,(1-\chi_2^2)$. The system solved by $u_n$ and $w_n$ implies easily that $$\int V\left|w_n\right|^2=-\int u_n\overline g_n-\lambda^{-\nu}\int\overline{w_n}Ww_n-\mu\int\overline{w_n}\,Wu_n,$$ so that $$\begin{aligned}
\int_{\Omega\setminus K}\left|w_n\right|^2&\ll\int V(1-\chi_2^2)\left|w_n\right|^2\\
&=\int V\left|\chi_2w_n\right|^2-\int u_n\overline g_n
-\int\overline{\chi_1w_n}\,Ww_n-\mu\int\overline{\chi_1w_n}Wu_n.\end{aligned}$$ The first term on the right-hand side tends to zero as $n\longrightarrow\infty$ since $\chi_2R_{22}$ is compact, and the second term tends to zero since $R_{12}$ is compact and the sequence $\left\langle g_n\right\rangle_{n=1}^\infty$ is bounded. In the third term, $\chi_1w_n$ tends to zero as $\chi_1R_{22}$ is compact, and $Ww_n$ is bounded, by Lemma \[resolvent-estimates\] and the fact that the sequence $\left\langle g_n\right\rangle_{n=1}^\infty$ is bounded. The fourth term, if it exists, tends to zero as $\chi_1R_{22}$ is compact and $\left\|Wu_n\right\|\ll\lambda^{\varepsilon+e/k-2}\left\|g_n\right\|$.
Proofs of Theorems \[schrodinger-main-theorem\] and \[helmholtz-main-theorem\]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following theorem is a special case of Theorem 3.5 in [@Sylvester].
\[UTC-resolvent-theorem\] Let $H$ be a Hilbert space, and let $B$ be a closed densely defined operator on $H\times H$ with domain $\mathrm{Dom}\,B$. Let us assume that there exists a complex number $\lambda$ such that the operator $$B-\lambda\colon\mathrm{Dom}\,B\longrightarrow H\times H$$ is bijective, and that the inverse $$(B-\lambda)^{-1}=\begin{bmatrix}R_{11}&R_{12}\\R_{21}&R_{22}\end{bmatrix}\colon H\times H\longrightarrow H\times H$$ is bounded, and that the components $R_{11}$, $R_{12}$ and $R_{22}$ are compact. Then the spectrum of $B$ consists of a discrete set of eigenvalues with finite-dimensional generalized eigenspaces.
Let $B$ and $\widetilde B$ denote the operator matrices $$\begin{bmatrix}P&W+V\\0&P\end{bmatrix}\colon
H^k_0(\Omega)\times H^k_P(\Omega)\longrightarrow L^2(\Omega)\times L^2(\Omega)$$ and $$\begin{bmatrix}P+W+V&W+V\\0&P\end{bmatrix}\colon
H^k_0(\Omega)\times H^k_P(\Omega)\longrightarrow L^2(\Omega)\times L^2(\Omega),$$ respectively. The operator $B$ has already been shown in Proposition \[resolvent-of-the-born-approximation\] to have well behaved resolvent operators. The operators $B$ and $\widetilde B$ are connected by the elementary identity $$\begin{aligned}
\widetilde B+\lambda&=\left(1+\begin{bmatrix}W+V&0\\0&0\end{bmatrix}(B+\lambda)^{-1}\right)(B+\lambda)\\
&=\left(1+\begin{bmatrix}(W+V)R_{11}&(W+V)R_{12}\\0&0\end{bmatrix}\right)(B+\lambda),\end{aligned}$$ where $\lambda$ is a sufficiently large positive real number, and $R_{11}$ and $R_{12}$ are as in Proposition \[resolvent-of-the-born-approximation\]. Since by Proposition \[resolvent-of-the-born-approximation\], the operator norm of the matrix involving $W$, $V$, $R_{11}$ and $R_{12}$ is $\ll\lambda^{e/k-1}$, we may invert the first factor on the right-hand side by Neumann series, with the inverse being an operator matrix $\begin{bmatrix}A&C\\0&1\end{bmatrix}$ for some bounded operators $A$ and $C$. It is easy to check that $C=-A\left(W+V\right)R_{12}$, so that $C$ is compact. Now $(\widetilde B+\lambda)^{-1}$ is upper triangular compact and Theorem \[UTC-resolvent-theorem\] implies the desired spectral properties for the perturbed operator $\widetilde B$.
For the proof of the Helmholtz result, the perturbation $\lambda V$ is too large and we cannot invert via Neumann series. Instead we will invert via a Fredholm argument by using the following special case of Proposition 3.4 in [@Sylvester].
\[sylvester34\] Let $H$ be a Hilbert space, let $D\subseteq\mathbb C$ be a connected open set, and let $$A(\lambda)=\begin{bmatrix}A_{11}(\lambda)&A_{12}(\lambda)\\A_{21}(\lambda)&A_{22}(\lambda)\end{bmatrix}\colon H\times H\longrightarrow H\times H$$ be a bounded operator for each $\lambda\in D$ with $A_{11}(\lambda)$, $A_{12}(\lambda)$ and $A_{22}(\lambda)$ compact. Assume that $A(\lambda)$ depends analytically on $\lambda$. Let $\lambda_0\in D$ be such that $\mathrm{Ker}\left(1+A(\lambda_0)\right)=\left\{0\right\}$ or $\mathrm{CoKer}\left(1+A(\lambda_0)\right)=\left\{0\right\}$. Then $1+A(\lambda_0)$ is bijective with a bounded inverse, and so is $1+A(\lambda)$ for all but a discrete set of $\lambda\in D$. At the exceptional points the kernel and cokernel of $1+A(\lambda)$ are finite dimensional.
The proof in the Helmholtz case follows the same lines, except that now we will consider the system for $u$ and $\widetilde w=w/\lambda$, leading to the operator $$\widetilde B(\lambda)=\begin{bmatrix}
P+W+\lambda V&W/\lambda+V\\
0&P
\end{bmatrix}\colon H^k_0(\Omega)\times H^k_P(\Omega)\longrightarrow L^2(\Omega)\times L^2(\Omega),$$ and the corresponding Born approximation $$B(\lambda)=\begin{bmatrix}
P+W&W/\lambda+V\\
0&P
\end{bmatrix}\colon H^k_0(\Omega)\times H^k_P(\Omega)\longrightarrow L^2(\Omega)\times L^2(\Omega).$$ It is clear that this $B(\lambda)$ has the same excellent properties as in the Schrödinger case, and that the same estimates apply. The main difference from the situation of Theorem \[schrodinger-main-theorem\] is that in this case the perturbation that needs to be added to $B(\lambda)$ involves $\lambda V$ instead of $V$, and unfortunately this is a rather large perturbation, and we no longer can invert via Neumann series. Instead, we first observe that, given $\lambda_0\in\mathbb R_+$ that is so large that $B(\lambda_0)+\lambda_0$ is invertible with a bounded upper triangular compact inverse, we have $$B(\lambda)+\lambda=\left(1+\begin{bmatrix}\lambda-\lambda_0&W/\lambda-W/\lambda_0\\0&\lambda-\lambda_0\end{bmatrix}\left(B(\lambda_0)+\lambda_0\right)^{-1}\right)\left(B(\lambda_0)+\lambda_0\right),$$ for $\lambda\in\mathbb C^\times$. When $\lambda=\lambda_0$, the left-hand side is surjective and the first term on the right-hand side is therefore invertible by Theorem \[sylvester34\], and $\left(B(\lambda)+\lambda\right)^{-1}$ exists for all $\lambda\in\mathbb C^\times$ except possibly for a discrete set of exceptions. In the discrete set of exceptions, the kernel of $B(\lambda)+\lambda$ has a finite dimensional kernel and a finite dimensional cokernel. Furthermore, $\left(B(\lambda)+\lambda\right)^{-1}$ is upper triangular compact when it exists; this follows from the upper triangular compactness of $\left(B(\lambda_0)+\lambda_0\right)^{-1}$ and the fact that the inverse of the first factor $(1+\ldots)$ must be of the form $\begin{bmatrix}\ast&D\\\ast&\ast\end{bmatrix}$, where $D$ is compact and the remaining elements are bounded, as is easy to check.
Next, for those $\lambda\in\mathbb C^\times$, for which $(B(\lambda)+\lambda)$ is invertible as above, we have $$\widetilde B(\lambda)+\lambda=\left(B(\lambda)+\lambda\right)\left(1+\left(B(\lambda)+\lambda\right)^{-1}\begin{bmatrix}\lambda V&0\\0&0\end{bmatrix}\right).$$ If we prove that $\widetilde B(\lambda)+\lambda$ is injective for large $\lambda\in\mathbb R_+$, then so will be the last factor on the right-hand side. Then Theorem \[sylvester34\] implies that the factor on the right is invertible with the inverse being a bounded operator matrix $\begin{bmatrix}A&0\\C&1\end{bmatrix}$, and so $\widetilde B(\lambda)+\lambda$ must be invertible with an upper triangular compact inverse no less, except possibly for a discrete set of exceptions. At these possible exceptional points, the kernel of $\widetilde B(\lambda)+\lambda$ must be finite dimensional because the kernel of the factor $1+\ldots$ is. In the case $W=0$ we get the discreteness in $\mathbb C$ simply because the problematic terms $W/\lambda$ never appear.
Thus it is enough to prove that the kernel of $\widetilde B(\lambda)+\lambda$ is merely the trivial $\left\{0\right\}$ for large enough $\lambda\in\mathbb R_+$. So, we have to prove that if $u\in H^k_0(\Omega)$ and $w\in H^k_P(\Omega)$ solve $$\label{helmholtz-kernel-system}\begin{cases}
\left(P+\lambda\right)u+Ww/\lambda+Vw=-Wu-\lambda Vu,\\
\left(P+\lambda\right)w=0,
\end{cases}$$ then we must have $u\equiv w\equiv0$. We will assume that $u\not\equiv0$ and derive a contradiction. To simplify notation, we may normalize $\left\|u\right\|=1$. We immediately get from these equations the estimates $$\left\|\chi w\right\|\ll\lambda^{-1/k}\left\|Wu\right\|+\lambda^{-1/k}\cdot\lambda\left\|u\right\|\ll\lambda^{-1/k+e/k}+\lambda^{-1/k+1}\ll\lambda^{1-1/k},$$ and $$\left\|Wu\right\|\ll\lambda^{e/k},\quad\left\|w\right\|\ll\lambda\quad\text{and}\quad\left\|Ww\right\|\ll\lambda.%\left\|V\right\|_{L^\infty}.$$
From the above pair of equations, integrating by parts, it is easy to derive the identities $$\int\overline u\,Pu+\lambda\int\left|u\right|^2+\frac1\lambda\int u\,\overline{Ww}+\int u\,\overline{Vw}=-\int u\,\overline{Wu}-\lambda\int\overline V\left|u\right|^2,$$ and $$\int\overline w\,(P+\lambda)u+\frac1\lambda\int\overline w\,Ww+\int V\left|w\right|^2=-\int\overline w\,Wu-\lambda\int\overline w\,Vu,$$ as well as the simple identity $$\int\overline w\,(P+\lambda)u=0.$$ Furthermore, it is easy to see that $$\int u\,\overline{Vw}-\int u\,V\,\overline w
\ll\left\|\Im V\right\|_{L^\infty}\cdot\left\|w\right\|
\ll\lambda\left\|\Im V\right\|_{L^\infty}.$$ Also, using the easy fact that $W$ is $P$-form infinitesimal (see Lemma \[form-infinitesimality\] below), we get $$\Re\int u\,\overline{Wu}>-\kappa\int\overline u\,Pu-C_\kappa\int\left|u\right|^2,$$ where $\kappa$ is an arbitrarily small positive real number and $C_\kappa$ is some positive real number depending on $\kappa$ (and $n$, $\Omega$, $P$ and $W$).
Finally, let us introduce one more object: let $\chi\in C_{\mathrm c}^\infty(\Omega)$ be such that it takes values only from $\left[0,1\right]$, such that it is $\equiv1$ in some compact set $K\subseteq\Omega$ such that $V$ satisfies the coercivity relation in $\Omega\setminus K$ and $K$ contains the supports of $W_\alpha$.
Now, the above observations lead to the complicated identity $$\begin{gathered}
\int\overline u\,Pu+\lambda\int\left|u\right|^2+\lambda\int\overline V\left|u\right|^2+\int u\,\overline{Wu}+O\bigl(\lambda\left\|\Im V\right\|_{L^\infty}\bigr)+O(1)\\
=\frac1\lambda\int V\left(1-\chi^2\right)\left|w\right|^2
+\frac1\lambda\int V\left|\chi w\right|^2+\frac1\lambda\int\overline w\,Wu
+\frac1{\lambda^2}\int\overline w\,Ww.\end{gathered}$$ The real part of the left-hand side is $$\geqslant(1-\kappa)\int\overline u\,Pu+\Re\int\left(\lambda(1+\overline V)-C_\kappa\right)\left|u\right|^2+O\bigl(\lambda\left\|\Im V\right\|_{L^\infty}\bigr)+O(1),$$ and this is certainly positive and $\gg\lambda$ as $\lambda\longrightarrow\infty$, provided that $\left\|\Im V\right\|_{L^\infty}$ was indeed sufficiently small. The positivity follows from the fact that $u$ cannot vanish identically near $\Omega\setminus K$, for otherwise $w$ would also vanish in $\Omega\setminus K$, and a fortiori vanish in all of $\Omega$. Thus, $u$ would solve $\left(P+\lambda\right)u+Wu+\lambda Vu=0$ in $\mathbb R^n$ and $u\equiv0$ in $\mathbb R^n\setminus K$, implying that $u\equiv0$ in all of $\mathbb R^n$ by the weak unique continuation theorems in [@Wang]. (We apply Theorem 1.3 or 1.4 of [@Wang] depending on whether $e>0$ or $e=0$.)
The right-hand side, on the other hand, is $$\frac1\lambda\int V\left(1-\chi^2\right)\left|w\right|^2
+O(\lambda^{1-2/k})%+O(\lambda^{e/k})
,$$ and due to the coercivity condition, the first term always has a non-positive real part. Thus the right-hand side always has a negative or $o(\lambda)$ real part, and so we have reached the desired contradiction.
\[form-infinitesimality\] Let $W$ and $P$ be as in Theorem \[schrodinger-main-theorem\]. Then, for any $\kappa\in\mathbb R_+$ there exists a constant $C_\kappa\in\mathbb R_+$ such that $$\left|\left\langle u\middle|Wu\right\rangle\right|\leqslant\kappa\left\langle u\middle|Pu\right\rangle+C_\kappa\left\|u\right\|^2$$ for all $u\in H^k(\mathbb R^n)$, where $\left\langle u\middle|v\right\rangle$ denotes $\int_{\mathbb R^n}\overline uv$ for $u,v\in L^2(\mathbb R^n)$.
The conditions on the coefficients of $W$ guarantee that $W+W^\ast$ and $iW-iW^\ast$ are well-defined and symmetric on $H^k(\mathbb R^n)$, and it is easy to check by taking Fourier transforms that for any $\kappa\in\mathbb R_+$, there exists a constant $C_\kappa'\in\mathbb R_+$ such that $$\left\|(W\pm W^\ast)u\right\|^2\leqslant\kappa\left\|Pu\right\|^2+C_\kappa'\left\|u\right\|^2$$ for all $u\in H^k(\mathbb R^n)$. Finally, since $$\left|\left\langle u\middle|Wu\right\rangle\right|\leqslant
\frac12\left|\left\langle u\middle|(W+W^\ast)u\right\rangle\right|
+\frac12\left|\left\langle u\middle|(iW-iW^\ast)u\right\rangle\right|,$$ the result now follows from Theorem VI.1.38 of [@Kato].
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<span style="font-variant:small-caps;">D. Colton</span>, and <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">P. Monk</span>: *The inverse scattering problem for acoustic waves in an inhomogeneous medium*, Quart. J. Mech. Appl. Math., 41 (1988), 97–125.
<span style="font-variant:small-caps;">D. Colton</span>, <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">L. Päivärinta</span>, and <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">J. Sylvester</span>: *The interior transmission problem*, Inverse Probl. Imaging, 1 (2007), 13–28.
<span style="font-variant:small-caps;">G. Esposito</span>, and <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">A. Kamenshchik</span>: *Fourth-order operators on manifolds with a boundary*, Classical Quantum Gravity, 16 (1999), 1097–1111.
<span style="font-variant:small-caps;">D. Goldfeld</span>: *Automorphic Forms and $L$-Functions for the Group $\mathrm{GL}(n)$*, Cambridge Studies in Advanced Mathematics, 99, Cambridge University Press, 2006.
<span style="font-variant:small-caps;">G. Grubb</span>: *Distributions and Operators*, Graduate Texts in Mathematics, 252, Springer, 2009.
<span style="font-variant:small-caps;">S. Helgason</span>: *Differential Geometry and Symmetric Spaces*, Chelsea, American Mathematical Society, 2001.
<span style="font-variant:small-caps;">M. Hitrik</span>, <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">K. Krupchyk</span>, <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">P. Ola</span>, and <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">L. Päivärinta</span>: *Transmission eigenvalues for operators with constant coefficients*, SIAM J. Math. Anal., 42 (2010), 2965–2986.
<span style="font-variant:small-caps;">M. Hitrik</span>, <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">K. Krupchyk</span>, <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">P. Ola</span>, and <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">L. Päivärinta</span>: *Transmission eigenvalues for elliptic operators*, SIAM J. Math. Anal., 43 (2011), 2630–2639.
<span style="font-variant:small-caps;">M. Hitrik</span>, <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">K. Krupchyk</span>, <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">P. Ola</span>, and <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">L. Päivärinta</span>: *The interior transmission problem and bounds on transmission eigenvalues*, Math. Res. Lett., 18 (2011), 279–293.
<span style="font-variant:small-caps;">L. Hörmander</span>, *The Analysis of Linear Partial Differential Operators II. Differential Operators with Constant Coefficients*, Classics in Mathematics, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 2005.
<span style="font-variant:small-caps;">T. Kato</span>: *Perturbation Theory for Linear Operators*, Classics in Mathematics, Springer, 1995.
<span style="font-variant:small-caps;">A. Kirsch</span>: *The denseness of the far field patterns for the transmission problem*, IMA J. Appl. Math., 37 (1986), 213–225.
<span style="font-variant:small-caps;">A. Kirsch</span>: *Characterization of the shape of the scattering obstacle by the spectral data of the far field operator*, Inverse Problems, 14 (1998), 1489–1512.
<span style="font-variant:small-caps;">J. R. McLaughlin</span>, and <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">P. L. Polyakov</span>: *On the uniqueness of a spherically symmetric speed of sound from transmission eigenvalues*, J. Differential Equations, 107 (1994), 351–382.
<span style="font-variant:small-caps;">J. R. McLaughlin</span>, <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">P. L. Polyakov</span>, and <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">P. E. Sacks</span>: *Reconstruction of a spherically symmetric speed of sound*, SIAM J. Appl. Math., 54 (1994), 1203–1223.
<span style="font-variant:small-caps;">L. Päivärinta</span>, and <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">J. Sylvester</span>: *Transmission eigenvalues*, SIAM J. Math. Anal., 40 (2008), 738–753.
<span style="font-variant:small-caps;">L. Robbiano</span>: *Spectral analysis of the interior transmission eigenvalue problem*, Inverse Problems, 29 (2013), 104001, 1–28.
<span style="font-variant:small-caps;">M. A. Shubin</span>: *Pseudodifferential Operators and Spectral Theory*, Springer, 2001.
<span style="font-variant:small-caps;">J. Sylvester</span>: *Discreteness of transmission eigenvalues via upper triangular compact operators*, SIAM J. Math. Anal., 44 (2012), 341–354.
<span style="font-variant:small-caps;">G. Uhlmann</span> (ed.): *Inverse Problems and Applications: Inside Out II*, MSRI Publications, 60, Cambridge University Press, 2013.
<span style="font-variant:small-caps;">P. Villaggio</span>: *Mathematical Models for Elastic Structures*, Cambridge University Press, 1997.
<span style="font-variant:small-caps;">W. Wang</span>: *Carleman inequalities and unique continuation for higher-order elliptic differential operators*, Duke Math. J., 74 (1994), 107–128.
<span style="font-variant:small-caps;">K. Yosida</span>: *Functional Analysis*, Classics in Mathematics, Springer, 1995.
[^1]: Department of Mathematics, University of the Basque Country, 48080, Bilbao, Spain
[^2]: Aalto University, Department of Mathematics and Systems Analysis, P.O. Box 11100, FI-00076 Aalto, FINLAND
[^3]: BCAM - Basque Center for Applied Mathematics, Mazarredo, 14 E48009 Bilbao, Basque Country - Spain and Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Helsinki, Finland
| tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | ArXiv |
Q:
What is the p12 certificate for iOS and should it be shared?
I have an iOS Developer Membership and have hired a developer to make an app for me. The developer has asked for a provisioning profile and a p12. I've created the provisioning profile but I'm unsure about the p12. I see how to make the p12 but I'm not sure if I should share this with the developer. Isn't the p12 the private key? Is it possible to do ad hoc distribution without sharing the p12 with the developer? What about when I distribute the app when it is completed, it seems like at some point I will have to share this with the developer?
I've looked here about p12 but it doesn't say if it's something you should share or not.
A:
If you created a Company Developer Account, you shouldn't share your certificates. Instead you should invite your developer to your development team.
Unfortunately, Apple requires you to actually be a Company in order to register a Company account, so it's very common to create a personal Apple Developer account instead.
In this kind of accounts, you rights to develop only for you, so Apple needs to make sure that the one that is developing the apps is the one that paid for the account.
If you want to develop with the same Developer Account in two Macs, you will need to share your p12 certificate and private key with your developer (that's the only way to do it). If you just want to allow development in your developer's Mac, he should create a certificate in his computer, send it to you so you can upload it to the Membership Center at developer.apple.com, create the certificate and send it to your developer back.
More information about this is available at the official Apple documentation.
EDIT 1: Invite People
Here're the steps to invite a developer to your Company Apple Developer account:
Login with your Agent account to member center
Go to People tab:
Go to Invitations section:
Select Invite Person:
Complete your developer's data and assign him Admin role, so he can create certificates and provisioning profiles:
| tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | StackExchange |
Three Simple Steps for a Beautiful At Home Office
Here at Move we’re a bit obsessed with home offices, so we jumped at the chance to showcase Kelly Oxford’s new digs, designed by the oh-so-talented Orlando Soria. Orlando just took over as creative director of the LA branch of Homepolish. Homepolish is an amazing and affordable service for busy women who want a bit of chic in their home, but don’t want to pay an arm and a leg for it. For $50 you get a top-notch designer to come your home and give you a design assessment. From there, you can do all the shopping yourself, or hire the designers by the hour to help you with the decorating pieces you find most challenging. Packages start at just $500 and guarantee you will have a gorgeous place to call your own at the end. Orlando took writer Kelly Oxford’s office to a whole new level of style, so we asked him to share three tips so you can up your game in your own home office, too.
1. What would you say are the three most important elements to creating a beautiful home office? Color, texture, and personality. You need color because it helps the space feel lively and sparks your imagination. I know that sounds cheesy, but it’s totally true. When I say texture that just means don’t choose a ton of furnishings that are all the same finish. One of the reasons Kelly’s office looks inviting is that we combined wood, ceramics, plush carpeting, linen upholstery, and knit throws to create visual interest and give the space a natural collected look. Adding personality to a space can be done by finding pieces of art you love, adding photos of your family, or showcasing some of your favorite flea market finds. Kelly’s humor really comes through in the things she keeps around her, from her Mary Poppins poster to the needlepoint a fan sent her.
2. We LOVE the color on Kelly’s office walls and know that paint is one of the quickest, easiest and least expensive updates to totally change the look of a room. How do you go about choosing paint for an office? Are there colors you specifically would gravitate towards or stay away from? Can you recommend three of your favorite paint colors/brands for office walls?
Usually when I’m choosing a paint color, I’ll get sample cans of 3-4 colors I like and paint them on the wall in a few different places to see what they look like in the space, how they reflect that specific light. This is important because different paints will pick up different hues in different lighting situations. It sucks when you paint a room a color you loved on your fan deck and then you realize it looks too red, yellow, or blue in the space.
As far as specific recommendations go, it really depends on the space. For a retro California pool look, I love the color Kelly and I chose for her space (Benjamin Moore Antigua Aqua #610). For a dark, sexy office, I love Farrow & Ball Hague Blue (No. 30). For a crazy, Royal Tenenbaums look, I love Benjamin Moore Florida Pink (#1320). These are all colors for people who want to make a big statement with their wall colors. In general, I’m more a fan of bringing in color in accessories and art. That being said, a great go-to color that goes with everything and literally works in every space, is Benjamin Moore Half Moon Crest (#1481).
3. We’re a little bit obsessed with the art wall in Kelly’s office! For girls looking to create something similar, how would they start to curate a collection of their own?
The art in Kelly’s office is a combination of pieces she had, stuff I found at the flea market, and new stuff we bought together. The important thing to remember when creating a gallery wall is to make it intentional. Thus, if you want it to be clean and sleek, make sure all the frames are the same size and shape and color and that the art is consistent. If you want the collected look of Kelly’s, make sure you have a variety of frames and colors, mixing in new pieces with the vintage. If there’s too much vintage, it can have the feeling of looking like a thrift store so it’s good to pop in a few fresh new pieces. It’s also important to make sure you have a variety of sizes: large anchor pieces, medium size pieces, and small pieces to fill in gaps. For girls looking to start their own galley wall of unique vintage art, just do what I do. I stop at Goodwill almost every time I pass it to see if there are any art treasures in there. I frame large-format postcards I get from gallery openings. And I frame ugly/random/funny drawings my friends make. The key is that these artworks be varied and different from one another and that they all speak to you somehow. If you follow your innate taste, your gallery wall will tell a little story about who you are.
Do you have an in-home office? How did you decorate to make your space feel more personal and fun? Share with us in the comments below! | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
Mount Erebus is the ultimate proving ground
The Bosch EX14 Extreme Environment Camera is an integral part of the permanent recording equipment at the edge of the Mount Erebus crater – Antarctica’s most active volcano. The camera is currently recording passive convention of the volcano’s lava lake and is ready to capture video of the next transition to explosive activity expected soon. Conditions on Mount Erebus are as extreme as they get – with winter temperatures below -67 degrees Fahrenheit, icy and stormy weather, and corrosive gases produced by volcanic activity.
Problem: capturing volcanic activity in extreme conditions
Surveillance equipment must survive extremely cold temperatures and corrosive gases
Remote location means camera must operate reliably for long periods without human intervention
Solution: EX14 withstands arctic blasts and volcanic gases
Injection-moulded nylon construction is IP67, NEMA 6 and 6P rated to withstand corrosive and cold environments – from -76° F to +140° F (-60° C to +60° C)
Insulated inner chamber eliminates the need for internal heaters and blowers
High-resolution imaging – up to 540 TVL – enables effective monitoring
Results: reliable operation for continuous observation
Camera has captured video of volcanic activity from the rim of the Mount Erebus Crater for nearly five years without fail
Withstanding temperatures below -67° F, icy and stormy weather, and corrosive gases, the camera is ready to catch the next transition to explosive activity
Hospital rooms must be well-lit for video surveillance to deliver usable images. At the same time, the rooms must be dark at night so patients can sleep. Surveillance equipment must also be designed for maximum durability and safety. To achieve effective surveillance video, major Oregon and Washington hospitals use the EX36 Corner-mount No-Grip Camera from the Bosch Extreme CCTV series in their Behavioural Health units, Sleep Research Labs and ER Holding Rooms.
Problem: seeing in the dark
Sleep researchers must observe patients while they sleep
To avoid disturbing patients, visible lighting cannot be used
Colour performance required during daytimes
High resolution images required at all times
Solution: Corner-mount Integrated day/night performance
Integrated camera and infrared illumination for day and night
940nm infrared invisibly illuminates a room
Patients can sleep undisturbed while doctors and researchers observe and monitor as if it were day
Outstanding high resolution video in colour by day and in active-infrared monochrome by night
Safe corner mount design, vandal resistant and impossible to grip
Results: Safe, Effective Surveillance in Day or Dark Conditions
Improved monitoring and observation techniques at hospital
Decreased disturbance to patients
Upgraded general surveillance
Risk mitigation through enhanced safety for patients and staff
Security for banks can be a real challenge when faced with a multitude of threats including: fraud, theft and physical attacks. One bank which is setting new standards in the Middle East, when it comes to the application of surveillance technology to keep its infrastructure, staff and customers safe and secure, is National Bank of Kuwait (NBK). This is thanks to the roll out of an advanced NetVu Connected CCTV solution from Dedicated Micros part of AD Group which is focused on the centralised monitoring of all of its branches and critical ATM infrastructure.Awarded the Best Bank in the Middle East 2010 accolade by EuroMoney, National Bank of Kuwait (NBK), which was incorporated in 1952 as the first indigenous bank in the entire Gulf region, remains the preeminent banking institution in Kuwait as well as being an established banking franchise across the Middle East and supporting a large branch network, spanning 17 countries, including many of the world's financial and business centres.Dedicated Micros connection with National Bank of Kuwait stretches back over four years. The catalyst for the surveillance specialist being brought on board for this ambitious ATM protection project was the bank's dissatisfaction with the CCTV solutions it tested from other providers. A spokesperson for the Engineering Services Division, NBK, takes up the story: "We looked at and tested several brands of DVRs as potential answers to our pressing ATM surveillance needs before deciding to go ultimately with Dedicated Micros. The solutions that fell by the wayside were simply too cumbersome and complicated in terms of all the extra equipment (and software licenses) that would have been required to activate the functionality we wanted. This was in stark contrast to Dedicated Micros which was able to meet our needs based around an effective hardware-based package."
Said Salim Idris, General Manager (Middle East), Dedicated Micros: "When contacted by NBK we were delighted to assist Kuwait's foremost banking establishment, not only were we able to demonstrate that we had the solutions available, such as the DV-IP ATM, that could address their specific requirements head-on, without lots of add-ons, but could also point to an unparallelled track record. To put our extensive experience, protecting the banking sector, into some sort of context, across the Gulf Cooperation Council area alone, we can now count 10 major banks - in Bahrain, Dubai, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia - as customers. Significantly, as our CCTV systems are embedded, rather than PC based, they are recognised for their stability - essential in the banking environment - whereas PC dependent solutions have a reputation for crashing without warning."ATM FocusLooking in more detail at the systems from Dedicated Micros which have been put in place at NBK, since 2006, to support the effective monitoring of vital local and overseas ATM related infrastructure. These comprise 28 individual DV-IP ATM units which are used primarily to protect standalone Automated Teller Machines, with numbers expected to rise as part of the ongoing ATM project. There are also 145 NetVu Connected DS2 DVRs, with typically two systems connected at each National Bank of Kuwait branch plus an associated RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) unit giving additional storage capacity to the existing internal hard disk of the DVR.This set-up offers redundancy and resilience to ensure any recorded video images are securely stored. In the case of the larger Dubai branch this combination was doubled up and four (DS2s and RAIDs) were installed at NBK's extensive Bahrain site. To help with the management of the geographically dispersed NetVu Connected CCTV infrastructure, at an early stage, Dedicated Micros was called upon to assist NBK in the setting-up of centralised monitoring from a control room. This was achieved by deploying NetVu Observer video management software to allow operators to seamlessly view distributed images from any NetVu Connected product.
DV-IP ATM units from Dedicated Micros have proved useful in making transactions more secure and safe
The robust DV-IP ATM units specified for the National Bank of Kuwait project are designed to work, primarily, within the confines of an Automated Teller Machine. Certainly the security challenges with regards to banking are most keenly felt when it comes to the safe operation of Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) whose accessibility makes them a convenient target for card skimming, shoulder surfing, and even physical theft from customers. It is CCTV systems, specifically remotely accessible DVRs, that are at the very heart of efforts to deal with these types of threat.Combining Video and Transaction DataThe Dedicated DV-IP ATM, based on NetVu Connected technology which ensures its interoperability with other DM and AD Group systems, is able to process transaction data which is then recorded with video footage. Post event analysis, via a powerful text search engine, provides video imagery of the ATM user plus the associated transaction information. For NBK this allows security staff to deal with any fraudulent activity and ensures that customer services representatives are well placed to quickly resolve any genuine customer withdrawal disputes.Marrying up the DS2 DVRs with RAID units at every NBK branch, also facilitated the effective monitoring of each location including the in-branch ATMs not covered by the DV-IP ATMs. With, in this case, the cameras in the ATMs connected to the DVRs which had been specifically programmed to have the capability to associate transaction data with the appropriate video footage.The ability of both the DV-IP ATM systems and DS2 DVRs, deployed for the NBK project, to apply Dedicated Micros' TransCoding technology to record evidential quality MJPEG locally and simultaneously support low bit rate data streaming in MPEG-4 compression format for remote viewing has proved to be advantageous in keeping bandwidth demands on NBK's network to an absolute minimum. Of course local recording (including the additional capacity provided by the RAID units) has the added benefit that, even in the event of a network failure, recording is not interrupted or vital evidence lost.
Adding-Up the Benefits
NetVu connected solution from Dedicated Micros has enabled National Bank of Kuwait to monitor all the branches
Reflecting on the success of the project to date, a spokesperson for the Engineering Services Division, NBK, commented: "The NetVu Connected solution from Dedicated Micros we have adopted has given us the opportunity, for the first time, to monitor all of our branches remotely 24/7 wherever they might be and to cover a large number of ATMs (181 at the latest count) through the ATM transactions interface. We have been very pleased with the performance of the NetVu Observer viewing software over the past four years - which we are in the process of upgrading to Pick-a-Point Icon - as it has made it extremely easy to retrieve footage and to playback recordings over the network. With numerous cases involving ATMs reported on a daily basis and, with the Dedicated Micros' solution in place, we have been able to provide recorded footage, in a timely manner, to offer proof of what has actually happened. In practice, we have found the speed that video can be delivered across the network to be extremely favourable, for management and archiving, when set against the limited bandwidth provided."The distributed architecture of the solution has also meant that even, when there has been a network issue, critical recording has been able to continue unabated. Testament to this is the fact that since the start of the project no footage has been lost in this way. A major benefit we have also seen, in terms of cost of ownership, is the fact that from an Engineering Services' point of view the DVRs have been much easier to maintain, compared to what was in place before, and we have been very impressed with the stability of the DVRs in operation with zero reported failures. Alongside this the web-based configuration for the Dedicated Micros' systems has proved to be very intuitive."Future Plans
Looking ahead, Dedicated Micros is working closely with NBK to expand the capabilities of the surveillance infrastructure. One key development soon to go 'live' is the implementation of the Pick-a-Point Icon multi-site video management solution in the bank's main control room to further enhance the remote monitoring of all of the bank's geographically dispersed locations. The uplift in functionality provided by Pick-a-Point Icon's more extensive features, compared to NetVu Observer, should greatly enhance the ability of the bank's security staff to manage and control their CCTV infrastructure.
Dedicated Micros has formed many of the building blocks for the success of today's CCTV industry
From the start Pick-A-Point Icon has been designed to be intuitive for operators, simplifying and speeding up image retrieval. In future, operators in the main NBK control room will be able to select cameras using Pick-A-Point Icon's enhanced GUI (Graphical User Interface) via multiple map screens and highly detailed map images, allowing them to pick a camera on-screen without having to know which digital video recorder the camera is linked to. Pick-A-Point Icon is based around a robust standalone hardware based workstation, which eliminates the reliability issues associated with PC based systems - a key consideration in the banking sector.Closed IPTV InvestmentCommented Salim Idris, General Manager (Middle East), Dedicated Micros: "As the surveillance solution moves ahead, we are delighted that National Bank of Kuwait has confirmed that it will also act as a trailblazer for the deployment of our award winning Closed IPTV 'IP Video' solution. This follows on from the successful testing of the Closed IPTV version of the SD Advanced hybrid NVR/DVR, which will now be rolled out gradually across all of the bank's extensive branch network, making NBK one of the first customers in the Middle East region for this new solution."Essentially, adopting Closed IPTV systems such as the SD Advanced - in conjunction with a Layer 3 Enhanced CCTV Switch which provides greater security for less configuration effort than a conventional managed switch - makes deploying an IP Video, CCTV system safe, secure and simple. Combining patent-pending innovation with zeroconf networking technology, Closed IPTV automatically allocates IP addresses to IP cameras by physical port. In this way the system is completely deterministic, creating firewalls and monitoring IP connections by individual network ports so they cannot be hacked or intercepted. This ground breaking solution provides a very simple and secure answer to IP Video, where no prior knowledge of IP networking is required.
National Bank of Kuwait is going to adopt Dedicated Micros' HyperSense APNR cameras for its car park management
A further enhancement, in the pipeline for NBK, is the adoption of Dedicated Micros' HyperSense ANPR cameras for its car park management, in this case combining an Overview and ANPR camera, with alerts triggered by car park barriers to monitor vehicles entering and leaving a location. The sophisticated HyperSense technology built in to the cameras removes ambient light from the scene leaving only the objects that strongly reflect the IR light emitted by the integrated invisible IR LED flash to be displayed. The ability to eliminate glare from vehicle headlights delivers a more distinct image for evidential purposes and the black and white ANPR camera ensures that details of the numberplate can be seen, whilst the 'overview' camera allows this to be tied-up with other details such as the colour of the vehicle.Banking on SecurityUltimately, National Bank of Kuwait, through continuing investment in the latest surveillance infrastructure from Dedicated Micros, has demonstrated a real commitment to not only be a leader in the banking services it provides but also, crucially, to back this up with the best possible levels of security for customers, staff, and physical assets such as the branch network and ATMs making NBK ideally placed to deal expeditiously with any form of criminal attack. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
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CenturyLink says massive service outage has ended CenturyLink customers around the Des Moines metro area are reporting Internet service outages. Share Shares Copy Link Copy
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-- HE WAS SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON. GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. THIS AFTERNOON, THOUSANDS OF CENTURY LINK CUSTOMERS IN THE DES MOINES METRO FOUND THEMSELVES KICKED OFF THE INTERNET. KCCI’S TISIA MUZINGA SHOWS US HOW THIS INCONVENIENCED A WHOLE LOT OF PEOPLE AS THEY TRIED TO START THEIR WEEKEND. REPORTER: PEOPLE FELT THE INTERNET OUTAGE EVERYWHERE. ONE PERSON TOLD ME IT LIKE THE WORLD STOPPED BECAUSE HE COULDN’T GET THINGS DONE AT WORK OR HOME WITHOUT THE INTERNET. >> ONE MOMENT, PLEASE, ONE MOMENT PLEASE, AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT SAYS SEE CASHIER. >> YOU PUT IN YOUR CARD AND THEN IT SAYS ONE MOMENT PLEASE AND THEN IT DOESN’T DO ANYTHING. REPORTER: HERE’S A LITTLE PREVIEW OF WHAT PEOPLE DEALT WITH FRIDAY MORNING AT CASEY’S IN ALTOONA. >> EVEN AT WORK, RIGHT BEFORE I LEFT WE WERE STARTING TO HAVE ISSUES. I ASSUMED IT WAS JUST SOMETHING ON OUR END, YOU KNOW, WALKED OUT BUT APPARENTLY IT IS JUST BIGGER THAN IT IS ON OUR WORK. IT’S AFFECTING EVERYTHING TODAY. REPORTER: NO INTERNET FOR CENTURY LINK CUSTOMERS WHICH MEANS THERE’S NO WAY TO INSERT YOUR CREDIT AND FILL UP YOUR TANK AT THESE PUMPS. NOT AN IDEAL WAY TO KICK OFF THE WEEKEND AS THIS IS CAUSING PEOPLE TO BE UPSET. >> WE’RE FRUSTRATED BECAUSE WELL WE JUST NEED SOME GAS SO WE CAN GO TO SEE OUR CHILDREN’S SOFTBALL GAME THIS EVENING. REPORTER: AND THE INCONVENIENCE HAS LEFT SOME PEOPLE POSSIBLY STUCK. >> WHERE IS YOUR LEVEL FOR GAS? >> EMPTY, EMPTY, AND I NEVER LET IT GET LIKE THAT. REPORTER: CENTURY LINK WAS QUICK TO INFORM THE PUBLIC OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING. IN A TWEET THE COMPANY SAID IN PART "WE ARE AWARE OF REPORTS OF SERVICE DISRUPTIONS IN THE DES MOINES AREA OUR TECHNICAL TEAM IS INVESTIGATING AND UPDATES WILL BE PROVIDED." >> HOPEFULLY THEY HAVE THINGS FIGURED OUT BY THIS AFTERNOON BECAUSE I NEED GAS. REPORTER: BUT FOR NOW, PEOPLE LIKE BRADLEY HARTSCHEN SAY THEY’RE JUST LEARNING THE LESSONS BEHIND CENTURY LINK’S INTERNET OUTAGE. SO THAT THEY ARE PREPARED IF THIS EVER HAPPENS AGAIN, ONE OF THEM IS TO CARRY SOME CASH WITH YOU AND THE OTHER IS TO -- >> NEVER LET MY GAS GET THAT LOW THAT’S FOR SURE. REPORTER: THE INTERNET WAS BACK UP AND RUNNING BY THIS AFTE | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | OpenWebText2 |
Q:
How to resize div block with touch and move?
I found a example to resize right from left: stackblitz. How can I modify this example to resize left from right?
I can't get el.nativeElement.offsetRight
A:
You can use this directive: stackblitz
@Directive({
selector: '[resizable]'
})
export class ResizableDirective {
_host: HTMLElement;
_startWidth = 0;
constructor(private elm: ElementRef) { }
ngOnInit() {
this._host = this.elm.nativeElement;
}
dragStart() {
const style = window.getComputedStyle(this._host, undefined);
this._startWidth = style.width ? parseInt(style.width, 10) : 0;
}
dragging(diff: number) {
this._host.style.width = this._startWidth + diff + 'px';
}
dragEnd() {
this._startWidth = 0;
}
}
@Directive({
selector: '[grabber]',
})
export class GrabberDirective {
@HostListener('mousedown', ['$event']) mousedown = (e: MouseEvent) => {
this._startOffsetX = e.clientX;
document.addEventListener('mousemove', this._boundDragging);
document.addEventListener('mouseup', this._boundDragEnd);
this.resizable.dragStart();
}
_startOffsetX = 0;
readonly _boundDragging = (e) => this._dragging(e);
readonly _boundDragEnd = (e) => this._dragEnd(e);
constructor(
private elm: ElementRef,
@Host() @SkipSelf() private resizable: ResizableDirective,
) { }
private _dragging(e: MouseEvent) {
const diff = this._startOffsetX - e.clientX;
this.resizable.dragging(diff);
}
private _dragEnd(e: MouseEvent) {
this._startOffsetX = 0;
document.removeEventListener('mousemove', this._boundDragging);
document.removeEventListener('mouseup', this._boundDragEnd);
this.resizable.dragEnd();
}
}
html:
<div class="resizable" style="background-color: rebeccapurple;" resizable>
<p>Lorem ipsum dolor</p>
<div class="grabber" grabber></div>
</div>
css:
.resizable {
min-width: 200px;
height: 100px;
float:right;
position: relative;
}
.grabber {
cursor: col-resize;
position: absolute;
background-color: rgb(190, 177, 144);
width: 5px;
height: 100%;
left: 0;
top: 0;
}
| tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | StackExchange |
6 Reasons To Lose Weight That Have Nothing To Do With Fitting Into Your Skinny Jeans
If you’re carrying a little extra weight, you probably already know there are a host of health-related reasons to slim down. Even small changes on the scale can improve blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, diabetes and heart health.
But those aren’t always the benefits that are the easiest to see or even visualize — especially when compared to something very, very concrete, like how your favorite pair of skinny jeans fits.
Getting to a healthy weight is worth it for so many reasons, but here are a few convincing ones that have nothing to do with what you see in the mirror.
You’ll sleep better. At a recent presentation at the joint meetings of the International Society of Endocrinology and the Endocrine Society in Chicago, researchers discussed their findings on the effects of weight loss on sleep — and the results were positive. They found that obese adults who lost 5 percent or more of their bodyweight reported getting more and better sleep after six months of weight loss. Of the 390 study participants, those who lost at least 5 percent of their bodyweight had gained almost 22 minutes of additional sleep per night, while people who lost less than 5 percent of their bodyweight gained only about one additional minute of sleep.
Slimming your waist may fatten up your wallet, according to a 2010 study from George Washington University. The researchers calculated the costs of medical bills, missed work days, low-productivity work days, short-term disability, workers’ compensation and other personal costs and found tangible financial differences between overweight people and their healthy-weight peers. Annually, being overweight costs women $524 and men $432, and being obese costs $4,879 and $2,646 for women and men, respectively, according to the study.
You may feel less pain. Carrying excess weight can create or worsen joint pain for two possible reasons: Being overweight increases stress on the joints, and it may increase inflammation throughout the body, which can in turn lead to additional joint pain, according to Harvard Medical School.
In 2011, Australian research found that among obese men with diabetes, losing 5 to 10 percent of their bodyweight led to improvements in erectile function and libido, Health.com reported, likely because of the strain obesity puts on the heart and blood vessels. However, ego and self-esteem may play a role too, New York Presbyterian Hospital psychologist Stephen Josephson, Ph.D., told Health.com. “People need to feel good about themselves [to] overcome performance anxiety and other things in the sex arena, and sometimes it’s as simple as getting into shape,” he said. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
November Style: Oversized Sweaters & Denim Skirts
Hey everyone! I don’t think I said this in my previous post but HAPPY NOVEMBER!! It’s basically Christmas…LOL kidding we’re not quite there yet. Lately I have just been obsessed with denim! This was pretty obvious when I posted my 5 Ways to Style a Black Overall Dress for the Fall post. Check that out to see my favorite denim dress from Topshop and how to wear it! I usually have a hard time with fitted or denim skirts, but I found the perfect one from Forever 21 of all places! It’s normally hard for me to find something I truly love from Forever 21, even though it was my go to store when I was younger; my taste has evolved a lot since then. So I’ve put together a couple looks with the denim skirt that are perfect for the fall weather we get here in San Diego. The weather has been pretty bipolar so the options I have here are perfect for the fluctuating temperatures.
Pretty in Pink
Okay I have seriously been obsessing over this sweater lately! I’m so glad it’s been a little chilly so I can wear it whenever I want! This gorgeous pink color has a salmon tone to it, which I think makes it perfect for the fall. It brightens up any look and the fabric is just to die for. It’s so freaking soft and one of the thicker sweaters I own. They ended up not having my size so I actually got a Large and I’m so glad I did!! Sometimes I will intentionally buy sweaters like this super big so I can wrap myself up in them. Personally I think these types of pieces should be worn in an extra cozy way, who agrees?? They had a variety of different colors in this sweater, so I’ll leave a link here if you want to get your hands on one. I bought this from the BP section at Nordstrom’s!
I personally think the best way to style this with a denim skirt is to tuck it in the front. Since it’s so oversized it can easily cover up the details of the denim. I wear this skirt pretty high waisted, which is essential to this look. It has buttons instead of a zipper going all the way up and they’re covered by a small piece of fabric.
It seems the more I wear this skirt and wash it, the more distressed it becomes, which I absolutely love! The more worn, the more 90’s it looks and who doesn’t love that?? I wore some simple black boots with this outfit. They have beautiful gold detailing at the heels. I believe I bought this from Boohoo.com some time ago. These babies are a little stiff still but are getting more comfy as I break them in.
Bundle Up Buttercup!
This has absolutely been one of my favorite outfits lately! It was so easy to put together and SO effortless to wear! This is a great look for going to class if you’re a college student. It’s comfortable while still looking completely put together!
I absolutely adore the color of this cardigan! It’s one of my favorites for the fall or winter. I’ve also never had a cardigan that has short sleeves! It’s such a great cut and my hands are totally free if I have to do any sketching or designing. I usually like my cardigans or sweaters to be able to cover my hands but this is a nice change. I bought this at Melrose in the O.C.
I decided to pair this outfit with one of my favorite little backpacks. The color goes with everything and is great for little outings. I love how it looks against the burgundy cardigan! I bought this backpack about a year and a half ago in Boston at their Primark. It’s my go to beach backpack! And of course, for shoes I threw on my classic checkered Vans. I feel like I wear these things for every outfit, but they are just so perfect for any occasion! Maybe not for a wedding or something like that, but you know what I mean! I really wanted to keep this look super casual, so my Vans seemed to be the perfect fit! They’re insanely comfy so if you haven’t tried them on for yourself, here is a link if you’d like to order a pair.
I’ve been wearing this mustard colored T-shirt so often lately! Although it is a simple short sleeve tee, the sleeves almost reach my forearm. It’s a V neck and again I decided to tuck it into the denim skirt so it could be more visible. I bought this shirt from BP at Nordstrom’s (for a great price!) and it also comes in so many different colors. Here is the page where you can find all the various options if you’d like one for yourself or as a Christmas present (it’s never to early to start buying!)
P.S. I’m wearing a Kylie liquid matte lipstick in the shade “Gorg.” I have a full post about it here if you haven’t checked it out yet!
That’s all I have for you guys for this post! Let me know what you think of these looks or if you have any questions about the products! Hope you’re all stay warm and cozy in this chilly weather. To be honest, I’ve been drinking a lot of peppermint tea and I’m already using a Christmas mug. Oops! Until next time! xx
33 Comments
Pink is my favorite color, but I LOVE the color scheme of the “Buddle Up Buttercup”!! It’s like a burgendy/gold and the colors REALLY compliment each other so every piece is the center of attention and I love it.
aw this is so thoughtful thank you so much! and yeah i love the differences between the mustard and burgundy shades. i rarely rare pieces with yellow undertones but i’ve been really into it lately! xx thanks for stopping by!
I agree; your sweater looks so warm and cozy! Your crystal necklace is pretty, too. I thought it was part of the pretty in pink look, but it looks like you wear it in all them. Where did you get it? Love the chic, laid-back November style!
The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears, or the sea. Isak Dinesen
•••
Orange County girl navigating through life with a great love of fashion, beauty, and lifestyle! Ocean minded with salt in my hair and toes in the sand! Take a peek into my life! | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
Ruben Berta International Airport
Rubem Berta International Airport is the airport serving Uruguaiana, Brazil. It is named after Ruben Berta (1907–1966), third Manager-Director of Varig. Even though Ruben Berta was spelled as Ruben the airport's official name is spelled Rubem.
It is operated by Infraero.
History
The airport was inaugurated in 1945 and the terminal building in 1968. On September 29, 1967, the airport was renamed after Ruben Berta.
Airlines and destinations
Access
The airport is located from downtown Uruguaiana.
See also
List of airports in Brazil
References
External links
Category:Airports in Rio Grande do Sul
Category:Airports established in 1945 | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Wikipedia (en) |
In common with many other sub-Saharan countries, Tanzania is facing challenges in controlling HIV transmission, highlighting the inadequacy of current HIV prevention efforts in Africa [@CIT0001]. The HIV and AIDS epidemic in Tanzania appears to be relatively stable at 6.2% in the population segment aged 15--49 years old [@CIT0002]. The epidemic shows strong regional variations ([@CIT0003], [@CIT0004]) and urban residents have considerably higher infection levels at 10.9% compared with rural residents 5.2% [@CIT0005]. In Tanzania, the primary mechanism for HIV transmission is unprotected heterosexual intercourse, and the most important factor that fuels the HIV epidemic is unprotected sex with multiple concurrent partners [@CIT0006]. The current national response is directed towards increasing individual and community awareness of the risk of HIV and its serious implications for the individual, the family and the community [@CIT0004]. Anti-retroviral therapy is currently available, but only 20% of all adults and children with advanced HIV infection are able to access it [@CIT0007]. Despite all these efforts, new infections continue to occur due to sexual practices with concurrent sexual partners without protection ([@CIT0006]--[@CIT0011]).
The availability of a safe, effective and accessible preventive vaccine may represent a long-term hope for controlling the HIV pandemic, especially in low-income countries ([@CIT0012]). Development of an HIV vaccine is difficult. With the existing different HIV subtypes, multiple trials are needed from different geographical sites. A large number of HIV vaccine trials have been done in United States (US) and Europe but only a few in low-income countries, where the HIV infection rates and the burden of disease is the highest in the world [@CIT0013]. However, injectable drug users, gay and bisexual men, men who have sex with men and women vary greatly in their willingness to participate in vaccine trials according to a systematic review of HIV vaccine preparedness studies in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries [@CIT0014]. Results from such contexts may not be generalised to countries such as Tanzania where those at risk are generally people aged 15--49 years old, and the major HIV transmission route is heterosexual contact [@CIT0006].
Tanzania is one of the low-income countries that has met WHO eligibility criteria for conducting Phase I/II HIV vaccine trials. Although the main focus of a Phase I/II HIV vaccine trial is to evaluate the safety and immunogenic effect of the vaccine [@CIT0013], understanding the potential participants' willingness to take part in the trial is crucial for the development of future vaccines. In earlier studies, willingness to take part in HIV vaccine trials was associated with the perception of one\'s own risk of getting HIV infection ([@CIT0015]--[@CIT0018]) and the desire to help the community ([@CIT0015], [@CIT0019], [@CIT0020]). In the Ugandan military, willingness to take part in the HIV vaccine trial was associated with sexual risk-taking and unrealistic expectations of the vaccine\'s capacity to protect against infection [@CIT0021]. Very little is known about willingness to participate in the Tanzanian context. In the present study, we describe willingness and associated factors to join in a Phase I/II HIV vaccine trial among members of the police force in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Methods {#S0001}
=======
This study is part of a larger HIV and AIDS study in Tanzania that includes studies of HIV incidence; studies of laboratory reference values as well as willingness to participate in an HIV vaccine trial, leading up to a subsequent vaccine trial in the police cohort. Thus, the police force is a cohort with data collection at different stages. This study was carried out in 23 out of 32 police stations, which were purposively included according to availability of the study participants. The 32 stations serve both urban and peri-urban areas of Dar es Salaam region and they are scattered in the three municipalities: Temeke, Kinondoni and Ilala. About 3,000 police officers, of whom 20% are women, make up the police force in Dar es Salaam. In the present study, 21% were female. Police officers were chosen for the study because they are well educated in the sense that the majority have attained four years of secondary education, come from an established organisation and are easy to access. A previous study had proven that they could make independent informed decisions to take part in HIV incidence studies which had gained the support of higher police authorities [@CIT0022].
Between August 2005 and November 2006, we recruited a sample of 594 police officers through sensitisation workshops to assess the existing socio-behavioural attitudes in preparation of the Phase I/II HIV vaccine trial. These workshops were held in the selected police stations, and all the staff were invited. The workshops were organised by a field team (doctors, nurses and counsellors from Muhimbili University and national referral hospital together with collaborators from the police force, a medical doctor and a nurse from the Health Unit in the police force) to update the police officers with basic information about HIV infection at national and individual level. The workshops were designed to inform the police officers about the nature of the HIV incidence study and the HIV vaccine trial project. An information booklet describing the study more in detail was made available to participating police officers in the national language, Kiswahili. Thus, all participants received general information about the nature of the project, what was expected of the participating officers, potential benefits, impact on the police force at large, study duration and study objectives.
Forty-six visits were made for data collection, i.e. two visits within each of the selected stations. During the first visit, written consent was only obtained from those who were interested to participate in the studies after the workshop. Respondents' characteristics were recorded in the enrolment document. A pre-tested, interviewer-administered questionnaire with both closed and open-ended questions (first questionnaire) regarding knowledge, attitudes about HIV and AIDS and sexual practices was given. Pre-test counselling was provided before HIV testing. During the second visit, seven days later, post-test counselling and HIV results were given and a second written consent was obtained before filling out the questionnaire (second questionnaire) on vaccine knowledge, attitudes to vaccine studies and willingness, which was administered regardless of the HIV status of the participant. All questions were posed in the national language. Trained counsellors and researchers completed the questionnaires. During both contacts, participants were encouraged to ask for clarifications on any issue concerning the study individually. Questionnaires were double-checked by two people the next day, before entry into the database.
One hundred and five interviewees (17.7%) did not complete a second questionnaire. The main reason was that respondents did not come for HIV test results at the second study visit where the second questionnaire was completed. Of these 105, 13 (12%) came but did not want to complete the second questionnaire after testing HIV positive. The counsellors adhered strictly to rules of confidentiality during the second visit by only providing the first author (EAMT) with the total number of individuals declining and the reasons for not completing the questionnaire. Also, during the second visit, 160 (26.9%) of respondents bypassed the first questionnaire, allegedly because of time constraints. They requested just taking the HIV test. The two questionnaires were finally combined using proxies of the individuals' unique identities to associate the selected variables. Thus, we enrolled a convenience sample of 329 (55.39%) police officers who completed both questionnaires ([Fig. 1](#F0001){ref-type="fig"}).
{#F0001}
Data analysis {#S20002}
-------------
Data analysis was carried out in three stages.
The frequency distribution of all variables was tabulated. Four statements assessed HIV and AIDS knowledge where each correct response scored 1 and each incorrect one scored 0, the median score being 4. Sixteen statements assessed attitudes towards condom use, each positive response scoring 1 and each negative one scoring 0, while the median score was 12. Scores for HIV and AIDS knowledge were dichotomised as 'high knowledge' for those who scored above or on a par with the median (median score ≥ 4) or 'low knowledge' (median score \< 4). Scores for attitudes towards condom use were dichotomised as 'positive attitude towards condom use' (median score \> 12) or 'negative attitude towards condom use' (median score ≤ 12). Knowledge about how a vaccine works was assessed by asking an open-ended question analysed as either 'Right', 'Not right' or 'I do not know'. 'Right' means a vaccine protects one from infection and 'Not right' means otherwise. Attitudes towards vaccines were assessed by using 'Yes' or 'No' or 'I don\'t know' responses. The respondents were given the opportunity to justify the 'Yes' and 'No' choices. The open-ended questions gave multiple responses but we report the percentage for the main identified reason only.
We analysed the willingness and examined the association between willingness and socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge, attitudes, self-perception of risk and risk behaviours. The willingness to volunteer (WTV) for the HIV vaccine trial was assessed by 'Yes' and 'No' choices. Cross tabulation was performed between all variables.
Binary logistic regression was performed to estimate the Odds ratio (OR) and 95% CIs of factors associated with WTV for the HIV vaccine trial. Missing responses were not analysed and non-significant results are not reported. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS 15.0 for Windows (SPSS, Inc Chicago, IL, USA).
Ethical issues {#S20003}
--------------
The project was reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS), formally Muhimbili University College of Health Sciences (MUCHS). Each police officer provided written consent after reading and allegedly understanding all the details about the study. The police higher authority was informed about the study both orally and in writing. They received a written information sheet followed by a check list before commencement of the study to ensure their understanding of the principal study concepts.
Results {#S0002}
=======
Socio-demographic and behavioural characteristics of the study population {#S20005}
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
The median age of the 329 participants interviewed was 37 years (range 19--61 years) and 79% were male. Whereas females dominated in the youngest age group, ≤ 24 years, there was a majority of males in the oldest age group, 45+ years. A higher proportion of males and females were married (68%) and single (62%), respectively. Most were Christians, educated to four years in secondary school with a median of three children. Females were less likely to have had four or more lifetime partners. Condom use was not favoured by about half and not used even in extra-marital sexual encounters, whereas 60% considered themselves at risk (Table [1](#T0001){ref-type="table"}).
######
Socio-demographic and behavioural characteristics of the participants
Sex
------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------ ----------- ------------
Age distribution
Up to 24 years 34 (13.1) 20 (29.0) 54 (16.4)
25--34 years 70 (26.9) 18 (26.1) 88 (26.7)
35--44 years 87 (33.5) 22 (31.9) 109 (33.1)
45+ years 69 (26.5) 9 (13.0) 78 (23.7)
Marital status
Married 176 (68.0) 26 (37.7) 202 (61.6)
Single[^a^](#TFN0001){ref-type="table-fn"} 83 (32.0) 43 (62.3) 126 (38.4)
Religion
Christian 174 (66.9) 46 (66.7) 220 (69.9)
Muslim 86 (33.1) 23 (33.3) 109 (33.1)
Education
Primary 102 (39.4) 31 (44.9) 133 (40.5)
Secondary and above 157 (60.6) 38 (55.1) 195 (59.5)
Number of children
None 82 (31.5) 28 (40.6) 110 (33.4)
One or more 178 (68.5) 41 (59.4) 219 (66.6)
Has additional sexual partner[^b^](#TFN0002){ref-type="table-fn"}
Yes 80 (57.6%) 23 (60.5) 103 (58.2)
No 59 (42.4) 15 (39.5) 74 (41.8)
Lifetime sexual partners
1--3 105 (58.3) 40 (93.0) 145 (65.0)
Four or more 75 (41.7) 3 (7.0) 78 (35.0)
Attitude towards condom use
Positive 135 (55.1) 34 (51.5) 169 (54.3)
Negative 110 (44.9) 32 (48.5) 142 (45.7)
Condom use with additional partner[^c^](#TFN0003){ref-type="table-fn"}
Yes 109 (55.3) 22 (47.8) 131 (53.9)
No or don\'t know 88 (44.7) 24 (52.2) 112 (46.1)
Likelihood of getting infected
Not possible or don\'t know 107 (41.3) 23 (33.8) 130 (39.8)
Possible 152 (58.7) 45 (66.2) 197 (60.2)
^a^Not married/divorced/separated/widowed.
^b^Do you have a regular sexual partner, someone else other than wife/husband?
^c^When you last had sex with someone other than wife or husband, did you use a condom?
Knowledge about vaccines and experiences {#S20006}
----------------------------------------
Almost all (95% of 260 males and 90% of 69 females) knew in principle how vaccines work, that they protect from infections, and had also been vaccinated at some time (95% males and 94% females). However, a majority (70% males and 55% females) were not able to recall their vaccination experiences.
Attitudes to HIV vaccines {#S20007}
-------------------------
### Use of an effective HIV vaccine
Most respondents (79% of 260 males and 71% of 69 females) would use an effective vaccine against HIV, if it were made available. The main reason for not using it was the fear of vaccine side effects. Six percentage were not sure.
### Tanzania becoming a partner in developing an HIV vaccine
Almost all (85% of 259 males and 78% of 69 females) said 'Yes' to the question: 'Do you think that Tanzania should be a partner in developing HIV vaccine that is especially designed for Tanzania?' In responses to the open-ended question, the most commonly stated reason was that involving Tanzania would reassure them about the safety of the vaccine. Of those who said no (11%), the main reason was lack of trust in vaccine trials (e.g. Why should this vaccine be special for Tanzanians only?). Five percentage were not sure.
### Sharing the intention to participate with significant others (sexual partner, parents, friends and relatives)
Most (69% of 236 males and 54% of 63 females) responded 'Yes' to the question: 'If you were to participate in a HIV vaccine trial, would you tell anyone? If yes, whom would you tell?' The most common person to share the information with would be the sexual partner and the most commonly reason stated for sharing was to take care of them if they suffered from side effects of the vaccine. The unmarried/divorced/separated/widowed stated that they would share the information with friends, family members, relatives or parents in that order. Similarly, the most common reason stated was to be taken care of if one was adversely affected by the vaccine. For those who felt no reason to tell anyone (15%), they said that the main reason was that participation would be a personal decision. Nineteen percentage were undecided.
Willingness to volunteer (WTV) for an HIV vaccine trial {#S20008}
-------------------------------------------------------
Sixty-one percentage (64% of the 260 males and 54% of the 69 females) would volunteer for an early vaccine trial (Phase I or II) that is designed to determine its safety. The most commonly stated reason was altruism, i.e. to save the nation. Thirty-nine percentage were not ready to volunteer because of the fear of vaccine side effects.
Factors associated with willingness to volunteer (WTV) for the HIV vaccine trial {#S20009}
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The associations were examined between WTV and socio-demographic variables, knowledge of HIV and AIDS, attitudes towards the use of the effective vaccine, risk-related variables and perceived risks in a multivariate logistic regression model (Table [2](#T0002){ref-type="table"}). WTV was positively associated with: positive attitude towards using an effective HIV vaccine if available (OR, 36.48; 95% CI: 15.07--88.28); Tanzania becoming a partner in development of HIV vaccine (OR, 4.28; 95% CI: 2.28--8.03) and the intention to tell others about one\'s decision to participate in the trial (OR, 6.61; 95% CI: 3.89--11.24). Other factors were having a regular sexual partner other than one\'s wife or husband (OR, 3.05; 95% CI: 1.63--5.69); perceived risk of getting infected with HIV (OR, 2.11; 95% CI: 1.34--3.33) and high knowledge about HIV and AIDS (OR, 1.92; 95% CI: 1.22--3.01).
######
Factors associated with willingness to volunteer (WTV) in HIV vaccine trial in a multivariate analysis
WTV (Row%)
--------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------ ----------- ----------------------
Would use effective HIV vaccine[^a^](#TFN0004){ref-type="table-fn"}
Yes 196 (76.6)\*\*\* 60 (23.4) 36.48 (15.07--88.28)
No or don\'t know 6 (8.2) 67 (91.8) 1
Tanzania as vaccine partner[^b^](#TFN0005){ref-type="table-fn"}
Yes 184 (66.9)\*\*\* 91 (33.1) 4.28 (2.28--8.03)
No or don\'t know 17 (32.1) 36 (67.9) 1
Would you tell anyone?[^c^](#TFN0006){ref-type="table-fn"}
Yes 157 (79.7)\*\*\* 40 (20.3) 6.61 (3.89--11.24)
No or don\'t know 38 (37.3) 64 (62.7) 1
Has additional sexual partner[^d^](#TFN0007){ref-type="table-fn"}
Yes 72 (69.9)\*\*\* 31 (30.1) 3.05 (1.63--5.69)
No 32 (43.2) 42 (56.8) 1
Likelihood of being infected[^e^](#TFN0008){ref-type="table-fn"}
Possible 135 (68.5)\*\* 62 (31.5) 2.11 (1.34--3.33)
Not possible or I don\'t know 66 (50.8) 64 (49.2) 1
Knowledge about HIV and AIDS
High 117 (68.8)\*\* 53 (31.2) 1.92 (1.22--3.01)
Low 84 (53.5) 73 (46.5) 1
Significance marked as: \*\**P*\<0.01; \*\*\**P*\<0.001.
^a^If there was an effective vaccine against HIV, would you use it?
^b^Do you think Tanzania should be a partner in developing HIV vaccines?
^c^If you were to participate in a HIV vaccine trial, would you tell anyone?
^d^Do you have a regular sex partner, someone else other than wife/husband?
^e^What is the likelihood that you can be infected with HIV?
Discussion {#S0003}
==========
Overall, our data illustrated that police officers would be willing to take part in an HIV vaccine trial and that willingness was more positively associated with an intention to use than with an intention not to use an effective vaccine, if one were made available. This may explain the burden that HIV infection has imposed on people\'s lives, not least among police officers. In contrast to the results of a study in the US among homosexual men, African--American women and persons who abuse substances, the intent to be vaccinated if a FDA-approved vaccine became available was low, only 30 and 25.3% were extremely likely and likely, respectively, to accept such a vaccine [@CIT0023]. In addition, the higher willingness associated with Tanzania becoming a partner in the development of a vaccine that is particularly designed for Tanzania, is encouraging and provides a promising basis for police officers possibly volunteering for the HIV vaccine trials.
The increased willingness was associated with having additional sexual partners, apart from a wife or husband. Such risky behaviour is unsurprising, both among police officers [@CIT0022], and in a Tanzanian context. Previous studies from Tanzania have documented the increase of HIV transmission among those with multiple concurrent partners ([@CIT0006], [@CIT0008], [@CIT0010], [@CIT0011]). Consequently, the increased willingness to participate in the vaccine trial may be associated with higher risky behaviour identified among some respondents. Respondents might have been willing to volunteer for personal protection against HIV infection as reported elsewhere ([@CIT0020], [@CIT0021], [@CIT0023], [@CIT0024]). The high interest among police officers for taking part in a vaccine trial might also have been influenced by unrealistic expectations of continuing to have multiple sexual partners as noted among the Ugandan military men [@CIT0021]. In our study, over half of the respondents considered themselves at risk. Our findings are supported by other studies ([@CIT0016]--[@CIT0018]) where willingness was influenced by perceived self-risk for HIV infection.
The influence of sexual partners/spouses was important in this study. The majority (66%) intended to share their intention to take part in the HIV vaccine trial with a 'significant other', mainly the steady sexual partner. The most common reason given was to have somebody who would take care of them in case they experienced adverse effects of the vaccine. Evidently, the possibility of an adverse event associated with a vaccine is recognised, but would not deter police officers from volunteering for the trial. The greater willingness noted among those who would tell others implies that significant others have an important role in influencing volunteers to participate in the HIV vaccine trial. In the previous studies, significant others were found to be a potential source of stigma towards those who would participate in HIV vaccine trial ([@CIT0025]--[@CIT0029]). Therefore, the role of the support of these significant others should be recognised in the recruitment and retention of volunteers.
The limitation of our data is based on methodological challenges such as the recruited sample. Although police officers are well organised, well educated and informed in terms of HIV and AIDS-related issues, it was challenging to engage them in responding to a long questionnaire, due to unexpected emergency duties. The nature of the group, however, facilitated access and follow up. They were recruited to the study on the basis of specific health-related information delivered during the meetings. Those who participated in the meetings may have been particularly interested in health-related matters. Therefore, we can only generalise our results to the studied participants and not to other populations.
The use of an interview-administered questionnaire might have caused some hesitation in terms of responding to sensitive questions about sexual practices. For instance, fewer females responded to questions concerning risk-related variables as compared to males. Some people might find it sensitive to reveal the number of lifetime sexual partners in a face-to-face interview. The counsellors who were filling out the questionnaires reported that, in many cases, the respondents just kept quiet when asked that question, and sometimes requested the interviewer to move on to another question. The interviewers of course respected the respondents' suggestions. Thus, there might have been a higher frequency of risky behaviour than was reported. The first author (EAMT) participated in the sensitisation workshops and filling out the first questionnaire where she also noted hesitation among a few participants in disclosing the number of sexual partners.
Conclusion {#S0004}
==========
Our results add valuable information in relation to interventions preceding HIV vaccine trials in low-income countries such as Tanzania. The information is useful for HIV vaccine development and hence contributes to the global fight against HIV/AIDS. The fact that willingness to participate in HIV vaccine trials among police officers is highly associated with risky behaviour indicates a need for an educational package on HIV prevention and counselling, as well as risk behaviour screening among those who volunteer for the trial. It is important to ensure that the participants clearly understand the fact that the trial does not offer protection from HIV transmission. The expressed willingness and underlying concerns need to be explored further, and here an explorative study may be important in order to reveal hidden concerns.
The authors are grateful to the participants for their time and their participation in this study. We appreciate the work of the field team Dr. Eric Aris, Dr. Mohamed Janabi, Dr. Robert Josiah (physicians), Mary Ngatoluwa, Tumaini Massawa, Matilda Mrina and Dafrosa Mtui (nurse counsellors). We also acknowledge the contribution of the police collaborators Dr. David Siyame, Dr. Mohamed Hussein, Dr. Layon Mwanyika, Dr. Mariam Masalu and Mrs Meres Katabalwa for their tireless organisation of the sensitisation workshops. This study was funded by a grant from Sida/SAREC, Tanzania--Sweden collaboration.
| tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | PubMed Central |
Sudden cardiac death risk factors in patients with heart failure treated with carvedilol.
Chronic heart failure (CHF) is associated with a high risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD). Most frequently SCD occurs in patients with NYHA class II and III. To evaluate the influence of prolonged carvedilol therapy on SCD risk in CHF patients. The study included 86 patients (81 men and 5 women) aged 56.8+/-9.19 (35-70) years with CHF in NYHA class II and III receiving an ACE inhibitor and diuretics but not beta-blockers. At baseline and after 12 months of carvedilol therapy the following risk factors for SCD were analysed: in angiography - occluded infarct-related artery; in echocardiography - left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) <30%, volume of the left ventricle (LVEDV) >140 ml; in ECG at rest - sinus heart rate (HRs) >75/min, sustained atrial fibrillation, increased QTc; in 24-hour ECG recording - complex arrhythmia, blunted heart rate variability (SDNN <100 ms) and abnormal turbulence parameters (TO and TS or one of them); in signal-averaged ECG - late ventricular potentials and prolonged fQRS >114 ms. The analysis of SCD risk factors in basic examination in patients who suddenly died was also performed. During one-year carvedilol therapy heart transplantation was performed in 2 patients; 5 patients died. At 12 months the following risk factors for SCD were significantly changed: HRs >75/min (50 vs. 16 patients, p=0.006), LVEF <30% (37 vs. 14 patients, p=0.01), SDNN <100 ms (19 vs. 9 patients, p=0.04). At 12 months the number of risk factors for SCD in each patient was significantly reduced (p=0.001). In patients who suddenly died we found a greater amount of SCD risk factors in basic examination (7 vs. 5) as compared to alive patients. Prolonged beta-adrenergic blockade reduces risk of sudden cardiac death through significant LVEF increase, reduction of HR at rest and improvement of HRV. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | PubMed Abstracts |
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF PENNSYLVANIA
In the Matter of : No. 6 DB 2016 (No. 23 RST 2016)
:
:
LORI B. LASSON : Attorney Registration No. 42457
:
PETITION FOR REINSTATEMENT :
FROM ADMINISTRATIVE SUSPENSION : (Out of State)
ORDER
PER CURIAM
AND NOW, this 17th day of March, 2016, the Report and Recommendation of
Disciplinary Board Member dated March 9, 2016, is approved and it is ORDERED that
Lori B. Lasson, who has been on Administrative Suspension, has never been
suspended or disbarred, and has demonstrated that she has the moral qualifications,
competency and learning in law required for admission to practice in the
Commonwealth, shall be and is, hereby reinstated to active status as a member of the
Bar of this Commonwealth. The expenses incurred by the Board in the investigation
and processing of this matter shall be paid by the Petitioner.
| tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | FreeLaw |
In explaining why President Obama didn't call the Boston bombings a
"terrorist attack," former adviser David Axelrod said, "I'm sure what was going through the president's mind is -- we
really don't know who did this -- it was tax day. Was it someone who was
pro--you know, you just don't know.." | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
1991 Mazda B2200 - Mini Truckin’ Originals
Old School - Throwback - OG
Baffled. That might be a good word to start this month’s installment of MT Originals. Why this word you ask? Well, a few recent memes and comments regarding “lowriders” and “minitrucks” based solely on a set of wheels have left me baffled. Why have spoke wheels such Dayton’s become the elephant-in-the-room when the minitruck “scene” is concerned?
I clearly remember a time when spokes were acceptable. Hell, they were one of the most expensive and desired wheel when I was a wee lad in high school. Half my friends that were rolling Eagle 5-stars, Progressive Hammers, or Ronal R9s wanted a set of “Deez” instead.
Dayton’s, McLean’s and Cragar’s played a big role in the history of mini trucks. In the early years of this very mag, you could find a plethora of trucks rolling spokes from the front cover, ads, show coverage, tech stories, and features. Wheels alone shouldn’t be the deciding factor of discrimination or classification.
It’s baffling that the history of this scene is forgotten or simply unknown. I often hear of folks mentioning how the hot rod scene is friendlier and better behaved. Maybe it’s because they embrace their past while evolving their future?
Next time you see a truck rolling spokes, don’t be baffled. Learn the history. Embrace the diversity. When someone calls your mini a lowrider, suck it up and say, “Thanks!” Some people don’t know or understand the differences how we see them, and Spokes, billets, or steelies, ’bags, juice, or coil-overs, minitruck, lowrider, or stance—whatever the hell you or anyone else wants to call it, CRUISE ON! As long as it sits low—it’s all good. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
INTRODUCTION {#sec1-1}
============
A nationwide survey has revealed that about 2.38% of Indians suffer from asthma.\[[@ref1]\] However, in a simultaneously conducted field study, using the same methodology and criteria for diagnosing asthma, Gupta and Mangal\[[@ref2]\] found that the prevalence of asthma was only 0.96% in Jaipur district of Rajasthan, far below the national average. This was in spite of the fact that the prevalence of one or more respiratory symptoms in the Jaipur study population was similar to the national figures (5.3% V/S 4.3-6.9%). It was then reasoned that the difference in asthma prevalence in the two parallel studies could be due to under diagnosis of asthma in the Jaipur population.\[[@ref2]\] Longitudinal surveys are the most effective epidemiological tools to solve such issues.
Further, Gupta *et al*.,\[[@ref3]\] in a recent study have exploited the natural history of asthma, albeit in a different context and have reported that asthma can be safely diagnosed if a respondent answers affirmatively, both to the presence of (a) shortness of breath at any time and (b) at least 2 of the other symptoms namely: i) Wheezing, ii) Chest tightness, iii) Seasonal variation, iv) Dust allergy, v) skin allergy, vi) nasal allergy, vii) eye allergy and viii) family H/O allergy/asthma.
This study was, therefore, undertaken to find out whether asthma was actually under diagnosed in Jaipur district population, in the form of a resurvey of symptomatics of the original survey while using the twin criteria for diagnosis of asthma\[[@ref1][@ref2]\] and also to find out whether the problem of underdiagnosis, if any, could have been checked with the use of symptom criteria as suggested by Gupta *et al*.,\[[@ref3]\] in the form of a reanalysis of original survey data. The findings of the resurvey and reanalysis of the original survey data are being presented in this paper.
MATERIALS AND METHODS {#sec1-2}
=====================
The resurvey of the symptomatics not diagnosed as asthma in the original survey was carried out in the year 2013. The material and methods used in the resurvey were essentially similar to those used in the nationwide study and the Jaipur survey.\[[@ref1][@ref2]\] It consisted of the following steps:
The filled in questionnaire forms of the symptomatics of the original survey, not diagnosed as asthma, were sorted out.A field worker, initially trained in data collection, visited the house holds of these subjects along with the old filled in questionnaire form.Interview was conducted face to face in privacy and in the homes of the respondent.The data of the resurvey were filled in at the side of the original data in the same form by the field worker, but now in red ink.Randomly, about 5% of the subjects of these re-filled in forms were re-interviewed telephonically by a supervisor, to verify the data collected by the field worker. In case of discrepancy, the supervisor visited the subject for a face to face interview for the final data collection.
The data so collected were analyzed. Asthma was diagnosed if the respondent answered affirmatively, both to (a) wheezing or whistling sound from chest or chest tightness or breathlessness in morning and (b) having suffered from asthma or having an attack of asthma in the past or using inhaled or oral bronchodilators, as was done at the time of the original survey.
The original survey data of the symptomatics not diagnosed as asthma, were simultaneously re-analysed in lieu of the resurvey data and suggestions made by Gupta *et al*.\[[@ref3]\]
Student\'s *t* test, x^2^ test and univariate analysis was applied to confirm statistical significance of the data analysis. Multivariate regression analysis was also performed as and when required.
RESULTS {#sec1-3}
=======
The original survey was carried out in the year 2002-03 and data of 8863 adult respondents (5010 men, 3853 women) were presented.\[[@ref2]\] One or more respiratory symptoms were present in 467 (5.3%) of these subjects but asthma was diagnosed only in 85 (0.96%). This left 382 symptomatics, not diagnosed as asthma at the time of the original survey. Out of these 382 symptomatics, as many as 344 (90%) could be interviewed again in the resurvey. The rest 38 were not available for resurvey for various reasons.
Of the total 344 symptomatics thus resurveyed, 85 now fulfilled the asthma diagnostic criteria as used in the national survey. Tables [1](#T1){ref-type="table"}--[4](#T4){ref-type="table"} shows the original survey data of these newly diagnosed asthma patients as compared to the rest.
######
Demographic profile of symptomatics after the resurvey
######
Asthma and various symptoms/parameters in symptomatics after resurvey
######
Asthma and presence of any other parameter along with SOB
######
Asthma and presence of number of other parameters along with SOB
Age and sex were insignificant risk factors but rural domicile continued to be an important risk factor for asthma. Officials were least affected but labors were more likely to have asthma \[[Table 1](#T1){ref-type="table"}\].
The highest sensitivity for diagnosing asthma for any symptom was found for the presence of shortness of breath (SOB) and the highest specificity, for the presence of allergic symptoms in self or the family but the highest odds ratio (OR) for diagnosing asthma was found for the presence of wheezing \[[Table 2](#T2){ref-type="table"}\].
Since SOB was the most sensitive symptom for the diagnosis of asthma, an analysis was carried out whether the presence of an additional symptom/parameter along with SOB increases the chances of diagnosing asthma. The OR for diagnosing asthma increased in the presence of most other symptoms/parameters along with SOB but the highest OR for diagnosing asthma was seen for the presence of wheezing along with SOB \[[Table 3](#T3){ref-type="table"}\].
An analysis was also carried out to find out the highest OR for diagnosing asthma in relation to the number of additional symptoms/parameters along with SOB. The OR for diagnosing asthma was highest for the presence of 2 additional symptoms/parameters along with SOB, as compared to the rest \[[Table 4](#T4){ref-type="table"}\].
DISCUSSION {#sec1-4}
==========
Gupta and Mangal\[[@ref2]\] while presenting the original survey data had discussed that the prevalence of asthma in the Jaipur population as compared to the national average\[[@ref1]\] could be genuinely low but could also be due to under diagnosis of the disease for different reasons namely: a) Subjects might not be knowing of their asthma due to ignorance or lack of knowledge, b) General practitioners might not be using inhalers to treat asthma due to fear of loss of faith and c) Patients might not be disclosing the diagnosis of asthma to the interviewer at time of administration of the questionnaire due to stigma attached to the disease.
The coverage of the symptomatics in the resurvey (90%) was adequate. It revealed 85 new patients of asthma. These newly diagnosed patients, in all probabilities, represent the underdiagnosed asthma patients of the original survey. Further, if these findings are extrapolated to the remaining 10% of the symptomatics who could not be resurveyed, the figure rises to about 92. That being so, the total asthma prevalence in Jaipur district should be about 2% (85 + 92 = 177 out of the 8863 adult respondents) and not 0.96, as was reported at the time of the initial survey.
From the above our initial assumption that asthma is under diagnosed in some population groups with the use of twin criteria for diagnosing asthma as used in national survey, is confirmed and that the prevalence of asthma in Jaipur population is nearly similar to the national figures. The key question that still remains unresolved is: How to check the problem of under diagnosis of asthma in such surveys?
It was reasoned that the answer to the problem might lie in reanalysis of the initial survey data, in light of the observations made by Gupta *et al*.\[[@ref3]\] Such a reanalysis indeed revealed that as many as 76 additional cases of asthma could have been picked up at that time itself without a significant risk of over diagnosis (84, if extrapolated to all the symptomatics), as they had SOB along with 2 additional symptoms at the time of the original survey itself. This was in spite of the fact that seasonal variation of symptoms in the respondents was not recorded at the time of the original survey. Had it been done, the outcome would have been still better. Several others have also observed that some symptoms/group of symptoms are highly suggestive of asthma,\[[@ref4][@ref5][@ref6][@ref7][@ref8]\] but none of them have used it in diagnosing asthma in epidemiological surveys.
Based on this study data it can be concluded that (a) The twin criteria for diagnosing asthma as used in earlier surveys,\[[@ref1][@ref2]\] led to under diagnosis of asthma in Jaipur district population, in all likelihood, due to the fact that these criteria required a person to admit that he had suffered from asthma and (b) The use of symptom criteria as suggested by Gupta *et al*.\[[@ref3]\] could have effectively checked the problem of underdiagnosis in Jaipur district population.
A resurvey of the symptomatics of the national survey population and reanalysis of its original\[[@ref1]\] on the lines of the present study will, in all probabilities, clarify whether the observations made out of this paper are universally applicable or are limited to certain population groups, where the disease might be a social taboo.
Financial support and sponsorship {#sec2-1}
---------------------------------
The study was financially supported by M/S Sun Pharma- Radiant Division.
Conflicts of interest {#sec2-2}
---------------------
There are no conflicts of interest.
| tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | PubMed Central |
If you’re stoked that indie rock no longer has to remotely resemble “rock”, Manchester Orchestra’s fourth LP, Cope, is probably like nothing else you’ve heard all year. "Top Notch" sets the tone immediately and it's that of a fire alarm*—*the drums loudly stutter-stomp, the guitars strain in harmony at an even higher volume, and Andy Hull’s rebel yell is even louder. This is the sort of thing that used to be called “alternative rock” out of habit, and in 2014, it’s actually earned that name.
And yet, Cope once again finds Manchester Orchestra in the netherworld they’ve long occupied: not quite as cerebral as they aspire to be, nowhere near as lunkheaded as they could allow themselves to be, making radio-friendly rock too leaden and static to make reciprocity a foregone conclusion. That’s a shame, since Hull’s clearly an ambitious guy, demonstrated by his leave-it-all-on-the-floor live performances—but the ever-escalating arms race with himself resulted in the simultaneous crescendo and crash of 2011’s Simple Math, where Manchester Orchestra took the latter part of their name to heart and burdened their sturdy, workmanlike rock with Michael Kamen-level bombast.
Cope doesn’t frame Simple Math as a misstep-in-hindsight, although it doesn't try to top it, either; this time around, it's 11 bullshit-free rock songs about getting past the bullshit in your life. Essentially, this is Band of Horses at their major-label crossroads and choosing not to hightail it into the heart of Dixie, alternating between pedal-to-the-floor howlers and bluesy bluster with little else in between. For fans of Cease to Begin, the potential that comparison carries is pretty awesome, except Manchester Orchestra lack any of the aforementioned’s sweep and expanse.
Even if Cope never manages the undeniable wallop of Manchester Orchestra's S&M-friendly “Virgin”, it’s still every bit as exhausting and overproduced. The strings are gone, but there’s not a single yielding surface on any of these songs, and the only respite you get from the roaring, textureless guitars is a palm-muted guitar. Even the high, lonesome harmonies, clearly meant to imbue some kind of human element, sound like digital clipping. Hull also fails to muster warmth and empathy, and despite his promise of Cope being “unrelenting and unapologetic”, he mostly flips “one good thing about music, when it hits you feel no pain”: these are loud songs that strike with the blunt force of a Nerf bat, as Hull emotes his heart out without really copping to anything. His lyrics have become tougher to parse, filled with parable and metaphor about relapse, religion and redemption, which makes the lost-soul clichés stick out even more than they previously did.
Look, if you’re anything like me and strive to find at least five real-deal alt-rock bangers per calendar year, it’s easy to pull for these guys*—*they are underdogs within an extremely unique context. Because this stuff can be potent in three-minute shifts, there’s an undeniable thrill in the way “Top Notch” thrashes in place, similar to watching the fight scenes from Iron Man 3 and knowing you’re not going to get that from an arthouse flick. And even if the verses rarely check out, the choruses are pretty fun to yell, and if you can open your heart to yet another imperial rock song called “The Ocean”, well, it’s the most fun of the lot here. And besides, if you think you can just dial this stuff up by turning on your local “alt-rock” station, well, there goes the Neighbourhood. But four albums in, it's becoming pretty clear that the genre in which Manchester Orchestra resides has more untapped potential than the band itself. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | OpenWebText2 |
Donald Trump's supporters have hit out at Hollywood once again, this time over a video of some of the biggest celebrities defiantly singing before his inauguration.
A new clip by W Magazine and Conde Nast Entertainment shows the likes of Emma Stone, Natalie Portman and Amy Adams reciting the disco classic I Will Survive.
The star-studded cast is seen participating in a 'lyrical improv' reading of the Gloria Gaynor song in the video, released just days before Trump will be sworn in.
It's already racked up more than a million views, but many of Trump's most fervent fans found the video to be 'pathetic', 'out of touch' and even 'uncool'.
Scroll down for video
Trump's supporters have hit out at Hollywood once again, this time over a video of some of the biggest celebrities (pictured is Taraji P Henson) singing I Will Survive before his inauguration
A new video by W Magazine and Conde Nast Entertainment shows the likes of Emma Stone, Natalie Portman and Amy Adams reciting the disco classic
It's already racked up more than a million views, but many of Trump's most fervent fans found the video to be 'pathetic' and launching their favorite insult of 'snowflake'
'Unbelievable. The liberal Hollywood snowflakes made ANOTHER pathetic video called, I Will Survive,' tweeted one user named Billy.
'They're so defiant of Trump. Terrible!' he added, taking a page from his idol.
'Butt hurt, tolerant left. So glad to hear the little snowflakes will survive,' wrote Catherine. 'But, with all their Trump-bashing, will their careers?'
The video was stacked with many celebrities who may earn Academy Award nominations this month, including Stone, Portman and Taraji P Henson.
Also featured in the video is Andrew Garfield, Chris Pine, Hailee Steinfeld, and Matthew McConaughey, the latter disappointing at least one former fan.
'I seriously cannot believe @McConaughey was involved in something this uncool,' tweeted one user.
Many Trump supporters also hit out at the celebrities' vocal chops, missing the fact that they were not required to sing.
Also featured in the video is Andrew Garfield, Chris Pine, Hailee Steinfeld, and Matthew McConaughey, the latter disappointing at least one former fan.
'Liberal Snowflakes are melting down again. Another awful video and this time with the worst singing ever,' tweeted June Anderson.
The A-listers will likely survive without their critics' support, but the clash over the video highlights the increasing debate over Hollywood activism.
It came to a head during the Golden Globes last Sunday, when Meryl Streep gave a powerful speech condemning the president-elect without ever speaking his name.
While many praised Streep's 'bravery' for the speech, others tweeted at the actress to stick to movies and said she was out of touch with average Americans.
Many of Trump's supporters joked he would never care what celebrities think about him, but the president-elect took to Twitter to attack Streep despite never seeing the speech.
The video shows some celebrities enthusiastically singing while others chose to solemnly read the words instead, like Natalie Portman
'Meryl Streep, one of the most over-rated actresses in Hollywood, doesn't know me but attacked last night at the Golden Globes,' he wrote.
'She is a Hillary flunk who lost big.'
It remains to be seen if Trump will comment on the I Will Survive video, which begins with Garfield telling the filmmakers: 'It may get too real.'
The star chosen to belt out the famous first line of the song is Star Trek actor Chris Pine, followed by Steinfeld, who sings the second line with an appropriately 'petrified' expression.
Some of the actors participating in the video, like Portman, opt to simply read the words, while others channel their inner soul singer.
Stone and Adams both get right into their lines, dance moves and all. 'You have to march!' Emma declares in the middle of her line.
Other stars who pop on screen throughout the video to read lyrics include Felicity Jones and Dev Patel.
But the real star of the show is Henson, who waves an indignant finger at the camera at one point before taking it all home with a wail and dancing off into the background.
It remains to be seen if Trump will comment on the I Will Survive video, which begins with Garfield telling the filmmakers: 'It may get too real' | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | OpenWebText2 |
Pages
Thursday, June 16, 2011
You're going to think I'm making this up.
I started this post last week and never had a chance to publish. So, here you go - a week later and I still feel like I have a stress hangover...
Tuesday night I was up sick all night. Barfy sick. I woke up just long enough to call off work and hand Olivia over to gramma and papa before I slept until 4 p.m.
Oh, yes. And also? I called and found out that Ainsley had pneumonia.
Thursday I felt decent enough to go back to work. So I did. And then after work I went to visit Ainsley. While I was at the hospital, I got a text from Mark:
"Liv is having a seizure."
So then Olivia had a big ass febrile seizure and Mark called 911. And instead of taking her to Children's, they insisted on taking her to the closest shit ass no idea how to deal with children ER despite our protests.
By the time I drove the 30 minutes from Children's to the ER to see Olivia, they were already arranging to have her transported. To Children's.
AND THEN we spent two nights at the hospital for...a virus. Olivia came home Saturday night happy and demanding to watch Toy Story.
BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE! So then Mark went to visit Ainsley early this morning and while he was holding her he noticed that she was acting strange. Her hand kept twitching and her thumb was clamped down and he couldn't move it.
Because...She was having a motherfucking seizure!
OH MY GOD YOU GUYS. I'd love to write more but I am way busy hanging padding on every wall in my house so that I can commence necessary insane behavior. I'd say send cookies, but I have 30 pounds to lose so send spanx I guess.
This is enough!! I personally have and enough and I'm not even you guys!!
For the love of all things good in this universe-to include your sanity, your homes interior decor and for those of us readers who just need to see that every now and then the good guys aren't being kicked to shit while they are down again, and again, and again, and again...We need this to stop. I'd say I'm praying for you guys-but that's not even really it anymore-I am actually demanding that the universe (and maybe even threatening it at the same time-so an angry demand) that the tide changes-and immediately!
I share the incredulity, this is totally unbelievable and terrible. It can't keep pouring on you all like this, it just can't. If there is anything I can do, other than be incredulous at the end of a keyboard please let us all know. Very glad Olivia is home and well and poor Ainsley, the girl has guts. Nobody could deny you as much insane behaviour as you feel like, insane-away, you have to keep going somehow. Sending love to you all.
Damn. Just damn. Cookies dipped in vodka and filled with pot. I guess?? Just trying to be helpful, you know? Cuz I got nothing over here. I REALLY hope things look up for y'll. I think of your family often.
Could I send vodka? Or the alcoholic beverage of your choice? Because if I were you at this point, I would be a raging alcoholic. The week my daughter was hospitalized for the same thing as your Olivia, I had a miscarriage as well. I dealt with that whole shitstorm (which also included pneumonia for my daughter) by getting wasted and playing MarioCart with my husband. It was fun. I actually laughed, and it sounds like you could use a laugh.
There is this line in the book The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan where she's frustrated by many different medical trauma's within her family and she said that she just wanted to go into the garage and not open the garage door and start the car and move it forward and backward all while slamming into the walls and pissing herself the whole time. Just reading that one part made me feel better when I was going through some B.S. medical crap.
What.The.Fuck. Seriously how much shit can one person be given? Ugh. You and your family don't deserve this. I'm hoping that everything turns around soon and you don't have to see a hospital for a LONG ASS time.xoxo
I am so sorry to hear this. I've been following this blog for a few months but have read every single post, you were the first blog I followed, and just adore it. If I knew your address/po box I would send spanx AND cookies, because after the week you've had you deserve a cookie, or 20. I am so so so sorry Jen, and we are ALL here for you, sending e-hugs and well wishes. Your probably the nicest person I have ever "met" and for this to happen is just horrible.
I don't know you, and I haven't even followed you for very long, but I'm in tears reading. This is too much. You should not have to go through all of this. I'm so sorry for all you're having to endure. I will be praying for your family. God owes you big time.
man, and to think by the title that I was sure you were going to tell us that you were pregnant. Boy, was I off. I'm sorry, this is a stinker of a situation (and that's keeping it 'G' rated, I know there are other adjectives probably going through your mind more descriptive than 'stinker')
Wow, that does sound like something out of a movie. If only it was... So sorry to hear. I hope the padding is extra good! I don't really know what else to say except I'm sorry & I hope things return back to your "normal." I read your blog faithfully and while I don't post much, I think of you and your family & say a little prayer for you all.
Wow. As my Dad says anytime something really awful happens... THAT IS JUST BULLSHIT. Of course, this? Is total FUCKING bullshit.
You must have the worlds biggest catchers mitt, though, because you are catching absolutely everything the cosmos is throwing at you. Wait - I realize that might sound bad, but catchers WANT to catch things. It means they are not losing control of what is coming their way. Even when they think a ball has gotten past them, they can be surprised that the ball is right there, in their mitt.
You might feel like all hell has broken loose, and far ne it from me to tell you it hasn't... but I'll bet if you look in your mitt, you will find you still have the ball.
Take care of you, Jen! Eat, drink (water first, then alcohol), stretch and don't forget to breathe. In a battle of you vs. shitstorm the cosmos is throwing at you, I would bet the house on you.
I am so SORRY this is all happening to you! Please,try to take care of yourself. Screw the pounds and eat the damn cookies. Drink a pitcher of chocolate martinis to wash them down. You've earned it. I am sending every extra ounce of sanity I can spare your way.
I agree, eat the cookies a drink whole milk to wash them down... or something stronger! I cannot even fathom going through what you already have, and the fact it just keeps coming... ugh. Sending lots of prayers!
For Heaven's sakes! Once you get these girls home and together they are going to owe you and your husband diamonds and cruise ship vacations on every Mother's and Father's day for the rest of your lives! Stressful little buggers! Bless them both and all of you. You're doing great - hang in there and know you have lots of prayers and good thoughts from all of us!
I never comment but have been following your blog for a while. I just want you to know that I'm so sorry you have to go through all of this. I hope your beautiful daughters heal and recovery quickly.I guess I just wanted to let you know I'm thinking of you.
Wow, I get totally knocked on my ass just by getting the stomach flu, let alone all this other drama! You're seriously super mom. I wish there was something I could do for you, but I don't know where your number, or where you live, or oh wait, you! But if it means anything, a stranger sends positive thoughts you way surprisingly often.
I too have never commented before bu wanted to tell you today that I follow your blog, am continually thinking good and healing thoughts for Ainsley and your whole family and that I really admire you. Your honesty and humor in the face of hideousness is incredibly inspiring.
I'm so sorry you guys just can't seem to catch a break. To hell with the spanx, you just keep on self medicating with cookies until Ainsley is home with her big sister and breathing on her own. Sending love your way.
Wow. Here's hoping everything gets resolved, your stress level decreases, and your lovely little ladies stay healthy and seizure-free! In lieu of cookies, would you like a random little tidbit of information to puzzle on when you need a second of mental escape? Here it is: your site is inaccessible from Tibet. I was there in February, and I wanted to check in and see how you were doing, so I jumped on the hotel wifi in Lhasa and entered your web address, but no dice. I knew that some news outlets and many blogs on blogspot and some on wordpress would be inaccessible, because China is currently occupying Tibet and restricts internet access, but I had no idea that your radical awesomeness presented such a threat to the Chinese government that they would block your site from the (not so) average infertile American tourist chilling in Lhasa. I guess they, like me, realize that you would make a most excellent and charismatic leader for an uprising of women who have had it up to HERE with the stupids, and so they have rightly learned to fear you. Rock on with your bad self, striking terror into the hearts of Chinese Internet Censors.
I think about you and your family every day and hope every day that things will get better. I pray they will. I have had a crazy year (not as crazy as yours) and I just keep laughing or else I will go ape shit on all the wrong people. Praying that you have a magical turn around soon.
This is one of those moments when my mother would (unwisely) say something like, "Well just remember, God never gives us more than we can manage." And I would reply something like, "God is obviously on crack this week." --- So I'm not gonna say God never gives you more than you can handled, and I will gladly punch in the face anyone who says something like this to you.
Also, I'm not going to tell you to keep the faith, hang in there, or tell you the sun will come out tomorrow. When your babies are sick, there's always at least one moment when you are confident the sun will NOT come out tomorrow. When you're sick too, there is no sun. There is only your head in the toilet.
So, don't hang in there or keep the faith. Eat some cookies. With ice cream on top. Do it for me, because I don't have an excuse to eat what I want right now. You have every right to eat your weight in desserts right now. I "pitythefoo" who tries to suggest you should NOT eat desserts in excess during this season of your life.
I know you will most likely never read this seeing as how I am the 81st commenter...but I just wanted to say that I think you are incredible, truly. I don't know you, but I know enough to think you are stronger than I could ever hope to be, whether you feel strong right now or not. I wish so badly that there was something more I could do for you other than leave you a comment telling you I will be praying for you and your family. I feel like you have amazing things coming your way because, really, there'd BETTER be. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
Plastic Bag Crochet, Recycled Art, and other Crafty Creations
Donate
At all of these events, it’s helpful to have a bunch of spare crochet hooks for people to practice with.
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The present invention is directed generally to solderless electrical connections and, more particularly, to a novel tool and method for terminating an insulated conductor into a portion of an electrical contact premounted in an electrical connector.
In recent years, increasing numbers of applications have developed in the communications, data processing and transportation industries requiring electrical connectors which provide reliable solderless interconnections with insulated electrical conductors. This demand has perhaps been greatest in the telecommunications industry where miniaturized, high contact density ribbon connectors are used extensively. Connectors of this general type are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,867,005; 3,902,154; and 3,926,498. Because of the great number of individual conductors terminated in these connectors and because of the close spacing between the individual contacts, reliable solder terminations are difficult to achieve, as well as time consuming and costly to maintain and service. For these reasons, insulation-piercing contacts have been developed for use in ribbon connectors and have met with wide acceptance when used to terminate insulated conductors having solid wire cores. Unfortunately, due to the demanding standards in the industry requiring almost negligible change in contact resistance, the insulation-piercing type ribbon connectors have proven unacceptable when used with stranded wire core conductors. Experience has shown that tensile forces applied to the conductors, as well as the cold flow of the insulation surrounding the core, causes the individual strands of the wire core to move and reposition within the insulation-piercing contacts, causing changes in contact resistance. Thus, solder termination ribbon connectors are still used widely with stranded core insulated conductors.
Accordingly, a need exists for a ribbon connector which provides a satisfactory solderless termination to stranded core insulated conductors, and preferably both stranded and solid core conductors can be used with the present invention. In addition, in order that the connector be commercially practicable, the termination can be performed with the electrical contact premounted within the connector.
One approach to solving these problems is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,159,156 which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention. In that patent, an electrical contact member having a terminal portion is premounted in an electrical connector. The terminal portion is formed by an outwardly open channel which has a pair of contact sidewalls and a pair of spaced conductor engaging elements in the form of opposed detents. The tool and method of that patent comprises shearing portions of the actual conductor engaging detent elements and bending the sheared portions onto the conductor.
Another termination tool and method is shown in pending U.S. application Ser. No. 042,465, filed May 25, 1979, which is a continuation of parent application Ser. No. 897,076, filed Apr. 17, 1978 and now abandoned and U.S. Pat. No. 4,264,118 which is a continuation of Ser. No. 897,076, both of which are assigned to the assignee of the present invention. In those pending applications, sidewall portions of the contact terminal portion, other than the conductor engaging detent elements (as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,159,156), are sheared and crimped onto the conductor which previously is inserted into the contact channel. However, in this application, a bifurcated termination tool head is employed to perform a two-step terminating operation whereby the conductor first is inserted into the contact and the sidewalls of the contact thereafter are crimped onto the conductor. The disclosure of these two pending applications is incorporated herein by reference for the general purpose of showing types of connector structures with which the present invention is applicable. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | USPTO Backgrounds |
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Introduction
============
The arrival of action potentials mediates Ca^2+^ influx through strategically localized clusters of voltage-operated Ca^2+^ channels at the synaptic active zone (AZ) membrane. Ca^2+^ triggers exocytosis of synaptic vesicles, and tight coupling between release-ready vesicles and Ca^2+^ channels seems important for efficient neurotransmitter release ([@bib30]). AZs are further characterized by macromolecular cytomatrices named dense bodies ([@bib53]; [@bib44]). The role of these electron-dense specializations and of AZ-enriched proteins in the assembly of the AZ and/or the synaptic vesicle exo-endocytosis cycle is under intense investigation ([@bib32]). Protein architectures constituting and controlling dense bodies remain to be revealed, and their contributions to AZ assembly in general and Ca^2+^ channel clustering in particular must be defined genetically.
The most straightforward approach would be to use immunolabeling combined with light microscopy. However, individual AZs measure only a few hundred nanometers in diameter, rendering this approach difficult. Recently, stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy ([@bib17]) has proven valuable for high resolution light microscopic studies of synapse architectures ([@bib24]; [@bib19]; [@bib49]).
The *Drosophila* *melanogaster* neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is a leading model for genetic analyses of synapse structure and assembly ([@bib11]; [@bib26]; [@bib6]). In this preparation, dense body structures termed T-bars may take part in activity-dependent changes of synaptic performance ([@bib35]). Furthermore, the Ca^2+^ channel α1 subunit Cacophony (Cac) was shown to dominate neurotransmitter release at NMJ synapses ([@bib22]).
Proteins of the conserved CAST (CAZ-associated structural protein)/ERC (ELKS--Rab6-interacting protein CAST) family are generic AZ proteins. In mice, CAST/ERC proteins have been shown to localize to AZs of various synapses and to bind other AZ proteins such as RIM (Rab3a-interacting molecule) and Liprin-α ([@bib31]; [@bib48]; [@bib25]; [@bib9]). In *Caenorhabditis elegans*, the CAST/ERC family member ELKS (glutamine-, leucine-, lysine-, and serine-rich protein) appears to operate genetically downstream of Syd-2/Liprin-α during the assembly of AZs at vulval synapses ([@bib7]; [@bib34]). Recently, the CAST/ERC family member Bruchpilot (BRP), a coiled-coil rich protein of nearly 200 kD, was identified via its localization to *Drosophila* AZs. Mutants of *brp* lacked T-bars, and Ca^2+^ channels were mislocalized at AZs, leading to inefficient vesicle release and changes in synaptic short-term plasticity ([@bib24]; [@bib47]).
In this study, we provide evidence that BRP takes up an elongated conformation and is a direct component of the T-bar. The N terminus of BRP is found superimposed on the Ca^2+^ channel clusters at the AZ center. BRP and Cac arrive at an advanced stage of the protracted synapse assembly process, and both proteins interact in vitro. In contrast, a further AZ-organizing protein, *Drosophila* Liprin-α (DLiprin-α), localizes to a different subcompartment of the AZ and enters nascent AZs substantially earlier than BRP. Thus, the assembly of the T-bar is instructed by BRP, which seems essential for clustering higher numbers of Ca^2+^ channels at an advanced stage of AZ maturation.
Results
=======
The AZ protein BRP was recently shown to be crucial for efficient neurotransmission at *Drosophila* NMJs. Presynaptic AZs missing BRP lacked dense bodies (T-bars), and Ca^2+^ channel densities were compromised within AZs ([@bib24]). However, whether BRP performs an essential signaling role in T-bar formation or whether the protein itself is an essential building block of T-bars remained to be clarified. Thus, we entered into a structure-function analysis of BRP.
mAb Nc82 maps toward the C-terminal end of BRP
----------------------------------------------
mAb Nc82 is derived from a *Drosophila* head extract--directed library ([@bib18]) and allowed the first identification of the BRP protein. mAb Nc82 is a widely used marker in *Drosophila*, both for neuropil in general and for AZs in particular ([@bib51]; [@bib24]; [@bib47]). Previously, we had loosely mapped the epitope of Nc82 to the region between aa 635 and the end of the 1,740-aa BRP protein (based on cDNA AT09405; [@bib47]). To define the Nc82 epitope more precisely, various BRP fragments ([Fig. 1 A](#fig1){ref-type="fig"} and [Table I](#tbl1){ref-type="table"}) were ectopically expressed in wing discs using *dpp-Gal4* ([Fig. 1 B](#fig1){ref-type="fig"}). In this manner, the mAb Nc82 epitope (hereafter BRP^Nc82^) could be mapped to the region between aa 1,227 and 1,740. Additionally, an antibody directed against an N-terminal peptide (BRP^N-Term^ antibody; aa 62--75; [Fig. 1 B](#fig1){ref-type="fig"}) was produced.
{#fig1}
######
BRP-reexpressing constructs
BRP fragments Start (aa) End (aa)
--------------- ------------ ----------
Domain 1 (D1) 1 320
Domain 2 (D2) 268 617
Domain 3 (D3) 473 1,226
Domain 4 (D4) 1,152 1,740
The predicted lengths in aa of the UAS-BRP fragments (relative to full-length BRP \[1,740 aa\]) are shown.
Structure-function analysis of BRP in T-bar formation
-----------------------------------------------------
So far, the analysis of BRP function was based on the *brp*^69^ allele in which most of the protein-coding sequence (corresponding to aa 283--1,740) is deleted ([Fig. 1 C](#fig1){ref-type="fig"}, green). As previously reported, T-bars were missing at *brp*^69^ AZs ([Fig. 2](#fig2){ref-type="fig"}, compare A and B), and the BRP^Nc82^ label ([Fig. 2, A and B](#fig2){ref-type="fig"}) was absent ([@bib24]). The BRP^N-Term^ label was also completely absent ([Fig. 2 B](#fig2){ref-type="fig"}), indicating that the predicted residual protein (corresponding to aa 1--282) is unstable or at least does not localize to the NMJ. To ensure that *brp*^69^ reflects a true null phenotype, we produced the deletion mutant *brp*^6.1^ ([Fig. 1 C](#fig1){ref-type="fig"}, green) in which all genomic sequences of *brp* were removed (see Materials and methods). This led to a complete loss of BRP^Nc82^/BRP^N-Term^ labels and T-bars, whereas some traces of residual electron-dense material appeared at the same frequency as in *brp*^69^ ([@bib24]; unpublished data). As *brp*^6.1^ and *brp*^69^ ([@bib24]) behaved identically in all aspects, our previous analysis based on *brp*^69^ reflected a true null situation.
{#fig2}
BRP is a large protein (1,740 aa). To enter into a structure-function analysis of BRP in T-bar assembly, additional *brp* alleles were looked into. First, a piggyBac-transposon insert (*brp*^c04298^; [Fig. 1 C](#fig1){ref-type="fig"}, blue; [@bib1]) located toward the middle of the locus was characterized. At *brp*^c04298^ NMJs, the BRP^Nc82^ label was absent, whereas the BRP^N-Term^ label was dramatically reduced ([Fig. 2 C](#fig2){ref-type="fig"}). Comparable with our observations for *brp*^69^ ([@bib24]), electron microscopic analysis of *brp*^c04298^ showed a complete lack of T-bars ([Fig. 2 C](#fig2){ref-type="fig"}), and only traces of electron-dense material remained at AZ membranes. Thus, as this allele is a site-specific insertion but not a deletion (which in principle might eliminate control elements of genes other than *brp*), this allele provides further proof that BRP is essential for T-bar assembly. However, as the molecular alterations of *brp*^c04298^ cannot be predicted easily, we sought to analyze aa point mutations in *brp*. To do so, a chemical mutagenesis screen (ethyl methyl sulfonate \[EMS\]) selecting for reduced viability over *brp*-null alleles was performed.
The *brp*^5.45^ allele is characterized by a stop codon at aa position 867 (∼50% protein length), which leads to pupal lethality over *brp* null with weak escapers ([Fig. 1 C](#fig1){ref-type="fig"}). As expected, the BRP^Nc82^ label was absent from *brp*^5.45^ NMJs. Although the number of BRP^N-Term^ clusters was reduced over the whole NMJ ([Fig. S1 A](http://www.jcb.org/cgi/content/full/jcb.200812150/DC1)), those remaining in *brp*^5.45^ were slightly smaller, although of comparable intensity as in controls ([Fig. 2 D](#fig2){ref-type="fig"}; and Fig. S1, B and C). Despite extensive analysis, T-bars were not detected at *brp*^5.45^ NMJs ([Fig. 2 D](#fig2){ref-type="fig"}).
The EMS allele *brp*^1.3^ delivered paralyzed adult escapers over *brp* null as the result of a premature stop codon at aa 1,390 (generating a protein 523 aa longer than predicted for *brp*^5.45^; [Fig. 1 C](#fig1){ref-type="fig"}). Although the number of BRP^N-Term^ clusters was reduced to ∼40% (Fig. S1 A), their sizes and intensities were comparable with controls. At the same time, the BRP^Nc82^ label was absent ([Fig. 2 E](#fig2){ref-type="fig"}). T-bar--like structures were observed at *brp*^1.3^ NMJs ([Fig. 2 E](#fig2){ref-type="fig"}), although at lower frequency than in controls (not depicted). However, upon closer inspection, the T-bar--like structures typically appeared truncated ([Fig. 2](#fig2){ref-type="fig"}).
For EM, conventional room temperature embedding procedures, including aldehyde fixation and dehydration of the tissue ([Fig. 2, A--E](#fig2){ref-type="fig"}), are prone to shrinkage artifacts. To use an alternative conservation method for the analysis of *brp*^1.3^, we introduced high pressure freezing (HPF)/freeze substitution (FS) EM ([@bib15]; [@bib38]; [@bib44]) to larval NMJs. With HPF/FS, NMJ tissue appeared well preserved, as judged by the smooth membrane surfaces of, for example, mitochondria ([Fig. S2, A and B](http://www.jcb.org/cgi/content/full/jcb.200812150/DC1)) or presynaptic boutons (not depicted). Furthermore, electron-dense structures appeared taller, which was likely caused by a reduced loss of material during HPF/FS embedding (e.g., the synaptic cleft; [Fig. 2 F](#fig2){ref-type="fig"}). Unlike T-bars visualized in conventionally embedded tissues, HPF/FS-processed T-bars were characterized by filamentous elements at their distal ends ([Fig. 2 F](#fig2){ref-type="fig"}, arrowheads). At *brp*^1.3^ NMJs, HPF/FS EM (similarly to our observations obtained with standard EM) typically revealed shortened T-bars (Fig. S2 C, quantification). In conclusion, elimination of aa 1,390--1,740 of BRP did not prevent the formation of T-bar--like assemblies per se. However, these assemblies were significantly smaller than in controls. This result is in line with the assumption that BRP operates as a building block shaping the T-bar.
To both confirm and extend our results, BRP-encoding cDNA fragments (C-terminally GFP tagged for in vivo visualization) were expressed in motoneurons of *brp*^69^ larvae ([Fig. 2, G and H](#fig2){ref-type="fig"}). As expected ([@bib24]), full-length BRP localized to AZs and restored T-bar formation (not depicted). The C-terminally truncated fragment D1-3^GFP^ (BRP^D1-3GFP^; Δ aa 1,227--1,740; [Fig. 1 A](#fig1){ref-type="fig"} and [Table I](#tbl1){ref-type="table"}) localized to presynaptic sites but was not sufficient for T-bar formation ([Fig. 2 G](#fig2){ref-type="fig"}). Thus, expression of BRP^D1-3GFP^ further suggests that the C-terminal region of BRP (distal of aa 1,226; [Table I](#tbl1){ref-type="table"}) is important for T-bar formation.
By expressing D2-4^GFP^ (BRP^D2-4GFP^; Δ aa 1--267; [Fig. 1 A](#fig1){ref-type="fig"} and [Table I](#tbl1){ref-type="table"}), the role of the N-terminal region of BRP was tested. The expressed protein was found close to individual AZs ([Fig. 2 H](#fig2){ref-type="fig"}). Although T-bars were never observed, small electron-dense aggregates (clearly smaller than T-bars) localized to the AZ membrane at high frequency ([Fig. 2 H](#fig2){ref-type="fig"}). Thus, the N-terminal region of BRP seems important for the formation of proper, full-sized T-bars, whereas the C-terminal region is required for the assembly of T-bars by itself. Thus, the entire BRP protein appears to take part in configuring the T-bar structure.
BRP epitopes reside at the electron-dense T-bar matrix
------------------------------------------------------
To monitor whether BRP epitopes are associated with the electron-dense T-bar matrix, HPF/FS samples were subjected to immuno-EM. The antibodies to both epitopes, BRP^N-Term^ and BRP^Nc82^, bound to the T-bar matrix ([Fig. 3](#fig3){ref-type="fig"}). Notably, the BRP^N-Term^ antibody showed higher labeling efficacy ([Fig. 3](#fig3){ref-type="fig"}, compare B with C) and was found throughout cross-sectional views of T-bars in vertical sections ([Fig. 3 B](#fig3){ref-type="fig"}, right).
{#fig3}
In contrast, BRP^Nc82^-conjugated gold particles were typically found at the most distal edge of electron-dense structures in vertical sections ([Fig. 3 C](#fig3){ref-type="fig"}, right). From the expression of ectopic BRP fragments ([Fig. 1, A and B](#fig1){ref-type="fig"}) and *brp*^1.3^ ([Fig. 2 E](#fig2){ref-type="fig"}), it is clear that the Nc82 epitope must be located distal to aa 1,390 in the C-terminal quarter of the protein. When comparing BRP^N-Term^ and BRP^Nc82^, the BRP^N-Term^ label appeared significantly closer to the AZ membrane than the BRP^Nc82^ label ([Fig. 3 D](#fig3){ref-type="fig"}). Thus, the N-terminal region of BRP seems to reside closer to the AZ membrane than the C-terminal region. However, it should be noted that because of the moderate membrane contrast possible with the immuno-EM technique used, the angle at which AZs are observed cannot be exactly determined. This complicates a quantitative analysis. Collectively, both BRP epitopes are found at the T-bar matrix, and the ultrastructural analysis supports the notion that BRP is a direct component of the T-bar.
BRP^Nc82^ and BRP^N-Term^ epitopes are vertically segregated relative to the AZ membrane
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To validate and extend our findings concerning the localization of BRP^N-Term^ and BRP^Nc82^, further light microscopic experiments were performed. Conventional fluorescence microscopy is highly compatible with protein-specific labeling and enables the processing of high sample numbers. Importantly, confocal sectioning of *Drosophila* NMJ boutons allows for a reliable definition of the orientation of synapses relative to the optical axis because bouton surfaces are nearly spherical. Hereafter, tangentially imaged AZs are called planar AZs, whereas vertically imaged AZs are referred to as vertical AZs.
We were interested in visualizing the BRP protein with its distinct epitopes in relation to the remainder of the AZ and the synapse. Therefore, center of mass distances at vertical AZs (along an axis perpendicular to the AZ membrane) were performed with standard confocal microscopy. First, to test this approach, the distance between postsynaptic glutamate receptors (intracellular epitope on *Drosophila* glutamate receptor subunit IID \[DGluRIID\]; [@bib36]) and presynaptic Ca^2+^ channels (Cac^GFP^ \[GFP at intracellular C terminus of Cac\]; [@bib23]) was measured. A value of 40 nm was determined ([Fig. 4 A](#fig4){ref-type="fig"}), which is compatible with a distance of ∼35 nm between the cytoplasmic leaflets of pre- and postsynaptic membranes, as measured with EM at NMJ synapses (not depicted).
{#fig4}
As expected, mAb Nc82 identified diffraction-limited spots opposite the center of postsynaptic densities (PSDs; [Fig. 4 B](#fig4){ref-type="fig"}). Notably, BRP^Nc82^ and DGluRIID signals were separated by ∼155 nm ([Fig. 4, A and B](#fig4){ref-type="fig"}), and BRP^Nc82^ and Cac^GFP^ were separated by ∼110 nm ([Fig. 4, A and C](#fig4){ref-type="fig"}). Thus, the epitope recognized by BRP^Nc82^ is clearly localized at a distance away from the presynaptic AZ membrane, which is consistent with our immuno-EM findings ([Fig. 3, C and D](#fig3){ref-type="fig"}). Next, we colabeled BRP^N-Term^ and BRP^Nc82^ ([Fig. 4 D](#fig4){ref-type="fig"}). The BRP^N-Term^ label was found ∼70 nm closer to the plasma membrane than the C-terminal label ([Fig. 4 A](#fig4){ref-type="fig"}).
Our measurements were performed using sandwiches of primary antibodies and labeled secondary antibodies. For distances in the double-digit nanometer range, the size of individual Ig molecules (used for the detection of epitopes) might be relevant. Thus, we sought to independently validate the distance between BRP N and C termini. To do so, BRP^D1-4GFP^ was expressed in the *brp*^69^ background, and the distance between the BRP C terminus (endogenous GFP fluorescence) and the N terminus (BRP^N-Term^ antibody) was determined ([Fig. 4 A](#fig4){ref-type="fig"}). Again, ∼70 nm was measured. Finally, the center to center distance between BRP^N-Term^ and Cac^GFP^ was measured as ∼60 nm ([Fig. 4 A](#fig4){ref-type="fig"}). Collectively, we conclude that the BRP^Nc82^ and BRP^N-Term^ epitopes are segregated along an axis perpendicular to the AZ membrane.
The BRP N terminus displays a confined distribution close to the AZ membrane
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
We proceeded to study the molecular organization of AZs at the *Drosophila* NMJ with STED microscopy to obtain improved optical resolution in xy coordinates. Previously, it was demonstrated that BRP^Nc82^ forms doughnut-shaped structures when visualized at AZs arranged planar to the optical axis ([@bib24]). BRP^Nc82^ doughnuts were reproduced from planar AZs ([Fig. 5, A](#fig5){ref-type="fig"} \[arrow\] and B) with a resolution displaying an effective point-spread function (PSF) of 80-nm full-width half-maximum. Other than BRP^Nc82^, BRP^N-Term^ did not show a doughnut-shaped distribution when imaged with STED ([Fig. 5 C](#fig5){ref-type="fig"}). Instead, the BRP^N-Term^ signal appeared centered within the "doughnut hole" of the BRP^Nc82^ signal at planar AZs, as also apparent after averaging STED signals from individually aligned AZs ([Fig. 5 D](#fig5){ref-type="fig"}). The combination of STED resolution (confined to one channel in our experiments) for BRP^Nc82^ and confocal resolution for BRP^N-Term^ revealed a polarized and funnel-like distribution of BRP epitopes ([Fig. 5, A--C](#fig5){ref-type="fig"}). Notably, the BRP^Nc82^ signal did not appear fully continuous but instead consisted of discrete foci ([Fig. 5, B and F](#fig5){ref-type="fig"}) within an overall circular array. In an additional experiment, we expressed full-length BRP^D1-4^ ([@bib47]) in *brp*^69^ mutants. The distance between BRP^N-Term^ and BRP^Nc82^ was similar to that observed at control AZs ([Fig. 5 E](#fig5){ref-type="fig"}). This suggests that individual BRP molecules can adopt an elongated conformation.
{#fig5}
The N terminus of BRP overlays the Ca^2+^ channels at the AZ core
-----------------------------------------------------------------
How does the molecular architecture of BRP relate to Ca^2+^ channels at AZs? Ca^2+^ channel spots (Cac^GFP^) imaged at standard confocal resolution were found to cocenter with the BRP^N-Term^ label and BRP^Nc82^ doughnuts at planar AZs. At vertical AZs, the Cac^GFP^ signal localized toward the AZ membrane relative to both BRP^N-Term^ ([Fig. 5 C](#fig5){ref-type="fig"}) and BRP^Nc82^ ([Fig. 5, F and G](#fig5){ref-type="fig"}). When imaged with STED resolution, Ca^2+^ channels consistently localized to small, typically slightly elliptical patches (∼100--150 nm along the longest axis) at the AZ center ([Fig. 5 G](#fig5){ref-type="fig"}). Thus, the T-bar organized by BRP overlays the field of Ca^2+^ channels at the AZ center.
DLiprin-α localizes to discrete compartments surrounding the AZ center
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Liprin-α localizes to the AZ and has been shown to be important for the formation of AZs in both *Drosophila* and *C. elegans* ([@bib20]; [@bib7]; [@bib34]). To extend our "AZ map," DLiprin-α^GFP^ was expressed in motoneurons and visualized via αGFP stainings with STED microscopy ([Fig. 6 A](#fig6){ref-type="fig"}). DLiprin-α localized to presynaptic AZs opposite DGluRIID-positive PSDs. However, as opposed to BRP, DLiprin-α clustered somewhat lateral from the AZ center. STED resolution revealed that DLiprin-α formed discrete "quantal" clusters at the edge of a single AZ colabeled with BRP^Nc82^ ([Fig. 6 B](#fig6){ref-type="fig"}) or DGluRIID ([Fig. 6 C](#fig6){ref-type="fig"}).
![**STED microscopic analysis of DLiprin-α^GFP^ at AZs.** (A) Single confocal sections of NMJs colabeled for DLiprin-α^GFP^ (green, confocal resolution in left image and STED resolution in middle image) and DGluRIID (magenta, confocal overlay in right image). STED images of DLiprin-α^GFP^ reveal substructures beyond the diffraction limit of confocal microscopy. (B--D) STED images of an individual AZ. Discrete dots of DLiprin-α^GFP^ are arranged at the AZ edge (magenta, BRP^Nc82^ \[B\] and DGluRIID \[C and D\]). Left, planar AZ; right, vertical AZ. B and C show controls, and D shows *brp*^69^. (E) Single confocal slices of control (left) and *dliprin-α* (right) junctions labeled for BRP^Nc82^ with STED resolution. Atypical clusters of BRP doughnuts are observed at *dliprin-α* mutant NMJs. Bars: (A) 1.5 µm; (D) 100 nm; (E) 1 µm.](JCB_200812150R_RGB_Fig6){#fig6}
Discrete DLiprin-α clusters were still observable at *brp*^69^ NMJs, suggesting that the presence of BRP is not essential for the recruitment of DLiprin-α to the AZ ([Fig. 6 D](#fig6){ref-type="fig"}). However, the localization of BRP, as imaged with STED, appeared aberrant at *dliprin-α* NMJs ([Fig. 6 E](#fig6){ref-type="fig"}). Strikingly, individual BRP doughnuts seemed interconnected, which is directly consistent with the previous observation of complex, multi--T-bar AZs at *dliprin-α* mutant NMJs ([@bib20]).
BRP and Ca^2+^ channels accumulate late during AZ assembly
----------------------------------------------------------
So far, we have provided evidence that BRP operates as an essential building block of the T-bar. Notably, fast assembly of T-bars might drive experience-dependent changes of synaptic transmission in the fly central nervous system ([@bib2]; [@bib39]). Thus, to learn about the T-bar assembly process in the frame of synapse reorganization, we visualized BRP accumulation in vivo during the developmental formation of individual synapses ([@bib37]; [@bib14]; [@bib40]). Previously, we found that neuromuscular accumulation of glutamate receptors (as DGluRIIAs) in PSDs typically form at a distance from existing PSDs and then grow over several hours before reaching a final mature size ([@bib37]; [@bib40]). Thus, for the analysis of AZ assembly in vivo, DGluRIIA was coimaged to serve as a reference point for our temporal analysis ([Fig. 7, A, B, and D](#fig7){ref-type="fig"}; and [Table II](#tbl2){ref-type="table"}).
######
Quantification of protein accumulation during AZ assembly using NMJ in vivo imaging
Coexpressed proteins (A × B) Both A and B A before B B before A
------------------------------ --------------------------------- --------------------------------- ---------------------------------
BRP × DGluRIIA BRP^+^/IIA^+^ 17/39 (44%) BRP^+^/IIA^−^ 0/39 (0%) BRP^−^/IIA^+^ 22/39 (56%)
DLiprin-α × DGluRIIA DLiprin-α^+^/IIA^+^ 16/39 (41%) DLiprin-α^+^/IIA^−^ 23/39 (59%) DLiprin-α^−^/IIA^+^ 0/39 (0%)
BRP × DLiprin-α BRP^+^/DLiprin-α^+^ 8/31 (26%) BRP^+^/DLiprin-α^−^ 0/31 (0%) BRP^−^/DLiprin-α^+^ 23/31 (74%)
DGluRIIA × Cac IIA^+^/Cac^+^ 36/62 (58%) IIA^+^/Cac^−^ 21/62 (34%) IIA^−^/Cac^+^ 5/62 (8%)
BRP × Cac BRP^+^/Cac^+^ 42/62 (68%) BRP^+^/Cac^−^ 7/62 (11%) BRP^−^/Cac^+^ 13/62 (21%)
Quantification of the relative accumulation of the indicated synaptic proteins at newly forming AZs (Δt = ∼12 h). A synaptic site was scored positive (+) or negative (−) for a specific protein depending on whether protein fluorescence signals exceeded the mean background level by \>2.5-fold. For example, when comparing BRP and DGluRIIA (at synapses forming newly over 12 h), 44% were positive for both proteins, 0% for BRP only, and 56% for DGluRIIA only.
{#fig7}
Larvae coexpressing two fluorescently tagged synaptic proteins were imaged ([Fig. 7](#fig7){ref-type="fig"}), and quantitative data were obtained to analyze the temporal sequence of protein arrival at developing AZs. For a given larval NMJ, two in vivo images were acquired with a time interval of 12 h. Sites were regarded as new synapses if protein labels exceeded the mean background by a factor of 2.5 at the second (t = 12 h) but not at the first time point (t = 0 h). This way, a temporal sequence of molecular AZ assembly was extracted.
We first compared BRP and DGluRIIA accumulation. For visualization of BRP, we used a fragment of the protein (BRP-short), which delivered a label that fully matched the label of endogenous BRP ([@bib40]). When BRP-short^GFP^ was examined with STED, doughnuts were detected that resembled those found with BRP^Nc82^ (unpublished data). As previously described ([@bib40]), the accumulation of DGluRIIA clearly preceded BRP arrival in vivo ([Fig. 7 A](#fig7){ref-type="fig"} and [Table II](#tbl2){ref-type="table"}). Moreover, all postsynaptic DGluRIIA accumulations eventually incorporated presynaptic BRP, demonstrating that DGluRIIA accumulation reliably indicates the formation of new synapses.
As described in the previous section, presynaptic DLiprin-α localization seems to be largely independent of BRP ([Fig. 6 D](#fig6){ref-type="fig"}), which is compatible with DLiprin-α functioning upstream of BRP in AZ assembly. Consistently, DLiprin-α incorporation invariably preceded BRP accumulation ([Fig. 7 C](#fig7){ref-type="fig"} and [Table II](#tbl2){ref-type="table"}).
BRP is crucial for either the initial formation or the maintenance of Ca^2+^ channel clusters. Thus, we analyzed Cac localization at individual developing AZs. Cac and BRP appeared highly correlated, and the timing of Cac accumulation at AZs was typically very close to the advent of BRP with a slight tendency of Cac to precede BRP ([Fig. 7 E](#fig7){ref-type="fig"} and [Table II](#tbl2){ref-type="table"}).
Collectively, we show that newly forming AZs, similar to PSDs ([@bib37]), are small to begin with and then increase in size over many hours in vivo before accumulating detectable levels of BRP and reaching a final mature size at developing NMJs. This assembly process of individual new synapses is protracted over hours and is characterized by the contribution of pre- and postsynaptic proteins in a defined, overlapping sequence. DLiprin-α appears to be a very early player involved in initializing AZ assembly, whereas BRP, together with Cac, follows only after postsynaptic DGluRIIA incorporation is already clearly detectable ([Fig. 7, A and D](#fig7){ref-type="fig"}).
BRP controls Ca^2+^ channel accumulation at maturing AZs
--------------------------------------------------------
If Cac slightly precedes BRP during assembly, how can the Cac-clustering defects described in *brp*^69^ ([@bib24]) be explained? To exclude allele-specific effects, we first scored Cac clustering at AZs (opposite DGluRIID receptor fields) in the *brp* alleles *brp*^6.1^, *brp*^69^, *brp*^c04298^, and *brp*^1.3^ ([Fig. 8 A](#fig8){ref-type="fig"}). A Cac-clustering defect identical to that found in *brp*^69^ was observed in the full-deletion *brp*^6.1^. As expected, *brp*^c04298^ also showed an identical clustering defect ([Fig. 8 A](#fig8){ref-type="fig"}). Previously, we provided evidence that the Cac delocalization in *brp*^69^ is responsible for reduced neurotransmitter release. In this study, we took the opportunity to test the influence of BRP on neurotransmission independently of *brp*^69^ and recorded from *brp*^c04298^ NMJs. All electrophysiological features of *brp*^c04298^, including the alterations of short-term plasticity connected to defective Ca^2+^ channel clustering, were similar to those observed in *brp*^69^ ([Fig. S3](http://www.jcb.org/cgi/content/full/jcb.200812150/DC1); [@bib24]). Thus, several independent alleles clearly demonstrate that loss of BRP results in defective clustering of Cac at the AZ, which in turn provokes defects in transmitter release.
![**Size-dependent Ca^2+^ channel--clustering defects in *brp*.** (A) Cac^GFP^ (green) clustering at AZs (identified at AZs opposite DGluRIID (magenta)) in control, *brp*^6.1^, *brp*^69^, *brp*^c04298^, and *brp*^1.3^ animals. (B) Comparison of Ca^2+^ channel clustering at control and *brp*^c04298^ NMJs expressing Cac^GFP^ and DGluRIIA^mRFP^. Small PSDs in *brp* mutants opposite Cac^GFP^ clusters of comparable intensity to controls (arrowheads). Larger PSDs, indicating a more advanced synaptic maturation state, typically display severely decreased Cac^GFP^ intensity values compared with controls (arrows). (C) Statistical analysis shows no significant differences in the maximum Cac^GFP^ intensity opposite particularly small PSDs (control: 0--0.118 µm^2^ = 76.7 ± 4.4 au \[*n* = 66\]; 0.119--0.356 µm^2^ = 113.0 ± 2.3 au \[*n* = 161\]; 0.357--0.715 µm^2^ = 1,41.0 ± 4.0 au \[*n* = 46\]; *brp*^c04298^: 0--0.118 µm^2^ = 66.0 ± 3.9 au \[*n* = 34\]; 0.119--0.356 µm^2^ = 83.7 ± 1.6 au \[*n* = 157\]; 0.357--0.715 µm^2^ = 91.4 ± 2.1 au \[*n* = 73\]; P = 0.12, P \< 0.005, and P \< 0.005 by Student's *t* test). (D) FRAP experiment for Cac^GFP^ with a recovery interval of 12 h. FRAP was comparable between *brp*^69^ and control boutons (control: 0.47 ± 0.04 \[*n* = 6\]; *brp*^69^: 0.38 ± 0.04 \[*n* = 6\]; P = 0.3 by Mann-Whitney test). (E) Costaining of BRP^N-Term^ (magenta) and Cac^GFP^ (green) at *brp*^1.3^ boutons and controls. Those AZs showing restored Cac clustering also show restored BRP^N-Term^ label (arrowheads). (F) Ultrastructure of the area between presynaptic membrane and the T-bar pedestal (arrows) prepared via HPF/FS. Asterisks indicate the synaptic cleft. At control (top) and *brp*^1.3^ (middle) AZs, discrete regularly arranged elements emerging from the AZ membrane (∼5--7 nm; arrowheads) are observed within the gap between the AZ membrane and the T-bar pedestal. These elements are not observed at *brp*^69^ AZs lacking T-bars (bottom). Error bars indicate mean ± SEM. \*\*\*, P \< 0.005. Bars: (E) 1 µm; (F) 25 nm.](JCB_200812150_RGB_Fig8){#fig8}
Notably, the mislocalization of Cac is not absolute, but instead, a certain degree of Cac remained clustered at AZs in *brp* null. As our in vivo imaging experiments show ([Fig. 7](#fig7){ref-type="fig"}), AZs go through a long, protracted assembly process before finally reaching their fully mature size. Thus, we wondered whether BRP may be more important for maturation and potentially less so for initialization of Cac clustering. To address this, we visualized Cac in intact, living *brp*^c04298^ mutant larvae together with DGluRIIA as a reference for synapse maturation ([Fig. 8 B](#fig8){ref-type="fig"}). In *brp*^c04298^ larvae, nascent synapses, identified by their small DGluRIIA accumulations, seemed to accumulate Cac at normal density ([Fig. 8, B and C](#fig8){ref-type="fig"}). However, larger, more mature synapses with more substantial DGluRIIA accumulations showed reduced Cac density in the absence of BRP ([Fig. 8, B and C](#fig8){ref-type="fig"}). In clear contrast, the recruitment of Cac^GFP^ to AZs appears to be independent of presynaptic DLiprin-α, as the localization of Ca^2+^ channels appears normal in *dliprin-α* mutants ([Fig. S4](http://www.jcb.org/cgi/content/full/jcb.200812150/DC1)).
Our data imply the following scenario: BRP, an integral component of the T-bar, is recruited to AZs later than DLiprin-α. BRP seems largely dispensable for the initial Ca^2+^ channel accumulation. However, the matrix organized by BRP is required for maintaining the continuous clustering of Ca^2+^ channels beneath the T-bar base during the maturation process, which lasts several hours.
Alternatively, the Ca^2+^ channel--clustering defect in *brp* could be caused by impaired Cac transport. To address this, Cac trafficking dynamics were measured using FRAP experiments. Notably, Cac FRAP was slow, with a recovery half-time of ∼12 h ([Fig. 8 D](#fig8){ref-type="fig"}), which is similar to other synaptic membrane proteins such as DGluRIIA ([@bib40]). Importantly, however, Cac FRAP was essentially unaltered at *brp* boutons, indicating that the long-range transport of Cac to the AZ is not affected by the loss of BRP ([Fig. 8 D](#fig8){ref-type="fig"}). Thus, BRP seems to be directly required for Ca^2+^ channel clustering at AZs but not for its recruitment to the terminal. We aimed to further address the relation between T-bar assembly and Ca^2+^ channel clustering. Notably, *brp*^1.3^ ([Fig. 8 A](#fig8){ref-type="fig"}) showed partially restored Cac clustering. Moreover, those AZs positive for BRP^N-Term^ in *brp*^1.3^ corresponded to the AZs of restored Cac clustering ([Fig. 8 E](#fig8){ref-type="fig"}). Thus, AZ accumulation of the C-terminally truncated but N-terminally intact BRP protein seems to permit the assembly of a distally truncated T-bar, which still functions in clustering Cac.
To further explore this, we prepared larval NMJ AZs via HPF/FS. In this study, a gap between the AZ membrane and the T-bar pedestal ([Fig. 8 F](#fig8){ref-type="fig"}, arrows) was observed, where peg-like ([@bib16]) structures extended from the AZ membrane and distally contacted (or even slightly penetrated) the T-bar pedestal ([Fig. 8 F](#fig8){ref-type="fig"}, top, arrowheads). Such pegs were also observed at *brp*^1.3^ AZs ([Fig. 8 F](#fig8){ref-type="fig"}, middle, arrowheads) but not at AZ membranes of the *brp*^69^-null allele ([Fig. 8 F](#fig8){ref-type="fig"}, bottom). Thus, these data further support the notion that Cac clustering beneath the T-bar pedestal is restored at *brp*^1.3^ AZs. Moreover, the cytoplasmic domains of Ca^2+^ channels might well extend from the AZ membrane, possibly allowing for a direct interaction with BRP.
Possible direct interaction between the C terminus of Cac and the N terminus of BRP
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To address a possible interaction between BRP and Ca^2+^ channels, we tested for protein--protein interactions in vitro. First, all intracellular loops of Cac were tested with BRP constructs in a yeast two-hybrid assay. Only the C-terminal domain of Cac and the N-terminal domain of BRP showed positive for interaction ([Fig. 9 A](#fig9){ref-type="fig"}). Thus, in agreement with our hypothesis concerning the orientation of BRP within the T-bar, the BRP N terminus may interact with the Cac C-terminal domain. To further investigate this interaction, we double transfected Schneider S2R+ cells with a GFP-tagged N-terminal construct of BRP (aa 1--617) and Myc-Cac^C-Term^ (aa 1,420--1,848). Pull-downs directed against Myc, GFP, and BRP (using a polyclonal antibody directed against aa 268--617 of BRP; see Materials and methods) confirmed a direct interaction ([Fig. 9 B](#fig9){ref-type="fig"}).
![**The N terminus of BRP physically interacts with the C terminus of Cac in vitro.** (A) Scheme of yeast two-hybrid analysis using Cac bait constructs and overlapping BRP prey constructs. Full-length Cac protein comprises three large intracellular loops (aa are indicated) and its intracellular C-terminal region (aa 1,420--1,848). The N terminus of BRP (aa 1--320) interacts with the C-terminal region of Cac (83% of the reported cytoplasmic C terminus, sparing the EF hand and most of its IQ motif; [@bib21]). −, no interaction; +++, interaction of high confidence. (B) Co-IPs from Schneider cell extracts cotransfected with a GFP-tagged N-terminal construct of BRP (D1-2^GFP^; aa 1--617) and Myc-tagged Cac^C-Term^. Western blotting shows the pull-down of the BRP construct in the anti-Myc IP at ∼100 kD (arrow). The corresponding band is not detected in the control lanes (IgGs). The slightly different migration of the band in the input lane and in the IP lanes is the result of differences in sample buffer. MW, molecular weight. (C) Spatiotemporal model of AZ assembly and organization at *Drosophila* NMJs. SVs, synaptic vesicles.](JCB_200812150_RGB_Fig9){#fig9}
We are presently unable to (genetically) test whether this physical interaction of BRP with the Cac C terminus (and not other functions downstream of BRP-mediated T-bar assembly) is essential for Cac clustering. However, we tested whether Cac was important for BRP localization by staining *cac*-null embryos ([@bib21]). In this study, BRP signals were not reduced compared with controls ([Fig. S5](http://www.jcb.org/cgi/content/full/jcb.200812150/DC1)). Thus, BRP might be involved in providing slots in the AZ cytomatrix, which define sites of stable Ca^2+^ channel incorporation, whereas the Ca^2+^ channels themselves are not involved in clustering BRP. Collectively, our results suggest a model as depicted in [Fig. 9 C](#fig9){ref-type="fig"} for the spatiotemporal assembly process of the AZ at the glutamatergic *Drosophila* NMJ.
Discussion
==========
Efficient neurotransmission is believed to crucially depend on the structural and functional integrity of the presynaptic AZ compartment ([@bib42]). An ancestral set of AZ components is conserved between *Drosophila*, *C. elegans*, and mammals ([@bib45]; [@bib19]). The strong phenotype we observed at *Drosophila* NMJs in the absence of the ERC/CAST member BRP, lacking T-bar--dense bodies and defective Ca^2+^ channel clustering ([@bib24]; [@bib47]), forms an entry point for studying AZ assembly, which is often complicated by redundant and cooperative interactions between AZ components ([@bib19]).
BRP and dense body formation
----------------------------
We addressed whether BRP signals T-bar formation (without being a direct component of the T-bar) or whether the protein itself is an essential building block of this electron-dense structure. In this study, we provide evidence that BRP is a direct T-bar component. Immuno-EM identifies the N terminus of BRP throughout the whole cross section of the T-bar ([Fig. 3, A and B](#fig3){ref-type="fig"}), and genetic approaches show that a truncated BRP, lacking the C-terminal 30% of the protein's sequence, forms truncated T-bars ([Fig. 2, E and F](#fig2){ref-type="fig"}). Immuno-EM and light microscopy consistently demonstrate that N- and C-terminal epitopes of BRP are segregated along an axis vertical to the AZ membrane and suggest that BRP is an elongated protein, which directly shapes the T-bar structure ([Fig. 9 C](#fig9){ref-type="fig"}).
In *brp*^5.45^ (predicted as aa 1--866), T-bars were not detected, whereas *brp*^1.3^ (aa 1--1,389) formed T-bar--like structures, although fewer and smaller than normal ([Fig. 2, E and F](#fig2){ref-type="fig"}; and Fig. S2 C). Moreover, the BRP^D1-3GFP^ construct (1--1,226) did not rescue T-bar assembly. Thus, domains between aa 1,226 and 1,390 of BRP may also be important for the formation of T-bars. Clearly, however, the assembly scheme for T-bars is expected to be controlled at several levels (e.g., by phosphorylation) and might involve further protein components. Nonetheless, it is highly likely that the C-terminal half of BRP plays a crucial role.
BRP, the dense body, and Ca^2+^ channel clustering
--------------------------------------------------
As BRP represents an essential component of the electron-dense T-bar subcompartment at the AZ center, it might link Ca^2+^ channel--dependent release sites to the synaptic vesicle cycle ([@bib30]). Interestingly, light and electron microscopic analysis has located CAST at mammalian synapses both with and without ribbons ([@bib46]; [@bib8]; [@bib44]). Overall, this study is one of the first to genetically identify a component of an electron-dense synaptic specialization and thus paves the way for further genetic analyses of this subcellular structure.
The N terminus of BRP is found significantly closer to the AZ membrane than the C terminus, where it covers a confined area very similar to the area defined by the Cac^GFP^ epitope. Electron tomography of frog NMJs suggested that the cytoplasmic domains of Ca^2+^ channels, reminiscent of pegs, are concentrated directly beneath a component of an electron-dense AZ matrix resembling ribs ([@bib16]). In addition, freeze-fracture EM identified membrane-associated particles at flesh fly AZs, which, as judged by their dimensions, might well be Ca^2+^ channels ([@bib12]). We observed peg-like structures beneath the T-bar pedestal. Similar to fly T-bars, the frog AZ matrix extends up to 75 nm into the presynaptic cytoplasm. Based on the amount of cytoplasmic Ca^2+^ channel protein ([@bib4]), [@bib16] concluded that Ca^2+^ channels are likely to extend into parts of the ribs. Thus, physical interactions between cytoplasmic domains of Ca^2+^ channels and components of ribs/T-bars might well control the formation of Ca^2+^ channel clusters at the AZ membrane. However, a short N-terminal fragment of BRP (aa 1--320) expressed in the *brp*-null background was unable to localize to AZs efficiently and consistently failed to restore Cac clustering (unpublished data).
The mean Ca^2+^ channel density at AZs is reduced in *brp*-null alleles. In vitro assays indicate that the N-terminal 20% of BRP can physically interact with the intracellular C terminus of Cac. Notably, we found that the GFP epitope at the very C terminus of Cac^GFP^ was closer to the AZ membrane than the N-terminal epitope of BRP ([Fig. 4 A](#fig4){ref-type="fig"}). It is conceivable that parts of the Cac C terminus extend into the pedestal region of the T-bar cytomatrix to locally interact with the BRP N terminus. This interaction might play a role in clustering Ca^2+^ channels beneath the T-bar pedestal.
Clearly, additional work will be needed to identify the contributions of discrete protein interactions in the potentially complex AZ protein interaction scheme. Our study should pave the way for a genetic analysis of spatial relationships and structural linkages within the AZ organization. Moreover, we aim to integrate our findings in the framework of mechanisms for Ca^2+^ channel trafficking, clustering, and functional modulation ([@bib3]; [@bib10]; [@bib5]).
Timing of AZ assembly, Ca^2+^ channel accumulation, and synapse maturation
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Our imaging assays allowed a temporally resolved analysis of AZ assembly in vivo ([Fig. 7](#fig7){ref-type="fig"}). BRP is a late player in AZ assembly, arriving hours after DLiprin-α and also clearly after the postsynaptic accumulation of DGluRIIA. Accumulation of Cac was late as well, although it slightly preceded the arrival of BRP, and impaired Cac clustering at AZs lacking BRP became apparent only from a certain synapse size onwards ([Fig. 8, B and C](#fig8){ref-type="fig"}). In this study, we report that new AZs, similar to PSDs ([@bib37]), form at sites distant from preexisting ones and grow to reach a mature, fixed size. Thus, the late, BRP-dependent formation of the T-bar seems to be required for maintaining high Ca^2+^ channel levels at maturing AZs but not for initializing Ca^2+^ channel clustering at newly forming sites. As the dominant fraction of neuromuscular AZs is mature at a given time point, the overall impression is that of a general clustering defect in *brp* mutants. In reverse, it will be of interest to further differentiate the molecular mechanisms governing early Ca^2+^ channel clustering. Pre- to postsynaptic communication via neurexin--neuroligin ([@bib29]; [@bib27]; [@bib52]) interactions might well contribute to this process. A further candidate involved in early Ca^2+^ channel clustering is the Fuseless protein, which was recently shown to be crucial for proper Cac localization at AZs ([@bib28]).
In summary, during the developmental formation of *Drosophila* NMJ synapses, the emergence of a presynaptic dense body, which is involved in accumulating Ca^2+^ channels, appears to be a central aspect of synapse maturation. This is likely to confer mature release probability to individual AZs ([@bib24]) and contribute to matching pre- and postsynaptic assembly by regulating glutamate receptor composition ([@bib40]). Whether similar mechanisms operate during synapse formation and maturation in mammals remains an open question.
Outlook: dense body architectures and synaptic plasticity
---------------------------------------------------------
In this study, we concentrated on developmental synapse formation and maturation. The question arises whether similar mechanisms to those relevant for AZ maturation might control activity-dependent plasticity as well and whether maturation-dependent changes might be reversible at the level of individual synapses. Notably, experience-dependent, bidirectional changes in the size and number of T-bars (occurring within minutes) were implied at *Drosophila* photoreceptor synapses by ultrastructural means ([@bib2]; [@bib39]). Moreover, at the crayfish NMJ, multiple complex AZs with double-dense body architecture were produced after stimulation and were associated with higher release probability ([@bib50]). In fact, a recent study has correlated the ribbon size of inner hair cell synapses with Ca^2+^ microdomain amplitudes ([@bib13]). Thus, a detailed understanding of the AZ architecture might permit a prediction of functional properties of individual AZs.
Materials and methods
=====================
Genetics
--------
All fly strains were reared under standard laboratory conditions ([@bib43]). Either w^1^ or w^1118^ was used as background for transgenesis (BestGene Inc.).
Chemical mutagenesis
--------------------
The EMS screen was performed according to standard protocols. In brief, isogenic w^1118^ males were mutagenized with 25 mM EMS solution and crossed to virgins carrying a second chromosomal balancer. For initial mapping, male F1 offspring were crossed with *Df(2R)BSC29* virgins, and candidate flies were tested with different *brp* mutant lines. Genomic DNA was extracted from positive candidate flies, and PCR amplicons containing *brp* exon clusters were double-strand sequenced to identify the mutations.
Generation of brp deletions
---------------------------
*brp* chromosomal deletions were constructed using the Flp recombinase system as previously described ([@bib33]). The different parental lines were provided by the Exelixis collection at Harvard Medical School (Boston, MA).
The following genotypes were used for the ectopic expression of the BRP constructs ([Fig. 1 A](#fig1){ref-type="fig"}; [Fig. 2, G and H](#fig2){ref-type="fig"}; and [Fig. 5](#fig5){ref-type="fig"}): for wing disc expression, upstream activator sequence (UAS)--BRP^D1-3GFP^/+; *dpp-Gal4*/+. UAS-BRP^D2-4GFP^/*dpp-Gal4*. UAS-BRP^D1-4GFP^/*dpp-Gal4*. For expression of BRP constructs at NMJs in the *brp* mutant background, UAS-BRP^D1-3GFP^/+; *Df(2R)BSC29*/*brp*^69^, *ok6-Gal4*. *Df(2R)BSC29*/*brp*^69^, *ok6-Gal4*; UAS-BRP^D2-4GFP^/+. *Df(2R)BSC29*/*brp*^69^, *ok6-Gal4*; UAS-BRP^D1-4^/+. *Df(2R)BSC29*/*brp*^69^, *ok6-Gal4*. The *Gal4* lines and *Df(2R)BSC29* were provided by the Bloomington *Drosophila* Stock Center. For experiments in the *dliprin-α* mutant background ([Fig. 6 D](#fig6){ref-type="fig"}), we used *dliprin-α*^R60^/*dliprin-α*^F3ex15^ animals ([@bib20]).
Antibodies
----------
For the N-terminal BRP (BRP^N-Term^) antibody, a rabbit polyclonal antibody was raised (Seqlab) against a synthetic peptide (CREPRDRSRDRSLER). The specificity of the affinity-purified α-BRP antibody was confirmed by immunofluorescence analysis of larval muscle fillet preparations.
The BRP^D2^ antibody was raised against the BRP domain D2 (aa 268--617; Seqlab) in rabbits. The immunogen was expressed recombinantly as 6×His-tagged fusion protein in *Escherichia coli* and purified using a protocol including denaturing and refolding of the protein. The antibody containing serum was affinity purified versus the same protein as used for immunization.
Transmission EM
---------------
For HPF, about one to three *Drosophila* late second/early third instar larvae were placed in aluminum specimen carrier of 200-µm depth (type A; Bal-Tec), filled with yeast paste, and covered with a lid. The samples were frozen immediately in an HPM machine (HPM010; Bal-Tec) and rapidly transferred to liquid nitrogen for storage.
FS and embedding were performed in acetone in either an EM AFS (automatic freeze substitution; for morphology; Leica) or an EM AFS2 (for immunocytochemistry; Leica). Two separate protocols were used for morphological and immunocytochemical analysis ([@bib38]; [@bib44]). For immunocytochemistry, the substitution was performed in pure acetone without uranyl acetate.
For morphology, 55--60-nm (gray silver) sections, and for immunocytochemistry, 85-nm (silver gold) sections were cut using an EM Ultracut 6 (Leica). Sections were collected on formvar-coated 100 mesh grids. For morphological experiments, sections were dried and poststained with uranyl acetate and lead citrate as described previously ([@bib41]). For immunocytochemistry, grids were placed in droplets of PBS, pH 7.2, until labeling procedure started. Immunocytochemistry was performed as described previously ([@bib38]; [@bib44]). Rbα-BRP^N-Term^ (1:500) and Mα-BRP^Nc82^ (Nc82; 1:2; provided by E. Buchner, Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany) antibodies were used. Micrographs were taken with a 1,024 × 1,024 charge-coupled device detector (HSS 512/1024; Proscan Electronic Systems) in an electron microscope (EM 902A; Carl Zeiss, Inc.) operated in bright field mode.
Conventional room temperature embedding was essentially performed as described previously ([@bib47]). Images were obtained from dissected preparations of third instar larvae (NMJ 6/7; segments A2/A3). Instead of 1-h fixation in 1% osmium tetroxide, the fixation was performed in 1% osmium tetroxide and 0.8% KFeCn in 0.1 M cacodylate buffer. After infiltration in epon resin, muscles were cut out (six animals for each genotype) and embedded in a single block.
For T-bar size quantification, T-bars or residual T-bars were taken from vertical AZs. The electron density of the T-bar was measured from the AZ membrane to the T-bar platform if present (height) or along the AZ membrane (width).
Molecular cloning
-----------------
For expression constructs of DLiprin-α^GFP^, a 3.6-kb fragment of pOT2 LD27334 was subcloned into pBluescript KS(+) (Agilent Technologies) using the SalI and EcoRI restriction sites introduced by PCR primers and subsequently double-strand sequenced. The insert was excised and inserted into pENTR4 (Invitrogen) via SalI and NotI sites. The final expression construct of DLiprin-α^GFP^ was obtained using the Gateway system (Invitrogen). In brief, pENTR4 DLiprin-α was recombined with pTWG (a *Drosophila* pUASt Gateway vector developed in the laboratory of T. Murphy, The Carnegie Institution of Washington, Baltimore, MD).
The BRP constructs used for expression in *Drosophila* flies and *Drosophila* Schneider cell culture were obtained by PCR using the corresponding cDNA as template (*brp* cDNA; [@bib47]) and cloned into pENTER, a modified version of pENTR4 using the SpeI and Asp718I restriction sites.
The pUbiP Gateway destination vectors, used for coexpression experiments in S2R+ cell culture, were obtained from A. Herzig (Max Planck Institute, Göttingen, Germany). These contained a ubiquitin promoter and either an N- or C-terminal tag.
Yeast two-hybrid constructs for *cac* and *brp* were obtained by PCR using the corresponding cDNA as template (*cac* cDNA was provided by R.W. Ordway, The Pennsylvania State University, Philadelphia, PA; *brp* cDNA; [@bib47]) and cloned into the bait vector pGBKT7 (Clontech Laboratories, Inc.) or the prey vector pGADT7 (Clontech Laboratories, Inc.) using the restriction sites introduced with the PCR primers.
Vectors used for fusion protein expression in *Drosophila* Schneider cell culture were made from respective modified pENTR4 clones containing truncated *brp* or truncated *cac* using the Gateway system.
Molecular cloning in detail
---------------------------
### pENTER.
The multiple cloning site of pENTR4 (Invitrogen) was modified by oligonucleotide annealing using two primers with a 5′-phosphate modification (MWG-Biotech AG): 5′-CATGGGAACTAGTCCCGGGCGCGCCGCGGCCGCGGTACCAGC-3′ and 5′-TCGAGCTGGTACCGCGGCCGCGGCGCGCCCGGGACTAGTTCC-3′. The annealed oligonucleotides were ligated into a previously cut pENTR4 vector using the NcoI and XhoI restriction sites. This modification resulted in a loss of the *ccd*B gene and a new multiple cloning site.
### pTWmStrawberry.
In short, the *Drosophila* Gateway vector pTWG containing an EGFP tag placed downstream of the Gateway cassette was used as a template to replace the EGFP by mStrawberry (mStraw; pRSETB mStraw was provided by R.Y. Tsien, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA). For general information about the *Drosophila* Gateway vector collection, please visit <http://www.ciwemb.edu/labs/murphy/Gateway%20vectors.html#_Copyright_2003,_Carnegie>. The following fragments were amplified by PCR using either pTWG (α- and γ-mStraw) or pRSETB mStraw (β-mStraw) as templates: α-mStraw, 5′-CTTCCATGTCGGCAGAATGCT-3′ and 5′-GTTATTCTCCTCGCCCTTGCTCACCAT-3′; β-mStraw, 5′-ACCGGCGGCATGGACGAGCTGTACAAG-3′ and 5′-TGGATCCGATCCAGACATGA-3′; and γ-mStraw, 5′-ATGGTGAGCAAGGGCGAGGA-3′ and 5′-CTTGTACAGCTCGTCCATGC-3′.
In two independent PCRs using the Elongase Enzyme Mix (Invitrogen), the three fragments were fused and subsequently ligated into a previously cut pTWG backbone using XbaI--HpaI. After transformation into *E. coli* strain DB3.1, the cells were plated on selective media containing ampicillin and chloramphenicol. Digestion and double-strand sequencing confirmed the successful replacement of the fluorophore.
### pENTR4 and pENTER cloning.
All final plasmids of pENTR4 or pENTER constructs were double-strand sequenced before any Gateway recombination with destination vectors.
### pENTR4 DLiprin-α.
5′-GAGCGTCGACATGTGGAACATGATGTGCGACGTA-3′ and 5′-GGAATTCGCGGCCGCGAAGCACTGCGCTGCTCA-3′; recombined with pTWG (C-terminal EGFP tag).
### pENTER BRP D1-2 (aa 1-- 617).
5′-GAGTACTAGTATGGGCAGTCCATACTACCGC-3′ and 5′-GTCTGGTACCTGCTCTTTCCGCATCCGAC-3′; recombined with pUbiP-rfA-EGFP (C-terminal EGFP).
### pENTER BRP D1-3 (aa 1--1,226).
5′-GAGTACTAGTATGGGCAGTCCATACTACCGC-3′ and 5′-GTCTGGTACCCATTTGCGCCTTCTCCAGTTC-3′; recombined with pTWG (C-terminal EGFP tag).
### pENTER BRP D2-4 (aa 269--1,740).
5′-GAGTACTAGTGAGGAGGAGCGTCAGATGTTCC-3′ and 5′-GTCTGGTACCGAAAAAGCTCTTCAAGAAGCCAGC-3′; recombined with pTWG (C-terminal EGFP tag).
### pENTER BRP D1-4 (aa 1--1,740).
5′-GAGTACTAGTATGGGCAGTCCATACTACCGC-3′ and 5′-GTCTGGTACCGAAAAAGCTCTTCAAGAAGCCAGC-3′; recombined with pTWG (C-terminal EGFP tag).
### pENTER BRP D2 (aa 269--617).
5′-GAGTACTAGTGAGGAGGAGCGTCAGATGTTCC-3′ and 5′-GTCTGGTACCTGCTCTTTCCGCATCCGAC-3′; recombined with pDEST17 (N-terminal 6×His tag; Invitrogen) for antibody production.
### pENTER BRP D3 (BRP short; aa 473--1,226).
5′-GAGTACTAGTATGGGCAGTCCATACTACCGC-3′ and 5′-GTCTGGTACCCATTTGCGCCTTCTCCAGTTC-3′; recombined with pTWG (C-terminal EGFP tag) and pTWmStraw.
### pENTER Cac C terminus (aa 1,420--1,848).
pGADT7 Cac C terminus was NcoI--XhoI digested, and the 2.2-kb insert was ligated into pENTER using the same restriction sites. The double-strand--sequenced plasmid was recombined with pUbiP-10xmyc-rfA (N-terminal 10×Myc tag).
### pGBKT7 Cac Loop 1 (aa 305--452).
5′-GATGCCATGGTGCTCAACTTAGTTCTTGGTGTC-3′ and 5′-GATGCTCGAGGAAAGACGAGGACGATCACG-3′ were used. The PCR product was cut using NcoI--XhoI and ligated into pGBKT7 using NcoI--SalI.
### pGBKT7 Cac Loop 2 (aa 669--768).
5′-GATGCCATGGATAATTTGGCGAATGCCCAAGAA-3′ and 5′-GATGGAATTCCAAAATAACCACCCAATGGGC-3′ were used. The PCR product was cut and ligated into pGBKT7 using NcoI--EcoRI.
### pGBKT7 Cac Loop 3 (aa 1,042--1,093).
5′-GATGCCATGGTTACGTTTCAAGAGCAAGGCGAA-3′ and 5′-GATGCTCGAGACACCACAATTCGCCACACTTTATA-3′ were used. The PCR product was cut using NcoI--XhoI and ligated into pGBKT7 using NcoI--SalI.
### pGBKT7 Cac C terminus (aa 1,420--1,848).
5′-GATGCCATGGCGTTATTCGCTTTGATTCGTGA-3′ and 5′-GATGCTCGAGAGCACCAATCCTCCTCATCCGAA-3′ were used. The PCR product was cut using NcoI--XhoI and ligated into pGBKT7 using NcoI--SalI and into pGADT7 using NcoI--XhoI.
### pGADT7 BRP D1 (aa 1--320).
5′-GAGTCATATGGGCAGTCCATACTACCGC-3′ and 5′-GTCTATCGATGTGCCGCTGGTAGTCCTG-3′ were used. The PCR product was cut using ClaI--NdeI and ligated into pGADT7.
### pGADT7 BRP D2 (aa 268--617):.
5′-GAGTCATATGGAGGAGGAGCGTCAGATGTTCC-3′ and 5′-GTCTATCGATTGCTCTTTCCGCATCCGAC-3′ were used. The PCR product was cut using ClaI--NdeI and ligated into pGADT7.
### pGADT7 BRP D3 (aa 473--1,226).
pENTER BRP D3 was digested with SpeI--Asp718I, and the insert was subcloned into pSL1180fa. The insert was released again using NcoI--NdeI and ligated into a modified version of pGADT7 (pGADT7 IIB). Within the pGADT7 IIB vector, a point mutation deleting the first NcoI restriction site was introduced.
### pGADT7 BRP D4 (aa 1,152--1,740).
5′-GAGTCATATGCATGAGAAGCTACTGAAGAAGGTCG-3′ and 5′-GTCTATCGATGAAAAAGCTCTTCAAGAAGCCAGC-3′ were used. The PCR product was cut using ClaI--NdeI and ligated into pGADT7.
Yeast two hybrid
----------------
In principle, all cotransformation experiments were conducted according to the yeast two-hybrid protocols of Clontech Laboratories, Inc. using the strain AH109. To ensure the presence of both cotransformed plasmids, the yeast was plated on minimal synthetic-defined/−Leu/−Trp medium plates. After growing for 2--3 d, at least 10 clones each were analyzed on synthetic-defined/−Ade/−His/−Leu/−Trp/X--α- galactosidase medium plates to select for positive interaction. If \>90% of the clones grew and turned blue in color, this was regarded as a positive interaction of high confidence (+++). As a positive control, pGBKT7-p53 was cotransformed with pGADT7 containing the SV40 large T antigen. Negative controls consisted either of laminin as bait together with the prey to be tested or the corresponding bait together with the empty prey vector.
Biochemistry
------------
*Drosophila* Schneider S2R+ cells were provided by A. Herzig and cultured at 25°C in an ambient atmosphere in Schneider's *Drosophila* medium (BioWest) supplemented with 10% FCS + 2 mM L-glutamine, 100 U/ml penicillin, and 100 µg/ml streptomycin (Invitrogen). Medium was exchanged every 3--4 d. Cell cultures were split every 10--14 d. Cell cotransfection was conducted using the Effectene transfection reagent kit (QIAGEN). Cell lysis was performed with lysis buffer containing 25 mM Tris-HCl, pH 7.5, 150 mM NaCl, 2 mM EDTA, 2 mM EGTA, 10% glycerol (vol/vol), 1% NP-40 (vol/vol), and complete protease inhibitor (Roche) for 45 min at 0°C. Total protein concentrations were determined by bicinchoninic acid protein assay (Thermo Fisher Scientific).
For coimmunoprecipitations (co-IPs), 350 µg total protein extract from whole cell lysates was mixed with 20 µl protein A agarose bead suspension (Affi-prep protein A support; Bio-Rad Laboratories) precoupled with either monoclonal Mα-Myc antibody (9E10; Santa Cruz Biotechnology, Inc.), polyclonal Rb-αGFP (A11122; Invitrogen), Rbα-BRP^D2^, or the respective IgG control from mouse or rabbit (Dianova). After incubation at room temperature, the coupled beads were thoroughly washed repeatedly and eluted by boiling in 40 µl of Laemmli buffer.
10 µl IP eluates and 30 µg whole cell lysates were subjected to denaturing SDS-PAGE using Tris-HCl NuPAGE 4--12% gradient gels and then transferred to a nitrocellulose membrane (iBlot; Invitrogen). The membrane was probed with Rbα-BRP^D2^ (1:500).
Image acquisition
-----------------
Conventional confocal images were acquired at room temperature with a 63× 1.4 NA oil objective suited in a confocal microscope (TCS-SP5; Leica). Images taken from fixed samples were from third instar larval NMJs 6/7 (segments A2 and A3). NMJs depicted in live experiments derive from muscles 26 and 27 in segments A2 and A3. The fluorescence detection was set with the acousto optical beam splitter between 500 and 530 nm for GFP and between 575 and 620 nm for mRFP and mStraw. Photomultiplier gain was set to 1,250 V. GFP was excited using the 488-nm ArKr laser line, whereas mRFP and mStraw were excited with a 561-nm diode-pumped solid-state laser. For STED images, the STED setup (TCS; Leica) was used in combination with a 100× 1.4 NA oil objective at 20°C (Leica). Dye (Atto647N; Atto-Tec) was excited with a pulsed laser at 635 nm and depleted with a laser adjusted to 760 nm (Mai Tai Ti:Sapphire; Newport Spectra-Physics). Detection of the Atto-647N was performed with avalanche photodiodes and optical filters permeable for light of wavelengths between 650 and 710 nm. Diode gain was continuously set to 310 V. Excitation laser power varied according to the sample but always ranged between 5.0 and 5.6 V.
Immunostainings
---------------
Immunostainings and dissections were performed as described previously ([@bib36]). Larvae were incubated with antibody solutions overnight at 4°C. Larvae were mounted either in Vectashield (Vector Laboratories) or Mowiol. The following antibody dilutions were used: Mα-Nc82 (provided by E. Buchner), 1:200; Mα-DGluRIIA (8B4D2; Developmental Studies Hybridoma Bank), 1:100; Rbα-BRP^N-Term^, 1:250; Rbα-DGluRIID ([@bib36]), 1:500; Mα-GFP (Invitrogen), 1:500; Rbα-GFP (Invitrogen), 1:500; and HRP-Cy5 (Dianova), 1:250. For standard immunostainings, secondary antibodies were diluted 1:500. For STED stainings, dye (Atto647N) conjugation to secondary antibodies giving sheep α-M-Atto647N and sheep α-Rb-Atto647N were performed according to producer protocols (<http://www.atto-tec.com>) and used 1:100. Embryos (w^1118^ and *elav-Gal4*, *l(1)L13HC129*; [@bib21]) were staged by time (22--24 h after egg laying) and morphology, dissected, and stained as described for larvae.
Live imaging
------------
The following strains were used for in vivo imaging experiments: for Ca^2+^ channels, *ok6-Gal4*/+; Cac^GFP^, DGluRIIA^mRFP^/+ (control); *Df(2R)BSC29, ok6-Gal4*/*brp*; Cac^GFP^, DGluRIIA^mRFP^/+ (*brp* mutant background). For temporal analysis of AZ assembly, *ok6-Gal4*/+; BRP-short^GFP^/DGluRIIA^mRFP^. *ok6-Gal4*/+; DLiprin-α^GFP^/DGluRIIA^mRFP^. *ok6-Gal4*, BRP-short^mStraw^/+; DLiprin-α^GFP^/+. *ok6-Gal4*/+; Cac^GFP^, DGluRIIA^mRFP^/+. *ok6-Gal4*, BRP-short^mStraw^/+; Cac^GFP^/+.
Imaging of intact *Drosophila* larvae along with larval anaesthetization was performed as described previously ([@bib37]; [@bib14]; [@bib40]). For FRAP experiments, intense 488-nm laser light was applied inside a region of interest of ∼10 µm of edge length (zoom, 25) bleaching both green and red fluorescent dyes. After an incubation of 12 h at 25°C, the junctions were imaged and compared with the prebleached pictures. Control regions were conserved at the junctions for internal control of intensity levels.
Image processing
----------------
Images were acquired using Application Suite Advanced Fluorescence (LAS-AF; Leica) software.
Confocal imaging
----------------
Confocal stacks were processed with ImageJ software (National Institutes of Health). Single slices and confocal stacks were deconvolved using the ImageJ plug-ins iterative deconvolution and iterative deconvolution 3D, respectively (provided by B. Dougherty, OptiNav, Inc., Redmond, WA). To generate the PSF for deconvolution, the ImageJ plug-in diffraction PSF 3D (provided by B. Dougherty) was used. The PSF settings were adjusted according to our hardware parameters, emission wavelengths, and image dimensions.
For analysis of FRAP data, intensity ratios between bleached areas and control nonbleached regions were retrieved. To compare several experiments, prebleached ratios were set to 1, and postbleached images were normalized accordingly. Recoveries were calculated by subtracting ratios generated immediately after the bleaching from ratios acquired 12 h after bleaching.
For quantification of areas and intensities, maximum projections, acquired with comparable confocal settings, were thresholded at 30 arbitrary units (au), and remaining areas were measured via the analyze particle function of ImageJ.
To obtain unbiased mean BRP^Nc82^ and BRP^N-Term^ distributions with STED resolution ([Fig. 5 D](#fig5){ref-type="fig"}), we used STED images of BRP^Nc82^--Atto647N (or BRP^N-Term^--Atto647N), which were simultaneously recorded with confocal images of the BRP^N-Term^--Alexa Fluor 488 (or BRP^Nc82^--Alexa Fluor 488). From these images, AZs were selected, which appeared planar to the optical slice. The confocal channel of each image of a planar AZ was automatically fitted with a 2D Gaussian function with Mathematica (version 5.0; Wolfram Research). The peaks of the Gaussian functions were used to automatically align and subsequently average the corresponding STED signal. The averaged STED images (BRP^Nc82^ and BRP^N-Term^) were finally aligned according to the corresponding confocal counterpart. The BRP^N-Term^ signal was fitted with a single Gaussian (standard deviation = 52 nm), and the BRP^Nc82^ signal was fitted with the sum of two Gaussians (standard deviation = 48 nm and peak distance Δx = 189 nm).
STED imaging
------------
STED images were processed using a linear deconvolution software integrated into the Imspector Software package (Max-Planck Innovations GmbH). Regularization parameters ranged from 1e^−10^ to 1e^−12^. The PSF was generated by using a 2D Lorentzian function with its half-width and half-length fitted to the half-width and half-length obtained by images of 25-nm crimson beads conjugated to Atto647N.
Electrophysiology
-----------------
Two electrode voltage clamp recordings were essentially conducted as previously described ([@bib24]). All experiments were performed on male third instar larval NMJs (muscle 6; segments A2 and A3) in HL3 (70 mM NaCl, 5 mM KCl, 20 mM MgCl~2~, 10 mM NaHCO~3~, 5 mM trehalose, 115 mM sucrose, 5 mM Hepes, and 1 mM CaCl~2~, pH 7.2). Muscle cells had an input resistance ≥4 MΩ. Intracellular electrodes were filled with 3 M KCl, and resistances ranged from 10--25 MΩ. Stimulation artifacts of evoked excitatory junctional currents were removed for clarity. Genotypes used were *brp*^c04298^/*Df(2R)BSC29* and w^1118^ as controls.
Statistics
----------
Data were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney rank sum test for linear independent data groups (Prism; GraphPad Software, Inc.). Means are annotated ± SEM. Asterisks are used to denote significance (\*, P \< 0.05; \*\*, P \< 0.01; \*\*\*, P \< 0.005; not significant, P \> 0.05).
Online supplemental material
----------------------------
Fig. S1 shows a quantification of BRP^N-Term^ expression levels in several *brp* mutants. Fig. S2 shows a comparison of mitochondrion ultrastructure either preserved using conventional room temperature embedding with aldehyde fixation and dehydration or HPF/FS along with T-bar size quantification of conventional and HPF/FS-prepared control and *brp*^1.3^ larvae. Fig. S3 shows amplitude and rise time of evoked excitatory junctional current recorded from *brp*^c04298^ NMJs. Fig. S4 shows that *dliprin-α* AZs do not suffer from Cac-clustering defects. Fig. S5 shows that BRP clustering is not disturbed at *cac* AZs. Online supplemental material is available at <http://www.jcb.org/cgi/content/full/jcb.200812150/DC1>.
We thank Christine Quentin, Claudia Wirth, and Franziska Zehe for excellent technical assistance. Furthermore, we thank all colleagues who provided us with reagents.
This work was supported by grants from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft to S.J. Sigrist (grants Exc 257, SI849/2-1 and 2-2, TP A16/SFB 551, TP B23/SFB581), by funds of the Max Planck Society to D. Owald, and by *formel.1* grants to S. Hallermann and R.J. Kittel from the Medical Faculty of the University of Leipzig.
Abbreviations used in this paper: au, arbitrary units; AZ, active zone; BRP, Bruchpilot; Cac, Cacophony; DGluR, *Drosophila* glutamate receptor subunit; DLiprin-α, *Drosophila* Liprin-α; EMS, ethyl methyl sulfonate; FS, freeze substitution; HPF, high pressure freezing; IP, immunoprecipitation; mStraw, mStrawberry; NMJ, neuromuscular junction; PSD, postsynaptic density; PSF, point spread function; STED, stimulated emission depletion; UAS, upstream activator sequence.
[^1]: W. Fouquet and D. Owald contributed equally to this paper.
| tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | PubMed Central |
Laurie Weeks (writer)
Laurie Weeks is a writer and performer based in New York City. Her fiction and essays have been published extensively. She is best known as the screenwriter of Boys Don't Cry, and is the Lambda Literary Award-winning author of the novel Zipper Mouth.
Career
Weeks holds a Master of Arts in Performance Studies from New York University and has taught at The New School in New York City in the creative writing program. In 1996, she was awarded a fiction fellowship by the New York Foundation for the Arts.
Works
Weeks' writing has been included in The New Fuck You: Adventures in Lesbian Reading (Semiotext(e), 1995), as well as in Dave Eggers's The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2008.
She was the screenwriter of the lesbian cult film, Boys Don't Cry (1999), which was a retelling of the Brandon Teena murder.
Her debut novel Zipper Mouth was published by Feminist Press in 2011 and was awarded a Lambda Literary Award for Debut Lesbian Fiction.
Bibliography
Zipper Mouth, The Feminist Press at CUNY, 2011.
References
External links
The Rumpus Book Club interview, December 1, 2011.
B omb Magazine interview, November 8, 2011
"My Massive Feelings (fragments From The Diary Of A Young Girl)," fiction, Vice, December 1, 2007
Category:American women short story writers
Category:Tisch School of the Arts alumni
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:Living people
Category:Lambda Literary Award for Debut Fiction winners
Category:21st-century American short story writers
Category:LGBT writers from the United States
Category:Lesbian writers
Category:American women non-fiction writers
Category:21st-century American essayists | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Wikipedia (en) |
65 P.3d 449 (2003)
204 Ariz. 500
AMERICAN FAMILY MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY, a Wisconsin corporation, Plaintiff-Appellee,
v.
Bryan J. WHITE, Defendant-Appellant.
No. 1 CA-CV 01-0517.
Court of Appeals of Arizona, Division 1, Department B.
March 20, 2003.
*451 Mariano & Allen, P.L.C. by Lynn M. Allen, Phoenix, for Plaintiff-Appellee.
Murphy, Lutey, Schmitt & Beck, P.L.L.C. by Robert E. Schmitt and Dan A. Wilson, Prescott, for Defendant-Appellant.
OPINION
NOYES, Judge.
¶ 1 To stop Appellant from assaulting a smaller third person, Travis Wilde hit Appellant in the head with a metal pipe. Travis later pleaded guilty to aggravated assault, and Appellant later sued Travis and his parents ("the Wildes"). The Wildes' insurance carrier, Appellee ("American Family"), then filed this declaratory judgment action and moved for summary judgment, arguing that coverage for Appellant's claims was barred by the "violation of law" exclusion in the Wildes' homeowner's policy. The trial court granted summary judgment to American Family. We affirm.
I.
¶ 2 The grand jury indicted seventeen-year-old Travis Wilde on two counts of aggravated assault. The State prosecuted him as an adult. Count I alleged that Travis "intentionally, knowingly or recklessly caused physical injury to Bryan White, using a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument, to-wit: metal pipe, in violation of A.R.S. §§ 13-1204(A)(2), 13-1203(A)(1), 13-701, 13-702, 13-801 and 13-604." Prison is mandatory *452 on conviction of this class three dangerous felony; the presumptive term is 7.5 years. See Ariz.Rev.Stat. ("A.R.S.") §§ 13-604(I) (2001), -1204(B) (Supp.2002); see also State v. Burge, 167 Ariz. 25, 28, 804 P.2d 754, 757 (1990). Count II alleged that Travis "intentionally, knowingly or recklessly caused physical injury to Bryan White, using any means of force which caused temporary but substantial disfigurement, temporary but substantial loss or impairment of any body organ or part, or a fracture of any body part, in violation of A.R.S. §§ 13-1204(A)(11), (B), 13-1203, 13-701, 13-702 and 13-801." Because the State apparently did not allege that Count II was a "dangerous offense" pursuant to A.R.S. § 13-604, it appears that prison was not mandatory on conviction of this class four felony.
¶ 3 To avoid the mandatory prison term that would result if he went to trial and the jury rejected his claims of self defense and defense of others and found him guilty as charged on Count I, Travis accepted the State's offer to plead guilty to Count II as a "reckless" aggravated assault, a nondangerous offense for which probation was both possible and recommended by the State. During the change of plea proceeding, when the trial court asked what he had done to commit an aggravated assault, Travis said, "I hit Mr. White with a pipe to the head." The court then asked, "Did you understand, in striking Mr. White, that there was a significant risk that he could suffer a number of damages by you striking him with that pipe?" Travis responded, "Yes, sir." The trial court accepted the guilty plea and dismissed Count I. At sentencing, Travis received probation and a jail term.
¶ 4 Appellant's personal injury action alleged that his injuries were caused by the negligence of Travis, that this negligence should be imputed to the Wildes under A.R.S. § 12-661 (Supp.2002), and that the Wildes negligently supervised Travis.
¶ 5 American Family's declaratory judgment action was based on the following exclusion in the Wildes' homeowner's policy: "Violation of Law. We will not cover bodily injury or property damage arising out of... violation of any criminal law for which any insured is convicted...." (Boldface omitted infra.) In opposition, Appellant argued that the exclusion applied only to intentional acts, and that Travis acted recklessly rather than intentionally. Appellant also argued that the exclusion was contrary to public policy, unconscionable, and contrary to an insured's reasonable expectations. On the negligent supervision claim, Appellant argued that the exclusion was inapplicable because the Wildes were not convicted of violating any criminal law. The trial court rejected all of these arguments. So do we.
¶ 6 Our jurisdiction of this appeal is pursuant to A.R.S. § 12-2101(B) and (F)(1) (1994). Our review is de novo. See Keggi v. Northbrook Prop. & Cas. Ins. Co., 199 Ariz. 43, 46, ¶ 11, 13 P.3d 785, 788 (App.2000) ("Interpretation of an insurance contract is a question of law which we review de novo.").
II.
¶ 7 We first address Appellant's argument that, even if the "violation of law" exclusion is enforceable, the phrase "any criminal law" is ambiguous and thus must be construed to apply only to intentional criminal acts.
¶ 8 Insurance contracts are interpreted "according to their plain and ordinary meaning." Id. When policy language is unambiguous, the court does not create ambiguity to find coverage. Sec. Ins. Co. v. Andersen, 158 Ariz. 426, 428, 763 P.2d 246, 248 (1988). The exclusion in question applies to "violation of any criminal law for which any insured is convicted." In our opinion, the phrase "any criminal law" plainly includes all criminal laws, not just those in which "intent" is an essential element. See Allstate Ins. Co. v. Peasley, 131 Wash.2d 420, 932 P.2d 1244, 1247-49 (1997) (stating that interpreting "criminal acts" to include unintentional crimes "is supported by nearly every jurisdiction in our country which has examined that phrase").[1]
*453 ¶ 9 In interpreting an insurance policy we attempt to harmonize and give effect to all provisions so that none is rendered meaningless. See Nichols v. State Farm Fire & Cas. Co., 175 Ariz. 354, 356, 857 P.2d 406, 408 (App.1993). In addition to the "violation of law" exclusion, the policy in question also contains an "intentional acts" exclusion.[2] To interpret the "violation of law" exclusion as applying only to intentional criminal acts would be to render it meaningless, given the presence of an exclusion that applies to "intentional acts" (whether criminal or not). See Juniel, 931 P.2d at 515 (stating that requiring intent in the criminal acts exclusion would make that exclusion redundant to the intentional acts exclusion). See also Brown, 16 F.3d at 225 ("An act is intentional if it is willfully or volitionally performed ... and an act is criminal if it violates the State's criminal code."); Schurtz, 112 Cal.Rptr.2d at 553 (determining that "the criminal act exclusion is independent of the intentional act exclusion").
¶ 10 Because the "violation of law" exclusion unambiguously includes all criminal acts that result in conviction, it applies to Travis Wilde's conviction for "reckless" aggravated assault.
III.
¶ 11 Appellant acknowledges that public policy proscribes indemnification of persons for losses resulting from their own willful wrongdoing. See Ohio Cas. Ins. Co. v. Henderson, 189 Ariz. 184, 190, 939 P.2d 1337, 1343 (1997); Transam. Ins. Group v. Meere, 143 Ariz. 351, 356, 694 P.2d 181, 186 (1984). Nevertheless, Appellant argues that coverage should be found in the present case because one purpose of liability insurance is to afford protection against certain negligent acts, see, e.g., Young, 658 So.2d at 753, and public policy favors protecting the interests of injured *454 victims. St. Paul Fire & Marine Ins. Co. v. Asbury, 149 Ariz. 565, 567, 720 P.2d 540, 542 (App.1986). We agree with those general principles, and we conclude that the "violation of law" exclusion in question does not violate them. See Schmitt, 570 A.2d at 493-94 (finding no public policy against excluding coverage for injuries resulting from aggravated assault committed recklessly or other criminally reckless conduct).[3]
¶ 12 Appellant argues that the "violation of law" exclusion is too broad because it "applies to any criminal law violation, no matter how trivial, irrespective of an insured's intent or culpability and no matter that such a violation may also arise from mere negligence or inadvertence." He contends that the exclusion could be applied to any accident with "criminal consequences in the eyes of some state prosecutor," or in which the insured violated "de minimis, technical or obscure" laws, such as OSHA regulations, environmental protection laws, or city ordinances.[4] Any validity to this argument is dwarfed by the fact that the exclusion applies only when "any insured is convicted." Given that limitation, the exclusion is obviously "not so broad as to render the insurer's risk a nullity." See Andersen, 158 Ariz. at 430, 763 P.2d at 250.
¶ 13 We note, as did the Andersen court, that "[w]e might reach a different result if a policy excluded coverage `in all cases where any violation of any [] regulation is involved,'" id. at 430-31, 763 P.2d at 250-51, because an insurance policy has to be reasonably interpreted. See Allstate Ins. Co. v. Powers, 190 Ariz. 432, 435, 949 P.2d 521, 524 (App.1997) (stating that in interpreting an insurance policy, a court should give its terms a practical and reasonable construction). We conclude, however, that, although some examples cited by Appellant would not pass a reasonableness test, a conviction for aggravated assault certainly does so, and we therefore have no present need to search for the outer limits of reasonableness in a "violation of law" exclusion.
¶ 14 Appellant also complains that the "violation of law" exclusion forces an accused to waive insurance coverage in the civil case to accept a favorable plea bargain in the criminal case. He maintains that, because the "violation of law" exclusion is predicated on a conviction that results from discretionary charging decisions by the State, it would be bad public policy to deny insurance coverage. We conclude that it would be worse public policy to encourage people to think that a homeowner's policy with a "violation of law" exclusion includes coverage for acts that result in an insured's conviction of aggravated *455 assault. An insurer has no more control over a prosecutor's charging decisions (or a legislature's sentencing mandates) than does an insured, but an insurer can reasonably exclude coverage for conduct that results in a criminal conviction for aggravated assault.
¶ 15 Appellant further maintains that an insured's self-interested plea bargain in a criminal case should not operate to an insurer's benefit in a civil case. See Garden State Fire & Cas. Co. v. Keefe, 172 N.J.Super. 53, 410 A.2d 718, 721 (1980) ("[A] plea-entry proceeding is not and does not purport to constitute a full and fair litigation of the issues."). Appellant argues that, despite Travis's conviction of aggravated assault, Appellant should be allowed to assert in the civil case that Travis was acting in self-defense or defense of others when he injured Appellant. This argument fails as a matter of law.
¶ 16 Pursuant to A.R.S. § 13-807 (2001), "[a] defendant convicted in a criminal proceeding is precluded from subsequently denying in any civil proceeding brought by the victim ... against the criminal defendant the essential allegations of the criminal offense of which he was adjudged guilty, including judgments of guilt resulting from no contest pleas." Appellant, who "stands in the shoes" of Travis in relation to the policy, has no greater rights than Travis to coverage under the policy. See W. Agric. Ins. Co. v. Brown, 195 Ariz. 45, 48, ¶ 12-13, 985 P.2d 530, 533 (App.1998) (stating that § 13-807 prohibits the insured and others from denying essential elements of the crime in a subsequent civil action).[5] Because Travis waived his claims of self-defense and defense of others by pleading guilty to aggravated assault, Appellant cannot raise those defenses in the civil action.
¶ 17 Appellant relies on Philadelphia Indemnity Insurance Co. v. Barerra, 200 Ariz. 9, 21 P.3d 395 (2001), to argue that the "violation of law" exclusion is unconscionable. The Barerra court held that an exclusion that voided coverage when a rental car was used by anyone under the influence of intoxicants was unenforceable as a violation of the lessee's reasonable expectations. Id. at 12, ¶ 7, 21 P.3d at 398. That case is no support for an "unconscionability" argument, because the Barerra court expressly stated that it did not decide whether the exclusion in question was unconscionable. Id. at 18, ¶ 24, 21 P.3d at 404.
¶ 18 Appellant also relies on the reasonable expectations doctrine. It is understood that, if an insurer desires to limit its liability, it should use language that "clearly and distinctly communicates the nature of the limitation." Sparks v. Republic Nat'l Life Ins. Co., 132 Ariz. 529, 535, 647 P.2d 1127, 1133 (1982). Generally, exclusions that subtract from coverage that a consumer reasonably expects must be agreed to and intended, and not merely imposed on an unwitting consumer. See Barerra, 200 Ariz. at 16, ¶ 18, 21 P.3d at 402 (citing Averett v. Farmers Ins. Co., 177 Ariz. 531, 534, 869 P.2d 505, 508 (1994)). A court may apply the reasonable expectations doctrine when a reasonably intelligent consumer cannot understand the policy language; when an insured does not receive full and adequate notice and the provision is unusual, unexpected, or emasculates apparent coverage; when some activity reasonably attributable to the insurer would create an objective impression of coverage in the mind of a reasonable insured; or when some activity reasonably attributable to the insurer has induced an insured to reasonably believe that coverage exists, although the policy clearly denies such coverage. Gordinier v. Aetna Cas. & Sur. Co., 154 Ariz. 266, 272-73, 742 P.2d 277, 283-84 (1987). However, "the reasonable expectation concept must be limited by something more than the fervent hope usually engendered by loss." Millar v. State Farm Fire & Cas. Co., 167 Ariz. 93, 97, 804 P.2d 822, 826 (App.1990) (quoting Darner Motor Sales, Inc. v. Universal Underwriters *456 Ins. Co., 140 Ariz. 383, 390, 682 P.2d 388, 395 (1984)).
¶ 19 We find in the present case no facts to support a "reasonable expectations" revision of this insurance policy. The policy language is clear, unambiguous, and objectively reasonable; the exclusion is not lengthy, confusing, complex, or buried in the policy. See, e.g., Barerra, 200 Ariz. at 18, ¶ 24, 21 P.3d at 404 (examining a contract of adhesion); see also Lincoln Tech. Inst. of Ariz., Inc. v. Fed. Ins. Co., 927 F.Supp. 376, 379-80 (D.Ariz.1994), aff'd, 76 F.3d 387 (9th Cir.1996). A "violation of law" exclusion is common in a homeowner's policy; it is neither unusual nor unexpected. Cf. Lincoln Tech., 927 F.Supp. at 380-81 (finding a policy provision limiting coverage for losses sustained prior to the effective date of the policy neither unusual nor unexpected because it was the normal practice in the industry). This record reflects no evidence that the insurer created an objective impression that the policy covered acts that resulted in conviction of aggravated assault.
IV.
¶ 20 The American Family policy contains a "severability of insurance" clause, which provides, "Severability of Insurance. This insurance applies separately to each insured. This condition will not increase our limit for any one occurrence." In reference to a similar clause, we recently stated, "Under this provision, we determine the applicability of exclusionary clauses separately as to any insured asserting coverage." United Servs. Auto. Ass'n v. DeValencia, 190 Ariz. 436, 438, 949 P.2d 525, 527 (App.1997) (citing Cota v. Indus. Indem. Co., 141 Ariz. 526, 529, 687 P.2d 1281, 1284 (App.1984)). Appellant argues that this statement in DeValencia means that the "violation of law" exclusion does not apply to the claims against the Wildes, because only Travis was convicted of violating a criminal law. We distinguish DeValencia.
¶ 21 The exclusionary clause in DeValencia applied to "acts or omissions `arising out of or in connection with a business engaged in by an insured.'" Id. (italics added; boldface omitted).[6] The exclusionary clause at issue in the present case applied to "violation of any criminal law for which any insured is convicted." (Italics added.) Appellant argues that "any" means no more than "an." Although American Family conceded the point at oral argument, we draw our own conclusions about this question of law.
¶ 22 Most courts that have construed the phrase "any insured" in an exclusion have found that it bars coverage for any claim attributable to the excludable acts of any insured, even if the policy contains a severability clause.[7] We join that majority.
*457 ¶ 23 We conclude that the phrase "any insured" in an exclusionary clause means something more than the phrase "an insured." "[T]he distinction between `an' and `any' is that the former refers to one object... and the latter refers to one or more objects of a certain type." Taryn, 505 N.W.2d at 421.[8] As we recently stated in another case, "Courts have consistently interpreted the language `any insured' as expressing a contractual intent to prohibit recovery by innocent co-insureds. Thus, if any one of the insureds [violates the exclusion], no other insureds can recover." Brown v. United States Fid. & Guar. Co., 194 Ariz. 85, 95, ¶ 61, 977 P.2d 807, 817 (App.1998) (citations omitted). See also Chacon, 788 P.2d at 751 ("[U]nlike the phrase `the insured,' the phrase `any insured' unambiguously expresses a contractual intent to create joint obligations and to prohibit recovery by an innocent co-insured.") (quoting Sales v. State Farm Fire & Cas. Co., 849 F.2d 1383, 1385 (11th Cir.1988)).
¶ 24 We also conclude that the negligent supervision claim against the Wildes is excluded because it derives from the claim against Travis, which is excluded. See Behrens v. Aetna Life & Cas., 153 Ariz. 301, 302, 736 P.2d 385, 386 (App.1987) (finding that a claim for negligent entrustment or supervision could not exist apart from the excluded negligent operation of a boat); Lumbermens Mut. Cas. Co. v. Kosies, 124 Ariz. 136, 138, 602 P.2d 517, 519 (App.1979) ("It is evident that negligent entrustment as a distinct and specific cause of action is not exclusive of, but rather is derived from, the more general concept of ownership, operation and use of a motor vehicle."). See also Norgard, 518 N.W.2d at 184 (stating that the focus of an exclusion should be the injury, not the pleaded cause of action).
V.
¶ 25 The judgment is affirmed.
CONCURRING: WILLIAM F. GARBARINO, Presiding Judge and BARBARA M. JARRETT, Judge Pro Tempore.
NOTE: The Honorable BARBARA M. JARRETT, Judge Pro Tempore, was authorized by the Chief Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court to participate in the disposition of this appeal pursuant to the Arizona Constitution, Article 6, Section 3, and A.R.S. §§ 12-145 to -147 (1992 & Supp.2002).
NOTES
[1] See also Allstate Ins. Co. v. Brown, 16 F.3d 222, 226 (7th Cir.1994) (finding that a criminal acts exclusion encompasses unintentional but foreseeable consequences of criminal acts); Allstate Ins. Co. v. Burrough, 914 F.Supp. 308, 312 (W.D.Ark.1996) ("The express language of the policy [exclusion] includes all criminal acts, no matter what the mental state required for their commission."), aff'd, 120 F.3d 834 (8th Cir.1997); Allstate Ins. Co. v. Barnett, 816 F.Supp. 492, 497 (S.D.Ind.1993) (finding a shooting victim's injuries not covered where the insured pleaded guilty to criminal recklessness while armed with a deadly weapon); Allstate Ins. Co. v. Norris, 795 F.Supp. 272, 273-76 (S.D.Ind.1992) (finding no coverage for an innocent bystander shot by an insured who was attempting to apprehend an assailant and was convicted of criminal recklessness); Allstate Ins. Co. v. Talbot, 690 F.Supp. 886, 889 (N.D.Cal.1988) (determining whether an act is criminal within the meaning of the criminal act exclusion is not governed by whether the insured intended the damages); Hooper v. Allstate Ins. Co., 571 So.2d 1001, 1002-03 (Ala. 1990) (applying a criminal acts exclusion where the insured was convicted of assault after an accidental shooting); 20th Century Ins. Co. v. Schurtz, 92 Cal.App.4th 1188, 112 Cal.Rptr.2d 547, 548 (2001) (determining that a criminal act exclusion applied without regard to the insured's intent where the insured was convicted of assault with a firearm); Allstate Ins. Co. v. Juniel, 931 P.2d 511, 512-14 (Colo.Ct.App.1996) (affirming that Allstate had no duty to indemnify where the insured accidently shot a neighbor and pleaded guilty to second degree felony assault); Glover v. Allstate Ins. Co., 229 Ga.App. 235, 493 S.E.2d 612, 615 (1997) (determining that a criminal act exclusion applied when an insured's child shot an innocent bystander during an altercation with others); Horace Mann Ins. Co. v. Drury, 213 Ga.App. 321, 445 S.E.2d 272, 273-74 (1994) (applying a violation of criminal law exclusionary clause where possession of fireworks was a misdemeanor and the insured's fireworks exploded, injuring a passenger in the insured's car); Liebenstein v. Allstate Ins. Co., 517 N.W.2d 73, 75 (Minn.Ct.App.1994) ("[T]he plain language of the policy indicates that coverage is excluded for injuries resulting from a criminal act, regardless of intent."); Allstate Ins. Co. v. Schmitt, 238 N.J.Super. 619, 570 A.2d 488, 492 (1990) (stating that "the exclusion is applicable without reference to the mental state of the insured when he committed the crime"); Steinke v. Allstate Ins. Co., 86 Ohio App.3d 798, 621 N.E.2d 1275, 1279 (1993) (concluding that the criminal act of disorderly conduct, which included recklessness as an element, triggered the exclusionary clause); Allstate Ins. Co. v. Sowers, 97 Or.App. 658, 776 P.2d 1322, 1323 (1989) (concluding that a conviction for resisting arrest triggered a criminal acts exclusion despite a lack of intent to injure a police officer). Contra Young v. Brown, 658 So.2d 750, 754 (La.Ct.App.1995) (construing a policy "to provide coverage for damages arising from non-intentional acts that may rise to the level of criminal negligence").
[2] The exclusion states, "Intentional Injury. We will not cover bodily injury or property damage caused intentionally by or at the direction of any insured even if the actual bodily injury or property damage is different than that which was expected or intended from the standpoint of any insured."
[3] See also Burrough, 914 F.Supp. at 312 (excluding coverage for a strict liability crime is not against public policy); Norris, 795 F.Supp. at 276 ("[N]o court appears to have invalidated, on public policy grounds, an exclusion for injuries caused by less-than-intentional conduct."); Hooper, 571 So.2d at 1002-03 (rejecting allegations that a criminal acts exclusion contravened public policy or was unconscionable after an insured committed second degree assault with a shotgun); Juniel, 931 P.2d at 513-16 (finding no public policy violation for an exclusion where the insured was guilty of second degree felony assault); Peasley, 932 P.2d at 1246-50 (rejecting a public policy challenge to a criminal acts exclusion where the homeowner committed reckless endangerment by shooting a guest); cf. Chicago Ins. Co. v. Manterola, 191 Ariz. 344, 348, ¶ 17, 955 P.2d 982, 986 (App.1998) (finding that a policy exclusion barring coverage for damages arising from sexual misconduct did not violate Arizona public policy); State Farm Fire & Cas. Co. v. Powers, 163 Ariz. 213, 214-16, 786 P.2d 1064, 1065-67 (App.1989) (upholding a policy exclusion barring family members from coverage for bodily injury where a seriously injured minor daughter alleged parental negligence, despite the daughter's contention that the exclusion "violates the public policy of the state to protect and prevent injuries to children"). But see Young, 658 So.2d at 753 ("[I]t has never been against public policy to insure against liability arising from the purely negligent acts of an insured.").
[4] Appellant asserts, for example, that the exclusion could conceivably be applied to preclude coverage for a homeowner who violated environmental laws by inadvertently spraying weed killer into a neighbor's yard, or to an insured who had a fire that initiated in the fireplace if the fireplace failed to meet city code requirements. Appellant also stated at oral argument that some communities require spark arresters on chimneys, and if an animal chewed through a spark arrester and a fire resulted, the homeowner could be fined for not keeping it in working order. He also questions whether coverage would exist for an insured homeowner whose dog escaped from the yard (thus violating a leash law) and bit someone.
[5] See also Ideal Mut. Ins. Co. v. Winker, 319 N.W.2d 289, 297-98 (Iowa 1982) (precluding relitigation of the circumstances surrounding an insured's guilty plea, including an affirmative defense). But see Republic Ins. Co. v. Feidler, 178 Ariz. 528, 534, 875 P.2d 187, 193 (App.1993). The Feidler court decided that a victim could litigate whether the insured was so intoxicated that he did not "intend" his acts, despite the insured's no contest plea to aggravated assault. Id. at 530, 875 P.2d at 189. We distinguish Feidler on grounds that it concerned an "intentional acts" exclusion and the present case concerns a "violation of law" exclusion.
[6] See also Catholic Diocese of Dodge City v. Raymer, 251 Kan. 689, 840 P.2d 456, 462 (1992) (relying on a severability clause in declining to apply an exclusion for intentional acts by "an insured" to a minor's parents); N.W. Nat'l Ins. Co. v. Nemetz, 135 Wis.2d 245, 400 N.W.2d 33, 37 (1986) (finding an exclusion for intentional acts by "an insured" ambiguous when read together with a severability of interests clause).
[7] See McCauley Enters. v. N.H. Ins. Co., 716 F.Supp. 718, 721 (D.Conn.1989) (holding that an exclusion referencing "any insured" barred recovery of losses by an innocent co-insured); Michael Carbone, Inc. v. Gen. Accident Ins. Co., 937 F.Supp. 413, 423 (E.D.Pa.1996) (holding that an exclusion phrased "any insured" precluded coverage despite a severability clause); Chacon v. Am. Family Mut. Ins. Co., 788 P.2d 748, 752 (Colo.1990) (holding that an exclusion for the intentional acts of "any insured" precluded a negligent supervision claim despite a severability clause); Oaks v. Dupuy, 653 So.2d 165, 168 (La.Ct.App.1995) (concluding that a severability clause did not alter the scope of an exclusion clause phrased in terms of "any insured"); Am. Family Mut. Ins. Co. v. Copeland-Williams, 941 S.W.2d 625, 629 (Mo.Ct.App.1997) ("The use of the phrase `any insured' makes the exclusionary clause unambiguous even in light of the severability clause."); Am. Family Mut. Ins. Co. v. Moore, 912 S.W.2d 531, 533-35 (Mo.Ct.App.1995) (holding that a severability clause did not negate an exclusion for damages "arising out of business pursuits of any insured ... by an insured"); Northwest G.F. Mut. Ins. Co. v. Norgard, 518 N.W.2d 179, 180, 184 (N.D.1994) (holding that an exclusion for sexual molestation by "an insured, an insured's employee or any other person involved" precluded coverage for a negligent supervision claim against another insured, notwithstanding a severability clause); Great Cent. Ins. Co. v. Roemmich, 291 N.W.2d 772, 774 (S.D.1980) (finding no ambiguity in the term "any insured" in an exclusionary clause, even when interpreted with a severability of insurance provision); Caroff v. Farmers Ins. Co. of Wash., 98 Wash.App. 565, 989 P.2d 1233, 1237 (1999) (holding that exclusions of coverage for injury arising out of child molestation by "any insured" precluded coverage despite general severability clauses); Taryn E.F. v. Joshua M.C., 178 Wis.2d 719, 505 N.W.2d 418, 421 (1993) (holding that an exclusionary clause referencing "any insured" precluded coverage even when read with a severability clause).
But see W. Am. Ins. Co. v. AV & S, 145 F.3d 1224, 1229 (10th Cir.1998) ("[T]he term `any insured' in an exclusion clause in a policy that also contains a severability clause does not exclude coverage for all insureds when only one insured is at fault."); Transp. Indem. Co. v. Wyatt, 417 So.2d 568, 571 (Ala.1982) (applying a severability clause and finding the term "any insured" in an exclusion ambiguous); Premier Ins. Co. v. Adams, 632 So.2d 1054, 1057 (Fla.Dist.Ct.App.1994) (holding that a severability clause limited an exclusion for intentional acts by "any insured" to exclude coverage only for the insured who intentionally caused the injury); Brumley v. Lee, 265 Kan. 810, 963 P.2d 1224, 1228 (1998) (holding that a severability clause afforded each insured his or her own policy despite an exclusionary intentional act clause referencing "any insured"); Worcester Mut. Ins. Co. v. Marnell, 398 Mass. 240, 496 N.E.2d 158, 161 (1986) (interpreting a severability clause to nullify a motor vehicle exclusion despite the exclusion's "any insured" language); Am. Nat'l Fire Ins. Co. v. Estate of Fournelle, 472 N.W.2d 292, 295 (Minn.1991) (stating that a severability clause provided for separate coverage to named insureds despite a household exclusion applying to "any insured").
[8] But see Brumley, 963 P.2d at 1227-28 (stating that the words "an" and "any" "can and often do have the same meaning").
| tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | FreeLaw |
News
When the New York State Hospitality & Tourism Association's (NYSH&TA) Education Foundation announced its student scholarship winners earlier this week, the select group of recipients included a Niagara University junior and another student on her way to Monteagle Ridge.
Nicolas Zachary Barth, a student in NU's College of Hospitality and Tourism Management, and Megan Erickson, a graduate of Schenectady County Community College who will join Nicolas at NU in the fall, were awarded $6,000 scholarships for their exceptional representation of the future of the hospitality industry.
“This really speaks to the quality and reputation of the programs that we are offering at Niagara University,” said Gary Praetzel, Ph.D., dean of the university's College of Hospitality and Tourism Management. “Not only are our current students being recognized for their extraordinary efforts on behalf of the industry, but others who have shown to be outstanding representatives for tourism and hospitality are seeking out Niagara as a destination to further their studies as well.”
Barth spends his summers working at Darien Lake Theme Park and Resort while Erickson is presently employed at the Hilton Garden Inn Albany Medical Center.
“Being able to serve and help others as a future career is an absolute dream come true,” said Erickson. “Winning this scholarship through NYSH&TA's Education Foundation has made it financially possible for me to continue following my dreams by pursuing my bachelor's degree at Niagara University.”
The mission of the Education Foundation is to assist in the educational development of hospitality students by offering individual scholarships to NYSH&TA member employees or their dependents.
“Our Education Foundation was delighted and encouraged to receive such a large number of qualified applicants this year. NYSH&TA continues to do a great job attracting applicants through building new relationships with college hospitality programs throughout the state,” said Victor Nelson, chairman of the Education Foundation. “This year's recipients are clearly the type of candidates our industry needs managing hotels in the coming years.”
Presentation of these scholarships will take place July 25, 2011, at the Saratoga Race Course, Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
The New York State Hospitality & Tourism Association is a not-for-profit trade organization representing more than 1,300 member businesses and individuals in the lodging and attractions industry. NYSH&TA's mission is to provide a strong voice for the New York state hospitality and tourism industry, and to protect and enhance the financial welfare of the industry. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
Abstract
The aims of this cross-sectional survey were to document the prevalence, the determinants, and the reasons of oral medication use without the prescription of a physician among a random sample of 672 parents of students attending randomly selected public schools in Italy. A total of 69.2% practiced self-medication at least once. The odds of having performed a self-medication were higher in females, in younger population, and in those who have had a health problem in the preceding year and were lower in respondents with a middle or lower school level of education. Among those reporting experience of self-medication, 53.4% have practiced at least once in the last year and this was more likely for those who have had a health problem. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were more frequently used without a prescription in the last year. Two-thirds inappropriately self-medicated in the last year at least once. Of those who did not report a self-medication, 13.1% were willing to practice it. Females were more willing and those with a secondary school level of education less willing to practice self-medication. The frequency of oral self-medication was quite high and in most cases inappropriate with a potential impact on the health status and educative programs are needed.
1. Introduction
Self-medication is still an important public health problem throughout the world, since it is a fairly common practice. Unjustified and inappropriate self-medication results in wastage of healthcare resources and increases resistance of pathogens, drug-drug interactions, and adverse drug reactions leading to hospital admissions [1–4]. Sociocultural and socioeconomic characteristics, the previous experience with a symptom or disease, the attitude toward a disease, the way in which healthcare is funded or reimbursed, the increased potential to manage illnesses through self-care, and the availability of medicinal products have been quoted as explanatory factors of the self-medication [5–7].
In the past several years, self-medication has been studied in many areas and several articles have provided the prevalence among healthcare services attendants [4, 8–10], general population of adults [11–15] and adolescents [16–18], university students [19–22], and individuals with different health problems [23–26]. To our knowledge, no information is available regarding the self-medication prevalence in the community in Italy. Therefore, it is important to have data on self-medication in this area so that future interventions can be planned. Hence, the objectives of the present survey carried out in the general population in Italy were to document the prevalence of oral medication use without the prescription of a physician and to investigate the determinants and reasons that influence such practice.
2. Materials and Methods
From October through December 2012, a cross-sectional epidemiological study was conducted in the cities of Naples and Salerno, Italy. The study participants were a random sample of 989 parents of children aged 3–18 years within randomly selected classes in randomly selected public schools.
The manager of each selected school provided permission to conduct the study. After the approval, each child in the randomly selected classes at a participating school received an envelope from the research team addressed to the parents including an information sheet, an informed consent form, a copy of the questionnaire, and a self-addressed envelope for returning to the research team only the questionnaire. The predefined information sheet included the purpose and the procedure of the study, that participant privacy and confidentiality would be protected since no names or other personally identifying information were recorded, and asking only one parent to participate. The information regarding the voluntary nature of participation and the anonymity of the responses was also printed at the beginning of the questionnaire. Written informed consent was obtained from all the respondents and returned to the school manager. The interviewees did not receive any incentive to participate in the study.
The sample size necessary to reach the study objectives was estimated considering a 95% confidence interval, a 5% margin of error, and an expected 50% of subjects who have practiced an oral self-medication. With an allowance of 50% for nonresponse, the total sample size was estimated at 770 subjects.
The study team designed the questionnaire and conducted a preliminary pilot test on 40 subjects in order to test items’ understandability and content validity. Data collected from these participants were used to make final refinements to the instrument. The questionnaire was reused on the same subjects to collect the same data a month later. The internal consistency and the reproducibility were assessed, respectively, by Cronbach’s α and Cohen’s kappa. The results of the pilot study showed a good consistency with α values higher than 0.9 and in relation to the reproducibility of each item, values were 0.8 or higher. Each enrolled participant filled in the questionnaire that had four sections. In the first section, there was included data on the basic demographics (gender, age, the highest attained education qualification, marital status, number of sons, and employment status), self-reported medical conditions, and self-rated health using a ten-point Likert-type scale ranging from poor (1 point) to excellent (10 points). In the second section, the participants were asked about the personal access to the healthcare services in the previous twelve months. In the third section, the respondents were asked whether they used an oral medication without the prescription of a physician. For those who reported a self-medication in the previous twelve months, information was asked regarding their medical history and the drugs/drug groups used for self-medication, the dosage and the duration of medication, and also the reasons for self-medication. For those who did not report a self-medication, they were asked about their willingness to practice medication without the prescription of a physician. In the last section, questions about the main source of and the needs of additional information regarding the use of medicines were collected.
Assessment of appropriateness of the self-medication for individual subjects was conducted using a tool adapted from the validated instrument Medication Appropriateness Index (MAI) [27].
Ethical approval was obtained from the Ethical Committee of the Second University of Naples which reviewed the proposal, questionnaire, and consent form before providing clearance.
3. Statistical Analysis
The statistical analysis has been completed in two stages. Initially, a series of Student’s t-test for independent samples to assess differences between means and chi-square test to assess categorical differences were conducted to identify potential candidate variables for the logistic regression models. Following this stage, those variables achieving in the bivariate analysis a value ≤ 0.25 were included in the multivariate logistic regression models, using backward stepwise regression of variables, to examine the effects of each independent variable on the different outcomes of interest. The criterion for entering and exiting the variables in the model was, respectively, being of value > 0.2 and value < 0.4. Four multivariate logistic regression models have been constructed: having used at least once some form of oral self-medication (Model 1); having used at least once some form of oral self-medication in the twelve-month period preceding the study (Model 2); appropriateness of oral self-medication (Model 3); and willingness to practice medication without the prescription of a physician (Model 4). The following characteristics of the respondent were included in all models: gender (male = 0; female = 1), age (continuous, in years), educational level (three categories: primary school or lower = 1; secondary school = 2; college degree or higher = 3), occupation (unemployed = 0; employed = 1), number of sons (three categories: one = 1; two = 2; three or more = 3), suffering of at least one chronic disease (cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, obesity, and hypertension) (no = 0; yes = 1), self-perceived health status (continuous), having personal health problem in the preceding twelve months (no = 0; yes = 1), visiting the physician in the preceding twelve months (no = 0; yes = 1), physicians as source of information about medicines (no = 0; yes = 1), and need of additional information about medicines (no = 0; yes = 1).
The results of the logistic regression models are presented as adjusted odds ratios (ORs) along with their 95% confidence intervals (CIs). A probability level of based on two-sided statistical tests was considered as denoting statistical significance. Data was analyzed using Stata version 10.1 software package [28].
4. Results
Out of 989 randomly selected people, in total, 672 participated for a response rate of 67.9%. The principal characteristics of the parents who filled the survey and their relationship on having some form of self-medication are detailed in Table 1. Approximately two-thirds were females; their mean age was 45.5 years and the vast majority had a secondary education level or higher; one-third were unemployed, the vast majority had more than one son; and three-quarters reported a personal history of chronic disease. Only 12.8% respondents rated their health as being very good, more than half reported never having a personal health problem in the preceding twelve months, and two-thirds reported that they had visited their doctor within the last twelve months.
Of the 672 participants, 465 (69.2%) stated that they had used an oral medication without the prescription of a physician at least once in their lives. The odds of having performed at least once some form of oral self-medication were higher in females (OR = 1.52; 95% CI 1.03–2.23), in those younger (OR = 0.96; 95% CI 0.93–0.99), and in individuals who have had a personal health problem in the preceding twelve months (OR = 1.64; 95% CI 1.15–2.34), whereas the odds were lower in respondents with a middle or lower school level of education (OR = 0.24; 95% CI 0.14–0.41) compared with those with a college degree or higher (Model 1 in Table 2). Among participants reporting an experience of oral self-medication, 334 (71.8%) reported having done so at least once in the 12-month period preceding the study. The likelihood of having ever performed a self-medication in the last year was more likely for individuals who have had a personal health problem in the preceding twelve months (OR = 1.65; 95% CI 1.09–2.48) (Model 2 in Table 2). The analysis of the drugs/drug groups used for oral self-medication by the 334 respondents in the 12-month period preceding the study showed that a total of 560 episodes were reported and the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (83.5%) were most commonly used, whereas less frequently antibiotics (26.7%), antacids (4.2%), and corticosteroids (3.4%) have been used.
Table 2: Logistic regression models for potential determinants of the different outcomes of interest.
Participants engaged in self-medication most frequently because they felt that the illness was too mild and they did not require the services of a doctor (84.1%); other reasons were that they used an old prescribed medication (32.9%) and that they were prompted by a pharmacist (29%). A total of 65.6% respondents inappropriately self-medicated in the 12-month period at least once. No variables were identified as significantly predictive of this outcome in the multivariate logistic regression model (Model 3 in Table 2).
Of the 207 participants who neither reported an oral self-medication, 13% were willing to practice medication without the prescription of a physician. A multiple logistic regression model was developed with several variables being independent predictors of intention to practice self-medication. Females (OR = 3.4; 95% CI 1.15–10.1) were willing to practice self-medication, whereas those having a secondary school level of education (OR = 0.34; 95% CI 0.12–0.94) were less willing compared with those of higher education (Model 4 in Table 2). In the self-medication willingness group, an emergency (44.4%) and having a mild illness (40.7%) were motivating factors in their decision, whereas, among those who stated that they would not consider self-medication, the most common reasons were that they trust in the physician (65%) and that they were concerned about the risk of side effects (42.2%).
For this sample, the main source of information on the use of medicines is the physician (70.5%), followed by information leaflet (63.5%) and pharmacist (39.9%), but they are also influenced by the internet (16.4%) and the media (4.6%). One-third (33.9%) of the respondents reported the need to obtain more information about the use of medicines.
5. Discussion
This observational survey provided the opportunity to examine the practices of oral self-medication among a large community in Italy and the findings represent a detailed characterization of the prevalence of this phenomenon and how different factors influence self-care, adding to the limited information and contributing to the existing literature.
The results of the survey indicate that oral self-medication is a common experience in the general population. According to similar studies, the prevalence of self-medication was lower than the values of 87% among Palestinian population [15] and of 75% in consumers of community pharmacies in Chile [11]. A study in Nigeria showed that 67.7% of the mothers treated their infants with colic without consulting a doctor [29]. The prevalence observed was higher than that in the general population in Jordan with a self-medication reported by 42.5% of cases interviewed [12], by 53.5%, although during the last 30 days, among older residents in Mexico [16], and by 18.1% of the Spanish adult population [30]. Moreover, surveys regarding the frequency of self-medication of antibiotics showed a huge variation with values of 7.8% among the Chinese in Hong Kong [31], 23% in the population of twelve countries in Europe [32], and 32.7% in the general population in the same area of the present study [33]. Widespread use and misuse of antibiotics in the community are of particular concern since antimicrobial-resistant bacteria are common in communities with frequent nonprescription use and an excessive and inappropriate use determine an increased risk of side effects and a significant economic impact [34, 35]. Efforts to contain unnecessary antibiotic use are necessary in order to restrict the spread of antimicrobial-resistant organisms.
The top drugs self-used by the respondents were the NSAIDs and this is in accordance with the already mentioned studies conducted in Chile [11, 13]. Motivating factors for self-medications were also investigated. The vast majority of the interviewees performed a self-medication because they felt that the illness was nonserious and they did not require the services of a doctor. This is consistent with previous studies where the most common reason was that the ailments were too minor to see a doctor [11, 12, 15]. It is interesting to observe that approximately one-fourth of those engaged in self-medication were prompted by pharmacists. Although our regulations do not allow pharmacists to prescribe drugs, this may be explained by the fact they are more easily accessible and the service is faster.
In this population, the results of the multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that several factors emerged as being significantly associated with the different outcomes of interest. Self-medication practice was strongly influenced by sociodemographic indicators such as gender, age, and educational level. Indeed, participants seeking self-treatment were predominantly female, younger, and more educated—a proxy for socioeconomic status. Differences in the frequency of self-medication by gender were well documented in the literature, with older women more frequently self-medicated. In Spain, the women had a higher probability of indulging in self-medication [30]; in Brazil, among first- and last-year students enrolled in healthcare and nonhealthcare programs; being male was a protection factor against self-medication [19] and women with endocrinopathies and metabolic diseases used more dietary supplements [24]. In adults in an urban setting in Jordan, those who had taken at least one medication without prescription were more likely to be younger [12] and in the survey in Hong Kong respondents aged below 40 were more likely to buy nonprescribed antibiotics [31]. Among the sample in Spain, a greater probability of self-medication was observed among those with a higher level of education [30]. Moreover, it is interesting to observe that respondents with a personal health problem in the preceding twelve months were more likely to perform self-medication.
The results of this study should be interpreted keeping in mind some limitations. The primary limitation is the design that was used, in the sense that cross-sectional studies do not permit ascertaining causal inferences for the effects of the dependent variables on the outcomes. Second, this study utilized a sample of parents of schooled children from one Italian region and concern about generalizability of the results may arise. This population, compared to the general population, probably underestimates people older than 50 years and excludes those without sons. Third, this study utilized a sample of self-identified parent, which is vulnerable to selection bias as those in the family with strong interest in this topic might have preferentially responded. However, any significant difference within the family was not expected. Fourth, the participant self-reported the information, with the inability of the researchers to validate with objective measures the answers and some may overreport socially desirable attitudes and/or behaviors or underreport socially undesirable attitudes and/or behaviors. The absence of identifying data on the questionnaire sheets would tend to minimize such bias. Fifth, as in all survey research, those who did not return the survey may have beliefs and behaviors that differ from those that responded. However, in spite of these limitations, the main strength of this study is the use of a large and properly selected sample.
In conclusion, the frequency of self-medication was quite high within this community, mainly in female, younger, and more educated groups, and was in most cases inappropriate with a potential impact on the health status and, therefore, educative and preventive programs are needed.
Conflict of Interests
The authors declare that there is no conflict of interests regarding the publication of this paper.
Acknowledgments
The authors gratefully acknowledge and thank all the staff at the selected schools for their helpful assistance and collaboration and the participants of the study. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
"I like to try to get her into double-digit orgasms as much as possible. It doesn't happen all the time, but when I've got my mojo and my swag, it happens. Every few months it's just like bam–repeated. Repeated! I like her to just be going crazy in the bedroom."
37 comments to “Quote Of The Day”
I guess these 2 are using this tact to make his ghetto princess famous. I think they both need to stfu about their personal life. It's actually pretty gross. First his WIFE makes a comment about fucking people in the car, now this. Shame. Please stop. It's not classy.
I guess these 2 are using this tact to make his ghetto princess famous. I think they both need to stfu about their personal life. It's actually pretty gross. First his WIFE makes a comment about fucking people in the car, now this. Shame. Please stop. It's not classy. Mkes you both look and sound like trash. Do something with that stupid Jetsons hair of yours, Michael.
maybe i never paid attention, but I don't remember this before. Is this sex talk new? Because it's kind of annoying. It would be so much better if they just alluded to it. like…angelina and brad. they are hot. we know that. but they don't talk about it. it just kinda gets ok! they are an attractive, hot couple….just leave it at that.
Are there any celebrities left with any class at all? What normal person says things like this for the whole world to read. I find that people who have to brag are usually quite inadequate in what they are bragging about.
He is so gross & just plain slimy acting. He also seems to have some type of "illegal substance" problem. I've seen him on a few thing recently, plus had to deal with him in person and boy was he out of it and all over the place. It's definitely not alcohol, my guess would be coke…and a LOT of it.
Besides being tacky, what is weird is the fact he would think that anyone would be interested in him causing his wife to have an orgasm. Is that a huge skill now? To make one's spouse have an orgasm? And if he can drive her crazy every couple of months with multi-orgasms, why can't he do it every time? Oh, that's right. Because her orgasms would be her own, really. I don't know which is tackier: a single swinger bragging about the "Goddesses" he can get to squirt or a HUSBAND tramping out his marital bed for the world. My guess would be the latter. A HUSBAND and WIFE parading around this marital bed has got to be the bottom scum of publicity and taste.
Re: pollopicu – Please inform me how she is "ghetto"? She comes from a well-to-do family and is well-spoken and refined..OH, I get it>Ghetto meaning YOU just want to make racist comments about someone You don't know at all…I get it!
Oh God he is so annoying. I recently saw an interview of him on Chelsea Lately and his "I'm too sexy" act was so narcissistic and embarrassing. I don't care if he's doing it jokingly or not, it's not fun to watch. Not to mention I googled pics of him, and when he's not all done up in his very expensive clothing and nicely styled hair, he isn't very sexy at all. Paula Patton seems like she'd be fun to get drunk with though.
Re: GreatGooglyMoogly – Agreed. Poor sneaky attempt at subtle racisim. Probably just pissed that Robin is happy with a sista. They've been together for a long time for both of them to be fixated on discussing their sex lives. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
If a crisis throws everyone offline, getting reconnected can be tougher than it looks, finds Hal Hodson during a test scenario in the heart of New York
Who turned the lights out? (Image: Iwan Baan/Getty Images)
IN THE heart of one of the most connected cities in the world, the internet has gone down. Amid the blackout, a group of New Yorkers scrambles to set up a local network and get vital information as the situation unfolds.
The scenario is part of a drill staged on 5 April in Manhattan by art and technology non-profit centre Eyebeam, and it mimics on a small scale the outage that affected New Yorkers after superstorm Sandy hit in 2012. The idea is to test whether communication networks built mostly on meagre battery power and mobile devices can be created rapidly when disaster strikes.
I’m a volunteer node in the network, and an ethernet cable runs over my shoulders into a wireless router in my left hand. It is powered by a battery in my jacket pocket.
Other routers link up with mine from a few hundred metres away. Soon I’m at the centre of a web of seven or eight nodes, connected through my smartphone. This meshnet, as it is called, is my only link to the others. The messages start coming in on my phone, flowing through an app called ChatSecure, built by the Guardian Project, a group of developers who design software for private communication. The app enables peer-to-peer communication between devices that are networked, but that don’t necessarily have an internet connection.
Building a mesh is fiddly and slow – even downloading ChatSecure involved using near field communication to establish a radio connection between nearby smartphones. I got my app from Hans-Christoph Steiner of the Guardian Project. In the absence of app stores like Google Play and the Apple store, other useful apps were made available through a hacked version of the app market software F-Droid, which let each person’s phone act as a server so others could connect and download what they need.
One of the network engineers running the drill hurries up and down West 21st Street with a laptop, monitoring the signal strength between each router, adjusting our positions to optimise the network. As the mesh gets larger and people start sending chat messages and pictures back to base through the network, the router in my hand heats up. It’s a cool feeling, though, to be exchanging data without the help of Comcast, Verizon or Google.
The Wi-Fi routers we are using and the software that binds them into a mesh are part of a networking toolkit called Commotion, developed by the Open Technology Institute (OTI) in Washington DC. This drill is not their first mesh though.
When superstorm Sandy hit the Brooklyn neighbourhood of Red Hook and the power went down, the OTI already had an experimental meshnet in place. The US Federal Emergency Management Agency managed to plug its high-bandwidth satellite uplink into it and instantly provided connectivity to the community and the Red Cross relief organisation.
“Immediately after the storm, people came to the Red Hook Initiative because they knew it was a place where they could get online and reach out to their families,” says Georgia Bullen of the OTI. The institute added more routers to the network to boost its range over the following three weeks while the power was out.
Without as much time to work out the kinks, the Manhattan meshnet isn’t as stable as Red Hook’s – the tall buildings interfere with the Wi-Fi signal, making connectivity sketchy. But the situation mirrors the challenges a meshnet might face as people struggle to get it up and running in a crisis.
The experiment also shows that digital communication is possible without big technology companies and governments – something that could be handy if a regime decided to shut down the internet to quell dissent, as happened in Egypt in 2011. “Why do we need to go through the centralised, expensive communications system?” asks Ryan Gerety of the OTI. “Maybe we should go back to the state of the internet when a lot of the work was more local.”
The experiment shows it is possible to communicate if a regime decided to shut down the internet | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | OpenWebText2 |
Factors related to self-efficacy for use of condoms and birth control among women at risk for HIV infection.
Many women who are at risk for HIV do not regularly use condoms, particularly with their main partners. In this paper we examine factors related to self-efficacy for condom use with main and other partners and self-efficacy for birth control in 2864 women interviewed in five urban high-risk communities. Limited social and economic resources, dependence on a main partner, and risk factors, including exchanging sex for money or drugs and binge drinking, were found to be negatively related to self-efficacy. Segmentation analysis identified groups of women with low self-efficacy who should be the focus of preventive interventions. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | PubMed Abstracts |
Introduction {#Sec1}
============
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, more than 200,000 women were imprisoned in the United States in 2015, with approximately an equivalent number of women detained in jail facilities either pre-trial or serving sentences \[[@CR1], [@CR2]\]. Across prison systems, the overwhelming majority are housed in state carceral systems (189,800), and 12,900 residing under federal care. Three-fourths of incarcerated women are of childbearing age at the time of intake \[[@CR3]\], and 6--10% of women are pregnant at the time of incarceration \[[@CR4]\].
Because the incarceration rate for women continued to increase exponentially over the past three decades and most incarcerated women are between the ages of 18--44 years old \[[@CR2]\], the carceral health care system is in a unique role to address the reproductive needs of its residents.
Although many individuals may use the terms "jail" and "prison" interchangeably, there are important distinctions between the two. Jail is a confinement facility where people stay while awaiting trial or sentencing or serve short sentences and is run by local law enforcement. The length of stay in jail very rarely exceeds 1 year and inmate turnover tends to be high. Prison, on the other hand, is generally for individuals who have already been convicted of a crime and received a sentence. The prison length of stay tends to be longer with less turnover. Prisons are run by the state or federal government or private companies that are contracted with the government. We use the phrase "carceral system" as an inclusive term encompassing both jails and prisons.
The carceral system represents the only health care safety net available for many women to receive the care they need or desire, including access to contraceptive services. Both the American Public Health Association and the National Commission on Correctional Health Care endorse that contraceptive services should made available to women as part of carceral care \[[@CR5], [@CR6]\]. The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology also support that incarcerated women of all ages have access to reproductive health care including contraception, prenatal care, and abortion \[[@CR4]\]. Even with the support of national organizations, there are barriers limiting the contraceptive care women receive, including women's apprehension about reproductive health care in a carceral context due to historical personal or collective injustices against incarcerated women.
Knowledge regarding the level of contraceptive need, the services incarcerated women desire, and the types of programs currently available is required for a better understanding of how to advocate for and serve these women. The aim of this review was to identify current contraceptive services available to women in carceral facilities, to describe attributes of model care programs, and to shed light on areas for improvement.
Methods {#Sec2}
=======
We conducted a systematic search of the published literature including research articles, commentary works, guidelines and recommendations, law reviews, and policy briefings using the major online research literature database, PubMed. Our review process began with the development of four key questions (Table [1](#Tab1){ref-type="table"}) on which to focus our search. Retrieval and inclusion criteria were determined a priori and applied to search results. In consultation with a medical research librarian, we developed the PubMed search syntax below: Table 1Key questions for systematic review on contraception and abortion services among incarcerated women in the United StatesKey Question No.QuestionPublications addressing the Key Question1What is the contraceptive need among incarcerated women?1. Clarke et al., 2006^a^2. Clarke et al., 2006^b^3. Clarke et al., 2006^c^4. Hale et al., 20095. LaRochelle et al., 20126. Cannon et al., 20187. Ghidei, Ramos, Brousseau, & Clarke, 20182Can incarcerated women access contraceptive and abortion services?1. Fielder & Tyler, 19752. Kasdan, 20093. Sufrin, Creinin, & Chang, 2009^d^4. Sufrin, Creinin, & Chang, 2009^e^5. Roth, 20116. Kouros, 20137. Kraft-Stolar, 20158. Roth & Ainsworth, 20159. Sufrin, Kolbi-Molinas, & Roth, 201510. Sufrin, Oxnard, Goldenson, Simonson, & Jackson, 201511. American Civil Liberties Union of California, 201612. Knittel, Ti, Schear, & Comfort, 201713. Roth, 201714. Sufrin, Baird, Clarke, & Feldman, 201715. Sufrin C., 20193What contraceptive services do incarcerated women want?1. Clarke et al., 2006^c^2. Sufrin, Tulsky, Goldenson, Winter, & Cohan, 20103. LaRochelle et al., 20124. Schonberg, Bennett, Sufrin, Karasz, & Gold, 20155. Cannon et al., 20184What reproductive and contraceptive plans do incarcerated women have after release from correctional facilities?1. Hale et al., 20092. Oswalt et al., 20103. LaRochelle et al., 2012Author Jennifer G. Clarke published several articles in 2006 which were included in our analysis. These articles are noted throughout the remainder of the manuscript as the following:^a^ Reproductive Health Care and Family Planning Needs Among Incarcerated Women \[[@CR7]\]^b^ Pregnancy and Contraceptive Attitudes Among Women Entering Jail \[[@CR8]\]^c^ Improving Birth Control Service Utilization by Offering Prerelease Vs. Postincarceration \[[@CR9]\]Author Carolyn B. Sufrin published two articles in 2009 which were included in our analysis. These articles are noted throughout the remainder of the manuscript as the following:^d^ Contraceptive Services for Incarcerated Women: A National Survey of Correctional Health Providers \[[@CR10]\]^e^ Incarcerated Women and Abortion Providers: A Survey of Correctional Health Provider \[[@CR11]\]"(gynecolog\* OR reproductive OR OBGYN\[tw\]) AND (woman\* OR women\* OR female\*) AND ("Prisoners"\[MeSH\] OR jail\[tw\] OR jailed\[tw\] OR prison\*\[tw\] OR imprison\*\[tw\] OR convict\*\[tw\] OR felon\*\[tw\] OR incarcerat\*\[tw\] OR correctional\[tw\] OR inmate\*\[tw\]) NOT (cichlid OR "incarcerated uterus") AND (contracept\* OR LARC\* OR abortion\* OR sterilization\* OR Depo OR inject\* OR pill OR patch OR ring OR IUD OR IUC OR implant OR Nexplanon OR intrauterine\*)"
For completeness, we also searched literature known to the authors for evaluation for inclusion. Full-text articles published in English between January 1, 1975 and September 30, 2019 with a focus on contraception and abortion in United States adult women's carceral systems were eligible for inclusion. Based on this process, we identified 366 articles. We immediately excluded 225 articles, which were not focused on carceral care, but instead on mental health institutions, STD testing, court-imposed contraception as a term of probation, substance use, general reproductive justice, and imprisonment for feticide. We then excluded articles regarding incarcerated bowel, hernia, or uterus (*n* = 24), male carceral systems (*n* = 3), adolescent and juvenile detention centers (*n* = 18), international carceral systems (*n* = 69), and pregnancy and prenatal care in the carceral system (*n* = 9). This screening process led to the identification of 25 eligible articles for inclusion in the study. Figure [1](#Fig1){ref-type="fig"} summarizes the review process. Fig. 1Flow chart demonstrating study selection process
For simplification, this review uses the terms "woman", "women", and female pronouns, reflecting the language used in the included publications. We recognize that there are individuals who may not identify as women but are still able to become pregnant and may desire contraception.
Results {#Sec3}
=======
A total of 25 articles were selected for this review, ranging in date of publication from 1975 to 2019. Articles that addressed more than one key question were included in each category and were not considered exclusively to address a single question. A summary of the different types of publications included in this review can be found in Table [2](#Tab2){ref-type="table"}, with scientific research comprising almost half of all articles. These studies included both qualitative and quantitative analyses in the form of cross-sectional survey data, semi-structured interviews, and retrospective analyses. Table 2Article types included in reviewArticle typeFrequency%Scientific research1248%Commentary520%Policy briefing312%Guidance and recommendations28%Law review28%Bioethics review14%Total25100
Key question 1: what is the contraceptive need among incarcerated women? {#Sec4}
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The seven articles identified addressing the contraceptive need among incarcerated women can be found summarized in Table [3](#Tab3){ref-type="table"}. Three articles (43%) reported information on jails only, in contrast to the remaining four that reported data from an integrated jail and prison correctional system. The articles reporting jail data only are noted as such. Table 3Summary describing the contraceptive need in American women's carceral system (key question 1)Reference and YearDescribes prevalence of unintended pregnancyEvaluates abortion prevalenceAssesses preincarceration contraception utilizationEvaluates desire to use contraceptionReports prevalence with access to health-care providerEstimates who is at risk for pregnancy post-release ^a^Clarke et al., 2006^b^↑↑↑↑Clarke et al., 2006^c^↑↑↑↑↑Clarke et al., 2006^d^↑↑↑Hale et al., 2009↑↑↑↑LaRochelle et al., 2012↑↑↑↑Cannon et al., 2018↑↑↑↑Ghidei, Ramos, Brousseau, & Clarke, 2018↑Total (%)4/7 (57)5/7 (71)6/7 (86)5/7 (71)2/7 (29)2/7 (29)^a^ At-risk for pregnancy is defined as women of reproductive age with a uterus, having intercourse with men and not already using a highly effective form of contraception as defined by the World Health Organization (intrauterine device, subdermal implant, or tubal sterilization)^b^ Reproductive Health Care and Family Planning Needs Among Incarcerated Women \[[@CR7]\]^c^ Pregnancy and Contraceptive Attitudes Among Women Entering Jail \[[@CR8]\]^d^ Improving Birth Control Service Utilization by Offering Prerelease Vs. Postincarceration \[[@CR9]\]
Clarke et al. in 2006 determined that among women in the Rhode Island Adult Correctional Institute, 84% previously experienced an unplanned pregnancy and 35% had a history of at least one abortion \[[@CR7]\]. This is considerably higher than nationally reported data, where 45% of US pregnancies were unintended \[[@CR12]\] and 24% of US women had had an abortion \[[@CR13]\]. Of women within the study who were at risk for pregnancy, only 28% consistently used birth control during the 3 months prior to incarceration and only 20% consistently used a condom, thus increasing the risk of unintended pregnancy at the time of carceral entry. Eighty-five percent of these women at-risk for pregnancy reported that it would be likely for them to have intercourse with a man within 6 months of release.
Clarke and colleagues collected survey data in 2006 on a similar Rhode Island population of prisoners as above \[[@CR8]\]. They discovered that 50% of inmates had negative attitudes towards pregnancy (i.e., they did not want to become pregnant). Another 41% of respondents acknowledged ambivalent pregnancy attitudes. Among the women with negative pregnancy attitudes, 91% experienced a prior unintended pregnancy and 40% had a history of abortion. Overall, 55% of the population surveyed reported wanting to start a birth control method immediately, with a greater proportion of those with negative pregnancy attitudes desiring initiation. Preincarceration contraception use was similar to Clarke's prior study described above, and 42% of respondents perceived some chance of becoming pregnant in the next 6 months. Clarke et al., 2006 demonstrated in another study that almost 80% of incarcerated women desired to initiate contraception while within the correctional facility \[[@CR9]\]. They also discovered that women were more likely to initiate contraception if it was provided while in jail or prison (discussed in further detail under key question 3). In this study, 64% of women experienced a prior unintended pregnancy and 34% a prior abortion.
Hale and colleagues recruited respondents from five local jails in the southeast U.S in 2009 \[[@CR14]\]. In this study, 62% of reproductively capable women used contraception almost all the time, and 76% planned to have sex after release from jail and were at risk of unintended pregnancy. Of these reproductively capable women, 64% reported access to a provider prior to arrest, with a similar proportion reporting access to a health care provider after jail release. It is important to note that only 25.5% of respondents reported having access to an OB/GYN, which has important implications for the types of contraceptive options that may be offered to them and continued surveillance of their chosen contraceptive method.
In a San Francisco jail population in 2012, LaRochelle et al*.* found that 54% of respondents had a history of abortion; overall 45% of all women sampled wanted to use contraception post-release and 60% would accept it if it were offered from jail health services \[[@CR15]\]. An average of 28% reported finding a provider or clinic as a barrier to contraception use, with 52% of women who reported not using contraception prior to incarceration noting this as a barrier. Cannon and colleagues in 2018, in contrast, found that 42% of respondents from Cook County jail had a history of at least one prior abortion and 72% desired contraception that would be offered from the jail health service \[[@CR16]\].
Taken together, these studies demonstrate that incarcerated women are at higher risk for unintended pregnancy and abortion and will remain at increased risk for pregnancy post-release due to no or inconsistent contraception use preincarceration and poor access to health care providers. The overwhelming majority desired to use contraception. These findings effectively demonstrate the need for contraception in this population.
Key question 2: can incarcerated women access contraceptive and abortion services? {#Sec5}
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Fourteen publications addressing this question were identified. They are listed and summarized in Table [4](#Tab4){ref-type="table"}. This section contains the greatest variation of publication types, including at least one article from each of the six article types listed in Table [2](#Tab2){ref-type="table"}. Except for one article which will be specifically noted, all publications comment on jails and prisons collectively. Table 4Summary of articles surrounding reproductive service availability in American carceral system (key question 2)Reference and YearDescribes length of time to access health care providerProvision of family planning educationContraception provision and policiesEmergency contraception provisionAccess to abortion care and policiesUnbiased pregnancy options counselingPermanent sterilizationFielder & Tyler, 1975↑↑Kasdan, 2009↑Sufrin, Creinin, & Chang, 2009^a^↑↑↑Sufrin, Creinin, & Chang, 2009^b^↑↑↑↑Roth, 2011↑↑Kouros, 2013↑Kraft-Stolar, 2015↑↑↑↑↑↑Roth & Ainsworth, 2015↑↑↑↑↑Sufrin, Kolbi-Molinas, & Roth, 2015↑↑↑Sufrin, Oxnard, Goldenson, Simonson, & Jackson, 2015↑↑American Civil Liberties Union of California, 2016↑↑↑↑↑↑Knittel, Ti, Schear, & Comfort, 2017↑↑↑Roth, 2017↑↑Sufrin, Baird, Clarke, & Feldman, 2017↑↑↑↑Sufrin C., 2019↑Total (%)0/15 (0)6/15 (40)10/15 (67)4/15 (27)11/15 (73)7/15 (47)7/15 (47)^a^ Contraceptive Services for Incarcerated Women: A National Survey of Correctional Health Providers \[[@CR10]\]^b^ Incarcerated Women and Abortion Providers: A Survey of Correctional Health Provider \[[@CR11]\]
Fiedler and Tyler in 1975 describe a pilot family planning program to provide education and services to incarcerated women in New York City \[[@CR17]\]. The program was limited to education and counseling conducted during the week prior to a woman's release from prison only. Contraceptive initiation was not allowed due to concern for complications and lack of follow-up. For many New York prisons, contraception provision is still not allowed today. Although this article describes an important movement to provide carceral contraceptive options in this area, the authors pejoratively generalize about the women they serve, stating that they "lack interest in their own health", and "suffer from self-neglect".
Kasdan addresses a woman's right to abortion while incarcerated \[[@CR18]\]. While the right to an abortion is not lost as a result of incarceration, certain carceral policies, such as only allowing inmate transport for medically necessary procedures, may delay care and make an abortion increasingly difficult to obtain when it is deemed elective.
Sufrin and colleagues published two studies in 2009a and 2009b exploring correctional care provider responses about contraception services and abortion provision \[[@CR10], [@CR11]\]. Thirty-eight percent of respondents reported that birth control and emergency contraception were provided at their facility and while 70% of providers state that some degree of contraception counseling was performed, only 11% of responders provided routine counseling prior to release. As mentioned above, incarceration does not legally restrict a woman's right to abortion, however in their second study, only 68% of providers surveyed stated that incarcerated women could obtain an abortion. Eighty-eight percent of responders stated that the facility provided transportation, but only 54% of providers stated that they assisted with arranging appointments. This is evidence for additional logistical barriers beyond the legal right to abortion. Many states require mandatory waiting periods varying from 24 to 72 h, mandated abortion counseling content, and restrictions on using public funding for abortion, all of which can delay a woman's access to abortion care in any context \[[@CR19]\]. Based on location, women in carceral systems are subject to these same state restrictions in addition to limitations of their personal liberties such as using the phone or internet to schedule an appointment or calling a clinic for information about a procedure. This may make seeking an abortion from behind bars incredibly difficult and may result in lengthy delays in care.
Roth's 2011 commentary piece details policies regarding access to abortion care and pregnancy options counseling \[[@CR20]\]. She states that one-third of states have policies mandating prison staff to inform women of all their pregnancy options, including abortion. Another one-third of states use conditional wording to provide options counseling only in the event that the woman mentions abortion herself. Some states require that women inmates bear the burden of additional costs to obtain an abortion, such as gas, toll, and wages of the officers that are required when they travel off site. At least eight states have no written policy on abortion, a situation that leaves important decisions in the hands of prison officials. Sufrin joins Roth and Kolbi-Molinas in 2015 to extend this discussion and describe how prison and jail officials who deny incarcerated women access to abortion punish women by forcing them to continue their pregnancies \[[@CR21]\].
In a 2013 bioethics review, Kouros discusses the unapproved sterilization of 148 California inmates between 2006 and 2010 \[[@CR22]\]. Some women later reported feeling pressured into sterilization. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, incarcerated women should undergo sterilization very rarely, and only after access to LARC methods have been available and excellent documentation of prior (pre-incarceration) request for sterilization is available. These additional safeguards are needed because of the likelihood that the coercive environment of prison hampers true informed consent \[[@CR23]\]. The College also states that policies denying all sterilization may encroach upon some women's genuine desire to be sterilized and should be reconsidered, especially because many women may not have access to sterilization outside of the prison system. Roth and Ainsworth in 2015 completed a law review exploring the history of sterilization of incarcerated women that led to the adoption of federal regulations against the practice \[[@CR24]\].
In her detailed report from 2015 on the state of the New York prison system, Kraft-Stolar describes how the carceral system prohibits its providers from prescribing contraceptives with very few exceptions \[[@CR25]\]. Women participating in the Family Reunion Program, being released from the prison, or undergoing treatment for hepatitis C (because of the teratogenic nature of antiviral medications) can be provided with condoms only. No other contraception is permitted. This may be particularly problematic for women in the Family Reunion Program and are concerned about asking their partners to use a condom. There was a short period from 2009 to 2013 when the carceral system contracted with Planned Parenthood to offer contraception to women at certain prisons that were within 2 weeks of their release date. However, the funding was cut, and the initiative subsequently ended. The opportunity to participate in a two-hour class about family planning and general health prior to release also ended with the expiration of the program.
Kraft-Stolar continues to outline how contraception is not offered for women in work release programs within the New York prison system, although they spend time in the community and may have sexual partners there. As if the implication of an unintended pregnancy were not significant enough, women who become pregnant may be terminated from their work release program. Many women also reported that they were denied contraception for reasons unrelated to pregnancy prevention (menstrual regulation, dysmenorrhea, etc.) even when prescribed by an outside provider. There were conflicting reports about whether emergency contraception was provided, although review of the prisons noted that emergency contraception was not dispensed within the last decade. The report also states that there is no central written policy on abortion, which as described elsewhere in this paper can be problematic for several reasons. Some women noted standard policies such as those that served disciplinary action to women who made a medical appointment and canceled it, discouraging women from making appointments.
Sufrin, Baird, Clarke, and Feldman's 2017 publication did list four model programs offering carceral family planning services, one of which is Rikers Island jail in New York \[[@CR26]\]. Rikers jail complex stands in contrast to the New York prison facilities described in other publications above, in that there is a policy on contraception provision and all contraceptive options and emergency contraception are available. However, in 2019 New York City lawmakers voted to close the jail, which is scheduled to be shuttered by 2026 with distribution to smaller more "modern" jails located closer to the city's main courthouses \[[@CR27]\]. Other exceptional carceral reproductive care models include Cook County Jail, Rhode Island Department of Corrections, and San Francisco County Jail. Sufrin and colleagues' retrospective study from 2015 on LARC provision feasibility is the only publication in this section that focused exclusively on a local jail population and found LARC to be a safe and feasible option in this setting \[[@CR28]\].
In sum, access to contraception varies across facility types, geography, and programs (e.g. work release, public-private partnerships, etc.), and is limited by concerns about coercion, cost, and a lack of consistent policies. We noted that multiple articles refer to "timely" access to abortion services without specification of a time frame. Similarly, none of the included articles discussed what constituted a reasonable length of time to access a health care provider for a concern or problem visit. Despite this, there is evidence for feasibility of model programs providing the full range of contraceptive options within a carceral setting.
Key question 3: what contraceptive services do incarcerated women want? {#Sec6}
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A summary of five articles addressing the question of what contraceptive services do incarcerated women want (key question number three) can be found in Table [5](#Tab5){ref-type="table"}. All articles except the Clarke et al., 2006 \[[@CR9]\] publication focus on specific jail populations in Chicago, San Francisco, and New York. Clarke's paper included women from both jail and prison populations, making the results potentially more generalizable to women in various divisions of the carceral system. Table 5Summary of contraceptive services women in the American carceral system want (key question 3)Reference and YearContraception provisionEmergency contraception provisionEducational classesNon-experimental/gold standard careTrusted providersPostrelease follow-up careClarke et al., 2006^a^↑Sufrin, Tulsky, Goldenson, Winter, & Cohan, 2010↑LaRochelle et al., 2012↑Schonberg, Bennett, Sufrin, Karasz, & Gold, 2015↑↑↑↑↑Cannon et al., 2018↑↑Total (%)4/5 (80)2/5 (40)1/5 (20)1/5 (20)1/5 (20)1/5 (20)^a^ Improving Birth Control Service Utilization by Offering Prerelease Vs. Postincarceration \[[@CR9]\]
Clarke examined whether contraceptive availability within the carceral system would increase birth control initiation among women who are incarcerated \[[@CR9]\]. This study found that almost 80% of respondents reported a desire to initiate contraception during incarceration and that women who were housed in facilities offering contraception were over 14 times more likely to initiate a contraceptive method compared to those who were not. Half of the women chose to use oral contraceptive pills, 48% chose depo medroxyprogesterone acetate injectable, and 2% opted for intrauterine devices. Even when connected with a free clinic post-release for contraceptive provision, only 4.4% of women who reported interest in contraceptive initiation started a method if it was not offered to them while in jail/prison. This suggests that contraceptive provision in the carceral system would be welcomed and well-utilized by women who are incarcerated.
In a 2010 publication, Sufrin and colleagues addressed emergency contraception provision in the jail population \[[@CR29]\]. Based on a 63-item survey, they discovered that 29% of women being booked into a San Francisco jail were eligible were emergency contraception services, and half of these women would accept emergency contraception if offered. Over 70% of women who were eligible for emergency contraception had either a negative pregnancy attitude or were ambivalent towards a new pregnancy. Over 40% of these women had experienced a prior abortion. Finally, 71% of all women surveyed stated that they would accept an advance supply of emergency contraception upon release from jail. These findings suggest that newly arrested women are at high-risk for unplanned and unintended pregnancy and emergency contraception provision is not only desired among this population but may have important implications to increase reproductive service access among this traditionally marginalized population and decrease their risk of unintended pregnancy. Larochelle et al., in 2012 found that 60% of all women surveyed in San Francisco desired contraception be available through the jail health services and would accept its use if offered \[[@CR15]\]. Additionally, 88% of women who did not access contraception in the year prior to the study but wanted to, stated that they would accept birth control if offered in jail.
In 2015, Schonberg and colleagues published a qualitative study that explored what incarcerated women desired in contraceptive services offered in jail \[[@CR30]\]. This was the only qualitative study included in our review. Nearly 100% of women interviewed believed that contraception should be available as a basic health service while in jail. While most felt that all forms of contraception should be available while in jail, a few thought it would be better suited to include in discharge planning- either at the jail or by referral to a local community clinic. One woman explained that she would like to have contraception offered in jail in case it "takes longer than planned to get on \[her\] feet". She wanted to ensure that she was protected against pregnancy as she took steps to improve and enhance her life. Other desires that respondents expressed were sexual education classes, counseling, and printed materials.
Cannon and colleagues explored contraceptive desires among women housed at Cook County jail in Chicago \[[@CR16]\]. They determined that 73% of respondents were interested in contraceptive supplied if provided free of charge just prior to release and 82% of women were interested in receiving a free supply of emergency contraception.
Across studies, the respondents also explained their apprehensions about utilizing contraception from the jail health care system. The most prevalent concern was about lack of follow-up once released. This was especially true regarding long-acting reversible contraception, which requires provider assistance for discontinuation. Another concern was potential stigma associated with contraceptive use. As explained by respondents, a woman on birth control in a single-sex jail raised suspicions regarding the woman in question having sexual relations with male jail staff. Other concerns included feeling that the products they received would be lesser quality or experimental when compared to care sought outside the carceral system, or that providers were either very early in their training, lacked knowledge, or were too forceful about prescribing birth control methods without taking to time to review side effects or the inmates' concerns. These concerns may be valuable for those providing carceral health care, jail/prison administrators who make decisions about the type of services offered, and public health officials with an interest in this population.
None of the articles mentioned women's desires surrounding pregnancy options counseling or abortion care while incarcerated. Although majority of prison pregnancies end in a live birth \[[@CR3]\], this population is at high-risk for unintended pregnancy and alternatives to parenting such as adoption services and referrals for abortion should remain available.
All told, women who are incarcerated report a desire to initiate contraceptive methods during incarceration or receive their initial prescription at the time of release, provided that their concerns about provider training, stigma, and community follow-up are addressed.
Key question 4: what reproductive and contraceptive plans do women who are incarcerated have after release from correctional facilities? {#Sec7}
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Table [6](#Tab6){ref-type="table"} summarizes the findings from the three articles addressing women's plans to become pregnant or use contraception post-release, all of which focus specifically on local jail populations. Hale et al. in 2009 found that 45% of reproductively capable women did not desire to ever have children in the future, and an additional 19% did not desire to become pregnant in the first 2 years post-release \[[@CR14]\]. Among the 72.4% of respondents who reported intentions to use birth control with every act of intercourse post-release, 69.1% planned on using the male condom, 15.5% the oral contraceptive pill, 10.3% withdrawal, and 6.2% contraceptive injection. Respondents were also asked about their contraceptive choices if money and availability did not matter, and 4.7% reported that they would pursue tubal ligation and a larger proportion opted for the contraceptive injection. As discussed under key question 1, only 25% of reproductively capable women had access to an OB/GYN prior to incarceration, and only 57% of individuals believed that they would still have access to health care after release. Table 6Summary of postrelease reproductive and contraception plans (key question 4)Reference and YearDefines post-release conception plansAssesses post-release plans to use contraceptionDescribes intended methods of contraceptionAssesses where women plan to obtain contraceptionHale et al., 2009↑↑↑↑Oswalt et al., 2010↑↑↑↑LaRochelle et al., 2012↑↑Total (%)3/3 (100)3/3 (100)2/3 (67)2/3 (67)
In another population, Oswalt et al. in 2010 found only 38.5% of women desired to become pregnant after release from jail \[[@CR31]\]. Among the 62.4% respondents who reported intentions to use birth control with every act of intercourse postrelease, the preference for contraceptive method was similar to the results of the Hale et al. (2009) study. Women who planned on using the male condom made up 69.1% of the respondents, 15.5% planned to use oral contraceptive pills, 10.3% planned to use the withdrawal method, and 6.2% planned on using the contraceptive injection. Non-White women were less likely to use contraception after release vs. White women (67% vs. 80.9%, *p* \< 0.05). Furthermore, the study found that only 63.2% of respondents reported that they would have access to a health care provider after release.
Neither the Hale nor Oswalt publications included long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) options in their surveys, because their population was drawn from five local jails in the southeast United States that did not provide LARCs at baseline \[[@CR14], [@CR31]\]. Therefore, these studies did not identify women who were planning on using LARC methods after jail release. Similar to the Sufrin et al. publication on emergency contraception \[[@CR29]\], LaRochelle et al. found that 78% of incarcerated women reported either a negative or ambivalent attitude towards pregnancy, and that 45% of women wanted to use contraception after their release from jail, although they did not include the specific method desired \[[@CR15]\].
Taken together, these studies show that women desire a range of contraceptive options after they return to the community, but face barriers related to cost and access to providers for follow-up.
Discussion {#Sec8}
==========
From this review, we have identified not only the contraceptive services that incarcerated women desire, but also potential barriers that limit the uptake of contraception when offered through the carceral care system. Barriers that we found are similar to those that have been described in earlier commentaries, and include a lack of provider training about birth control methods as well as women's concerns about their ability to continue (or discontinue in the setting of LARCS) their chosen contraceptive method within the community due to cost and access to providers \[[@CR32]\].
Women across multiple studies reported concern that providers were either not knowledgeable about contraceptive options or would seldom discuss side effects. Another respondent during a semi-structured interview commented specifically about being cared for by medical trainees. While collaborations with medical and other health professions schools may be an important component of educating students about the health needs of this population, and potentially increasing access of care to incarcerated women, there must be adequate training and supervision for students counseling women about reproductive planning. Incarcerated women may be distrustful of carceral care system due to historical collective or personal injustices but having familiar and knowledgeable family planning practitioners providing patient-centered and trauma-informed care may help alleviate these concerns.
Another barrier to contraceptive use that was identified was follow-up once in the community. Public health interventions such as linkages to clinics through warm hand-offs between carceral systems and community or academic providers or other programs for continued access to contraception may improve access to contraceptive surveillance for women once they return to the community.
The specific type of carceral facility also determines which specific barriers a woman may face to accessing contraceptive care. While most state and federal prisons provide care to prisoners, the availability and access to care in jails is highly variable \[[@CR4]\]. The short duration of incarceration also makes care provision difficult. Historically, health care in the carceral system was delivered via a "sick call" model where an inmate actively sought out medical attention. This system does not allow for preventive care and health education. Contraceptive needs would more adequately be met by a model that integrates standard medical exams at the time of intake and regular scheduled health maintenance visits throughout incarceration, with more time for health education compared to problem-focused visits.
Incarceration does not preclude a woman's constitutional right to abortion, however carceral systems with no written policy on abortion leave much to the interpretation of prison officials. Even when carceral health care workers are supportive of a woman's right to access abortion, she may have to manage the logistics of coordinating her care with an outside provider and will still face the delays imposed in many states on all women seeking abortion. This is not a simple process for women who are not incarcerated, and having to do so in a facility where the flow of information and the amount of time that one has access to a phone to make appointments is limited and controlled by prison officials may prove extremely challenging and lead to more delays in care. The articles reviewed included reports of some prisons denying a woman an abortion until she is released under the premise that it is an elective procedure. Given that elective cases are defined as those that can be postponed without irreversible or serious harm, this by definition makes abortion a medically necessary case and should be treated and documented as such. Doing otherwise represents the extreme opposite of a patient-centered approach to abortion care, and legal and policy interventions will likely be required to avoid unnecessary delays in care. Also, if inmates are required to coordinate their own care, then they should be presented with a list of supportive family planning organizations and clinics that will assist her.
Limitations {#Sec9}
===========
This review had several limitations. Eight publications (32%) focused specifically on women incarcerated in jails in lieu of prisons. This limits the generalizability of these studies to the prison population, where women may be housed for a longer period of time. Because the average length of stay in jail is relatively short compared to prison inmates, averaging about 25 days \[[@CR33]\], this has important implications for the most appropriate model of care to offer services for many women.
All but one scientific publication required that participants be fluent in English in order to participate in the study. The 2009 study by Hale and colleagues did not mention such eligibility criteria \[[@CR14]\]. Inmates of Hispanic ethnicity comprised 15% of the prison population in the United States in 2016 and in some states, account for almost 40% of prisoners \[[@CR33], [@CR34]\]. Many of these individuals may not be fluent in English. Since a language may serve as a logistical barrier when accessing health care, non-English-speaking women excluded from these studies may potentially represent some of the most marginalized women in the carceral system with unique contraceptive needs and preferences, representing another limitation of this study.
We initially considered including a quantitative approach to our systematic review, such as a meta-analysis, in addition to a qualitative summary, but the diverse methodologies and study designs employed in the articles we identified did not permit this. Additionally, our decision to focus our review on contraception among incarcerated adult women, the information presented should not be generalized to juvenile/adolescent population.
Because of the limited available literature available on our focus subject, our review identified multiple publications by the same group of authors. With the exception of the two research articles that surveyed prison employees across the United States, the majority of our information is geographically restricted our results to California, New York, Rhode Island, Chicago, and a few smaller local jails in the southeast U.S.
Conclusions {#Sec10}
===========
Incarcerated women desire access to standard and emergency contraception from carceral health care systems. Knowledgeable family planning practitioners providing patient-centered and trauma-informed care and public health interventions linking newly released inmates to community clinics can help alleviate inmates' concerns regarding initiating desired contraception while incarcerated. Access to abortion should be viewed as medically necessary and care coordinated with an outside provider as soon as possible.
**Publisher's Note**
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Not applicable
MP conceptualized the study, performed the analysis, and was the lead writer of the manuscript. AK contributed to conceptualizing the study, interpreting the analysis, and the writing of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Not applicable
Search terms are provided in the methods and references in each section to allow investigators to gather the same set of articles used in this systematic review.
Not applicable
Not applicable
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
| tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | PubMed Central |
Undergraduate education at the University of Oxford
The undergraduate education at the University of Oxford in England involves weekly tutorials at the colleges and halls, supported by classes, lectures and laboratory work provided by university faculties and departments.
Admission
Historically, it was common for boys to become members of the university between the ages of 14 and 19. Today, as at other UK universities, the majority of students commence undergraduate courses aged 18, though 17 or 19 is common. However, there are no limits on the age of those admitted (except for at Harris Manchester College which caters only for students aged 21 or over). Much younger people are still occasionally given places if they are of the required standard, for example Ruth Lawrence matriculated age 12 in 1983,
In common with most British universities, prospective students apply through the UCAS application system; but, prospective applicants for the University of Oxford, along with those for medicine, dentistry, and University of Cambridge applicants, must observe an earlier deadline of 15 October.
To allow a more personalised judgement of students, who might otherwise apply for both, undergraduate applicants are not permitted to apply to both Oxford and Cambridge in the same year. The only exceptions are applicants for Organ Scholarships and those applying to read for a second undergraduate degree.
Students from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply, with "contextual data" (factors that may have influenced prior exam performance) taken into account during the admission procedure. The university believes that there are many potential students from less well-off backgrounds whom the university cannot admit simply because they do not apply.
Most applicants choose to apply to one of the individual colleges, which work with each other to ensure that the best students gain a place somewhere at the University regardless of their college preferences. Shortlisting is based on achieved and predicted exam results; school references; and, in some subjects, written admission tests or candidate-submitted written work. Approximately 60% of applicants are shortlisted, although this varies by subject. If a large number of shortlisted applicants for a subject choose one college, then students who named that college may be reallocated randomly to under-subscribed colleges for the subject. The colleges then invite shortlisted candidates for interview, where they are provided with food and accommodation for around three days in December. Most applicants will be individually interviewed by academics at more than one college. Students from outside Europe can be interviewed remotely, for example, over the Internet.
In 2007, the colleges, faculties and departments published a "common framework" outlining the principles and procedures they observe.
Offers are sent out in early-mid January, with an offer usually being from a specific college. One in four successful candidates receive offers from a college that they did not apply to. Some courses may make "open offers" to some candidates, who are not assigned to a particular college until A Level results day in August.
Access
The University states that its admissions policies avoid bias against candidates of certain socioeconomic or educational backgrounds. However, the fairness of Oxford admissions has attracted public controversy through episodes such as the Laura Spence Affair in 2000. Gaining places at Oxford and Cambridge remains a central focus for many private and selective state schools — much more so than most state schools — and the fact that the social make-up of undergraduates at the university differs substantially from the social make-up of society at large remains controversial.
In 2007, the university refined its admissions procedure to take into account the academic performance of its applicants' schools.
Students who apply from state schools and colleges have an acceptance rate broadly comparable to those from independent schools (19% and 24% of applicants accepted respectively, 2010). More than half of applications come from the state sector, and the University of Oxford funds many initiatives to attract applicants from this sector, including the UNIQ Summer Schools, Oxford Young Ambassadors, Target Schools, and the FE Access Initiative. Regarding the UNIQ Summer School, of all the UNIQ students who went on to make applications in autumn 2010 to enter the university in 2011/12, 39 per cent ended up with places. The overall success rate for Oxford applicants is around 20 per cent. Most colleges also run their own access schemes and initiatives.
The Oxford Admissions Study was a research project set up to investigate access issues, in which data were collected on 2,000 students who applied to the university in 2002, including exam results from the universities they went on to attend. A number of reports were published based on these data. It was found that, if anything, admissions tutors treat applicants from state schools more favourably than applicants from private schools with the same attainment. The research also suggested that this discounting was justified as private school students need higher grades at entry to do as well as their state school educated peers in final university examinations. It was found that cultural knowledge beyond the school curriculum, linked highly to reading habits, was a good indicator for whether arts subjects would gain a place. Contrastingly, participation in cultural activities such as visiting museums, art galleries, classical concerts, and ballet made no difference.
Veiled accusations of racism regarding the 2009 intake were dismissed on the grounds that ethnic minority applicants apply disproportionately more to the most competitive courses, and that black candidates had lower A-level scores nationally. However, further analysis of entrance figures for 2010 and 2011 by The Guardian reported what was termed an "institutional bias" in favour of white candidates; ethnic minority candidates had significantly lower success rates in individual subjects even when they had the same grades as white candidates. In medicine, for instance, ethnic minority applicants who went on to score three A* grades at A level were almost half as likely to gain admission as white applicants with similar grades.
Teaching and learning
Undergraduate teaching is centred on the tutorial, where 1–4 students spend an hour with an academic discussing their week’s work, usually an essay (humanities, most social sciences, some mathematical, physical, and life sciences) or problem sheet (most mathematical, physical, and life sciences, and some social sciences). Students usually have one or two tutorials a week, and can be taught by academics at any other college—not just their own—as expertise and personnel require. These tutorials are complemented by lectures, classes and seminars, which are organised on a departmental basis. Graduate students undertaking taught degrees are usually instructed through classes and seminars, though there is more focus upon individual research.
The university itself is responsible for conducting examinations and conferring degrees. The passing of two sets of examinations is a prerequisite for a first degree. The first set of examinations, called either Honour Moderations ("Mods" and "Honour Mods") or Preliminary Examinations ("Prelims"), are usually held at the end of the first year (after two terms for those studying Law; Theology; Philosophy and Theology; Experimental Psychology; or Psychology, Philosophy and Physiology or after five terms in the case of Classics). The second set of examinations, the Final Honour School ("Finals"), is held at the end of the undergraduate course (for humanities and most social sciences) or at the end of each successive year of the course after the first (most mathematical, physical and life sciences, and some social sciences). Successful candidates receive first-, upper or lower second-, or third-class honours, or simply a "pass" without honours, based on their performance in Finals. An upper second is the most usual result, and a first is often prerequisite for graduate study. A "double first" reflects first-class results in both Honour Moderations and Finals.
As a matter of tradition, bachelor's degree graduates are eligible, after seven years from matriculation (formal induction of students into the university) and without additional study, to purchase for a nominal fee an upgrade of their bachelor's degree to an "MA" or Master of Arts. All MAs were members of Convocation; and, until 1913, all resident members of Convocation were members of Congregation. MAs, as members of Convocation, elected the Chancellor and Professor of Poetry, but recently Convocation has been widened to consist of all graduates.
Undergraduate teaching takes place during three eight week terms: Michaelmas Term, Hilary Term and Trinity Term. (These are officially known as 'Full Term', 'Term' is a lengthier period with little practical significance.) Internally, the weeks in a term begin on Sundays, and are referred to numerically, with the initial week known as "first week", the last as "eighth week" and with the numbering extended to refer to weeks before and after term (for example "-1st week" and "0th week" precede term). Undergraduates must be in residence from Thursday of 0th week. These teaching terms are shorter than those of most other British universities, and their total duration amounts to less than half the year. However, undergraduates are also expected to do some academic work during the three holidays (known as the Christmas, Easter, and Long Vacations).
References
Category:Culture of the University of Oxford
*Undergraduate education | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Wikipedia (en) |
Introduction {#Sec1}
============
Common mental disorders (CMD), characterised by significant levels of depressive, anxiety and/or somatic symptoms, appear to have a unidimensional underlying construct in community samples \[[@CR11], [@CR14]\]. "Caseness" for CMD may, therefore, best be defined as a level of symptom burden crossing a threshold of clinical significance, regardless of the precise constellation of symptoms present \[[@CR11]\]. Conceptualising CMD caseness in this way has particular value cross-culturally as it (1) avoids presupposing the presence of Western-based diagnostic syndromes of mental disorder such as those outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV) or International Classification of Disease, tenth edition (ICD-10) \[[@CR2], [@CR29]\], (2) recognises the relevance of non-Western manifestations of mental distress and (3) allows significance thresholds to be developed that are salient in the cultural setting \[[@CR7], [@CR21]\].
Reference measurement of CMD for research purposes most often employs a standardised, semi-structured clinician interview, for example the Schedules of Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (SCAN) \[[@CR30]\]. By relying on standardised questions and diagnostic algorithms, this approach fails to capture the less differentiated but clinically important symptom combinations characterising community-level CMD. In addition, the length of such interview schedules limits their feasibility where clinician researchers are in short supply and can be burdensome for non-literate informants. The extensive training which is required is also not easily accessed from low-income settings.
In our quest for an alternative measure of CMD that would be reliable, valid and feasible for use in Ethiopia, we trained local psychiatrists in use of the Comprehensive Psychopathological Rating Scale (CPRS) \[[@CR4]\]. The CPRS is an observer-rated scale which was designed to identify the presence and change over time of a broad range of symptoms and signs of mental disorder, as well as to provide a global rating of the presence or absence of mental disorder. Although the CPRS has mainly been used in clinical settings, the scale has face validity for use in the community and does not constrain clinicians to use international diagnostic criteria in deciding on a "case" of CMD. Using the CPRS means that the evaluation of caseness can benefit from the clinician's psychiatric interviewing skills, clinical expertise and local knowledge while ensuring comprehensive assessment and standardised rating.
The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability and feasibility of CPRS rating of CMD in Ethiopia. We also undertook exploratory factor analysis of CPRS as a means of evaluating the construct validity of CMD in this setting.
Method {#Sec2}
======
This study evaluated the measurement of CMD caseness using the CPRS as follows: (1) test-retest reliability, (2) inter-rater reliability and (3) construct validation.
Setting and sampling {#Sec3}
--------------------
The study was conducted among women aged 15--45 years recruited from governmental health facilities in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia.Test-retest reliability study: Attendees at the Beletshachew Primary Health Care (PHC) clinic over 1 month in 2004 formed the sample population. Women were systematically sampled from a sampling frame composed daily from a list of all women registering with the clinic,Inter-rater reliability study: A convenience sample of 99 women of reproductive age attending psychiatric (49.5%), medical (8.1%) and antenatal (36.4%) out-patient clinics held at Amanuel psychiatric hospital and St Paul's general hospital over 1 month in 2005, andConstruct validation: Consecutive women attending the Addis Ketama and Selam Primary Health Care clinics for postnatal checks over 1 month in 2006.
Exclusion criteria {#Sec4}
------------------
In all three studies women were excluded from participation if acutely unwell, that is requiring immediate medical attention or too mentally unwell to engage in an interview, or non-fluent in Amharic, the National language of Ethiopia.
Measurement of CMD using the CPRS {#Sec5}
---------------------------------
The CPRS has 66 items; 40 symptoms based on the subjective report of the interviewee, 25 signs rated on the basis of observation during the interview and a global rating indicating presence of significant mental disorder. The presence of clearly defined symptoms or signs of mental disorder is rated on a 4-point scale (0--3). The definitions of each scale point were standardised as follows: 0 = not present; 1 = doubtful whether present, and not interfering with life; 2 = definitely present and of moderate severity; 3 = severe or incapacitating. Clinicians were asked to conduct a full psychiatric interview and then complete the CPRS ratings using all available information. The interviewers were free to (1) phrase questions to be understandable to respondents, (2) ask about symptoms not included within the CPRS, (3) screen out culturally acceptable beliefs and behaviours, and (4) probe for indications of culturally relevant clinical significance.
The judgment as to caseness of CMD did not depend on a simple tally of CPRS items, but rather on the basis of significance criteria, as follows:
\(1\) Subjective report of significant distress, (2) Interfering with functioning (occupational, social or interpersonal), (3) Objectively significant disorder even if not considered so by the participant, for example due to lack of insight or (4) Response considered disproportionate to any adverse circumstances reported or representing a change for that individual even in the presence of ongoing adversity.
Training in CPRS {#Sec6}
----------------
Initially four Ethiopian trainee psychiatrists, with a minimum of 6 months psychiatric experience, were trained and participated in the test-retest study. Two of these psychiatrists also participated in the inter-rater study and were supplemented by two new psychiatrists who received their own training in CPRS. The CPRS items were not translated into the National language of Ethiopia (Amharic) because they are not intended to be read out verbatim. All medical education in Ethiopia, including psychiatric training, is conducted in English, and therefore training was focused around ensuring full understanding of the concepts behind the items in English. Each item of the CPRS was discussed with three senior Ethiopian psychiatrists, and practice interviews and ratings carried out over 3 days. Discrepancies in rating were discussed and consensus reached.
Reliability {#Sec7}
-----------
Test-retest reliability study: Assessment of test-retest reliability involves comparing ratings from separate interviews conducted on the same patient by different interviewers. Thus test-retest reliability includes the process of eliciting a feature of mental disorder as well as the rating of the elicited symptom or sign. In this study, each participant was interviewed consecutively by two different Ethiopian psychiatrists. The results of this test-retest study, together with the need to evaluate the reliability of new interviewers joining the project, led us to conduct an inter-rater reliability study.Inter-rater reliability study: When assessing inter-rater reliability, the participant's responses are independently and simultaneously rated by two observers, one of whom conducts the interview. This method only measures agreement in the way that symptoms and signs are rated.
Although a less stringent test than test-retest, the inter-rater reliability study was feasible and allowed the new psychiatrists direct experience of the interviewing style of the original interviewers. In this study, one psychiatrist conducted a full psychiatric examination of the participant and then both psychiatrists (interviewer and observer) independently rated the CPRS items.
In both reliability studies, allocation of the four psychiatrists was randomised using an incomplete blocks design to ensure equal numbers of possible psychiatrist pairs. The order in which the psychiatrists interviewed patients (test-retest study) and whether they were interviewing or observing (inter-rater study) was also randomly assigned. See Table [1](#Tab1){ref-type="table"} for the allocation of interviewers. Each psychiatrist was masked to the other ratings. CPRS item scores and a global CMD rating were recorded. Table 1Randomly allocated interviewer pairs for the test-retest and inter-rater reliability studies (individual interviewer identified A to E)Test-retest reliabilityInter-rater reliabilityABABACAEADAFBCBEBDBFCDEF
In order to understand how the CPRS cases of CMD related to international diagnostic criteria, the psychiatrists were also asked to document the presence of any axis I diagnoses according to DSM-IV, regardless of whether or not participants were categorised as CPRS cases of CMD. All of the psychiatrists were experienced in application of the DSM-IV but were additionally supplied with the DSM-IV criteria and asked to record the following diagnoses where present: depressive disorders (296.2/296.3/296.9/300.4), anxiety disorders (300.*x*), acute stress reaction (308.*x*), adjustment disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder (309.*x*).
Construct validity {#Sec8}
==================
The construct validity of CMD in Ethiopia was assessed by examining the factor structure of the CPRS scale. We were interested in the presentation of CMD in primary health care/antenatal care. Therefore reliability study participants who were recruited from psychiatric or medical outpatients were excluded, leaving a sample *n* = 138. In addition, CPRS data was available on 100 consecutive postnatal women attending PHC services for vaccination of their new infant. The resulting combined sample size used for construct validation numbered 238.
Statistical methods {#Sec9}
===================
Sample size calculation {#Sec10}
-----------------------
Assuming the prevalence of CMD in the Primary Healthcare setting to be 15%, in order to estimate κ with a 95% confidence interval of width 0.4 assuming a true value of 0.7, a sample size of 100 women was needed \[[@CR8]\].
Data analyses {#Sec11}
-------------
Data were analysed using Stata version 8.0 \[[@CR26]\]. Cohen's kappa (κ) \[[@CR9]\] was calculated to show the degree of agreement in categorisation of CMD caseness (CPRS global rating of 2 or 3) over and above that expected by chance alone. Agreement on rating individual CPRS items was estimated using weighted κ coefficients with weights: 1−\|*i*−*j*\|/(*k*−1), where *i* and *j* index the rows and columns of the ratings by the two raters and *k* is the maximum number of possible ratings. This accounted for the distance between ratings in calculating the level of agreement. Agreement on total CPRS score was evaluated as recommended by Bland and Altman \[[@CR6]\]. Maximum likelihood factor analysis with varimax rotation was carried out and factors extracted on the basis of the scree plot, the amount of variance explained by the factor and interpretability of the resulting factors \[[@CR23]\].
Ethical considerations {#Sec12}
======================
Ethical approval was granted by Research Ethics Committees in the relevant academic institutions in Ethiopia and the UK. Participants gave informed and voluntary consent. Women with significant mental health problems were referred for free treatment.
Results {#Sec13}
=======
Sample characteristics {#Sec14}
----------------------
The mean age of participants in the test-retest and inter-rater reliability studies (*n* = 99 in each sub-sample) was 25.5 (standard deviation (SD) 6.25) and 27.0 (6.6) years, respectively, and in the final factor analysis sample (*n* = 238) was 25.7 years (5.5). In the test-retest study the majority of women (*n* = 56; 65.9%) underwent both interviews on the same day, the remainder less than 10 days apart. Participants for the inter-rater study came predominantly from psychiatric (*n* = 43; 45.3%) and antenatal clinics (*n* = 39; 41.0%).
Caseness for CMD {#Sec15}
----------------
The estimated prevalence of CPRS cases of CMD was 33.3% in the test-retest study (first interview) and 23.3% in the inter-rater study (interviewer rating). In both studies the prevalence of "any DSM-IV diagnosis" was significantly higher than CPRS cases of CMD (Test-retest study χ^2^ = 27.80; *P* \< 0.001. Inter-rater study χ^2^ = 46.25; *P* \< 0.001, Table [2](#Tab2){ref-type="table"}). Table 2Prevalence of global CPRS caseness and DSM-IV diagnoses and estimated kappa for diagnostic agreementTest-retest reliability study (*n* = 99)Inter-rater reliability study (*n* = 99)Prevalence (%)Kappa (SE)Prevalence (%)Kappa (SE)1st I/V2nd I/VI/VObserverCPRS case of CMD33.337.40.29(0.10)23.219.20.82(0.07)Any DSM-IV diagnosis53.546.50.34(0.10)27.322.20.60(0.09)DSM-IV depression29.319.20.44(0.10)8.19.10.63(0.14)I/V = interviewer
The distribution of DSM-IV diagnoses in CPRS cases of CMD is shown in Table [3](#Tab3){ref-type="table"}. Table 3Frequency distribution of primary DSM-IV diagnoses in cases of common mental disorder according to the CPRSDSM-IV diagnostic categoryTest-retest reliability (*n* = 99)Inter-rater reliability (*n* = 99)*n*% categorised as CPRS case*n*% categorised as CPRS caseNone466.5725.6Depression2979.39100.0Dysthymia475.010Generalised anxiety disorder1625.02100.0Social phobia1010Specific phobia2030Somatisation1000Anxiety (not otherwise specified)002100.0Bipolar disorder00560.0Schizophrenia00475.0Any DSM-IV case5333.32823.3
The median total CPRS score in cases of CMD vs. non-cases was 21 (IQR 17) vs. 9 (IQR 12) for the test-retest study and 23 (IQR 10) vs. 1 (IQR 3) for the inter-rater study.
Reliability of assessment of CMD caseness {#Sec16}
-----------------------------------------
Test-retest κ for global CPRS caseness was fair (κ 0.29) but inter-rater reliability was excellent (κ 0.82). See Table [2](#Tab2){ref-type="table"}. The κ for test-retest reliability was no different if the interviews were carried out on the same day (κ 0.27) compared to being up to 1 week apart (κ 0.26). Post-hoc inspection of κ for interviewer pairs indicated that agreement for presence or absence of CMD in pairs including interviewer A (A--B κ 0.16; A--C κ 0.33; A--D κ 0.03) was substantially lower than the other pair combinations (B--C κ 0.51; C--D κ 0.44; B--D κ 0.40).
Agreement for total CPRS score {#Sec17}
------------------------------
The mean difference in CPRS total score in the test-retest study was 1.1 (95%CI −0.9 to 3.0), although the limits of agreement (± 2SD from the mean) were −18.3 (95%CI −21.7 to −14.9) and 20.4 (95%CI 17.1 to 23.8) indicating substantial variation in the differences in CPRS score between interviewers. See Fig. [1](#Fig1){ref-type="fig"} for the inter-rater study, the mean difference in CPRS score was 0.1 (95%CI −0.6 to 0.7). The limits of agreement were −6.0 (95%CI −7.1 to −5.0) and 6.1 (95%CI 5.0 to 7.2) indicating much less variation in agreement in total CPRS score between raters. Fig. 1Difference in CPRS scores between assessing psychiatrists for (i) *test-retest* and (ii) *inter-rater* assessments
CPRS item frequencies {#Sec18}
---------------------
The prevalence of endorsement of individual CPRS items (dichotomised to indicate clinical significance: 0/1 vs. 2/3) is shown in Table [4](#Tab4){ref-type="table"}. Table 4Weighted kappa for CPRS items present with a prevalence of greater than one percentCPRS itemTest-retest studyInter-rater studyPrevalence (1st interview)Weighted KappaPrevalence (1st rater)Weighted Kappa1Sadness24.20.388.10.813Inner tension6.10.229.10.734Hostile feelings16.20.387.10.765Inability to feel20.20.4113.10.846Pessimistic thoughts21.20.3811.10.907Suicidal thoughts12.10.595.10.899Worrying over trifles20.20.2217.20.7911Phobias12.10.1612.10.7113Indecision10.10.407.10.7414Lassitude9.10.2217.20.8015Fatiguability18.20.3227.30.8516Concentration difficulties18.20.3221.20.8417Failing memory17.20.4416.20.7718Reduced appetite12.10.5019.20.9019Reduced sleep18.20.4923.20.7720Increased sleep2.00.494.00.7921Reduced sexual interest21.20.3632.30.7323Autonomic disturbances8.10.317.10.7624Aches and pains23.20.1214.10.7625Muscular tension2.00.3800.8926Loss of sensation / movement2.00.371.00.7330Disrupted thoughts1.00.213.00.8831Ideas of persecution1.00.482.00.7632Ideas of grandeur0--2.00.9136Other delusions0--2.00.8137Commenting voices0--3.00.7438Other auditory hallucinations0--6.10.8339Visual hallucinations2.00.182.00.9040Other hallucinations2.00.052.00.9241Apparent sadness7.10.326.10.5354Reduced speech3.00.0600.26
In CMD cases, six of the top ten most prevalent CPRS items were the same in both studies (prevalence in test-retest vs. inter-rater studies): fatiguability (42.4% vs. 60.9%), pessimistic thoughts (42.4% vs. 39.1%), inability to feel (39.4% vs. 43.5%), reduced sleep (39.4% vs. 43.5%), reduced sexual interest (36.4% vs. 39.1%) and concentration difficulties (36.4% vs. 60.9%). Suicidal thoughts were present in 27.3% and 17.4% of cases in the test-retest and inter-rater studies, respectively. The only observational items rated as clinically significant were apparent sadness and reduced speech, both found exclusively in cases of CMD.
Agreement in rating individual CPRS items {#Sec19}
-----------------------------------------
In the test-retest reliability study the weighted κ for nearly two-thirds of CPRS items was 0.3 or higher, indicating moderate agreement (Table [4](#Tab4){ref-type="table"}). For clinically significant CPRS items present at a prevalence of ≥5%, the lowest weighted κ estimate was for aches and pains (0.12) and phobia (0.16) whereas the best agreement was found for suicidal thoughts (0.59), reduced appetite (0.50) and reduced sleep (0.49).
In the inter-rater reliability study, the weighted κ for almost all CPRS items was above 0.70, indicating excellent agreement. The two exceptions were both observational items; apparent sadness (0.53) and reduced speech (0.26).
Factor analysis of CPRS {#Sec20}
-----------------------
The frequency of CPRS item endorsement was inspected and items where 2.5% or fewer participants scored one or above were excluded. Likewise items that did not have a correlation of ≥0.30 with any other CPRS item were excluded. Factor analysis using Maximum Likelihood methods with varimax rotation gave a one factor solution explaining 24.7% of the variation. Item-factor correlations are shown in Table [5](#Tab5){ref-type="table"}. Table 5Factor analysis of comprehensive psychopathological rating scale items in the combined sample (*n* = 238) using maximum likelihood with varimax rotationCPRS itemsItem-factor correlationSadness0.78Pessimistic thoughts0.73Apparent sadness0.71Inner tension0.69Inability to feel0.69Suicidal thoughts0.64Worrying over trifles0.64Failing memory0.55Lassitude0.54Reduced sleep0.53Reduced sexual interest0.51Aches and pains0.51Indecision0.48Reduced appetite0.43Muscular tension0.42Reduced speech0.40
Discussion {#Sec21}
==========
Overall, measurement of CMD caseness in Ethiopia with local psychiatrists using the CPRS was shown to be reliable and feasible. Exploratory factor analysis supported the construct validity of CMD measured by CPRS in this setting. Strengths of our study include the sample size and efforts to define caseness in a socioculturally relevant way.
The majority of reports evaluating the reliability of CMD measurement estimate inter-rater rather than test-retest reliability and are often based on too small sample sizes \[[@CR1], [@CR3], [@CR13], [@CR19], [@CR20], [@CR28]\]. Agreement over global CPRS rating of caseness was only reported in one study from Japan, where κ for inter-rater agreement was lower than in the present study, ranging from 0.58 to 0.74 depending on the interviewer pair \[[@CR13]\]. Other inter-rater studies examining the rating of individual CPRS items tend to show good to excellent agreement between different mental health professionals and across cultural settings within Europe \[[@CR1], [@CR19], [@CR20]\], with poorer agreement for rating of observed items than self-reported \[[@CR10], [@CR18]\]. Kappa has also been noted to be lower for "neurotic" rather than "psychotic" CPRS items \[[@CR10]\].
In this study, inter-rater reliability of CMD caseness was excellent and indicates that reliable application of CPRS as a gold standard measure of CMD in Ethiopia is possible with thorough training and clearly defined criteria for determining clinical significance. The results compare favourably with the reliability of more standardised clinical interviews; for example, the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R (SCID) \[[@CR25]\] had κ of 0.37 for "any current diagnosis" in a non-patient sample \[[@CR28]\]. Reliability of diagnostic agreement for SCAN diagnosis of depression has been variable across studies, varying from κ of 0.78 (test-retest) in field trials \[[@CR27]\] to κ of 0.37 (inter-rater) in an Australian out-patient clinic sample \[[@CR3]\], but more consistent for "any DSM diagnosis" (test-retest) κ of 0.62 \[[@CR24]\] and inter-rater κ of 0.67 \[[@CR27]\]).
In the present study, the difference between estimated values of κ for detection of CMD in the test-retest and inter-rater studies was sizeable. There are two potential additional sources of variability when comparing test-retest to inter-rater studies: first, differences in the way clinicians elicit symptoms and signs, and second, variation in symptoms or the way the interviewee discloses symptoms between interviews. In the test-retest study, participants had presented to the primary care centre because of perceived ill health. The first CPRS interview sometimes took place prior to assessment by the primary care staff, whereas the second interview usually took place afterwards, and it is possible that participants were systematically less distressed once their physical health problems had been attended to. It was also noted by the study psychiatrists that most participants appreciated talking at length about their difficulties and appeared to derive therapeutic benefit from the research interview. This might also lead to a diminution of symptoms by the time of the second research interview. On the other hand, many of the participants were physically unwell and waiting around for the second interview could have accentuated their symptoms. Order effects for reporting of symptoms of mental disorder are well-established in the literature, and it is postulated that participants may learn to articulate their symptoms of mental distress more clearly with practice, reflect upon their experiences and recall more symptoms or indeed modify their responses to decrease the interview duration \[[@CR12]\].
Discussion of discordant cases in the test-retest reliability study revealed differing thresholds for deciding on whether a participant's expressions of mental distress was understandable in view of the level of poverty and social adversity which they were experiencing. Further practice of joint rating of cases prior to the inter-rater reliability study to check application of the criteria for caseness is likely to have contributed to the observed difference in κ estimate in the second study.
The prevalence of CPRS cases of CMD differed markedly between the two reliability studies; 33.3% in the primary care sample vs. 23.2% in the sample from out-patient psychiatry, general medical and antenatal clinics. Random sampling was not employed in either study and so selection bias could have influenced the prevalence estimates in unpredictable ways. Although the sample including psychiatric out-patients might be expected to have a higher morbidity of mental disorder, most patients were receiving treatment and attending for routine follow-up and would therefore expected to be relatively well. In contrast, at present there is no mental health care available to patients attending primary healthcare clinics and thus the burden of untreated disorder may well be higher. As the purpose of the study was to establish the reliability of measuring CMD caseness rather than to determine prevalence of CMD, the aforementioned differences should not have affected the veracity of our findings.
Determination of the presence of a DSM-IV diagnosis or caseness for CMD was carried out by the same assessor and thus caution is required in interpreting the relation between the categorisations. Nonetheless it is interesting that many women fulfilling criteria for DSM-IV diagnoses were not considered to be cases of CMD. It is possible that DSM-IV diagnoses unduly pathologise expressions of mental distress in this setting which are understandable with local expertise.
Exploratory factor analysis indicated that the construct of CMD in Ethiopia is unidimensional and includes depressive, anxiety and somatic symptoms. Most previous factor analytical studies of the CPRS have been conducted in clinical populations, included persons with psychotic disorders and were based on smaller sample sizes than the present study. These variations in design may explain the wide variation in proposed factor structures for CPRS \[[@CR5], [@CR15]--[@CR17], [@CR22]\]. Our findings most closely matched the Norwegian study conducted in persons with depression or anxiety disorders \[[@CR16]\]. This lends support to the construct validity of CPRS in Ethiopia. However, the identified factor only accounted for a relatively small amount of the overall variability (24.7%). The reason for this could have been our use of a primary healthcare sample where the number and range of symptoms of CMD would be expected to be lower than in psychiatric settings. In addition, CPRS items were originally selected as time-varying aspects of syndromes of mental disorder and thus do not include the full range of CMD characteristics recognised in Western settings, for example guilt. Likewise, culture-specific symptoms, which might be pertinent to the construct of CMD in Ethiopia, are not contained within the CPRS. Further examination of the construct of CMD in community samples from low-income settings is warranted.
Conclusions {#Sec22}
===========
Detection of socioculturally meaningful cases of CMD in Ethiopia can be reliably achieved with local psychiatrist assessment using CPRS, although thorough training is essential.
This study was funded by a Wellcome Trust training fellowship for Dr Charlotte Hanlon (WT081504/Z/06/Z). We gratefully acknowledge the generosity of study participants in giving us their time, and the kind co-operation received from staff at the Primary Health Care centre and the clinics at Amanuel and St Paul's hospitals.
**Declaration of Interest** None.
| tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | PubMed Central |
Q:
Compound boolean logic in python if
I am trying to test a basic premise in python and it always fails and I can't figure out why.
My sys.argv looks like this:
['test.py', 'test']
And my code looks like this:
if len(sys.argv) > 1 and sys.argv[1] is 'test':
print 'Test mode'
But the test is never true. I am sure that I am missing something really simple here, but I can't figure out what it is.
A:
As mentioned above, the main reason is your test comparison. Using is is different than using == as it compares if two objects are equal. In this case, you can verify that they are not equal by checking their ids:
import sys
print id(sys.argv[1])
print id('test')
My output:
140335994263232
140335994263424
As they point to different objects, they will not be equal when using is (but using == will compare the strings themselves, which will return True).
The issue at work here is the concept of interning. When you hardcode two identical strings into your source, the strings are interned and the two will share an object ID (this explains @SamMussmann's very valid point below). But when you pass a string in via argv, a new object is created, thereby making the comparison to an identical hardcoded string in your code return False. The best explanation I have found so far is in here, where both Alex Martelli and Jon Skeet (two very reputable sources) explain interning and when strings are interned. From these explanations, it does seem that since the data from argv is external to the program, the values aren't interned, and therefore have different object IDs than if they were both literals in the source.
One additional point of interest (unrelated to the issue at hand but pertinent to the is discussion) is the caching that is done with numbers. The numbers from -5 to 256 are cached, meaning that is comparisons with equal numbers in that range will be True, regardless of how they are calculated:
In [1]: 256 is 255 + 1
Out[1]: True
In [2]: 257 is 256 + 1
Out[2]: False
In [3]: -5 is -4 - 1
Out[3]: True
In [4]: -6 is -5 - 1
Out[4]: False
| tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | StackExchange |
America’s immigration woes
Is the US still a nation of immigrants?
Yes – more so now than for decades. The number of people migrating to America rose sharply from less than 100,000 a year before World War II to around 250,000 a year in the 1950s. It then grew steadily during the long postwar boom to around one million a year in the 1990s – the level where it remains today. So by 2015, the number of foreign-born people living in the US was estimated to be 43.3 million, out of a population of around 320 million. These first-generation immigrants live with 40.6 million American-born children who are US citizens – meaning that 81 million immigrants and their families make up around a quarter of the population.
Why is this trend controversial?
For some, immigration is controversial because it means changes in the country in which they grew up. In the early 1960s, 5% of the population was born abroad. Now it’s 13.5% (more if you include the children of immigrants), and many are from Latin America (in particular Mexico) rather than Europe. Still, the US has had even higher levels of immigration in the modern era – the foreign-born population was around 15% in the late 1800s and early 1900s – and mostly views itself as open to new arrivals: 72% of Americans see immigration as a good thing, according to a 2016 Gallup poll. The real controversy centres on the number in the US illegally, rather than the absolute level of immigration.
How many people is that?
There are an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in the US – a quarter of the foreign-born population. Many of them have been in the country for decades. Around one-third now have US-born children, who are American citizens by birth. Fixing this obviously unsatisfactory situation has long been a political nightmare. There is fairly strong backing for offering an amnesty to existing immigrants: the Gallup poll found that up to 84% of people support introducing a path to citizenship for those who meet certain conditions. But this would need to be paired with border-security measures aimed at reducing future immigration. Finding a compromise on these two points has proved impossible. In 2013, the Democrat-led Senate passed an immigration reform bill with support from many Republican senators – but it failed to get a vote in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives.What action is Donald Trump taking?
Much of Trump’s base is strongly anti-immigration and he has tried to govern on that basis. This includes taking aim even at legal immigration: the president has backed a bill drawn up by two Republican senators that would cut annual legal immigration in half and prioritise education and skills rather than family ties in deciding who can enter. Trump believes that his proposal will “reduce poverty, increase wages and save billions and billions of dollars” – all assertions that are disputed by many economists. It’s unclear whether this bill will make it to Congress, given Trump’s other priorities such as tax reform.
What about illegal immigration?
Trump has promised to speed up the deportations of undocumented migrants, and insists the US will build a vast border wall aimed at preventing illegal immigration from Mexico. Earlier this month, he reversed Barack Obama’s Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals (Daca) executive order from 2012, which protected from deportation those who were illegally brought into the US as children by their parents. Those covered by the order – known as the Dreamers – could apply for renewable permits letting them live legally in America, providing they have been in the country for five years and have no criminal record.
Who are the Dreamers?
Around 800,000 young undocumented migrants (mostly Mexican) had applied for Daca. They are typically younger (average age 22), better educated and better paid than the typical immigrant (an average wage of $17 per hour), according to an analysis by the Cato Institute, a right-leaning think tank. Of those aged 25 or over, more than 90% are in work, and they create new businesses at twice the rate of the general population. Overall, the Dreamers as a population are broadly similar to immigrants who hold H-1B visas for skilled workers. The think tank argues that forcing them to leave the country would be an act of economic self-harm that would cost $215bn in lost economic output over ten years, $60bn in lost taxes and $7.5bn in deportation costs.
What happens now?
Trump’s decision means that new applications willl no longer be accepted under Daca. Those covered at present will all lose their status by 2020, with the first permits expiring in March 2018, unless Congress passes legislation allowing them to stay. Immigration-rights activists are, of course, outraged, while corporate leaders from Facebook to Goldman Sachs have slammed the move as immoral and economically misconceived. Trump’s defenders dispute whether Obama had a constitutional right to make his order on immigration and say that asking Congress to legislate rapidly is the right solution. Yet the chances of Congress doing this by February seem slim, given that it has had the least productive first eight months of any presidential term. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
Background
==========
The exponential growth of new techniques of image presentation and minimally invasive surgical techniques increasingly requires a three-dimensional anatomical knowledge. A profound and in-depth training in anatomy during undergraduate medical studies has therefore gained importance \[[@B1]\]. Results of previous studies indicated that students benefit from incorporating virtual multidimensionality in anatomy training \[[@B2]-[@B5]\]. Trained ultrasound skills do improve the anatomical knowledge uptake among students \[[@B6]\]. The alternating use of ultrasound and anatomy training can improve both entities. Herewith, students receive a profound background that forms the basis for the acquisition of further skills in different subspecialties \[[@B7]\]. Previous studies suggested that students may learn the basics of ultrasound with comparatively little didactic investment \[[@B8]-[@B11]\]. However, only two studies specifically evaluated musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSUS) \[[@B10],[@B11]\]. Prior to completing the anatomical training regarding the musculoskeletal system, one should use experienced medical experts or didactically and professionally trained student-teachers in MSUS training \[[@B11]\].
Arthroscopy can increase the learning success in anatomy through its required cognitive 2D-3D-transformation as opposed to simply swotting up on anatomy. The two dimensional view of the arthroscopy requires, among bimanual-visual coordination, the cognitive deepness estimation of the anatomic structures. The ideal method to acquire this complex skill has not been identified yet. It remains unclear whether every student or even prospective surgeon brings along the psychomotor precondition to learn this coordinative challenging ability \[[@B12]\]. The additional use of arthroscopic methods in the anatomical training has not been proven significantly profitable yet. Albeit it has been shown, that student motivation, regarding anatomical training, can be improved with the use of surgical simulators. However, no measurable superior learning success in comparison to illustrated textbooks has been found \[[@B13]\]. During the simulator training, direct anatomic landmarks could be detected faster and better \[[@B14]\]. Hence, the question arises which kind of cognitive 2D-3D-transformation, ultrasound or arthroscopy, is more beneficial for students' knowledge acquisition in the compulsory dissection course of the curriculum. We conducted the present randomized cross-over controlled trial in order to answer the question: Do short tutorials of ultrasound or arthroscopy increase the anatomical knowledge uptake in comparison to macroscopic cadaver dissection only?
Methods
=======
Study design
------------
The musculoskeletal anatomy training starts with attendance in the dissection course at the beginning of the second year. During 2011, all second year medical students were affiliated to this randomized controlled trial. The affiliation to this trial took place due to changes of the curriculum's schedule and contents. Ethical approval (EK 178/09) was obtained from the Ethics Committee, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University (Chairman G. Schmalzing). The adjustments to the curriculum were developed in close cooperation with the Medical Faculty study Dean's office and consisted mainly of additional tutorials of ultrasound of the knee (75 min) and shoulder joint (75 min) and tutorials for the introduction of arthroscopy using a simulator (150 min in total each). Simultaneously, the content outline was revised and the lectures on orthopaedic and trauma surgery were optimized and revised accordingly. Through a close cooperation of the project partners it was guaranteed, that all involved departments (trauma surgery and orthopaedics, anatomy) dealt with the topics "shoulder" and "knee" in the first week. All students denied any previous experience with MSUS and arthroscopy in a questionnaire given prior to the beginning of the study.
Participants were randomly assigned following simple randomization procedures (computerized random numbers) to one of the three trial groups (Figure [1](#F1){ref-type="fig"}). The CON-group served as control group and received their anatomical knowledge solely through the established dissection course. The MSUS-group received additional ultrasound training in the first week of the dissection course, while the ASK-group received additional arthroscopy training using a simulator. Autonomous self-study was not regulated through the trials' setting.
{#F1}
The MSUS-group was taught by 8 undergraduate medical students in their fifth year who received a special training. The arthroscopy group (ASK) was taught through clinically experienced senior physicians (all male).
Lecturers training
------------------
During a "teach-the-teacher-course" the eight student-teachers received a sound didactical training (four sessions with a duration of 120 min each), including the basics of modern learning concepts (Sandwich theory of a good seminar, Bloom-taxonomy) \[[@B15],[@B16]\], innovative studying techniques (peer-assisted learning (PAL), team-based learning, e-learning) and assessment strategies (OSCE, MCQ). The professional ultrasound training consisted of three sessions (120 min each). Each session started with a 30 min theoretical introduction to the different transducers, sequences of medical examinations, certain indications, statements and standard scan planes; followed by a 90 min practical training including the standard scan planes of the shoulder and knee joint (European League Against Rheumatism \[EULAR\]) \[[@B17]\]. The medical experts for the arthroscopy education did not receive any additional training. They were highly involved in regular teaching of medical students, each with at least 5 years of teaching experience.
Intervention
------------
Each training group for the ultrasound and the arthroscopy part consisted of 16--20 students, with a maximum of five students per ultrasound device or arthroscopy simulator. The additional training consisted of two sessions of 75 min for each trial group, divided into a shoulder and a knee joint part.
For the ultrasound training (MSUS), four devices of the Toshiba Medical Systems GmbH (Nemio XG™, Neuss, Germany) with a 10 MHz-linear transducer were used. Students performed sonography scans on each other as opposed to models. Special emphasis was put on the anatomical understanding in two-dimensional (2D) scan planes and the three-dimensional (3D) imagination of the structures.
Arthroscopy training (ASK) was performed on two shoulder and knee models (Arthrex Medical Instruments GmbH, Karlsfeld, Germany). A teaching video was presented to the students, which included a diagnostic circuit (three minutes) through the physiologic joint followed by an illustrated presentation on the most important anatomic landmarks. The video was then repeated once more. In the practical part, students learned the basics of arthroscopy (TelePack X, Karl Storz GmbH & Co. KG, Tuttlingen, Germany) focusing on independent instrument handling without direct view.
Evaluation
----------
The acquired anatomical knowledge was evaluated in a theoretical exam (multiple choice, MCQ, max. 15 points) after one week. A multiple choice format with a single correct response option and four distractors ("1 of 5") was used. The MC exam (primary outcome of the trial) included six questions on the topic shoulder, four questions on the knee joint, as well as five questions on anatomic aspects of other body regions (abdomen, hip joint, ankle joint, ischiocrural and fundament muscles). Fifty percent of the questions concerning the shoulder and knee joint were connected to anatomical drawings. A score of at least 60% (9 points) was required to pass the MC exam according to the standing orders of the Medical Faculty. After the exam, students switched groups twice in order to give every student the possibility to attend all additional training (Figure [1](#F1){ref-type="fig"}). At the end of the dissection course a practical exam (objective structured clinical examination, OSCE) was performed. During the OSCE, anatomy (maximum of 40 points) and pathology (maximum of 20 points) skills were tested during a cadaver dissection. This was followed by a clinical "trauma surgery/orthopaedics" (maximum of 20 points) part.
The students evaluated the course through a standardized questionnaire using a 5-point-Likert-Scale (1 = strongly agree, 2 = agree, 3 = neither agree nor disagree, 4 = disagree, 5 = strongly disagree). Crucial points were the lecturer´s expertise, fun factor, subjective appraisal of the achieved anatomical knowledge, as well as evaluation of the additional multidimensional training through ultrasound and arthroscopy. Furthermore, the subjectively achieved spatial imagination in general and the peer-assisted learning (PAL) concept as part of the ultrasound were evaluated.
Statistics
----------
After testing for normality (Kolmogorov-Smirnov), differences among students with respect to objective and subjective quantitative parameters (MCQ, OSCE) were calculated using ANOVA. Paired t-tests were used to assess differences, regarding the evaluation of arthroscopy in comparison to ultrasound. Categorical comparisons regarding the MC exam were made using the Chi-squared test (2 groups) and the Fisher´s exact test (3 groups). All tests were two-tailed and assessed at the 5% significance level. Analysis was done with the statistic software SPSS™ 19.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA).
Results
=======
Demographic results
-------------------
There were 164 female and 78 male students (mean age 23.5 (20--53) years). Eighty-four students were allocated to the MSUS-group (56 female, 28 male, age 24.2 (20--53)), 79 students to the ASK-group (50 female, 20 male, age 23.4 (20--36) years) and 88 students to the CON-group (58 female, 30 male, age 22.8 (20--33) years). There was no difference between groups with respect to demographic parameters.
Main study parameter
--------------------
Evaluation of the anatomical knowledge (MCQ) after the first week showed a higher overall knowledge of the ASK-group compared to the MSUS- and CON-group (Table [1](#T1){ref-type="table"}; p = 0.019). In the ASK-group 99% of the students passed the MC exam, with only one student who failed. Moreover, 89% of the students in the CON-group and 91% in the MSUS-group, respectively, passed this part of the exam (ASK *vs.* CON: p = 0.024, ASK *vs.* MSUS: p = 0.033, ASK *vs.* MSUS *vs.* CON: p = 0.074). No differences between the trial groups could be detected for the knee and other anatomical regions, which had not been part of the multidimensional presentation. However, students of the ASK-group showed knowledge advantages (ASK *vs.* MSUS *vs.* CON: 5.4 *vs.* 4.8 *vs.* 5.0 points; p \< 0.001; Table [1](#T1){ref-type="table"}) with respect to the shoulder region.
######
Comparison of the three groups regarding the acquired anatomical knowledge at the end of the one week training (MC exam)
**MCQ after 1 week** **MSUS n = 84** **ASK n = 70** **CON n = 88** **p**
----------------------------------- ----------------- ---------------- ---------------- ------------
Anatomy (15 questions, 15 points) 11.1 (1.7) 11.9 (1.7) 11.3 (1.8) 0.019
*MC exam passed (n/%)* 76/91 69/99\* 79/89 0.074
*- Anatomy shoulder (6 points)* *4.8 (1.0)* *5.4 (0.8)* *5.0 (1.0)* *\< 0.001*
*- Anatomy knee (4 points)* *2.7 (0.6)* *2.7 (0.7)* *2.6 (0.6)* *0.317*
*- Anatomy rest (5 points)* *3.5 (1.1)* *3.7 (0.9)* *3.7 (1.0)* *0.456*
\* ASK *vs.* CON: p = 0.024; ASK *vs.* MSUS: p = 0.033 (Chi-squared test).
All scores are quoted as arithmetic average (standard deviation).
For the final exam after three weeks (OSCE) no significant differences between groups were detected, with good overall performance of all students (15.9-18.4 points, max. 20 points; Table [2](#T2){ref-type="table"}).
######
Comparison of the three groups regarding the OSCE results at the end of the three week training
**OSCE after 3 weeks** **MSUS n = 84** **ASK n = 70** **CON n = 88** **p**
----------------------------- ----------------- ---------------- ---------------- -------
Anatomy ventral (20 points) 16.3 (4.1) 17.4 (4.0) 17.7 (3.1) 0.051
Anatomy dorsal (20 points) 15.9 (4.1) 16.7 (3.6) 16.8 (3.5) 0.252
Pathology (20 points) 17.5 (3.7) 18.4 (3.3) 18.3 (3.4) 0.202
Trauma surgery/Orthopaedics
(20 points) 17.3 (2.5) 18.0 (2.9) 18.0 (2.5) 0.190
All scores are quoted as arithmetic average (standard deviation).
A total of 83.1% (201 of 242) of participants evaluated the course (Table [3](#T3){ref-type="table"}). At this time all three groups had completed all three parts of the training (Figure [1](#F1){ref-type="fig"}). The multidimensional augmentation of the classic anatomical education was considered very helpful, with a high short-term, but also prognostic long-term learning effect, considering anatomical knowledge of the musculoskeletal system (Table [3](#T3){ref-type="table"}). However, there were remarkable differences in students' perception regarding the arthroscopy and ultrasound training. In comparison to the ultrasound education, arthroscopy training was rated higher, considering the achievable anatomical knowledge and better spatial sense (p = 0.002; p \< 0.001). Specific anatomical structures could subjectively better be identified with arthroscopy (p \< 0.001). Although the PAL concept was rated to be a good learning method (LS 1.8), student-teachers were allocated a lesser level of competence than staff lecturers (p \< 0.001).
######
Evaluation of the course parts arthroscopy and sonography after 3 weeks
***Evaluation (Likert-Scale, LS, 1--5)\# after course end*** **Arthroscopy** **Ultrasound** **p**
------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------- ---------------- --------------
Number of evaluation (n) **201**
The lecturer was competent 1.3 (0.7) 1.7 (0.9) **\< 0.001**
The lecture was fun 1.5 (0.8) 1.5 (0.7) **0.816**
I have learned alot 1.9 (1.0) 1.9 (0.9) **0.552**
Theory and practice were well combined 1.6 (0.9) 1.9 (0.9) **0.001**
The size of the group was optimal 2.3 (1.2) 2.3 (1.3) **0.631**
The interaction between the group and the lecturer was good 1.6 (0.8) 1.6 (0.8) **0.691**
Multidimensional augmentation in anatomical education makes sense 1.7 (0.9) 1.8 (0.9) **0.315**
Structures were difficult to identify 3.2 (1.2) 2.6 (1.2) **\< 0.001**
Many of my questions stayed unanswered 3.9 (0.9) 3.6 (1.0) **0.004**
I would need more lectures for deepening 2.1 (1.1) 1.8 (1.1 **\< 0.001**
Generally the PAL concept is a good teaching method 1.8 (1.0) 1.8 (1.0) **0.991**
Only a medical expert can teach these contents 3.2 (1.3) 3.6 (1.1) **\< 0.001**
Generally the contents were too comprehensive 4.0 (0.9) 3.7 (1.0) **0.003**
I could improve my anatomical knowledge 1.9 (1.0) 2.3 (1.1) **0.002**
The durability of my anatomical knowledge is raised 1.7 (0.9) 1.7 (0.9) **0.624**
My spatial imagination was improved 1.6 (0.9) 2.0 (1.1) **\< 0.001**
I was better prepared for the practical exam (OSCE) 2.7 (1.2) 2.8 (1.2) **0.117**
This lecture should later be introduced in the study 3.6 (1.3) 3.6 (1.3) **0.202**
ASK and MSUS awaked my interest in surgery 2.4 (1.1) 2.4 (1.0) **0.899**
\# Likert-Scale (LS): 1 complete approval -- 5 entire rejection.
PAL: peer-assisted learning.
ASK: arthroscopy.
MSUS: musculoskeletal ultrasound.
Questions of the questionnaire were translated from German.
All scores are quoted as arithmetic average (standard deviation).
According to the participants, it is rather possible for student-teachers to teach ultrasound contents than to teach arthroscopic basic skills (p \< 0.001; Table [3](#T3){ref-type="table"}). The early introduction to arthroscopy and MSUS was considered beneficial to create an interest in surgery (LS 2.6).
Discussion
==========
In this open randomized cross-over clinical trial among 2^nd^ year medical students, the addition of short educational units of arthroscopy to the macroscopic dissection course increased the anatomical knowledge gain compared to standard anatomy training. The addition of equivalent educational units of musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSUS) to the standard anatomy training using peer-assisted learning (PAL) did not improve anatomical skills. Despite a statistically significant difference in performance between the study groups regarding the MC exam, the absolute differences were moderate. However, after additional arthroscopy teaching only 1% of students failed the MC exam, in contrast to 10% in the MSUS- or CON-group, respectively.
The benefit of the ASK module was limited to the shoulder area. The multidimensional augmentation of the standard anatomy lecture with arthroscopy and ultrasound was considered beneficial by the students regarding the acquisition of anatomical knowledge of the musculoskeletal system. When asked to compare, students preferred arthroscopy due to a better anatomical orientation and a higher gain in anatomical knowledge as well as in spatial imagination.
The benefit of virtual multidimensionality in anatomical education has been demonstrated before \[[@B1]\]. For this reason our study investigates, which particular kind of cognitive 2D-3D-transformation, ultrasound or arthroscopy, enhances anatomical knowledge during the curricular dissection course. The musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSUS) has already been incorporated successfully into the curricular anatomical education \[[@B18]\]. Teaching these skills at an early level may improve medical expertise in diagnostic methods and may improve the quality of patient care \[[@B2]\]. Ultrasound is a rapidly available and cost-saving instrument, and is a perfect teaching tool for medical students \[[@B7]\]. Contrary to the results of other trials \[[@B2]-[@B6]\] students in this study did not benefit from the additional ultrasound courses of the musculoskeletal system with regard to anatomical skills. A possible explanation might be the fact that we used student-teachers as lecturers. Minimally instructed student-teachers can be employed to teach anatomically skilled students, whereas medical experts should be used in earlier stages of anatomical education \[[@B11]\]. Tolsgaard *et al.* and Shiozawa *et al.* postulated that the specific training of student-teachers was an absolute necessity for success in the environment of peer-assisted learning \[[@B19],[@B20]\]. Therefore, we included student-teachers who received an extensive training in education theory (implementation of a teach-the-teacher course) in our study. Possibly, the results of Tolsgaard and Shiozawa cannot be transferred to MSUS. Because of the strong operator-dependence, an adequate training is highly important to guarantee a firm and competent MSUS application \[[@B21]\].
However, we showed in our study, that arthroscopy tutorials using simulators held by medical experts moderately increased the anatomical knowledge gain in comparison to solely macroscopic dissection. Arthroscopy models can be very useful, regarding the anatomical education of students without any previous experiences \[[@B14]\]. To the best of our knowledge, our trial is the first randomized study evaluating the direct anatomical knowledge benefit of arthroscopic skill training in comparison to a control group without any intervention. Until now it has only been shown that students' motivation towards anatomical education could be increased by the use of surgical simulators \[[@B13]\]. It has been demonstrated that not every student has the psychomotor precondition to learn complex arthroscopy skills \[[@B12]\].
Our results show that a multimedia presentation and consecutive "hands on" training supported the anatomical learning efficiency. Translating a two dimensional view into three-dimensional spatial orientation requires a bimanual psychomotor activation, estimation of depth and coordination of the visual and tactile sense. These complex coordinative skills may act as important memory anchors. Other approaches to virtual three-dimensional visualization have also been able to show potential additional benefit for the anatomic education \[[@B22],[@B23]\].
One recent study on virtual dissection software as opposed to a cadaver-based course reported that students perceived that the virtual approach is highly valuable in their learning of anatomy \[[@B24]\].
Students in our cohort reported that structures were easier identifiable using arthroscopy and that arthroscopy training was associated with a subjectively higher learning effect in comparison to ultrasound. Especially spatial imagination was described as clearly improved.
The impact of the different teaching methods (medical experts *vs.* student-teachers) can not be estimated entirely. Even though peer-assisted learning is regarded as a good teaching concept, medical experts of the arthroscopy module scored higher than the student-teachers of the MSUS module in terms of level of competence. One aspect might be the steep learning curve and the complexity of MSUS \[[@B17],[@B21]\]. According to the students' opinion, arthroscopy and MSUS have the potency to raise interest in surgery. This is in line with an earlier report by our study group that showed that students develop an interest in orthopaedic trauma at a very early level but somehow lose it over time due to negative experience during their clinical training \[[@B25]\]. In times of shortage of young academics, this is a very important factor that is amenable to intervention.
The question, why students particularly profit from an arthroscopy augmented anatomical education for the shoulder as opposed to the knee joint, seems difficult to answer. On the one hand the level of musculoskeletal education varies according to anatomical regions, on the other hand the anatomical complexity appears to be region depending as well \[[@B26]\]. Day and Yeh showed that students' confidence in their own examination techniques are clearly reduced at the shoulder while their confidence is above average regarding the knee joint \[[@B26]\]. Since students are apparently very familiar with examination techniques of the knee, an additional arthroscopic intervention may not lead to an additional knowledge gain. In contrast, the anatomy of the shoulder is more difficult to understand and ultrasound examinations of the shoulder have been attributed one of the steepest learning curves \[[@B27]\].
Limitations
-----------
Our study is subject to a number of limitations. First: Despite significance there were only slightly differences between the study groups in terms of the 15-point MCQ and its sub-analysis, and one must be wary of drawing major definitive conclusions from these test results. A more comprehensive knowledge-based shoulder and knee anatomy test may have demonstrated differences more clearly.
This was a single-centre study. Results may differ in different organizational or didactical settings. Furthermore, we did not assess the level of any anatomical knowledge or skills concerning ultrasound and arthroscopy techniques acquired prior to the intervention. However, according to the curriculum, students had not received any anatomical training on the musculoskeletal system prior to the study and students denied any such qualifications in the questionnaire. The anatomical outcome measures only refer to the shoulder and knee joint and an extrapolation of our results to other anatomic regions is not valid.
We could not control for autonomous self-study and students' motivation which might have influenced the final test results. We do not see this as a threat to internal validity since selection bias was controlled for by including a large number of participants and using methods of complete random sampling. The study guideline allowed students to miss two classes during the entire 3-week dissection course. Frequency and timing of absence had no significant influence on the final result.
Although the course evaluation did not show any differences between teachers, a certain amount of variability in the level of competence of the student-teachers can not be ruled out.
Conclusions
===========
Incorporating arthroscopy education into anatomy training in undergraduate medical school, showed a moderate knowledge increasing effect, especially in anatomically complex joint sections, such as the shoulder region. In comparison to the standard dissection course, the supplementary teaching of basic skills in the musculoskeletal ultrasound using professionally and didactically trained student-teachers, did not improve knowledge uptake. Even though students prefer arthroscopy, they consider the early introduction to musculoskeletal ultrasound as useful and attractive. Although arthroscopy and ultrasound teaching do not have a major effect on learning joint anatomy, they have the potency to raise the interest in surgery. In times of shortage of young academics, this is very important and consistent with the awareness, that already students in an early education level develop a vast interest in the surgery of the musculoskeletal system.
Competing interests
===================
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
Authors' contributions
======================
MK had full access to all of the data in the study and takes responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis. All authors meet all three of the requirements for authorship. JBC, MR, SKB, AG and BML were highly involved in the planning and execution of this study. MS organized the project by order of the dean´ office of study affairs. Furthermore JBC, MR, BML, SKB, AG and MS were highly involved in the acquisition of data and in the process of data interpretation. HP and TTS made a significant contribution to the analysis and interpretation of data. Furthermore they took part in the manuscript review process and revised it critically. In this way they provided an important intellectual content in line with study execution. MK acted as the initiator of the study and was highly involved in the advancement of the conception. Together with JBC, MR and BML he was highly involved in the process of data acquisition, in the process of the statistic converting of data and in the process of data interpretation. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Pre-publication history
=======================
The pre-publication history for this paper can be accessed here:
<http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6920/12/85/prepub>
Acknowledgments
===============
The authors wish to thank all the students who participated, because without their enthusiasm and willingness this project would not have been possible. Furthermore we thank Ralf Müller-Rath MD, that he made his arthroscopy presentation as well as his videos available. We thank our medical experts Ralf Münker MD, Klaus Birnbaum MD, Martijn Hofman, Torsten Mumme MD, Stefan Andereya MD, Wolf Drescher MD, PhD, Richard Martin Sellei MD and Thomas Dienstknecht MD for their passionately teaching and motivation. Moreover a special thank goes to Mr. Felix Hoffmann for the organization of the MSUS module as student assistant und Mrs. Aydin (study Dean's office) and Thomas Pufe MD, PhD (Department of Anatomy and Cellbiology) for the fantastic organizational support of this project. We thank Ms. Anke Winter and Ms. Gertraud Gradl MD for correction of grammar and spelling.
| tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | PubMed Central |
Rosa-Linda Fregoso
Rosa-Linda Fregoso is the Professor and former Chair of Latin American and Latino Studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She received her Bachelor of Journalism degree from the University of Texas at Austin, and her Ph.D. in Comparative Studies: Language, Society and Culture from the University of California, San Diego, where she studied under American media critic and scholar, Herbert Schiller, and literary scholar, Rosaura Sánchez.
Fregoso was born in Corpus Christi, Texas. Before pursuing a career in academia, she was a television and radio journalist. From 1977-79, she produced and hosted Telecorpus, a daily talk show that aired on KORO-TV in Corpus Christi. She later moved to Austin, Texas, and from 1979–82, she produced and hosted a weekly radio program, The Mexican American Experience, for the Longhorn Radio Network and KUT-FM (a National Public Radio affiliate). The Mexican-American Experience was the first nationally syndicated radio program dealing with Mexican-American issues to air on public and commercial radio programs. It was the predecessor to KUT-FM's Latino USA (launched in 1993), a radio program that Fregoso contributed to as a film critic in its early years.
Fregoso has won a number of honors and awards, including a Ford Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship (1990); the Rockefeller Foundation Resident Scholar award (1997); and the MLA Book Prize (2004) for meXicana encounters: The Making of Social Identities on the Borderlands.
Fregoso currently lives in Oakland, California.
Published works
Books
Terrorizing Women: Feminicide in the Américas (2010), co-edited with Cynthia Bejarano, Duke University Press.
meXicana encounters: The Making of Social Identities on the Borderlands (2003), University of California Press.
Lourdes Portillo: The Devil Never Sleeps and Other Films (2001), University of Texas Press.
Miradas de mujer (1998), co-edited with Norma Iglesias.
The Bronze Screen: Chicana and Chicano Film Culture (1993), University of Minnesota Press.
Chapters in books
(2009) "Lupe Vélez: Queen of the Bs," From Bananas to Buttocks: The Latina Body in Popular Film and Culture, edited by Myra Mendible, Austin: University of Texas Press.
(2007) "Fantasy Heritage: Tracking Latina Bloodlines," Latino Studies Companion, edited by Juan Flores and Renato Rosaldo, Blackwell Press.
(2006) "Toward a Planetary Civil Society", Women in the U.S.-Mexico Borderlands: Structural Violence and Agency in Everyday Life, edited by Denise Segura and Patricia Zavella, Duke University Press.
(2003) "Reproduction and Miscegenation on the Borderlands: Mapping the Maternal Body of Tejanas", Chicana Feminisms: A Critical Reader, co-edited with Aída Hurtado, Olga Nájera-Ramírez, Norma Klahn and Pat Zavella, Duke University Press.
(2003) "Julia Alvarez, In the Time of the Butterflies," Reading U.S. Latina Writers, edited by Alvina Quintana, Palgrave MacMillan. (Paperback edition 2005)
(2001) "California Filming: Re-imagining the Nation," Parallels and Intersections: A Remarkable History of Women Artists in California 1950–2000, edited by Diana Fuller, University of California Press.
(2001) "Devils and Ghosts, Mothers and Immigrants: A Critical Retrospective of the Works of Lourdes Portillo", Lourdes Portillo: The Devil Never Sleeps and Other Films, edited by Rosa Linda Fregoso, Austin: University of Texas Press, pp. 81–101.
(1999) "Sacando los Trapos al Sol (Airing Dirty Laundry) in Lourdes Portillo's 'The Devil Never Sleeps'", Redirecting the Gaze: Third World Women Filmmakers, edited by Diana Robin and Ira Jaffe, SUNY Press.
Selected articles
(2010) "Witnessing and the Poetics of Corporality", Kalfou, Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 21–31.
(2010) "Maquilapolis: An Interview with Vicky Funari and Sergio de la Torre" (Interview and Introduction), Camera Obscura, Vol. 25, No. 2, pp. 173–81.
(2009) "Las queremos vivas!" La política y la cultura de los derechos humanos, Debate Feminista, Vol. 39, pp. 209–243, Mexico City.
(2007) "The Disasters of Border Crossing" (Internet news blog), Truthdig. (Posted on September 7, 2007.)
(2007) "We Want Them Alive!: The Culture and Politics of Human Rights" (Keynote Address), Berkeley Journal of Gender, Law & Justice (formerly Berkeley Women's Law Journal), Vol. 22, pp. 367–79.
(2006) "’We Want Them Alive!’: The Politics and Culture of Human Rights," Social Identities, Vol. 12, No. 2 (March issue).
(2006) "The Complexities of 'Feminicide' on the Border", Color of Violence: The Incite! Anthology, Incite! Women of Color Against Violence, Cambridge, South End Press, pp. 130–4.
(2006) "Introduction: Chicano/a Cultural Representations: Reframing Alternative Critical Discourse," The Chicana/o Cultural Studies Reader, edited by Angie Chabram-Dernersesian, London: Routledge, pp. 24–30.
(2000) "Voices Without Echo: The Global Gendered Apartheid," Emergences: Journal for the Study of Media and Composite Cultures, Vol. 10, No. 1.
(1999) "Imagining Multiculturalism: Race and Sexuality on the Tejas Borderlands," The Review of Education/Pedagogy/Cultural Studies, Vol. 21, No. 2.
(1999) "On the Road With Angela Davis," Cultural Studies, Vol. 13, No. 2 (April issue).
(1995) "Homegirls, Cholas, and Pachucas in Cinema: Taking Over the Public Sphere", California History (Fall issue).
Footnotes
External links
Deborah Eade, Book Review of Terrorizing Women: Feminicide in the Américas
Barbara Sutton, Book Review of Terrorizing Women: Feminicide in the Américas
Toby Lapan, UC Professor Explores Feminicide in the Americas, Santa Cruz Sentinel, November 14, 2010
Alicia Gaspar de Alba, Book Review of Terrorizing Women: Feminicide in the Américas
Alma Garcia, Book Review of meXicana encounters: The Making of Social Identities on the Borderlands
Stop Terrorizing Women, website for Terrorizing Women: Feminicide in the Américas (2010), edited by Rosa Linda Fregoso and Cynthia Bejarano, Duke University Press.
Category:Living people
Category:American academics of Mexican descent
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:University of California, Santa Cruz faculty
Category:Moody College of Communication alumni
Category:University of California, San Diego alumni
Category:People from Corpus Christi, Texas
Category:Latin Americanists
Category:American radio journalists
Category:American television talk show hosts
Category:Ford Foundation fellowships
Category:American social sciences writers | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Wikipedia (en) |
Filed 1/29/16 P. v. Steiner CA4/2
NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS
California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for
publication or ordered published, except as specified by rule 8.1115(b). This opinion has not been certified for publication
or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.
IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
FOURTH APPELLATE DISTRICT
DIVISION TWO
THE PEOPLE,
Plaintiff and Appellant, E061841
v. (Super.Ct.No. RIC1405748)
HARLAN RUSSELL STEINER, OPINION
Defendant and Respondent.
APPEAL from the Superior Court of Riverside County. Edward D. Webster,
Judge. (Retired judge of the Riverside Super. Ct. assigned by the Chief Justice pursuant
to art. VI, § 6 of the Cal. Const.) Reversed.
Paul E. Zellerbach, District Attorney and Natalie M. Lough, Deputy District
Attorneys, for Plaintiff and Appellant.
Robert D. Salisbury for Defendant and Respondent.
1
The trial court granted the petition of defendant, Harlan Russell Steiner, for a
certificate of rehabilitation and pardon under Penal Code section 4852.01.1 The People
appeal, claiming the trial court erred in granting that petition because defendant is
ineligible. We agree with the People and therefore reverse the trial court’s order granting
the petition.
FACTS AND PROCEDURE
On March 23, 1995, defendant was convicted in the San Diego County Superior
Court of performing a lewd and lascivious act on a child under age 14. (§ 288, subd. (a).)
The court granted defendant three years of formal probation and ordered him to serve one
day in jail.
On June 6, 2014, defendant filed in the Riverside County Superior Court a petition
for a certificate of rehabilitation and pardon. Along with a large number of supporting
documents and letters, defendant attached to the petition a copy of the recently published
opinion in People v. Tirey (2014) 225 Cal.App.4th 1150, review granted August 22,
2014, S219050 (Tirey I), transferred May 20, 2015, for reconsideration in light of
Johnson v. Department of Justice (2015) 60 Cal.4th 871 (Johnson), decision reached on
reconsideration by People v. Tirey (2015) 242 Cal.App.4th 1255 (Tirey II). (Tirey I,
supra (May 20, 2015, S219050) [2015 Cal. Lexis 3706].) Tirey I at that time held that
the portion of section 4852.01, subdivision (d), that prohibits issuing a certificate of
rehabilitation and pardon to those convicted of violating section 288, subdivision (a),
1 All section references are to the Penal Code unless otherwise indicated.
2
“while allowing similarly situated persons, who have committed more serious crimes
under section 288.7, to file such a petition violates equal protection under the state and
federal Constitutions.” (Tirey I, supra, at p. 1152)
The People opposed the petition on the ground that defendant is statutorily
ineligible under section 4852.01, subdivision (d), based on his conviction for violating
section 288, subdivision (a).
The court held a hearing on the petition on July 10, 2014, at which it granted
defendant’s petition based on the holding in Tirey I.
This appeal followed.
DISCUSSION
The issue is whether section 4852.01, subdivision (d), violates equal protection
principles by prohibiting persons convicted of section 288 from applying for a certificate
of rehabilitation and pardon.
Those who violate section 288, subdivision (a), do so by committing a lewd and
lascivious act on a child under the age of 14 “with the intent of arousing, appealing to, or
gratifying the lust, passions, or sexual desires of [the defendant] or the child . . . .”
(§ 288, subd. (a).) Section 288.7 punishes a person who is 18 or older and engages in
sexual intercourse or sodomy or oral copulation or sexual penetration with a child who is
10 or younger. Section 4852.01, subdivision (a) allows for the filing of a petition for a
certification of rehabilitation. Subdivision (d), however, makes the section inapplicable
to “persons serving a mandatory life parole” and, inter alia, section 288 offenders. In
Tirey I, the Court of Appeal majority held that section 288, subdivision (a), offenders are
3
similarly situated to section 288.7 offenders for equal protection purposes. Thus, section
4852.01 violates equal protection because it provides that section 288, subdivision (a),
offenders are not eligible for a certificate of rehabilitation even though section 288.7
offenders are eligible.
After the trial court’s ruling here, the Legislature amended, inter alia, section
4852.01 to clarify that section 288.7 offenders are ineligible for certificates of
rehabilitation. These amendments became effective on January 1, 2015, after defendant
filed his petition.
In addition, the California Supreme Court granted review in Tirey I on August 22,
2014, but deferred further action “pending consideration and disposition of a related issue
in Johnson v. California Department of Justice, S209167.” (Tirey I, supra (Aug. 22,
2014, S219050) [2014 Cal. Lexis 9394].) In his responsive brief, defendant asked this
court to hold this case until the Supreme Court issues a ruling in its review of Tirey I.
The Supreme Court has done so. On May 20, 2015, the Supreme Court transferred
review of Tirey I back to the appellate court for reconsideration in light of its ruling in
Johnson, supra, 60 Cal.4th 871. (Tirey I, supra, (May 20, 2015, S219050) [2015 Cal.
Lexis 3706].) The appellate court held that the Legislature’s amendment of section
4852.01 eliminated the equal protection concerns in its earlier opinion and ruled that
section 288, subdivision (a) offenders are ineligible for a certificate of rehabilitation.
(Tirey II, supra, 242 Cal.App.4th at p. 1263.)
In Johnson, the California Supreme Court rejected an equal protection challenge to
mandatory sex offender registration for persons convicted of oral copulation with a minor
4
(§§ 288a, 290, subd. (c)) even though persons convicted of unlawful sexual intercourse
with a minor are subject to only discretionary sex offender registration (§§ 261.2,
290.006). (Johnson, supra, 60 Cal.4th at p. 888.) Most relevant here, the court stressed
that the “Legislature is afforded considerable latitude in defining and setting the
consequences of criminal offense.” (Id. at p. 887.) Given Johnson and the subsequent
new opinion in Tirey II, we conclude that the trial court erred when it relied on the initial
opinion in Tirey I over the specific prohibition in section 4852.01, subdivision (d), to
conclude that defendant was not statutorily ineligible for a certificate of rehabilitation and
pardon.
DISPOSITION
The trial court’s order granting defendant’s petition is reversed.
NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS
RAMIREZ
P. J.
We concur:
MILLER
J.
CODRINGTON
J.
5
| tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | FreeLaw |
Six major steps in animal evolution: are we derived sponge larvae?
A review of the old and new literature on animal morphology/embryology and molecular studies has led me to the following scenario for the early evolution of the metazoans. The metazoan ancestor, "choanoblastaea," was a pelagic sphere consisting of choanocytes. The evolution of multicellularity enabled division of labor between cells, and an "advanced choanoblastaea" consisted of choanocytes and nonfeeding cells. Polarity became established, and an adult, sessile stage developed. Choanocytes of the upper side became arranged in a groove with the cilia pumping water along the groove. Cells overarched the groove so that a choanocyte chamber was formed, establishing the body plan of an adult sponge; the pelagic larval stage was retained but became lecithotrophic. The sponges radiated into monophyletic Silicea, Calcarea, and Homoscleromorpha. Homoscleromorph larvae show cell layers resembling true, sealed epithelia. A homoscleromorph-like larva developed an archenteron, and the sealed epithelium made extracellular digestion possible in this isolated space. This larva became sexually mature, and the adult sponge-stage was abandoned in an extreme progenesis. This eumetazoan ancestor, "gastraea," corresponds to Haeckel's gastraea. Trichoplax represents this stage, but with the blastopore spread out so that the endoderm has become the underside of the creeping animal. Another lineage developed a nervous system; this "neurogastraea" is the ancestor of the Neuralia. Cnidarians have retained this organization, whereas the Triploblastica (Ctenophora+Bilateria), have developed the mesoderm. The bilaterians developed bilaterality in a primitive form in the Acoelomorpha and in an advanced form with tubular gut and long Hox cluster in the Eubilateria (Protostomia+Deuterostomia). It is indicated that the major evolutionary steps are the result of suites of existing genes becoming co-opted into new networks that specify new structures. The evolution of the eumetazoan ancestor from a progenetic homoscleromorph larva implies that we, as well as all the other eumetazoans, are derived sponge larvae. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | PubMed Abstracts |
Men's Tennis
UCSB Bulls over UC Riverside, 6-1
Mar 01, 2009
March 1, 2009
UC Santa Barbara, Calif. -
The No. 62 UC Santa Barbara men's tennis team swept the doubles point and captured five singles matches to post a 6-1 victory over UC Riverside Sunday afternoon at the UCSB Recreation Center courts. The Gauchos improve their Big West record to 2-1 (4-5 overall) on the season.
The UCSB men came out of the gate quickly, outlasting the Highlanders in all three doubles matches. On court one, Alex Konigsfeldt and Josh Finkelstein tallied their second doubles victory of the weekend, prevailing over Quoc Doan and Felix Macherez, 8-6. On court three, it took Taylor Chavez Goggin and Nick Caledonia an extra point to defeat Raineir Matias and Sean Peterson, 9-7.
The Gauchos kept rolling in singles play securing five of the six singles matching and leaving the Highlanders with their second Big West loss of the season. Scott Hohenstein notched the first win for UCSB at the No. 3 slot, sinking John Park, 6-1, 6-0.
"Hohenstein was a big highlight in today's win," coach Davis said. "He only dropped one point in his whole match. That's pretty impressive."
Freshman Mattieu Forget made his season debut one to remember, toppling Matias on court six, 6-1, 6-3.
"I had Forget play an exhibition match earlier today and he played well, so I asked him if he could play for us in singles. And sure enough, he won." coach Davis explained.
Alex Konigsfeldt and Chavez Goggin knocked off their opponents with ease at the No. 1 and No. 4 spots respectively to put the win out of reach for the visiting Highlanders.
The only win for UC Riverside came at the No. 5 position where Austin Anderes handed Devin Nerenberg a 6-2, 6-4 loss.
The Gauchos three match home stand came to an end this afternoon, as they took two of three. Next week, UCSB will be on the road, playing UT Arlington and SMU. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
Posts Tagged ‘SB 838’
A bill that would scale back the number of suction dredge mining permits issued in Oregon has passed the House and Senate and heads to the desk of Gov. John Kitzhaber, who is expected to sign the bill into law.
Senate Bill 838 restricts the number of permits to 850 statewide — the number issued in 2009 — and directs the governor’s office to create a regulatory framework for how, where and when suction dredging can occur. If revisions aren’t implemented in two years, a five-year moratorium on most salmon rivers would go into effect in January 2016.
The bill, which also limits the number of miners to one every 500 feet on a river and prohibits mining in salmon spawning areas year-round, passed the House 33-27 on Sunday and the Senate 17-13 on July 3.
The bill was spurred by a sharp increase in suction dredge mining on Oregon’s rivers, most noticeably in the southwest on the Rogue and South Umpqua. The number of permits issued jumped from 414 in 2005 to 2,409 in 2012, due largely to a moratorium issued by California in 2009 and the skyrocketing price of gold during the recession.
Proponents of the bill claimed that section dredges, large gasoline-powered vacuums that suck gravel from stream bottoms and run it through a device that collects minerals such as gold flecks, is damaging to salmon habitat and water quality.
Miners contend that the practice is harmless — that natural high water events alter stream beds far more than mining — and actually improve fish habitat by breaking up stream bottoms for spawning and removing harmful metals such as mercury.
“They’re basically killing off an industry,” said Robert Stumbo, who owns the Armadillo Mining Shop in Grants Pass. “Our suction dredge sales have dropped to zero with just the threat of this bill. You can’t grow a business with only 850 permits being issued. Miners that live outside the state won’t be able to come in and work their claim.
“This bill is not about harming fishing; it’s a personal vendetta against miners.”
Environmental groups say the law provides a chance to step back and come up with common-sense regulations while still allowing miners the chance to use suction dredges. The law gives preference to miners who held permits in 2009, which would largely favor Oregonians.
“There will be over two years of public process to ensure that these new regulations are well thought out, scientifically based and effective,” said Josh Laughlin of Cascadia Wildlands. “This is a fair and balanced process that will benefit clean water and salmon into the future.”
The bill is something of a compromise, considering the original called for a statewide moratorium.
"This legislation doesn’t solve the problem,” said Erik Fernandez of Oregon Wild, a Portland-based conservation group. “But it’s an important step forward in dealing with the invasion of Californians looking to mine Oregon rivers.”
Salem, OR — Celebrated by fishermen, landowners, outdoor recreation businesses, and river advocates, Senate Bill 838 (SB 838) has just been passed by the Oregon House and Senate. SB 838 is now on the Governor’s desk awaiting only a signature to become law. The bill takes steps to protect salmon habitat throughout Oregon through reasonable reductions in levels of suction dredge gold mining.
“Salmon and clean water are some of the defining characteristics for Oregon’s streams and rivers,” said John Ward of Rogue Flyfishers. “This bill is a balanced first step to ensure their protection as most Oregonian’s desire.”
Although the original bill called for a total statewide moratorium, the final bill is a compromise with three main sections to be implemented over the next 3 years. The first part starting in 2014 will bring the maximum numbers of permits down to 850 statewide – levels not seen since 2009 – giving preference to long-time Oregon miners and making little change to current dredging regulations.
The second portion of the bill directs the Governor’s office to lead agency and public participation in proposing a new comprehensive regulatory framework for the legislature’s approval in 2015. This framework would be designed to meet reasonable protections for threatened and endangered salmon and trout, while simplifying Oregon’s currently complex permitting process for this activity.
“There will be over 2 years of public process to ensure that these new regulations are well thought out, scientifically based and effective,” said Josh Laughlin of Cascadia Wildlands. “This is a fair and balanced process that will benefit clean water and salmon into the future.”
The third and final part of the bill—a 5 year moratorium on suction dredging in salmon habitat—will go into effect only if the legislature fails to act in 2015 by adopting the Governor’s new regulations.
“Should the Governor and legislature act in a timely manner, miners will continue to be able to use this mining technique in appropriate areas away from endangered salmon without interruption,” said Forrest English of Rogue Riverkeeper. “Only as a last resort would this legislation enact a temporary moratorium in endangered salmon habitat.”
Suction dredge mining in waterways involves the use of gasoline-powered vacuums, mounted on floating rafts, which suck up the riverbed in search of gold. Scientific studies have demonstrated that the practice harms spawning habitat, invertebrate and bivalve communities that feed fish, and stirs up toxic mercury. There has been a spike in suction dredge mining in Oregon since California enacted a moratorium on the practice in 2009 due to its impacts on water quality and fish populations. Between 2005-2012, there was a 580% increase in suction dredge mining in Oregon, more than quadrupling from 414 to 2,409 permits issued. The increasing number of suction dredgers has introduced new conflicts with other river users and landowners.
Science played a major role in the construction and passage of SB 838. In California, state agencies conducted an exhaustive evaluation of the scientific literature, and concluded that the only way to prevent the negative water quality and health impacts of suction dredging is to prohibit the activity altogether. In early April, the Oregon Chapter of the American Fisheries Society sent a letter to Oregon legislators outlining the myriad impacts suction dredging has on fish. One of the letter’s recommendations was to prohibit or greatly reduce suction dredge mining in areas used for spawning by sensitive fish stocks. This followed a similar letter issued by the Western Division of the American Fisheries Society prior to the California moratorium.
“Studies have shown that suction dredging can mobilize toxic mercury, and reduce the spawning success of salmon species,” added English. “This bill ensures Oregon will better evaluate the available science and ensure that water quality and our iconic fish species are protected into the future.”
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife killed sea lion number CO22 (or as activist group Sea Shepherd dubbed him, Brian) April 16, for eating too many salmon, but conservationists say that it’s suction dredge mining, sucking up riverbeds in giant vacuums, that poses a bigger threat to Oregon’s rivers and their fish.
There are currently two bills in the Oregon Legislature that could protect Oregon’s rivers from suction dredging and the Lane County commission’s conservative majority recently voted not to support one of them, Senate Bill 401. The other one, SB 838, did not come up for county vote.
SB 401 started off as a bill to put a Scenic Waterway designation on more of Oregon’s rivers and tributaries. Portions of the McKenzie River are already protected as an Oregon Scenic Waterway, but SB 401 would protect the water of the lower McKenzie and its summer steelhead, endangered spring Chinook salmon, endangered bull trout, rainbow trout and cutthroat trout.
Scenic waterways protection means that the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department must be notified of activities proposed within a quarter mile of the bank, such as cutting trees, mining and constructing roads, railroads, utilities, buildings or other structures. The conservative majority of the County Commission bristled at this during their April 23 meeting. They also appeared to not be up-to-date on the current version of SB 401, which according to Josh Laughlin of Cascadia Wildlands, as it has been amended would only require the state of Oregon to review a list of 30 stretches of waterways named in the bill and make a recommendation in two years whether they should be included as scenic waterways.
Commissioner Jay Bozievich said at the meeting he thought that if the parks department “can’t seem to maintain their current parks,” citing issues with Glass Bar Island, then adding more rivers to the list would be problematic. Farr agreed, but specified he was not opposed to protecting drinking water. Commissioner Faye Stewart said he had been contacted by people up the McKenzie concerned about how the river protection might affect “what they can and cannot do on their property.” Pete Sorenson was the only commissioner to vote that the county should endorse SB 401 and look to protecting the river. “Voting against the bills means they are voting against clean water and wild salmon recovery. That is not a popular position this day and age,” Laughlin says.
Stewart also brought up a moratorium on suction dredge mining, but that moratorium is actually part of SB 838, which the county did not vote on. Laughlin says 838 would put a five-year moratorium on suction dredging in state-designated essential salmon habitat until a modernized suction dredge system was implemented.
Laughlin says not only is suction dredging bad for salmon, it can affect human health when mercury becomes converted into methyl mercury, a form that’s toxic to humans and moves easily through the food chain. He says he finds it “incredible that Oregon takes great efforts to protect and restore salmon, like shutting down the commercial fishery periodically or shooting sea lions at Bonneville Dam, but we allow gas-powered vacuums to suck up river bottoms in critical salmon streams.”
A bill to put a five-year moratorium on using suction dredges to mine for gold in key salmon streams is moving through the Oregon Legislature.
By a 3-2 vote Wednesday night, the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee referred Senate Bill 838 to the Joint Ways and Means Committee for further consideration.
Co-sponsor Sen. Alan Bates, a Medford Democrat, said new federal permit requirements in Idaho and a state moratorium in California are pushing thousands of small-scale gold miners to Oregon, primarily the southwestern corner of the state that was home to the 1850s Gold Rush.
He said the moratorium will give time to study how the motorized dredges affect water quality and salmon.
“I still think there is a middle ground, that will allow a place for miners to go if they are careful, and follow the right regulations,” Bates said. “Neither side is willing to come together and talk to each other. People sitting before the committee were raising their voices. The miners feel strongly. I understand that.”
Bates said he was not sure the bill had the votes to clear the Senate, but he was particularly moved by a report from scientists with the Oregon Chapter of the American Fisheries Society who pointed out threats to salmon from the dredges.
In written testimony submitted to the committee, miners said fish and water quality already are protected by existing regulations, a moratorium would kill an industry worth millions of dollars and put a financial hardship on miners who depend on gold to feed and clothe their families. They said the state had no authority to restrict work on mining claims on federal land.
During the recent suction dredge hearings Senator Olsen made a point of comparing suction dredgers and river guides as if they were equivalent entities with equal or similar impacts—both plus or minus. Although I praise him for trying to show that there are two sides to this coin we are really talking about two very different coins. But since the Senator opened the door, I would say that it would make sense to do some comparisons between the two enterprise types.
One of the themes emphasized by the suction dredge miners during the hearing was one of burdensome regulations that were impacting their operations. The miners repeatedly tried to characterize themselves as victims and how their regulatory hindrance was much larger than most. But when compared to river guides and outfitters this does not seem to be the case, as we can see above.
The validity of pushing this equivalency issue becomes even more tortured when one looks at the economic activity associated with river guides and outfitters and the magnitudes of the population sectors served. The economic comparisons become difficult because while some studies on the economics of clean river associated economic activity have been done in Oregon the same is not true for suction dredging. So we have to look for surrogates and make some educated assumptions as we sort through the apples and oranges of these analyses.
Right now suction dredge permits in Oregon stand at around 2400. In California when they did their analysis on suction dredgers (2010) they had approximately 3500 permit holders that were responsible for the creation of nearly 50 full and part-time jobs as well as $2.5 million in personal income and a little less than $124 thousand in sales tax revenue (see table 5 in Socioeconomic Report in Suction Dredge Permit Program Environmental Impact Report). As it is likely valid for ball park figures to assume that the Oregon experience will be somewhat similar, these figures applied against Oregon’s 2400 permits will likely translate into 34 jobs and $170 thousand in personal income with nothing in the sales tax column. By comparison, If we look at just the 84-mile Wild and Scenic portion of the Rogue River we observe that waterway in 2008 was estimated to be producing 445 full and part-time jobs and $15.4 million in personal income—more than an order of magnitude above suction dredging’s entire contribution across all rivers on the California economy (see Regional Economic Impacts of Recreation on the Wild and Scenic Rogue River)
.
“Both rafting and fishing participants were found to experience a high degree of conflict with suction dredging. For rafters, conflicts arise from noise, engine exhaust, and the physical presence of dredgers in the waterway. Fishing participants are affected by access barriers (including intimidation, lack of parking, equipment conflicts), safety issues (e.g., dredge holes), and localized effects on fish caused by turbidity and disturbances. Suction dredging can conflict with other recreational uses, such as hiking, picnicking, and camping, by generating noise and engine exhaust in the vicinity of recreationists. Because these activities generate recreation-related spending, conflicts can potentially reduce use levels and associated economic effects in regional and local economies.” Socio-economic Report in Suction Dredge Permit Program Environmental Impact Report.
We could slice and dice these numbers and look at per capita analyses or other evaluations but in essence we have a big economic number (many times bigger than the Rogue figures once those figures are extrapolated across the Oregon waterways) that is likely put at some unknown risk by a much, much smaller number. Since the level of this small activity and its associated risk are rapidly accelerating in the face of significant knowledge gaps, inadequate regulation and wrong-size oversight infrastructure, prudency demands that we take a moment until we fully understand the consequences and can get our ducks in a row. And that is exactly what we are asking for with SB 838—a timeout.
The Oregon legislature is currently considering: 1) SB 838 which would enact a moratorium on suction dredge mining in Essential Salmon Habitat in Oregon, and 2) SB 401 which would require the state of Oregon to review a list of nearly 30 river segments and make a recommendation as to whether or not they should be included in the State Scenic Waterway system. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
In yet ANOTHER green energy failure that cost the American People millions of dollars, Obama’s Department of Energy gave A123 Systems Inc, whose name is more like that of a fake company, a $535 million government-backed loan, shortly before the shill company filed for bankruptcy.
Shocker! We know… (not really)
Obama touted the business, that made rechargeable lithium-ion batteries for electric cars, as a “central” part of the car industry, but the $535 million only paid off Obama’s friends and supporters.
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President-elect Donald J. Trump shares an update on the Presidential Transition, and outlines of some of his policy plans for the first 100 days.
The ultra-corrupt media and brainless libtard celebrities were pretty much ALL actively helping Hillary Clinton and against Trump with their falsehoods and lies, but the American People saw through their lies! | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
Elard Dauelsberg
Elard Dauelsberg was a German field hockey player. He competed in the men's tournament at the 1908 Summer Olympics.
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Dose finding study of mosapride in functional dyspepsia: a placebo-controlled, randomized study.
Prokinetic agents have shown variable efficacy in the treatment of functional dyspepsia. Mosapride is a new prokinetic 5-hydroxytryptamine-4 agonistic agent. To evaluate the efficacy of three dosage regimens of mosapride compared with placebo in the treatment of functional dyspepsia. Patients were randomly allocated to treatment with placebo or mosapride (5 mg b.d., 10 mg b.d. or 7.5 mg t.d.s.) in a double-blind, prospective, multicentre, multinational study. The change in symptom severity score from an untreated baseline week to the sixth week of treatment was used to compare treatment efficacy. There were 141, 140, 143 and 142 patients valid for evaluation in the intention-to-treat population in the placebo, mosapride 5 mg b.d., mosapride 10 mg b.d. and mosapride 7.5 mg t.d.s. groups, respectively. The mean changes in the overall dyspeptic symptom score were - 0.90, - 0.94, - 0.88 and - 0.89, respectively, and the proportions of patients feeling better at the end of the treatment period were 60%, 59%, 59% and 61%, respectively. No statistically significant difference was seen. Treatment of functional dyspepsia with mosapride was not superior to placebo. The result raises the question of whether treatment with prokinetic agents is appropriate for functional dyspepsia. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | PubMed Abstracts |
The New Jersey Assembly voted Thursday to abolish the death penalty, poising the state to become the first since 1965 to repeal capital punishment.
The state Senate already passed the measure, and Gov. Jon Corzine, a death penalty foe, pledged to sign the bill, probably early next week. Those on death row will have their sentences commuted to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Although New Jersey has not had an execution since 1963, the campaign has drawn national attention, in part because it was launched by Lorry Post, the father of a murder victim. Sister Helen Prejean, whose work against the death penalty was dramatized in the film “Dead Man Walking,” has made a dozen trips to New Jersey and predicted that other states would follow its lead.
However, recent attempts to abolish the death penalty in Colorado, Montana, Nebraska and New Mexico have faltered, although it seems possible that Maryland, whose governor opposes capital punishment, will go the same route as New Jersey.
Currently, there is a nationwide de facto moratorium on the death penalty, spurred by legal challenges to lethal injection, the method of execution in most states. The Supreme Court will take up the issue in January.
Austin Sarat, a professor of jurisprudence and political science at Amherst College and the author of two books on the death penalty, said New Jersey’s action was a sign that the nation was “in a period of national reconsideration of the death penalty.” He noted that both death sentences and executions had dropped in recent years.
Sarat predicted executions would be outlawed state by state but acknowledged that it was “likely to be a long road to abolition.”
At a news conference in Trenton, N.J., Corzine said, “We would be better served as a society by having a clear and certain outcome for individuals who carry out heinous crimes. And that’s what I think we are doing -- making certain that individuals will be in prison without any possibility of parole.”
One of the death row inmates whose life will be spared is Jesse Timmendequas, who was convicted of molesting and murdering 7-year-old Megan Kanka in 1994. That killing led to the passage of Megan’s Law, which requires law enforcement agencies to notify the public when convicted sex offenders are living in their neighborhoods.
Megan’s father, Richard Kanka, was among those who opposed the legislation. “For you people to sit there and want to repeal this, in this state, is a mistake,” he testified at a hearing this year. “Anybody that’s on death row belongs there.”
But his position was not shared by Post, whose daughter was killed in Georgia. Post’s group, New Jerseyans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, was started in a church basement eight years ago. It has grown to 12,000 members and has forged an unusual coalition of clerics, legislators from both parties, families of slaying victims and law enforcement officials, all of whom decided that they wanted a change.
Although some members said they still favored the idea of the death penalty, there was a broad acknowledgment that it was not working in New Jersey. A statewide poll taken this year showed that New Jersey residents, by a margin of 51% to 41%, preferred that inmates received life in prison without the possibility of parole rather than the death penalty.
This week, state Senate President Richard J. Codey, a Democrat, said he had voted for the death penalty law in 1982 because it provided for “exhaustive appeals” to ensure the right person was convicted. But since then, although prosecutors have garnered 60 death sentences, 52 have been reversed and there have been no executions.
“How can I argue the deterrent effect of the death penalty when we haven’t had one?” Codey asked at a hearing in Trenton on Monday.
In late November, family members of 62 murder victims sent a letter to legislators urging passage of the abolition bill. The relatives emphasized the personal toll the process had taken on them.
“Capital punishment drags victims’ loved ones through an agonizing and lengthy process, holding out the promise of one punishment in the beginning and often resulting in a life sentence in the end anyway,” the authors wrote.
“A life without parole sentence for killers right from the start would keep society safe, hold killers responsible for their brutal and depraved acts, and would start as soon as we left the courtroom instead of leaving us in limbo,” the family members said.
Edward DeFazio, the district attorney in Hudson County, N.J., who has played a key role in the abolition campaign, said in a letter to legislators that the death penalty had cost the state $250 million, with little to show for it.
“New Jersey citizens have borne the brunt of the costs of those death penalty trials and reversals . . . diverting precious resources that could have made our jobs easier and kept the public safe,” he said.
DeFazio served on a 13-member commission that issued a 100-page report in January recommending that the death penalty be repealed. The group, which also included police chiefs, acknowledged that “despite our very best intentions, the system makes mistakes and innocent people are wrongfully sentenced to death.” Months before the commission report, a man who spent seven years on death row for a killing was cleared by DNA testing.
The lone dissenter on the commission was John F. Russo, a former president of the state Senate who wrote the death penalty statute.
He contended that “the fundamental problem” was “liberal judges and other individuals who have consistently disregarded the legislative will and refused to enforce the law as written.”
But that view did not win the day.
Former real estate agent Celeste Fitzgerald, the chief organizer of the abolition campaign, said she was pleased with the outcome.
“We will move forward with a sentence that offers certainty for victims’ families and is more just,” she said.
“We have exposed the flaws in the death penalty and have shown how it harms us in practice,” Fitzgerald said.
In particular, she said, capital punishment in the court system “condemns the family members of murder victims to an indefinite life in limbo” and ties them for years “to the killer of their loved one.”
--
henry.weinstein@latimes.com
Times wire services contributed to this report. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | OpenWebText2 |
[pic]
NUMBER 13-10-00086-CR
COURT OF APPEALS
THIRTEENTH DISTRICT OF TEXAS
CORPUS CHRISTI - EDINBURG
HAZAEL GONZALEZ, Appellant,
v.
THE STATE OF TEXAS, Appellee.
On appeal from the 139th District Court
of Hidalgo County, Texas.
MEMORANDUM OPINION
Before Justices Rodriguez, Benavides and Perkes
Memorandum Opinion by Justice Benavides
A Hidalgo County jury convicted appellant Hazael Gonzalez of the
capital murder of Miguel Cahue, and he was sentenced to life
imprisonment without parole. Gonzalez appeals his conviction raising
five issues: (1) whether the evidence was sufficient to sustain a
capital murder conviction; (2) whether the trial court committed
reversible error for not allowing him to present evidence in support
of an affirmative defense theory of an independent impulse; (3)
whether the trial court committed reversible error for providing
instructions on the law of principals; (4) whether the trial court
committed reversible error when it prohibited Gonzalez’s attorney from
arguing the punishment for a capital murder conviction; and (5)
whether the trial court committed reversible error when it admitted
the victim’s autopsy photos into evidence. We affirm.
I. Background
On August 6, 2008, seventy-six-year-old Miguel “Mike” Cahue died
on the floor of his McAllen, Texas trailer home after robbers left him
lying in a pool of his own blood. The State indicted, among others,
then 28-year-old Hazael “Ozzy” Gonzalez for Cahue’s murder and charged
that Gonzalez was responsible for the crime under the law of parties,
even though he did not commit the act that actually killed Cahue. See
Tex. Pen. Code Ann. § 7.02(b) (West 2003); id. § 19.03(a)(2) (West
Supp. 2010). Gonzalez pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Prosecutors alleged that Gonzalez, who was Cahue’s friend, was
cash-strapped and devised a plan with then fourteen-year-old co-
defendant Wendy Gomez to trick Cahue into letting someone into his
home, then subdue him, tie him up with duct tape, and rob him. Wendy
recruited her teenage brothers, Marvin and Alfredo Gomez, and teenage
friends, Michael Mancha and Jose Martinez, to assist with the crime.
Witnesses testified that Cahue lived alone, was described by friends
and family as healthy and active, and was known to have sexual
encounters with men. Prosecutors alleged that Gonzalez used his
friendship with Cahue and knowledge of Cahue’s sexuality to gain
access to his home by introducing Alfredo to Cahue as a potential
tryst.
The State presented evidence that on August 6, 2008, Gonzalez
drove Alfredo and Michael to Cahue’s home first, while the other
defendants waited at another location. Gonzalez introduced Alfredo to
Cahue, while Michael hid outside the home and readied to invade
Cahue’s home after Gonzalez left. Gonzalez left Alfredo inside
Cahue’s home, as planned, and drove away to pick up Wendy, Marvin, and
Jesus at an agreed location. Gonzalez then drove back to Cahue’s home
and dropped off the three co-defendants. At this point, Gonzalez
never re-entered Cahue’s home, but instead circled around the
neighborhood in his vehicle and waited for the others to exit the
home. The State presented evidence that Gonzalez’s co-defendants
tackled the victim to the floor to subdue him and proceeded to beat
him with their fists, feet, and a candlestick. The State alleged that
Michael delivered the fatal blows to Cahue’s body, at which point the
group of teenagers moved Cahue’s beaten body to a bathroom floor. The
co-defendants eventually ran out of the victim’s home with various
stolen items, entered Gonzalez’s vehicle, and Gonzalez drove away.
Among the items taken from the home were a digital camera, a jewelry
bracelet, and a paper shredder. Gonzalez never received any of the
stolen property and claims that at all relevant times, he felt
threatened by Wendy and fearful for his life if he did not move
forward with the robbery.
Gonzalez’s motion for a directed verdict after the State’s case-
in-chief was denied. After a three-day trial, the jury convicted
Gonzalez of capital murder under the law of parties. See Tex. Pen.
Code Ann. §§ 7.02(b), 19.03(a)(2). Because the State did not seek the
death penalty, the trial court automatically sentenced Gonzalez to
life in prison without parole. See id. §12.31(a)(2) (West Supp.
2010). The trial court later denied Gonzalez’s motion for new trial,
and this appeal ensued.
II. Issue One: Sufficiency of the Evidence
In his first issue, Gonzalez asserts that there was insufficient
evidence to support his conviction for capital murder.
A. Standard of Review and Applicable Law
We must apply the Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 319 (1979),
standard to determine whether the evidence is sufficient to support
each element of a criminal offense that the State is required to prove
beyond a reasonable doubt. See Brooks v. State, 323 S.W.3d 893, 895
(Tex. Crim. App. 2010) (plurality op.) (holding that the Jackson
standard of review is the “only standard” that should be applied in a
sufficiency review). Under Jackson, this Court must consider the
evidence in the light most favorable to the verdict to determine
whether any rational trier of fact could have found the essential
elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. Id. Our analysis
measures the elements of the offense as defined by a hypothetically
correct jury charge. Villarreal v. State, 286 S.W.3d 321, 327 (Tex.
Crim. App. 2009) (citing Malik v. State, 953 S.W.2d 234, 240 (Tex.
Crim. App. 1997)). We must defer to the jury’s determinations of
credibility and weight of the evidence because the jurors are the sole
fact-finders. See Brooks, 323 S.W.3d at 899; see also Tex. Code Crim.
Proc. Ann. art. 38.04 (West 1979) (“The jury, in all cases, is the
exclusive judge of the facts proved, and of the weight to be given to
the testimony. . . .”).
A person is guilty of capital murder if he intentionally commits
a murder in the course of committing or attempting to commit a
robbery. Tex. Pen. Code Ann. § 19.03(a)(2). The applicable
definition of murder in this case is intentionally or knowingly
causing the death of an individual. See id. § 19.02(b)(1) (West 2003).
Robbery is classified as a second-degree felony and is defined as
intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly causing bodily injury to
another, or intentionally or knowingly threatening or placing another
in fear of imminent bodily injury or harm while in the course of
committing a theft with the intent to obtain or maintain control of
one’s property. Id. § 29.02 (West 2003).
In this case, the State charged Gonzalez under what is commonly
referred to as the “law of parties” to hold him responsible for
Cahue’s murder that was allegedly committed by Michael Mancha. See
id. § 7.02(b). One is criminally responsible under the law of parties
if:
[I]n the attempt to carry out a conspiracy to commit one felony,
another felony is committed by one of the conspirators, all
conspirators are guilty of the felony actually committed, though
having no intent to commit it, if the offense was committed in
furtherance of the unlawful purpose and was one that should have
been anticipated as a result of the carrying out of the
conspiracy.
Id. Additionally, a person commits criminal conspiracy if he has the
intent to commit a felony, agrees with another to engage in conduct
that would constitute the offense, and performs an overt act in
pursuance of that agreement. Id. § 15.02(a) (West 2003).
Accordingly, a hypothetically correct capital murder jury charge
in this case would state that Gonzalez is guilty if a jury finds
beyond a reasonable doubt that (1) he entered into an agreement with
Wendy Gomez, Marvin Gomez, Alfredo Gomez, Michael Mancha, and/or Jose
Martinez to intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly cause bodily
injury to Cahue or to intentionally or knowingly threaten or place
Cahue in fear of imminent bodily injury or harm while in the course of
committing a theft with the intent to obtain or maintain control of
one’s property; (2) performed an overt act in pursuance of that
robbery; (3) during the attempt to carry out this conspiracy to rob
Cahue, Michael Mancha intentionally murdered Cahue; and (4) this
murder was committed in furtherance of the robbery and was one that
should have been anticipated as a result of carrying out the robbery.
B. Discussion
On the first and second elements of the charged offense, the
State introduced into evidence Gonzalez’s “Statement of the Accused,”
in which he voluntarily stated that he “told Wendy that [Cahue] would
be a good target” to rob after they both discussed their mutual
financial troubles. During this discussion, Gonzalez told Wendy of
Cahue’s purported homosexuality, how Cahue allowed strangers into his
home for sexual rendezvous, and described items that were available
for the taking, such as a “real big TV set.” This discussion and
exchange of information formed the basis of the group’s motive,
opportunity, and agreement to rob Cahue. The record also shows that
their plan included subduing Cahue and tying him up with duct tape in
order to take his property. Next, despite Gonzalez’s statements to
police that he did not want to go forward with the robbery and
attempted to avoid fourteen-year-old Wendy after their agreement,
Gonzalez included in his statement that on the afternoon of August 6,
2008, the group (which now encompassed the other co-defendants)
“started going over the plans.” Gonzalez also stated that by that
afternoon, he had called and set up Cahue to meet Wendy’s teenage
brother, Alfredo, who used the fake name “Edward” when introduced to
Cahue for a fake rendezvous. According to his statement, Gonzalez
continued to go along with the plans and drove Alfredo and Michael to
Cahue’s home, while the other co-defendants waited at another
location. After dropping off Alfredo and Michael, Gonzalez returned
to the agreed location to pick up the other defendants and took them
to Cahue’s home, as planned. While Alfredo, Michael, Wendy, Marvin,
and Jose were inside Cahue’s home, Gonzalez circled around the
neighborhood until they came out of Cahue’s house to flee the scene in
Gonzalez’s vehicle. The State elicited testimony from Marvin, who
further corroborated that Gonzalez served as the driver for the co-
defendants. Therefore, we see ample evidence to support the first two
elements of the hypothetically correct charge that Gonzalez (1)
entered into an agreement with at least one co-defendant, Wendy, to
rob the victim through deception and surprise and (2) committed overt
acts in pursuance of the planned robbery, such as setting up the
meeting between Alfredo and Cahue and serving as the group’s driver.
Examined in a light favorable to the verdict, we determine that a
rational juror could find the first two elements of the hypothetically
correct jury charge beyond a reasonable doubt as the evidence is
sufficient to support these findings.
As to the third element of the offense, if during the attempt to
carry out this conspiracy to rob Cahue, Michael Mancha intentionally
murdered Cahue, the State presented testimony from Marvin, who stated
that by the time he entered the victim’s residence, Michael was on the
floor struggling with Cahue. In order to subdue him, Marvin testified
that Michael punched Cahue’s body with his fists and beat him with a
candlestick holder, all while the victim pleaded with Michael not to
kill him. After the beating, Marvin testified that he, Wendy,
Michael, and Jose moved Cahue’s body into the bathroom where he lied
severely beaten and unable to move. To support Marvin’s statements,
the State presented expert testimony from Hidalgo County Medical
Examiner Norma Farley, M.D., who performed the autopsy on Cahue’s
body. Dr. Farley’s examination showed that the victim had lacerations
around his right eyebrows, which are consistent with a beating from a
punch or a kick. She also testified that Cahue’s skull had
overwhelming hemorrhaging, which again was consistent with blunt force
trauma and likely caused Cahue to lose consciousness. Dr. Farley’s
examination further showed rib fractures on both sides of the victim’s
body and more hemorrhaging in his rib cage, which was further proof of
a physical beating. In her final conclusion, Dr. Farley classified
Cahue’s death as a homicide that was the result of blunt force head
and chest trauma. Reviewed in a light most favorable to the verdict,
we conclude that sufficient evidence was presented to support a
finding of the third element beyond a reasonable doubt.
With regard to the fourth element, that this murder was committed
in furtherance of the robbery and was one that should have been
anticipated as a result of carrying out the robbery, Gonzalez argues
that the present case is similar to a case from the Fort Worth Court
of Appeals, which held that no evidence existed to show that there was
a plan to harm the victim. See Tippitt v. State, 41 S.W.3d 316,
324–25 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth 2001, no pet.) (holding that the evidence
presented only showed an agreement to rob the victim, but not murder
him). We disagree with this argument and find the Tippitt case
readily distinguishable, as there is ample evidence to support the
jury’s finding on this element beyond a reasonable doubt. Gonzalez’s
“Statement of the Accused” disclosed details of the plans to rob
Cahue, which included a scheme to use force to tackle and subdue him,
as well as bind his hands and feet with duct tape. Throughout his
statement, Gonzalez contends that he felt threatened by his co-
defendants and was told by one of his friends that Wendy was capable
of hurting Gonzalez and his family. Marvin and Dr. Farley’s testimony
provided evidence of Cahue’s violent beating and death, which took
place during the course of the robbery. While the evidence may not
show that murder was in the original plans crafted by Gonzalez and
Wendy, the crime was nonetheless committed in furtherance of the
robbery, as the evidence shows that the original plans to tackle and
duct tape Cahue were foiled when the 76-year-old victim resisted his
attackers. The State’s evidence also shows that the group of co-
defendants entered Cahue’s trailer with a BB gun that resembled a real
pistol. Gonzalez further admitted, in his statement to police, to
being fearful of his co-defendant(s), including Wendy, who had an
apparent capability of hurting him and his family. The State argued
that Wendy’s propensity for anger and potential violence was within
Gonzalez’s knowledge and Cahue’s murder should have been anticipated
when the five teenagers entered Cahue’s home to commit the robbery
with a BB gun, duct tape, and the element of surprise. We agree and
conclude that the evidence, viewed in the light favorable to verdict,
was sufficient to allow the jury to draw reasonable inferences from
the evidence and support a finding of the fourth element beyond a
reasonable doubt. See Hooper v. State, 214 S.W.3d 9, 16–17 (Tex.
Crim. App. 2007).
Gonzalez’s first issue is overruled.
III. Issue Two: Refusal to Admit Evidence to Support Defensive Theory
In his second issue, Gonzalez asserts that the trial court
committed reversible error when it denied him the ability to present
evidence on his defensive theory of independent impulse.
A. Standard of Review and Applicable Law
“A defendant has a fundamental right to present evidence of a
defense as long as the evidence is relevant and is not excluded by an
established evidentiary rule.” Miller v. State, 36 S.W.3d 503, 507
(Tex. Crim. App. 2001) (en banc) (citing Chambers v. Mississippi, 410
U.S. 284, 302 (1973)). The prevailing policy behind this rule and its
limits is to “assure both fairness and reliability in the
ascertainment of guilt and innocence.” Id. We review the trial
court’s decision to bar the admission of evidence to support
Gonzalez’s independent impulse defense under an abuse of discretion
standard. Id.
For evidence to be relevant, it must satisfy two requirements:
(1) that it is material; and (2) that it is probative. See id.; Tex.
R. Evid. 401. To be material, it “must be shown to be addressed to
the proof of material proposition;” to be probative, the evidence must
“tend to make the existence of the fact ‘more or less probable than it
would be without the evidence.’” Miller, 36 S.W.3d at 507.
B. Discussion
Gonzalez argues that the trial court erred for not allowing
testimony to support his independent impulse defense. The independent
impulse defense “embraces the theory that the accused, although
admittedly intent on some wrongful conduct, did not contemplate the
extent of criminal conduct actually engaged in by his fellow
conspirators, and thus cannot be held vicariously responsible for
their conduct.” Fincher v. State, 980 S.W.2d 886, 888 (Tex. App.—Fort
Worth 1998, pet. ref’d).
On an offer of proof, Gonzalez’s counsel proffered evidence
that Michael told McAllen Police Department crime-scene investigators
that Cahue bit his hand and that he knew that Cahue carried HIV.
While counsel argued—and the McAllen Police Department investigator’s
report apparently listed—that Cahue had AIDS, the record appears to
the contrary and instead indicates that the victim was only
potentially HIV-positive. Gonzalez’s counsel then argued that this
evidence would show that Michael murdered Cahue because Cahue bit him
and because Michael knew that Cahue carried HIV. Gonzalez’s counsel
argued further that these events were unforeseen. When questioned by
the trial court, the following colloquy took place:
The Court: How does that hinder your defensive theory? I know
that you’re arguing sudden impulse.
[Defense counsel]: Well—
The Court: I mean, how does that help you to prove your sudden
impulse? I mean, sudden impulse, your
whole case revolves around the fact that
your client was not inside the—the house
and that there was no plan as far as that
they were going to kill him.
[Defense Counsel]: Okay. That—that substantiates that. The
killing came about because of the rage,
which was also substantiated by the
State’s own witness, the testimony of
Marvin. He went into a rage when he was
bitten because he knew that he had AIDS
and this prompted them to kill. This was
an unforeseen situation, could not have
been foreseen by [Gonzalez] and, therefore
we are entitled to a charge.
The Court: I just don’t—I just don’t see it. I think that
there’s too many assumptions to get into
that.
The trial court barred the evidence of Cahue’s possible HIV
condition because it found it irrelevant and too speculative for the
proceedings. We agree with the trial court’s determination. The
proffered evidence is irrelevant and does not support Gonzalez’s
defensive theory because all it shows is that Cahue bit Michael, as
the victim attempted to defend himself, and that Michael knew of
Cahue’s possible HIV infection. We fail to follow Gonzalez’s position
that this evidence is enough to support his defense of independent
impulse, because the excluded evidence is immaterial, lacks probative
value, and is highly speculative of Michael’s motives, if any. See
Tex. R. Evid. 403. We agree with the trial court that the strongest,
and perhaps only, evidence in this case that would tend to support
Gonzalez’s theory of independent impulse is Michael’s direct testimony
about what his specific knowledge and intent were following the bite.
However, co-defendant Michael did not testify at Gonzalez’s trial.
Accordingly, we conclude that the trial court did not abuse its
discretion in barring this testimony, as it was irrelevant to the
proposed reasons for its offer and highly speculative. See Tex. R.
Evid. 401; Miller, 36 S.W.3d at 507. Gonzalez’s second issue is
overruled.
IV. Issue Three: Jury Charge on Law of Principals
In his third issue, Gonzalez asserts that the trial court erred
in providing a jury instruction on the law of principals when there
was insufficient evidence to support the charge.
A. Standard of Review
Our first duty in analyzing a jury-charge issue is to determine
whether error exists. See Ngo v. State, 175 S.W.3d 738, 743 (Tex.
Crim. App. 2005) (en banc). If we find error, we analyze it for harm.
Id. The degree of harm necessary for reversal depends on whether the
error was preserved by objection. Id. If the error was preserved by
objection, we will reverse if we find “some harm” to the defendant’s
rights. Id. If no objection was made, we will reverse only if the
record shows “egregious harm” to the defendant. Id.
B. Discussion
Gonzalez argues that the charge erroneously instructed the jury
to convict him if, among other instructions, they found him culpable
as the primary actor for the crimes of capital murder, murder, and
aggravated robbery. We agree.. Upon review of the record, we found
no evidence to support the principal-actor instructions with regard to
Gonzalez’s actions and thus conclude that the principal-actor
instructions were erroneous. See Goff v. State, 931 S.W.2d 537, 544
(Tex. Crim. App. 1996) (en banc) (holding that the State is required
to properly instruct the jury if it proceeds upon parties theory).
Because these instructions were erroneous, we must analyze for
harm. See Ngo, 175 S.W.3d at 743. Gonzalez’s appellate brief
stipulates that defense counsel did not object at trial to any portion
of the jury instruction, so we examine whether this error amounted to
egregious harm that requires reversal. See id. Gonzalez argues that
he was egregiously harmed because the effect of the trial court’s
erroneous instruction confused the jury, left the possibility open
that the jury found him guilty as a principal actor, and/or caused
egregious harm to the defendant to deny him a fair and impartial
trial. We disagree. Egregious harm is defined as those errors that
affect “‘the very basis of the case,’ ‘deprive the defendant of a
valuable right,’ or ‘vitally affect a defensive theory.’” Ngo, 175
S.W.3d at 750.
Our review of the record reveals that the evidence adduced at
trial would not support a verdict against Gonzalez as a principal
actor, but rather supports a verdict against Gonzalez under the law of
parties; therefore, any error by the trial court in charging Gonzalez
as a primary actor, when the evidence supports his guilt under the law
of parties, and the jury was instructed as such, is harmless. See
generally Ladd v. State, 3 S.W.3d 547, 564–65 (Tex. Crim. App. 1999);
see also Black v. State, 723 S.W.2d 674, 675 (Tex. Crim. App. 1986)
(en banc) (holding the inverse, that trial court’s instruction on law
of parties was harmless because the evidence clearly supported
defendant’s guilt as a principal actor). Furthermore, confusion of
the jury, if any, was likely minimal because the law-of-parties
instruction accompanied the primary-actor instruction. The record
does not indicate that these erroneous instructions were placed in the
jury charge so as to injure Gonzalez’s rights, and we also conclude
from our review that this error did not deny him a fair and impartial
trial. See Reyes v. State, 741 S.W.2d 414, 426 (Tex. Crim. App. 1987)
(en banc) (citing Carrillo v. State, 566 S.W.2d 902, 910 (Tex. Crim.
App. 1978).[1] Accordingly, any error by the trial court in its
instructions to the jury on the primary-actor theory was harmless.
We overrule Gonzalez’s third issue.
V. Issue Four: Mentioning Punishment During Closing Arguments
In his fourth issue, Gonzalez contends that the trial court
committed reversible error when it prohibited his attorney from making
closing arguments that Gonzalez faced mandatory life imprisonment
without parole if found guilty of capital murder.
A. Standard of Review and Applicable Law
In a capital murder trial in which the State does not seek the
death penalty, prospective jurors shall be informed that the State
will not seek the death penalty and that a sentence of life
imprisonment without parole is mandatory on conviction. See Tex. Pen.
Code Ann. § 12.31(b)(2). However, it is improper during the guilt-
innocence stage of a trial involving two or more offenses to discuss
ranges of punishment because it encourages the jury to convict on the
basis of the amount of punishment, rather than facts surrounding guilt
or innocence. See Bruton v. State, 921 S.W.2d 531, 536 (Tex.
App.—Fort Worth 1996, writ ref’d). Generally, an improper discussion
of ranges of punishment during closing arguments may be sufficiently
cured and remedied by a limiting instruction, unless the argument was
so manifestly improper to inflame and prejudice the minds of the jury.
Id.
B. Discussion
The following exchange is at the crux of Gonzalez’s issue on
appeal.
[DEFENSE COUNSEL]: The law of parties is what the State will
have you convict Hazael Gonzalez of
the crime of Capital Murder causing
this judge to sentence him to life in
the penitentiary.
[PROSECUTOR]: Your honor, I’m going to object, Judge.
Improper argument.
THE COURT: Sustained, [Defense Counsel]. Ladies and
gentlemen, the only issue before you
is guilt or innocence.
. . . .
THE COURT: Remember what I told you that what the lawyers
say is not evidence.
The trial court’s ruling during this exchange was not erroneous.
We hold that the trial court properly sustained the State’s objection
and properly cured the improper argument by admonishing the jury that
their sole role was to determine Gonzalez’s guilt or innocence and
that counsel’s argument was not evidence to be taken into
deliberations. See id.
Furthermore, the record shows that during voir dire, prospective
jurors were informed by the trial court, pursuant to statute, of the
State’s decision not to seek the death penalty and decision to pursue
life imprisonment without parole instead if the jury found Gonzalez
guilty of capital murder. See Tex. Pen. Code Ann. § 12.31(b)(2).
Gonzalez cites no authority, and we find none, to support his argument
that the court was required to instruct the jury in its charge of the
possible mandatory punishment. Instead, our reading of the penal code
requires that only prospective jurors need be informed of the possible
life imprisonment without parole punishment, which was satisfied in
this case. See id. Because we do not find error, our analysis on
this issue concludes here. See Tex. R. App. P. 44.2.
Gonzalez’s fourth issue is overruled.
VI. Issue Five: Admission of Autopsy Photos
In his final issue, Gonzalez argues that the trial court
committed reversible error when it admitted photos of the victim’s
autopsy.
A. Standard of Review
Admissibility of photographs is within the sound discretion of
the trial court. See Paredes v. State, 129 S.W.3d 530, 539 (Tex.
Crim. App. 2004). Generally, a photograph is admissible if verbal
testimony about the matters in the photograph is also admissible. Id.
We will review the trial court’s ruling for an abuse of discretion.
Id. A trial court’s ruling on admissibility of evidence should not be
disturbed if the ruling was within the zone of reasonable
disagreement, and we should not substitute our own decision for that
of the trial court. See Moses v. State, 105 S.W.3d 622, 627 (Tex.
Crim. App. 2003).
B. Discussion
Gonzalez argues that at trial, he objected to autopsy photos
(State’s Exhibits 101, 102, 104–11) first on relevance grounds, and in
the alternative, on rule of evidence 403 grounds. See Tex. R. Evid.
401, 403. The trial court overruled all of Gonzalez’s objections and
admitted the photographs. First, relevant evidence, as defined
earlier in this opinion, is “evidence that has a tendency to make the
existence of any fact that is of consequence to the determination of
the action more probable or less probable than it would be without the
evidence.” Tex. R. Evid. 401. The photographs at issue depict
matters that Dr. Farley testified to about the manner and method of
Cahue’s death, including lacerations to Cahue’s head, hemorrhaging of
blood in the head and chest, and fractured rib bones. Gonzalez argues
that the photos lack relevance because he did not challenge the cause
of death. While it is accurate that Gonzalez’s counsel agreed to
stipulate to Cahue’s cause of death, the State nonetheless had the
burden to prove to the jury the manner and method of Cahue’s death,
which it elicited through Dr. Farley’s testimony. See Reese v. State,
33 S.W.3d 238, 240 (Tex. Crim. App. 2000). We hold that the trial
court did not abuse its discretion by finding the autopsy photographs
relevant in this case.
Next, we examine whether the trial court abused its discretion by
ruling that the probative value of the photographs substantially
outweighed the danger of unfair prejudice to support their admission
into evidence. Gonzalez contends that the photos are more prejudicial
than probative because they depict the bloody, bruised, and gruesome
state of the victim’s body at the time of the autopsy. Further,
Gonzalez argues that the photos served more to inflame the jury rather
than assist them in any relevant part of the trial. We disagree. “A
court may consider many factors in determining whether the probative
value of photographs is substantially outweighed by the danger of
unfair prejudice. These factors include: (1) the number of exhibits
offered; (2) their gruesomeness; (3) their detail; (4) their size; (5)
whether they are in color or black-and-white; (6) whether they are
close-up; (7) whether the body depicted is clothed or naked; (8) the
availability of other means of proof; and (9) other circumstances
unique to the individual case.” Williams v. State, 301 S.W.3d 675,
690 (Tex. Crim. App. 2009). The ten photographs at issue were not
any more gruesome than what would be expected in a case such as this,
where Dr. Farley testified that Cahue’s cause of death was repeated
blunt force trauma to the head and abdomen. Further, the photographs
tracked Dr. Farley’s testimony that presented a clinical examination
and autopsy of Cahue’s body following his death. Gonzalez’s argument
that the photos were unfairly prejudicial is not persuasive in light
of the State’s need for the photographs to prove its case. The photos
depicted Cahue’s bloody and bruised face and were vital to the State’s
case to the jury with regard to the manner and method of Cahue’s
death. We have reviewed these photographs and conclude that the trial
court’s ruling was within the zone of reasonable disagreement and that
it did not abuse its discretion in admitting them. See id.; see also
Tex. R. Evid. 403. Gonzalez’s fifth issue is overruled.
VII. Conclusion
We affirm the judgment of the trial court.
________________________
GINA M. BENAVIDES,
Justice
Do not publish.
Tex. R. App. P. 47.2(b).
Delivered and filed the
2nd day of February, 2012.
-----------------------
[1] Gonzalez’s reliance on two cases for support are distinguishable
from the present case. In Savant v. State, defense counsel timely
preserved error at trial, which was not done in this case, and
requires a “some harm,” rather than “egregious harm” analysis under
Ngo; and in Oliver v. State, the trial court provided a limited
instruction that was not supported by the evidence, which was also not
done in this case because instructions on the law of parties were
nonetheless provided to the jury. See Savant v. State, 544 S.W.2d
408, 409 (Tex. Crim. App. 1976); Oliver v. State, 268 S.W.2d 467, 470
(Tex. Crim. App. 1954).
| tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | FreeLaw |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magneto-optical recording medium and reproducing method thereof to carry out recording and reproducing information by using a laser light by applying a magneto-optical effect, more specifically relates to the magneto-optical recording medium and reproducing method thereof to make a high density recording signal possible.
2. Related Art of the Invention
In magneto-optical recording being a high density, writable, recording and reproducing method, a part of layered magnetic films (a recording film structure) of a magneto-optical recording medium is locally heated to a Curie temperature or a temperature above a compensation temperature by radiating laser light, and an information signal is recorded in a predetermined part of the magnetic film contained in the recording film structure by forming a recordable magnetic domain in an external magnetic field, and this information is read by using a magneto-optical effect.
One of such magneto-optical recording system for the magneto-optical recording medium is the magnetic field modulation recording system. In this system, thermal magnetic recording is performed in a predetermined part by using an external magnetic field of which direction has been modulated according to a recording signal after raising entirely the temperature of a recording magnetic film by radiating a laser light of a certain strength using a semiconductor laser or the like. The other of the recording system is the light intensity modulation recording system. In this system, thermal magnetic recording is performed in the direction of the external magnetic field by raising the temperature of the recording magnetic film of a predetermined part by radiating the laser light which has been modulated according to the strength of the recording signal, applying the external magnetic field of a certain strength.
At the time of reproducing the recorded signal, when the laser light (reproducing light) of which polarization direction is arranged to be identical, is condensed on the magneto-optical recording medium, the direction of magnetization of recording magnetic domain is detected as the rotation of the polarization direction of the reflected light or transmitted light by a magneto-optical effect caused by the magneto-optical recording medium. By this effect, the information signal recorded is reproduced.
However, in the conventional magneto-optical recording medium, when the size of the recording magnetic domain becomes smaller than that of the light spot (reproducing-light spot) of a reproducing light on the magneto-optical recording medium, not only the recording magnetic domain to be reproduced, but also the recording magnetic domain located in front and back of the position becomes contained in the reproducing-light spot, i.e., a detection range. Therefore, some problems occur exemplified as follows: the reproducing signal becomes small to lower an S/N ratio or the reproducing signal is not outputted, because of an interference by those recording magnetic domains.
To solve these problems, a magnetic field modulation recording system using magnetically induced super resolution has been proposed to read the reproducing signal from a part of domain of the reproducing-light spot.
(I) The following is a description of a magneto-optical record reproducing system by using the magnetically induced super resolution named a double mask system which is a system of the magnetically induced super resolution.
FIG. 12 shows a configuration in reproducing by the double mask system. FIG. 12(A) is a plane view of showing a part of track of the magneto-optical recording medium 60 in the conventional double mask system. 12(B) is a sectional view showing the configuration (particularly the direction of magnetization) of a recording film structure of the magneto-optical recording medium 60.
As shown in the sectional view of FIG. 12(B), the recording film structure of the magneto-optical recording medium 60 is configured by including a reproduction layer 63, a reproduction supporting layer 64, a middle layer 65, and a recording layer 66, which are layered on a substrate (not illustrated) in order. An arrow 160 shown in the FIG. 12(B) is a movement direction along with the track of the magneto-optical recording medium 60. Arrows illustrated in respective layers 63 to 66 are show directions of magnetization in respective positions.
This conventional magneto-optical recording medium 60 requires reproducing magnetic field generating means 61 applied to the domain of the reproducing-light spot 67, initialized magnetic field generation means 62 located in the frontal position of the reproduction magnetic field generating means 61 in the movement direction 160. Hereafter, reference numerals 61 and 62 are used for a description of a reproducing operation of generated magnetic field generated by the reproducing magnetic field generating means 61 and an initialized magnetic field generated by the initialized magnetic field generation means 62, respectively. The following is the magneto-optical recording medium 60 of the double mask system configured by such manner.
First, a signal (information) is previously recorded by thermal magnetization as the recording magnetic domain 69 in the recording layer 66. Before the laser light is radiated in reproducing, the direction of magnetization of the reproduction layer 63 is arranged in the direction of the initialized magnetic field 62. At the time of reproducing, as shown in the FIG. 12(A), the reproducing laser light is radiated to the rotating magneto-optical recording medium 60 to make the reproducing-light spot 67 and raise a temperature of the recording film structure. According to this step, the distribution of temperatures as shown in the FIG. 12(A) occurs on the magneto-optical recording medium 60 to form a low temperature region 71, a high temperature region 72, and a intermediate temperature region 70.
The direction of magnetization of the reproduction layer 63 in the low temperature region 71 near a room temperature is arranged in the direction of the initialized magnetic field 62 by blocking of a exchange coupling between the reproduction layer 63 and the recording layer 66 by the middle layer 65. In the intermediate temperature region 70, the exchange coupling between the reproduction layer 63 and the recording layer 66 becomes dominant by decrease in coercive force of the reproduction layer 63 according to temperature rise caused by radiation of the reproducing laser light and also by transition of the middle layer 65 from a in-plane magnetized film having in-plane magnetic anisotropy to a perpendicular magnetized film having perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. Therefore, The direction of magnetization of the reproduction layer 63 is arranged in the direction of magnetization of the recording layer 66.
In the high temperature region 72 of the reproduction supporting layer 64 becoming a Curie temperature Tc, the exchange coupling between the reproduction layer 63, the middle layer 65, and the recording layer 66 is blocked by extinction of magnetization of the reproduction supporting layer 64 to arrange the direction of magnetization of the reproduction layer 63, of which coercive force is small, to the direction of the reproducing magnetic field 61. Therefore, a recording magnetic domain 69 is masked by both the low temperature region 71 and the high temperature region 72 inside the reproducing-light spot 67 and information can be read as a reproducing signal through the reflected light from only the recording magnetic domain 69 presented in the intermediate temperature region 70.
The direction of the reproducing magnetic field 61 is an opposite direction to the initialized magnetic field 62. After the reproducing-light spot 67 passed, the temperature of the recording layer 66 dropped again and the recording layer 66 and the reproduction layer 63 are blocked again by the middle layer 65.
According to such magneto-optical recording medium 60, even in a smaller recording magnetic domain 69 than the reproducing-light spot 67, recorded information can be reproduced with a high density without occurrence of interference by frontal and back recording magnetic domain 69.
However, the above described magneto-optical recording medium 60 has a defect in that the initialized magnetic field 62 or the reproducing magnetic field 61 are required to arrange the magnetization direction of the reproduction layer 63 to an identical direction.
Thus, a reproducing method has been proposed by using a magnetically induced super resolution to solve the above described defect.
As a method unnecessary of the initialized magnetic field or the reproducing magnetic field, a method proposed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-81717 will be described below with reference to drawings 13(A) and 13(B). The FIG. 13(A) is the planeview showing a part of the track of the magneto-optical recording medium 80 disclosed in the above described publication and 13(B) is a sectional view showing the configuration of the recording film structure (particularly of the direction of magnetization) of the magneto-optical recording medium 80.
As shown in the sectional view of the FIG. 13(B), the magneto-optical recording medium 80 has the recording film structure containing a reproduction layer 83 and recording layer 85 formed on the substrate (not illustrated). A middle layer 84 is put between the reproduction layer 83 and the recording layer 85. The arrow 180 shown in the FIG. 13(A) shows the movement direction along with the track of the magneto-optical recording medium 80. Arrows illustrated in respective layers 83 and 85 of the FIG. 13(B) show the magnetization direction in respective positions. In the magneto-optical recording medium 80, differing from the magneto-optical recording medium 60 previously described, the magnetic film having in-plane magnetic anisotropy is used as the reproduction layer 83 at room temperature.
As same as the magneto-optical recording medium 60, the reproducing-light spot 87 is formed by radiating the reproducing laser light in reproducing information of the magneto-optical recording medium 80. When the reproducing laser light is radiated to the magneto-optical recording medium 80 during rotation, the temperature distribution of the recording film structure containing a reproduction layer 83 and recording layer 85 does not form rotation symmetry to the center of the circle of the reproducing-light spot 87. A radiated part of the reproducing-light spot 87 and the right-hand end of the back of the reproducing-light spot 87 become the high temperature region 90. The external part, included in the reproducing-light spot 87, of the high temperature region 90 becomes the low temperature region 91.
Followings are description of reproducing operation of the magneto-optical recording medium 80 configured as described above.
The recorded information is previously recorded in the recording layer 85 as a recording magnetic domain 89 smaller than the reproducing-light spot 87 by the thermal magnetic recording. The reproduction layer 83 is the in-plane magnetized film at room temperature and is the magnetic film having characteristic of becoming the perpendicular magnetized film only in the part of the high temperature region 90 inside the reproducing-light spot 87. The high temperature region 90 and the low temperature region 91 are formed by temperature rise caused by radiation of the reproducing laser light. In the high temperature region 90, the reproduction layer 83 changes to the perpendicular magnetized film and is arranged to the magnetization direction of the recording layer 85 by magnetic coupling through the intermediate layer 84. The reproduction layer 83 changes again to the in-plane magnetized film by drop of temperature caused by movement of the magneto-optical recording medium 80. Therefore, the reproduction layer 83 (the in-plane magnetized film) in the low temperature region 91 inside the reproducing-light spot 87 works as a mask and the recording magnetic domain 89 of the recording layer 85 is transferred only from the high temperature region 90 of the reproducing-light spot 87. Thus, the signal of a recording mark (the recording magnetic domain 89) smaller than the reproducing-light spot 87 can be detected.
According to the steps described above, in the magneto-optical recording medium 80, information of the recording magnetic domain 89 smaller than the reproducing-light spot 87 can be reproduced without the use of the initialized magnetic field and the reproduction magnetic field.
In the above described magneto-optical recording medium 80 by using the in-plane magnetized film in the reproduction layer 83, there is an effect of capability of making the initialized magnetic field and the reproducing magnetic field unnecessary, however, there is the following defect.
First, the direction of magnetization of the reproduction layer 83 is attracted to the direction of the magnetization of the recording layer 85 by magnetic interaction between the reproduction layer 83 and the recording layer 85 even in the low temperature region 91 masked. Therefore, an ideal surface magnetizing direction is not maintained resulting in having a vertical component of magnetization. Resultingly, transfer occurs in a domain unnecessary of transfer of the recording magnetic domain 89 to cause a deficiency of resolution and a noise in reproducing.
Second, variation of the power of the reproducing laser light (a reproducing power) changes a region, to which the recording magnetic domain 89 is transferred, to deteriorate reproducing characteristic by the wave form interference of a transfer domain, because a critical temperature, in which the reproduction layer 83 changes from the in-plane magnetized film to the perpendicular magnetized film, is constant.
In addition, change of an ambient temperature such as the temperature in a drive and the like requires change of setting of reproducing power. However, in the case where particularly the ambient temperature rises, requires reducing the reproducing power to decrease in temperature difference between the critical temperature and the room temperature capable of transfer of the signal of the recording layer 85. As the result, the region (the low temperature region 91) masked by the reproduction layer 83, that has become the in-plane magnetized film, reduces. Therefore, there are problems in which the reproducing signal is deteriorated by decrease in resolution and the signal transfer in the recording layer 85 becomes insufficient.
In other words, the high temperature region varies according to variation of the above described variation of reproducing power and the above described variation of ambient temperature.
(II) On the other hand, in the magneto-optical recording medium by using the above described magnetically induced super resolution system, a rare earth-transition metal alloy is mainly used for the magnetic layer.
FIG. 27 shows the vertical component of a magnetic moment of the sub-lattice of the transition metal in the magneto-optical recording medium by using the magnetically induced super resolution system based on the conventional art. Arrows 1300 and 1400 in a first magnetic layer 1100 and a second magnetic layer 1200 represent the vertical components of the magnetic moments of the sub-lattices of the transition metals of the first magnetic layer 1100 and the second magnetic layer 1200, respectively.
The first magnetic layer 1100 is the in-plane magnetized film at room temperature and changes from the in-plane magnetized film to the perpendicular magnetized film according to temperature rise. The second magnetic layer 1200 is a film consisting of such as TbFeCo and DyFeCo and having a large perpendicular magnetic anisotropy at room temperature. Recorded information is kept depending on upward or downward direction of the magnetizing domain of this second magnetic layer 1200 toward the surface of the film.
When a light beam is radiated from the substrate side to the magneto-optical recording medium with the above described configuration, a temperature gradient occurs in a beam spot 1700 to present a region of a high temperature and a region of a low temperature. In this condition, the first magnetic layer 1100 does not contribute to pole Kerr effect to the utmost because it becomes the in-plane magnetized film and the recorded information stored in this second magnetic layer 1200 is masked to disappear, in the region of the low temperature in the beam spot 1700.
On the other hand, in the region of the high temperature in the beam spot 1700, the magnetically induced super resolution is realized by that the first magnetic layer 1100 becomes the perpendicular magnetized film to cause a magnetostatic coupling with the second magnetic layer 1200. Therefore, Information stored in recorded in the second magnetic layer 1200 is transferred to the first magnetic layer 1100.
As a whole of the beam spot 1700, the magnetically induced super resolution is realized by that recorded information in the second magnetic layer 1200 is transferred to a smaller region in comparison with the size of the beam spot 1700, because of a part masked by the first magnetic layer 1100.
The magneto-optical recording medium by using such magnetically induced super resolution system can satisfy requirement of high density by a narrowed track. In the above described configuration, a transition region occurs as an intermediate condition to change from the in-plane magnetized film to the perpendicular magnetized film in the beam spot 1700. Namely, a whole film does not change abruptly from the in-plane magnetized film to the perpendicular magnetized film in a predetermined temperature, but a certain range of temperature becomes transition region.
In the transition region, the first magnetic layer has not become a perfect in-plane magnetized film and perfect masking of the recorded information kept by the second magnetic layer is impossible. On the contrary, the first magnetic layer is not a perfect perpendicular magnetized film in the transition region and a magnetostatic coupling force with the second magnetic layer is small to be difficult to yield a large signal.
Therefore, the first magnetic layer in the transition region cannot mask sufficiently the recorded information kept by the second magnetic layer to increase cross talk from an adjacent track. In addition, the first magnetic layer in the transition region has a weak magnetostatic coupling force with the second magnetic layer to make sufficient transfer of the recorded information from the second magnetic layer impossible.
Furthermore, the first magnetic layer is frequently prepared by using a material, a rare earth metal generally expensive. This makes the cost of material high in the case where the magnetic layer is prepared thick and productivity is worsen. Thus, a cheap magneto-optical recording medium is difficult to be provided. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | USPTO Backgrounds |
Before the start of the 2016 season, us fans of the Washington Redskins believed that the team had assembled its most talented collective group of wide receivers and tight ends since the early 1990’s.
Between DeSean Jackson, Pierre Garcon, Jamison Crowder, Josh Doctson, Jordan Reed, Niles Paul, and Vernon Davis, no team in the NFL had the level of talent at depth at both wide receiver and tight end that the Redskins had. But, like with any other modicum of success that us Washington, D.C. sports fans get to enjoy, anything good we have is bound to come to a premature and abrupt end.
If you’ve been reading the tea leaves — or whatever the internet equivalent of those may be — lately, you’re probably getting the same feeling that most other Redskins fans have been getting: that said abundance of riches, namely at the top of said wide receiver rotation, might be very short lived. More specifically, with the NFL’s free agency period set to start at the stroke of midnight on Wednesday, and with the league’s “legal tampering period” set to start today at 12:00pm, it seems like wide receivers DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon could very well leave Washington, and sign over their services to new teams, by the time the weekend is over.
I’m already on the record as stating that Jackson is as good as gone from Washington next year. I think he’s looking for some combination of a big fat contract (which will almost certainly be the last “big deal” of his career), and a quarterback who can throw him deep balls that he doesn’t have to slow down and wait for. I originally thought that he was a shoo-in to go back to Philadelphia, but the rumor du jour is that Tampa Bay is hot in pursuit of him, and with the 4th most available salary cap room of any team in the NFL (reportedly over $66.1 million in funds to spend), they’re raring to make Jackson an offer he can’t refuse. I’ve heard they’re basically going to fly him down to Florida, and hold him captive in the facility, not letting him leave before he signs a contract for an absurd amount of money. The Buccaneers’ biggest need this offseason is at wide receiver, as they desperately need someone to help take away the focus that opposing teams were placing on (superstud) wide receiver Mike Evans. Getting a player like Jackson, to help stretch the field and open up things underneath for Evans (where he excels), and pairing him with the emerging Jameis Winston, makes a lot of sense for both parties; Jackson would finally have a quarterback who’s got the arm strength to deliver him the football deep down the field, too.
Even if Jackson doesn’t end up in Tampa, it’s not like there will be any shortage of demand for his — or Garcon’s — services. By my count, there are at least 10 teams who have wide receiver among their three biggest positions in need of an upgrade. Philadelphia, Tennessee, and even New England (though much less likely), could all be in the mix for his services.
It sounds like the Redskins brain trust — a term that sounds increasingly contradictory, based off the reported dysfunction as of late — are all but content with letting Jackson test the free agent waters. That decision was largely based on the idea that they could, or would, bring back Garcon. But if you’ve been paying attention lately, there’s not exactly much hope of that happening, either.
First off, there was the (perhaps overblown) issue of the total radio silence between the Redskins and Garcon since the end of the season. Still, many people chalked that up to the Redskins waiting ’til the NFL Combine –taking place right on the heels of the start of free agency — to begin substantive conversations with Garcon’s representatives.
But, the offseason developments of Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan getting head coaching jobs also presented unforeseen variables in the “Garcon coming back to DC” equation. Both of them took jobs with teams that might have the least talented groups of wide receivers in the entire NFL (the Los Angeles Rams and San Franciso 49ers). While the 49ers could basically state their top needs as “all of the above,” after releasing wide receiver Torrey Smith this morning, the top two wide receivers currently at the top of their depth chart (Quinton Patton and Bruce Ellington) have 92 career receptions combined. The Rams have badly needed an upgrade at wide receiver for literally an entire decade now. Before 2016, they had gone nine straight season without having a wide receiver go for more than 800 yards receiving all year long; compare that to the Redskins, who actually had three different wide receivers — including Garcon — break 800 yards receiving this past season.
Both Shanahan and McVay clearly have a strong level of familiarity with Garcon, given their respective stints as offensive coordinator of the Redskins. Garcon’s most productive season — when he had 113 catches for 1,346 yards — came in 2013, when Shanahan was calling plays in Washington. McVay worked under Shanahan and Jay Gruden, both of whom are considered offensive minds who are highly creative with designing plays to get wide receivers open, and McVay himself is considered one of the brightest young offensive minds in the game. Garcon could sign with either team and contribute right away, having a strong familiarity with the schemes both of those offenses would run.
Of course, both Shanahan’s and McVay’s teams have major issues with their respective quarterback positions, so you’d think the Redskins would (theoretically) have the leg up in trying to bring back Garcon. But, given the fact that the likelihood that Kirk Cousins won’t be the Redskins quarterback after the 2017 season — if he’s even the quarterback this year — grows by the day, it’s not exactly like this team is a bastion of stability, either. On top of that, there has been whispers that Garcon was insulted by the Redskins taking their sweet time in beginning discussions to bring him back, to the point where the bridge between both parties may have been burned already. Of course, if we’re to give credence to the statement made by Chad Dukes of 106.7 the fan yesterday, that Garcon reportedly requested a trade at some point last season, then it doesn’t exactly change the narrative that he wants out of here, too.
At the Combine, Gruden basically tipped his hand a bit, saying that life would go on for the Redskins in the 2017 season, with Jamison Crowder, Josh Doctson, and the rest of the motley crew the Redskins have at receiver — ie, without Jackson and Garcon. He did say he’d love to have them back, but if you read between the lines, even he was admitting that it was far from a guarantee either — let alone both — would be back.
Yes, Gruden can’t exactly go out and say that “our season is going to shit if we don’t have either Garcon or Jackson back with us,” especially considering every coach believes in the “next man up” mentality anyway. But that theoretical group of receivers, without Jackson and Garcon, is a colossal step down from where we started the 2016 season. It places a lot of pressure on Josh Doctson to contribute right from the get go, even though he’s essentially coming into the 2017 season as a redshirt freshman. The Redskins have thought about moving Jamison Crowder outside, as the #2 receiver, but assuming he’ll replicate his production from 2016 at that position is a faulty assumption at best. Crowder was a force as a slot receiver last year, and the nature of the routes he’ll run, and the cornerbacks he’ll face, would be much different playing outside, especially considering his undersized build — 5’8 and 182lbs — makes him best fit for the slot. In other words: playing him outside is jamming a square peg in a round hole. And then, what do we have after Doctson and Crowder? There’s no way we can trust Ryan Grant or Maurice Harris to consistently and meaningfully contribute (or at least “not yet” for Harris, anyway, though he does have some upside). As far as free agency, the Redskins aren’t going to throw gobs of money at “tier 1” wide receivers like Alshon Jeffrey or Brandon Marshall, and how much can we realistically expect from guys like Kenny Britt or Kenny Stills, even at the (absurd) price of $10 million per year it’ll likely cost to sign those “second tier” guys?
And before anyone brings up the argument about “we have the best group of tight ends in the NFL, so that’ll help things!,” my counter-argument(s) would be: 1) do you really want to go into a season placing so much reliance on Jordan Reed — who’d basically be the #1 receiving option on the team — staying healthy for 16 games? and 2) there’s a reason that Vernon Davis was a free agent last season; are we sure that 2016 wasn’t more of an aberration — ie, a pleasant uptick/last gasp for his career — versus the norm to expect from him?
The Cousins situation is already an unmitigated disaster — there’s just no other way to put it — so we literally have no long-term answer at quarterback right now. We definitely don’t have a running game that’s dominant enough to really set up a passing game, and make life easier for whoever plays quarterback or receiver. And, we just lost the services of one one of the best offensive coordinators in the NFL.
To sum it all up: if you’re a Redskins fan, cling tightly to your memories of last season’s #2-ranked passing offense, because it could be a long, long time before we see that again. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
Q:
Checkmark on cell of UITableView
In my UITableView called _selectAttributes I want to put and remove a checkmark when I tap on each cell.
This is the code:
- (void)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView didSelectRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath {
UITableViewCell * cell = [_selectAttributes cellForRowAtIndexPath:indexPath];
if (cell.accessoryType != UITableViewCellAccessoryCheckmark) {
cell.accessoryType = UITableViewCellAccessoryCheckmark;
}
else {
cell.accessoryType = UITableViewCellAccessoryNone;
}
}
Everything seems to work well, but when I scroll up and down the table, checkmarks appear on other cells and disappear on the previous ones.
How can I solve?
Thank you in advance.
A:
Declare an NSIndexPath property named selectedIndexPath.
Then have your delegate methods cellForRowAtIndexPath and didSelectRowAtIndexPath like this:
- (UITableViewCell *)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView cellForRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath
{
...
if ([indexPath isEqual:self.selectedIndexPath])
{
cell.accessoryType = UITableViewCellAccessoryCheckmark;
}
else
{
cell.accessoryType = UITableViewCellAccessoryNone;
}
return cell;
}
- (void)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView didSelectRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath
{
UITableViewCell *cell = [tableView cellForRowAtIndexPath:self.selectedIndexPath];
cell.accessoryType = UITableViewCellAccessoryNone;
cell = [tableView cellForRowAtIndexPath:indexPath];
cell.accessoryType = UITableViewCellAccessoryCheckmark;
[tableView deselectRowAtIndexPath:indexPath animated:YES];
self.selectedIndexPath = indexPath;
}
UPDATE:
I wasn't paying attention that you want solution for multiple cell selection. My answer obviously solves problem only for single cell selection, but I believe its a good start.
| tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | StackExchange |
Ku Klux Klan in the Twentieth Century
Explore This Article
A secret society dedicated to white supremacy in the United States, the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) has existed in various forms since it was first organized in Tennessee shortly after the end of the Civil War (1861-65). The original Klan of Reconstruction was suppressed by the federal government in the early 1870s, but in following decades its violent activities were increasingly rationalized and even romanticized, most notably in Thomas Dixon's popular novels, The Leopard's Spots (1902) and The Clansman (1905).
The filmmaker D. W. Griffith, a Kentucky native whose father had fought for the Confederacy, adapted Dixon's novels for his 1915 silent screen epic, The Birth of a Nation, which solidified the emerging image of the Klan as a noble organization that had saved the post–Civil War South from the tyranny and corruption of southern blacks and northern Republicans.
Revival of the Klan
popularity of The Birth of a Nation, and specifically its appearance in Atlanta in December 1915, proved the major impetus for the reemergence of the Klan. Equally significant was the Leo Frank case, which culminated in his August 1915 lynching in Marietta by a group of armed men who had organized themselves as the Knights of Mary Phagan, named for the young murder victim in the case. The anti-Semitic sentiments aroused by that case (Frank was Jewish), along with the ongoing racism fueled by Griffith's film, led a local recruiter for men's fraternal societies named Wiliam J. Simmons to establish a new KKK.
Restricting the group's membership to white American-born Protestant men, Simmons designed the notorious hooded uniform, composed an elaborate ritual for the secret order, and secured an official charter from the state of Georgia. On Thanksgiving evening in 1915, Simmons and sixteen other members of the new order, several of whom also belonged to the Knights of Mary Phagan, ascended Stone Mountain, ignited a flaming cross, and proclaimed the rebirth of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan.
revived Klan grew slowly during the years of World War I (1917-18), but in 1920 the secret order changed its solicitation procedures and began to attract hundreds of thousands of recruits from across the nation. Much of the second Klan's appeal can be credited to its militant advocacy of white supremacy, anti-Catholicism, anti-Semitism, and immigration restriction, but the organization also attracted the support of many middle-class Americans by advocating improved law enforcement, honest government, better public schools, and traditional family life.
In 1922 Hiram W. Evans, a dentist from Dallas, Texas, displaced William Simmons as the leader of the Klan and attempted to turn the organization into a powerful political machine. The state governments of Alabama, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Texas included officials who were Klan members, and those governments were profoundly influenced by the Klan during the 1920s. In many other parts of the country, the organization scored major victories in municipal elections. By 1924 the perceived power of the Klan was such that neither major political party was willing to denounce it formally.
Thomas Hardwick spoke out against the Klan in his reelection campaign of 1922 but was defeated by Clifford Walker. Walker, who served two terms as governor, from 1923 to 1927, was closely associated with the Klan, as were several members of his administration and a number of state legislators. Walker even spoke before a national convention of the Klan in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1924. Julian Harris, editor of the ColumbusEnquirer-Sun and the son of writer Joel Chandler Harris, finally aroused public indignation over KKK activity within the state. Long before any other Georgia journalist did so, Harris reported regularly on Klan violence and exposed the public officials who were Klan members, winning a 1926 Pulitzer Prize for his efforts.
At the very height of its political influence, however, the second Klan entered a period of steep decline caused by internal feuding, scandals, increased activism by opponents, and the fading of the group's romantic image. By 1930 the KKK, which had attracted an estimated 5 million members during the early 1920s, was reduced to about 30,000 supporters. Georgia's KKK membership declined from approximately 156,000 members in 1925 to 1,400 in 1930. The organization limped along for fourteen more years before formally disbanding in 1944, after being successfully prosecuted for failure to pay federal taxes.
Post–World War II Klan
In 1944 Samuel Green, an Atlanta physician, attempted to revive the KKK in the form of the Association of Georgia Klans, which emphasized white supremacy and anticommunism. After Green's death in 1949, however, several other Klan groups organized, leaving the movement hopelessly fragmented. In contrast to the powerful Klan of the 1920s, which had drawn much of its membership from the social mainstream, these groups were typically small, fanatical, and on the fringes of respectable society.
The U.S. Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954 mobilized southern whites in a movement of "massive resistance" to federal mandates for desegregation, and the Klan emerged as a major player in that movement. In 1955 the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan formally organized in Atlanta, and the following year the group staged another rally atop Stone Mountain, with an estimated attendance of 3,500.
The group was extremely violent, as demonstrated throughout the 1950s and 1960s by hundreds of attacks against African Americans and white supporters of the civil rights movement. Targets in Georgia included Koinonia Farm, a biracial community in Sumter County; African Americans demonstrating against segregated businesses in downtown Atlanta; and Lemuel Penn, an African American military officer from Washington, D.C., who was murdered while driving through Madison County.
Eventually this violence forced federal authorities to act against the KKK. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) used an extensive network of informers to disrupt Klan activities in Georgia and other southern states. These efforts proved effective, and by the early 1970s the FBI estimated that there were fewer than 2,000 active Klansmen in the nation.
The Klan, however, has persisted. In the mid-1970s an independent faction in Louisiana, under the leadership of David Duke, a recent Louisiana State University graduate, attracted new recruits from across the nation, and sizeable pockets of Klansmen affiliated with other groups persisted elsewhere. In the 1980s and 1990s the militant racism and anti-Semitism of these Klansmen led them into a close relationship with such organizations as the Aryan Nations and other neo-Nazi factions. In 1987 a parade celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day and led by Hosea Williams in majority-white Forsyth County inspired violent counteraction by two Klan organizations, which eventually led to a 1993 court order forcing one of the groups to disband. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
NO. 07-03-0290-CV
IN THE COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE SEVENTH DISTRICT OF TEXAS
AT AMARILLO
PANEL E
MARCH 29, 2005
______________________________
W. HUGH HARRELL, APPELLANT
v.
ROBERT H. HARTMAN, APPELLEE
_________________________________
FROM THE 237TH DISTRICT COURT OF LUBBOCK COUNTY;
NO. 99-506,177; HON. JOHN T. FORBIS, PRESIDING
_______________________________
Before REAVIS and CAMPBELL, JJ., and BOYD, S.J.1
Memorandum Opinion
In this appeal, appellant W. Hugh Harrell (Harrell) challenges a June 7, 2003 order
of the trial court entitled “Restatement of Finality of Judgment.” For reasons we specify
below, the trial court had no jurisdiction to enter the order and we must, therefore, hold that
the order is void and dismiss this appeal for lack of jurisdiction.
1
John T. Boyd, Chief Justice (Ret.), Seventh Court of Appeals, sitting by assignment.
Tex. Gov’t Code Ann. §75.002(a)(1) (Vernon Supp. 2004-2005).
Background
In the suit underlying this matter, Harrell was sued by appellee Robert H. Hartman
(Hartman) for legal malpractice. Hartman was represented in this suit by attorney Cam
Fannin, Jr. (Fannin). During the pendency of the malpractice suit, Harrell filed a motion
asking for the imposition of sanctions against Hartman in which he asserted the malpractice
claim was frivolous and filed for harassment purposes. Harrell also filed a motion seeking
summary judgment on the malpractice suit which resulted in a summary judgment in his
favor dated March 3, 2001. In the judgment, which was prepared by Harrell and accepted
by the trial court, the court provided that Hartman take nothing by his suit against Harrell
and that each party would pay the costs incurred by that party. Harrell’s quest for sanctions
was not addressed in the judgment nor was it severed from the lawsuit in the judgment or
prior thereto. Moreover, the clause commonly referred to as a “Mother Hubbard” clause,
providing that all relief requested but not expressly granted in the order was denied, was
not included in it.
Hartman appealed the summary judgment to this court which resulted in our
affirming the judgment.2 Hartman filed a petition with the Texas Supreme Court seeking
review of our decision which was denied by that court on April 10, 2003. At no time during
the pendency of the appeal did Harrell file a motion for new trial, seek to modify, correct or
reform the judgment of the trial court, or request that the trial court rule on his pending
sanctions motion.
2
See Hartman v. Harrell, No. 07-01-0099-CV, 2002 Tex. App. LEXIS 8629 (Tex.
App.–Amarillo December 3, 2002, pet. denied).
2
Soon after the Texas Supreme Court’s denial of Hartman’s petition for review,
Fannin received a letter from Harrell in which Harrell asserted his motion for sanctions was
still pending and requested information from Fannin concerning the extent of Fannin’s legal
malpractice insurance. Fannin then wrote the trial court requesting a hearing as to whether
the March 3, 2001 judgment, despite the absence of a “Mother Hubbard” clause, was
intended to dispose of all pending claims in the suit or if Harrell’s sanctions motion was still
pending. In response to the request, the trial court held a hearing as a result of which it
rendered the June 7, 2003 “Restatement of Finality of Judgment” giving rise to this appeal.
In that order, as relevant here with respect to the summary judgment, the court stated: “[It
was] intended by the Court to be a Final Order which disposed of all issues between the
parties. No further action should come before this Court as regards this cause of action.”
In presenting his appeal, Harrell raises two issues for our decision. They are: 1) the
trial court’s June 7, 2003 order was void or voidable because it was rendered after the trial
court had lost plenary jurisdiction over the case, and 2) this court should sanction both
Hartman and Fannin for violating Rule 21b of the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure. Hartman
and Fannin respond that Harrell’s appeal is untimely because all pending motions were
overruled by operation of law upon the expiration of the trial court’s plenary jurisdiction.
They further respond that they did nothing improper in requesting the hearing in question
and neither they nor the trial court did anything improper. Thus, they argue, there was no
violation of Tex. R. Civ. P. 21b.
Jurisdiction
Because the jurisdiction of a court is fundamental and may not be ignored, a court
must notice, even sua sponte, the matter of its jurisdiction. Marshall v. Brown, 635 S.W.2d
3
578, 580 (Tex. App.–Amarillo 1982, writ ref’d n.r.e.). Subject matter jurisdiction is essential
to the authority of a court to decide a case. Texas Ass’n of Business v. Texas Air Control
Bd., 852 S.W.2d 440, 443 (Tex. 1993). It is never presumed and cannot be waived. Id. at
443-44. Subject matter jurisdiction may be raised for the first time on appeal. Id. at 445.
The issue of a court’s subject matter jurisdiction is a legal question subject to a de novo
review. Mayhew v. Town of Sunnyvale, 964 S.W.2d 922, 928 (Tex. 1998).
A trial court retains plenary jurisdiction over a case for a period of 30 days after it
signs a final judgment.3 Tex. R. Civ. P. 329b(d); Lane Bank Equip. Co. v. Smith S. Equip.,
Inc., 10 S.W.3d 308, 310 (Tex. 2000). A judgment is final if it disposes of all parties and
all issues in a suit. North East Independent School Dist. v. Aldridge, 400 S.W.2d 893, 895
(Tex. 1966). It is the pleadings that determine the issues and the parameters of a contest.
Jobe v. Lapidus, 874 S.W.2d 764, 765 (Tex. App.–Dallas 1994, writ denied). A summary
judgment that disposes of all the issues presented in the pleadings is a final judgment and
is not made interlocutory by a pending motion for sanctions. Lane Bank Equip. Co. v.
Smith S. Equip., Inc., 10 S.W.3d at 312; Hartman v. Harrell, 2002 Tex. App. LEXIS 8629
at 2-3; Jobe v. Lapidus, 874 S.W.2d at 766.
A trial court cannot award sanctions after the expiration of its plenary jurisdiction.
Lane Bank Equip. Co. v. Smith S. Equip., Inc., 10 S.W.3d at 311; In re Bennett, 960 S.W.2d
35, 38 (Tex. 1997); Scott & White Mem. Hosp. v. Schexnider, 940 S.W.2d 594, 596 (Tex.
3
Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 329b provides for extension of this period if a motion
for new trial or a motion to modify, correct or reform a judgment is filed within the 30-day
plenary period. However, even if these exceptions were to apply to this case, which they
do not, a trial court may retain plenary jurisdiction for a maximum of 105 days after entering
its final judgment. Tex. R. Civ. P. 329b(c) & (e); Clark & Co. v. Giles, 639 S.W.2d 449, 449-
50 (Tex. 1982).
4
1996). Judicial actions taken after the expiration of the trial court’s plenary power are void.
In re Southwestern Bell Tel. Co., 35 S.W.3d 602, 605 (Tex. 2000); In re T.G., 68 S.W.3d
171, 177 (Tex. App.–Houston [1st Dist.] 2000, pet. denied).
Reiterated, in his first issue, Harrell contends the trial court’s June 7, 2003 order was
void because it was rendered after the trial court lost plenary jurisdiction. We agree. The
trial court’s March 3, 2001 order granting Harrell’s motion for summary judgment was a final
judgment in that it disposed of all issues set out in the pleadings and disposed of all parties
to the proceedings. Although the summary judgment did not specifically address Harrell’s
motion seeking sanctions, this court held that fact did not prevent the judgment from being
a final one. Hartman v. Harrell, 2002 Tex. App. LEXIS 8629 at 3. Thus, as we have noted,
absent certain exceptions not present here, a trial court loses plenary jurisdiction over a
case 30 days after it signs a final judgment. See Tex. R. Civ. P. 329b(d); Lane Bank Equip
Co. v. Smith S. Equip., Inc., 10 S.W.3d at 310. We can only conclude that the trial court
rendered its June 7, 2003 order after it lost plenary power. That being true, the order is
without effect and is void. In re Southwestern Bell Tel. Co., 35 S.W.3d at 605; In re T.G.,
68 S.W.3d at 177.
We have not overlooked Harrell’s citation in his reply brief to Wolma v. Gonzalez,
822 S.W.2d 302, 303 (Tex. App.–San Antonio 1991, no writ) for the proposition that a trial
court may award sanctions after the expiration of its plenary power. However, the Texas
Supreme Court has disapproved that holding. See Scott & White Mem. Hosp. v.
Schexnider, 940 S.W.2d at 596, n.2.
5
When a party appeals from a void trial court order, the proper procedure is for the
appellate court to declare the order void and dismiss the appeal for lack of jurisdiction. See
State ex rel. Latty v. Owens, 907 S.W.2d 484, 486 (Tex. 1995).
Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 21b Sanctions
In his second issue, Harrell contends that Hartman and Fannin violated Tex. R. Civ.
P. 21b by failing to serve or deliver to him a copy of the pleading, plea, motion, or other
application for a hearing on the finality of the March 3, 2001 summary judgment. To
preserve a complaint for appellate review, a party must present to the trial court a timely
request, motion, or objection, stating the specific grounds therefor, and obtain a ruling.
Holland v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. 1 S.W.3d 91, 94 (Tex. 1999); In re C.O.S., 988 S.W.2d
760, 764-65 (Tex. 1999). Although Harrell’s “Answer to Order Setting Hearing on Finality
of Judgment” does request the trial court award sanctions to Harrell for Hartman and
Fannin’s alleged violation of Tex. R. Civ. P. 21b, the record does not reflect that Harrell
ever requested or obtained a specific ruling on the motion from the trial court. Because
Harrell did not preserve error regarding the issue of sanctions to the trial court, we have
nothing before us for our review. See Tex. R. App. P. 33.1(a); Holland v. Wal-Mart Stores,
Inc., 1 S.W.3d at 94; In re C.O.S., 988 S.W.2d at 764-65.
Our disposition of Harrell’s first issue obviates the necessity for discussion of
Hartman and Fannin’s plea to our jurisdiction to consider the appeal. Suffice it to say that
the trial court lacked plenary power to enter its June 7, 2003 order entitled “Restatement
of Finality of Judgment.” That being so, its order is void and we must, and do hereby,
dismiss the appeal for lack of jurisdiction. State ex rel. Latty v. Owens, 907 S.W.2d at 486.
6
Moreover, for reasons we have discussed, the record does not show any basis for
imposition of Tex. R. Civ. P. 21b sanctions.
John T. Boyd
Senior Justice
7
| tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | FreeLaw |
566.067. 1. A person commits the offense of child molestation in the first degree if he or she subjects another person who is less than fourteen years of age to sexual contact and the offense is an aggravated sexual offense.
Terms Used In Missouri Laws 566.067
Aggravated sexual offense: any sexual offense, in the course of which, the actor:
person: may extend and be applied to bodies politic and corporate, and to partnerships and other unincorporated associations. See Missouri Laws 1.020
Sexual contact: any touching of another person with the genitals or any touching of the genitals or anus of another person, or the breast of a female person, or such touching through the clothing, for the purpose of arousing or gratifying the sexual desire of any person or for the purpose of terrorizing the victim. See Missouri Laws 566.010
2. The offense of child molestation in the first degree is a class A felony and, if the victim is a child less than twelve years of age, the person shall serve his or her term of imprisonment without eligibility for probation, parole, or conditional release.
Questions About this Law
2 weeks, 1 day ago | Texas
If a child who shares custody with a person from a different state is found to have put their daughter in a situation where the child was repeatedly molested, and the State of Missouri has yet to tak… [Reply/Read more]
2 months, 4 weeks ago | Missouri
What do the laws say about a 12 year old raping an 8 year old? The 12 year old penetrated the victim’s anus with his penis. What kind of punishment could the 12 year old receive? [Reply/Read more]
6 months, 3 weeks ago | Missouri
If they in prison for child molestation are they allowed around their own child or have their child [Reply/Read more] | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
It's a disturbingly familiar sight: a wealthy, high-achieving, good-looking woman paired up with a less than desirable man.
A man who's not half as attractive or successful, someone who cheats and treats her badly or is so dull, you lose the will to live after five minutes of sitting next to him.
'Why did she choose him? She could have done so much better' is everyone's immediate reaction. Except hers.
Scroll down for video
Tracey Cox reveals why smart, good looking and successful women still end up with good-for-nothing men
There are many reasons why successful, smart women make poor choices in partners. Here are some of them:
Successful women have less choice not more
Ever noticed how all the great men are always taken but all the great women are single?
The more successful you are and the better looking you are as a woman, the harder it is to find a partner.
It's the complete reverse for men.
Society has always rewarded men for business and money-making skills and women for beauty and it remains the same despite women fighting hard for equality.
A high-flying man is seen as a catch. A high-flying women might be admired but she's also threatening.
Most men don't feel 'good enough' to approach her and assume they'll be rejected, so don't even try.
This is why all the smart, successful, good-looking women you know are single and your more average looking and achieving friends are in relationships.
Men might drool over pictures of supermodels but it's Ms Average most will seek out for a relationship.
Read virtually any profile of an A-list female celebrity and they'll admit that men never ask them out.
Jennifer Lawrence, Kylie Minogue, Nicole Kidman, Charlize Theron, Sandra Bullock, Halle Berry – some of the world's most beautiful and successful women have all complained of never being approached by men.
Tracey says that successful women are less likely to be approached by men
And all have made atrocious love choices.
High achieving women are asked out and chatted up less often - so are far more flattered when it does happen.
Starved of love and sex, they'll grab onto the first guy who approaches them, often making hideous choices because it's usually the sleazy 'womaniser' who has the arrogance and guts to take a punt.
Any man looks good if you haven't had a cuddle or sex for years.
High-flying women don't have time for relationships
The most precious commodity for a high-flying, successful woman is time: it's what successful women have the least of.
Forming good relationships takes time and focus and most of that is directed towards their careers.
Smart women often settle for second (third) best simply because they haven't the time or energy to look for someone better.
Any guy who is half decent and wants a serious relationship soon realizes he can't compete with her career and fades away. Most of the time she barely notices he's gone.
The busier you are, the less likely you are to spot the red flags
It's career first, relationship second for most smart, successful women: they pay less attention to what's going on with partners.
You start to get glimpses of 'red flags' around three months into a relationship – this is the time to pay the most attention.
It's when the best behavior stops and you get a sense of the real, flawed person.
Successful women often miss the 'you've hooked up with a loser' warning signs because they're too busy and less invested in the relationship than other women.
We see what we want to see at the start of new love, not what's really there.
The busier you are, the more guilty you are of this common mistake.
This is also the reason behind why successful women don't get rid of bad men when they do see their true colours.
It takes time and energy to split up with someone and new relationships take even more effort.
The relationship expert says that life can be lonely for women at the top as they are often perceived as not needing affection
If your career is draining everything you have, it's sometimes worth turning a blind eye to get the rewards of a nice, warm body in the bed at night.
They don't have time to fix the problem
If you acknowledge your partner is treating you badly, you have to do something about it.
Doing something about it means arguments, long discussions, therapy – none of which she has time for.
While others look in and shake their heads and 'tut tut', she's too busy running a business, jetting about the world, making deals and worrying about staff to notice an errant boyfriend.
If she does notice, she knows everyone perceives her to be strong and expects her to dump the b*****d, but sometimes a rubbish partner is better than none at all because…
It's lonely at the top
You have to be tough to make it big – especially as a woman.
It's hard work being fearless and feisty and to always have to appear strong – just ask Katy Perry who recently said 'I'm really strong as Katy Perry, and sometimes I'm not as strong as Katheryn Hudson (her real name)'.
We perceive smart, successful women as not needing someone to look after them because they're so capable of looking after themselves.
But you don't become a robot just because you're successful: it's human to be vulnerable.
We all need hugs and kisses and to be feel safe enough to able to show weakness.
This is why…
The real attraction isn't always obvious to others
You'll often see confident, bright women who rate a 9 or 10 on the attractiveness scale with men who hover around the 3 mark.
But that's the rest of the world looking in.
To her, the 'three man' might well be a 10 because of attributes that aren't as obvious.
A man who is kind, supportive and let's them truly relax and drop all their defenses is worth more to a woman at the top of her game than a wealthy, handsome banker boy who is time poor and emotionally unavailable.
Lots of successful women want their man to be 'a wife' and perform the nurturing, support role women traditionally do.
Others choose powerful partners that will help to further or enhance their career.
Beyonce and Jay Z are top of the 'power couple' list, one reason perhaps why she forgave his dalliance with 'Becky with the good hair'.
The phenomenal success of Brand Beckham may well be why Victoria appears to turn a blind eye to husband David's rumoured indiscretions.
It might look like a silly choice to outsiders but, to her, it makes sense.
Visit traceycox.com for more of Tracey's views and advice on love, sex and relationships. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | OpenWebText2 |
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My daughter is afraid of a lot: the dark, water in her face, anybody new, failing (me too, girl), you name it.
She still, at 4, gets up almost every night complaining about anything and everything: she’s thirsty, she has to pee, she’s itchy, her foot hurts, her hand hurts, she saw a spider, she saw a snake, she saw a moose (seriously…). The list goes on. Truth is she just doesn’t want to be alone in the dark.
Just until this year, I had to pin her down just to wash her hair. I tried everything I could think of to make it less traumatic, using a peri bottle, a cup, the shower head, the faucet, a wash cloth, having her shower with me… She just was terrified. It turned into a real, live weekly horror show as she screamed at the top of her lungs, while I literally put my knee against her squirming, flailing body, holding her down, as I raised my weapon (a menacing mini peri bottle with princess stickers) to squirt water on her hair to wash out the shampoo. The girl would go an embarrassing amount of days between baths because I felt terrible putting her through it.
I felt the worst ever mom, like I was failing her. Why couldn’t I figure out a way to help her through it or find a different way that worked? When she is scared (or just lonely) and getting up at night for comfort from me, the feeling always creeps over me. Usually, the feeling begins with frustration from her not obeying (go to sleep!) and then it turns into this guilt for sending her back, completely rejected of the comfort she is seeking.
I know I need to send her back. She always falls asleep, and her sleep is longer and deeper because she’s not staying up with me. My sleep is better, which makes me a better mom in the morning (still tired-always tired-but better than I would be). Her sister gets better sleep. She’s learning to cope with fears, boredom, loneliness, etc. But, gosh, it sucks.
I honestly think part of the reason of it sucks is that I’ve been there. I think we all have. I remember when I was probably about 7, I used to have these hallucinations. The most reoccurring one was when I’d see these twins in my hallway who weren’t really there. It’d flip me out. I knew they weren’t real. I knew I was way too old to be scared. But I still was. I’d plot my way to get to my parents’ bedroom without having to cross the two kids, which would pace the hallway that led to my parents’ room. I’d time them (they kept very accurate pacing), and make short sprints to each room on the way. Finally, I’d get to my parents’ room, and my hand would hover over their doorknob, and a battle would go on in my head: Is it worth bothering them? I know it’s not real; I’m too old for this; there’s nothing they can even do for me. I’d hurry back to my room and close my eyes until I fell asleep. I remember telling my mom about it years later, when the twins stopped visiting me at night, and she told me she used to see things at night, too. I felt relieved, even then, that I wasn’t alone.
Building my bravery helped me work through my fears, and I want the same for her, but one of the things I’ve realized that I need to do better is to share with her that she isn’t alone in them. We all have them, and instead of immediately replying with the ritual “Just go to sleep,” I need to acknowledge the feeling. It won’t make the fear disappear, but it will at least make her feel heard and less alone, even if I’m not seeing her night-moose, too.
-Ashley
P.S. She hates water on her face still, but I no longer have to pin her down. It’s not my proudest mom-memory, but we’ve both moved past it. Here’s to hoping she doesn’t remember. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | OpenWebText2 |
A security scanning company called Sucuri.net has made us aware of a new exploit that adds a unique module to many Apache web servers that will, under the right circumstances, return spam links to Google and certain browsers. This is, in short, one of the first targeted spam systems I’ve seen in the wild.
How does it work? The hackers use an SSH or CMS exploit to gain root access and then install a small module that watches the web server’s traffic over time. When you visit the site normally you’ll see absolutely nothing amiss, even in the source code. For example, the University of the West’s website returns a regular web page and shows no problems in the source. However, when you do a web search for uwest.edu and viagra, you get the infected pages. This indelibly links the potentially popular and trustworthy uwest.edu with the spammer’s URLs.
Our contact at Sucuri.net, David Dede, sent us a partial list of hacked sites:
www.jchs.edu
www.jmkac.org
www.legal-library.co.uk
www.linnean.org
www.master-photonics.org
www.menshealthnetwork.org
www.moc.edu
www.mulchblog.com
www.no-fuel.org
www.oecs.org
www.prairiepublic.org
www.projectapproach.org
www.renewable-energy-watch.org
www.savethewildup.org
www.thedigest.com
www.tumenprogram.org
www.uinteramericana.edu
www.umoncton.ca
www.unionsportsmen.org
www.uwest.edu
www.wcwonline.org
Most of the hacked accounts are .edu domains that are rarely maintained or updated.
What can you do if you’re hacked? Well, first update all of your passwords, hit the gym, wipe and reinstall your webserver, and install the latest version of your favorite CMS. Unfortunately, the only way to tell if your site is affected is to visit it through Google with the search term “viagra” or any similar phrase. This same hack will also install malware in some rare occasions (CrunchGear, I believe, was recently hit) so that is another major concern.
The groups or individual hackers are fairly diligent. David reports that “I saw some of their scripts and they have a list of 20+ vulnerabilities that they try on every site. Once they are inside, they create shells, backdoors and things like that.” Might make a good pre-holiday week project to lock down your server over the next few days. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | OpenWebText2 |
People in the news
Cleveland — A boyhood home of writer Langston Hughes has been purchased after foreclosure by a nonprofit group in Cleveland that aims to preserve it.
The Fairfax Renaissance Development Corp. says options include renovating it into a residence or restoring it to create a Hughes museum.
Hughes was born in Joplin, Mo., and lived in Lawrence, Kan., and Lincoln, Ill., before moving into the Cleveland house as a teenager around 1917.
The 2 1/2-story, wood-frame house was sold at a sheriff’s auction in February. It was transferred to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which sold it to the group for $100.
The Academy of American Poets says Hughes’ novels, plays and poems displayed insightful portrayals of black life in America. He died in 1967 in New York City.
Spears’ accounts hacked on Twitter, MySpace
New York — Britney Spears’ Twitter and MySpace accounts have apparently been hacked.
Messages on her Twitter profile Thursday purported to be from the 27-year-old pop star and claimed she worshipped the devil. The handful of unusual messages were deleted after Spears’ management regained control of the account.
Her Twitter feed boasts more than 3.7 million followers and is updated by herself and her “team” of handlers. A message Thursday apologized for “any offense the hacker’s messages caused.”
Spears’ MySpace account was taken over at about the same time.
Hacked messages have gone out from Spears’ Twitter account before.
This time, Twitter users appeared to suspect something was up. The subject “donthackbritney” was one of the most popular topics on the site Thursday.
Crawford, husband being extorted
Los Angeles — A German man was charged Thursday with trying to extort $100,000 from former supermodel Cindy Crawford and her entrepreneur husband Rande Gerber over a photo of their daughter bound to a chair and gagged, authorities said.
Edis Kayalar, 26, has not yet been arrested. He was recently deported to Germany and believed to be in Stuttgart, authorities said.
He was charged with one count of extortion. If convicted, he could face up to two years in prison. It was not clear if he has an attorney in the U.S.
The photo was purportedly taken by the couple’s former nanny earlier this year and shows the girl, then 7, bound to a chair wearing shorts and a T-shirt.
The daughter told her parents, who were unaware of the photo, that the nanny took the picture as part of a “cops and robbers” game, according to an affidavit filed in the case and first obtained by The Associated Press.
The nanny, whose name wasn’t released, has not been charged. She was fired a week before Kayalar called the couple.
Kayalar stole the photo from the nanny and repeatedly sought to get money from Crawford and Gerber, starting in July, according to the document.
Lucy Liu film highlights child trafficking
Cairo — Actress Lucy Liu, who has produced a film about children sold into the sex trade in Cambodia, says the fight against human trafficking will be long.
Liu praised several projects funded by the U.N. children’s agency in Egypt, where she was promoting the film “Red Light” at the Cairo International Film Festival.
The actress co-produced and narrated the movie, which follows the stories of a number of girls over the course of four years as they are kidnapped and sold to brothels in Cambodia.
Liu said Wednesday it “is really going to take a really long time” to fight human trafficking, labeled the third most profitable business in the world after weapons and drugs trading.
That assessment rings true in the Middle East, where stigma in conservative societies and a lack of data have frustrated activists’ efforts.
‘Office Space’ star Ron Livingston weds
Los Angeles — Ron Livingston and Rosemarie DeWitt have tied the knot.
The 42-year-old “Office Space” star and 35-year-old “Rachel Getting Married” actress married Nov. 2 in San Francisco, according to Livingston’s spokeswoman, Carri McClure.
Livingston and DeWitt starred together as crisis negotiation partners in Fox’s short-lived drama “Standoff.” Livingston also appeared in “The Time Traveler’s Wife” and the ABC series “Defying Gravity” earlier this year.
Warhol painting a hot ticket at NYC auction
New York — A painting by Andy Warhol, “200 One Dollar Bills,” brought the equivalent of 43.8 million dollar bills at auction, more than three times its highest presale estimate of $12 million.
The piece, one of Warhol’s first silk-screen paintings, sold at Sotheby’s on Wednesday evening. The auction house did not reveal the names of the buyer and seller.
Bidding for the seminal work was spirited and fast. Auctioneer Tobias Meyer opened bidding at $6 million, which was immediately doubled. Five more people in the room jumped in, competing until a phone bidder was declared the winner.
The current record for a Warhol is $71.7 million for “Green Car Crash,” sold at Christie’s in 2007. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
Ask a questionVizugo2PostsWednesday July 12, 2017Registration date
July 14, 2017
Last seen - Last answered on Jul 14, 2017 at 09:26 AM by ac3mark
Hello! Everyone, I just wanted to ask how can i fix this kind of issue. When i open my pc something will appear on the screen it says "Reboot and select proper Boot Device or Insert Boot Media In selected device and press a key" i really don't know what does that mean. i hope you guys can help me.. Thanks in advance. :)
It seems as though your BIOS perhaps got flattened out, and the boot order is wrong. If I am talking a foreign language right now, then take the PC to a technician. IF not, then get into BIOS and verify the boot order. The next thing, is if you were to select the disk that it offers, does it boot? If not, then the DISK the BIOS is referencing is bad! Once again, take it to a technician! | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
(913) 707-9220University of Kansas School of LawKansas State UniversityKansas and MissouriKansas Bar Association, Missouri Bar Association...Avoiding Probate and Establishing Tax Exempt Status with the IRS
The LII Lawyer Directory contains lawyers who have claimed their profiles and are actively seeking clients. Find more Riley County, Kansas Foreclosure Defense Lawyers in the Justia Legal Services and Lawyers Directory which includes profiles of more than one million lawyers licensed to practice in the United States, in addition to profiles of legal aid, pro bono and legal service organizations. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
Hostel director mulls PG-13 sci-fi Endangered Species
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Best known for graphically R-rated horror movies such as Hostel (which inspired the term "torture porn"), director Eli Roth plans to tone it down for his next film, the sci-fi movie Endangered Species, which he intends as a more mainstream film.
"I love PG-13 scary sci-fi movies," Roth said in an exclusive interview Sunday in Beverly Hills, Calif., where he was promoting Inglourious Basterds. "Especially when it's a cool story and well done, and it's great, I have the best time at those movies. This story that I have is so conducive to that, but it's a big-budget movie, and it's going to take a long time to do. It's a lot of pieces to put together. It's not something I can shoot in 24 days [like a horror movie]."
Roth kept mum on the "species" in the title of his proposed film. "You guys will find out," he teased. But he specified his sources of inspiration.
"I watched Close Encounters [of the Third Kind] and Jurassic Park," Roth said. "Really, Close Encounters, that's the movie. I love that movie, and I wanted to do something a little scarier, a little more Jurassic Park, Transformers, Cloverfield. I love those movies."
Perhaps the biggest roadblock to Endangered Species is Roth's burgeoning acting career. He has a starring role in Basterds.
"I haven't been able to start the process," Roth said. "I'll be able to start in September. I'm going to dive right into Endangered Species, but I haven't been able to finish the script because I've been so busy on this, which is good. Look, it's great. If I have to stop my directing career to be in a movie with Brad Pitt, worse things could happen to a guy. I have to make the most of this time and opportunity." | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
WASHINGTON—President-elect Donald Trump hasn’t taken office yet, but he is already reshaping the global growth outlook.
The International Monetary Fund on Monday bumped up its economic growth forecasts for the U.S., saying output could grow nearly a half-percentage point faster than previously thought over this year and next, thanks to Mr. Trump’s plans to cut taxes and boost infrastructure spending. That would put U.S. economic expansion at 2.3% this year and 2.5% next year.
... | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | OpenWebText2 |
Best dating sites for single mums
There are plenty of things single mums have mastered the art of 10 reasons why single mums are great in bed best post-sex chat ever. We listed match among the best free dating sites for single parents because mums date dads is a free single parents dating single parent dating sites. Why eharmony is the best place for single mums and dads to date unlike other dating sites for single parents, eharmony won’t ask you to spend precious hours. Find a loving and understanding partner: discover the single parent dating scene with elitesingles we’re one of the best dating sites for. If you're a single mom who makes time to date, check out these single parents' dating sites and apps. We love dates is a proven single parent dating site for single mums and dads starting new relationships the single parent dating site best parent dating.
Are you a single mom or single dad parents without partners trust singleparentmeetcom to help them succeed at online dating. Read our review of singlemums although it doesn’t offer the best although it’s a bit cheaper than several similar single parent dating sites, single mums. Dating daily 237,503 likes 560 talking about this single mums are the wonder women of our check out our list of the best dating sites for single parents. Single parent dating at its very best find like minded single mums and single dads looking for friendship, love, romance or more do not be alone any longer.
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Dating profile: attracting higher quality people best dating sites for single parents read: reviews of recommended single parent dating sites. Don’t let being a single parent stop you from dating online dating is an excellent platform for mums and the next stage on single parents dating sites is. Single parents dating - single parents can find love too join free and find someone special mumsdatedads is exclusively for single mums and dads. The single mom’s guide to writing an online dating profile although all of those things are likely true, anyone open to dating a single parent will realize that.
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Join now for free and start dating straight away i am a first name no nicknames, please date of birth email address an activation email will be sent to. Why choose singleparentlove are you a single singleparentlove is part of the well-established cupid media network that operates over 30 reputable niche dating sites.
Explore datingcom and enjoy a global online dating website that offers real adventure worldwide dating is the best for those ready to experience a dating site with a truly global dating membership.
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For a long time, that deal breaker for me was dating a single mom why is this so great you basically have the best parts of both worlds.
Want to meet single moms or single dads singleparentmeet dating - #1 app for flirting, messaging, and meeting local single dads and single moms the largest subscription dating site for single parents has the best dating appdownload the official single parent meet app and start browsing for free today. Divorced and single parents’ number one complaint when looking for a dating for single parents single parent dating: 8 convenient places to meet people. Reviews of the top 10 single parent dating websites of 2018 welcome to our reviews of the best single parent dating websites of 2018 (also known as single mothers dating sites. Single mums dating sites - hispanic dating wonderfully, you might continue to your money quick. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
Best Place to Meet the DJ (For Free) New York 2001 - Guernica
Nightlifers always want to complain, but let's put our foot down: GUERNICA is fucking cool. Paying no cover is an instant icebreaker, as is the whole through-the-looking-glass scenario of gliding past the restaurant and descending into the beat-infested world below. The space is intimate without being low energy. Big names pop in for techno, drum'n'bass, and 2step, and attitude is at such an all-time low that DJs are often found on the dancefloor, and regulars are greeted with a smile and handshake. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
Using someone else’s medication is the most common form of prescription stimulant misuse among adolescents, according to a University of Florida Health study, which found that 88 percent of teens who used the drugs non-medically in the past 30 days said they had obtained the medications from someone else.
“In the last 10 years a number of new stimulant medications have been approved for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, treatment, and the expansion of this market, coupled with the increasing rates of ADHD diagnosis, provides greater availability of these drugs,” said lead author Yanning Wang, M.S., who conducted the study as part of her thesis work for a master’s degree in the department of epidemiology at the UF College of Public Health and Health Professions and the College of Medicine. “This raises concerns about the possible non-medical use or abuse of these medications.”
The findings appeared in the December issue of the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence.
Drugs such as Adderall, Concerta and Ritalin are typically prescribed to help patients with ADHD stay focused and to control behavior problems. When taken incorrectly or without a prescription, the stimulants can increase blood pressure, heart rate and body temperature and decrease sleep and appetite, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. At high doses, they can lead to cardiovascular problems.
Wang, now a statistical research coordinator in the UF College of Medicine’s department of pathology, immunology and laboratory medicine and the department of health outcomes and policy, analyzed data from the National Monitoring of Adolescent Prescription Stimulants Study, which surveyed more than 11,000 youth ages 10 to 18 living in and around 10 U.S. cities. Interviewers recruited participants at entertainment venues, such as shopping malls, movie theaters, sports and recreation centers, arcades and skate parks. The study was carried out during four waves between 2008 and 2011.
About 7 percent of all respondents reported they had used a prescription stimulant during the past 30 days. Among those 750 adolescents, 54 percent reported some type of non-medical use, such as taking more pills than prescribed by their doctor, using someone else’s medication, or smoking, snorting or sniffing the medication instead of taking by mouth. Using someone else’s medication was the most frequently reported form of misuse at 88 percent, followed by taking more medication than prescribed at 39 percent.
“It is so important for physicians and parents to counsel youth who have prescription stimulants to never share their medications,” said co-author Linda B. Cottler, Ph.D., M.P.H., a dean’s professor, chair of the department of epidemiology and Wang’s mentor.
The UF study was unique in that it differentiated two different types of non-medical users: those who exclusively used stimulants non-medically, and teens who reported both using their own stimulant medication as prescribed and some form of non-medical use within the past 30 days. This group of medical and non-medical users is an important group for future study, Wang said, because they could be serving as a source for shared or traded prescription stimulant medication.
Teens who only used stimulants non-medically reported more conduct problems at home and school and higher rates of using other substances, including tobacco, alcohol and illicit drugs. That group was also more likely to have close friends who have tried other drugs, suggesting they are in “a circle of risk taking,” said Cottler, also the College of Public Health and Health Professions’ associate dean for research.
Understanding differences in behavior and friend networks between the two types of non-medical users can help experts develop targeted educational programs to prevent prescription stimulant misuse, said Wang, who is currently working with Florida’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program to analyze multiple sources of data to understand current and emerging trends of prescription drug abuse.
The National Monitoring of Adolescent Prescription Stimulants Study was implemented by the University of Florida and Washington University in St. Louis under contract from Pinney Associates Inc., with funding provided by Shire Development LLC and Noven Therapeutics. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | OpenWebText2 |
Bitcoin’s Decentralization increases as a full node becomes cheaper.
Agenda
Break down “Decentralization”, and “Money”, to determine, from the ground up, when “Decentralization of Money” increases or decreases. Defend that measure against its major competitors. Evaluate the measure against scalability comments made by Satoshi. “How to (Safely) Increase Decentralization”
Defining Decentralized Money
The process of “money” is “knowing you’ve been paid”. A process has greater “decentralization” as it “occurs more locally”. Thus “decentralized money” is the local cost of knowing you’ve been paid: the cost of running a full node.
Let’s break the concepts down, before building them back up.
“Centralized” and “Decentralized” are words which describe the layout of the relationships between agents. Let us start with what these relationships are (in our “money” case) before we assess any of their other qualities (“decentralization”).
Money
Money is like a big record of who has done favors for whom, but a very abstract record which works without knowing the specific identity or favor. That’s how you can trade money with someone you’ve never met (or will never meet again): it makes private value-knowledge common.
That’s what it does. How can we make something do that? How can we build a “payment network”?
It seems there are two simple requirements: [1] to know when you’ve been paid (for the favor you gave), and [2] to be able to show your trading partner that they’ve been paid (for their favor to you).
The two requirements are mirrors: if “something” can do the first, for everyone, it can likewise do the second. There’s no reason to double-count it.
Money is “knowing you’ve been paid” (by someone, with finality).
Decentralization
Now lets see how a money-relationship varies in its centralization-quality.
Basics
Some existing academic literature might help us with the general concept of “measuring decentralization”, but it’s nothing we couldn’t have figured out on our own (that “the process takes place closer to each agent”).
This figure spells it out for us:
The decentralized system is more local: the lines (pairwise-connections, or “relationships”) are shorter. It also involves less “interaction” (path-overlap) and hence, less “permission”: on the left all node-paths must share the single central node, but on the right it is possible for some pairs to ‘group up’ in ways that avoid the center node.
Now we must discuss Satoshi’s use of the word “decentralized”.
A “Peer to Peer” Electronic Cash System
Satoshi clearly intended “the Bitcoin Network” NOT to be “more decentralized than usual”, but, instead to be 100% decentralized. In other words, the one on the right:
After all, the “Decentralized” process above (middle) still has a center, which is a superior authority (non-peer) to the surrounding subordinates.
And, such a “having a center” contradicts this statement from Bitcoin’s Creator:
Notice the phrase “pure P2P”. Bitcoin’s whitepaper never uses the word “decentralized”, instead favoring the term “peer-to-peer” (which is very easy to measure: “Is every pair of nodes ‘two peers’?” and/or “Does any node have a privileged status?”).
The phrase “cutting of the head(s)” is a clue to the underlying principle: “Why is Bitcoin P2P?” (Might we achieve this goal another [non-P2P] way?)
Clearly, the “Decentralized” image still has a “head” that can be “cut off”. In fact (worse than that), if I reorder/relabel the images, the “decentralized” option is the most-headed of all!
The colorful stars represent “privilege” in the network. A decapitateur could take out the Capitol Star in either the 2-H or 1-H, but his control over 2-H is even more fine-tuned. Instead of all-or-nothing, he can selectively disable the network for enemies only.
This “decapitation-control” brings me to my next point:
It is an Engineering Requirement that Bitcoin be “Above the Law”
Obviously, people prefer not to talk openly about breaking the law, but if we don’t acknowledge true things, our conclusions will be wrong.
What is the difference between the following columns:
Computing Legal A user goes to a nearby terminal and logs in to a given mainframe. The user attempts to use his e-credits to purchase heroin at the e-store, but the mainframe rejects these instructions (as “not permitted”). With some effort, the user cleverly circumvents the programmed limitation. However, the administrators of the mainframe later use the mainframe’s logs to track this activity down. New limits are imposed and the offending user is banned, losing access to all of his digital resources. A citizen wakes up within the borders of a given country. The citizen attempts to use his Bitcoin to purchase heroin at a nearby pharmacy, but under current law this is “not permitted”. After some effort, the user manages to break the law by transacting with a street dealer. However, the local police begin to carefully patrol the area to track this activity down. After studying the local black market, the drug offender is jailed, losing access to his freedoms completely. A user goes to a nearby terminal and logs in to a given mainframe. He has been running UserBank, which lets him and his friends keep track of who still owes who money (for beer and whatnot). This user recently discovered cryptography and wants to take his banking software global. When the administrator learns of this, he decides he does not like it (for whatever reason), and sends the user a notice that it will not be allowed. Not wanting to do anything that might upset the administrator, the user takes UserBank back to pencil-and-paper. A citizen wakes up within the borders of a given country. He and his immediate social network have been bartering favors (repair, electrical, painting, babysitting), which is cheaper and more fun than filling out tax forms. New, untrusted people want to participate, and they are willing to use an accounting ledger to keep track of who owes what. As the barter-network grows, the government finds out about it and audits these individuals for tax evasion, imprisoning the ledger-keeper for money laundering. Next year it’s back to “friends only”. The system administrator can determine what commands are allowed on the computer network. The legislators determine what actions are legal within the borders of their country.
Only things that can break the law are truly P2P, ie truly 100% decentralized. Compliance with the law is the acknowledgment of a “privileged non-peer”. If the process is subordinate to the law, it is “owned” by the law exclusively, undermining the benevolent force of competition (for better or for worse).
You can spin it however you like (“the first software application to self-maintain its subordinate OSI layers”), but it is what it is: above the law.
Combining the Two: “Decentralized Payments”
Setup
Money is “knowing you’ve been paid”. When does “that knowing” occur more locally?
Experience vs. Persuasion
To learn anything, you can either [1] check for yourself, or [2] trust the judgment of someone else. Trusting someone else implies a loss of local-ness. It definitely implies that P2P is lost: you are a subordinate taking the information from an authority. To preserve P2P, you’ll have to check everything yourself: run a full node.
The requirement to run an entire full node may seem like a high bar, but the height is appropriate. With money, other people’s actions (counterfeiting) affect you. The only way for you to know you’ve been paid, is to make sure that every piece of data has followed every rule, and you can’t do that unless you have all of the data, and all of the rules, in front of you. That’s a full node.
It is also reasonable to require that this node start from scratch, for the very same reasons: to learn something, you either validate it yourself or trust an authority. Authorities are not “peers”.
“Don’t Make Me Call My Full Node”
Of course, one need not actually go through with the actual running of the node. That would imply that Some Guy in the remote African wilderness, far away from any internet connection, could declare “I refuse to run a full node” and somehow decrease the decentralization of “Bitcoin”. Only the cost of running the node matters, not the number of people who choose to pay that cost.
And, technically, the centralization measure is the cost of the option to create a new full node, because in strategy/anything-reasonable only Options matter. Of course, the cost of “creating a node at time=t” is roughly the same as the cost of “creating a node at time=(t-X) + running 1 node for X time”. However, this helpful detail does imply that some unconsumed electricity is “free decentralization” (people can avoid running the node, unless Something Bad is currently happening), and it does perfectly tie up the edge-case where the full node count drops to zero (and new full-node creation is infinitely expensive), because option valuation includes uncertainty surrounding future costs.
So my metric of centralization is the cost of the option to create a new full node.
Testing the Definition (Applications and Alternatives)
The definition mirrors our observations. It flags “suspicious services” (Ripple, checkpointers, …) as centralized, and is more fundamental than rival considerations (mining and development).
For this section, the cost of the option to create a full node will be referred to as the “cost of node-option” or “CONOP”.
Applications
Extreme Points
What if the CONOP were free (ie $0.00)? That would imply perfect decentralization (centralization of zero). Is that right?
I think so: anyone, anywhere, would be able to make sure that they had gotten paid, without trusting a third party, or doing any other work whatsoever. And this option would be available to every human on the planet, no matter how oppressed/disadvantaged (and the only way for a government to “cut off the head” of the network would be to kill every human being on the planet).
On the other hand, what if the CONOP were expensive, such that only one agent in the entire world could run a full node (say, the United State Government)? This agent would control the network completely: perfect centralization. If someone “cut off its head”, this network would disintegrate.
In fact, the logic works perfectly, in reverse, to explain existing monetary systems: the cost of creating “a full US Dollar node” is more than anyone could afford, by deliberate design. If, by magic, all of the USA’s banks / federal reserve / treasury buildings and equipment suddenly vanished, how many people would be able to replace them? Only one. Despite the fact that many, many people could, in principle, start a bank from their garage (and try to satisfy this unmet banking demand), we all know that they would be unable to do so. It would be illegal.
Ripple
A popular view is that the supposedly P2P Ripple is actually completely centralized. Does CONOP lead us to the same answer?
( Currently it is unambiguously centralized. And CONOP catches this: Ripple only allows one full node [theirs]. Adding a [second] node is infinitely expensive. )
But what of its eventual steady state?
Well, while anyone can become a Ripple “node”, not all nodes are equal “peers”. Extra-special nodes make the “default Unique Node List (UNL)”, which requires the approval of Ripple. The future “cost” of this approval is highly uncertain. Just as an option price converges to today’s spot price as volatility increases, you can’t guarantee you’ll be able to join the future Ripple club unless you’ve already joined today.
Actually, even that won’t work: the Ripple scheme allows you to be “thrown out” of the UNL club. In this way, Ripple doesn’t really have full nodes at all.
But lets run with it: To “know you’ve been paid”, you need to join the club, and stay in until your payment(s) go through. So the application of CONOP actually requires, that, to know you’ve been paid, you need to be “long a call option to join Ripple” + “long a put option that you’ll be thrown out before you can use Ripple”.
The second term (the put), acts as a kind of insurance that fully compensates you if you are kicked out of the club. However, because [1] “full compensation” is “them knowing they’ve been paid” (impossible to provide, by circular reasoning), and [2] because the likelihood of being kicked out is highly subjective (“volatile”), the cost of the option is infinite for everyone except the 1 person who controls the UNL: Ripple Labs. If RL were destroyed, the gatekeepers would then be “a coalition of 80% of the club members”.
Only they really “know” if anyone has been paid. Not you.
“Ask A Friend” / Weak Subjectivity
Summary
“Ask a Friend” is a scheme where one decides if a chain (“transaction history”) is valid by asking a friend, and taking their word for it. (Obviously the Friend has a superior non-peer status, so this is an outright rejection of “pure P2P”). If two friends disagree, (presumably) one asks a third friend, making it pseudo-democratic. This implies that democracy’s trademark effort-saving info-strategy will emerge: political parties. Specifically, the formation of alternating major/minor status groups (who “team up” to be realistic about winning), and fringe groups (who refuse to compromise on their principles, and always lose) resulting ultimately in a Status Game.
A high-status individual with “name recognition” (such as Gavin Andresen), can completely overpower even a group of honest/well-informed friends. This is because name recognition is common, and allows for “free coordination”, whereas private or even mutual* knowledge do not allow for such coordination.
* There is a definition-mismatch in the video, Pinker’s “mutual” knowledge is wikipedia’s “common” knowledge.
CONOP
What’s the cost of “knowing you’ve been paid”? Well, with “ask a friend”, you cannot (by yourself) learn whether or not you have been paid. You are asking a friend! The cost is infinite unless you join the set of “those who are asked”.
So this scheme is essentially a version of Ripple’s UNL, but with no “default leader”. The paramount question “How do I join The Group?” is answered with “The Group decides if you can. We also decide if you can stay.”
If “joining the group” is cheap, this is fine. However, the “cost” of membership is public name-recognition, yet this is incompatible with anonymity, and hence incompatible with coercion-resistance. Only one agent, the sovereign government, can “afford” to maintain the monopoly on violence it takes to remain in this set (“can afford to run a full node”).
In contrast, Bitcoin’s proof of work is easily verifiable (“common” information, implying “free coordination”), and the Work would live on even if the miners who provided that work were killed. Reputation doesn’t work that way: someone needs [1] to be a reliable reporter of info, and [2] to be known as a reliable reporter of info…this is exactly the super-linearity that Bitcoin explicitly avoids!
Figure: the economics of degenerating (non-common) information (a zero-variable cost good): why settle for less than the best?
Checkpointers
This is perhaps the clearest victory for CONOP. Entirely by construction, only one person “decides” who has been paid and who hasn’t. Perfect centralization.
Now that the definition is viable, let’s see if it holds up to its competitors.
Alternative Definitions of Centralization (Have We Missed Anything?)
A Big List
Here’s a (well-meaning) list on this topic written by someone who isn’t me.
Let’s boil it down:
Many members of the list (node, wallet, block explorer, payment processor, remittance service) are merely cosmetic layers on top of a Full Node. Certainly, they add convenience (and value) to Bitcoin, but the protocol itself isn’t even aware of them. Instead of repeat “Full Node” five times, we’ll just keep it once (although I will discuss ‘cost’ vs ‘other attributes’). Mining: while originally also a “plugin” of Bitcoin Core, mining has since specialized to a degree where the representative full-node-user is completely divorced from the mining process. So that’s a distinct #2. Some items (community, wealth) can’t themselves affect the software (or its use) at all. Ignore. Exchanges: a Bitcoin Full Node inherently supports “exchange” for everything (currency included), and could have a “LocalBitcoins Plugin”. Moreover the “professional exchanges” are half-fiat, and can be altered -in quantity and quality- by factors which are entirely non-technical (laws/subsidies). So they are simultaneously irrelevant and immutable. Software development: clearly a solid #3.
So I have to justify “cost” of a full node, and defend it against 2 challengers.
Counting Full Nodes Is Irrelevant
It’s popular to reference the quantity of full nodes (another attempt at measuring decentralization focuses obsessively on counting things up and taking their log_2(Quantity) ).
Is this measure actually useful? Or is quantity an effect following the underlying cause.
You Are Indifferent to Other People’s Nodes
I, personally, first heard it from Peter Todd: “The only full node that matters is yours.” This is the point I raised above: to know anything, you either [1] check for yourself or [2] take someone else’s word for it.
( Of course, [as I also mentioned], they are [slightly] related: if the node count falls to zero, you will be unable to start a node. )
After all, a single entity (of any type) can run and control many full nodes. The (centralized) Federal Reserve system likely has 100’s of redundant copies of its “knowledge” (payments data, research, web site, operating infrastructure, …). In parallel, nothing stops a Bitcoin user from spinning up 100,000 new nodes that only he controls (and then halving them). So what’s to be gained by counting them up? If you run a node (or can run one at any time), then it doesn’t matter if the full node count falls even to one! You’ll always know the status of your payments.
Cost is King
An explanation based on cost makes the most sense: if creating a full, up to date node is nearly free (takes 10-20 seconds on a smart phone), we see that this network will have the desired “headless” property, and be completely local (even if the average number of nodes in existence is some “low” number like 5). Conversely, if the a node is so expensive that only 10 or 20 people can afford to run one, it can be easily disabled (via the “close e-gold” routine, 20x in parallel), or coerced/harassed.
Don’t Worry About Mining
Mining “Feels” Important; Disregard the Feeling
Money already mesmerizes people. Mining goes even further: it takes the “generation” of ancient mysticism (making something valuable appear from “nothing”), and adds modern computing technology and elitist tech-expertise, a round measure of esoteric h4x0r jargon, and finishes it off with a dash of “f**k the man!”.
Small wonder, that mining draws the attention of the audience.
Even freedom-loving, tech-literate Edward Snowden remarked: “weaknesses…make [Bitcoin] vulnerable to people who are trying to own 50 percent of the network…” which implies (incorrectly) that the miners “own” the network.
The Final Gear in a Vast Machine
There is a rampant misconception that mining is somehow important to Bitcoin.
Firstly, the true function of mining is not to provide security to the network, but instead to slow the distribution of coins, such that interested parties would join Bitcoin instead of cloning it into a competing system. Mining will fulfill that function, in a fully-P2P way, regardless of who is-or-is-not mining.
When Satoshi/Bitcoin-Experts use the phrase “secure the network”, they are using a somewhat different version of the word “secure”. If I say that my bank is ‘secure’, what I usually mean is that “no one is going to steal my money”. But Miners already can’t steal anyone’s Bitcoin.
It goes straight down to the tech tools used in Bitcoin’s design. Bitcoin is a ledger, answering the question “Who owns what, when?”. The entire first half (“who owns what”, aka “most of the actual ‘bank’ part”) of that question is solved using asymmetric key cryptography, and even the second half (“when”) is mostly solved with very clever structuring of data (into blocks, headers, hash chain etc) and creative use of cryptographic hash functions. Neither of those things have anything to do with mining; 0%.
Mining was brought in at the last minute to solve the P2P problem: “If X makes a transaction, and Group A hears about it, but Group B doesn’t hear about it, (and A and B are equal peers,) how do they decide if it ‘happened’ or not?”. Most of the Bitcoin whitepaper focused on this yet-unsolved problem, because Satoshi was a good writer, who knew that it would waste the reader’s time to go over those much-more-important problems that were already 100% solved.
If Bitcoin were a bank, Mining would be the clock on the wall.
It’s the crypto that does all the heavy-lifting.
The 51% “Attack”
I’m sure you heard from your friend that, like, miners can “reverse” transactions or whatever.
I doubt it.
No Motivation
Most transactions are totally foreign to the miner; the sender, receiver, even the amount, are more or less unknown. The miner has nothing to gain whatsoever by reversing them.
Admittedly, reversal might be a problem for transactions that the miner makes himself. He may buy something in a store, and later want to reverse this transaction so he doesn’t have to pay.
Or, an irate government might roll in with some tanks, take over the mining facilities, and reverse transactions (or “pause” the clock, by mining only empty blocks), purely to create mayhem.
That certainly wouldn’t be cheap: troops have to eat, and anyone in possession of mining hardware (even via theft) who fails to use it for ROI-maximization incurs an opportunity cost.
But say they did it anyway.
It’s not very effective…
Ok, if the attacker also owns Bitcoins, he can double-spend these Bitcoins.
Once.
Assuming he doesn’t “get caught”.
Where “caught” is defined as “people come to understand that this 6+ block reorg was specifically unrepresentative of the distributed consensus process”, and manually flag your chain as invalid. If this (highly likely) event happens, nothing will be reversed.
Not only is the user’s money safe, but the attacker’s money is at risk! It is relatively uncomplicated to have nodes (or the honest 49%) censor all further transactions “from” this address. This would result in the attacker not only failing, but also having his Bitcoin “blacklisted” and essentially destroyed (increasing the value of all other BTC).
Whereas “ask a friend” was centralized, this isn’t, because the conditions under which it would take place can be agreed upon in advance (even coded into the protocol) and don’t change. No new judgment is required, only the protocol rules (and these rules are, you guessed it, common information, and they can therefore support “free/leaderless coordination”).
Peer-to-Peer Blacklisting
Although “blacklisting” coins is overwhelmingly considered to be objectionable, in this case I think an exception might be made.
What’s different here? Typically, “blacklisting” would violate two core principles of Bitcoin: [1] “reproduce the qualities of money”, and [2] “remain peer-to-peer”. Blacklisting [1] implies that some Bitcoins are different than others, a direct contradiction to the monetary feature of Fungibility, and [2] allows a list-manager to achieve a “higher-than-Peer” status.
However, “51%-attack-blacklisting” actually excels on both counts. First, it actually maximizes [1] Bitcoin’s reproduction of money-qualities, because, in my view, this loss of fungibility is more than offset by a large gain in transaction finality (a much more important feature of money). Second, if the blacklist-conditions are publicly discussed and agreed-to in advance, there is no need for a “list-manager” to coordinate the blacklisting, and no one has a “higher-than-Peer” status.
So, the 51% “attack” requires a huge expenditure, to probably not achieve anything.
Mining isn’t Bitcoin
By no means should we ignore mining. However, try to keep in mind that a “centralized” mining network doesn’t really mean that Bitcoin is significantly centralized. Mining isn’t Bitcoin, it’s just something that Bitcoin does.
Now for a more complex topic:
Development: 100% Decentralized, Unless we Hard Fork
Soft and Hard Forks
A soft fork is a change to the Bitcoin protocol to make it more restrictive. A hard fork, in contrast, is a change to the Bitcoin protocol which makes it more permissive.
Game Soft Hard Chess Neither player can castle after move 10. Any Queen can move three times in a row if her King is in check. American Football A team can only score a field goal if they have not yet thrown an interception. Any team up by 20 points or more can declare themselves the immediate victor.
What is the effect of each fork-type?
Well, players are immune to soft forks. After all, there likely have been many chess games where neither player castled, and many football games where neither team ever attempted a field goal. Everyone can observe, or play in, soft-forked games with complete indifference (although they may become increasingly confused by a player’s seemingly bizarre moves).
Hard forks, of course, have a theoretically unlimited effect on the game. It depends on the details: in the football example, a team up by 20 will probably (not necessarily) win anyway. The chief motivation in football is to earn more points; it doesn’t change under the new rule. In contrast, the chess hard fork transforms the game substantially. Whereas, originally, checking your opponent’s king was highly desirable, now it is outright dangerous. Moreover, no one will sacrifice or risk the loss of their queen, and players might march the king out into the middle of the field, to trigger check (and the additional queen moves it grants).
Free to Choose
Un-upgraded software will, by definition, already be compatible with all future soft forks (and incompatible with all future hard forks).
For a given protocol, the user is free to choose among any soft-forks he wishes. The resulting competition is entirely centralization-proof: no authority can disable your version.
All versions are compatible, so, even if all the devs were kidnapped (and forced to write Evil Bitcoin Soft Fork), no one needs to upgrade. If you accidentally do upgrade, you can merely switch back. To “know you’ve been paid” you can run any version of the software you like, including the very first version!
Your version might be slower, uglier, etc, but it will let you “know if you’ve been paid”. It won’t allow YOU to be paid in a “new” (ie, “update-dependent”) way, and it won’t know if other people have been paid in a “new” way (because it necessarily doesn’t know why the coach chose to avoid a “post-interception field goal”: Was it to comply with some “new” rule, or just because he doesn’t want to?).
But all of your own money is protected by the “old rules”, no matter what fancy other rules other people play by.
Figure: Mike Hearn’s bizarre obsession with money that doesn’t belong to him.
Hard Forks Threaten Bitcoin’s Accumulated Security
With soft forks, there are no surprises. Your money is protected by the “old rules”.
Because a system is only as secure as the adversarial environment it has historically survived, we can translate “..protected by the old rules” as “..safe” (for 6-year-old Bitcoin, anyway).
With hard forks, your money is subject to a new system. In principle, “a hard fork” could mean anything: stealing money, printing money, freezing the network permanently, it’s all on the table.
Therefore, the critical question is: “Are these new rules any good?”
Cost of Node-Option
To “know you’ve been paid” (ie “P2P money”) you need to know that the software won’t lose your money. After all, the definition of “paid” implies that the money now belongs to you and is controlled by you exclusively. Whether you lose your BTC to theft, or you lose them because the entire network collapsed, “you” have been “unpaid” (and you instead “know that you’ve not be paid”).
On top of that, if “the network” (users, merchants, service providers, …) switches, you have no choice but to switch. If you refuse to switch, and stay on the minority network, your money will be useless and you will be “unpaid”!
So the cost of “knowing you’ve been paid” (the cost of “the option to run a full Bitcoin node”), necessarily now includes maintenance items, which YOU must pay if YOU are to KNOW you’ve been paid: [1] the cost of “validating” any new set of rules and [2] the cost of preventing other people from being deceived into accepting unproven rules.
Because you can only know you’ll be paid if the network uses rules that allow you to spend your future income.
Node Option = Hardware Costs + Privacy Costs + Maintenance Costs
…it’s really getting expensive!
Hard Forks Destroy Decentralization
If one avoids hard forks, we don’t need to ask “Are these new rules any good?” at all, and so maintenance costs will be zero. Developers will never have any privilege, and there will be no centralization.
Unfortunately, of course, this limits our ability to improve the software!
Instead we might try to only propose hard forks where as little as possible has changed, so that “Are these new rules any good?” is likely to be easy to answer.
Then, with [1] enough experts involved, and [2] enough time for them all to voice their concerns, the user could eventually be as confident that “the rules are good” as the net confidence of the experts.
Unfortunately, our experts just aren’t smart enough. No one is.
Prediction in Complex Systems
We will probably never know “if the rules are good”, which means that maintaining decentralized access to one’s money will be impossible under a hard fork.
The Ideal Conditions (Aren’t Good Enough)
While it is claimed that NASA’s shuttle program achieves a 0 bug rate (per 500,000 lines of code), that is actually not true. Even getting as far as 1 per 440,000 apparently requires 260 full-time experts (Bitcoin has barely a handful) working under “threat of death”, in an execution environment where they control 100% of the hardware and software, and there is no adversarial activity whatsoever, and no user input of any kind.
Ask them about it! Here’s Appendix D (“Flight Software Complexity”) of their report on getting it right:
The very first sentences quote sociologist Charles Perrow: “…about the causes of failure in highly complex systems, concluding that they were virtually inevitable.” He continues: “…when seemingly unrelated parts of a larger system fail in some unforeseen combination, dependencies can become apparent that could not have been accounted for in the original design.”
Of course, a space shuttle is really complex, right? Instead, why don’t we take something that has been operating continuously, without any problems, for like 10 years. Then, we’ll take the elite NASA programming team and have them change just a single parameter.
It does not get any better than that.
But, in the end, the Black Swan always gets his man:
Figure: this perfectly-healthy robot wound up entirely disabled after The Experts updated a single parameter.
Sound familiar?
Bitcoin is the Opposite of Ideal
Mankind will have perfected space travel long before we remotely understand software systems.
Just ask Greg Maxwell or Gavin Andresen. Or Mike Hearn.
Someone attempted to count up Bitcoin’s lines of code, and concluded that there were a little over 12,000. In order to reasonably predict that a hard fork is safe, someone must evaluate each change against every existing line of code.
But no, the fun only begins once you’ve done that. You now need to forecast, with perfect accuracy, the effect of the software’s new allowances on all real world attributes of the Bitcoin’s wider economic system, as well as all psycho-social responses (rational or otherwise), and all new opportunities (whether change-based or uncertainty-based) given to motivated adversaries.
No human being has the research capacity to actually do this.
So, you see, the average citizen is far more beholden to the developer who writes his software, than he is to the politician who writes his laws. Breaking the developer’s (more numerous) rules is literally impossible, and there’s no recourse (socially, politically, practically, …).
An Actual Example
Here’s a best-case scenario for a hard fork, because it is actually describable in advance:
Just think: with all the unknown unknowns, the true possibilities are unfathomably worse. One thing to point out is that a hard fork can be undone via soft fork. Since miners are the driving force behind soft forks (and since mining is capture-able), any hard fork which grants extra influence to miners would likely increase strategic complexity to a degree that could only be described as “unwise”.
But, protected by soft forks, you will never need to worry about all those things you didn’t understand until moments ago.
Contentious Hard Forks Obliterate Decentralization
I could go on (perhaps in a new post), but let’s wrap this up.
Grandma User does know that: “Bitcoin Core has been running for 6 years, it seems fine so far”.
Grandma User can not know that her money will be safe under the new rules of “Bitcoin Core II Duo”. She doesn’t have what it takes (150+ IQ points, technical inclination / CS PhD, a network of experts, and 100+ hours of free time), so, she must trust an authority. A hard fork elevates those who are Technical, Persuasive, or Endorsed, to “non-peer” status.
From there, the problem gets worse. Say x is the probability of hard-fork disaster, and f(x) is the probability that the “greatest expert” [1] catches the error, [2] is known (as an “error catcher”) to the audience (impossible to scale past 1-5 known experts) and [3] articulates his/her point clearly. As f is applied multiple times (as the info spreads to multiple people) the resulting f( f( f(x) ) ) will quickly degenerate to zero. Knowing this, individuals will minimize the number of f()’s and trust the Main Expert directly.
As with the very Federal Reserve System that Bitcoin aims to replace, these elite “non-peers” will [1] Team Up for greater collective clout per non-expert info-processed, [2] import credibility from top credential-ers, [3] entwine themselves with existing players, [4] formally entrench themselves to prevent the “wrong” people from making changes to Bitcoin.
In the extreme, an environment of frequent hard forks would eventually obviate the need for validation rules at all, and the people in charge would just be doing whatever they wanted.
The initial esoteric –technical and (subjectively) meritocratic– would collapse into a formal power structure. The minority who understood “original Bitcoin” will be powerless to prevent “new Bitcoin” from morphing slowly away from the principles that originally made it distinctive.
Conclusion: Remove the Contention
I’m not saying that we should never hard fork, only that doing so does tremendous damage to decentralization and is extraordinarily risky in general.
The decentralization of Hard-Forking can be increased as the “contention” decreases. I am aware of only one way to transform subjective judgments into objective information, as such a method must be itself P2P (“non-capture-able”, ie, allows anyone to express their [anonymous] judgment, without permission), incentive compatible, and produces a non-degradable signal (“common” knowledge supporting “free coordination”).
Decentralization increases if contentious forks are met with hostility: forked coins could immediately be sold, businesses who transact in them could be ostracized, individuals who support them should be discredited. A social norm of hostility would decrease the risk that a Bad Hard Fork will accidentally “unpay” everyone (ie, makes it cheaper for everyone to maintain their full node), but it would also make it harder to “upgrade” the software. It is a tradeoff, like anything else.
Bring on the Big Server Farms
Is an obsession with “cheap full nodes” consistent with Satoshi’s vision and statements?
Satoshi seemingly contradicts himself here:
In that he proposes something with two tiers (not “pure P2P”), such that, if everyone in the upper tier is destroyed, the network fails. I’m interpreting his analogy as something like:
Resolving the Contradiction
My interpretation is that Satoshi’s use of the word “node” is, in this case, overly liberal (ie, “incorrect”).
First, clearly these claims are true: [1] the intended configuration won’t scale, [2] it is impractical to have everyone validate everything, and [3] some users will lack the ability to run a full node, and that’s not a catastrophe (and able users are completely indifferent to it).
The Usenet analogy, furthermore, seems perfectly descriptive. However, Satoshi clearly intends all (or “enough”) of these “big server farms” to be safe, and these “NNTP servers” will be anything but.
Usenet isn’t Good Enough
I’m hardly an expert in this area (or, rather, this “era”).
But, what happened to Usenet? It became overloaded with spam, child pornography, and pirated software, and two non-peers (the government and ISPs) eventually pulled the plug (which is why 99% of the people reading this probably have no idea what the Usenet is). Once, the “Church” of Scientology used legal pressure to close down the (at the time) most popular anonymous remailer (a kind of Usenet “gateway”). Not exactly “headless”.
We don’t need to wonder “what would happen if Bitcoin were like Usenet”? It would overflow with spam and be killed by law enforcement.
Toying with Indifference
Of course, Usenet survives today as a paid service (and not a cheap one), but my feeling is that, if law enforcement knew or cared, they’d go back and finish the job. Today, Usenet is an enclave of the technical elite: it’s relatively complex to set up and use, its users are smart enough to not talk about it [sorry, guys…Satoshi brought it up…], and most regular people have no idea how the internet works at all (watch these people mis-describe a web browser as basically “a librarian they ask for help”, and these and this, and why not this) let alone Usenet. Usenet is, to borrow a phrase from Greg Maxwell, secured by “indifference”.
After all, you can’t care about something if you aren’t aware of it.
From a 100% real survey. Keep in mind that 50% of people will correctly answer a True-False question that they personally know nothing about.
Compare that to this:
“On day one in the Oval Office I would make two phone calls. The first one would be to my good friend Bibi Netanyahu, to assure him that we will stand with the State of Israel. The second will be to the Supreme Leader of Iran. He might not take my phone call, but he would get the message, and the message is this: Until you open every Nuclear and every Military facility to full, open, anytime, anywhere, for real, inspections, we are going to make it as difficult as possible for you to move money around the global financial system. I hope congress says no to [the Iran deal], but, realistically, even if they do, the money is flowing…we have to stop the money flow.” (emphasis added)
-Carly Fiorina, Widely-Regarded “Winner” of the Fox News 5 PM Debate for 2016 Presidential Candidate, beginning 39:50.
Conclusion (Usenet Analogy)
Usenet never prevented a US President from executing on their Iran “Anti-Nuke” Foreign Policy. Such a difference is too excessive (to sustain the analogy), and removes the (required) expectation of full-node-safety.
Which is interesting, because the NNTP analogy is almost perfect.
In fact, it more reminds me of…
The Lightning Network
You see, it would really be something like this:
There’s cheap nodes, run by everyone, and no central authority. There is a two-class hierarchy.
An Authority on what?
The “upper class” in the Lightning Network is a little bit like a limited government: it exists to serve the public, and there are strict rules on what it can and can’t do.
It Can’t
The hubs can’t prevent you from becoming a hub yourself:
And they can’t prevent you from circumventing the hubs:
It Can
During the custodial period (about a week) The Hubs do get to determine if you will, or will not, be able to make a cheap transaction with the money you deposited with them. If they ban you from making any transactions (or, their computers get shut down by the government, or catch fire), your money is stuck there for the duration of the custodial period. However, it is only temporarily trapped: your money can’t be lost or stolen.
Basically, it’s a bank that can’t steal your money. Revolutionary!
Since anyone can become one, the resulting competition will result in maximal uptime and minimal fees for everyone.
Servers that compete on uptime? …just as is done today with…gasp…“big server farms”.
Reinterpretation
As Satoshi said, the current configuration is indeed not appropriate for large scale payments, that would indeed place an excessive burden on each user, “the design supports letting users just be users”, and a few “nodes” can be large server farms.
However, the Lightning Network configuration is much more rational, specialized, and efficient. To our point, it increases decentralization by making a full node cheaper: by allowing many transactions to take place off-chain, fewer happen on-chain, and fewer burden each full-node-user. This is true even if you refuse to use any off-chain transactions.
Increasing Decentralization
To improve Decentralization, make full nodes cheaper. One overlooked way to do this is with a “Tor supply curve” (which Bitcoin can provide)!
The Last Discontinuity
Given our conclusion, the easier it is to start up a new full node, the more decentralized Bitcoin will be. How can we make full nodes cheaper?
I’d ignore mundane expenses like hardware and power. Instead, recall that, if a full node cannot be run anonymously, “the network” (full node entry) is effectively controlled by law enforcement, a central entity. Therefore, my view is that the current largest “cost” (and current bottleneck to Bitcoin scalability) is therefore the threat of persecution.
It is a shame to have come so far, only have one tiny subjective abstraction interfere with my presentation of an actual number.
Intermediate-Good Bitcoin
One way to address this bottleneck (and make decentralization easily measurable at the same time) would be to increase the supply of “Tor-Bandwidth” (or equivalent “internet anonymity”). However, Tor-Bandwidth currently has a big problem: the anonymity prevents anyone from paying for it. This means that it cannot be bought or sold, its price is fixed at zero, and we will only have what is volunteered.
Moreover, “available at no cost” also means “it can be attacked at no cost”. This is highly problematic, as the price cannot even react to the attack (“react to changes in scarcity”), and the lack of price prevents capital investments from efficiently increasing long-run supply. (After all, our internet service providers built the current internet to purposefully have limited consumer upstream bandwidth because that’s what the market told them we [could prove we] wanted).
Anyone looking to improve Bitcoin’s decentralization might look at integrating Bitcoin payment channels with Tor nodes (or metering bandwidth in VPNs, or in general). Keep in mind that more decentralization is not always better, but, as decentralization improves, we can be more comfortable “trading off” some for other things we’d like to have (ie, bigger blocks, and cheaper/more-numerous transactions).
Conclusion
To increase decentralization, focus on making a full node cheaper. “Decentralizers” include the Lightning Network, Tor, and metered bandwidth services.
I will be in Montreal to discuss this and related issues.
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Disqus | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | OpenWebText2 |
[M4M] [Script] The White Wedding [wet] [messy] [public] [blowjob] [cum swallowing] [facial] [cum on clothes] [huge mess] [giant cumshot] [getting caught]
[PREPARATION FOR THE GIANT CUMSHOT SCENE: This scene is focused more on swallowing than facials, so the giant cumshot scene doesn't require quite as much prepwork as some of my other giant cumshot scripts, but there is still some. First, dig out an older microphone or device so that you don't ruin your good mic or device while recording. Find a space to record where you won't mind water getting on the floor. Prepare two large towels or other soft surfaces where you can set things without making noise. Fill 8-20 small containers with various amounts of water. These can be cups, storage tubs, or bottles with the spouts cut off, but they should be widest or equally wide at the top, to reduce the noise of water splashing against containers rather than skin, and they should be paper or plastic to reduce clinking and risk of injury. Line the cups up on one of the soft surfaces, in order from greatest volume of water to least. Leave the other soft surface empty, for setting the containers on when you finish with them. Make sure there's enough space that you can pick up and set down your containers without knocking them into each other and making any container noises. Finally, change into clothes that you don't mind getting wet or strip naked.]
[GENERAL PERFORMANCE INSTRUCTIONS: Make sure to pause between lines. Pause between all lines unless the script specifically says otherwise (which happens exactly once). This is one side of a conversation, not a monologue.]
[BEGIN]
Shh!
[Stage whisper:] You're not supposed to talk during a wedding.
[Stage whisper:] What did you say?
[Stage whisper:] Yeah, I guess this is kind of lame.
[Stage whisper:] It does sound like the officiant has no idea what he's doing, but maybe the bride was just trying too hard with the changes she made to the ceremony.
[Stage whisper:] For me, it's the decorations. I think she would have been better off going with something simple instead of trying to go over the top on a tight budget.
[Stage whisper:] I know, right? Plus, who gets married in a minidress?
[Stage whisper:] The groom was my roommate in college, but I haven't seen him since graduation. I honestly just came for the free drinks.
[Stage whisper:] You've got something I can drink for free? I oughta have you thrown out of here, talking dirty like that to a strange man, during somebody's wedding. Is that what *you* came for?
[NOTE: the next line is responding to the listener character making a pun on "came/cum/come"...he hasn't came/cummed yet]
[Stage whisper:] Not yet? [Chuckle OR amused-and-embarrassed giggle OR somewhat-amused laugh] Yeah, I guess that's about right.
[Stage whisper:] Sure, what the hell? I've always had a public fantasy.
[Sound of pants being unzipped and pulled down]
[Stage whisper:] The thought that somebody could catch us makes it sexier to me.
[10 seconds of sucking on a half-hard cock to get it hard]
[Stage whisper:] And the wedding's half-over, it's past time for you to...come.
[Chuckle OR amused-and-embarrassed giggle OR somewhat-amused laugh at the obvious pun you stole from the listener character]
[Blowjob sounds. Give a dildo or other cock-substitute a sensual, spitty blowjob for 15 seconds. Emphasize bubbly or wet sucking sounds.]
[Stage whisper:] You want me to be quieter? How am I supposed to give you a good blowjob if I'm busy trying to be quiet?
[Make the same sensual, spitty blowjob noises for 15 seconds.]
[Stage whisper:] You're worried about getting caught? Don't be such a wuss.
[Make spitty blowjob noises for 15 seconds, but instead of being sensual, these should be hard, slutty blowjob noises.]
[Stage whisper:] Nobody's paying attention to us. In case you haven't noticed, there's a wedding happening here.
[Make spitty blowjob noises for another 15 seconds. These noises should be slightly harder and sluttier than the last ones.]
[Stage whisper:] That's the benefit of sitting in the back row.
[Suck hard on a wet, spitty dildo for 5 seconds.]
[Stage whisper:] I could probably strip naked,
[Suck hard on a wet, spitty dildo for 5 seconds.]
[Stage whisper:] Slump down in the chair with my cock hanging out,
[Suck hard on a wet, spitty dildo for 5 seconds.]
[Stage whisper:] And jack myself off violently, twice in a row,
[Suck hard on a wet, spitty dildo for 5 seconds.]
[Stage whisper:] Without anyone noticing.
[Suck hard on a wet, spitty dildo for 5 seconds.]
[Stage whisper:] You'd like to see that, huh?
[Suck hard on a wet, spitty dildo for 5 seconds.]
[Stage whisper:] Well maybe if you're lucky.
[Suck hard on a wet, spitty dildo for 5 seconds.]
[Stage whisper:] Although you are getting a blowjob at a wedding. I'd say you're already pretty lucky.
[Give a spitty blowjob. Start hard and slutty and gradually transition to rough and deep. If you like to, are able to, and/or can tolerate making deep throat noises, start doing that by the end. This blowjob should last AT LEAST 30 seconds, but it can last longer, even much longer, if you get into it.]
[Stage whisper:] You're close to cumming? Well, what're you waiting for? I was promised a drink, now wasn't I?
[Make deep/throaty, spitty blowjob sounds for 5 seconds.]
[Stage whisper:] You wanted to warn me?
[Make deep/throaty, spitty blowjob sounds for 5 seconds.]
[Stage whisper:] Well, I'm planning on swallowing, so you don't need to warn me.
[Make deep/throaty, spitty blowjob sounds for 5 seconds.]
[Stage whisper:] You cum a lot?
[Make deep/throaty, spitty blowjob sounds for 5 seconds.]
[Stage whisper:] And you wanted to make sure I was warned?
[Make deep/throaty, spitty blowjob sounds for 5 seconds.]
[Stage whisper:] Consider me warned.
[Make deep/throaty, spitty blowjob sounds for 5 seconds.]
[Stage whisper, in airquotes:] Like a lot a lot?
[DO NOT pause between these two lines]
[Stage whisper:] How much could it possibly be?
[Make deep/throaty, spitty blowjob sounds for 5 seconds.]
[Stage whisper:] I'm sure I'll be fine. I really don't mind swallowing.
[Make deep/throaty, spitty blowjob sounds for 5 seconds.]
[Stage whisper:] If I did, I wouldn't be giving you a blowjob at a fucking wedding!
[Make deep/throaty, spitty blowjob sounds for 5 seconds.]
[Stage whisper:] I'm sucking your cock at a wedding so that I can taste all of your cum in my mouth and swallow every drop of it down my throat.
[Make deep/throaty, spitty blowjob sounds for 5 seconds.]
[Stage whisper:] That made your cock twitch, didn't it?
[Make deep/throaty, spitty blowjob sounds for 5 seconds.]
[Stage whisper:] Go ahead and cum in my mouth. That's what you promised me. You said you'd give me something to drink, and now you've got me all thirsty.
[This is the giant cumshot and swallow scene. Suck hard and thirstily on a dildo for 5-15 seconds and then start letting your mouth fill with saliva and gulping it down loudly to simulate a giant cumshot swallow. You should fill and gulp repeatedly while continuing to suck on the dildo. Vary your sucking and gulping between three different patterns: 1) two audible sucks and a loud gulp; 2) three audible sucks and a loud gulp; 3) one long, loud, wet suck and a loud gulp. During the giant cumshot swallow, make a variety of moans. Start out with ecstatic surprise at the creamy texture, arousing taste, and sheer size of each individual spurt. Gradually transition the moans from this bright, happy surprise to sensual & aroused enjoyment as you are immersed and overwhelmed by the experience of sucking a literal sexual feast from a man, and then to a more alarmed surprise as you realize that the man is still cumming long past what you were prepared to swallow & past what seems healthy or even possible, and then to indifference as you're no longer enjoying this so much (you could even stop moaning altogether for a bit if you wish), and finally to alarmed/frustrated/upset/angry/exasperated discomfort as you find that the giant cumshot is too much for you to handle. Pretend to swallow the giant cumshot for AT LEAST 1 FULL MINUTE. Although you can feel free to do it for as long as you want provided that length of time is 60 seconds or longer. Trust me, I never get bored of this. Anyway, once you've pretended to swallow a giant cumshot for 60 seconds or to your satisfaction, whichever is longer, take the dildo out of your mouth with some sort of expressive moan/grunt/groan/sigh of alarm, frustration, anger, or exasperation. Then, take the 8-20 cups of water you have prepared and splash yourself with one every 3-5 seconds, for a total of AT LEAST 30 seconds of giant facial cumshot after the swallow. Start with the cup that contains the most water and work your way down to the one with the least water. Continue making similar moans/groans/grunts/sighs. If you have a suction-cup dildo and a convenient surface to stick it to, you can make handjob sounds during the giant facial cumshot scene, as well. That's completely optional, though. Say the last 2 lines during the last 3-5 splashes.]
[Stage whisper, frustrated, upset, and angry:] What the *fuck* was that?
[Start this line at a stage whisper, and gradually transition to less and less of a whisper.] Sure, you told me you'd give me something to drink. You didn't tell me that you'd give me so much to drink that I'd be *full* for the rest of the night. Or that you'd make such a mess. Look, you got it *everywhere*. My suit, my hair... [Not whispering now] Shit!
[Not whispering, almost loud or fake-louding:] Fuck, now I'm covered in cum and everybody is looking at us. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | OpenWebText2 |
What Developers Look For in an Employer Branding Story
Out of all the topics that we’ve covered on this blog, employer branding is our third largest category—and for good reason. Large organizations such as The Washington Post have made subtle tweaks to their employer branding strategy that enable them to attract and engage with developers. There’s also plenty of data that suggests that there are serious financial implications for companies that don’t make branding a priority.
Over the last few years, developers have said that company culture is one of their top priorities in a new job. In response, many talent acquisition leaders are applying storytelling concepts to their employer branding strategy. When you hear the word “storytelling,” you probably think about long-form articles or novels that inspired and moved you deeply.
But are developers looking for a traditional story arc that’s inspired by your company mission? Or are they just looking for the facts? We asked a few developers about how they evaluate a company’s employer branding story. Here’s what they had to say.
Keep It Simple, but Don’t Skip the Technical Details
In this year’s Developer Survey, 13% of respondents said that a company’s culture is their highest concern when assessing a new job. Aurelien Gasser, a Developer here at Stack Overflow, agrees that this is something that programmers should consider. But he also tells us that in his opinion, an employer branding story driven by technology is more compelling.
“When I want to learn about a company’s mission, I can usually find what I’m looking for in their general marketing materials,” Gasser continues. “I’m more interested in the technologies that every company uses. I think a good technical job listing should have a minimum of four sentences about the programming languages and frameworks in the tech stack.”
Of course, this is far from a mandate to omit details about your organization’s culture. But take another look at your employer branding materials for developers. Is there enough information about your team’s tech stack or current projects? A few additional sentences about the technical side of your employer branding story could make your company more attractive to tech candidates.
Understand the Candidate’s Impact on Your Company
Tom Flanagan, a Senior Software Engineer at Marvel Entertainment, says that employers commonly make one mistake when they sell themselves to candidates. “Job listings and recruiter emails often make grand assumptions about the positions and what a single engineer can do,” Flanagan says. Although developers prioritize opportunities for professional development, he says that this isn’t an effective way to advertise career growth.
“They often say something along the lines of, ‘We need a world-class engineer who will re-architect and develop our entire product line from the ground-up, in addition to upgrading our infrastructure to meet our extremely high bandwidth needs,’” Flanagan continues. “Describing a position like that won't make it enticing to anyone. If expectations are that high at the beginning, a developer will have no room to impress an organization with their talent.”
With that in mind, it’s clear that your employer branding for developers needs to be realistic. What types of contributions are you hoping that one developer will make? Are you asking too much of candidates through your employer branding? On the surface, this might not seem like an exciting employer branding story for developers—but the good news is that you don’t need anything over the top to get their attention.
Rich is a Content Marketing Writer at Stack Overflow, where he covers the latest in tech recruiting and developer engagement. When he's not writing, Rich can be found hanging with his wife, watching his favorite college football team with his dad, or running around Manhattan in preparation for his next marathon. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
Contents show]
History
I didn't know what the @#!*% was going on. But it was an invasion. Right here in America. An invasion! And my first thought -- my first thought was: The baby! I've got to find and protect the baby. And maybe that doesn't surprise you, but it surprised the @#!*% out of me. I will confess this... When I first auditioned to be the nanny, I was really hoping that the Avengers would notice me and say amongst themselves: We really need her on the team. I took this job hoping to be an Avenger but now all I cared about -- all I cared about was protecting the child. -- Squirrel Girl src
Early Life
Doreen Green was born to Dorian and Maureen Green. She suffered a modification in her genes for unknown reasons that granted her squirrel-like abilities, which manifested predominantly in the form of a prehensile tail. When her parents consulted with a doctor, it was determined that Doreen wasn't a mutant, even though she believed so for a long time.[1] Maureen insisted that they keep it secret to not hurt peoples' feelings because they don't have a squirrel tail, but Doreen suspected that something else came into play as well.[7]
When she was ten years old, Doreen discovered she could communicate with squirrels after overhearing one of these rodents in her window. She subsequently saved this squirrel from being chased by a dog, and they became friends. The squirrel, who identified himself as Monkey Joe, encouraged Doreen to use her abilities to help people. Ever since then, Doreen began to fantasize about becoming a superhero, and came up with the alias of the "Unbeatable Squirrel Girl."[8]
First Adventures
When she was fourteen, Doreen ambushed Iron Man in a California forest near Stark Enterprises Headquarters and hoped to impress the veteran hero, wishing him to take her under his wing as his sidekick. Unimpressed, Iron Man politely declined, when suddenly the duo was attacked by Doctor Doom in a large aircraft. Doom captured and subdued Iron Man, and began to fly out over the Pacific Ocean where he planned to dispose of Iron Man's body once he killed him. Underestimating her, Doom left Squirrel Girl to her own devices. She devised a plan and used her ability to communicate with squirrels through an open door as the ship passed over the forest. Hundreds of squirrels answered her call and flooded Doom's ship, chewing through the wires, and swamping the evil dictator with their furry bodies. Iron Man was freed, they emerged victoriously, and the two heroes went their separate ways.[9]
Doreen then moved to Shady Oaks, New Jersey and became friends with Ana Sofía Arcos Romero.[7] Shortly after her fifteenth birthday, Squirrel Girl assisted was the Hulk, who landed unconscious one day next to her treehouse in the middle of a fight against the Abomination. A concussion had blinded the Hulk, so he had to reluctantly accept Squirrel Girl's help. After swarming Abomination with squirrels, Doreen directed Hulk how to move to land punches and dodge attacks until the villain was knocked out.[8]
Great Lakes Avengers
Squirrel Girl later relocated to New York City. While fighting crime in Central Park, she saved the Great Lakes Avengers from muggers, for which the GLA recruited her. Alongside her new teammates Squirrel Girl witnessed the death of Grasshopper and became very frightened, but was determined not to give up. Thanks to her squirrel army, Squirrel Girl was able to help stop Maelstrom from destroying the world.[10]
After Squirrel Girl made a fuss to be certain that Monkey Joe was an official member of the team, he was apparently killed by Doctor Doom seeking revenge. In actuality, this was a rejected member of the GLA named Leather Boy in a variation of Dr. Doom's costume. Squirrel Girl found a new squirrel companion, the only one of her squirrel army who had survived Maelstrom's wrath, whom she named Tippy Toe.[11]
Squirrel Girl and Tippy Toe managed to individually defeat M.O.D.O.K., Terrax, and Thanos. Uatu, the Earth's Watcher, was on hand to confirm that the Thanos she defeated was the real thing, and not a clone or copy of any kind.
After M.O.D.O.K.'s defeat, Dum-Dum Dugan offered Squirrel Girl a position at S.H.I.E.L.D., explaining that they'd been watching her for some time and found her to be one of the most effective people ever at defeating powerful super villains. Squirrel Girl declined the offer, saying she was happy being with the GLA.[12]
The Thing
While visiting squirrel friends in Central Park, Squirrel Girl came across the Thing fighting with Bi-Beast. She told the squirrels to retrieve the smelliest garbage they could find and place it around the combatants, resulting in everyone having to hold their noses. Bi-Beast had to use both hands to hold his noses, leaving himself defenseless and allowing Thing to knock him out.[13]
Great Lakes Champions
Squirrel Girl and the rest of the newly-renamed Great Lakes Champions, who took the name after winning a poker game, registered under the Superhero Registration Act the morning the law was enacted. However, mercenary-for-hire Deadpool, assuming the Champions were non-registered, attacked the team at their headquarters (Deadpool sought to ingratiate himself with the government by capturing non-registered heroes). Deadpool was bested in combat by Squirrel Girl; his distraction at her appearance and name contributed to his inability to mount an adequate defense to her attacks.[4]
Deadpool and the GLA would later team up a few months later to take down A.I.M. agents who had kidnapped a wayward Olympian God and fashioned an inebriation ray that made every superhero on the planet (save for Deadpool and the GLI) drunk. After the battle, Deadpool decided to hang around the GLI's new government-funded headquarters, as a "reserve member" for a while.[2]
Confronting Speedball
Squirrel Girl was a huge fan of the New Warriors, especially Robbie "Speedball" Baldwin, on whom she had a crush. She learned of Speedball's transformation into the darker hero code-named Penance after Deadpool provided her with a copy of Civil War: Front Line #10. Squirrel Girl traveled to Thunderbolts Mountain to convince Robbie to lighten up and stop being Penance. Frustrated by his current attitude and unwavering determination to remain as Penance, Squirrel Girl traveled to Latveria to use one of Doctor Doom's time machines to travel to the past and prevent Speedball from ever becoming Penance. The machine instead transported her into the future, where she encountered an alternate version of Speedball (whom she unsuccessfully tried to get to travel back to the past with her), and Mister Immortal, who told her she had an important task to perform in the past — namely, kicking Deadpool out of the Great Lakes Initiative's headquarters.[14]
Secret Invasion
When the Skrulls launched their invasion on Earth, Squirrel Girl and the GLI confronted their latest recruit, the new Grasshopper, who had revealed himself as a Skrull infiltrator.[15] Some time after the invasion was over, Squirrel Girl and her teammates welcomed Gravity to the GLI when he was relocated from Nevada to Wisconsin.[16]
Heroic Age
Squirrel Girl eventually realized that she was holding back her teammates, who wouldn't join her in fighting supervillains because she was competent enough to beat them on her own. After defeating Fin Fang Foom while her teammates remained at their HQs calmly playing poker, she decided to unceremoniously leave the GLI and go solo.[17] She would return to New York City not long after that.[18]
Danielle Cage's Nanny
Doreen was hired to be the nanny of Danielle Cage and lived in the Avengers Mansion alongside the New Avengers.[19] She looked after the baby through many events, most notably the Serpent's invasion.[20] When Luke Cage left the team, she followed him and Jessica Jones, as she was still the nanny of their child.[21]
ESU Student
After leaving Luke Cage and Jessica Jones, Doreen started living secretly in the attic of the Avengers Mansion until she enrolled in the Empire State University. During her first day of class she encountered who would become her best friend and confidante, Nancy Whitehead, and her cat Mew. Doreen also confronted Kraven the Hunter, and convinced him to give up on his vendetta against Spider-Man.[22] Doreen soon developed a crush on one of her first few acquaintances at the ESU, Tomas Lara-Perez,[23] later revealed to be the superhero Chipmunk Hunk, who possessed similar powers to Squirrel Girl's, and fought crime together with his friend Ken Shiga, also known as Koi Boi. Both Chipmunk Hunk and Koi Boi became Doreen's friends and allies.[24]
During her second year at college,[1] Doreen became a member of Sunspot's New Avengers,[25] and transitioned into the U.S.Avengers when Sunspot began working for S.H.I.E.L.D. and the American intelligence service.[26] Doreen also assisted the supervillain Brain Drain in reforming and becoming a good-doer himself.[1] During her subsequent adventures, Doreen most notably confronted Doctor Doom in the past[27] and stopped the multiplying villain Enigmo from taking over the United States.[28] For a brief time, Doreen received mentoring and was even gifted a flying suit from entrepreneur Melissa Morbeck, though it turned to be part of an intricate plan of world domination.[29] During a trip to the Savage Land, Doreen teamed-up with Kraven the Hunter to fight a version of Ultron, which cemented him as an ally of Squirrel Girl, and swayed him from the path of villainy.[30]
At some point, Squirrel Girl was able to examine Vincent Doonan and study his Doombot technology in exchange for hanging out with Gwenpool. The two have also teamed-up to rescue Gwen's brother, Teddy Poole, from Mephisto's realm.[31] Gwenpool later remembered that incident fondly while speaking at Doreen's funeral held after a Skrull had staged her death.[5]
Powers and Abilities
Powers
Squirrel Powers: Squirrel Girl is a mutate with several traits that are similar to or usually associated with squirrels. Squirrel Girl possesses superhuman strength, speed, agility, and reflexes.[32] She possesses the proportional abilities of a squirrel scaled up to human size.[33]
Superhuman Strength: Squirrel Girl is super-humanly strong and can lift between 800 lbs and 25 tons. [32] Superhuman Jaw Strength: Doreen's jaws are capable of biting with one million and eighty-five thousand pounds of pressure. This allows her, for instance, to chow through a steel door in a matter of seconds. [33] Superhuman Leaping: Squirrel Girl's superhuman strength extends to her legs, allowing her to leap several stories. [32]
Squirrel Girl is super-humanly strong and can lift between 800 lbs and 25 tons. Climbing: Squirrel Girl has small claws on each finger and toe to enhance her gripping and climbing abilities. [32]
Squirrel Girl has small claws on each finger and toe to enhance her gripping and climbing abilities. Prehensile Tail: Squirrel Girl has a bushy, 3-foot long semi-prehensile tail that she can use to cover opponents’ eyes or wrap around herself for warmth. When in her civilian identity, she tucks it into her pants, passing off the extra bulge as "having a conspicuously awesome butt." [32]
Squirrel Girl has a bushy, 3-foot long semi-prehensile tail that she can use to cover opponents’ eyes or wrap around herself for warmth. When in her civilian identity, she tucks it into her pants, passing off the extra bulge as "having a conspicuously awesome butt." Night Vision: According to herself, Doreen possesses good night vision. [33]
According to herself, Doreen possesses good night vision. Enhanced Peripheral Vision: Due to her squirrel abilities, Doreen's peripheral vision is as sharp and clear as her direct gaze.[34]
Knuckle Spike: Squirrel Girl has a retractable knuckle spike capable of carving through solid wood.[32]
Communication with Squirrels: Squirrel Girl can perfectly mimic squirrel sounds (which she refers to as "Squirrelese"), as well as actually communicate with and direct the actions of squirrels. She often uses a number of squirrels to distract or even assault others, chewing through circuitry and other materials. She shares a close, possibly empathic, bond with certain squirrels, such as Monkey Joe and Tippy Toe.[32]
Regenerative Healing Factor: Squirrel Girl is able to heal at an accelerated rate.[32]
Abilities
Computer Science Expert: Doreen is an expert in computer science.[33]
Paraphernalia
Equipment
Transportation
Weapons
Squirrels: Squirrel Girl's deadliest weapons are her squirrels. In addition to Monkey Joe and Tippy Toe, Squirrel Girl gave specific names to several other squirrels.[35] These were named Slippy Pete, Mr. Freckle, and Nutso, and all were presumably killed when they were sucked into the singularity created by Maelstrom.[32]
Notes
Squirrel Girl was 14 years old at the time of her first appearance and announced that her birthday is sometime in July. [22] As of Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Vol 2 #16, she was 20 years old.
As of Vol 2 #16, she was 20 years old. Squirrel Girl's first appearance was almost assured to be her last, given the silliness of the character's concept, especially in the grittier and more grown up comic market trend of the early 1990s. She existed primarily as a matter of trivia, or an example of an extremely bad character, for the next decade. Her only known appearance during this time was as the pattern on a pair of underwear worn by the comedic character Deadpool.[36]
Trivia
Doreen's name comes from her parents Dorian and Maureen mashing their names together after they got stuck on what to call her.[1]
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| tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | OpenWebText2 |
In a series of interviews in her sparsely but artfully furnished apartment, Ms. Herrera always offered an afternoon cocktail “Oh, don’t be abstemious!” and an outpouring of stories about prerevolutionary Cuba, postwar Paris and the many artists she has known, from Wifredo Lam to Yves Klein to Barnett Newman.
Image Ms. Herrera’s “Red Star” from 1949. Credit... Collection of Estrellita Brodsky, First Sale
“Ah, Wifredo,” she said, referring to Lam, the Cuban-born French painter. “All the girls were crazy about him. When we were in Havana, my phone would begin ringing: ‘Is Wifredo in town?’ I mean, come on, I wasn’t his social secretary.”
But Ms. Herrera is less expansive about her own art, discussing it with a minimalism redolent of the work. “Paintings speak for themselves,” she said. Geometry and color have been the head and the heart of her work, she added, describing a lifelong quest to pare down her paintings to their essence, like visual haiku.
Asked how she would describe to a student a painting like “Blanco y Verde” (1966) a canvas of white interrupted by an inverted green triangle she said, “I wouldn’t have a student.” To a sweet, inquiring child, then? “I’d give him some candy so he’d rot his teeth.”
When pressed about what looks to some like a sensual female shape in the painting, she said: “Look, to me it was white, beautiful white, and then the white was shrieking for the green, and the little triangle created a force field. People see very sexy things dirty minds! but to me sex is sex, and triangles are triangles.”
Born in 1915 in Havana, where her father was the founding editor of the daily newspaper El Mundo, and her mother a reporter, Ms. Herrera took art lessons as a child, attended finishing school in Paris and embarked on a Cuban university degree in architecture. In 1939, midway through her studies, she married Mr. Loewenthal and moved to New York. (They had no children.) | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | OpenWebText2 |
Center for Energy and Economic Diversification
Welcome to CEED's Web Site. Our goal at CEED is to help with the needs of the Permian Basin. If our personnel in the Economic Diversification Program, Small Business Development Center, or Petroleum Industry Alliance don't have the answer to your question or problem, we will try to find the answer, or put you in touch with the person or group who does have the answer to your problems. Our friendly staff enjoys helping you plan a successful event at CEED. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
Responses to mechanical and electrical stimuli are not attenuated by late pregnancy.
Pregnancy has been associated with increased pain threshold. This study investigates the responses to mechanical and electrical stimuli in pregnant and non-pregnant women. Thirty pregnant women were subjected before and four days after elective caesarean section under regional anaesthesia to mechanical and electrical stimuli on both forearms. Thirty nonpregnant women were subjected to the same stimuli at the same time points. The responses to mechanical stimuli were expressed in mm of the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and averaged for both forearms. The VAS scores obtained after the electrical stimuli were divided by the mA recorded when the stimulus was applied, expressed in mm/mA and averaged. The responses to mechanical stimuli recorded before and four days after application did not differ between the two groups (F = 0.884, df = 3,116, P = 0.452). In the pregnant group the VAS values before and four days after the caesarean section were 16.4 +/- 14.4 mm and 12.8 +/- 12.5 mm respectively. In the nonpregnant group the VAS values recorded four days apart were 17.5 +/- 14.3 mm and 13.4 +/- 11.9 mm respectively. The responses to electrical stimuli applied four days apart also did not differ between the two groups (F = 2.433, df = 3,116, P = 0.069). The VAS values obtained after the first and second application of the electrical stimulus were 0.914 +/- 0.606 mm/mA versus 0.586 +/- 0.410 mm/mA in the pregnant and 0.853 +/- 0.538 mm/mA versus 0.725 +/- 0.467 mm/mA in the nonpregnant group. These results, under the study conditions, do not support the hypothesis that late pregnancy is associated with increased antinociception in humans. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | PubMed Abstracts |
The "gout of the Medici": making the modern diagnosis using paleopathology.
Documentary sources show that painful joint disease afflicted several members of the Medici family, which dominated Renaissance Florence in Italy. The term frequently reported in contemporary archives to indicate these morbid episodes is "gout." Paleopathology allows us to verify the nosological information obtained from the written documents and to clarify the nature of the rheumatological condition that afflicted the Medici. A paleopathological study carried out on the skeletal remains of several members of the Medici family buried in the basilica of S. Lorenzo in Florence demonstrated that the "gout" of the Medici was truly a uric acid gout only in Ferdinand I (1549-1609), whose left foot showed peculiar lesions. Genetic and environmental factors, with particular regard to diet, may have been involved in the etiology of this disease, which in Ferdinand was associated with diffuse idiopatic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH). DISH was observed also in the column of Cosimo the Elder (1389-1464) and Cosimo I (1519-1574); a link between the incidence of DISH and high social status, especially in terms of lifestyle and nutritional patterns, has been suggested and the present study seems to further confirm this association. Finally, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) was diagnosed in Cosimo the Elder, Piero "the Gouty" (1416-1469) and Cardinal Carlo (1596-1666); as for Carlo, macroscopic and radiological findings were supported by molecular results which revealed that he was bearing the specificity HLA-DR4 predisposing to RA. The coexistence of DISH and RA attested in Cosimo the Elder can be interpreted as coincidental. In conclusion, the term "gout" as used in Renaissance texts has to be regarded as the clinical manifestation of a number of different joint diseases. In the case of the Medici family in Florence, these included DISH, rheumatoid arthritis and uric acid gout. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | PubMed Abstracts |
167 F.3d 675
Jean MAYES, Plaintiff, Appellant,v.CHRYSLER CREDIT CORPORATION, Defendant, Appellee.
No. 98-1253.
United States Court of Appeals,First Circuit.
Heard Sept. 11, 1998.Jan. 22, 1999.
Christopher C. Trundy with whom Law Offices of Christopher C. Trundy was on brief for appellant.
Jonathan D. Deily with whom Deily, Dautel & Mooney, LLP was on brief for appellee.
Before TORRUELLA, Chief Judge, BOUDIN and STAHL, Circuit Judges.
BOUDIN, Circuit Judge.
1
This case arises out of an action by Jean Mayes to enjoin the collection of a debt owed by his former wife, Michele Mayes, to Chrysler Credit Corporation ("Chrysler"). Jean Mayes has an interest in the case because he agreed, in the divorce agreement, to indemnify Michele Mayes for any payments she is required to make to Chrysler. The balance of the case is a protracted, but unsuccessful, effort by Jean Mayes to show that he is entitled to resist the collection of a debt owed by his wife.
2
The facts are not unduly complicated. Having purchased a Nantucket car dealership in 1984, Jean Mayes entered into a continuing financing arrangement in May 1985 with Chrysler in order to finance the dealership's car inventory. The "borrower" was the dealership, but Chrysler required Jean Mayes and Michele Mayes to sign a guarantee making them each individually liable for the dealership's debts to Chrysler.
3
Jean Mayes was the president and sole shareholder of the company, and we will assume without deciding (the issue has not been addressed) that he would be regarded as an "applicant" for the loan under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act ("ECOA"), 15 U.S.C. § 1691 et seq. His wife had an independent career as a corporate attorney with only secondary connections to the dealership: she owned or co-owned the land rented to the dealership and was listed as a director and officer, although she says that she did not participate in the management.
4
Whether requiring her to guarantee the loans violated ECOA has never been decided. The statute makes it unlawful, inter alia, for any lender "to discriminate against any applicant ... on the basis of ... sex or marital status," 15 U.S.C. § 1691(a)(1), and it was a purpose of the statute to prevent loans from being conditioned automatically on the securing of the signature of the non-borrowing spouse. Chrysler says it had justification that made its conditioning lawful; the Mayeses have asserted the contrary. No court has yet found it necessary to resolve this dispute, which almost certainly involves factual issues.
5
The dealership did not pay its debt to Chrysler and in December 1990 Chrysler sued the dealership and Michele Mayes in federal district court for approximately $750,000. Jean Mayes was not sued, apparently because by then he had entered bankruptcy proceedings. One of Michele Mayes's defenses was that the guarantee secured from her was in violation of ECOA. The district court bypassed this defense as inadequately asserted; on appeal this court chose to address the ECOA defense but rejected it because the regulations expressly withheld the defense from guarantors.
6
ECOA has been implemented by regulations of the Federal Reserve Board. At the time of the loan in May 1985, the person protected under ECOA--the "applicant"--was defined by the Board's regulations to exclude guarantors from the definition of "applicant." The Board thereafter revised its regulation effective October 1, 1986, to include guarantors as applicants, 12 C.F.R. § 202.2(e). However, Michele Mayes did not claim that the regulation applied retroactively to her case, and at least one court had held that the regulation was not retroactive. Boatmen's First Nat'l Bank v. Koger, 784 F.Supp. 815 (D.Kan.1992).
7
On the original appeal, this court held that under the original regulation Michele Mayes, as a guarantor, had neither a claim nor a defense under ECOA's civil liability provisions, which make the lender who violates the statute liable for damages and equitable relief in favor of "the aggrieved applicant." 15 U.S.C. §§ 1691e(a), (c). See Mayes v. Chrysler Credit Corp., 37 F.3d 9, 11-12 (1st Cir.1994). Rejecting various other arguments offered by Mayes, we upheld the judgment entered against her in the district court.
8
Jean Mayes then brought the present action in the same federal district court seeking to enjoin Chrysler from collecting on the judgment against Michele Mayes. His theory, briefly put, was that Chrysler had violated ECOA in conditioning the loan on Michele's signature, that Jean Mayes as an applicant did have standing even under the original regulation, and that his own prospective injury--liability to his former wife under the indemnification agreement--traced back to the unlawful act of Chrysler in securing the guarantee.
9
The district court granted summary judgment in favor of Chrysler on the ground that the violation of ECOA, if there was one, occurred in May 1985 when the loan was made and the guarantee secured. ECOA has an explicit statute of limitations on damage or equitable relief providing (with one here irrelevant exception) that "[n]o such action shall be brought later than two years from the date of the occurrence of the violation...." 15 U.S.C. § 1691e(f). We address the statute of limitations issue with special care, because we have today endorsed an exception to the statute of limitations unknown to the district court. See Bolduc v. Beal Bank, No. 98-1285, 1st Cir., slip op. at 8-10, 167 F.3d 667, 672-673.
10
The exception to the statute of limitations is based on the common-law doctrine of recoupment. At a time when counter-claims were unknown, the courts permitted a debtor who was sued in a transaction to assert as a "defense" a claim against the creditor growing out of the same transaction up to the amount of the primary claim asserted by the creditor. On the grounds of fairness, such recoupment was permitted even if the statute had run on the debtor's claim against the creditor and could not have been asserted independently in a lawsuit by the debtor against the creditor. See 6 Arthur Alan Wright, Arthur R. Miller & Mary Kay Kane, Federal Practice and Procedure § 1401 (2d ed.1990).
11
As a procedural device, recoupment (and its sister "set-off") has largely been superseded by the counter-claim provisions of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, but the use of recoupment to avoid the statute of limitations continues to endure. Recoupment doctrine might seem an archaic reason for avoiding a statute of limitations explicitly adopted by Congress, but the exception makes some practical sense in certain cases under ECOA. The paradigm case is the spouse who is wrongly made to co-sign or guarantee a debt but may be unconscious of the violation and lack any incentive to assert the defense until actually sued on the note or guarantee which may well be more than two years after the original violation. See, e.g., Integra Bank/Pittsburgh v. Freeman, 839 F.Supp. 326, 329 (E.D.Pa.1993).
12
In Bolduc, we have now agreed that the statute of limitations can be avoided where the claim of an ECOA violation can be brought within the recoupment doctrine. It is not clear whether traditional recoupment permitted claims for injunctive relief; the doctrine itself evolved over time. See 6 Wright, Miller & Kane, supra, § 1401. In Bolduc, we have ruled that in at least some circumstances affirmative equitable relief might be regarded as the equivalent of a preemptively asserted recoupment defense (e.g., where as a practical matter a preemptive equitable suit was the only way to assert the recoupment defense). See Bolduc, op. at 8-10, 167 F.3d at 672-673.
13
However, this is not a case where recoupment may be applied to avoid the statute of limitations. Recoupment is a defense by a debtor against a claim brought against him by his own creditor. Here, the creditor (Chrysler) has made no claim against Jean Mayes. Chrysler's claim was against Michele Mayes, and this court decided that she may not assert an alleged ECOA violation as a defense. Therefore, recoupment could not be used to save Jean Mayes's claim against Chrysler--if, indeed, he had one--from the two-year ECOA statute of limitations unless and until Chrysler brought or threatened a suit against Jean Mayes himself.
14
Furthermore, even if Jean Mayes's suit were not barred by the statute of limitations, he has no claim for damages or injunctive relief under ECOA for harm done to his wife. If anyone was injured by requiring Michele Mayes to sign the guarantee, it was she and not Jean Mayes, who after all received the loan he had sought.1 Jean Mayes has chosen to indemnify Michele Mayes but that was Jean Mayes' own choice. ECOA does not itself give a claim to someone who was not himself harmed by a violation but chooses to indemnify another who has suffered such harm.
15
Often an indemnifier would, by agreement or operation of law, seek to subrogate himself to any claim that the indemnified party might have against the creditor, but that path is not open to Jean Mayes in this case. From the timing of our earlier decision holding that Michele Mayes had no recognizable claim, Jean Mayes likely knew of this ruling before he agreed to indemnify his wife in the divorce settlement. In all events, he cannot enforce his former wife's claim because she has none.
16
Affirmed.
1
Even a party who has received a loan might still be damaged by requiring a spouse to sign--or so some courts have held in allowing damages to the applicants' credit reputation or, more surprisingly, for emotional distress. See Fischl v. General Motors Acceptance Corp., 708 F.2d 143, 148 (5th Cir.1983). But even if these cases were followed, they allow the applicant to recover only for harm to him
| tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | FreeLaw |
Gut microbial metabolites of polyunsaturated fatty acids correlate with specific fecal bacteria and serum markers of metabolic syndrome in obese women.
The aim of this human study was to assess the influence of prebiotic-induced gut microbiota modulation on PUFA-derived bacterial metabolites production. Therefore, we analyzed the circulating fatty acid profile including CLA/CLnA in obese women treated during 3 months with inulin-type fructan prebiotics. In these patients, we had already determined gut microbiota composition by phylogenetic microarray and qPCR analysis of 16S rDNA. Some PUFA-derived bacterial metabolites were detected in the serum of obese patients. Despite the prebiotic-induced modulation of gut microbiota, including changes in CLA/CLnA-producing bacteria, the treatment did not impact significantly on the circulating level of these metabolites. However, some PUFA-derived bacterial metabolites were positively correlated with specific fecal bacteria (Bifidobacterium spp., Eubacterium ventriosum and Lactobacillus spp.) and inversely correlated with serum cholesterol (total, LDL, HDL). These correlations suggest a potential beneficial effect of some of these metabolites but this remains to be confirmed by further investigation. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | PubMed Abstracts |
Ultimate Digital Experiences
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for tomorrow's world.
#ZepoIsReady
Hello!
We are Zepo Commerce, an established Web Design, Web Development & Mobile APP Development company devoting a considerable amount of time in developing and promoting websites with a team of experts. We use modern technology to have results to expand our customer’s businesses.
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WHAT OUR CLIENTS ARE SAYING
“When I first made contact with Aditya and team, I was taken with the ‘can-do’ attitude towards our entire project (it was a big one), and their willingness to meet our needs – both creative and budgetary! We had a fairly intense approval process on our end, but the Zepo Commerce team always made working together easy; from new needs popping up, to last minute changes, the overall approach was hard-working but always positive. Even post-launch, the team has continued to be helpful and interactive, making it easy to solve any issues quickly and resolutely. Thank you, Zepo Commerce!”
Vamsi Krishna
Taaza Groceries
“In our case, there was no business without the site! Zepo Commerce was the only company that within the first meeting made me feel very confident and comfortable that they understood and could produce what we envisioned. It’s been a terrific experience working with them. I have never had to ask twice for answers and when delivered, they always made sense! The finished product is far superior than I imagined!”
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Shiny Owl
"We're pretty low-tech, so it was a relief when they shielded us from all the technical details and just made sure we were designing a site that looks and works amazing. Super hands on throughout the entire process, they never once made us feel like we were competing for their attention. All this and they still found the time to serve us a piping hot french press of perfectly brewed coffee at almost every meeting. Just when we thought they had outdone themselves. Yep, they're the best!"
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Castel Furnishing
“They were willing to help in every way, developing a professional and beautiful website which showcases our company very well. Their ability to develop creative solutions to the functionality and user experience of our site made for a fantastic end result. I was impressed all around with their skills, customer service and attention to detail every step of the way.”
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Voolli Designs
“Setting up the site was painless and always responded in a timely manner to any questions we had. They were thorough and very helpful in training our team to update and maintain the site. We see a clear correlation between our site traffic and an increase in customer visits. We are very pleased with our customer reach. We loved working with Zepo Commerce as well!”
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Grov Technologies
“We couldn't be more pleased with the website created for us by Zepo Commerce. It is current, attractive, and super easy to navigate. Since we maintain and edit our own website, ease of use on the administrative end was important as well. With the training provided and the responsiveness of Zepo Commerce, it is all good!”
Deepak Joshi
Exotic Pet Nutrition
“Zepo Commerce worked together to help design a beautiful site that met the needs of my business and met the aesthetic design requirements of four very different business owners—which is no small feat. They took the identity that our business has created and helped us to create a relevant, usable, and productive site. The level of communication and cooperation was above and beyond anything that we had experienced with their competitors.”
Priya Abhiram
Helba Ceramics
“The custom CMS they built makes it easy for us to keep our content up-to-date—it's simple, intuitive, and painless. The whole Zepo Commerce is professional, knowledgeable, and friendly. If an issue arises, they are responsive and come up with a solution quickly. We highly recommend the folks at Zepo Commerce.” | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
Q:
Use of set_timeout with Sublime Text 3 API
I am trying to use (as the title says) the
set_timeout
function of sublime text 3 in a plugin.
For what I understood, the use of a lambda function is required in many cases. So I tried this simple test :
class SetTimeoutTestCommand(sublime_plugin.WindowCommand):
def run(self):
for x in range(1,10):
sublime.set_timeout(lambda : print(x), 4000)
So I expected that I will have number printed one at a time with a delay of 4 seconds between each. As explained in the Sublime 3 API :
Runs the callback in the main thread after the given delay (in milliseconds). Callbacks with an equal delay will be run in the order they were added.
But instead I have 9 '9' that are printed after 4 seconds. So all '9' are printed at the same time, based on the first iteration of the loop.
Do you have an idea of what I can do to solve this ?
Thanks in advance !
Edit : I found this which work (well, which print '9' 9 times with 1 second delay between each :
class SetTimeoutTestCommand(sublime_plugin.WindowCommand):
def run(self):
for x in range(1,10):
sublime.set_timeout(lambda : print(x), x*1000)
But on problem remains : it only prints out '9' ....
A:
To print different numbers change your plugin script on this
class SetTimeoutTestCommand(sublime_plugin.WindowCommand):
def run(self, edit):
for x in range(1,10):
sublime.set_timeout(lambda x=x: print(x), x*1000)
Because all lambda functions refer to the same x and when it's executed the x value reaches 9.
| tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | StackExchange |
A nagykátai rendőrök elfogtak egy 14 és egy 12 éves fiút, akik ellen rablás és lopás miatt indult eljárás, szabadlábon hagyásuk mellett, írja a Police.hu.
A fiúk szerdán dél körül egy vásárlásból hazafelé tartó 69 éves tápióbicskei asszony kerékpárjának kosarából loptak ki egy táskát, amiben egy bankkártyát és pénzt tartalmazó tárca isvolt.
Még ugyanezen a napon késő este a szőlősnyaralói állomás közelében megtámadtak egy 67 éves sülysápi férfit. Hátba rúgták, majd a földre eső sértett alól kiráncigálták a táskáját és elszaladtak. A helyszín közelében később meglettek az iratok, egy kukából pedig előkerült a sértett elemlámpája és mobiltelefonja. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | OpenWebText2 |
The University of Virginia, in response to a recent Rolling Stone article that exposes an alleged 2012 gang rape at the Phi Kapp Psi chapter on its campus, announced over the weekend that it was shutting down all of its fraternities immediately. The only problem with that announcement is that the university also said it plans to let the fraternities reopen January 9. The right time to bring back the fraternities is never.
That details of that incident illustrate not only how a young woman can get raped at college, but also how her school will try its hardest to do nothing about it. As Rolling Stone recounts it, a freshman student was befriended by a Kappa brother, who gained her trust over the course of the semester's few weeks. He invited her over to a party at the fraternity's towering home base, and there he brought her back to a room where he and six other men took turns raping her.
The events reported in that story are an especially gruesome version of an act that is far too common at America's fraternities—according to a 2007 study, men who enter fraternities are three times as likely to commit rape as their fellow students who do not. It is past time for the country's colleges and universities to shut down their fraternity systems, entirely and forever.
One can make the argument that fraternities do good things, and sometimes they do (often just so that they can later justify the bad shit, but I'll play along). Yet here is a simple truth: Fraternities facilitate a substantial number of rapes on college campuses that would not otherwise happen. To say that we must keep fraternities around even though they manufacture rape is to say we must accept one of humanity's most heinous acts as an unavoidable cost of operating a college campus. It is not, and we must not.
A supporter of the fraternity system, who agrees that the issue of rape at fraternities must be addressed, might argue for some nebulous idea of "reform." But why wait? Why let the slow churn of bureaucracy eventually produce something that might, at the very least, better help women after they have already been raped?
Why not, instead, eradicate the source of so many of these assaults in the first place, and why not do it immediately? Why not use the upcoming spring semester—and the subsequent summer—to wash our hands of fraternities? Why not significantly reduce the number of rapists and rape victims in our next round of incoming freshmen?
Reform means trusting the same people—the deans and presidents and administrators—who have failed to protect young women, and failed to punish the men that have hurt those young women. Here is another simple truth: The act of rape has been allowed to prosper at fraternities for decades because it was convenient for the people who run colleges to have it that way.
Now, in this moment, it is no longer convenient for the people who run colleges to allow rape to prosper at their fraternities, so they are discussing what might be done to curb it. But when the media attention dissipates—and it will dissipate—will the people who run colleges again find it more convenient to let a culture of unchecked sexual assault prosper at their fraternities? Why even risk that they will?
A supporter of the fraternity system might argue that merely eliminating fraternities will not end the problem of rape in and around college campuses. This is true. But because we cannot snap our fingers and erase rape does not mean that we shouldn't try and start that process by snapping our fingers and erasing fraternities. When it comes to combating sexual assaults on campus, we must start somewhere. Ending fraternities, it is clear, would be the most effective place to start.
If we eliminate fraternities, won't young men on college campuses just find somewhere other than fraternities to commit rape? Some will, and if you ever were looking for a reason to get behind the "ban men" meme, this would be it. But fraternities produce rapists at a rate much higher than the rest of the college population. It is not a coincidence. There are statistics, backed by common sense.
There are very few other reasons, even at colleges, for 30 or so young men to congregate daily, in private, in an environment that has proven to facilitate sexual assault. There are very few places, even in college towns, that provide the space for 30 or so young men to gather women on the weekends, serve them alcohol (and other substances mixed with alcohol), and take them away to private rooms if they decide that they want to rape them.
Fraternity houses—with their big open rooms that branch out into smaller, darker, locked rooms—provide that space. In Rolling Stone's account of the UVA case, a fraternity brother and her date left an area where dozens of people were dancing and drinking, and he led her down a hallway and into another room. This in itself did not seem suspicious, as the victim describes it, but standing in that room were six other men, who had been waiting patiently to rape this specific victim.
The entire alleged crime was institutional and collective: fraternity members, using their fraternity house. No fraternity, no gang rape.
Phi Kappa Psi, like all fraternities, exists to teach bad values to developing young men. Sent off to campus to educate themselves as individuals, fraternity members instead learn to subordinate their values and plans to a collective. After a torturous and dehumanizing selection process, fraternity members are able to write a check and purchase 30 new friends; it's not surprising that they would see sex—pour a drink, girl is yours—as similarly transactional.
The needed reforms around rape on college campuses are complex. Lawmakers and administrators need to develop new systemic policies that will protect victims and actively identify, punish, and prosecute students who have committed sexual assaults. Meanwhile, though, they need to stop those rapes from happening in the first place. There's no easier way to start that process than by eliminating fraternities.
This may sound drastic. It is not. Colleges have already decided amongst themselves that eliminating fraternities is a quick and simple way of immediately reducing instances of sexual assault.
By deciding to suspend its fraternities temporarily, the University of Virginia has acknowledged that those frats cannot be implicated in any new offenses while the eyes of America are watching. It is a tacit admission that the school cannot risk, not now, another sexual assault being committed. It has decided that the easiest and most palatable way for this to happen—for UVA's fraternity brothers not to rape—is for its fraternities to cease to exist.
So why bring them back? Shut them down and move on.
[Image by Jim Cooke, photo via Shutterstock] | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | OpenWebText2 |
Indiana man accused of human trafficking, child molestation
This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.
Shaunta DeBouse
Indiana man accused of human trafficking, child molestation
Shaunta DeBouse
UPDATE:
Shaunta DeBouse pleaded guilty to three counts of child molesting on June 22, 2017. He was sentenced to 20 years on each count, served concurrently, so he will serve 20 years in DOC.
ORIGINAL STORY:
WINCHESTER, Ind. – A Randolph County man is charged in a sex trafficking case after investigators said he forced a woman to have sex with men he’d met online.
Shaunta Debouse, 36, was charged with promotion of human trafficking. His accuser said he repeatedly forced her to have sex with men he’d encountered online. Debouse received money for those encounters, the woman said, adding that he physically abused her and threatened to kill her.
During interviews with investigators, Debouse admitted he arranged the sexual encounters but insisted the woman had voluntarily participated in them.
Debouse is also accused of sexually abusing three children and faces five counts of child molesting. Investigators said Debouse initially denied those allegations but later acknowledged molesting two of the three children.
According to the Star Press, Debouse moved to Lynn from Richmond last month. He has previous misdemeanor convictions in New York City, Winston-Salem, N.C., Marietta, Ga., and Knoxville, Tenn. In Indiana, he’s been convicted of resisting law enforcement.
He’s also wanted on a warrant out of Pennsylvania in connection with a hit-and-run crash.
On July 19, he threatened to shoot his accuser with a BB gun and stab her with a broken pool cue, according to Lynn police. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
Q:
How to display unicode for "micron" or lower case "Mu" in a CEdit?
How to display unicode for "micron" or lower case "Mu" in a CEdit?
thx
CEdit *ed = new CEdit();
ed->Create(WS_VISIBLE | WS_BORDER, CRect(200,100,300,120), this, 10);
CString s;
s.Format("%c", xx); //<--- how to do unicode here?
ed->SetWindowText(s);
I think the unicodes:
micron 0x00b5
squared 0x00b2
cubed 0x00b3
degree 0x00b0
A:
If you're using the UNICODE project setting, this is trivial:
s.Format("%c", 0x3BC);
The CString will contain wide (UTF-16) characters which can hold most common Unicode characters in a single location; the only problem will come with Unicode code points over U+FFFF.
| tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | StackExchange |
The present invention relates to an AC powered field mounted process control transmitter, such as a magnetic flowmeter or a coriolis flowmeter for sensing fluid flow. More particularly, the present invention relates to an inrush current limiter for use in such a field mounted transmitter.
A magnetic flowmeter is a segment of pipe which measures the velocity of a fluid passing through it. The flowmeter creates a magnetic field in the fluid which induces an electric field in the fluid. The size of the electric field induced in the fluid is proportional to the velocity of the fluid through the pipe. By measuring the induced electric field, the magnetic flowmeter measures the velocity of the fluid flowing through the pipe. The flowmeter creates the magnetic field by passing a current through coils encircling a pipe through which conductive fluid flows. The magnitude of the field is given by Ampere's Law and is perpendicular to the flow of fluid through the pipe. Two electrodes flush-mounted on opposite sides of the flow pipe measure the electric potential induced in the fluid. An AC powered magnetic flowmeter converts an AC voltage source to a DC voltage source in order to power internal circuitry. Typically, the magnetic flowmeter uses a rectifying bridge to rectify the voltage and a capacitor to smooth the rectified AC signal in order to create a DC power source. The filter capacitor usually has a large capacitance to remove unwanted ripple.
The size of the capacitor has created a problem when the AC power source is interrupted. For short interruptions the capacitor will remain charged and normal operation will resume as soon as the AC input is resumed. However, for long interruptions of AC power, the filtering capacitor will discharge. When AC power is resumed, the capacitor draws a large amount of current as it recharges. This inrush of current can activate circuit breakers, and have damaging effects on the rest of the magnetic flowmeter's circuits.
Methods of inrush current limiting include use of a thermistor to sense and limit current. This method inherently creates excessive heat which is not compatible with explosion proof requirements commonly used in the process control industry. Other methods typically use a SCR and dissipate excessive amounts of power even when the limiting feature is inactive. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | USPTO Backgrounds |
8 Makeup Tips You Haven't Heard Before
8 Clever Makeup Tips You Haven't Heard Before
Makeup artists know all the secrets to looking great — those little tricks that can be picked up only by living in the beauty world 24/7 as they do. Fortunately, they're often as generous as they are knowledgeable. We talked with some of the best makeup artists in the business to get their best out-of-the-ordinary tips. (And no, we're not using the old "white eyeliner makes your eyes look bigger" thing. You've read it a hundred times.) Read on to see some of the best tips you haven't heard before.
Ditch the oil slick
To keep shine in check, Revlon Global Artistic Director Gucci Westman always keeps blotting papers on hand. But in a pinch, she has an unusual way to keep oil at bay. "Believe it or not," she says, "I sometimes put deodorant on my finger and dab under my eyes and t-zone to help create a matte look."
Try a colored eyeliner
Changing your eyeliner can make eyes look bigger and brighter, says makeup artist Tina Turnbow, who has worked with stars such as Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore. "Try swapping black for plum, olive green, or indigo," she suggests. "Black can close up the eye and make it appear smaller, because darker colors make the eye recede. Some colors, even brown, can be softer."
Go for sheer foundation
Adding aloe to foundation gives it excellent slip, says makeup artist Brett Freedman, who's helped women like Vanessa Hudgens and Leighton Meester get gorgeous. "Sheer out your favorite base by adding a half a pea size of aloe to your foundation before you apply," he explains. "Also, you can apply aloe to your face and while still dewy, spread on a little foundation. You're ready for Summer!"
Style your brows, size up your eyes
Doug Howell, Nars makeup artist, has an easy trick for making eyes stand out more. "Use a powder to define the entire brow, but give extra attention to the center arch area of the brow," he says. "Since this is the highest area of the brow, it tricks people's eyes into thinking your eyes look bigger." Use a brow brush to apply powder eye shadows that correspond with your hair color. He recommends Nars single eye shadows ($24 each) in these shades: Blondie for lighter hair, Bali for medium hair, and Coconut Grove for dark hair.
Create a wet look — for your lashes
"There's nothing sexier than the way lashes group together when they’re wet, like after getting out of a pool," says MAC Senior Artist Victor Cembellin. "Here’s the secret to the look: Apply MAC Brow Set in Clear ($15) to the eyelashes first, and then top with a coat of black mascara." The result: grouped, wet-look, sexy lashes.
Leave your lipstick in place
The same product can be used to keep lipstick in check, says MAC Senior Artist Louise Zizzo. "MAC Brow Set in Clear used around the rim of the mouth will help prevent lipstick from bleeding," she explains.
Create a camera-perfect manicure
When working with stars like Joy Bryant and Sheryl Crow, Dior celebrity makeup artist Ricky Wilson pays attention to details like fingernails. "One thing that I always do for nails is mix a bit of Dior's Skinflash pen ($37) with Dior Crème Abricot ($24) to get rid of any nicks at the base of the nail bed," he confides. "It also adds a beautiful sheen that I like to call 'red-carpet-ready' hands."
Get Bambi lashes without mascara
You don't need mascara to make your eyelashes stand out, says Mark celebrity makeup artist Mai Quynh, who has worked with actors including Emma Stone and Ashley Greene. Just add eyeliner, she says: "To get voluminous-looking lashes, apply dark brown or black waterproof eyeliner to the upper rim of your eye — not on top of the lashes, but in between and underneath them. This gives the illusion of thicker, fuller lashes without having a lined eye."
Am I really the only person who thinks 'wet' (clumpy) eyelashes look terrible? I must either be doing things wrong or be way out of style since I'm spending money trying to find the mascara brush that wil separate my eyelashes!
Ms. Westman is confusing deodorant with antiperspiant. Deodorant simply masks the odor whereas antiperspirant prevents the sweat from breaking through to the surface of the skin which is what causes the shine. Antiperspirant contains chemicals such as Aluminum Chlorohydrate, Ammonium Aluminum Sulfate, Potassium Aluminum Sulfate, Aluminum Zirconium Tetrachlorohydrex Glycine, and Aluminum hydroxybromide. They cause the cells to swell and it is that blockage that contributes to the matte look. These chemicals are not intended, nor are they safe, to use anywhere near the eyes. If you inadvertently get any in your eyes, you will find yourself with red, stinging, irritated eyes. If used frequently on your T-zone, they can cause breakouts because of the clogging action of the chemicals. With so many wonderful mattifying primers available--ones that are non-comedogenic and non-irritating--why would anyone with an ounce of common sense be advocating the use of deodorant/antiperspirants in the eye area! I am particularly alarmed that some of your readers have indicated that they want to try it.
Ladies, don't do it! Deodorant/ antiperspirant has never been approved for use around the eyes!
These tips are awful! Why would you listen to this? Deodorant on your face? What? Deodorant works by clogging your pores. Why would you want that on your face? Aloe in your foundation? When I apply aloe to a burn, it's always tacky. I couldn't imagine wanting that on my face. Who thinks clumped together eyelashes are sexy? Aren't we spending all our money trying to find the perfect separating mascara? Makeup on your hands might be good for the red carpet, but wash your hands once and you'll need to re-apply. Who wants to touch up all 10 fingers every time they go to the bathroom? And applying eyeliner to the inner rim of the eye is not only dangerous and asking for an infection, but will come off into your eye and collect at the tear duct, giving you black (or blue or eggplant) eye boogers. Not so sexy. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
Q:
Ember JS - Component vs. Factory
I am very new to Ember JS, and I even have to admit that it is my very first framework I use.
Well. I am facing a design problem. I want to make an audio webapplication which will at all time need to be able to play audio, and therefore I want to make an AudioPlayer singleton that will be available in the app's entire lifespan.
According to Ember's documentation on Dependency Injection I could just register a factory, which by default is registered as singleton, and I could access it by all time via:
applicationInstance.lookup('audio:player'); // For example
This seems like an idea, but I also need an interface for the audio player, with knobs like play, pause and stop; HTML that is. Is that possible? To make a "view" for the factory?
The second possibility I see is making an audio-player component, but with the component I have to give up the singleton, and I really only want just one audioplayer on the site, which will also be the owner of the AudioContext, which is only needed once per site.
So. What should I do? Should I go with the factory or with the model?
PS: I want to think that I need a controller, but I have read in the Ember JS guide that it is soon to be deprecated.
A:
I quickly implemented something for you, that expands on the comment by @Deewendra. You'll see the app consists of the two afformentioned parts.
The audio-player service in the services directory
export default Ember.Service.extend({
ids: [0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10],
songs: Ember.computed('ids',function(){
return this.get('ids').map(id => {
return { id: id, title: `Awesome Song ${id}`}
})
}),
currentlyPlaying: '',
currentIndex: 0,
currentStatus: 'stopped',
start() {
this.setSongByIndex();
this.set('currentStatus','playing');
},
stop(){
this.set('currentStatus','stopped');
},
nextSong() {
let maxIndex = this.get('ids.length') - 1;
let currentIndex = this.get('currentIndex');
let nextIndex = currentIndex + 1;
if (nextIndex > maxIndex) {
this.stop();
} else {
this.set('currentIndex',nextIndex);
this.setSongByIndex();
}
},
previousSong() {
let maxIndex = this.get('ids.length') - 1;
let currentIndex = this.get('currentIndex');
let prevIndex = currentIndex - 1;
if (prevIndex < 0) {
this.stop();
} else {
this.set('currentIndex',prevIndex);
this.setSongByIndex();
}
},
setSongByIndex() {
const songs = this.get('songs');
const currentIndex = this.get('currentIndex');
this.set('currentlyPlaying',songs[currentIndex]);
}
});
An audio-player component
// components/audio-player.js
export default Ember.Component.extend({
audioPlayer: Ember.inject.service('audio-player'),
actions: {
start() {
this.get('audioPlayer').start();
},
stop() {
this.get('audioPlayer').stop();
},
next(){
this.get('audioPlayer').nextSong();
},
previous(){
this.get('audioPlayer').previousSong();
}
}
});
// templates/components/audio-player
Song Title: {{audioPlayer.currentlyPlaying.title}} <br/>
Audio Player Status: {{audioPlayer.currentStatus}} <br/>
<button {{action 'start'}}>Start</button> |
<button {{action 'next'}}>Next</button> |
<button {{action 'previous'}}>Previous</button> |
<button {{action 'stop'}}>Stop</button> |
Which is connected to the service by using the Ember.inject.service() method.
As you'll see, the "state" of the player lives in the service, and the component interacts with it via a html/handlebars template, coupled with a javascript file equivalent to the name of the template, that will handle interactions between the "view"(template) and "state"(service).
Here is a twiddle to click around in, and experiment.
I'm not sure what your experience is in regards to programming outside of "frameworks", in regards to web technologies etc, and thought twice about submitting this, but I think it should help more than it will hurt.
| tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | StackExchange |
But it's OK! If it's a monarchy, the line of succession is safe, or the king has chosen an agreeable replacement beforehand; if not, there are proper democratic (or at least elective) mechanisms in place for selecting a new leader. The old makes way for the new...
Reasons for this trope being deployed vary. Sometimes it simply showcases the problem of having an experienced leader suddenly get replaced by someone who hasn't got the hang of things yet; that leader may show Character Development and improve. Sometimes the new leader is fairly competent under normal circumstances, but his father was a genius at war, or intrigue, or even just keeping the wolves from the door, which applies especially to CEOs, and the circumstances are most assuredly NOT optimal. If this is the case, if the new ruler is The Hero, he again will eventually come up to the mark, albeit with a lot of problems and challenges along the way. Unless it's a Downer Ending of course. If he is not the main character, then it will be up to The Hero to guide the new leader or at least ensure he doesn't screw up too badly... or maybe the new king will be the reason for the country/whatever collapsing, the villain winning initially, and the heroes will be La Résistance, stemming from a Prequel or Backstory. Sometimes something in the bloodline will hit the new ruler, leaving him Royally Screwed Up. Sometimes the new leader is just a young child, in which case the regent(s) are the ones who are likely to be incompetent and/or self-serving. And, of course, there's always the chance the new ruler will be a bloodthirsty tyrant or just insane and will prove to be the villain of the piece, or an obstacle for the hero to overcome to defeat the real villain.
In the event of the old ruler trying to do something about the successor to ensure this doesn't happen, you have an Inadequate Inheritor.
This trope will probably have several subtropes eventually. Also, we need some examples which aren't just examples of the successor doing something horrible to the old ruler.
Death Trope. Will involve unmarked spoilers. Read at your own risk, and the risk of others to whom you will blab about it out of shock who haven't watched/read the story yet.
Examples
Anime and Manga
Defied on The Twelve Kingdoms as the next ruler is not necessarilly the child of the previous king, but rather has to be chosen by the Kirin each time the previous one dies. Rulers gain near-immortality on accession (for themselves as well as their family and retainers), so a successful reign may continue indefinitely. Not all rulers are successful, however: Youko's predecessor only ruled for about 6 years before committing suicide to save her kirin from her own incompetence. By comparison, the wise and even-handed En-Ou has ruled for more than 500 years.
Comic Book
Nick Fury was fired from SHIELD after starting a secret war with Doctor Doom. During Marvel's Secret Invasion event, he groomed Daisy Johnson, a SHIELD agent loyal to him, to take his place and build a new SHIELD, since the previous one was infiltrated by Hydra. While she was very good at her job, her first time breaking the rules, she is caught and immediately replaced by Maria Hill. Nick was able to keep secret agendas and plans secret for years.
Similarly, Maria Hill, when replacing Nick Fury was this. She always worked within the system, which meant she could never do quite as good a job as Nick. The world went to crap on her watch. She got better over time, but still is very much inferior to Nick.
In Eugenesis Prowl has a choice: Being in charge, which he hates (and isn't very good at), or letting Grimlock take control and run what's left of the Autobots into the ground. Or Springer, though for some reason he can't figure out, Prowl doesn't think this would be a good idea. Follow-up fiction would prove his suspicions about Springer right in all the worst ways.
Many versions of Robin Hood have King John standing in for Good King Richard.
Happens at the end of Oscar Wilde's short story "The Star-Child". The title character, who used to be cruel, has learned to be a good person, and found out that he is the king. Due to the lessons he has learned, he is a good king and brings peace and plenty to the kingdom, but the Happy Ending is mitigated by the last lines:
Yet ruled he not long, so great had been his suffering, and so bitter the fire of his testing, for after the space of three years he died. And he who came after him ruled evilly.
Defied in Heralds of Valdemar series, where King Valdemar prayed to every God for a way to ensure that his successors would always be worthy people, and then three white horses jumped out of the grove on the palace grounds and chose himself, his son, and his herald as their bond-mates. From then on only Heralds - chosen by Companions for positive traits like honesty and courage - could inherit the throne, ensuring a minimum degree of competency and benevolence for future rulers.
Even with the above safeguards, the 'not quite as competent' variant comes into play during the Last Herald Mage trilogy. Elspeth the Peacemaker managed to use diplomacy and marriage alliances to avoid major problems with neighboring realms. However her son predeceased her in a freak accident, and when the crown fell to her young grandson everything started going south.
Played straight with the King of Hardorn who was a pretty good king and an ally of Valdemar, until his son Ancar killed him and took over, started oppressing and pretty much enslaving his people and began a war with Valdemar AND Karse.
Le Morte d'Arthur by Thomas Mallory had as King Arthur's successor a relative nobody named Constantine, the son of one of the lesser knights, no less. Given that, whether historical or legendary, Arthur's Britain was quickly supplanted by the Saxons he opposed, his successor may have had no footprint at all.
This trope starts off the action in Harald, with the death of the king who forged the alliance that kept The Empire at bay and his replacement's incompetence.
Though it varies a bit based on the book, the eponymous Wizard of The Wizard of Oz series is depicted as an incompetent charlatan who sent Oz backwards under his leadership, which he usurped from the previous monarchy. The theme is expanded in greater detail in the Wicked books.
The Targaryen family tree are full of these, causing several civil wars, in-house plotting and weak monarchs that left more powers in the hands of the feudal lords. The last one was Aerys II, who sparked a civil war that lost the Targaryens the throne (and most of their lives as well).
Perhaps the most notable example was the transition from Viserys II to Aegon IV. Although the former was not on the throne very long, he was a valuable advisor to his brother Aegon III and king in all but name during the reigns of his nephews Daeron I (The Young Dragon, who got 50,000 men killed trying to conquer a desert and died at 16 without heirs) and Baelor (The Blessed, who refused to marry and spent his whole reign praying rather than actually doing anything kingly); and is generally considered to be the third best king to seat the Iron Throne (After his great-great-grandfather Jaehaerys I, who led the realm through the dangerous period of being past the initial founder but not being sufficiently established to truly hold together, and grandson Daeron II, who defused the most dangerous rebellion the realm ever faced and ruled wisely for many years). Viserys' son (And father to the excellent Daeron II in an inverted example) Aegon IV, however, was obese, greedy, fathered dozens of bastards all over the place, and directly caused the rebellion that Daeron had to stop by legitimizing all of them. He might not have been as bad as Aerys II or Joffrey, but going from the third best to the third worst out of the twenty monarchs to sit the throne is the biggest change of any of them.
In Avram Davidson's "Doctor Eszterhazy" stories, the Emperor of Scythia-Pannonia-Transbalkania is a doddery old man, but his son is a dim-witted militarist and his grandson is a complete fool. So everyone does their best to keep the doddery old man doddering along.
Religion
The proverbially wise King Solomon in the Books of Kings of The Bible was succeeded by his son Rehoboam. The first item on Rehoboam's agenda was to so piss off 10 of the 12 tribes he was governing that they rebelled against him and split the kingdom of Israel in two permanently. He subsequently allowed the Egyptians to capture Jerusalem and take all Solomon's treasure.
Played With, though: God allowed Rehoboam's failures as punishment for Solomon's own actions, since he had built pagan temples for his foreign-born wives.
Hezekiah, King of Judah, attempted to defy this; according to the Talmud he knew prophetically that he would have an evil descendant and thus refused to marry. However, when he became ill the prophet Isaiah noted that he was still obligated to have children under religious law, even if he could not control what those children did. Hezekiah wound up marrying Isaiah's daughter Hephzi-bah, hoping that having two righteous parents would prevent an evil child; unfortunately, their son Menasheh, and Manasheh's son Amon, were both tyrants anyway. (Amon's son Josiah, however, was an inversion).
In Warhammer Phoenix King Caledor the Conqueror of the high elves was a great warrior and strategist who kept the kingdom together through the bloody civil war with Malekith's dark elves, oversaw the construction of the Gateway fortresses that remain a fundamental part of Ulthuan's defenses in the present, reclaimed the Blighted Isle, thus ensuring the dark elves can't draw the Sword of Kaine, and resisted the sword's temptations himself, before finally diving into the sea to drown when his ship was taken by the dark elves. His son Caledor the Warrior was a great warrior and...well that's it. His rule is mostly known for a bloody and pointless war with the dwarfs that he ensured (Dark elves attacked a dwarven caravan disguised as high elves. In an unusual show of reasonableness the dwarfs sent an ambassador to talk about this and Caledor responded by having him shaved and sending him home in disgrace). The war left thousands on both sides dead, completely cut the high elves off from their mainland colonies, ended with Caledor slain in single combat with the Dwarven king, and ruined any hope of cooperation between the races. This was the first and definitely the last time the elves named the son of the previous Phoenix King as his successor.
The Conqueror's other son Imladrik the Dragonlord was much more competent than his brother but had no interest in taking the throne, even telling lords plotting to put him there that he would refuse it. This ended up not really working out for him, as he was killed by Prince Morgrim Dragonsbane during the war his brother started. Ironically, his own son was also a Sketchy Successor despite being generally a good person and fairly competent because the position that he was the successor to was that of Master of Dragons and he was unable to get one let him ride it.
The late King Hamlet from Hamlet is considered a ruler among rulers. King Claudius assassinated him to get the job and spends his reign doing nothing but trying to keep people from becoming suspicious.
In Dragon Age: Origins, Maric Theirin is remembered as a much better King of Ferelden than his son Cailan. Subverted with Alistair if you "harden" his personality and make him King: in that case, he becomes a ruler much better than everyone expected (including him), perhaps on par with his dad and his cameo in Dragon Age: Inquisition shows that he's not afraid to put his foot down when it matters.
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind is ruled by King Hlaalu Helseth after his mother the Queen Mother Barenziah abdicated after The Elder Scrolls: Arena. While Barenziah is generally pretty well-thought-of In-Universe, Helseth is a polarizing figure. The more conservative dunmer in House Redoran and House Indoril feel he is a Quisling or puppet for the Empire, and he has a pattern of nepotism favoring his own House Hlaalu. He's also got somewhat of a cruel streak and isn't above using the Dark Brotherhood to eliminate perceived threats. Including the Nerevarine. Helseth was also the last King of Morrowind, but not because of any political blunders (Helseth appears to have been rather competent, and well on his way to transforming the role of King of Morrowind into a position with actual power at his last mention), but because of the Red Year; the post-Red Year Morrowind appears to be an aristocratic republic ruled by a council of the Great Houses (much like the situation prior to the Imperial takeover, although with the theocratic elements toned down).
X, the main hero of the Mega Man X series, was a robot with 100% free will. His creator, Dr. Light, sealed him up in a capsule and ran a 30 year long test to ensure he would always do the right thing. When Mega Man Zero rolled around, his successor Copy X was left in charge when the real X's time had come. However, despite being a perfect copy of X, Copy X had no memories or experiences that the real deal had. Copy X also didn't have the 30 year test performed on him. This left Copy X as a naïve, crazy Knight Templar who paled in comparison to his predecessor.
In The Legend of Korra, the Earth Queen, daughter of the Reasonable Authority Figure Earth King of Avatar: The Last Airbender is a selfish despot who hoards her nation's wealth for herself, leaving her people out to starve and seeks to undo the progress he did, considering him a weak-willed ruler who was taken advantage of by Aang and Fire Lord Zuko. She was secretly kidnapping Airbenders in her nation to form a secret army (implied to be for an invasion of the United Republic). She eventually meets her end after mocking Zaheer, who proceeds to use Airbending to asphyxiate her.
Real Life
Marcus Aurelius was the last in the line of Five Good Emperors of The Roman Empire's golden century. Lacking a good successor (like the four emperors before him, who always adopted theirs), he let his son Commodus take the throne, starting off a long chain of events that led to Rome's fall.
King John "Lackland" of England is frequently described as a poor replacement for King Richard the Lionheart. The truth is, arguably, that neither was much good; King John may have lost disastrously in France and sparked a (noble, not peasant) revolt in his own lands due to exorbitant taxes, but King Richards punitively expensive crusading was the reason why King John had to raise those taxes in the first place. And couldn't have done much for John's French campaigns either. John wasn't a good king by any means, but Richard was arguably just as bad.
Probably a straighter example, then, would be both Richard and John playing this trope straight in regards to Henry II (who besides doing the classic medieval-king fighting thing also built up his kingdom's institutions—which would last a long time—and its "common law"—which would last to this day and spread around the world).
The King of Thailand, Bhumibol Adulyadej, is tremendously popular, to the point of having shrines erected in his honor. Though Thailand has many protests, sometimes violent, the king himself is very very popular. Whoever replaces the king will be far less idealized, whether it's the government at large or a blood successor.
Takeda Katsuyori was the type whose father Shingen was a genius at war. Sadly, Katsuyori could not hold Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu at bay, and he and his immediate family committed harakiri upon his defeat.
Richard Cromwell, heir to Oliver Cromwell. The English deposed him and restored the Monarchy.
Which gives the impression that they thought, "At least HE was a Badass whatever else he was. Richard is not. And if we must have Nepotism we might as well have a king and be done with it."
An Aversion: Nobody expected Edward VII to be any good as a King: as Prince of Wales, he was a dissolute playboy who drank and smoked a lot, got caught up in a gambling scandal, and had more mistresses than you can shake a stick at. Also, he was a gourmand and was tremendously fat. He once appeared as a witness in a divorce trial in which the husband alleged the wife had cheated on him with the Prince (triply scandalous on its own—the Prince is not only accused of having an affair with a married woman, but then he has to testify about it, and it's a divorce trial to boot—made quadruply so by the fact that the husband was an MP and the Prince apparently visited the wife during sittings of Parliament). He also had several mistresses in succession. So, when after decades of Queen Vicky's rule, Edward became King, everyone looked at him with a skewed eye...and proceeded to thank God when he showed he knew his place as King and actually became of great help to the Government, particularly in foreign affairs (his great love of all things French and extensive network of contacts in France set the groundwork for the entente cordiale—he had been authorised to talk to the French about an alliance against Germany as early as twenty years before his accession, and he kept at it until the agreements were signed). None of this kept him from continuing to have as much fun as he could manage throughout his nine-year reign (down to continuing to fairly openly live with his mistress, Alice Keppel), but nobody really minded because he was such a good monarch otherwise.
Concerning Josef Stalin, opinions vary, but everyone agrees that he was very competent, tyrant or no tyrant. Nikita Khruschev, his successor, was an equally universally recognized buffoon and nincompoop; even the rest of his party eventually got sick of him and forced him to step down.
The Royal Italian Army had one of the most painful examples ever: the succession of general Alberto Pollio as the chief of staff. Pollio was a capable manager and commander, and upon his death was succeeded by Luigi Cadorna, an equally capable manager and an infamously crappy commander (notably, he was supposed to command a corps in the invasion of Libya during the Italian-Turkish War but was crushed in a wargame rigged to give him victory by general Carlo Caneva, who stole him the command and proceeded to became infamous for cowardice and general imbecility). When Italy later joined World War I, the Royal Italian Army would suffer for over two years against the better-led Austro-Hungarians before Cadorna got finally sacked.
Most notably, the ones who cried the most for Pollio's death were the Austro-Hungarian government and general staff: Pollio was known for being a supporter of the Triple Alliance that at the time bound Italy with Germany and Austria-Hungary, and his sudden death right before the war and his replacement with a known hater of Austria-Hungary allowed the Italian government to stay neutral at the start of the war and then enter it on the other side.
While Richard III is a disputed figure at best, he was by all accounts a particularly skilledmilitary commander and his Parliamentary statues and other declarations can attest to the fact that he was both dedicated to justice and cared for the common people. Henry VII, on the other hand, tended to kill off anyone who irritated him, tried to date his reign to the day before Bosworth so that he could execute all of Richard's supporters as traitors, came up with Morton's Fork in association with Bishop Morton, and was generally hated and disliked for the entirety of his reign. (Not to mention his very minimal qualifications for actually ascending the throne in the first place.)
Amusingly enough, the title of Earl of Richmond, which Tudor styled himself as along with being named as such by later chroniclers, not only wasn't his by right at all, but was actually Richard's, since the Earldom of Richmond had been forfeited to the crown.
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to audio frequency information encoding and decoding, and more particularly relates to audio message encoding and recording on a recording medium for later retrieval, decoding and playback with related video information which is recorded with the audio information on the same recording medium.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
"Stop-motion" is a technique in the playback of recorded video information whereby a single frame of recorded video signals is played repeatedly to provide a continuous video picture of the visual information contained in the single frame being played. Stop-motion techniques are known and are in widespread use in TV broadcasting, the most well-known example being in the area of televised sports broadcasts. In such broadcasting applications, the recording medium generally used to create the stop-motion effect is the video tape.
A development which has made the stop-motion capability attractive for applications other than broadcasting is the optical disc. An optical disc is a flat disc approximately the size of an LP phonograph record which is made of clear plastic and is capable of having information recorded on an imbedded surface in the interior of the disc in form of spiralling or circular tracks of optically readable indicia. Optical discs are read by imaging a beam of light to a tiny spot on a track, rotating the disc and thus causing the spot of light to scan linearly along the track, and detecting with a photodetector the amount of light which emerges from the track in a selected direction. Information is stored in the disc in the pattern in which the indicia are provided on the track. As the disc is scanned by the spot of light, the amount of light which is detected varies in accordance with the alternate presence and absence of the indicia, and the information is recovered by detecting the electrical signal variations of the photodetector output produced by the particular pattern of indicia on the track.
The most widely-used format for the recording and playback of video information on an optical disc involves frequency modulating a video carrier and one or more audio subcarriers, combining the frequency-modulated carrier and subcarriers, and then varying the spatial frequency and relative length of the indicia, as compared with the areas between them, in accordance with the frequency-modulated carrier and subcarrier signals.
It is possible to record video information on an optical disc such that areas of the track corresponding to vertical sync intervals are aligned radially on the disc. Such discs are called Constant Angular Velocity ("CAV") discs because in the recording and playback of video information, such discs are rotated at a constant angular velocity.
CAV discs provide several useful features which result from the fact that the vertical sync intervals in every track on the disc line up in the same radial direction. This arrangement makes it possible while reading the disc to jump from track to track with relative ease while maintaining the synchronization of the horizontal and vertical sync oscillator circuits of the television or monitor being driven by the disc player output. This is made possible because, as the spot of light arrives at a new track after being jumped from a previous track, the synchronization of the video information recorded in that track is identical to the synchronization of the video information in the track from which the spot was just removed. Thus, after making such a jump there is no need to reestablish lost synchronization, and instead the playing of the video information can proceed smoothly and without interruption.
This capacity to jump smoothly among frames of video information has made the optical disc a highly suitable recording medium for video information intended for play in the stop-motion mode. For example, an entire optical disc can be recorded exclusively with stop-motion video information. In such a case each video frame recorded on the disc contains a different picture, and the disc can be read frame by frame, and thus picture by picture, as one would read a book, by playing each frame in stop-motion mode and accesing individual frames as desired. Considering that over 50,000 frames of video can be stored on a single side of a CAV disc, the utility of such a format is obviously very wide. For example, an entire department store catalog or an entire 100,000 picture educational program can be placed on a single optical disc.
Stop-motion features of the optical disc become even more attractive when combined with the capability of audio playback during the stop-motion playing of the video information.
Techniques have been devised for the recording of audio information for playback with a frame of stopmotion video. According to one technique, set forth in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 202,840, filed on Oct. 31, 1980, issued on July 31, 1984 as U.S. Pat. No. 4,463,389 in the name of Scott M. Golding, incorporated herin by reference, and commonly assigned to the assignee of the present invention "stop-motion audio" to be played back with an accompaying stop-motion frame of video is encoded in a digitized form, for example by adaptive delta modulation, and recorded on one of two available audio channels on the disc. During playback, prior to the playback of the associated stop-motion video frame, the digitally encoded stop-motion audio information is read from the audio channel and stored in a storage device such as a RAM. When the stop-motion frame is played, the digitized audio information is read out of the storage device, decoded and played along the stop-motion video.
One of the limitations of this technique is that the bit rate of the digitized audio data as it is read from the disc must be kept within the bandwidth limitations of the audio channel on which it is recorded. A typical value which has been used with this technique is a read bit rate of twelve kilohertz. When employing adaptive delta modulation, sampling bit rates in the encoding process are typically sixteen kilohertz or greater to provide desired intelligibility. Thus, according to this technique, the disc must be played in the normal mode of operation for a period of time just slightly longer than the duration of the stop-motion message in order to read the encoded stop-motion message in memory. The technique is therefore not useful for recording programs having a large number of closely-spaced stop-motion frames. It does, however, provide a relatively low-cost way of recording and playing back stop-motion audio information where stop-motion frames are provided at more widely-spaced intervals throughout the program.
A second technique, described in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 066,620, filed on Aug. 15, 1979 now abandoned in favor of Ser. No. 161,231, filed June 18, 1980, in the name of Wayne R. Dakin one of the inventors of the present invention and commonly assigned to the assignee of the present invention, also involves the encoding of stop-motion audio information, for example by adaptive delta modulation. However, the digitally encoded stop-motion audio information is recorded in the place of video information on one or more successive frames. The stop-motion audio information message is encoded at a desired sampling rate, such as sixteen kilohertz and then time compressed to a bit rate of 7.2 megahertz and encoded such that the bandwidth is within the capabilities of the video electronic circuitry. The encoded data is then provided in the place of the video information in the horizontal lines of the video frames. The large time compression of the digitized audio information permits the storage of stop-motion audio messages of a duration of up to eleven seconds in the video data portion of a single frame of video. The electronic circuitry required to implement this second technique is more costly than that associated with the first technique described above, but the later techniques permits considerably more stop-motion audio message information to be stored on an optical disc. Thus, an optical disc can be formatted in an alternating sequence of stop-motion video frames and stop-motion audio frames to provide each video frame with a stop-motion audio message of up to eleven seconds in duration. This "video encoding" technique, therefore, represents an enormous improvement in the efficiency of storing digitally encoded stop-motion audio messages on an optical disc.
The video encoding technique has certain limitations, however. Program demands for stop-motion message duration vary considerably. Video programmers frequently require only two or three seconds for a particular stop-motion frame, but occasionally require a stop motion audio message of up to twenty seconds or more. This presents problems in selecting a format for the stop-motion audio information. For reasons of economy it is desirable to have a standard format for stop-motion audio information recording and playback so that video optical disc players having stop-motion capability do not have to be redesigned for every new program. A reasonable compromise standard format for stop-motion audio encoding is two successive frames of video field devoted to a single stop-motion audio message sampled at a rate of sixteen kilohertz. Such a format enables the storage and playback of stop-motion audio messages of up to twenty-two seconds in duration at a reasonable level of intelligibility. This permits the storage and playback of all but the most lengthy stop-motion audio messages in most program applications. However, most stop-motion audio messages are considerably less in length, some lasting for only two or three seconds, as was mentioned previously. For such stop-motion messages an enormous amount of storage capability is wasted. Even if only a single frame were to be devoted to a single stop-motion audio message, the eleven seconds afforded at a sixteen kilohertz bit rate would still be excessive for many stop-motion audio messages, and longer messages could not be recorded in such a format.
In addition, while a sixteen kilohertz bit rate in connection with adaptive delta modulation is one which provides a reasonable compromise between intelligibility and data packing density requirements, audio message information played back at a sixteen kilohertz sampling rate does not provide full fidelity. Frequently it is desirable to provide such increased intelligibility, but prior art techniques do not provide the flexibility to do so.
Accordingly, it will be appreciated that there is a need for a video recording and playback system having stop-motion audio recording and playback capabilities which overcome the above-noted limitations. In particular, there is a need for such a system which provides more flexibility in the provision of stop-motion audio messages on a recording medium while preserving standardization to permit the economical manufacture of the associated apparatus.
The present invention fulfills these needs. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | USPTO Backgrounds |
Filed 6/1/16 P. v. Coles CA3
NOT TO BE PUBLISHED
California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for
publication or ordered published, except as specified by rule 8.1115(b). This opinion has not been certified for publication
or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.
IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
THIRD APPELLATE DISTRICT
(Siskiyou)
----
THE PEOPLE, C077669
Plaintiff and Respondent, (Super. Ct. No.
MCYKCRF140510)
v.
MIA MARIE COLES,
Defendant and Appellant.
Defendant Mia Marie Coles appeals her conviction for arson. She contends she
received ineffective assistance of counsel when her trial attorney failed to argue in his
motion for acquittal that the prosecution had not established the corpus delicti for arson.
She also contends the trial court’s imposition of multiple registration fees under Penal
Code section 987.5 was unauthorized or alternatively, that counsel was ineffective for
failing to object to the assessment of these fees. (Unless otherwise set forth, statutory
references that follow are to the Penal Code.) We find counsel was not ineffective in
either regard and affirm the judgment.
FACTS AND PROCEEDINGS
Defendant was having difficulty with her roommate and asked some strangers at a
gas station to give her a ride to a lake. On the way, she became anxious and afraid, and
1
asked to get out of the car. She started walking back to town on Highway A12. She
wanted to smoke a cigarette, so she stepped down an embankment where she could more
easily light a match. She lit multiple matches to search her purse for cigarettes, and she
dropped the matches to the ground. Eventually she realized she did not have any
cigarettes, walked back to the highway, and started walking westward toward Grenada.
Janet Dingle saw a person walking away from the area on the highway in the
opposite lane. She drove a bit further and saw flames come up from the gully by the
road. She pulled over and called 911. About the same time, Randall Gibbons also saw
the fire at the bottom of the embankment. He believed it had just started based on the
height of the flames. Gibbons also saw a woman walking casually toward Grenada on
the north side of the highway. At one point, the woman turned around, looked at the fire
and turned back around. She did not act with any urgency or try to contact Gibbons.
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) Battalion
Chief Monty Messenger responded to the site of the fire. He saw defendant walking on
the side of the highway about a quarter mile away from the fire. He asked her if she
knew anything about the fire and she answered, “Yes, I started the fire because I needed
help.” Messenger asked how she started the fire, and she answered that she used a book
of matches. Messenger handcuffed defendant, put her in the back of his vehicle, drove
closer to the fire, and reported his observations to dispatch. Emergency response
personnel arrived at the scene within minutes.
CAL FIRE Fire Captain Specialist Monte Whipple investigated the origin and
cause of the fire. Whipple determined the origin of the fire was in an eight-foot by eight-
foot area down the embankment to the side of Highway A12 approximately 12 feet from
the asphalt shoulder. The only set of tracks in the area were what appeared to be new
tracks of a person walking on the shoulder of the road on the same side as the fire. The
tracks turned from the shoulder of the road at a 45-degree angle down the embankment
bank to the point of origin of the fire and then went directly up the bank back to the road
2
at a 90-degree angle. Whipple determined that the fire originated in the area where the
footprints turned and angled straight back up onto the road. The footprints and point of
origin were in one of the drier areas of tules debris build up, and the tules appeared dead
and dry. Whipple also found a one-by-one-inch piece of cardboard one or two feet from
where the footprints turned back up the embankment, but could not determine whether it
caused the fire.
In the conditions on the day of the fire, including the temperature and humidity, a
discarded cigarette would not have had enough heat to ignite the fire. Whipple also
eliminated campfires, power lines, railroads, burning debris, lightning, kids playing with
fire, fireworks, equipment use, and vehicles as possible sources of the fire. Based on his
investigation, Whipple concluded that the fire was human-caused, although investigators
did not locate an item definitively determined to be the source of the fire. Whipple
explained that the fire was caused directly by an open flame, like a lighter or a lit object
that had been dropped or placed in the grass. He agreed that the fire was consistent with
a person dropping a burning matchbook into the tules or holding it up next to a tule. He
concluded that there was no reasonable explanation for the fire besides somebody directly
lighting the vegetation or dropping an open flame into the vegetation.
After completing his investigation, “based on what [he] heard [defendant] say,
what [he] observed as far as burn indicators and fire behavior, and what we found in the
general area of origin, was that this fire was a human-caused fire that originated at the
bottom of the--those footprints. And it was with either an open flame--and I don’t know
if it was with a lighter or if it was a lit object that was dropped or placed in the grass, but
an open-flame device.” He later explained he believed “someone, in this case the
defendant, based on statements, either lit the vegetation or dropped an open-flame
device.” And, he clarified, there was no other reasonable explanation for how the fire
started than that a person either directly light the vegetation on fire or dropped an open
flame into the vegetation.
3
Before being extinguished, the fire burned approximately 1.7 acres of wetlands.
After Mirandizing defendant, Messenger questioned her further. She admitted she started
the fire with “one match book. Five fucking matches on one side and three on the other”
and that she did not “know why it caught like that.” She later explained she had tried to
light the five matches, but they would not light, so she tried to light the four matches, and
they did. She then let the matchbook go because she did not have a cigarette.
An information charged defendant with one count of arson of forest land. (§ 451,
subd. (c).)
After the close of the prosecution’s case, defendant made a section 1118 motion
for acquittal. Defendant challenged the sufficiency of the evidence arguing the evidence
failed to establish that the setting of the fire was a malicious act and that the fire in this
case took place on forest land. The trial court denied the motion.
Following a bench trial, the trial court found defendant guilty. On September 2,
2014, the trial court granted defendant three years’ probation. By the time of sentencing
defendant had lost her social security benefits as a result of her lengthy incarceration.
Accordingly, the trial court found she lacked the ability to reimburse the probation
department for the costs of preparing the presentence report, to pay probation supervision
fees, to pay a booking fee, or to reimburse the costs of her appointed counsel.
DISCUSSION
I
Corpus Delicti
Defendant contends she received ineffective assistance of counsel because
counsel failed to argue the prosecution had not established the corpus delicti of arson in
the motion for acquittal. Specifically, defendant argues “apart from the testimony and
evidence with regard to [defendant’s] extrajudicial statements prior to and immediately
following her arrest, or the opinion of Fire Captain Specialist Whipple which was at least
4
in part derivative of those extrajudicial statements, the prosecution did not present even
slight evidence in its case in chief either that the fire was incendiary in origin or that the
fire was the result of actions by [defendant] with an awareness of, and conscious
disregard, for a substantial and unjustifiable risk that her actions would set fire to forest
land, or property.”
To prevail on a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel, defendant must
demonstrate his trial counsel’s representation fell below an objective standard of
reasonableness and the defect prejudiced defendant in that there is a reasonable
probability that, but for the deficiency, defendant would have obtained a more favorable
result. (Strickland v. Washington (1984) 466 U.S. 668, 687–688 [80 L.Ed.2d 674];
People v. Williams (1997) 16 Cal.4th 153, 215.) We need not address both prongs if the
defendant makes an insufficient showing as to one. (Strickland, supra, 466 U.S. at
p. 697.) Here, defendant has not established deficient performance.
“ ‘ “ ‘The corpus delicti of a crime consists of two elements[:] the fact of the
injury or loss or harm, and the existence of a criminal agency as its cause.’ ” ’ [Citation.]
‘In any criminal prosecution, the corpus delicti must be established by the prosecution
independently from the extrajudicial statements, confessions or admissions of the
defendant.’ [Citations.] Such independent proof may consist of circumstantial evidence
[citations] and need not establish the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. [Citations.]”
(People v. Jones (1998) 17 Cal.4th 279, 301.) “The amount of independent proof of a
crime required for this purpose is quite small[ and has been] described . . . as ‘slight’
[citation] or ‘minimal’ [citation].” (Ibid.) The rule “ ‘reflects the . . . fear that
confessions may be the result of either improper police activity or the mental instability
of the accused, and the recognition that juries are likely to accept confessions
uncritically.’ (Jones v. Superior Court (1979) 96 Cal.App.3d 390, 397.)” (People v.
Herrera (2006) 136 Cal.App.4th 1191, 1200.) To adequately prove the corpus delicti of
a crime “ ‘the prosecution need not eliminate all inferences tending to show a
5
noncriminal cause of [the harm]. Rather, the foundation may be laid by the introduction
of evidence which creates a reasonable inference that the [harm] could have been caused
by a criminal agency [citation], even in the presence of an equally plausible noncriminal
explanation of the event.’ [Citation.]” (People v. Ochoa (1998) 19 Cal.4th 353, 405.)
Expert opinion testimony may establish the corpus delicti when it satisfies the
Evidence Code requirements that it be “ ‘[r]elated to a subject that is sufficiently beyond
common experience that the opinion of an expert would assist the trier of fact’ [Citation]”
and is “based on ‘matter . . . perceived by or personally known to the witness . . . that
reasonably may be relied upon by an expert in forming an opinion upon the subject to
which [the expert’s] testimony relates . . . .’ [Citation.]” (People v. Powers-Monachello
(2010) 189 Cal.App.4th 400, 412-413.) The expert cannot directly opine as to the
defendant’s guilt but may testify as to the cause of a crime, such as murder or arson.
(Ibid.)
As to arson specifically, the prosecution need not establish “the whole gamut of
speculative possibility as to the cause of the fire[]” and then eliminate each of those
causes. “The corpus delicti will be proven sufficiently if the evidence shows . . . the fires
were of incendiary origin.” (People v. Andrews (1965) 234 Cal.App.2d 69, 76; see also
People v. Atkins (2001) 25 Cal.4th 76, 88.) In this context, incendiary origin means the
fire was deliberate and intentional, not accidental or unintentional. (Andrews, supra,
234 Cal.App.2d at p. 75.) The corpus delicti for arson may be established where
accidental causes are ruled out, that is where there is evidence permitting an inference of
a deliberately and intentionally set fire. (Andrews, at pp. 73-77; People v. Clagg (1961)
197 Cal.App.2d 209, 212; People v. Saunders (1910) 13 Cal.App. 743, 747.)
Here, there was sufficient evidence establishing that the fire was of incendiary
origin. Defendant correctly points out that the expert, Whipple, formed part of his
opinion as to the fire’s cause based on defendant’s statements, specifically, that the
defendant caused the fire. We cannot consider that portion of Whipple’s testimony in
6
establishing the corpus delicti. Independent of defendant’s statements, however, Whipple
eliminated a number of accidental or unintentional potential causes for the fire such as a
discarded cigarette, campfires, power lines, railroads, fireworks, burning debris,
lightning, kids playing with fire, equipment use, and vehicles. That is the fire was not
caused naturally or by accident. There was one set of footprints leading down the
embankment where the fire originated and back up to the highway. There was no
reasonable explanation for the fire other than someone directly lighting the vegetation or
dropping a flame on it. Defendant was the only person walking in the area, she did not
try to flag down assistance, and had no reaction to seeing the fire burning. This was
sufficient evidence to establish the fire was of incendiary origin--the corpus delicti of
arson. Accordingly, trial counsel was not ineffective for failing to make a motion for
acquittal on the basis that the corpus delicti was not established.
II
Unauthorized Fees
Defendant contends the trial court imposed an unauthorized fee when it required
defendant to pay multiple court appointed counsel registration fees under section 987.5
without inquiring about her ability to pay those fees. Alternatively, she contends trial
counsel provided ineffective assistance in failing to object to the fee. We find there is a
possible reasonable explanation for counsel not having objected to the fee and reject
defendant’s contention.
The trial court ordered defendant to pay a $25 registration fee at the April 11,
2014, arraignment hearing in this case, case No. 14-510. Both the minute order and
reporter’s transcript of that hearing reflect the imposition of the fee. The People filed a
new misdemeanor complaint, case No. 14-579, against defendant on April 29, 2014. The
trial court appointed counsel to represent defendant on that misdemeanor case and
assessed a registration fee for that case. The minutes for the hearing in case No. 14-510
7
do not reflect the imposition of an additional registration fee in that case. The People
filed a second misdemeanor case, case No. 14-618, and due to a conflict of interest, the
court appointed conflict counsel to represent defendant in this case and assessed another
registration fee. The court specifically indicated the attorney was appointed in “each of
these three cases; and each of the three cases assess the $25 fee normally associated with
court appointed counsel appointments. . . .” The minute order for this hearing does not
reflect the imposition of an additional registration fee in case No. 14-510. The trial court
did not inquire about defendant’s ability to pay the fees prior to imposing them and trial
counsel did not object to the fees. At sentencing, the trial court found defendant did not
have the ability to pay probation related costs or attorneys fees. Neither the court nor
counsel addressed the registration fees at sentencing.
Section 987.5 provides that every defendant who is represented by appointed
counsel shall be assessed a registration fee of up to $50. (§ 987.5, subd. (a).) The statute
goes on to provide: “At the time of appointment of counsel by the court, or upon
commencement of representation by the public defender, if prior to court appointment,
the defendant shall be asked if he or she is financially able to pay the registration fee or
any portion thereof. If the defendant indicates that he or she is able to pay the fee or a
portion thereof, the court or public defender shall make an assessment in accordance with
ability to pay. No fee shall be assessed against any defendant who asserts that he or she
is unable to pay the fee or any portion thereof. No other inquiry concerning the
defendant’s ability to pay shall be made until proceedings are held pursuant to Section
987.8.” (§ 987.5, subd. (b).)
A. Multiple Fees
Initially, defendant contends the trial court improperly imposed multiple
registration fees in the case before us (No. MCYKCRF 140510). As delineated above, on
the record before us, it is clear the trial court only imposed a single registration fee in this
8
matter. The minute orders for this case, case No. 14-510 reflect the imposition of the fee
at only one hearing. At the June 3, 2014 hearing, the court specified it had assessed a
single fee covering all three separate cases. Accordingly, we find the trial court did not
improperly assess multiple fees in a single case.
B. Unauthorized Sentence
Defendant also claims the registration fee was unauthorized, as the trial court did
not inquire about her ability to pay the fee. The People argue that defendant has forfeited
her claim by failing to object in the trial court. Defendant counters that the court lacked
the authority to impose the fee resulting in an unauthorized sentence and therefore no
objection was required. We find the imposition of the fee was not unauthorized;
therefore, defendant was required to object to preserve the claim on appeal.
“[T]he ‘unauthorized sentence’ concept constitutes a narrow exception to the
general requirement that only those claims properly raised and preserved by the parties
are reviewable on appeal.” (People v. Scott (1994) 9 Cal.4th 331, 354.) The fee in
question was not unauthorized in a jurisdictional sense. Generally, a fee is
“ ‘unauthorized’ where it could not lawfully be imposed under any circumstance in the
particular case. Appellate courts are willing to intervene in the first instance because
such error is ‘clear and correctable’ independent of any factual issues presented by the
record.” (Ibid.) The registration fees do not meet this definition, because the fees could
be lawfully imposed under circumstances showing an ability to pay, a fact-bound
determination. “In essence, claims deemed [forfeited] on appeal involve sentences
which, though otherwise permitted by law, were imposed in a procedurally or factually
flawed manner,” (ibid.) which is exactly what happened here: the fee, which was
otherwise permitted, was assessed in a procedurally flawed manner because the trial court
did not ask defendant if she had the ability to pay all or a portion of the fee. Accordingly,
9
the forfeiture exception does not apply. (People v. McCullough (2013) 56 Cal.4th 589,
599.)
Defendant also contends no objection was required to preserve the issue for
appeal, citing People v. Viray (2005) 134 Cal.App.4th 1186 (Viray). In Viray, the
appellate court held that a forfeiture of an appellate challenge to an attorney fee
reimbursement order cannot “properly be predicated on the failure of a trial attorney to
challenge an order concerning his own fees,” given the “patent conflict of interest.” (Id.
at p. 1215, italics omitted.) The People, in turn, rely on People v. Aguilar (2015)
60 Cal.4th 862, in which our Supreme Court held the forfeiture rule applied where
defendant failed to object to the amount of counsel fees or to assert the inability to pay in
the trial court. In Aguilar, however, our Supreme Court noted the case did not present,
“and we therefore do not address, the question whether a challenge to an order for
payment of the cost of the services of appointed counsel is forfeited when the failure to
raise the challenge at sentencing may be attributable to a conflict of interest on trial
counsel’s part.” (Id. at p. 868, fn. 4.)
The statute at issue here explicitly references the attorney fee statute, and
specifically permits defendant to be “given credit for any amounts paid as a registration
fee toward any lien or assessment imposed pursuant to Section 987.8.” (§ 987.5, subds.
(d) & (b).) Thus, there may be some circumstances in which the registration fee becomes
part of the attorneys fees. In this scenario, the credit against attorneys fees would create
the same conflict discussed in Viray, and the failure to object would not result in a
forfeiture. However, the statute does not result directly in an assessment of attorney’s
fees. Rather, the assessment is a registration fee. And, if attorney’s fees are not awarded,
as they were not in this case, the conflict found in Viray which served as the basis for
foregoing the forfeiture rule, does not arise. In that circumstance, the failure to object
would result in a forfeiture of the issue on appeal. But, since defendant has also raised
the issue of ineffective assistance of counsel, which requires us to reach the merits of her
10
claim, we will assume without deciding that the general forfeiture rule applies and an
objection was required to preserve the claim for appeal.
C. Ineffective Assistance of Counsel
“When challenging a conviction on grounds of ineffective assistance, the
defendant must demonstrate counsel’s inadequacy. To satisfy this burden, the defendant
must first show counsel’s performance was deficient, in that it fell below an objective
standard of reasonableness under prevailing professional norms. Second, the defendant
must show resulting prejudice, i.e., a reasonable probability that, but for counsel’s
deficient performance, the outcome of the proceeding would have been different. When
examining an ineffective assistance claim, a reviewing court defers to counsel’s
reasonable tactical decisions, and there is a presumption counsel acted within the wide
range of reasonable professional assistance. . . . On direct appeal, a conviction will be
reversed for ineffective assistance only if (1) the record affirmatively discloses counsel
had no rational tactical purpose for the challenged act or omission, (2) counsel was asked
for a reason and failed to provide one, or (3) there simply could be no satisfactory
explanation.” (People v. Mai (2013) 57 Cal.4th 986, 1009.)
Contrary to defendant’s argument, section 987.5 does not place “an affirmative
duty upon the trial court to ask [defendant] if she [is] financially able to pay the
registration fee or a portion of it before imposing the fee.” Rather, the statute puts the
burden upon either the trial court or the public defender to inquire of the defendant and to
assess whether he or she is able to pay the fee. (§ 987.5, subd. (b).) It is clear that the
trial court did not make this inquiry of defendant. It is not clear, however, that defense
counsel did not make the inquiry or the assessment of defendant’s ability to pay the fee.
In fact, prior to appointment, the public defender informed the court defendant qualified
for appointment of counsel. This suggests there had been some conversation regarding
defendant’s finances. There is no requirement in the statute that the inquiry and
11
assessment by the public defender be made on the record. We cannot know what
conversations defendant and counsel may have had off the record or what information
defense counsel had about defendant’s ability to pay. For example, defendant may have
indicated she was able to pay the fee because, at the time, she was receiving social
security benefits. The public defender’s own inquiry and assessment would have been a
rational basis for counsel to choose not to object to the imposition of the fees. On a silent
record, we will not presume that counsel’s failure to object rendered his assistance
ineffective. (See People v. Anderson (2001) 25 Cal.4th 543, 598.)
DISPOSITION
The judgment is affirmed.
HULL , J.
We concur:
BLEASE , Acting P. J.
ROBIE , J.
12
| tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | FreeLaw |
Saturday, July 19, 2014
Hope is arising in me on this uncommonly grey morning in
July. Northwest Yearly Meeting’s annual sessions begin today as I meet with the
Board of Global Outreach (what we used to call the Mission Board). In a sense
this is a time of closure as Hal and I are officially retiring from our service
under this board, a service we began with great hope and anticipation in 1971.
At the concluding banquet on Thursday evening, the yearly meeting will honor
us. I hope (that word again) it will be a gentle celebration, not too much
hoopla. Not any loud cheering. A few quiet handshakes, a mutual thank-you to
all concerned. After all, we don’t plan to stop serving and traveling and
writing and living this incredible adventure God called us to so many years
ago. We just won’t do it officially any more.
But of course this yearly meeting
time is about more than us. We find ourselves, as do so many other parts of the
Body Christ, embroiled in the controversy surrounding human sexuality. In
particular, our positions on gay, lesbian, and transgender issues are being
called into question. And we are a divided people. Many meetings strongly
affirm the traditional position that the Scriptures only allow for marriage
between a man and a woman, and that any deviation from this position means we
are in danger of compromising the faith. Fear combines with sorrow for these
dear people. Many people, and at least one meeting, believe the Spirit is
leading us out into a brave new world where we can affirm committed same-sex
relationships. Most of us are somewhere in the middle. We’re all longing for a
clear word from the Lord.
Part of my nature as a poet
embraces the ambiguity and basks in God’s silence. But that doesn’t work so
well when we’re faced with the concrete need to revise Faith and Practice.
And the longing to stay together, even in the midst of controversy.
We don’t know what will happen
during this year’s sessions, and I sense that many outside of our community are
watching and waiting. That’s why I find this hope that’s twirling around inside
me so strange, illogical and lovely. “Hope and a Future” also happens to be the
theme of the sessions, and I anticipate what our special speaker, Noah Baker
Merrill, will bring.
As I’ve been praying for us all
this last year, the words eventually come down to two basic requests:
Thursday, July 10, 2014
The meeting moved forwardslowly. The borders had beenestablished, and now differentones were adding pieces,
filling in the middle ofthis large puzzle.An underwater scene wasemerging, an ocean that pulsedwith kelp, corral, fish, bubblesand more light than was logical.But large holes remained.As I sat, one gnarly puzzle pieceswam through my brain, lodgedjust behind my eyes. I couldn’tmake sense of it at first, but allat once I recognized a smallorange pair of fish lips.“You’ve got to be kidding,”I said to Spirit.“Nope,” she replied.“But I can’t offer this. It’s silly.”“Yes, Nancy, you can.” I feltrather than saw her smile.“Besides, if you don’t put inyour piece, just think of that fish,forever doomed to livewithout its lips.”My giggle broke the surfaceof the silence. When the quietagain settled in,
I stood up. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
Introduction {#Sec1}
============
Counting the number of linear extensions of a poset is a fundamental problem of order theory that has applications in a variety of distinct areas such as sorting \[[@CR30]\], sequence analysis \[[@CR25]\], convex rank tests \[[@CR27]\], sampling schemes of Bayesian networks \[[@CR28]\], and preference reasoning \[[@CR24]\]. Determining the exact number of linear extensions of a given poset is known to be \#P-complete \[[@CR6]\] already for posets of height at least 3. Informally, \#P-complete problems are as hard as counting the number of accepting paths of any nondeterministic Turing machine, implying that such problems are not tractable unless P = NP. The currently fastest known method for counting linear extensions of a general *n*-element poset is by dynamic programming over the lattice of downsets and runs in time $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {O}(2^n \cdot n)$$\end{document}$ \[[@CR10]\]. Polynomial time algorithms have been found for various special cases such as series-parallel posets \[[@CR26]\] and posets whose cover graph is a (poly)tree \[[@CR2]\]. Fully polynomial time randomized approximation schemes are known for estimating the number of linear extensions \[[@CR7], [@CR13]\].
Due to the inherent difficulty of the problem, it is natural to study whether it can be solved efficiently by exploiting the structure of the input poset. In this respect, the parameterized complexity framework \[[@CR9], [@CR12]\] allows a refined view of the interactions between various forms of structure in the input and the running time of algorithms. The idea of the framework is to measure the complexity of problems not only in terms of input sizes, but also with respect to an additional numerical parameter. The goal is then to develop so-called *fpt algorithms*, which are algorithms that run in time $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$f(k)n^{\mathcal {O}(1)}$$\end{document}$ where *n* is the input size and *f* is a computable function depending only on the parameter *k*. A less favorable outcome is a so-called XP algorithm, which runs in time $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$n^{f(k)}$$\end{document}$; the existence of such algorithms then gives rise to the respective complexity classes $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$${\textsf {FPT}}$$\end{document}$ (*fixed-parameter tractable*) and XP.
The first steps in this general direction have been taken, e.g., in \[[@CR19]\], using the decomposition diameter as a parameter, in \[[@CR15]\] using a parameter called activity for N-free posets, and very recently in \[[@CR22]\], where the treewidth of the so-called cover graph was considered as a parameter. Also the exact dynamic programming algorithm \[[@CR10]\] can be shown to run in time $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {O}(n^w\cdot w)$$\end{document}$ for a poset with *n* elements and width *w* (the size of the largest anti-chain). Interestingly, none of these efforts has so far led to an fpt algorithm.
We believe that this uncertainty about the exact complexity status of counting linear extensions with respect to these various parameterizations is at least partly due to the fact that we deal with a counting problem whose decision version is trivial, i.e., every poset has at least one linear extension. This fact makes it considerably harder to show that the problem is fixed-parameter intractable; in particular, the usual approach based on parsimonious reductions fails. On the other hand, the same predicament makes studying the complexity of counting linear extensions significantly more interesting, as noted also by Flum and Grohe \[[@CR16]\]:"The theory gets interesting with those counting problems that are harder than their corresponding decision versions."
Results {#Sec2}
-------
In this paper we study the complexity of counting linear extensions when the parameter is the treewidth---a fundamental graph parameter which has already found a plethora applications in many areas of computer science \[[@CR17], [@CR18], [@CR29]\]. In particular, we settle the fixed-parameter (in)tractability of the problem when parameterizing by the treewidth of two of the most prominent graphical representations of posets, the cover graph (also called the Hasse diagram) and the incomparability graph.
Our main result then provides the first evidence that the problem does not allow for an fpt algorithm parameterized by the treewidth of the cover graph unless $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$${\textsf {FPT}}={{{\textsf {W}}}}{ {[1]}}$$\end{document}$. We remark that this complements the XP algorithm of \[[@CR22]\] and resolves an open problem recently posed in the Dagstuhl seminar on Exact Algorithms \[[@CR21]\]. The result is based on a so-called *fpt turing reduction* from [Equitable Coloring]{.smallcaps} parameterized by treewidth \[[@CR14]\], and combines a counting argument with a fine-tuned construction to link the number of linear extensions with the existence of an equitable coloring. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time this technique has been used to show fixed-parameter intractability of a counting problem.
We complement this negative result by obtaining an fpt algorithm for the problem when the parameter is the treewidth of the incomparability graph of the poset. To this end, we use the so-called *combined graph* (also called the cover-incomparability graph \[[@CR5]\]) of the poset, which is obtained from the cover graph by adding the edges of the incomparability graph. We employ a special normalization procedure on a decomposition of the incomparability graph to show that the treewidth of the combined graph must be bounded by the treewidth of the incomparability graph. Once this is established, the result follows by giving a formulation of the problem in *Monadic Second Order Logic* and applying an extension of Courcelle's Theorem for counting.
Organization of the Paper {#Sec3}
-------------------------
The paper is organized as follows. Section [2](#Sec4){ref-type="sec"} introduces the required preliminaries and notation. Section [3](#Sec9){ref-type="sec"} is then dedicated to proving the fixed-parameter intractability of the problem when parameterized by the treewidth of the cover graph, and the subsequent Sect. [4](#Sec10){ref-type="sec"} presents our positive results for the problem. Concluding notes are then provided in Sect. [5](#Sec13){ref-type="sec"}.
Preliminaries {#Sec4}
=============
For standard terminology in graph theory, such as the notions of a graph, digraph, path, etc. we refer readers to \[[@CR11]\]. Given a graph *G*, we let *V*(*G*) denote its vertex set and *E*(*G*) its edge set. The (open) neighborhood of a vertex $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$x \in V(G)$$\end{document}$ is the set $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$A\cup B$$\end{document}$. A set $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$G-X$$\end{document}$ contains at least two connected components.
We use \[*i*\] to denote the set $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\{0,1,\dots ,i\}$$\end{document}$. The following fact about prime numbers will also be useful later.
Fact 1 {#FPar1}
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(\[[@CR6]\]) For any $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$n\ge 4$$\end{document}$, the product of primes strictly between *n* and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$n^2$$\end{document}$ is at least $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$n!2^n$$\end{document}$.
Treewidth {#Sec5}
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A *tree-decomposition* of a graph *G* is a pair $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$(T, \mathcal {X}=\{X_{t} \}_{t\in V (T )})$$\end{document}$, where *T* is a rooted tree whose every vertex *t* is assigned a vertex subset $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\cup _{t\in V(T)}X_{t}=V(G)$$\end{document}$,for every $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$T_{u}=\{t\in V(T): u\in X_{t}\}$$\end{document}$ induces a connected subtree of *T* (*monotonicity*), andfor each $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$uv\in E(G)$$\end{document}$ there exists $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$u,v\in X_{t}$$\end{document}$.To distinguish between the vertices of the tree *T* and the vertices of the graph *G*, we will refer to the vertices of *T* as *nodes*; for brevity, we will also interchange *T* and *V*(*T*) when the context is clear. The *width* of the tree-decomposition $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}$$\end{document}$ is $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\max _{t\in T}|X_{t}|-1$$\end{document}$. The *treewidth* of *G*, $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$tw (G)$$\end{document}$, is the minimum width over all tree-decompositions of *G*.
In some cases, we will make use of a well-established canonical form of tree-decompositions. A tree-decomposition $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}=(T,\mathcal {X})$$\end{document}$ is *nice* if *T* contains a root *r* (introducing natural ancestor-descendant relations in *T*) and the following conditions are satisfied:$\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$X_r=\emptyset $$\end{document}$ and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$X_\ell =\emptyset $$\end{document}$ for every leaf $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\ell $$\end{document}$ of *T*. In other words, all the leaves as well as the root contain empty bags.Every non-leaf node of *T* is of one of the following three types:*Introduce node* A note *t* with exactly one child $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$X_t=X_{t'}\cup \{v\}$$\end{document}$ for some vertex $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$v\not \in X_{t'}$$\end{document}$; we say that *v* is *introduced* at *t*. If $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$u\in X_{t'}$$\end{document}$ and *uv* is an edge in *G*, then we also say that *uv* is *introduced* at *t*.*Forget node* A note *t* with exactly one child $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$w\in X_{t'}$$\end{document}$; we say that *w* is *forgotten* at *t*.*Join node* A node *t* with two children $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$t_1$$\end{document}$, $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$X_{t}=X_{t_1}=X_{t_2}$$\end{document}$.We note that there exists a polynomial-time algorithm that converts an arbitrary tree-decomposition into a nice tree-decomposition of the same width \[[@CR23]\]. A path-decomposition is a tree-decomposition where each node of *T* has degree at most 2, and nice path-decompositions are nice tree-decompositions which do not contain join nodes. Nice path-decompositions can also be computed from standard path-decompositions in polynomial time while preserving width \[[@CR23]\]. Observe that any path-decomposition can be fully characterized by the order of appearance of its bags along *T*, and hence we will consider succinct representations of path-decompositions in the form $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {Q}=(Q_{1},\dots ,Q_{d})$$\end{document}$, where $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$Q_i$$\end{document}$ is the *i*-th bag in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {Q}$$\end{document}$. The *pathwidth* of *G*, $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$pw (G)$$\end{document}$, is the minimum width of a path-decomposition of *G*.
We list some useful facts about treewidth and pathwidth.
### Fact 2 {#FPar2}
\[[@CR3], [@CR4]\] There exists an algorithm which, given a graph *G* and an integer *k*, runs in time $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {O}(k^{\mathcal {O}(k^3)}n)$$\end{document}$ and either outputs a tree-decomposition of *G* of width at most *k* or correctly identifies that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$tw (G)>k$$\end{document}$. Furthermore, there exists an algorithm which, given a graph *G* and an integer *k*, runs in time $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {O}(k^{\mathcal {O}(k^3)}n)$$\end{document}$ and either outputs a path-decomposition of *G* of width at most *k* or correctly identifies that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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### Fact 3 {#FPar3}
(Folklore) Let $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}$$\end{document}$ be a tree-decomposition of *G* and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$t\in T$$\end{document}$. Then each connected component of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$G-X_t$$\end{document}$ lies in a single subtree of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$T-t$$\end{document}$. In particular, for each connected component *C* of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$tw (G)$$\end{document}$ and a tree-decomposition of *G* refer to the treewidth and a tree-decomposition of the underlying undirected graph of *G*, i.e., the undirected graph obtained by replacing each directed edge with an edge (and removing duplicate edges).
Monadic Second Order Logic {#Sec6}
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We consider *Monadic Second Order* (MSO) logic on (edge-)labeled directed graphs in terms of their incidence structure whose universe contains vertices and edges; the incidence between vertices and edges is represented by a binary relation. We assume an infinite supply of *individual variables*$\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$x,x_1,x_2,\dots $$\end{document}$ and of *set variables*$\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$X,X_1,X_2,\dots $$\end{document}$ The *atomic formulas* are *Vx* ("*x* is a vertex"), *Ey* ("*y* is an edge"), *Ixy* ("vertex *x* is incident with edge *y*"), *Hxy* ("vertex *x* is the head of the edge *y*"), *Txy* ("vertex *x* is the tail of the edge *y*"), $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$x=y$$\end{document}$ (equality), $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$x\ne y$$\end{document}$ (inequality), $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$P_a x$$\end{document}$ ("vertex or edge *x* has label *a*"), and *Xx* ("vertex or edge *x* is an element of set *X*"). *MSO formulas* are built up from atomic formulas using the usual Boolean connectives $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$(\lnot ,\wedge ,\vee ,\rightarrow ,\leftrightarrow )$$\end{document}$, quantification over individual variables ($\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\forall x$$\end{document}$, $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\exists x$$\end{document}$), and quantification over set variables ($\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\forall X$$\end{document}$, $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\exists X$$\end{document}$).
Let $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\varPhi (X)$$\end{document}$ be an MSO formula with a free set variable *X*. For a labeled graph $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$G=(V,E)$$\end{document}$ and a set $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$S\subseteq E$$\end{document}$ we write $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$G \models \varPhi (S)$$\end{document}$ if the formula $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\varPhi $$\end{document}$ holds true on *G* whenever *X* is instantiated with *S*.
The following result (an extension of the well-known Courcelle's Theorem \[[@CR8]\]) shows that if *G* has bounded treewidth then we can count the number of sets *S* with $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$G \models \varPhi (S)$$\end{document}$.
### Fact 4 {#FPar4}
\[[@CR1]\] Let $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\varPhi (X)$$\end{document}$ be an MSO formula with a free set variable *X* and *w* a constant. Then there is a linear-time algorithm that, given a labeled directed graph $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$G=(V,E)$$\end{document}$ of treewidth at most *w*, outputs the number of sets $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$S \subseteq E$$\end{document}$ such that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$G \models \varPhi (S)$$\end{document}$.
We note that the above result requires a tree-decomposition of width at most *w* to be provided with the input. However, as seen in Fact [2](#FPar2){ref-type="sec"}, for a graph of treewidth at most *w* such a tree decomposition can be found in linear time, hence we can drop this requirement from the statement of the theorem.
Posets {#Sec7}
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A *partially ordered set* (*poset*) $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}$$\end{document}$ is a pair $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$(P,\le ^P)$$\end{document}$ where *P* is a set and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\le ^P$$\end{document}$ is a reflexive, antisymmetric, and transitive binary relation over *P*. The *size* of a poset $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}=(P,\le ^P)$$\end{document}$ is $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$|{\mathcal P}|:=|P|$$\end{document}$. We say that *pcovers*$\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$p'$$\end{document}$ for $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$p,p' \in P$$\end{document}$, denoted by $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$p' \lhd ^P p$$\end{document}$, if $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$p' \le ^P\! p$$\end{document}$, $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$p \ne p'$$\end{document}$, and for every $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$p''$$\end{document}$ with $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$p' \le ^P\! p''\le ^P\! p$$\end{document}$ it holds that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$p''\in \{p,p'\}$$\end{document}$. We say that *p* and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$p'$$\end{document}$ are *incomparable* (in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}$$\end{document}$), denoted $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$p \parallel ^P p'$$\end{document}$, if neither $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$p \le ^P\! p'$$\end{document}$ nor $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$p' \le ^P\! p$$\end{document}$.
A *chainC* of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}$$\end{document}$ is a subset of *P* such that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$x \le ^P y$$\end{document}$ or $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$y \le ^P x$$\end{document}$ for every $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$x,y \in C$$\end{document}$. An *antichainA* of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}$$\end{document}$ is a subset of *P* such that for all $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$x,y \in A$$\end{document}$ it is true that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$x \parallel ^P y$$\end{document}$. A family $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$C_1,\dots ,C_\ell $$\end{document}$ of pairwise disjoint subsets of *P* forms a *total order* if for each $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$i,j\in [\ell ]$$\end{document}$ and each $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$a\in C_i$$\end{document}$, $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$b\in C_j$$\end{document}$, it holds that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$a\le b$$\end{document}$ iff $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$i<j$$\end{document}$. Furthermore, for each $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$i\in [\ell -1]$$\end{document}$ we say that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$C_i$$\end{document}$ and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$C_{i+1}$$\end{document}$ are *consecutive*. We call a poset $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}$$\end{document}$ such that every two elements of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}$$\end{document}$ are comparable a *linear order*. A *linear extension* of a poset $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}= (P,\le ^P)$$\end{document}$ is a reflexive, antisymmetric, and transitive binary relation $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\preceq $$\end{document}$ over *P* such that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$x\preceq y$$\end{document}$ whenever $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$x\le ^P y$$\end{document}$ and the poset $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}^*=(P, \preceq )$$\end{document}$ is a linear order.
We denote the number of linear extensions of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}$$\end{document}$ by $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$e(\mathcal {P})$$\end{document}$. For completeness, we provide a formal definition of the problem of counting the number of linear extensions below.
We consider the following graph representations of a poset $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}=(P,\le ^\mathcal {P})$$\end{document}$. The *cover graph* of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}$$\end{document}$, denoted $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$C(\mathcal {P})$$\end{document}$, is the undirected graph with vertex set *P* and edge set $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\{\{a,b\}~|~a\lhd b\}$$\end{document}$. The *incomparability graph* of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}$$\end{document}$, denoted $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$I(\mathcal {P})$$\end{document}$, is the undirected graph with vertex set *P* and edge set $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\{\{a,b\}~|~a\parallel b\}$$\end{document}$. The *combined graph* of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}$$\end{document}$, denoted $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$I_C(\mathcal {P})$$\end{document}$, is the directed graph with vertex set *P* and edge set $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\{(a,b)~|~(a\lhd b)\vee (a\parallel b)\}$$\end{document}$. Finally, the *poset graph* of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}$$\end{document}$, denoted $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$P_G(\mathcal {P})$$\end{document}$, is the directed graph with vertex set *P* and edge set $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\{(a,b)~|~a\le b\}$$\end{document}$. We will use the following known fact about tree-decompositions and path-decompositions of incomparability graphs.
### Fact 5 {#FPar5}
\[[@CR20], Theorem 2.1\] Let $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}$$\end{document}$ be a poset. Then $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$tw (I(\mathcal {P})) = pw (I(\mathcal {P}))$$\end{document}$.
### Corollary 1 {#FPar6}
(of Facts [2](#FPar2){ref-type="sec"} and [5](#FPar5){ref-type="sec"}) Let $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}$$\end{document}$ be a poset and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$k=tw (I(\mathcal {P}))$$\end{document}$. Then it is possible to compute a nice path-decomposition $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {Q}$$\end{document}$ of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$I(\mathcal {P})$$\end{document}$ of width at most *k* in time $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {O}(k^{\mathcal {O}(k^3)}n)$$\end{document}$.
Parameterized Complexity {#Sec8}
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We refer the reader to \[[@CR9], [@CR12], [@CR16]\] for an in-depth introduction to parameterized complexity; here we only briefly summarize the most important notions required by our results.
A *parameterized counting problem*$\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {A}$$\end{document}$ is a function $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\varSigma ^* \times \mathbb {N}\rightarrow \mathbb {N}$$\end{document}$ for some finite alphabet $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\varSigma $$\end{document}$. We call a parameterized counting problem $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {A}$$\end{document}$*fixed-parameter tractable* ($\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$${\textsf {FPT}}$$\end{document}$) if $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {A}$$\end{document}$ can be computed in time $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$f(k) \cdot |x|^{\mathcal {O}(1)}$$\end{document}$ where *f* is an arbitrary computable function and (*x*, *k*) is the instance. The complexity class W\[1\] can be seen an the analog of NP for parameterized decision problems. To prove that a parameterized problem $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal A$$\end{document}$ is W\[1\]-hard, one can give an *fpt turing reduction* from a known W\[1\]-hard problem $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal B$$\end{document}$ to $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal A$$\end{document}$; such an fpt turing reduction is a deterministic algorithm solving $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal A$$\end{document}$ with an oracle to $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal B$$\end{document}$ with the following properties: (a) the algorithm is FPT, and (b) the parameter for $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal B$$\end{document}$ in each oracle query is bounded by a function of the parameter for $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal A$$\end{document}$. To avoid confusion, we remark that there also exists the complexity class $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\#$$\end{document}$W\[1\] which is an analog of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\#$$\end{document}$P for parameterized counting problems.
Our main negative result is based on an fpt turing reduction from the following fairly well-known W\[1\]-hard decision problem \[[@CR14]\].
We denote by $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\#EC (G,r)$$\end{document}$ the number of equitable colorings of graph *G* with *r* colors. We remark that the problem remains W\[1\]-hard even if we restrict to the instances, where \|*V*(*G*)\| is divisible by *r*. This can be seen, for example, by padding of the instance by a single isolated clique.
Fixed-Parameter Intractability of Counting Linear Extensions {#Sec9}
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The goal of this section is to prove Theorem [1](#FPar7){ref-type="sec"}, stated below.
Theorem 1 {#FPar7}
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[\#LE]{.smallcaps} parameterized by the treewidth of the cover graph of the input poset does not admit an fpt algorithm unless W\[1\]=$\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$${\textsf {FPT}}$$\end{document}$.
We begin by giving a brief overview of the proof, whose general outline follows the \#P-hardness proof of the problem \[[@CR6]\]. However, since our parameter is treewidth, we needed to reduce from a problem that is not fixed-parameter tractable parameterized by treewidth. Consequently, instead of reducing from SAT, we will use [Equitable Coloring]{.smallcaps}. This made the reduction considerably more complicated and required the introduction of novel gadgets, which allow us to encode the problem without increasing the treewidth too much.
The proof is based on solving an instance (*G*, *r*) of [Equitable Coloring]{.smallcaps}\[tw\] in FPT time using an oracle that solves [\#LE]{.smallcaps} in FPT time parameterized by the treewidth of the cover graph (i.e., an fpt turing reduction). The first step is the construction of an auxiliary poset $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}(G,r)$$\end{document}$ of size $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$2(r-1)|V(G)|+(r^2-1)|E(G)|$$\end{document}$. Then, for a given sufficiently large (polynomially larger than \|*V*(*G*)\|) prime number *p*, we show how to construct a poset $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}(G,r,p)$$\end{document}$ such that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$e(\mathcal {P}(G,r,p))\equiv e(\mathcal {P}(G,r))\cdot \#EC (G,r)\cdot A_p \mod p$$\end{document}$, where $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$A_p$$\end{document}$ is a constant that depends on *p* and is not divisible by *p*. Therefore, if we choose a prime *p* that does not divide $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$e(\mathcal {P}(G,r))\cdot \#EC (G,r)$$\end{document}$, then $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$e(\mathcal {P}(G,r,p))$$\end{document}$ will not be divisible by *p*. Using Fact [1](#FPar1){ref-type="sec"} we show that if $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\#EC (G,r)\ne 0$$\end{document}$, then there always exists a prime *p* within a specified polynomial range of \|*V*\| such that *p* does not divide $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$e(\mathcal {P}(G,r))\cdot \#EC (G,r)$$\end{document}$.
From the above, it follows that there exists an equitable coloring of *G* with *r* colors if and only if, for at least one prime *p* within a specified (polynomial) number range, the number of linear extensions of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}(G,r,p)$$\end{document}$ is not divisible by *p*. Moreover, we show that all inputs for the oracle will have size polynomial in the size of *G* and treewidth bounded by a polynomial in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$tw (G)+r$$\end{document}$. Before proceeding to a formal proof of Theorem [1](#FPar7){ref-type="sec"}, we state two auxiliary lemmas which will be useful for counting linear extensions later in the proof.
Lemma 1 {#FPar8}
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If a poset $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}$$\end{document}$ is a disjoint union of posets $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}_1,\dots ,\mathcal {P}_k$$\end{document}$ for some positive integer *k*, then$$\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\begin{aligned} e(\mathcal {P})={{\left( \sum _{i=1}^k |\mathcal {P}_i|\right) !} \over {\prod _{i=1}^k |\mathcal {P}_i|!}}\prod _{i=1}^k e(\mathcal {P}_i) . \end{aligned}$$\end{document}$$
Proof {#FPar9}
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We use induction on *k*, and observe that the lemma trivially holds for $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$k=1$$\end{document}$. Let $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {Q}$$\end{document}$ denote the disjoint union of posets $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}_1,\dots ,\mathcal {P}_{k-1}$$\end{document}$. For each combination of linear extension of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {Q}$$\end{document}$ and of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}_k$$\end{document}$ there are $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$${{|\mathcal {Q}|+|\mathcal {P}_k|}\atopwithdelims (){|\mathcal {P}_k|}}$$\end{document}$ linear extensions of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}$$\end{document}$. Hence,$$\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\begin{aligned} e(\mathcal {P})= & {} e(\mathcal {Q})e(\mathcal {P}_k){{|\mathcal {Q}|+|\mathcal {P}_k|}\atopwithdelims (){|\mathcal {P}_k|}} = {{(\sum _{i=1}^{k-1} |\mathcal {P}_i|)!} \over {\prod _{i=1}^{k-1} |\mathcal {P}_i|!}}\bigg (\prod _{i=1}^{k-1} e(\mathcal {P}_i)\bigg )\cdot e(\mathcal {P}_k) \cdot {{\sum _{i=1}^k |\mathcal {P}_i|}\atopwithdelims (){|\mathcal {P}_k|}}\\= & {} {{(\sum _{i=1}^{k-1} |\mathcal {P}_i|)!} \over {\prod _{i=1}^{k-1} |\mathcal {P}_i|!}}{{(\sum _{i=1}^k |\mathcal {P}_i|)!}\over {(\sum _{i=1}^{k-1} |\mathcal {P}_i|)!|\mathcal {P}_k|!}}\prod _{i=1}^{k} e(\mathcal {P}_i)= {{(\sum _{i=1}^k |\mathcal {P}_i|)!} \over {\prod _{i=1}^k |\mathcal {P}_i|!}}\prod _{i=1}^k e(\mathcal {P}_i). \end{aligned}$$\end{document}$$$\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\square $$\end{document}$
In the following we say that a set *C* of elements of a poset $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}$$\end{document}$ is a connected component of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}$$\end{document}$ if *C* is a connected component of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$C(\mathcal {P})$$\end{document}$.
Lemma 2 {#FPar10}
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Let *p* be a prime number and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {Q}$$\end{document}$ be a connected component of a poset $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}$$\end{document}$ such that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$|\mathcal {Q}|=p-1$$\end{document}$. If the number of linear extensions of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}$$\end{document}$ is not divisible by *p*, then the number of elements in each connected component of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}$$\end{document}$ other than $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {Q}$$\end{document}$ is divisible by *p*.
Proof {#FPar11}
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Let $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}_1$$\end{document}$ be a connected component of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}$$\end{document}$ different than $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {Q}$$\end{document}$. First note that from Lemma [1](#FPar8){ref-type="sec"}, it is clear that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$e(\mathcal {P})$$\end{document}$ will be divisible by the number of linear extensions of the poset $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}'$$\end{document}$ formed as a disjoint union of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {Q}$$\end{document}$ and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}_1$$\end{document}$. Now, by Lemma [1](#FPar8){ref-type="sec"} it holds that$$\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\begin{aligned} e(\mathcal {P}')={{(p-1+|\mathcal {P}_1|)!} \over {(p-1)!|\mathcal {P}_1|!}} e(\mathcal {P}_1)e(\mathcal {Q}). \end{aligned}$$\end{document}$$Since $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$e(\mathcal {P})$$\end{document}$ is not divisible by *p*, it must follow that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$e(\mathcal {P}')$$\end{document}$ is also not divisible by *p*. Note that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$${{(p-1+|\mathcal {P}_1|)!} \over {(p-1)!|\mathcal {P}_1|!}}=\left( {\begin{array}{c}p-1+|\mathcal {P}_1|\\ p-1\end{array}}\right) $$\end{document}$ is a natural number and a divisor of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$e(\mathcal {P}')$$\end{document}$. Furthermore, $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$(p-1)!$$\end{document}$ cannot be divisible by *p* since *p* is prime. Hence it follows that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$${{(p-1+|\mathcal {P}_1|)!} \over {|\mathcal {P}_1|!}} = \left( {\begin{array}{c}p-1+|\mathcal {P}_1|\\ p-1\end{array}}\right) \cdot (p-1)!$$\end{document}$ cannot be divisible by *p*. Suppose that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$|\mathcal {P}_1|=ap+b$$\end{document}$ for some non-negative integers *a* and *b* such that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$b<p$$\end{document}$; then we obtain that the expression $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$${{(p-1+ap+b)!} \over {(ap+b)!}}$$\end{document}$ is not divisible by *p*. But$$\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\begin{aligned} {{(p-1+ap+b)!} \over {(ap+b)!}} = \prod _{i=1}^{p-1}\left( ap+b+i\right) , \end{aligned}$$\end{document}$$which is clearly divisible by $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$(a+1)p$$\end{document}$ whenever $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$b\ge 1$$\end{document}$. Therefore $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$b=0$$\end{document}$ and hence $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$|\mathcal {P}_1|$$\end{document}$ is divisible by *p*, which concludes the proof of the lemma. $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\square $$\end{document}$
We now proceed to the proof of our main theorem.
Proof {#FPar12}
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(of Theorem [1](#FPar7){ref-type="sec"}) The proof is structured as follows. We begin by giving the construction of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}(G,r)$$\end{document}$ and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}(G,r,p)$$\end{document}$, after which we establish the desired properties of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}(G,r,p)$$\end{document}$ and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}(G,r)$$\end{document}$, and summarize in the conclusion.
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}(G,r)$$\end{document}$*and the main gadget* Let (*G*, *r*) be an instance of [Equitable Coloring]{.smallcaps}\[tw\] such that \|*V*(*G*)\| is divisible by *r* (if this is not the case, then this can be enforced by padding the instance with isolated vertices, see also \[[@CR14]\]). We begin by constructing the poset $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}(G,r)$$\end{document}$, which will play an important role later on. For every vertex *v* of *V*(*G*) we create $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$2(r-1)$$\end{document}$ elements denoted $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$v_{i,j}$$\end{document}$, where $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$1\le i\le r-1$$\end{document}$ and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$j \in \{0,1\}$$\end{document}$, such that the only dependencies in the poset between these elements are $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$v_{i,1} \le v_{i,0}$$\end{document}$ for all $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$v\in V(G)$$\end{document}$, for all $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$i\in \{1,\dots , r-1\}$$\end{document}$. For every edge $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$e=uv\in E(G)$$\end{document}$ we create $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$r^2-1$$\end{document}$ pairwise-incomparable elements $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$e_{i,j}$$\end{document}$, such that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$(i,j)\in (\{0,\dots ,r-1\}^2{\setminus } \{(0,0)\})$$\end{document}$. The dependencies of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$e_{i,j}$$\end{document}$ are: if $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$i>0$$\end{document}$ then $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$u_{i,0} \le e_{i,j}$$\end{document}$, and if $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$j>0$$\end{document}$ then $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$v_{j,0} \le e_{i,j}$$\end{document}$ (see also Fig. [1](#Fig1){ref-type="fig"}).Fig. 1The cover graph for an edge $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$e=uv$$\end{document}$ of *G* in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}(G,3)$$\end{document}$
*Construction of*$\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}(G,r,p)$$\end{document}$ Let us now fix a prime number *p* such that *p* does not divide $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$e(\mathcal {P}(G,r))$$\end{document}$ and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$p>2r|V(G)|+r^2|E(G)|$$\end{document}$. The main gadget in our reduction is a so-called (*a*, *b*)-*flower*, which consists of an antichain of *a* vertices (called the *petals*) covering a chain of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$p-b$$\end{document}$ elements (called the *stalk*); an illustration is provided in Fig. [2](#Fig2){ref-type="fig"}. Due to Lemma [2](#FPar10){ref-type="sec"}, (*a*, *b*)-flowers will later allow us to force a choice of exactly *b* vertices out of *a*.Fig. 2An (*a*, *b*)-flower
Let *G* be a graph, *r* be an integer and *p* be a prime number as above. Recall that \|*V*(*G*)\| is divisible by *r* and let $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$s={{|V(G)|}\over {r}}$$\end{document}$ (note that this implies that each color in an equitable coloring of *G* must occur precisely *s* times in *G*). We proceed with a description of the poset $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}(G,r,p)$$\end{document}$. The poset $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}(G,r,p)$$\end{document}$ is split into $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$r+3$$\end{document}$ "*levels*" $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$L_1,\dots ,L_{r+3}$$\end{document}$ by linearly ordered elements $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$a_0\le a_1\le \dots \le a_{r+2} \le a_{r+3}$$\end{document}$, called the *anchors*. Each of these levels, besides $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$L_{r+3}$$\end{document}$, will consist of some flowers and a chain of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$p-1$$\end{document}$ elements which we call a *stick*; each of these flowers and the stick will always be pairwise incomparable. The anchors $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$a_{r+3}$$\end{document}$ are the unique minimum and maximum elements, respectively. The stick and all the stalks of flowers in level $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$L_{i}$$\end{document}$ will always lie between two consecutive elements $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$a_{i}$$\end{document}$, and the petals of these flowers will be incomparable with $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$a_i$$\end{document}$ as well as some anchors above that (as defined later). Observe that while the relative position of any stalk and any anchor is fixed in every linear extension, petals can be placed above $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$a_i$$\end{document}$.
We say that a flower (or its stalk, petals, or elements) is *associated* with the level in which it is constructed, i.e., with the level $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$L_i$$\end{document}$ such that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$a_{i-1}\le c\le a_i$$\end{document}$ for stalk elements *c* and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$d\parallel a_i$$\end{document}$ for petals *d*. We denote the set of all petals associated with level $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$L_i$$\end{document}$ as $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$A_i$$\end{document}$ (see Fig. [3](#Fig3){ref-type="fig"}). For the construction, it will be useful to keep in mind the following intended goal: whenever an (*a*, *b*)-flower is placed in level *i*, it will force the selection of precisely *b* petals (from its total of *a* petals), where selected elements remain on level *i* (i.e., between $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$a_i$$\end{document}$) in the linear extension and unselected elements are moved to level $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$r+2$$\end{document}$ (i.e., between $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$a_{r+3}$$\end{document}$) in the linear extension. We will later show that the total number of linear extensions which violate this goal must be divisible by *p*, and hence such extensions can all be disregarded modulo *p*.Fig. 3Each level consists of a chain of length $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$p-1$$\end{document}$ and a few flowers. The set of petals associated with level $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$L_{i}$$\end{document}$ is denoted by $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$A_{i}$$\end{document}$
The first *r* levels are so-called *color class* levels, each representing one color class. We use these levels to make sure that every color class contains exactly *s* vertices. Aside from the stick, each such level contains a single (\|*V*(*G*)\|, *s*)-flower. Recall that the stalk and the stick on level $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$1\le i\le r$$\end{document}$ both lie between anchors $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$a_i$$\end{document}$, and that the stalk and the flower are incomparable. We associate each petal of the flower at level $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$L_i$$\end{document}$ with a unique vertex $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$v\in V(G)$$\end{document}$ and denote the petal $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$v_i$$\end{document}$. Each petal $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$v_i$$\end{document}$ will be incomparable with all anchors above $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$a_{i-1}$$\end{document}$ up to $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$a_{r+3}$$\end{document}$, i.e., $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$v_i\parallel a_j$$\end{document}$ for $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$i\le j\le r+2$$\end{document}$ and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$v_i\le a_{r+3}$$\end{document}$. Intuitively, the flower in each color class level will later force a choice of *s* vertices to be assigned the given color.
Level $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$L_{r+1}$$\end{document}$ is called the *vertex* level and consists of one stick and \|*V*(*G*)\|-many (*r*, 1)-flowers; the purpose of this level is to ensure that every vertex is assigned exactly one color. Each flower is associated with one vertex $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$v\in V(G)$$\end{document}$ and we denote the petals of the flower associated with vertex *v* as $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$v^i$$\end{document}$ for $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$1\le i\le r$$\end{document}$. We set $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$v_i \le v^i$$\end{document}$ for all $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$v\in V(G)$$\end{document}$ and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$1\le i\le r$$\end{document}$.
Level $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$L_{r+2}$$\end{document}$ is called the *edge* level, and its purpose is to ensure that the endpoints of every edge have a different color. It consists of a stick and \|*E*(*G*)\|-many $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$(r^2,1)$$\end{document}$-flowers. Each flower is associated with one edge $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$e=uv\in V(G)$$\end{document}$ and we denote the petals of the flower associated with *e* as $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$1\le i\le r$$\end{document}$ and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$1\le j\le r$$\end{document}$. Moreover, for edge $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$e=uv$$\end{document}$ we set $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$v^j\le e_{i,j}$$\end{document}$, and we set $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$a_{r+2} \le e_{i,j}$$\end{document}$ whenever $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$i=j$$\end{document}$. Observe that this forces any petal $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$e_{i,i}$$\end{document}$ to lie between $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$a_{r+2}$$\end{document}$ and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$a_{r+3}$$\end{document}$ in every linear extension (i.e., prevents $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$e_{i,i}$$\end{document}$ from being "selected").
Level $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$L_{r+3}$$\end{document}$ is called the *trash level*. It does not contain any new elements in the poset, but it plays an important role in the reduction: we will later show that any petals which are interpreted as "not selected" must be located between $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$a_{r+2}$$\end{document}$ and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$a_{r+3}$$\end{document}$ in any linear extension that is not automatically "canceled out" due to counting modulo *p*.
A high-level overview of the whole constructed poset $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}(G,r,p)$$\end{document}$ is presented in Fig. [4](#Fig4){ref-type="fig"}.Fig. 4The cover graph of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}(G,r,p)$$\end{document}$. The edge *e* is the edge in *G* between vertices *u* and *v*
*Establishing the desired properties of*$\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}(G,r,p)$$\end{document}$*and*$\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}(G,r)$$\end{document}$ We begin by formalizing the notion of selection. Let a *configuration* be a partition $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\phi $$\end{document}$ of petals of all flowers into $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$r+3$$\end{document}$ sets $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$L_1^\phi , \dots , L_{r+3}^\phi $$\end{document}$. Let $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\varPhi $$\end{document}$ denote a set of all configurations. We say that a linear extension $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\preceq $$\end{document}$ of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}(G,r,p)$$\end{document}$*respects* the configuration $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\phi $$\end{document}$ if $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$L_1^\phi \preceq a_1\preceq L_2^\phi \preceq a_2\preceq \dots \preceq a_{r+2}\preceq L_{r+3}^\phi $$\end{document}$ and we denote the set of all linear extensions of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}(G,r,p)$$\end{document}$ that respects $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\phi $$\end{document}$ by $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {L}^\phi $$\end{document}$. We say that a configuration $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\phi $$\end{document}$ is *consistent* if $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {L}^\phi $$\end{document}$ is non-empty; this merely means that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$L_1^\phi \le a_1\le L_2^\phi \le a_2\le \dots \le a_{r+2}\le L_{r+3}^\phi $$\end{document}$ does not violate any inequalities in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}(G,r,p)$$\end{document}$. Observe that if $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\phi $$\end{document}$ is consistent, then $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {L}^\phi $$\end{document}$ is exactly the set of linear extension of the partial order $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}^\phi (G,r,p)$$\end{document}$, where $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}^\phi (G,r,p)$$\end{document}$ is obtained by enriching $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}(G,r,p)$$\end{document}$ with the relations $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$L_1^\phi \le a_1\le L_2^\phi \le a_2\le \dots \le a_{r+2}\le L_{r+3}^\phi $$\end{document}$ and performing transitive closure (in other words, $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}^\phi (G,r,p)$$\end{document}$ is obtained by enforcing $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\phi $$\end{document}$ onto $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}(G,r,p)$$\end{document}$).
Since every linear extension of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}(G,r,p)$$\end{document}$ respects exactly one configuration, it is easy to see that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$e(\mathcal {P}(G,r,p)) = \sum _{\phi \in \varPhi } |\mathcal {L}^\phi | = \sum _{\phi \in \varPhi } e(\mathcal {P}^\phi (G,r,p))$$\end{document}$. Intuitively, a configuration $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\phi $$\end{document}$*contributes* to the above sum modulo *p* if $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$e(\mathcal {P}^\phi (G,r,p))$$\end{document}$ is not divisible by *p*. We shall prove that the only configurations which contribute to this sum modulo *p* are those where from every (*a*, *b*)-flower there are exactly *b* petals in the same level as the stalk, and the remaining $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$a-b$$\end{document}$ petals are in the trash. Furthermore, in each configuration $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\phi $$\end{document}$ which contributes to the above sum modulo *p*, the petals in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$L_{r+1}^\phi $$\end{document}$ represent a proper equitable coloring of *G* with *r* colors, and each such configuration is respected by the same number of linear extensions.
Let us first remark that for any configuration $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\phi $$\end{document}$, the anchors $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$a_0,a_1,\dots ,a_{r+3}$$\end{document}$ are comparable to all elements of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}^\phi (G,r,p)$$\end{document}$. Now, let $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}_{L_i}^\phi $$\end{document}$ be the poset induced by all elements $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$e\in \mathcal {P}^\phi (G,r,p)$$\end{document}$ such that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$a_{i-1}\le e\le a_i$$\end{document}$ and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$e\ne a_{i-1}$$\end{document}$, $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$e\ne a_i$$\end{document}$. It is readily seen that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$e(\mathcal {P}^\phi (G,r,p)) = \prod _{i=1}^{r+3}e(\mathcal {P}_{L_i}^\phi )$$\end{document}$. We proceed by stating a series of claims about our construction.
Claim 1 {#FPar13}
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For each $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$i\in \{1,\dots , r\}$$\end{document}$, it holds that either $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$e(\mathcal {P}_{L_i}^\phi ) \equiv 0 \mod p$$\end{document}$, or $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$e(\mathcal {P}_{L_i}^\phi ) = s!{{2p-1} \atopwithdelims (){p}}$$\end{document}$ and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$L_i^\phi $$\end{document}$ contains exactly *s* petals of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$A_i$$\end{document}$ and no other petals.
Proof {#FPar14}
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(of the Claim) Assume that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$e(\mathcal {P}_{L_i}^\phi ) \not \equiv 0 \mod p$$\end{document}$ and recall that level $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$L_i$$\end{document}$ contains a stick, which is a chain of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$p-1$$\end{document}$ elements that is incomparable with all elements of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}_{L_i}^\phi $$\end{document}$ in every configuration $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\phi $$\end{document}$. By Lemma [2](#FPar10){ref-type="sec"} this implies that every connected component of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}_{L_i}^\phi $$\end{document}$ distinct from the stick has size divisible by *p*. Clearly, $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$L_i^\phi $$\end{document}$ contains only those stalks that are associated with the level $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$L_i$$\end{document}$, and it contains all such stalks. It is readily seen from the construction that any petal in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\cup _{j<i}A_j$$\end{document}$ would necessarily form a component of size one in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}_{L_i}^\phi $$\end{document}$. Hence, $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}_{L_i}^\phi $$\end{document}$ contains only elements associated with level $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$L_i$$\end{document}$, namely elements of the stick and elements of a (\|*V*(*G*)\|, *s*)-flower. Moreover, by Lemma [2](#FPar10){ref-type="sec"} and the fact that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$|V(G)|+p-s<2p$$\end{document}$, each such flower has exactly *p* elements in level $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}_{L_i}^\phi $$\end{document}$. Since the $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$p-s$$\end{document}$ elements of the stalk must be in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}_{L_i}^\phi $$\end{document}$, the poset $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}_{L_i}^\phi $$\end{document}$ contains exactly *s* elements of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$A_i$$\end{document}$. Clearly, the number of linear extensions of the petals of the (\|*V*(*G*)\|, *s*)-flower in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}_{L_i}^\phi $$\end{document}$ is *s*! and hence by Lemma [1](#FPar8){ref-type="sec"}$\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$e(\mathcal {P}_{L_i}^\phi ) = s!{{2p-1} \atopwithdelims (){p}}$$\end{document}$, which concludes the proof. $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\square $$\end{document}$
Claim 2 {#FPar15}
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Either $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$e(\mathcal {P}_{L_{r+1}}^\phi ) \equiv 0 \mod p$$\end{document}$, or $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$e(\mathcal {P}_{L_{r+1}}^\phi ) = {{(|V(G)|p+p-1)!} \over {(p-1)}!(p!)^{|V(G)|}}$$\end{document}$ and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$L_{r+1}^\phi $$\end{document}$ contains exactly \|*V*(*G*)\| elements of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$A_{r+1}$$\end{document}$, specifically one petal for each (*r*, 1)-flower on level $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$L_{r+1}$$\end{document}$.
Proof {#FPar16}
-----
(of the Claim) Assume $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$e(\mathcal {P}_{L_{r+1}}^\phi ) \not \equiv 0 \mod p$$\end{document}$, and let us first examine elements that are not associated with level $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$L_{r+1}$$\end{document}$. Clearly, no element associated with level $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$L_{r+2}$$\end{document}$ can appear in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}_{L_{r+1}}^\phi $$\end{document}$ and the only elements associated with any level $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$i<r+1$$\end{document}$ that can end up in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}_{L_{r+1}}^\phi $$\end{document}$ are petals. Each of these elements is smaller than exactly one petal at level $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$L_{r+1}$$\end{document}$ and incomparable to all other elements associated with this level. It is easy to see that largest possible size of a connected component of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}_{L_{r+1}}^\phi $$\end{document}$ is $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$p-1+2r<2p$$\end{document}$. By Lemma [2](#FPar10){ref-type="sec"}, every connected component in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}_{L_{r+1}}^\phi $$\end{document}$ (except for the stick) will have size *p*, and therefore $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}_{L_{r+1}}^\phi $$\end{document}$ will contain exactly one element for every set of petals associated with $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$L_{r+1}$$\end{document}$ and no other elements. Hence, $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}_{L_{r+1}}^\phi $$\end{document}$ consists of \|*V*(*G*)\| chains of length *p* and one chain of length $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$p-1$$\end{document}$. Then $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$e(\mathcal {P}_{L_{r+1}}^\phi ) = {{(|V(G)|p+p-1)!} \over {(p-1)}!(p!)^{|V(G)|}}$$\end{document}$ follows from Lemma [1](#FPar8){ref-type="sec"}. $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\square $$\end{document}$
Claim 3 {#FPar17}
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Either $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$e(\mathcal {P}_{L_{r+2}}^\phi ) \equiv 0 \mod p$$\end{document}$, or $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$e(\mathcal {P}_{L_{r+2}}^\phi ) = {{(|E(G)|p+p-1)!} \over {(p-1)}!(p!)^{|E(G)|}}$$\end{document}$ and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$L_{r+2}^\phi $$\end{document}$ contains exactly \|*E*(*G*)\| elements of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$A_{r+2}$$\end{document}$, specifically one petal for each $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$(r^2,1)$$\end{document}$-flower on level $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$L_{r+2}$$\end{document}$.
Proof {#FPar18}
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(of the Claim) The idea of the proof is similar to the proof of the previous claim, with one additional obstacle: that several flowers can be connected with petals from lower levels into one connected component on level $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$L_{r+2}$$\end{document}$ through the petals of flowers on level $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$L_{r+1}$$\end{document}$. So, assume $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$e(\mathcal {P}_{L_{r+2}}^\phi )$$\end{document}$ contains a connected component *C* which contains at least a single stalk. If *C* contains precisely the single stalk, then by Lemma [2](#FPar10){ref-type="sec"} we have $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$e(\mathcal {P}_{L_{r+2}}^\phi ) \equiv 0 \mod p$$\end{document}$. Otherwise, for each stalk in *C*, there must be at least one petal in the same flower (otherwise the stalk cannot be connected to the rest of *C*); in other words, the intersection of each flower and *C* contains at least *p* vertices. Let *a* denote the number of flowers which intersect *C*, $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$b_2$$\end{document}$ denote $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$|A_{r+2}\cap C|$$\end{document}$, $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$b_1$$\end{document}$ denote $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$|A_{r+1}\cap C|$$\end{document}$ and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$b_0$$\end{document}$ denote $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\sum _{i=1}^r|A_r\cap C|$$\end{document}$. Then it follows that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$|C|=p\cdot a+(b_2-a)+b_1+b_0\le p\cdot a+r^2|E|+r|V|+r|V|$$\end{document}$, and recall that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$r^2|E|+r|V|+r|V|<p$$\end{document}$. Furthermore, if $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$b_1>0$$\end{document}$ (and at least one petal from $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$A_{r+1}$$\end{document}$ is required unless *C* contains only a single flower), we have $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$a\cdot p<|C|<(a+1)\cdot p$$\end{document}$. Hence any such *C* cannot have size divisible by *p* and by Lemma [2](#FPar10){ref-type="sec"} we have $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$e(\mathcal {P}_{L_{r+2}}^\phi ) \equiv 0 \mod p$$\end{document}$. Otherwise, if no two flowers are connected through a petal of a flower associated with level $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$L_{r+1}$$\end{document}$, then every connected component of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}_{L_{r+2}}^\phi $$\end{document}$ of size *p* must consist of a stalk and exactly one petal and the claim follows analogously as the proof of Claim [2](#FPar15){ref-type="sec"}. $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\square $$\end{document}$
Claim 4 {#FPar19}
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If $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\phi $$\end{document}$ is a consistent configuration and for all $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$i\in \{1,\dots , r+2\}$$\end{document}$ it holds that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$e(\mathcal {P}_{L_{i}}^\phi ) \not \equiv 0 \mod p$$\end{document}$, then *1)* the petals in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$L_{r+1}^\phi $$\end{document}$ encode a proper equitable coloring of *V*(*G*) where vertex *v* receives color *i* iff the petal $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$v_i$$\end{document}$ lies in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$L_i^\phi $$\end{document}$, and *2)*$\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}_{L_{r+3}}^\phi $$\end{document}$ is isomorphic with $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}(G,r)$$\end{document}$.
Proof {#FPar20}
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(of the Claim) From Claims [1](#FPar13){ref-type="sec"}, [2](#FPar15){ref-type="sec"} and [3](#FPar17){ref-type="sec"} together with the assumption that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$e(\mathcal {P}_{L_{i}}^\phi ) \not \equiv 0 \mod p$$\end{document}$, it follows that each of the levels $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$L_1^\phi ,\dots ,L_{r}^\phi $$\end{document}$ contains exactly *s* petals associated with the corresponding level, level $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$L_{r+1}^\phi $$\end{document}$ contains exactly one petal for each vertex of *G* and level $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$L_{r+2}^\phi $$\end{document}$ contains exactly one petal for each edge of *G*.
For the first part of this claim, we observe that each pair of petals in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$L_1^\phi ,\dots , L_r^\phi $$\end{document}$ are associated with distinct vertices of *G*. If this were not the case, then since $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$|V(G)|=rs$$\end{document}$ there would exist a vertex *v* such that no element of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$L_1^\phi ,\dots , L_r^\phi $$\end{document}$ is associated with *v*. But due to the construction at level $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$r+1$$\end{document}$ there exists some $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$i\in \{1,\dots ,r\}$$\end{document}$ such that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$v^i\in L_{r+1}^\phi $$\end{document}$. Then, since $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$v_i\le v^i$$\end{document}$ and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$v_i$$\end{document}$ can only occur either in level $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$L_{i}^\phi $$\end{document}$ or $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$L_{r+3}^\phi $$\end{document}$ (the latter of which lies above $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$v^i$$\end{document}$ in the linear extension due to the configuration $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\phi $$\end{document}$), this would lead to a contradiction. In particular, we conclude that there is a matching between the petals in level $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$r+1$$\end{document}$ (encoding the color for each vertex) and the union of petals in levels $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$1,2,\dots r$$\end{document}$ (encoding the vertices assigned to each color class), and by Claim [1](#FPar13){ref-type="sec"} it follows that there are exactly *s* petals in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$L_{r+1}$$\end{document}$ associated with each color class.
We now argue that the coloring is proper. Observe that by the same argument as above, if an edge $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$e=uv$$\end{document}$ satisfies $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$e_{i,j}\in L_{r+2}^\phi $$\end{document}$, then $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$u^i\in L_{r+1}^\phi $$\end{document}$ and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$v^j\in L_{r+1}^\phi $$\end{document}$. From the construction of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}(G,r,p)$$\end{document}$ it follows that if $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$i=j$$\end{document}$, then $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$e_{i,j}\not \in L_{r+2}$$\end{document}$. Combining these two facts we get that the coloring encoded in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$L_{r+1}^\phi $$\end{document}$ is indeed proper.
Now let us take a look at level $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$L_{r+3}^\phi $$\end{document}$. To prove the claim, we will construct an isomorphism *f* from elements of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}_{L_{r+3}}^\phi $$\end{document}$ to elements of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}(G,r)$$\end{document}$. For every vertex $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$v\in V(G)$$\end{document}$, precisely one element $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$v^i\in L_{r+1}^\phi $$\end{document}$ and precisely one of the first *r* levels contains an element associated with *v*; to be precise, $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$v_i\in L_{i}^\phi $$\end{document}$ and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$v_j\in L_{r+3}^\phi $$\end{document}$ and hence also $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$v^j\in L_{r+3}^\phi $$\end{document}$ for all $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$j\not = i$$\end{document}$. We set $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$f(v^j)=v_{j,0}$$\end{document}$ and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$f(v_j)=v_{j,1}$$\end{document}$, whenever $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$j\not = i$$\end{document}$ and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$j<r$$\end{document}$. For the last remaining elements, we set $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$f(v^r)=v_{i,0}$$\end{document}$ and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$f(v_r)=v_{i,1}$$\end{document}$. Next, for every edge $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$e=uv$$\end{document}$ there is exactly one $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$e_{a,b}\in L_{r+2}^\phi $$\end{document}$. Moreover, if $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$e_{a,b}\in L_{r+2}^\phi $$\end{document}$ then $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$u^a\in L_{r+1}^\phi $$\end{document}$ and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$v^b\in L_{r+1}^\phi $$\end{document}$, and all other petals for this edge *e* are in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$L_{r+3}^\phi $$\end{document}$. Let $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$g_i(r)=i$$\end{document}$, $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$g_i(i)=0$$\end{document}$, and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$g_i(k)=k$$\end{document}$ otherwise. Then we set $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$f(e_{i,j})=e_{g_a(i),g_b(j)}$$\end{document}$. Observe that, since $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$e_{a,b}$$\end{document}$ does not lie in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$L_{r+3}^\phi $$\end{document}$, no edge is mapped to the non-existent element $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$e_{0,0}$$\end{document}$ in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}(G,r)$$\end{document}$. It is straightforward to verify that *f* is really bijective mapping between elements of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}_{L_{r+3}}^\phi $$\end{document}$ and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}(G,r)$$\end{document}$. Moreover, $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$f(u)\le f(v)$$\end{document}$ in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}(G,r)$$\end{document}$ if and only if $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$u\le v$$\end{document}$ in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}_{L_{r+3}}^\phi $$\end{document}$. Therefore, $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}_{L_{r+3}}^\phi $$\end{document}$ is isomorphic with $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}(G,r)$$\end{document}$ and the claim holds. $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\square $$\end{document}$
Claim 5 {#FPar21}
-------
$\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$e(\mathcal {P}(G,r,p))\not \equiv 0 \mod p$$\end{document}$ if and only if $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$e(\mathcal {P}(G,r))\cdot \#EC (G,r)\not \equiv 0 \mod p$$\end{document}$.
Proof {#FPar22}
-----
(of the Claim) From previous claims and in particular Claim [4](#FPar19){ref-type="sec"}, we already know that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$e(\mathcal {P}^\phi (G,r,p))\ne 0 \mod p$$\end{document}$ only if $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\phi $$\end{document}$ corresponds to an equitable coloring of *G* with *r* colors. Moreover, we know that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$e(\mathcal {P}^\phi (G,r,p)) = \prod _{i=1}^{r+3}e(\mathcal {P}_{L_i}^\phi )$$\end{document}$ and if $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$e(\mathcal {P}^\phi (G,r,p))\not \equiv 0 \mod p$$\end{document}$, then$$\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\begin{aligned} \prod _{i=1}^{r+3}e(\mathcal {P}_{L_i}^\phi ) = \left( s!{{2p-1} \atopwithdelims (){p}}\right) ^r {{(|V(G)|p+p-1)!} \over {(p-1)}!(p!)^{|V(G)|}}{{(|E(G)|p+p-1)!} \over {(p-1)}!(p!)^{|E(G)|}}e(\mathcal {P}(G,r)). \end{aligned}$$\end{document}$$Since $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
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\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$p> |V(G)|+|E(G)|$$\end{document}$, $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$(|V(G)|p+p-1)!$$\end{document}$ is divisible by $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$p^{|V(G)|}$$\end{document}$, but not by $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$p^{|V(G)|+1}$$\end{document}$ and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$(|E(G)|p+p-1)!$$\end{document}$ is divisible by $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$p^{|E(G)|}$$\end{document}$, but not by $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$p^{|E(G)|+1}$$\end{document}$. Therefore, it is readily seen that$$\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\begin{aligned} \left( s!{{2p-1} \atopwithdelims (){p}}\right) ^r {{(|V(G)|p+p-1)!} \over {(p-1)}!(p!)^{|V(G)|}}{{(|E(G)|p+p-1)!} \over {(p-1)}!(p!)^{|E(G)|}} \end{aligned}$$\end{document}$$is not divisible by *p*. We will denote this latter expression as $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
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\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$c_p$$\end{document}$; note that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$c_p$$\end{document}$ corresponds to the constant $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$A_p$$\end{document}$ introduced at the beginning of this section. Hence, it is easy to see that if $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\#EC (G,r)$$\end{document}$ denotes the actual number of equitable coloring of *G* with *r* colors, then$$\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\begin{aligned} e(\mathcal {P}(G,r,p))\equiv c_p e(\mathcal {P}(G,r)) \#EC (G,r)\mod p. \end{aligned}$$\end{document}$$Since $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$c_p$$\end{document}$ is not divisible by *p*, it is clear that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$e(\mathcal {P}(G,r,p))\not \equiv 0 \mod p$$\end{document}$ if and only if $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$e(\mathcal {P}(G,r))\cdot \#EC (G,r)\not \equiv 0 \mod p$$\end{document}$, and the claim holds. $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\square $$\end{document}$
Claim 6 {#FPar23}
-------
If $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\#EC (G,r)\ne 0$$\end{document}$, then there is a prime number *p* greater than $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$2r|V(G)|+r^2|E(G)|$$\end{document}$ and smaller than $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$(2r|V(G)|+r^2|E(G)|)^2$$\end{document}$ such that *p* does not divide $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$e(\mathcal {P}(G,r))\cdot \#EC (G,r)$$\end{document}$.
Proof {#FPar24}
-----
(of the Claim) Let us first upperbound $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$e(\mathcal {P}(G,r))\#EC (G,r)$$\end{document}$. Clearly, $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}(G,r)$$\end{document}$ contains $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$m = 2(r-1)|V(G)|+(r^2-1)|E(G)|$$\end{document}$ elements, hence $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$e(\mathcal {P}(G,r))\le m!$$\end{document}$. It can easily be verified that the number of possibilities of dividing $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
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\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$|V(G)|=rs$$\end{document}$ vertices into *r* color classes with exactly *s* colors each is $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$${{(rs)!} \over {(s!)^r}}$$\end{document}$. By Fact [1](#FPar1){ref-type="sec"}, the product of all primes between $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$2r|V(G)|+r^2|E(G)|$$\end{document}$ and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$(2r|V(G)|+r^2|E(G)|)^2$$\end{document}$ is at least $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
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\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$(2r|V(G)|+r^2|E(G)|)!2^{2r|V(G)|+r^2|E(G)|}$$\end{document}$. However, $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$2(r-1)|V(G)|+(r^2-1)|E(G)|+ |V(G)| \le 2r|V(G)|+r^2|E(G)|$$\end{document}$ and hence $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$e(\mathcal {P}(G,r))\#EC (G,r)\le (2(r-1)|V(G)|+(r^2-1)|E(G)|)!+ {{|V(G)|!}\over {(s!)^r}}$$\end{document}$ is clearly less than the product of all primes between $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$2r|V(G)|+r^2|E(G)|$$\end{document}$ and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$(2r|V(G)|+r^2|E(G)|)^2$$\end{document}$. Note that if a natural number *N* is divisible by set of primes $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
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\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$p_1,\dots , p_\ell $$\end{document}$ then *N* is divisible by the product of these primes and in particular *N* is bigger than the product of these primes. Therefore, $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$e(\mathcal {P}(G,r))\#EC (G,r)$$\end{document}$ cannot be divisible by all primes between $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$2r|V(G)|+r^2|E(G)|$$\end{document}$ and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
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\begin{document}$$(2r|V(G)|+r^2|E(G)|)^2$$\end{document}$, from which the claim follows. $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\square $$\end{document}$
Claim 7 {#FPar25}
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$\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$tw (C(\mathcal {P}(G,r,p)))\le r\cdot (tw (G)+3)+6$$\end{document}$.
Proof {#FPar26}
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(of the Claim) To distinguish vertices of *G* and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$C(\mathcal {P}(G,r,p))$$\end{document}$ in this proof, we will refer to the vertices of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$C(\mathcal {P}(G,r,p))$$\end{document}$ as elements. So, let $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}= (T, \{X_{t}\}_{t\in V(T)})$$\end{document}$ be a nice tree-decomposition of *G* of width $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$tw (G)$$\end{document}$. Using $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}$$\end{document}$, we show how to construct a tree-decomposition $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}' = (T', \{X_{t}'\}_{t\in V(T')})$$\end{document}$ of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$C(\mathcal {P}(G,r,p))$$\end{document}$ with treewidth at most $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$r\cdot (tw (G)+3)+6$$\end{document}$. The construction can be summarized as follows:All bags of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}'$$\end{document}$ will contain the anchors $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$a_0,\dots , a_{r+3}$$\end{document}$ as well as the top-most element of each stalk of the (\|*V*(*G*)\|, *s*)-flowers in the first *r* levels; let $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\delta $$\end{document}$ denote this set of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$2r+4$$\end{document}$ elements.For every bag $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$t\in \mathcal {T}$$\end{document}$, the tree-decomposition $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}'$$\end{document}$ will contain a node $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$t'$$\end{document}$ such that if $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$v\in X_{t}$$\end{document}$ then $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\{v^1,\dots , v^r\}\in X_{t}'$$\end{document}$.Afterwards, every introduce node $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$t\in \mathcal {T}$$\end{document}$ that introduces a vertex *v* will be replaced by a long path $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$P_t$$\end{document}$ which gradually introduces and subsequently forgets all remaining elements associated with the flower of *v* at level $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$r+1$$\end{document}$ (i.e., the stalk) as well as every petal from the first *r* levels associated with *v* .For each edge *e*, we pick an introduce node $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$t\in \mathcal {T}$$\end{document}$ which contains both endpoint of *e* and extend the path $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$P_t$$\end{document}$ by a new segment which introduces and subsequently forgets all elements associated with the flower of *e* at level $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$r+2$$\end{document}$.The root node is replaced by a path that takes care of all elements which are not associated with any vertex or edge in *G*.Let us now take a closer look what happens in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}'$$\end{document}$ when $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$t\in T$$\end{document}$ is an introduce node. Let $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$v\in V(G)$$\end{document}$ be the vertex introduced at *t*. Since $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$X_{t}'$$\end{document}$ contains elements $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$a_0,\dots , a_{r+2}, v^1,\dots , v^r$$\end{document}$, and the maximum element of each stalk of the (\|*V*(*G*)\|, *s*)-flower in the first *r* levels, it is easily seen that every petal from the first *r* levels associated with *v* as well as the stalk of the flower associated with *v* in level $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$L_{r+1}$$\end{document}$ each forms a separate connected component of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$C(\mathcal {P}(G,r,p)){\setminus } X_{t}'$$\end{document}$. Moreover, for an edge $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$e=uv$$\end{document}$ such that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$X_t$$\end{document}$ contains both endpoints of *e*, we have that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$X_t'$$\end{document}$ also contains elements $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$u^1,\dots , u^r$$\end{document}$ and one can see that also the flower associated with *e* at level $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$L_{r+2}$$\end{document}$ is a connected component of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$C(\mathcal {P}(G,r,p)){\setminus } X_{t}'$$\end{document}$. It is readily seen that the singleton, chain, and flower all have pathwidth 1 and hence there is a nice path-decomposition $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$(B_1, \dots , B_{\ell _t})$$\end{document}$ with $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$B_1 = B_{\ell _t} = \emptyset $$\end{document}$ of the graph containing every petal element from first *r* levels associated with *v*, the stalk of the flower associated with *v* in level $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$L_{r+1}$$\end{document}$, and the flower associated with *e* in level $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$L_{r+2}$$\end{document}$ for every edge *e* introduced at *t*. We then replace $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$X_{t}'$$\end{document}$ by a path $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$(Y_1,\dots , Y_{\ell _t})$$\end{document}$ such that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$Y_i=B_i\cup X_{t}'$$\end{document}$ and for each $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$i\in \{1,\dots ,\ell _t-1\}$$\end{document}$ the node with bag $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$Y_{i+1}$$\end{document}$ is the parent of the node with the bag $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$Y_i$$\end{document}$.
It is easy to see now, that when we are forgetting vertex *v* in node *t* in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}$$\end{document}$, we can forget elements $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$v^1,\dots , v^r$$\end{document}$ in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}'$$\end{document}$, because we already introduced all its adjacent edges in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$C(\mathcal {P}(G,r,p))$$\end{document}$ either in the path corresponding to the node of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}$$\end{document}$ introducing *v* or the one introducing a neighbor of *v*.
Finally, when we get to the root node of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}$$\end{document}$, we have already forgotten all elements associated with any specific vertex or edge of *G*. Therefore, the only elements besides $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\delta $$\end{document}$ which need to be included in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}'$$\end{document}$ are the remaining elements in the stalks in the first *r* levels and the sticks in every level. However, it is easy to see that at this point they all form separate chains in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$C(\mathcal {P}(G,r,p)){\setminus } \delta $$\end{document}$. Hence there once again exists a path-decomposition of width at most $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$|\delta |+2$$\end{document}$ which gradually introduces and subsequently forgets all of these elements.
One can readily see that the properties (T1), (T2), and (T3) are satisfied and we are only left with computing the width of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}'$$\end{document}$. By construction, every join and forget node in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}$$\end{document}$ will become a node in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}'$$\end{document}$ whose bag has size at most $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$r\cdot |X_t|+2r+4$$\end{document}$. On the other hand, every introduce node in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}$$\end{document}$ will become a path in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}'$$\end{document}$, and the largest bag on this path has size at most $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$r\cdot |X_t|+2r+6$$\end{document}$, from which the claim follows. $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\square $$\end{document}$
*Concluding the proof* Let us summarize the fpt turing reduction used to prove Theorem [1](#FPar7){ref-type="sec"}. Given an instance (*G*, *r*) of [Equitable Coloring]{.smallcaps}\[tw\], we loop over all primes *p* such that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$2r|V(G)|+r^2|E(G)|<p<(2r|V(G)|+r^2|E(G)|)^2$$\end{document}$, and for each such prime we construct the poset $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}(G,r,p)$$\end{document}$; from Claim [6](#FPar23){ref-type="sec"} it follows that if $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\#EC (G,r)\ne 0$$\end{document}$, then at least one such prime will not divide $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$e(\mathcal {P}(G,r))\cdot \#EC (G,r)$$\end{document}$, and by Claim [7](#FPar25){ref-type="sec"} the cover graph of each of the constructed posets *P*(*G*, *r*, *p*) has bounded treewidth. For each such poset $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}(G,r,p)$$\end{document}$, we compute $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$e(\mathcal {P}(G,r,p))$$\end{document}$ by the black-box procedure provided as part of the reduction. If for any prime *p* we get $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$e(\mathcal {P}(G,r,p))\not \equiv 0\mod p$$\end{document}$, then we conclude that (*G*, *r*) is a yes-instance, and otherwise we reject (*G*, *r*), and this is correct by Claim [5](#FPar21){ref-type="sec"}. $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\square $$\end{document}$
Fixed-Parameter Tractability of Counting Linear Extensions {#Sec10}
==========================================================
This section is dedicated to proving our algorithmic result, stated below.
Theorem 2 {#FPar27}
---------
[\#LE]{.smallcaps} is fixed-parameter tractable parameterized by the treewidth of the incomparability graph of the input poset.
The proof of Theorem [2](#FPar27){ref-type="sec"} is divided into two steps. First, we apply a transformation process to a path-decomposition $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {Q}$$\end{document}$ of small width (the existence of which is guaranteed by Corollary [1](#FPar6){ref-type="sec"}) of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$I(\mathcal {P})$$\end{document}$ which results in a tree-decomposition $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}$$\end{document}$ of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$I(\mathcal {P})$$\end{document}$ satisfying certain special properties. The properties of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}$$\end{document}$ are then used to prove that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$I_C(\mathcal {P})$$\end{document}$ has treewidth bounded by the treewidth of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
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\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$I(\mathcal {P})$$\end{document}$. In the second step, we construct an MSO formulation which enumerates all the linear extensions of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
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\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}$$\end{document}$ using $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$I_C(\mathcal {P})$$\end{document}$, and apply Fact [4](#FPar4){ref-type="sec"}.
The Treewidth of Combined Graphs {#Sec11}
--------------------------------
We begin by arguing a useful property of separators in incomparability graphs.
### Lemma 3 {#FPar28}
Let $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
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\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$S\subseteq V(I(\mathcal {P}))$$\end{document}$. Then for each pair of distinct connected components $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$C_1, C_2$$\end{document}$ in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$I(\mathcal {P}) -S$$\end{document}$, it holds that for any $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$a_1,b_1\in C_1$$\end{document}$ and any $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$a_2,b_2\in C_2$$\end{document}$ we have $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$a_1\le a_2$$\end{document}$ iff $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$b_1\le b_2$$\end{document}$. Namely, the poset contains a total order of all connected components in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
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\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
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\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$I(\mathcal {P}) -S$$\end{document}$.
### Proof {#FPar29}
We begin by proving the following claim.
### Claim 8 {#FPar30}
Let *a*, *b*, *c* be three distinct elements of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}$$\end{document}$ such that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$a \parallel b$$\end{document}$ and both pairs *a*, *c* and *b*, *c* are comparable. Then $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$a \le c$$\end{document}$ iff $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$b \le c$$\end{document}$.
### Proof {#FPar31}
(of the Claim) Suppose that, w.l.o.g., $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$a\le c$$\end{document}$ and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$c\le b$$\end{document}$. Then by the transitivity of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\le $$\end{document}$, we get $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$a\le b$$\end{document}$ which contradicts our assumption that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$a\parallel b$$\end{document}$. $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\square $$\end{document}$
Now to prove Lemma [3](#FPar28){ref-type="sec"}, assume for a contradiction that, w.l.o.g., there exist $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$a_1,b_1\in C_1$$\end{document}$ and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$a_2, b_2\in C_2$$\end{document}$ such that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$a_1\le b_1$$\end{document}$ and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$b_2\le a_2$$\end{document}$. Let $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$Q_1$$\end{document}$ be an $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$a_1$$\end{document}$-$\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$a_2$$\end{document}$ path in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$I[C_1]$$\end{document}$. By Claim [8](#FPar30){ref-type="sec"}, $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$a_1\le b_1$$\end{document}$ implies that every element *q* on $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
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\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$Q_1$$\end{document}$ satisfies $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$q\le b_1$$\end{document}$, and in particular $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$a_2\le b_1$$\end{document}$. Next, let $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$Q_2$$\end{document}$ be a $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$b_1$$\end{document}$-$\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$b_2$$\end{document}$ path in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$I[C_2]$$\end{document}$. Then Claim [8](#FPar30){ref-type="sec"} also implies that each element $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
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\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$q'$$\end{document}$ on $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$Q_2$$\end{document}$ satisfies $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$a_2\le q'$$\end{document}$. Since $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
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\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$b_2$$\end{document}$ lies on $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
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\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$Q_2$$\end{document}$, this would imply that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
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\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$a_2\le b_2$$\end{document}$, a contradiction. $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
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\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\square $$\end{document}$
To proceed further, we will need some additional notation. Let $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
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\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
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\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}=(T,\mathcal {X})$$\end{document}$ be a rooted tree-decomposition and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
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\usepackage{amssymb}
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\usepackage{mathrsfs}
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\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$t\in T$$\end{document}$. We denote by *L*(*t*) the set of all vertices which occur in the "branch" of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
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\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$T-t$$\end{document}$ containing the root *r*; formally, $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$L(t)=\{v\in X_{t'}{\setminus } X_t ~ | ~ t'$$\end{document}$ lies in the same connected component as $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
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\begin{document}$$r \text { in }T-t\}$$\end{document}$. We then set $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
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\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$R(t)=V(G){\setminus } (L(t)\cup X_t)$$\end{document}$. We also let $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
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\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
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\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$T^r_t$$\end{document}$ denote the connected component of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
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\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$T-t$$\end{document}$ which contains the root *r*.
Next, recall that each connected component of the graph obtained after deleting $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
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\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$X_t$$\end{document}$ must lie in a subtree of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
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\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$T-t$$\end{document}$ (Fact [3](#FPar3){ref-type="sec"}). Let $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\varUpsilon _t$$\end{document}$ be the set of connected components of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$(I(\mathcal {P}){\setminus } X_t)\cap R(t)$$\end{document}$. Recall that because of Lemma [3](#FPar28){ref-type="sec"}, the components of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
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\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\varUpsilon _t$$\end{document}$ are totally ordered by $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}$$\end{document}$. We say that two components $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$B_1$$\end{document}$, $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$B_2\in \varUpsilon _t$$\end{document}$ are *consecutive* if there is no element $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
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\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
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\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$v\in V(I(\mathcal {P})){\setminus } (X_t\cup B_1\cup B_2)$$\end{document}$ that is in between elements in these components; formally, for every *v* it holds that either $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$v\le b$$\end{document}$ for all $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$b\in B_1\cup B_2$$\end{document}$, or $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$v\ge b$$\end{document}$ for all $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$b\in B_1\cup B_2$$\end{document}$.
A *block* of a bag $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$X_t$$\end{document}$ is a maximum set of consecutive connected components in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$(I(\mathcal {P})-X_t)\cap R(t)$$\end{document}$; note that each block has a natural total ordering among the contained components, given by Lemma [3](#FPar28){ref-type="sec"}. We say that a node $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$t\in T$$\end{document}$ has *z* blocks if there exist *z* distinct blocks of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$X_t$$\end{document}$. Blocks will play an important role in the tree-decomposition we wish to obtain from our initial path-decomposition of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$I(\mathcal {P})$$\end{document}$. The following lemma captures the operation we will use to alter our path-decomposition.
### Lemma 4 {#FPar32}
Let $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}=(T,\mathcal {X})$$\end{document}$ be a rooted tree-decomposition of a graph *G* and let $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$t\in T$$\end{document}$ be such that there are *z* blocks of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$X_t$$\end{document}$. Then there is a tree-decomposition $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}'(T',\mathcal {X}')$$\end{document}$ satisfying:The width of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}'$$\end{document}$ is at most the width of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}$$\end{document}$.The tree $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$T'$$\end{document}$ contains $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$T^r_t$$\end{document}$ as a subtree which is separated from the rest of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$T'$$\end{document}$ by *t*.The degree of *t* in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$T'$$\end{document}$ is $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$z+1$$\end{document}$.There exists a bijection $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\alpha $$\end{document}$ between the *z* blocks of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$X_t$$\end{document}$ and the *z* trees in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$T'-t$$\end{document}$ other than $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$T^r_t$$\end{document}$ such that for each block *B* of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$X_t$$\end{document}$, we have $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
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\begin{document}$$\bigcup _{s\in \alpha (B)}X'_s{\setminus } X_t = B$$\end{document}$.For each $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$t'\in N[t]{\setminus } T^r_t$$\end{document}$, we have $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$X_{t'}=X_t$$\end{document}$.
### Proof {#FPar33}
It will be useful to observe that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$T - T^r_t$$\end{document}$ is a subtree of *T* and in particular it is connected. Consider the following construction of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}'$$\end{document}$. First, we copy all nodes of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$T^r_t\cup \{t\}$$\end{document}$ (along with their bags) into $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}'$$\end{document}$, thus ensuring that Property **2** holds. Second, for each block *B* of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$X_t$$\end{document}$ we make a copy $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$T^B$$\end{document}$ of the tree $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$T- T^r_t$$\end{document}$, and connect the node $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$t^B$$\end{document}$ corresponding to *t* in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$T{\setminus } T^r_t$$\end{document}$ by an edge to the node *t* in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$T'$$\end{document}$. Moreover, for each node $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$s\in T{\setminus } T^r_t$$\end{document}$ we set $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$X'_{s^B}=X_s \cap (B\cup X_t)$$\end{document}$. It is easy to verify that all of the required properties are now satisfied, and it remains to show that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}'$$\end{document}$ is indeed a tree-decomposition.
We argue that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}'$$\end{document}$ satisfies all three properties of tree-decompositions. Property (T1) follows directly from fact that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}$$\end{document}$ was tree decomposition, and hence every vertex that does not occur in a bag in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$T^r_t$$\end{document}$ must occur in some bag $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$X_s$$\end{document}$ for some node $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$s\in T{\setminus } T^r_t$$\end{document}$; then this vertex either also occurs in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$X_t$$\end{document}$ or occurs in some block *B* and hence in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$X'_{s^B}$$\end{document}$. Property (T2) is also straightforward, since each vertex either does not occur in any block or in exactly one block, and in both cases monotonicity follows from the monotonicity of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}$$\end{document}$ and the construction. For the final Property (T3), we recall that there are no edges between the blocks of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$X_t$$\end{document}$; in particular every edge $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$e=ab$$\end{document}$ in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$I(\mathcal {P})[X_t\cup R(t)]$$\end{document}$ is either contained in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$X_t$$\end{document}$, goes between a vertex of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$X_t$$\end{document}$ and a vertex of some block *B*, or is contained in some block *B*. In all three cases, it holds that if $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$a,b\in X_s$$\end{document}$ for some $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$s\in T{\setminus } T^r_t$$\end{document}$, then $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$e\in X_{s^B}$$\end{document}$ for some block *B*. Therefore, $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}'$$\end{document}$ is a tree-decomposition and the proof is complete. $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\square $$\end{document}$
We proceed by showing how Lemma [4](#FPar32){ref-type="sec"} is applied to transform a given path-decomposition.
### Lemma 5 {#FPar34}
Let $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {Q}$$\end{document}$ be a nice path-decomposition of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$I(\mathcal {P})$$\end{document}$. Then there is a rooted tree-decomposition $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}=(T,\mathcal {X})$$\end{document}$ of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$I(\mathcal {P})$$\end{document}$ with the following properties. $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}$$\end{document}$ is rooted at a leaf *r* and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$X_r=\emptyset $$\end{document}$, the width of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}$$\end{document}$ is at most the width of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {Q}$$\end{document}$, and for any node $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$t\in T$$\end{document}$ with $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$z>1$$\end{document}$ blocks:The degree of *t* in *T* is $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$z+1$$\end{document}$.There exists a bijection $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\alpha $$\end{document}$ between the *z* blocks of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$X_t$$\end{document}$ and the *z* trees in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$T'-t$$\end{document}$ other than $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$T^r_t$$\end{document}$ such that for each block *B* of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$X_t$$\end{document}$, we have $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\bigcup _{s\in \alpha (B)}X_s {\setminus } X_t= B$$\end{document}$.For $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$t'\in N(t)\cap T^r_t$$\end{document}$ there exists a vertex *v* such that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$X_{t'}=X_t{\setminus } \{v\}$$\end{document}$, and furthermore $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$t'$$\end{document}$ has degree at most 2 and 1 block.For each pair of neighbors $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$t,t'\in T$$\end{document}$, it holds that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$|X_t{\setminus } X_{t'}|+|X_{t'}{\setminus } X_t|\le 1$$\end{document}$.
### Proof {#FPar35}
Let us order the vertices of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$I(\mathcal {P})$$\end{document}$ in the order in which they were introduced in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {Q}$$\end{document}$. We set the first leaf of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {Q}$$\end{document}$ to be the root *r*, and observe that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$X_r=\emptyset $$\end{document}$ since $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {Q}$$\end{document}$ is nice. We then process the vertices of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$I(\mathcal {P})$$\end{document}$ in their order of introduction; when processing each such vertex *v*, we apply Lemma [4](#FPar32){ref-type="sec"} to the unique node *t* of the current tree-decomposition which is closest to *r* and contains *v*; with a slight abuse of terminology, we say that *t* is the node where *v* is introduced. We show that the following invariants hold after (and before) each step of this procedure:For each pair of neighbors $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$t,t'\in T$$\end{document}$, it holds that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$|X_t{\setminus } X_{t'}|+|X_{t'}{\setminus } X_t|\le 1$$\end{document}$.For each vertex *u* that was already processed, the introduce node of *u* satisfies the conditions of the lemma.Any node *t* of degree greater than 2 is an introduce node of an already processed vertex.Clearly, all invariant conditions hold for $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {Q}$$\end{document}$ rooted at *r* (the first invariant condition follows by the fact that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {Q}$$\end{document}$ is nice, and the remaining two are satisfied trivially). Similarly, all invariant conditions hold after applying Lemma [4](#FPar32){ref-type="sec"} on the first introduce node *t* in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {Q}$$\end{document}$. Indeed, note that since $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$X_r=\emptyset $$\end{document}$, we can assume w.l.o.g. that *t* is a child of *r* and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$X_t=\{v\}$$\end{document}$ for some vertex *v*. Then the first and third invariant condition is immediately seen to hold; as for invariant condition 2, if *t* has more than 1 block then applying Lemma [4](#FPar32){ref-type="sec"} ensures that *t* satisfies Conditions **1**, **2**, and **4**, while Condition **3** holds since $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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For the induction step, suppose that the conditions hold in a tree-decomposition $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}$$\end{document}$ obtained by inductively applying Lemma [4](#FPar32){ref-type="sec"} as above, and the first unprocessed vertex is *v*. Let *t* be the unique node where *v* is introduced, and let $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}'$$\end{document}$ be the tree-decomposition we obtained by applying Lemma [4](#FPar32){ref-type="sec"} on $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}$$\end{document}$ and *t*.
It is easy to verify that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}'$$\end{document}$ then satisfies the desired Conditions **1**, **2**, and **4** at the node *t* by Lemma [4](#FPar32){ref-type="sec"}. As for Condition **3**, since *t* is the introduce node of *v* and the first invariant condition holds in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}$$\end{document}$, it is clear that for $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$t'\in N(t)\cap T^r_t$$\end{document}$ it is the case that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$X_{t'}=X_t{\setminus } \{v\}$$\end{document}$. Moreover, $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$t'$$\end{document}$ cannot be an introduce node, since then $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$t'$$\end{document}$ would have to introduce an already processed vertex, which would imply that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$X_{t'} = X_{t}$$\end{document}$ due to our application of Lemma [4](#FPar32){ref-type="sec"} on introduce nodes. So, let us consider the node *s* on the unique $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$t'$$\end{document}$-*r* path that is the closest introduce node to $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$t'$$\end{document}$, and let $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$s'$$\end{document}$ be the neighbor of *s* on the *s*-$\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$t'$$\end{document}$ path. Since no vertex was introduced on the $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$s'$$\end{document}$-$\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$t'$$\end{document}$ path, it follows that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$R(s')=R(t')$$\end{document}$. Since $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$s'$$\end{document}$ only has 1 block by the construction, it must be the case that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$t'$$\end{document}$ also only has one block, and so Condition **3** also holds.
We proceed by arguing that the invariant conditions remain satisfied by $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}'$$\end{document}$. Since $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {Q}$$\end{document}$ was nice and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}$$\end{document}$ satisfied the first invariant condition, it is readily seen that the first invariant condition holds for all pairs of neighbors in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$T^r_t$$\end{document}$ as well as for *t* with all of its neighbors. If $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$s^B$$\end{document}$ and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$s'^B$$\end{document}$ are neighbors in a tree $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\alpha (B)$$\end{document}$ of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$T'-t$$\end{document}$, then by the construction in Lemma [4](#FPar32){ref-type="sec"} there exists a pair of neighbors $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$s,s'\in T{\setminus } T^r_t$$\end{document}$ such that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$X'_{s^B}=X_s \cap (B\cup X_t)$$\end{document}$ and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$X'_{s'^B}=X_{s'} \cap (B\cup X_t)$$\end{document}$. But then $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$|X'_{s^B}{\setminus } X'_{s'^B}|+|X'_{s'^B}{\setminus } X'_{s^B}| = |(X_s \cap (B\cup X_t)){\setminus } (X_{s'} \cap (B\cup X_t))|+|(X_{s'} \cap (B\cup X_t)){\setminus } (X_s \cap (B\cup X_t))| \le |X_{s}{\setminus } X_{s'}|+|X_{s'}{\setminus } X_{s}|\le 1$$\end{document}$ and the first invariant condition follows. As for the second invariant condition, notice that from the construction it follows that all the vertices that precede *v* in the order of introduction in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {Q}$$\end{document}$ must have been introduced in some node of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$T^r_t$$\end{document}$, and the application of Lemma [4](#FPar32){ref-type="sec"} does not alter such introduce nodes for previously processed vertices. Finally, by the induction hypothesis all nodes of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$T{\setminus } T^r_t$$\end{document}$ have degree at most 2, therefore from the construction in Lemma [4](#FPar32){ref-type="sec"} it is clear that all nodes in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$T'{\setminus } (T^r_t\cup \{t\})$$\end{document}$ also have degree 2. Since all introduce nodes of unprocessed vertices lie in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$T'{\setminus } (T^r_t\cup \{t\})$$\end{document}$, we conclude that the third invariant condition also holds in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}'$$\end{document}$.
Now, let us consider the tree-decomposition $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}$$\end{document}$ obtained after processing all vertices of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$I(\mathcal {P})$$\end{document}$ according to the procedure described above. $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}$$\end{document}$ satisfies Condition **4** due to the first invariant of our procedure, and for all other conditions it suffices to consider nodes with more than 1 block. In particular, it suffices to verify that all such nodes satisfy the conditions of Lemma [4](#FPar32){ref-type="sec"} and additionally also condition **3** of this Lemma. So, suppose for a contradiction that there exists a node *t* which does not meet these conditions, but all nodes on the unique *t*-*r* path do. Then there are two possibilities to consider for the unique neighbor $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$t'$$\end{document}$ of *t* on the *t*-*r* path. If $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$t'$$\end{document}$ were to have more than 1 block, then by our assumptions $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$t'$$\end{document}$ would have to satisfy the conditions of Lemma [4](#FPar32){ref-type="sec"}, contradicting the fact that *t* has more than 1 block. On the other hand, if $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$t'$$\end{document}$ were to have only a single block, then by construction *t* must be an introduce node of some vertex *v* and by our invariants and the construction it follows that *t* in fact must satisfy all the required conditions. In particular we conclude that all nodes *t* satisfy Conditions **1-4** and the lemma follows. $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\square $$\end{document}$
We call a tree-decomposition rooted at a leaf with $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$X_r=\emptyset $$\end{document}$ which satisfies the properties of Lemma [5](#FPar34){ref-type="sec"} a *blocked tree-decomposition*. The next ingredient we will need for proving that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$I_C(\mathcal {P})$$\end{document}$ has small treewidth is the notion of *cover-guards*.
Let $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}=(T,\mathcal {X})$$\end{document}$ be a tree-decomposition of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$I(\mathcal {P})$$\end{document}$ rooted at *r* and let $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$t\ne r$$\end{document}$. Then the *cover-guard* of *t*, denoted $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {A}_t$$\end{document}$, is the set of vertices in *L*(*t*) which are incident to a cover edge whose other endpoint lies in *R*(*t*); formally, $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {A}_t=\{v\in L(t) ~|~ \exists u\in R(t): \{uv\}\in E(C(\mathcal {P})$$\end{document}$. For a vertex $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$v\in I(\mathcal {P})$$\end{document}$, we let $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {A}^v=\{t\in T~|~v\in \mathcal {A}_t\}$$\end{document}$ and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$X^v=\{t\in T~|~v\in X_t\}$$\end{document}$.
Our next aim is to add all the cover-guards into each bag. Below, we show that this does not increase the size of bags too much.
### Lemma 6 {#FPar36}
Let $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}=(T,\mathcal {X})$$\end{document}$ be a blocked tree-decomposition of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$I(\mathcal {P})$$\end{document}$ of width *k*. Then for each $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$t\in T$$\end{document}$ it holds that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$|\mathcal {A}_t|\le 2 k+2$$\end{document}$.
### Proof {#FPar37}
First, observe that if a node $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$t\in T$$\end{document}$ has 0 blocks, then $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$R(t)=\mathcal {A}_t=\emptyset $$\end{document}$. So, consider a node *t* which has exactly 1 block consisting of connected components $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$(D_1,\dots ,D_j)$$\end{document}$ in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$(I(\mathcal {P})-X_t)\cap R(t)$$\end{document}$.
### Claim 9 {#FPar38}
$\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$|\mathcal {A}_t|\le 2k+2$$\end{document}$.
### Proof {#FPar39}
(of the Claim) Assume for a contradiction that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$|\mathcal {A}_t|>2k+2$$\end{document}$. By Lemma [3](#FPar28){ref-type="sec"} we have that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$(D_1,\dots ,D_j)$$\end{document}$ are consecutive connected components in a total order of connected components in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$I(\mathcal {P})-X_t$$\end{document}$. Hence any edge in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$C(\mathcal {P})-X_t$$\end{document}$ between *R*(*t*) and *L*(*t*) must necessarily have one endpoint in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$D_1 \cup D_j$$\end{document}$. Furthermore, an element in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {A}_t$$\end{document}$ cannot be adjacent to both $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$D_1$$\end{document}$ and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$D_j$$\end{document}$ in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$C(\mathcal {P})-X_t$$\end{document}$ due to transitivity and acyclicity. So, we may partition $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {A}_t$$\end{document}$ into $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {A}_t^1=\{v\in \mathcal {A}_t~|~\exists u\in D_1: v\lhd ^\mathcal {P}u\}$$\end{document}$ and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {A}_t^2=\{v\in \mathcal {A}_t~|~\exists u\in D_j: u\lhd ^\mathcal {P}v\}$$\end{document}$.
By Lemma [3](#FPar28){ref-type="sec"}, it also follows that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {A}_t^1$$\end{document}$ and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {A}_t^2$$\end{document}$ must each lie in separate connected components of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$I(\mathcal {P})-X_t$$\end{document}$, say $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$C^1$$\end{document}$ and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$C^2$$\end{document}$ respectively. Furthermore, each element in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {A}_t^1$$\end{document}$ is maximal in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$C^1$$\end{document}$ and each element in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {A}_t^2$$\end{document}$ is minimal in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$C^2$$\end{document}$. In particular, each of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {A}_t^1$$\end{document}$, $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {A}_t^2$$\end{document}$ forms a clique in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$I(\mathcal {P})$$\end{document}$. But by our assumption on the size of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {A}_t$$\end{document}$, at least one of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {A}_t^2$$\end{document}$ and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {A}_t^1$$\end{document}$ must have size greater than $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$k+1$$\end{document}$, which implies that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$I(\mathcal {P})$$\end{document}$ contains a clique of size at least $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$k+2$$\end{document}$. It is well-known that each clique must be completely contained in at least one bag of a tree-decomposition, and so we arrive at a contradiction with $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$tw (I(\mathcal {P}))\le k$$\end{document}$. Hence we conclude that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$|\mathcal {A}_t|\le 2k+2$$\end{document}$ and the claim holds. $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\square $$\end{document}$
Finally, consider a node *t* which has at least 2 blocks. By Property **3** of Lemma [5](#FPar34){ref-type="sec"}, it holds that *t* has a neighbor $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
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\begin{document}$$t'$$\end{document}$ in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
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\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$T^r_t$$\end{document}$ such that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
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\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$X_{t'}=X_t{\setminus } \{v\}$$\end{document}$ and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
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\begin{document}$$t'$$\end{document}$ has 1 block. By Claim [9](#FPar38){ref-type="sec"} we know that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {A}_{t'}\le 2k+2$$\end{document}$. Since $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
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\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$L(t)=L(t')$$\end{document}$ and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
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\begin{document}$$R(t)\subseteq R(t')$$\end{document}$, it follows that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\mathcal {A}_t\subseteq \mathcal {A}_{t'}$$\end{document}$, and in particular $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
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\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$|\mathcal {A}_t|\le |\mathcal {A}_{t'}|$$\end{document}$. We have now proved the desired bound for all nodes in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}$$\end{document}$, and so the lemma holds. $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\square $$\end{document}$
The following lemma allows us to argue that adding cover-guards into each bag still results in a tree-decomposition; it is worth noting that the assumption that the decomposition is blocked is essential for the lemma to hold.
### Lemma 7 {#FPar40}
Let $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
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\usepackage{amsbsy}
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\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}=(T,\mathcal {X})$$\end{document}$ be a blocked tree-decomposition of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
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\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$I(\mathcal {P})$$\end{document}$ rooted at *r* and let $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
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\begin{document}$$v\in I(\mathcal {P})$$\end{document}$. Then $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
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\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$T[\mathcal {A}^v\cup X^v]$$\end{document}$ is a tree.
### Proof {#FPar41}
Since $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}$$\end{document}$ is a tree-decomposition, we have that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
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\begin{document}$$T[X^v]$$\end{document}$ must be a tree. Consider a connected component *A* of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$T[\mathcal {A}^v]$$\end{document}$ and its unique *A*-$\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$X^v$$\end{document}$ path *Q*, with endpoints $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$x\in X^v$$\end{document}$ and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
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\begin{document}$$a\in A$$\end{document}$. Since *r* is located at a leaf of *T* it must hold that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
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\begin{document}$$r\not \in Q$$\end{document}$. We consider two cases: either *r* lies in the same connected component as $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$X^v$$\end{document}$ in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$T-Q$$\end{document}$, or it lies in a different connected component.
In the former case, it follows that each internal vertex *q* of *Q* satisfies $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$R(a)\subseteq R(q)$$\end{document}$ and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
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\begin{document}$$v\in L(q)$$\end{document}$. But then by the definition of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {A}^v$$\end{document}$ and the fact that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$a\in \mathcal {A}^v$$\end{document}$, this would imply $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$q\in \mathcal {A}^v$$\end{document}$, contradicting our construction of *Q*. Hence if *r* lies in the same connected component as $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
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\begin{document}$$X^v$$\end{document}$ in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
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\begin{document}$$T-Q$$\end{document}$, then *A* is adjacent to $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$X^v$$\end{document}$.
In the latter case, there must exist a node $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$q\in Q$$\end{document}$ of degree at least 3 such that each of *A*, $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
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\begin{document}$$X^v$$\end{document}$ and *r* occur in different components of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
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\begin{document}$$T-q$$\end{document}$. By the definition of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\mathcal {A}^v$$\end{document}$, there exists a vertex $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$u\in R(a)$$\end{document}$ such that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
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\begin{document}$$v\lhd ^\mathcal {P}u$$\end{document}$ or $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
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\begin{document}$$u\lhd ^\mathcal {P}v$$\end{document}$. Since $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
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\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$u,v\in R(q)$$\end{document}$ due to the location of the root and there is a cover edge between them, it follows that either *u*, *v* occur in the same connected component of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$X_q$$\end{document}$ or in two consecutive ones, but in either case *u*, *v* must lie in the same block of *q*, say block *B*. But since $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$u,v\not \in X_q$$\end{document}$, this contradicts Property **2** in Lemma [5](#FPar34){ref-type="sec"}; indeed, each tree in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$T-q$$\end{document}$ contains at most one of *v*, *u* in its bags, and hence there exists no tree $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
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\begin{document}$$T'$$\end{document}$ in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
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\begin{document}$$T-q$$\end{document}$ satisfying $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\bigcup _{t'\in T'}X_{t'} {\setminus } X_q= B$$\end{document}$. Hence *r* cannot occur in a different connected component than $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
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\begin{document}$$X^v$$\end{document}$ in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$T-Q$$\end{document}$.
We conclude that *Q* contains no internal vertices. In particular, every connected component of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
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\begin{document}$$T[\mathcal {A}^v]$$\end{document}$ is adjacent to $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
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\begin{document}$$X^v$$\end{document}$. $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
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\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\square $$\end{document}$
With Lemmas [6](#FPar36){ref-type="sec"} and [7](#FPar40){ref-type="sec"}, we have the tools necessary for arguing that there exists a tree-decomposition of the combined graph of small width.
### Lemma 8 {#FPar42}
Let $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
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\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
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\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}=(T,\mathcal {X})$$\end{document}$ be a blocked tree-decomposition of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$I(\mathcal {P})$$\end{document}$ such that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
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\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$tw (\mathcal {T})\le k$$\end{document}$. Then there exists a tree-decomposition $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
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\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}'$$\end{document}$ of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
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\usepackage{amssymb}
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\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$I_C(\mathcal {P})$$\end{document}$ of width at most $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
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\usepackage{mathrsfs}
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\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$3k+2$$\end{document}$.
### Proof {#FPar43}
Consider the tree-decomposition $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}'=(T,\mathcal {X}')$$\end{document}$ where $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {X}'=\{X'_t~|~t\in T\}$$\end{document}$ is defined as follows. For each $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
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\begin{document}$$t\in T$$\end{document}$ such that its unique neighbor *s* in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
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\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$T^r_t$$\end{document}$ satisfies $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
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\begin{document}$$|X_{t}{\setminus } X_{s}|=1$$\end{document}$, we set $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
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\begin{document}$$X'_t=X_t\cup \mathcal {A}_s$$\end{document}$; it will be useful to observe that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
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\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\mathcal {A}_s \supseteq \mathcal {A}_t$$\end{document}$. For all other nodes $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
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\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$t\in T$$\end{document}$, we then set $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
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\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$X'_t=X_t\cup \mathcal {A}_t$$\end{document}$. We call nodes of the first type *non-standard* and nodes of the second type standard.
First, we note that the size of each bag in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}'$$\end{document}$ is at most $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
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\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$3k+2$$\end{document}$, since every node $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$t\in T$$\end{document}$ satisfies $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
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\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$|\mathcal {A}_t|\le 2k+2$$\end{document}$ by Lemma [6](#FPar36){ref-type="sec"}. Furthermore, $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
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\usepackage{amssymb}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}'$$\end{document}$ satisfies condition (T1) because $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
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\usepackage{amsfonts}
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\usepackage{amsbsy}
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\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}$$\end{document}$ was a tree-decomposition of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
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\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$I(\mathcal {P})$$\end{document}$. $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}'$$\end{document}$ also satisfies condition (T2); indeed, for each $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
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\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$v\in \mathcal {P}$$\end{document}$ it holds that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
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\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$X'^v$$\end{document}$ restricted to standard nodes is a connected tree by Lemma [7](#FPar40){ref-type="sec"}, and by construction every non-standard node *t* such that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
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\usepackage{amssymb}
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\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$v\in X'_t{\setminus } X_t$$\end{document}$ is adjacent to a standard node containing *v*. So, it only remains to argue condition (T3).
Obviously, condition (T3) holds for any edge of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
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\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$I(\mathcal {P})$$\end{document}$. So, consider two elements *u*, *v* of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
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\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}$$\end{document}$ such that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$u\lhd ^\mathcal {P}v$$\end{document}$ or $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$v\lhd ^\mathcal {P}u$$\end{document}$. If there exists a node $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$t\in T$$\end{document}$ such that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$u,v\in X_t$$\end{document}$, then $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$u,v\in X'_{t}$$\end{document}$ and the condition also holds for this edge in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$I_C(\mathcal {P})$$\end{document}$. So, assume that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$X^v$$\end{document}$ and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$X^u$$\end{document}$ are disjoint and let *Q* be the unique $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$X^v$$\end{document}$-$\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$X^u$$\end{document}$ path in *T*. By Property **4**, the $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$X^v$$\end{document}$-$\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$X^u$$\end{document}$ path *Q* in *T* must contain at least one internal node.
Consider the case where one of these subtrees, say w.l.o.g. $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$X^v$$\end{document}$, lies in the connected component $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$T^r_t$$\end{document}$ of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$T-Q$$\end{document}$. Then for each internal node $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$q\in Q$$\end{document}$, it holds that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$v\in L(q)$$\end{document}$ and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$u\in R(q)$$\end{document}$, which in turn implies that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$v\in \mathcal {A}_q$$\end{document}$. Let $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$q_u$$\end{document}$ be the endpoint of *Q* in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$X^u$$\end{document}$ and let $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$q_0$$\end{document}$ be the neighbor of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$q_u$$\end{document}$ in *Q*. By Property **4** we have $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$X_{q_u}{\setminus } X_{q_0}=\{u\}$$\end{document}$, which implies that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$q_u$$\end{document}$ is a non-standard node and in particular $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\mathcal {A}_{q_0}\subseteq X'_{q_u}$$\end{document}$. Since $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$q_0$$\end{document}$ is an internal node of *Q*, it follows that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$v\in X'_{q_u}$$\end{document}$ which means that condition (T3) also holds for any edge *uv* in this case.
Finally, consider the case where there exists a node $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$q\in Q$$\end{document}$ of degree at least 3 such that each of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$X^u$$\end{document}$, $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$X^v$$\end{document}$ and *r* occur in different components of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$T-q$$\end{document}$. Then we reach a contradiction similarly as in the proof of Lemma [7](#FPar40){ref-type="sec"}. In particular, since $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$u,v\in R(q)$$\end{document}$ due to the location of the root and there is a cover edge between them, it follows that either *u*, *v* occur in the same connected component of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$X_q$$\end{document}$ or in two consecutive ones, but in either case *u*, *v* must lie in the same block of *q*, say block *B*. But since $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$u,v\not \in X_q$$\end{document}$, this contradicts Property **2** in Lemma [5](#FPar34){ref-type="sec"}; indeed, each tree in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$T-q$$\end{document}$ contains at most one of *v*, *u* in its bags, and hence there exists no tree $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$T'$$\end{document}$ in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$T-q$$\end{document}$ satisfying $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\bigcup _{t'\in T'}X_{t'} {\setminus } X_q= B$$\end{document}$. Hence this case in fact violates our assumptions and cannot occur.
Summarizing the above arguments, we conclude that each bag in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}'$$\end{document}$ has size at most $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$3k+2$$\end{document}$ and that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\mathcal {T}'$$\end{document}$ satisfies all of the conditions of a tree-decomposition. $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\square $$\end{document}$
### Corollary 2 {#FPar44}
Let $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}$$\end{document}$ be a poset such that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$tw (I(\mathcal {P}))\le k$$\end{document}$. Then $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$tw (I_C(\mathcal {P}))\le 3k+2$$\end{document}$.
### Proof {#FPar45}
By Corollary [1](#FPar6){ref-type="sec"} we know that there exists a nice path-decomposition of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$I(\mathcal {P})$$\end{document}$ of width at most *k*. By Lemma [5](#FPar34){ref-type="sec"}, it follows that there exists a blocked tree-decomposition of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$I(\mathcal {P})$$\end{document}$ of width at most *k*. The corollary then follows by Lemma [8](#FPar42){ref-type="sec"}. $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\square $$\end{document}$
MSO Formulation {#Sec12}
---------------
In this subsection, we use Fact [4](#FPar4){ref-type="sec"} to prove the following result, which forms the second ingredient required for our proof of Theorem [2](#FPar27){ref-type="sec"}.
### Lemma 9 {#FPar46}
[\#LE]{.smallcaps} is fixed-parameter tractable parameterized by the treewidth of the combined graph of the input poset.
### Proof {#FPar47}
Let $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}:=(P,\le ^P)$$\end{document}$ be a poset. Let *G* be an (edge-)labeled directed graph obtained from $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$I_C(\mathcal {P})$$\end{document}$ by directing every bidirectional edge of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$I_C(\mathcal {P})$$\end{document}$, i.e., every edge of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$I(\mathcal {P})$$\end{document}$, in an arbitrary way and labeling it with the label $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\parallel $$\end{document}$.
For a set of edges $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$E \subseteq E(G)$$\end{document}$ with label $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\parallel $$\end{document}$, let *G*\[*E*\] be the graph obtained from *G* after reversing every edge in *E*. Moreover, for a linear extension $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\preceq $$\end{document}$ of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}$$\end{document}$ let $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$E_G(\preceq )$$\end{document}$ be the set of edges (*u*, *v*) of *G* such that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$v \preceq u$$\end{document}$. Note that because every linear extension of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}$$\end{document}$ has to respect the direction of the edges in *G* given by $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$C$$\end{document}$, it holds that every edge in $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$E_G(\preceq )$$\end{document}$ has label $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\parallel $$\end{document}$.
### Claim 10 {#FPar48}
$\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$E_G(\preceq )$$\end{document}$ defines a bijection between the set of linear extensions of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}$$\end{document}$ and the set of subsets *E* of edges of *G* with label $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\parallel $$\end{document}$ such that *G*\[*E*\] is acyclic.
### Proof {#FPar49}
(of the Claim) Let $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\preceq $$\end{document}$ be a linear extension of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}$$\end{document}$. Then, as observed above, $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$E_G(\preceq )$$\end{document}$ is a set of edges of *G* with label $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\parallel $$\end{document}$. Moreover, because $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$G[E_G(\preceq )]$$\end{document}$ is a subgraph of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$P_G(\preceq )$$\end{document}$ and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$P_G(\preceq )$$\end{document}$ is acyclic so is $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$G[E_G(\preceq )]$$\end{document}$. Hence, $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$E_G(\preceq )$$\end{document}$ is a function from the set of linear extensions of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}$$\end{document}$ to the set of subsets *E* of edges of *G* with label $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\parallel $$\end{document}$ such that *G*\[*E*\] is acyclic. Towards showing that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$E_G(\preceq )$$\end{document}$ is injective, assume for a contradiction that this is not the case, i.e., there are two distinct linear extensions $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\preceq _1$$\end{document}$ and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\preceq _2$$\end{document}$ of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}$$\end{document}$ such that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$E_G(\preceq _1)=E_G(\preceq _2)$$\end{document}$ and let *u* and *v* be two elements of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}$$\end{document}$ ordered differently by $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\preceq _1$$\end{document}$ and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\preceq _2$$\end{document}$. Then $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\{u,v\} \in I(\mathcal {P})$$\end{document}$ and hence either $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$(u,v) \in G$$\end{document}$ or $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$(v,u) \in G$$\end{document}$ the label of (*u*, *v*) or (*v*, *u*) respectively is $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
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\begin{document}$$\parallel $$\end{document}$. W.l.o.g. assume that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$(u,v) \in G$$\end{document}$ with label $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\parallel $$\end{document}$. But then, because $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\preceq _1$$\end{document}$ and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\preceq _2$$\end{document}$ differ on *u* and *v*, either $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$(u,v) \in E_G(\preceq _1)$$\end{document}$ but not $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$(u,v) \in E_G(\preceq _2)$$\end{document}$ or $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$(u,v) \in E_G(\preceq _2)$$\end{document}$ but not $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$(u,v) \in E_G(\preceq _1)$$\end{document}$. In both cases we get a contradiction to our assumption that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$E_G(\preceq _1)=E_G(\preceq _2)$$\end{document}$.
It remains to show that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$E_G(\preceq )$$\end{document}$ is surjective. To see this let *E* be a subsets of the edges of *G* with label $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\parallel $$\end{document}$ such that *G*\[*E*\] is acyclic. Because *G*\[*E*\] is acyclic it has a topological ordering, say $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\preceq $$\end{document}$, of its vertices. Because *G*\[*E*\] contains $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$C(\mathcal {P})$$\end{document}$ as a subgraph and any topological ordering of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$C(\mathcal {P})$$\end{document}$ is a linear extension of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}$$\end{document}$, we obtain that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\preceq $$\end{document}$ is a linear extension and also $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$E=E_G(\preceq )$$\end{document}$. $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\square $$\end{document}$
It follows from the above that instead of counting the number of linear extensions of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}$$\end{document}$ directly, we can count the number of subsets *E* of the edges of *G* with label $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\parallel $$\end{document}$ such that *G*\[*E*\] is acyclic. We will show next that there is an MSO formula $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\varPhi (X)$$\end{document}$, whose length is independent of *G* and can hence be considered constant, such that $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$G \models \varPhi (X)$$\end{document}$ if and only if *X* is a subset of the edges of *G* with label $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\parallel $$\end{document}$ such that *G*\[*E*\] is acyclic. Because of Fact [4](#FPar4){ref-type="sec"}, this implies that [\#LE]{.smallcaps} is fixed-parameter tractable when parameterized by $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$tw (G)$$\end{document}$ and hence also when parameterized by $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$tw (I_C(\mathcal {P}))$$\end{document}$, concluding the proof of the lemma.
Informally, $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\varPhi (X)$$\end{document}$ will check that *X* is a set of edges of *G* with label $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\parallel $$\end{document}$ and there is no non-empty set of edges *C* of *G*\[*X*\] that forms a cycle. For the definition of $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\varPhi (X)$$\end{document}$ we will need the following auxiliary formulas.The formula $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$ edgesin (X):=\forall x X x \rightarrow P_\parallel x$$\end{document}$, which holds if and only if *X* is a set of edges of *G* with label $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\parallel $$\end{document}$.The formula $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$ edgesne (C):=\exists c C c \wedge (\forall c C c \rightarrow E c)$$\end{document}$, which holds if and only if *C* is a non-empty set of edges of *G*.The formula $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$ cyclic (C,X):=\forall v V v \rightarrow degree (C,X,v)$$\end{document}$, which holds if and only if the set *C* of edges of *G*\[*X*\] is a disjoint union of directed cycles. Note that this implies that either *C* is empty or *C* contains at least one (directed) cycle.The formula $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$ degree (C,X,v):= degree _0(C,X,v) \vee degree _2(C,X,v)$$\end{document}$, which holds if and only if either no edge in *C* is incident to *v* or there are exactly two edges in *C* that are incident to *v* such that one of them corresponds to an edge in *G*\[*X*\] with tail *v* and the other corresponds to an edge in *G*\[*X*\] with head *v*.The formula $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$ degree _0(C,X,v):=\lnot \exists c C c \wedge I vc$$\end{document}$, which holds if and only if no edge in *C* is incident to *v*.The formula $$\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\begin{aligned} degree _2(C,X,v) :=&\,\, \exists c_i \exists c_o C c_i \wedge C c_o \wedge in (X,c_i,v) \wedge out (X,c_o,v) \wedge \\&\left( \forall c (C c \wedge \lnot c=c_i \wedge \lnot c=c_o) \rightarrow \lnot (H vc \vee T vc)\right) \\ \end{aligned}$$\end{document}$$ which holds if and only if there are exactly two edges in *C* that are incident to *v* such that one of them corresponds to an edge in *G*\[*E*\] with tail *v* and the other corresponds to an edge in *G*\[*E*\] with head *v*.The formula $$\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\begin{aligned} in (X,c,v)&:= (\lnot P_\parallel c \wedge H vc) \vee (P_\parallel c \wedge \lnot X c \wedge H vc) \vee (P_\parallel c \wedge X c \wedge T vc) \end{aligned}$$\end{document}$$ which holds if and only if *v* is the head of the edge of *G*\[*X*\] represented by *c*.The formula $$\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\begin{aligned} out (X,c,v)&:= (\lnot P_\parallel c \wedge T vc) \vee (P_\parallel c \wedge \lnot X c \wedge T vc) \vee (P_\parallel c \wedge X c \wedge H vc) \end{aligned}$$\end{document}$$ which holds if and only if *v* is the tail of the edge of *G*\[*X*\] represented by *c*.Then $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\varPhi (X)$$\end{document}$ is the formula:$$\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\begin{aligned} \varPhi (X) := edgesin (X) \wedge \lnot \left( \exists C edgesne (C) \wedge cyclic (C,X)\right) \end{aligned}$$\end{document}$$Which concludes the proof. $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\square $$\end{document}$
For completeness, we conclude the section by stating the proof of Theorem [2](#FPar27){ref-type="sec"}.
### Proof {#FPar50}
(of Theorem [2](#FPar27){ref-type="sec"}) Let $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\mathcal {P}$$\end{document}$ be the input poset and let $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$k=tw (I(\mathcal {P}))$$\end{document}$. Then $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$tw (I_C(\mathcal {P}))\le 3k+2$$\end{document}$ by Corollary [2](#FPar44){ref-type="sec"}, and the theorem follows by Lemma [9](#FPar46){ref-type="sec"}. $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\square $$\end{document}$
Conclusions and Future Work {#Sec13}
===========================
We have given the first parameterized intractability result for counting linear extensions. We hope that the employed techniques will inspire similar results and expand our knowledge about the parameterized complexity of counting problems. In particular, even for [\#LE]{.smallcaps} there remain many open questions concerning other very natural parameterizations such as the width of the poset (which is, in fact, upper-bounded by the treewidth of the incomparability graph) or the treewidth of the poset graph. Moreover, our intractability result for the treewidth of the cover graph poses the question whether there are stronger parameterizations under which [\#LE]{.smallcaps} becomes tractable, e.g., the treewidth of the comparability graph (i.e., the undirected graph underlying the poset graph), the treedepth or even vertex cover number of the comparability or cover graph, as well as combinations of these parameters with parameters such as the width, the dimension, or the height of the poset. These numerous examples illustrate that the parameterized complexity of [\#LE]{.smallcaps} is still largely unexplored. As a side note it would also be interesting to establish whether our hardness result for [\#LE]{.smallcaps} can be sharpened to $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\#$$\end{document}$W\[1\]-hardness and to obtain matching membership results.
**Publisher\'s Note**
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Open access funding provided by Austrian Science Fund (FWF). Eduard Eiben was supported by Pareto-Optimal Parameterized Algorithms (ERC Starting Grant 715744) and by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF, projects P26696 and W1255-N23). Robert Ganian is also affiliated with FI MU, Brno, Czech Republic.
| tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | PubMed Central |
You’ll find the luck of the Irish at Kodak Hall on St. Patrick’s Day weekend with Cathie Ryan, “one of the leading voices in Celtic music.” (L.A. Times). The original lead singer with Irish music sensation Cherish the Ladies, Cathie Ryan brings her endearing charm and wit to the RPO for this special engagement. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
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