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Lives in Los Angeles, United States
Joined on May 9, 2004
Yay for a healthy competition!
I was excited at first, but after reading the article I'm like, OK I guess I'm keeping my Nikon J1.
lindner: You guys should test less cameras and test those quick. Huge amounts of previews (and 'overviews' and shootouts and whatnot) in the 'recents' but very few actual reviews. Fewer but actual 'reviews' would be So Much Better.
@Simon, while I totally agree with your point, you tend (this is not the only time) to have a condescending and belittling tone when you reply. This is exactly the type of attitude and tone that make forum discussions turn foul.
As an editor I wish you would not respond on the low level that some of these questions are asked.
Can we just stop that silly quest of finding a 'winner'? Yes these cameras are not identical but it seems there is an obsession to find the marginal differences and amplify them for the sake of declaring a winner.
Truth is, if I was a Nikon shooter I'd be happy with the D800 and if I was a Canon shooter I'd be happy with the 5D III.
Neither one is missing out something significant by being with their brand. Thanks to Canon and Nikon for making excellent cameras! Now that we don't have to argue any more about who is better we can spend more time talking to each other rather then at each other or even arguing.
In the end we all have the same goal, we want to create beautiful images (moving or stills).
It was about time!
samhain: Instagram used to be really cool until it was taken over by teenagers, celebraties & companies using it for marketing. There's still some really good photographers on there, but they're hard to find as the popular page is no longer about good photos.
and who made you the judge of what Instagram was meant to be or is supposed to be?
That's exactly the beauty of social media. The users decide what they want to use it for.
I applaud Canon for coming out with such a camera. Yes it's a product for a small group of people, but that's exactly why it's great to see that Canon makes it. They are not going to make a lot of money on those, but it creates a level of trust in a brand.
it took us 10-15 years to get web pages to look interesting and make them useful and use features our computers offer.
Now we have to find ways to get it all 'dumbed down' for mobile devices again (and create parallel mobile versions) until they become powerful enough to handle good web sites again. History repeats itself. :)
HopeSpringsEternal: When will Adobe start delivering Lightroom 4 updates as delta patches instead of forcing the download of more than half a gigabyte each time a new camera is released or few bugs fixed?
The problem is that there is great potential for user confusion when they need to do a re-install. They need to keep the first version and then each consecutive delta update handy.
But in general I agree, the delta updates were common in the old days before internet speeds were as fast as today. Now no one cares about optimization any more. Developers rely a lot on hardware power these days.
Whoever writes these new articles must have ADS or short term memory LOL
In 5 lines of text they mention 5D III support three times. :)
Octane: All the complaining here won't make any difference. You are not going to change how Nikon is pricing their products in some regions. Especially when there are different taxes and import duties in place. It's speculation what really happened. I highly doubt Nikon made that change after looking at Canon. They would have increased the price everywhere, not just in one small region.
The only thing that is important: what can you learn from it?
For me that's pretty simple. Buy now before Nikon adjusts the price up in my region as well. Buy NOW!
@Damo83 unless you pay import taxes and VAT it would be illegal and admitting it online is brilliant!
All the complaining here won't make any difference. You are not going to change how Nikon is pricing their products in some regions. Especially when there are different taxes and import duties in place. It's speculation what really happened. I highly doubt Nikon made that change after looking at Canon. They would have increased the price everywhere, not just in one small region.
The only thing that is important: what can you learn from it?
For me that's pretty simple. Buy now before Nikon adjusts the price up in my region as well. Buy NOW!
ZAnton: Big size does not help if they compress everything with 10% quality. All my photos have "nice" lines and squares on the color gradients.
are you talking about past experience or did you actually try to upload new photos *after* they made the change?
Octane: Being connected and most of all, being able to share your photos instantly is the reasons the majority of people accept limited cell phone camera quality and features over real cameras today already.
I agree, system cameras really need to get connected.
I don't need a survey, you just look at the metadata on photos you find online and you will see that the majority of photos taken and uploaded today are from cell phone cameras. So it's a fact that people today already are prefering the convenience of a connected phone over the better quality of a good camera. It's a fact.
It's not hard to take out a memory card, plug it in a computer & download it, it's the fact that you have a quicker and more convenient alternative. And when a simpler, more direct alternative exists, people will use it.
Are you taking your laptop on a trip to Disneyland and download your cards while in the park and then upload them? It's very inconvenient. With a phone or with a connected cameras, you would send the photo to a friend, to facebook or your private gallery in just 10 seconds without the need for any extra device.
How hard is it to see that's so much more convenient.
whtchocla7e: I have no desire to be "connected" - to anything, ever.
hahaha, that statement wrtten in an online forum is priceless!
A man with lenses: Speculating about the future takes a little more attention to the details than this.
One thing that makes the internet so important is the nature of the computers that are connected to it. Computers facilitate both the production and consumption of information by people. Smart phones are quite a bit like that because they are small, general-purpose computers.
Cameras are different. They only facilitate information production. That information, video and stills, will be useful and meaningful outside of the cloud for a long time because there are and will continue to be many useful ways to share and consume their output besides blatting it into the cloud.
There is also the small matter of artists and professional photographers not wishing to automatically share everything that strikes a light sensor. They will continue to choose and refine their output.
To suggest that a camera that's not connected to the cloud will be meaningless is just plain nonsense.
Very true, but being connected and sharing is not the same thing. The point is more that being connected means you don't have to download photos of a card any more, not having to deal with memory cards at all any more. Not having to worry about loosing photos because your computer crashed and you never made a backup. It's about being able to access your photos wherever you are without having to put them on a physical device that you take with you.
Sharing photos is just one fraction of the cloud idea and being connected.
AdventureRob: Funnily, I mentioned cloud connectivity in the last post about Samsung and Android.
Samsung and Sony will push this forward as it will cost them relatively little to migrate the technology over. It will cost Nikon and Canon a fortune to keep up with the big electronic giants. Even Panasonic will lag behind a bit as they don't make phones.
Sony already provide LCDs, sensors and processors to the other brands (pulled apart a Canon compact the other day only to find Sony logos all over the inside). So all this tech will have to come from those companies anyway.
who makes the components says very little and doesn't mean those who don't produce their own components have a disadvantage. Apple doesn't produce any of their components and even buys them from their direct competitors like Samsung, yet they are doing fine.
Nikon and Canon are well established and trusted brands in the photography world. That is key to selling a product. They can easily and cheaply buy components for their new cameras to make them connected. The general customers will rather buy from an established brand.
Being connected and most of all, being able to share your photos instantly is the reasons the majority of people accept limited cell phone camera quality and features over real cameras today already.
I agree, system cameras really need to get connected.
12 fps sounds so impressive until you realize it's only in crop mode meaning lower resolution, with the aperture locked (which will also locks the AF operation once you go lower than f/5.6). On top of it you always loose almost half a stop due to the mirror.
Funny how they call it 'tele mode'. It's a crop mode at half resolution.
ozgoldman: I'd like to see Nikon try that in Australia, as they would be fined zillions of $$$$. Restrictive trade practices are illegal here, and so they should be.
like they got sued in the EU when they didn't allow cameras to be sold across EU borders in order to fix prices.


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And we're back on normal time this week. As usual, every Wednesday I bring you all of the news and notes from the Cleveland Indians minor league system.
Last night was exciting in the ninth, but it doesn't hide the fact the Indians have lost four straight by a margin of 28-7. Yikes. So, since the Indians declared they're likely to make improvements from within, what possibilities are there down on the farm? General manager Chris Antonetti shared some names yesterday and I'll provide some insight on those now.
Via MLB.com beat writer extraordinaire Jordan Bastian, Antonetti said the top four bats that could help out the Indians from AAA Columbus are 1B/OF Matt LaPorta, 1B/OF Russ Canzler, OF Trevor Crowe and IF Jason Donald. I'm surprised by Crowe's name, as he's been hurt all year and is no longer on the 40-man. Two guys that have played better than both him and Donald this year are OF Jared Goedert and 2B Cord Phelps. I've got an update on Phelps later, while Goedert (not on the 40-man) has just kept hitting all season.
I didn't see Antonetti name names in terms of arms, but four guys to keep an eye on are RHP Corey Kluber, RHP Chris Ray, LHP David Huff and RHP Chris Schwinden. All but Ray are on the 40-man, although he's the guy who has put up the most consistent numbers this season as Columbus' closer (more on him later). Kluber's a strikeout machine who could help in the pen, while Huff and Schwinden have been mediocre for the Clippers, but have MLB experience.
Yes, overall, I'm in the pro-trade camp for the Indians. We likely need more talent than what is currently in the system in order to keep competing for a playoff spot. However, I do believe other changes can be made internally as there remains lots of fringe MLB talent in Cleveland – I'm looking at you, OF Aaron Cunningham, OF Shelley Duncan, LHP Tony Sipp, RHP Jeremy Accardo and LHP Nick Hagadone. All of those guys have struggled lately, and with other guys doing decently well in Cbus, you have to consider making small moves soon, too.
I realize not many people care too much about minor league baseball standings – and for good reason. But this also is a good tool to see the relative strength of our combined prospects overall at different minor league levels.
AAA Columbus Clippers: 39-40 (.494), 2/4 place, 8.5 GB in International League West
AA Akron Aeros: 47-30 (.610), 1/6 place, 7.5 games ahead in Eastern League West
High-A Carolina Mudcats: 32-38 (.457), 4/4 place, 12.5 GB in Carolina League South in FIRST HALF
High-A Carolina Mudcats: 4-2 (.667), T-1/4 place, 2.5 games ahead in Carolina League South in SECOND HALF
A Lake County Captains: 31-38 (.449), 6/8 place, 16.0 GB in Midwest League East in FIRST HALF
A Lake County Captains: 3-2 (.600). T-1/8 place, 1.0 game ahead in Midwest League East in SECOND HALF
Short-Season Mahoning Valley: 3-6 (.333), T-5/6 place, 3.0 GB in NY-Penn League Pinckney
Notable Transactions
Minor league transactions can be monotonous, boring and meaningless to the average fan. Thus, I always trim through all of the pages of details to bring you just the highlights from the past week. Dates listed are the official date of record, not necessarily when the transaction actually was announced.
June 22: OF Ben Copeland released from AA Akron
June 22: RHP Tyler Sturdevant promoted to AA Akron from High-A Carolina
June 22: DH Jeremie Tice promoted to AA Akron from High-A Carolina
June 22: RHP Cole Cook promoted to High-A Carolina from A Lake County
June 22: RHP Grant Sides promoted to High-A Carolina from A Lake County
June 24: DH Joe Sever assigned to Short-Season Mahoning Valley
June 25: LHP Scott Barnes promoted to Cleveland from AAA Columbus
June 25: IF Andy LaRoche (left shoulder strain) activated from AAA Columbus 7-day disabled list
June 26: IF Andy LaRoche released from AAA Columbus
Jacob's Updated Top 10 Prospects for 2012
Last week, I created my new top 10 prospects ranking that I'll use for the rest for the season. Want a more detailed explanation? Check out this link back to that post.
1. SS Francisco Lindor – Season stats: .274/.364/.389 with 47 R, 13 2B, 3 3B, 4 HR, 23 RBI, 30 BB, 45 SO, 17 SB, 6 CS in 65 games for A Lake County. A bit cold this past week, as he is 3-for-24 in his last six outings since June 17. The switch-hitter has done notably better in 53 at-bats against lefties: .340/.352/.491.
2. RHP Dillon Howard – Last year's second rounder pitched in relief Tuesday night for his second game with rookie-level Arizona. He was a bit better this time after a rough debut last Wednesday, but was plagued by some sixth-inning errors. His final line in 3.1 IP was five hits, five runs (one earned), two walks and five strikeouts.
3. OF Tyler Naquin – He has only played four games for Short-Season Mahoning Valley, and they've been back-and-forth. Overall, the numbers aren't bad. He's 7-for-16 with two doubles and two RBI. When I saw his first four at-bats Monday night, however, he was 0-for-3 with a HBP, which later became a caught stealing. Shucks.
4. RHP Mitch Brown – This year's second rounder is expected to make his debut soon with Arizona. Often, there's no knowing when people will play out there, so we'll just have to wait and see.
5. OF Luigi Rodriguez – Season stats: .285/.338/.415 with 47 R, 12 2B, 4 3B, 5 HR, 28 RBI, 23 BB, 72 SO, 13 SB, 5 CS in 64 games for A Lake County. Besides the walks/strikeouts, his numbers are shockingly similar to Lindor's. He's been solid in four games since the All-Star Break, batting 7-for-16 with four runs scored, four RBI and two walks.
6. LHP Elvis Araujo – Season stats: 2-6 with 4.67 ERA in 15 starts, 69.1 IP, 75 H, 30 BB, 57 K, 8 WP, .277 average. He had another rough outing Saturday, and now has a 13.03 ERA in his last three starts since June 9. At least the strikeout numbers were back with six Saturday, against three walks, so hopefully that translates to a better outing next time to end the slump.
7. 2B/SS Tony Wolters – Season stats: .226/.293/.329 with 32 R, 15 2B, 4 3B, 1 HR, 27 RBI, 22 BB, 59 SO, 4 SB, 5 CS in 66 games for High-A Carolina. Remember, he got off to a horrible start to the year then a really solid May. His June has been pretty poor again, as this continues to be a disappointing season for the 20-year-old.
8. 1B Jesus Aguilar – Season stats: .310/.394/.515 with 46 R, 18 2B, 2 3B, 9 HR, 37 RBI, 29 BB, 61 SO in 70 games for High-A Carolina. Arguably the top power prospect in the system, the soon-to-be 22-year-old had his best game of the season Tuesday. He went 3-for-4 with two homers and four RBI. The big first baseman tends to be a bit streaky but is heating up just in time for the Futures Game.
9. RP Jake Sisco – Last year's third rounder has now appeared in two games for the Scrappers. He has a 4.70 ERA in 7.2 IP, with an odd line of seven hits, five runs (four earned), seven walks and five strikeouts. Tough to read into these early stats for the 20-year-old, but hopefully he makes his way to Lake County for next year.
10. RHP Chen Lee – As commenter Tom pointed out in the comments on Friday, Lee underwent Tommy John surgery earlier this month. Paul Hoynes tweeted about that on June 8, and I missed it entirely. Lee, a 25-year-old Taiwanese reliever who has shined every season in the minors, likely will miss the next 12 months at least. It's doubtful we'll see much of him before September 2013. This is a huge blow to a promising prospect, one that was on the cusp of the majors before getting hurt this April. Thanks to Tom for this catch.
Thus, in honor of my screw-up and the way I was doing things earlier this year, I'm going to go back to having an Wild Card No. 10 each week. Usually, I'll be picking from the lot I mentioned as runners-up when I first unveiled my new rankings.
Wild Card: 1B/DH Chun Chen – Let's take care of the negatives first: he's a liability at catcher (his former position), lacks power and is in his second full season at AA Akron. Now look at the season totals: .321/.401/.439 with a league-leading 24 doubles in 73 games. Most recently, he's been on a tear in 39 games since May 18 (including a 20-game hitting streak) with a .347/.427/.472 clip. The 23-year-old Taiwan native pretty much deserves a call-up to AAA Columbus, but there's a huge organizational logjam at the 1B/DH position. When moves happen start to happen over the next four weeks, expect Chen to finally get that long-awaited call after what will be more than 200 games for the Aeros.
Quick Hits
- Your Cleveland Indians Minor League Player of the Week: Columbus 26-year-old 1B/OF Russ Canzler. He's been streaky lately, though, and just happens to be hot again now. Starting on May 12, he had a 14-game line of .358/.404/.698, then a 11-game stretch of .105/.167/.132, and currently is in a 17-game streak of .350/.423/.717. Canzler's name was rumored as a potential promotion candidate around the time 1B/OF Matt LaPorta came up, and he's on the 40-man, so we'll see if this right-handed bat gets a shot sometime soon.
- I forgot to mention this last week, but IF Jason Donald hit for the cycle for Columbus on June 19. Maybe the reason I forgot is that besides that game, Donald's been mired in an extended slump. In his 15 games since June 11, he's batting .167/.242/.267, and that includes a game where he hit for the cycle! This was a crucial year for Donald to land a consistent MLB job and he's faltered so far.
- Meanwhile, his Clippers teammate 2B Cord Phelps is on a bit of a hot streak since a cold stretch in late May/early June. In 21 games since June 5, he is batting .320/.422/.533, with a very impressive 14/6 walk/strikeout ratio. While Donald was the first one to make the majors and had the higher prospect billing, it appears Phelps is out-playing him in AAA and might last longer with the Tribe.
- So Cleveland needs a new reliever, right? Well, he clearly is an MLB retread and isn't on the 40-man, but, as prefaced earlier, RHP Chris Ray has been dominant for the Clippers. He's 2-4 with 11 saves and a 1.91 ERA in 30 games this year. He has 28 K's against 14 BB's in 33.0 IP. Before Tuesday night, he hadn't given up a run since May 29. The 30-year-old previously pitched in 283 career MLB games with four franchises between 2005-11. I remember him notably as well when he was a star closer prospect for Baltimore's AA team in 2005. Who knows if Ray will get the call back up, but he's proven about all he can again in the International League.
- It seems I mention Akron RHP Steven Wright every other week in the Wahoos. But he's just been that good. The 27-year-old knuckleballer is now 6-4 with a 1.64 ERA in 13 starts this year. He had another quality start on Friday, and has continued to be tough against righties especially. Players also can't find a way to slug against him as he's allowed just 11 extra-base hits (eight doubles, three homers) in 267 at-bats this season for an outstanding .255 slugging percentage against. Might be time soon to move him up to Columbus.
- His arrival made news because he's 7-foot-1, but Akron RHP Loek Van Mil actually has been noteworthy for his pitching lately. The 27-year-old is now 1-1 with a 1.08 ERA in 14 appearances, striking out 25 against four walks and 13 hits in 25.0 IP. The Netherlands native first pitched in the Eastern League with New Britain in 2009, so he's experienced with this level of play. He's done quite well too in AA overall (2.85 ERA in 129.1 IP), but this is about as good as he's done. The Indians still will likely be conservative with him and try to just keep him there before his first offseason in the system.
- Aguilar is the better prospect, but 1B/OF Jeremie Tice actually has put up better slugging numbers in 2012. The 25-year-old began his third year in the Carolina League this season and exploded his way into a recent promotion to AA Akron. His combined numbers for the season are now .292/.374/.584 in 57 games, with 20 doubles, 13 homers and 55 RBI. Cleveland's sixth rounder in 2008, he hasn't ever hit this well before nor has he remained healthy consistently. The next two months will be a big test for him.
- OF Bo Greenwell has done well for High-A Carolina in seven games since returning from offseason knee surgery. He's batting .375/.423/.500 in these contests, dominating as he should be since he already had 130 Carolina League games under his belt before this year. Logically, the 23-year-old should be in AA Akron sometime soon, but the team is still probably just being cautious because of his injury history.
- Kudos go out to RHP Grant Sides for earning the promotion last week from A Lake County to High-A Carolina. In 18 relief appearances for the Captains, last year's 12th-round pick from Samford was 1-0 with a 1.05 ERA. He pitched 34.1 innings, allowing 19 hits and 11 walks, but striking out 37. The Indians don't often have too many homegrown prospects that always were relievers in the pros – only RHP Vinnie Pestano and RHP Bryce Stowell jump to mind – so hopefully Sides can accelerate through the system quickly like those two.
- While there certainly are higher-rated prospects for Lake County and Mahoning Valley, two surprising names have led the rotations so far. RHP Joseph Colon, 22, is 6-7 with a 3.17 ERA in 15 starts, with 54 K's against 26 BB's in 88.0 IP for the Captains. RHP Luis DeJesus, 20, has no record and a 0.82 ERA, with 10 K's against 1 BB in 11.0 IP in his two Mahoning Valley starts. DeJesus previously had a 7.50 ERA in four relief appearances for the Captains, but he shined Monday night when I saw him pitch.
Closing Word
I wrote about this on Twitter, but for those who don't follow me yet (@udjrosen), I attended Monday's Mahoning Valley Scrappers game with photographer Ken Carr. It was a blast chatting more with Carr in the car ride back-and-forth from Akron, and I also had the neat opportunity to watch some of the youngest prospects in the Indians system. What I saw wasn't too encouraging.
After Monday night, the Scrappers ranked last or second-to-last in the Short-Season New York-Penn League in nearly every single offensive category. The team was batting .213/.292/.305 with 3.1 runs per game, and a 30/79 walk/strikeout ratio. You aren't going to win very many ball games at any level with those numbers, and that's why the team began play 2-6 (before winning Tuesday).
Of the notable batters, RF Juan Romero appears to be a solid slugger, but missed play Monday with a slight shoulder injury. CF Tyler Naquin has had two bad games and two really good games with the Scrappers, and unfortunately Monday wasn't too hot. 2B Robel Garcia needed to be moved down from Lake County, but hasn't played too well either.
Other items from Eastwood Park: RHP Jacob Lee, this year's ninth-round pick, has impressed with his short starts Saturday and Tuesday. The 22-year-old Arkansas State product could be in Lake County soon. … I only saw him in the bullpen, but RHP James Stokes is a huge kid at 6-foot-6. I haven't seen a pitcher that large since LHP Nick Hagadone. Stokes hasn't appeared in a game yet, but should debut soon. … C Charlie Valerio shined defensively and with his arm Monday night. Supposedly, all four of Mahoning Valley's catchers have done well with their gloves/arms so far, so that's definitely encouraging to see.
However, the Scrappers, just like the Indians system overall, just seem to be a bit void of tons of talent. I'm sure they'll get some more players soon as the team continues to sign the rest of their draft picks. But for now, expect them to keep struggling as the players work out the kinks in their first doses of professional play.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Stomach cancer: Help fund life-saving research to fight this disease
Last updated: 30/10/2012
Why this research is needed
Around 7,500 people are diagnosed with stomach cancer every year in the UK.
The best treatment option is surgery to remove the tumour and sometimes part or all of the stomach. Some patients also receive chemotherapy and radiotherapy to help improve their chances of survival.
Despite these treatment efforts, less than one in five people survive their disease beyond five years.
The impact of our research
Our scientists were among the first to show that a major cause of stomach cancer is an infection with bacteria called H. pylori. This has lead to stomach cancer death rates falling by around 75% over the last 40 years.
Today our researchers are looking for even more effective ways to prevent and treat the disease so that more people survive.
Supporting this project
Anonymous donated
Rosemary donatedMy husband died of stomach ... My husband died of stomach cancer at 64, despite having his stomach removed and several doses of chemo. He deserved more time! more
Melanie donatedDean Thomas Blaenau Gwent C... Dean Thomas Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council took part in the Wales Marathon in Tenby on July 5th. He raised money for a great cause – Rachel's Rainbow. Rachel's Rainbow In October 2013, a dear friend and colleague, Rachel O'Leary tragically passed away . Rachel had stomach cancer, she was 27 years old. Rachel was a fun loving and bubbly character and much loved by everyone. In memory of Rachel we have set up a fundraising group called Rachel's Rainbow to raise money for Cancer Research UK. 'When it rains look for rainbows, when its dark look for stars'. Also, for Stuart Cleary (Dean's Father in Law)also battling with Stomach Cancer! more
Anonymous donated
Let your friends and family know about this project to get them involvedShare this project
Kicking cancer in the guts: How we're improving the lives of people with stomach cancer
Finding new standards of care
Chemotherapy with surgery for stomach cancer can lower the risk of the cancer coming back. Scientists have found that giving patients a combination of chemotherapy drugs called ECF before, during and after surgery improved survival.
Professor David Cunningham of the Royal Marsden Hospital is working to improve this treatment even further. He is adding a new ingredient to the chemotherapy cocktail, Bevacizumab, a drug that affects the ability of the tumour to create new blood vessels.
Professor Cunningham is comparing chemotherapy alone against chemotherapy using bevacizumab, both before and after surgery. This trial could find out if this new treatment can save more lives and prevent cancer from returning.
Getting to the root of the problem
Around a third of stomach cancer cases have been attributed to the bacteria H. pylori. This bacteria lives in many of our stomachs where it's generally harmless, but studies have suggested that in some people it can increase the risk of stomach cancer by around six times.
Dr Nick Wald at Queen Mary University of London is finding out if eliminating H. pylori from the stomach of infected people can reduce their risks of developing stomach cancer in the future.
If the trial shows a reduced risk of cancer, this could mean that many cases of stomach cancer in the world could be prevented by screening for the bacteria and getting rid of it when found.
Do all bacteria cause stomach cancer?
Although many cases are related to H.pylori infections, this bacteria comes in several forms. Thanks to Dr John Atherton of Nottingham University we know that only those that have a specific gene can cause stomach cancer.
Dr Atherton is now digging deeper to out what exactly is different about this type of H.pylori and, more importantly, how it can cause changes in the stomach that lead to stomach cancer.
Knowing which types of H.pylori can lead to cancer and how they do so could help researchers to design new tests and ways of preventing it to reduce the risks and cases of stomach cancer worldwide.
The difference you can make
Thanks to the help and support of people like you, we're able to support clinical trials and essential research like the examples above. Some of this research could soon benefit the lives of people with the disease.
Please help us raise £50,000 which is around the cost of supporting a scientific officer, vital to research such as in the projects above.
Donate now and you can help support: Stomach cancer: Help fund life-saving research to fight this disease


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In this position, you will oversee the day-to-day functions of our two-person accounting department (one A/R/payroll administrator and one A/P administrator), as well as handle bank reconciliations, cash management, general ledger, taxes, budgeting, and other accounting8/17/2015 Warrington, PA Save This Job
Job Type: Full-Time Location: Philadelphia, PA Department: Sales RingCentral provides cloud computing based business phone systems designed for today's mobile and distributed business world. The RingCentral technology platform eliminates the need for expensive and technically8/17/2015 Philadelphia, PA Save This Job
Position Summary: Works as a Project Manager for client projects in setup, maintenance and decommissioning and on occasion, may be required to support sales efforts. Designs are often complex and may involve multiple company products and computer environments. Manage CRF8/17/2015 Plymouth Meeting, PA Save This Job
Position Summary: Primarily responsible for the creation of customer pricing and contracts for CRF Health's products and services. Responsibilities: Creates the project budget for customer bids Works with various internal departments (i.e. sales, operations) as needed to8/17/2015 Plymouth Meeting, PA Save This Job
Level One key responsibilities: Manage, analyze, implement and verify Data Clarification Forms (DCF) submitted throuh the TrialManager Effectively manage DCF workload determined by TrialManager Implement assigned project timelines and prioritization of tasks. Assist in the8/17/2015 Plymouth Meeting, PA Save This Job
System/Business analyst with minimum of 5 years of experience in Software Development Industry with strong technology and consulting background, excellent analytical and communication skills to perform requirements, analysis, and participate in design, implementation, testing and8/16/2015 Newtown, PA Save This Job
Responsibilities: Participate in requirements gathering, analysis, design, implementation, testing and maintenance Develop general system design including internal and external information flows, current and future system requirements, interfaces and integration points8/16/2015 Newtown, PA Save This Job
Established in 1993, EPAM Systems (NYSE:EPAM) is a leading and growing global provider of Software Engineering, Consulting, QA/Testing, and Support/Maintenance services with delivery centres throughout Central and Eastern Europe. Headquartered in the United States, EPAM spans8/16/2015 Newtown, PA Save This Job
We are currently seeking a Senior Visual Designer for contract and full-time opportunities to join our Philadelphia area team of professionals. Working under the supervision of the Creative Director, Senior Designers are responsible for look & feel exploration, conceptual and8/16/2015 Conshohocken, PA Save This Job
EPAM, recently named Forbes #1 Small Tech company of 2014, is looking to hire a Senior Analyst to join our Conshohocken/Philadelphia based team. As a Senior Analyst, you will play an important role within EPAM?s analytics practice by leading and growing client facing, data driven8/16/2015 Conshohocken, PA Save This Job
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Hearing canceled for SpanosJanuary 30,2013Hearing canceled for Spanos
A hearing to weigh the evidence to hold accused murderer Alex Spanos in jail without the option of bail has been canceled.
Spanos, 24, pleaded innocent last week to a charge of second-degree murder in a case involving the death of 17-year-old Rutland High School student Carly Ferro.
Ferro was killed last fall in a crash on Cleveland Avenue in the city that police say was caused by Spanos who was allegedly huffing from an aerosol can to get high while driving.
Because Spanos is facing a potential lifetime jail sentence, prosecutors asked that he be held in jail without the option of bail until his trial. While Spanos has been incarcerated since the Sept. 26 crash on $200,000 bail, Spanos attorney requested a hearing that would have required the prosecution to reveal enough evidence to warrant holding him in jail.
But the hearing, scheduled to take place Tuesday, was canceled by Spanos defense attorney who withdrew the request for a hearing on Monday.MORE IN This Just InWHITE RIVER JUNCTION Judge Nancy Corsones disqualified herself from a bail hearing in a... Full StoryA look at the week back and the week ahead. Full StoryWHITE RIVER JUNCTION An Andover man who called 911 to report a state trooper stealing his... Full Story
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Homer's downtown art galleries celebrate the height of summer with new exhibit openings and First Friday receptions. All receptions run from 5-7 p.m., unless otherwise noted.
Art Shop Gallery presents "Local Artists in Black and White," featuring new work by Homer photographer Taz Tally and glasswork by Nancy Wise.
Taz is a landscape photographer specializing in black-and-white images that capture mood, tone and texture. He has called Homer home for 10 years, and finds inspiration outdoors while hiking, biking, kayaking, skiing and tidepooling.
The 100 Stone Project A movement called "100 Stone" seeks to transform local, regional and national attitudes toward mental illness and suicide by demarginalizing and legitimizing those who have been isolated by their struggle. In free workshops across Alaska, the project involves the creation of plaster and burlap casts that are created on the bodies of participants. The […]
Some artists paint lines; other artists paint squares. Homer artist Deland Anderson paints dots.
For the past 20 years, Anderson has created dot paintings, using tempra paint on wood or acrylic paint on canvas. The traditional dot paintings are a technique that originated in the Central Desert of Australia in the 1970s.
"The traditional Aborigine dot paintings are physical and metaphysical encoded maps of the country," Anderson explained. "It includes things like water holes, trails, dry river beds and ceremonial spots."
When he was 18 years old, Anderson visited the Australia Outback, finding work on a ranch and experiencing first-hand the Aborigine's use of paintings as patterns and maps.
Thanks to a mother who was a beatnik artist in New York City's Greenwich Village, Homer potter Lisa Wood was exposed to a variety of art forms at an early age. When she was 10 years old, her mother took a pottery class at a Seattle studio, introducing Wood to clay.
Today, Wood's pottery can be found in Anchorage at Cabin Fever and the Blue/Holloman Gallery, in Talkeetna at the Dancing Leaf Gallery and in Homer at Bunnell Street Arts Center.
"My aim is to make functional pots that bring art into our everyday lives," she said. "My hope is that my passion for making objects, keeping an open mind and being imaginative and playful in my approach comes through in my work."
When Shawn Zuke first saw a photograph of a leather-vested, tassel-wearing Emily Lou Harris performing on stage, she had no idea who the woman was — only that she wanted to be like her; singing onstage like a hippie rock star.
Zuke grew up listening to her parent's eight-track tapes, and her first two albums were Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" and the self-titled "Fleetwood Mac." She got her first guitar when she was in her early 20s, and this January, she released her fourth album, "Undefined."
Zuke describes her music as being all about messages of peace, love and learning to be still and calm in the midst of turbulent times. The lyrics of her recent title track song begins with, "calm yourself down, don't give into the feeling, you can turn it all around, just by breathing …"
Well-known Homerites take the stage at Pier One Theatre through July to perform Neil Simon's classic comedy "The Odd Couple." The show opened July 4 and runs through July 26, with 14 performances.
Felix Ungar, a neurotic, neat freak news writer is thrown out by his wife and moves in with his friend Oscar Madison, a slovenly sports writer.
Jim Hornaday plays Speed; Peter Sheppard, Murray; Dick Sanders, Roy; Ken Landfield, Vinnie; Peter Norton, Oscar Madison; Brian Duffy, Felix Unger; along with cast members Marcia Lynn, Gwendolyn Pigeon, Brett Glidden and Cecily Pigeon.
Despite Oscar's problems which include careless spending, excessive gambling and a poorly kept house filled with spoiled food, he seems to enjoy life.
Homer artist Lisa Wood's encaustic pottery is one of the big shows on display at the Bunnell Street Art Gallery this month.
Explaining her style Wood said, "I have been a studio potter for 14 years. My pots are fired either in a wood-fired kiln or a gas-soda kiln. Both are atmospheric firings. When either wood or soda are introduced into the kiln they bond with the silica and alumina in the clay forming a glaze or a flashing on the surface of the pot. This method works well with my desire to have spontaneity and enhances the work.
Artist Jo Going's animal bone show has been drawing people to the ground floor gallery at the Pratt Museum all summer.
In her exhibit, Going explores the question of whether an animal's spirit lives on in its bones after it dies.
She said she senses that, "bones carry the spirits of the animals, a lasting essence of presence; they are relics, holy and venerable."
Going has incorporated bones from the taiga into her work. She said Paleolithic and Neolithic art — as well as Italian church reliquaries exalting bones of saints — inspired her to create "Reliquary."
Several well-known Homerites take the stage at Pier One Theatre this weekend to perform "The Odd Couple." The 14-performance show runs July 4 through July 26.
Neurotic, neat-freak news writer Felix Ungar is thrown out by his wife, and moves in with his friend Oscar Madison, a slovenly sports writer.
The Pier One cast includes Peter Norton as Oscar and Brian Duffy as Felix; Jim Hornaday is Speed, Peter Sheppard is Murray, Dick Sanders is Roy, and Ken Landfield is Vinnie. Marcia Lynn takes on the role of Gwendolyn Pigeon, and Brett Glidden plays Cecily Pigeon.
Public radio station KBBI has scheduled their two-day music celebration, Concert on the Lawn, a little early this year, with tickets being bought online before July 7 at a discount.
The show starts at noon, Saturday, July 12 and concludes at 9 p.m. Sunday. This year marks KBBI's 35th anniversary. Homer's first public radio station signed on the air Aug. 4, 1979.
As always, outstanding musicians from the Kenai Peninsula, Anchorage and beyond are booked for the weekend. Some are performing at their first Concert on the Lawn.
Saturday features the Spur Highway Spankers, Hillary Arwen, Jon Crocker and Trina Uvaas, the Blackwater Railroad Company (a folk rock band from Seward specializing in upbeat, unique covers and catchy, danceable originals), a new local band, Raised by Humans, Gary Sloan's American Music, Nervis Rex, a band from Anchorage and a modern rock band from the Mat-Su valley, The Quiet Cull, complete the Saturday show.


text:
|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|Oct 20, 2009
|Filing date
|Aug 2, 2006
|Priority date
|Aug 2, 2006
|Fee status
|Also published as
|Publication number
|Joe K. Carter
|Original Assignee
|Entity Labs, Ltd.
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (9), Non-Patent Citations (3), Referenced by (3), Classifications (9), Legal Events (4)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
This invention relates generally to information technology and in particular to modeling information from a complex problem domain to a data representation and using the data representation to obtain knowledge about the problem domain.
One of the fundamental problems with the current state of the art in information technology is the requirement that complex knowledge be shoehorned into simplistic data structures, such as tables, lists, graphs, or trees. But the inherent complexity of a problem does not go away when the problem is forced into a simple data representations; it simply spills over into the algorithms that are used to manipulate the data representation. For example, storing data from a complex domain into a relational table structure often requires multiple tables, duplicate entries in the tables, and a large body of rules that maintain the consistency, integrity and relationships of the data. Accordingly, reducing the complexity of a data representation itself merely results in an increased complexity in the algorithms used to manage that the data representation. Because there is no systematic relationship between the identities in a relational model in existing data structures, so there has to be a very complex set of rules for referential integrity as well as complex rules for queries, joins, and other operations on the data structure.
To simplify the algorithms used to process data structures, what is needed is a way to capture fully the complexity of a real problem domain in a data representation. In this way, the algorithms used to process the data can be simplified, making the stored information more usable to solve complex problems in a particular domain.
To address this complexity issue, a data management system is described that is capable of capturing the full complexity of a problem domain in the data representation itself. The data management system simplifies the algorithms used to access and manipulate the data held in the system. Simplifying the data management and access algorithms makes implementing problem solutions in any given problem domain much easier—and in many cases, feasible, where implementing a solution using conventional data representations previously was not.
The data representation applies the concept of a primenet, which is a complex data representation that stores individual records and relates those records by maintaining certain relationships between prime numbers and integers associated with each record. In a primenet, each node of the structure is associated with a particular item of data and uniquely identified by an integer N, called the node identifier. Each node may include one or more directed links to certain other nodes. For a node identified by the node identifier N, the links that emanate from that node are uniquely identified by the Nth prime number P; hence, the node identifiers can also be understood as prime number indices, in that any given N indexes the Nth prime P. The value P can be used as a link identifier of its link from node N. The value of any node identifier N is calculated as the product of the link identifiers P1 through PX for all of the directed links that point into that node. The link identifiers in the structure can have the value of 1 or any prime number up to some designated maximum value, and a node identifier can have the value of 0 or any integer product of the collection of prime numbers used for link identifiers that are directed at the node identifier's node.
To further elaborate, one embodiment of a primenet data representation includes a plurality of records that are associated with an information item and are uniquely defined by a collection of prime numbers, the product of which is a unique integer stored in association with the record. (For simplicity, it can be said that an identifier is stored "in" a record, which is understood to include storing the identifier physically in the record as well as storing it in association with, but physically apart from the record, or any other appropriate storage relationship). Because each of the records is associated with a unique integer product of a collection of prime numbers, the records can be directedly related to one or more other records according to the primenet structure. In this way, the primenet serves as a blank template, onto which the information items in a problem domain can be mapped according to whatever relationships in fact exist in the data according to a model of a problem domain. Because each node can have a large number of inbound and outbound links, the number and complexity of relationships between nodes can be scaled far beyond the capabilities of conventional data structures. This allows a primenet data representation to model almost any complex set of relationships in a problem domain, and capture the complex relationships and associations that may exist in the data. The primenet data structure can then be used to extract additional information and identify other inherent relationships for the items in the data structure—relationships that need not be known beforehand.
In one embodiment, a primenet data representation includes a plurality of records each associated with an item, which may be, without limitation, any kind of object, thing, or concept in any problem domain. A simple example is that an item can be a person, and some number of records can be associated with the person, such as name, birth date, and so forth. Each record in the data representation is also associated with a unique node in a primenet structure by a unique integer node identifier, N that is stored in the record. If an item in the problem domain has a directed relationship to one or more other items in the domain, the record will also be associated with one or more outbound links. All of the outbound links for a particular node have a common unique link identifier P, where P is the Nth prime number (or 1, if the node identifier is 0). For each record, the node identifier N is the product of the inbound link identifiers; that is, the link identifiers for the directed links that point into that node from other nodes. These inbound and outbound links represent directed relationships between the items in the problem domain.
A number of data structure management modules are provided for managing the primenet data architecture as well as revealing relationships among the items in the data structure. In various embodiments of the invention, the management modules include modules for adding or deleting information items in particular locations in the primenet, adding or deleting the relationship between items in the data structure, searching for ancestral or descendant relationships for an item in the data structure, and identifying the relationship between any two items in the structure. These are just a few examples of the management modules that can be used with the primenet data architecture, as the structure enables many useful processes based on its model of the problem domain.
Accordingly, this primenet data structure has all the necessary richness and variety among its many links and nodes to form a rigorously well-defined structure that is isomorphic to the data of most problem domains, regardless of their complexity. Unlike previously used data structures and models, the primenet data structure is not inherently regular and repetitive. It contains an unbounded variety of substructures, one of which may match the natural structure of a problem domain. Substructures of the primenet structure can even be used to emulate conventional data structures, such as table and tree structures, or they may form a completely new structure tailored to a specific problem domain.
The features and advantages described in this summary and the following detailed description are not all-inclusive. Many additional features and advantages will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in view of the drawings, specification, and claims hereof.
The figures depict various embodiments of the present invention for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following discussion that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the invention described herein.
Primenet Mathematics
The data structures described herein correspond to various instances of a primenet structure. A primenet is a complex computer-implemented data structure, akin to a directed graph that is formed in part by linking nodes of the structure using certain relationships between integers and prime numbers. Each node in the primenet is associated with a node identifier, which is an integer that uniquely identifies the node. Each node may include one or more outbound links from that node to another node; that is, a node may be the source of a number of links that are directed towards other nodes. The outbound links from a node having a node identifier N are each identified by a link identifier PN, where PN is the Nth prime number (where the number 2 is the 1st prime number). The nodes in the primenet are then linked so that where a node having node identifier N is linked to another node having node identifier M with a link having link identifier PN, then PN is a prime factor of M, where PN is the Nth prime number. Accordingly, some nodes may have no outbound links. For example, in a system where the largest link identifier allowed is the Nth prime, any node having a node identifier greater than N would have no outgoing links. In addition, the primenet structure may also include a node having a node identifier 0 with a link identifier of 1.
As used herein, a node is associated with its outbound links, so that a node having the node identifier N also has a link identifier PN, where PN is the Nth prime number. For simplicity, the following terminology is used:
In this way, a node may be uniquely identified by a prime number identifier, which is the same as the link identifier of each of the outbound links from that node. The node identifier and link identifier for a node are thus related, and because of their uniqueness either one can be determined from the other. This relationship between the identifiers for nodes and links is one of the features that enable the primenet to capture fully any arbitrary relationship in the data of a problem domain while enforcing consistency and integrity on the data.
The relationships between the nodes are thus defined according to the relationships between the node identifiers and the link identifiers. This identifier assignment model can be contrasted with conventional data structures, such as tables, where unique numerical identifiers are used but the identifiers of related data elements bear no particular logical or mathematical relationship that can be used to manipulate the data elements. Each node has an inbound link from any other nodes whose link identifiers are one of the prime factors of the node's node identifier. For example, the node with the node identifier 15 ("node 15") has inbound links from node 2 and node 3 because the prime factors of its node identifier 15, are 3 (which is the 2nd prime) and 5 (which is the 3rd prime).
A given node may also have outbound links to each of the other nodes whose node identifiers are multiples of the given node's link identifier. For example, node 3 has outbound links to nodes 5, 10, and 15. This is because the 3rd prime number is 5, so the link identifier from node 3 is 5, which is a factor of the node identifiers for nodes 5, 10, and 15.
The term "primordination" is introduced herein to describe the directed relationship of the links between the nodes in the primenet. Primordination is the relationship between an integer N and another integer M, where the Nth prime number P (PN) is a factor of M. According to this identifier assignment rule, node N is said to "primordinate" node M. The nodes in the collection of nodes that primordinate a given node are thus called the "primordinates" of the given node. For example, if there exists a node S that is related to nodes N, M, and O, then S is equal to the product of the Nth, Mth, and Oth primes (i.e., S=PNPMPO). Thus, any node whose outbound link identifier is a prime factor of another node's node identifier thus primordinates that other node.
The process of primordination can be further explained with reference to
The links in the primenet can represent any kind of directed relationship in a problem domain. One kind of directed relationship is causality, where the node is caused by or results from the nodes that correspond to its primordinates. Another kind of relationship is membership, where the node associated with a prime number is a member of each class defined by the nodes associated with its primordinates. Causality and membership are just two examples of the types of relationships that can be modeled using the links in a primenet. The directed relationship between a prime number and its primordinates may represent any directed way in which two items in a problem domain can be related to each other. Moreover, different links in a single primenet may represent different types of relationships, creating a hybrid linked structure. There is no fundamental requirement that each link indicate the same type of relationship between two nodes; the semantics of the relationship are determined by the application developer who uses the primenet for a given application.
However represented, the relationships modeled using the primenet structure may have any desired significance based on the model that a designer of a particular data structure creates. Moreover, the different links within a primenet may have differing significances. For example, the model shown in
Mapping the Problem Domain to the Primenet Representation
Creating a model for a problem domain is accomplished by mapping the entities or information items in the domain along with their relationships. Each concept, entity, or thing in the domain, called an information item, is assigned a unique integer node identifier that corresponds to a node in the primenet structure. The node identifiers are assigned in such a way that the links between the nodes in the primenet correspond to the relationships (e.g., causality, membership, is-a, has-a, parent/child, class/subclass, etc.) between the information items in the problem domain.
If the fundamental relationship between entities in a domain is the relationship of membership, then the membership function by which information item A is an element of information item B is implemented by the data management operations by which the node assigned to A is primordinated by the node assigned to B. Similarly, if the fundamental relationship is causality, then the causal relationship by which information item A is caused by item B are likewise implemented by the data management operations by which the node assigned to A is primordinated by the node assigned to B. Whatever the fundamental relationship between the information items might be for two items in a given problem domain, that relationship can be mapped to the logical relationship of primordination, which in turn has an implementation in the computer system via the primordination assignment rules. It is also possible to use primordination itself as the fundamental relationship in a problem domain, where primordination becomes a generic relationship between any two items.
Concept Management in a Primenet
In a primenet data representation, a node that has no inbound links is a called a root node. The root nodes in a primenet substructure may be understood as being equivalent to an axiom in theory, as they do not depend on, or derive relationships from, other nodes. The root nodes are thus representative of predefined or a priori concepts from which all other concepts are built. In a tabular data structure, for example, each row and column is undefined, and the cells in the table are defined according to the rows and columns. In a simple primenet, such as illustrated in
A void is a null link in the primenet structure. Root nodes can be implemented by declaring each of the link identifiers (i.e., prime number factors) of a node identifier to be voids. Once a prime number link identifier has been declared to be a void, relationships are not allowed through the link identified by that prime number. Essentially, a root node is not allowed to be related upwardly by any other nodes in the primenet. Another way of expressing this is to say that root nodes do not have a dependency relationship (e.g., membership, causality, etc.) upon other nodes.
Every node in a primenet structure has a different collection of inbound links. In addition to being used for creating root nodes, voids can used to create a collection of nodes that effectively have duplicate inbound links. Voiding a link identifier creates two or more nodes that have the same collection of non-voided, active links. These nodes retain their unique node identities because the link identifiers of the voided links are still used as factors in determining the node identifiers. The use of voids to model a problem domain in which multiple nodes have the same collection of active inbound links is illustrated in the example data structure shown in
For example, the information items Customers and Employees in
In this example, Customers have the node identifier 5 and link identifier 11 (because 11 is the 5th prime number), and Employees have the node identifier 10 (or 5�2) and the link identifier 29 (because 29 is the 10th prime number). The void of link identifier 2 thus allows distinguishing between two information items—Customers and Employees—that have the same active, non-voided inbound links. Alternatively, the voided link identifier 2 can be thought of as an indeterminate link, since it is known that Employees are different than Customers but there are no specific links to distinguish them.
In practical applications, a link identifier need not be physically assigned to a particular record if no other records are related under that record. This is because a record's link identifier is useful because of the mathematical relationship to the node identifiers of the other records related below it. But if there are no records related below that record, its link identifier may not serve any other purpose. Since the values of the unique prime number link identifiers can grow very fast, it may be advantageous for a computer to avoid computing and storing a link identifier for the record. Even if a computer does not store a unique prime number link identifier for a record physically, however, the record may still be considered to have such a prime number identifier associated therewith.
In one embodiment, a node may be split into two nodes, each having its own node identifier if a single node identifier would make the node's link identifier too large (e.g., a link identifier with a value greater than the system's declared maximum for link identifiers because of a node having a large number of inbound links). When that happens, the system can either increase upper bound on the maximum prime number, which negatively impacts performance, or the system can split the node into two or more separate nodes and attempt to keep them synchronized using appropriate algorithms. This presents a tradeoff between performance and algorithmic complexity.
To split a group of nodes (i.e., as defined by the same set of non-voided links), the application engineer can create a separate data structure to track the relationship between the split group, using the new data structure to keep the items in the split nodes synchronized. One approach to managing a split group is to create a new primenet structure in which every node is a root node. To do this, it is necessary to create enough voids to ensure that each node only has voided inbound links. If every prime less than or equal to N is voided, then every prime between N and P inclusive will be a root node when P equals the Nth prime. If every node in a primenet structure is a root node, then no changes in any node have an effect on any other node. The node identifiers are therefore absolute identifiers that never change as long as no link identifier exceeds P. Once an absolute identifier is established for a node, it is possible to set up two (or more) relative identities in other primenet structures and keep track of them via the absolute identifier that never changes. This technique may allow primenet systems to be scaled gracefully.
Software Architecture
The data in the data structure 100 may be stored in a number of ways, depending on the implementation and the available system resources.
The list 135 of information items is used to associate the items that have been mapped to the primenet structure with the particular node identifiers to which they are mapped. This effectively provides a mapping from the real world problem domain into the primenet structure. In the embodiment shown, the list 135 of items stores a label for each item associated with the item's node identifier in the primenet structure; the label can be any type of data, such as text, numerical, graphical, audio/video, etc. In addition, the items in the list 135 may be specified by a pointer, index, or other indirect means instead of associating a label for the each item. This would further reduce the size of the list 135 in memory. The list 135 also contains the link identifier associated with the node if the node has outbound links. Although this value could be calculated from the node identifier, it is stored here to avoid the overhead of calculating each time it is needed.
The data structure 100 also stores a list 140 of the prime numbers associated with node identifiers and a bitmap 145 of the prime numbers used. This list 140 and bitmap 145 are not inherently necessary, since the prime numbers used could be obtained from the list 135 of items, but they may facilitate the algorithms used to process the data structure 100. The list 140 of prime numbers used simply stores an ordered list of each of the prime number identifiers that have been associated with an information item. This list 140 may be used to calculate the Nth prime number more efficiently. The bitmap 145 of prime numbers used is an ordered bitmap that stores a 1 if a particular node is associated with a used prime number link identifier, and a 0 otherwise. This bitmap 145 may be used for a quick identification of whether a particular node in the primenet has an associated information item.
The data structure 100 also contains a list 150 of voided link identifiers, preferably ordered. This allows the algorithms to determine whether a particular link in the primenet has been declared a void. By consulting this list, an algorithm can quickly determine which prime factors of a particular node identifier are voids (and thus do not correspond to an active inbound link) and which are not voids (and thus correspond to an active inbound link).
In one embodiment, the data structure 100 further includes a label/node identifier index 160 for associating the item labels with their one or more associated node identifiers and permitting a direct lookup of the node identifier(s) associated with each label. The index 160 may sort the item labels alphanumerically to allow for rapid lookup of node identifiers from particular item labels. In one embodiment, the index 160 associates each label with a first node identifier and, if the label is common to other node identifiers, further associates the label with additional node identifiers. As illustrated in
The label/node identifier index 160 allows translation of queries expressed in terms of the labels to the particular nodes in the underlying primenet representation. Although nodes are unique to an entity in a problem domain, in certain applications of an embodiment of the data structure 100, the same item label may be used for several different entities in the problem domain. For example, there may be multiple instances of "George Smith" in the problem domain. The label/node identifier index 160 thus facilitates the use of multiple node identifiers related to a single label in the data structure 100 so that the system can resolve any ambiguities this causes via interaction with a user. For example, the system may accept an input or query from a user based on a label. The system would then attempt to translate that label to a particular node identifier using this index 160. If the particular entity (identified, e.g., by a unique node identifier) cannot otherwise be determined unambiguously from context or some other information, the system may ask the user which "George Smith" is being referenced.
In another embodiment, a link identifier/node identifier index dataset 165 relates a link identifier to each of the node identifiers to which it points. In this way, the dataset 165 permits direct lookup of a node identifier from a corresponding link identifier. The link identifier/node identifier index dataset 165 can be used as an alternative to searching when it is necessary to determine all the nodes to which a given link identifier points. Since the number of node identifiers pointed to by a link identifier is not predetermined, the dataset 165 may store additional node identifiers after the first in a linked list. The link identifier/node identifier index dataset 165 may be created, for example, using the node dataset 135 with the link identifier as the key field
Although the use of the link identifier/node identifier index dataset 165 may greatly speed up the process of finding node identifiers pointed to by one or more link identifiers, it may also add significant maintenance overhead. Because of this maintenance overhead, the use of the dataset 165 may be evaluated on a case-by-case basis in various implementations. For example, it might be used for a static problem domain, but not for a problem domain that is highly volatile.
Software Management Modules
As explained above, the primenet data structure allows the complexity of the problem domain to be mapped to the data structure itself, rather than that complexity being coded in the algorithms used to process the data structure. This allows for greatly simplified management modules 110. Some of the possible management modules 110 are described in more detail below; however, it can be appreciated that many other algorithms and techniques can be used to modify a primenet data structure and/or extract information from the primenet data structure, depending on the result that is desired.
One type of management module that may be used with the primenet data structure includes algorithms for modifying the data structure. This type of module may include processes for adding or deleting nodes from the primenet structure or adding or removing links between nodes in the structure. Using these basic tools, any desired data structure can be constructed to map a set of information items in a particular problem domain to the desired portion of the primenet structure. These tools also allow an existing data structure to be modified, for example to add records to the data structure as real-world events in the problem domain change what is being modeled.
In one embodiment, the management modules 110 include a process for adding an information item as a new node, where the added node may be linked as a child node to one or more other parent nodes. Inputs to the process thus include where the information item is to be added—i.e., which nodes are to be the parent nodes of the added node. In one embodiment, the management module 110 adds a new information item to the data structure using the following steps:
In another embodiment, the management modules 110 include a process for deleting an information item from the data structure. Deleting an information item from the data structure may be performed using the following steps:
As explained herein, information items associated with root nodes are predefined and are not related from any other information items in the data structure. These root nodes are the nodes upon which the other items in the problem domain are defined. In one embodiment, creating a new root node in the data structure comprises the following steps:
In another embodiment, the management modules 110 include a process for adding and removing links from a parent node to a child node, as a basic way to define the relationships among the items in the modeled problem domain. In one embodiment, the management module 110 adds a new link from a parent node to a child node by using the following steps:
Conversely, an existing link can be removed. In another embodiment, the management modules 110 include a process for removing a link from a parent node to a child node, which comprises the following steps:
Another type of management module 110 that may be used with the primenet data structure includes algorithms for extracting information from the data structure. This includes techniques for determining relationships for a particular node, such as parent and child relationships, and additional relationships to other ancestors or descendents in that chain. It may also include determining relationships between two or more particular nodes. These tools allow a user to uncover relationships that are implied by or otherwise contained within the data structure, which models the problem domain.
The data extraction module 110 may include a basic data extraction process to identify all of the children or all of the parents for a particular information item's node. Identifying all of the children of a particular parent node may be used to answer various queries, depending on the meaning of the links between the parent and its children. For example, the query may provide all of the items that are members of a group defined by the parent, all the items that are caused by the parent, and/or all the items that are otherwise related from the parent. In one embodiment, the data extraction module 110 identifies the children of a parent node by using the following steps:
Conversely, identifying all of the parents of a particular child node may be used to answer various queries, also depending on the meaning of the links between the parent and its children. For example, the query may provide all of the items that define groups of which the child is a member, all the items that cause the child, and/or all the items that are otherwise related to the child. In one embodiment, identifying the parents of a child node comprises the following steps:
Various techniques can be used to translate the link identifiers into node identifiers, as used in the process above. In one embodiment, given the Nth prime P, the process calculates an exact value for N using a technique such as the Sieve of Eratosthenes or any of a number of other techniques for determining an exact value of N. In another embodiment, given the Nth prime P, the process estimates N and then searches the node dataset 135 for nodes that have node identifiers close to the estimate. For each node identifier that is found to be close to the estimate, examine its link identifier for a match. There are a number of equations that can be used to estimate N, e.g., N is approximately equal to P/In(P). Any of the many other methods for estimating N given P can be used to implement this capability. The determination of which technique is most efficient may vary on a case-by-case basis.
An alternative to the techniques for translating the link identifiers into node identifiers described above is to build an index that tabulates the parent nodes for each child node. This index is then used to perform a direct lookup of parent nodes for any child node. While there is nothing to prevent use of the index to supplement a primenet structure, elimination of the need for such indexes under most circumstances is one benefit of embodiments of the primenet structure. Delays in maintaining an index result in false positives and negatives on queries. Attempting to synchronize data redundancies between and within a dataset 135 and its indices greatly increases algorithmic complexity. Eliminating the need for indices in primenet datasets 135 reduces data redundancy and algorithmic complexity while increasing timeliness and accuracy. In one embodiment, the only index used by the primenet structure is one that maps an information item in the problem domain to a node in the primenet structure.
The data extraction module 110 may include a data extraction process to identify the intersection of multiple nodes. This tool identifies the nodes that are primordinated by multiple other nodes. This may be useful, for example, when a user desires to identify information items in the data structure that are members of or otherwise associated with two or more other items. Alternatively, it may be useful to identify any nodes that result from two or more items. In one embodiment, identifying the intersection of multiple nodes comprises the following steps:
In some applications, a user may wish to define a particular node in terms of the axiomatic root nodes in the data structure. The axiomatic nodes are those that are not defined in terms of any other nodes—essentially, the "truths" in the problem domain that are modeled into the data structure. Understanding a particular node's definition in terms of the axiomatic nodes, therefore, may give a useful context for the node in the overall problem domain. This technique would be useful, for example, in tracing a chain of causality from an effect back to the original cause, showing all intermediate effect and cause relationships between the original cause and final result. In one embodiment, the data extraction module 110 includes a data extraction process to find the backward chain from a particular node to all axiomatic nodes by using the following steps:
A user may also wish to understand what nodes follow from a particular node in the data structure. In the problem domain, essentially, this is starting with a premise—the particular information item—and determining what follows from that premise (i.e., "given the node, then what?"). In one embodiment, the data extraction module 110 includes a data extraction process to find the forward chain from a particular node to all of its descendent nodes by using the following steps:
Another tool provides the relationship between two particular nodes in the data structure. Given an ancestor node and a descendant node, this tool displays a set of nodes and links that connect the ancestor and descendant nodes. This may be useful to answer the question of what is the relationship between two information items in the modeled problem domain. In one embodiment, determining the relationship between an ancestor node and a descendant node comprises the following steps:
To model certain aspects of problem domains, such as direct mathematical relationships, the primenet structure may be inadequate or less efficient than using basic algorithms for the same task. For example, it would be possible to store a large number of multiplication problems and their products in a primenet structure, but it is more efficient to use an algorithm to calculate the products as they are needed. Accordingly, a set of helper modules 120 may also be included in the architecture to model aspects of the problem domain that would be inefficient to model using the primenet. The helper modules 120 may be implemented as a set of software tools used in connection with the data structure 100. Preferably, the majority of the problem domain would be contained within the data structure 100, with a limited set of features modeled using the helper modules 120. This avoids the additional algorithmic complexity and the inherent disadvantages associated with adding more algorithms to the architecture.
The foregoing description of the embodiments of the invention has been presented for the purpose of illustration; it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Persons skilled in the relevant art can appreciate that many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore intended that the scope of the invention be limited not by this detailed description, but rather by the claims appended hereto.
The present invention has been described in particular detail with respect to various embodiments, and those of skill in the art will appreciate that the invention may be practiced in other embodiments. In addition, those of skill in the art will appreciate the following aspects of the disclosure. First, the particular naming of the components, capitalization of terms, the attributes, data structures, or any other programming or structural aspect is not mandatory or significant, and the mechanisms that implement the invention or its features may have different names, formats, or protocols. Second, the system may be implemented via a combination of hardware and software, as described, or entirely in hardware elements. Third, the particular division of functionality between the various system components described herein is merely exemplary, and not mandatory; functions performed by a single system component may instead be performed by multiple components, and functions performed by multiple components may instead performed by a single component.
Some portions of above description describe the invention in terms of algorithms and symbolic representations of operations on information. These algorithmic descriptions and representations are the means used by those skilled in the data processing arts to most effectively convey the substance of their work to others skilled in the art. These operations, while described functionally, computationally, or logically, are understood to be implemented by computer programs or equivalent electrical circuits, microcode, or the like. Furthermore, it has also proven convenient at times, to refer to these arrangements of operations as modules, without loss of generality. The described operations and their associated modules may be embodied in software, firmware or hardware.
In addition, the terms used to describe various quantities, data values, and computations are understood to be associated with the appropriate physical quantities and are merely convenient labels applied to these quantities. Unless specifically stated otherwise as apparent from the following discussion, it is appreciated that throughout the description, discussions utilizing terms such as "processing" or "computing" or "calculating" or "determining" or the like, refer to the action and processes of a computer system, or similar electronic computing device, that manipulates and transforms data represented as physical (electronic) quantities within the computer system memories or registers or other such information storage, transmission or display devices.
The present invention also relates to an apparatus for performing the operations herein. This apparatus may be specially constructed for the required purposes, or it may comprise a general-purpose computer selectively activated or reconfigured by a computer program product stored in the computer. Such a computer program product may be stored in a computer readable storage medium, such as, but is not limited to, any type of disk including floppy disks, optical disks, CD-ROMs, magnetic-optical disks, read-only memories (ROMs), random access memories (RAMs), EPROMs, EEPROMs, magnetic or optical cards, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or any type of media suitable for storing electronic instructions, and each coupled to a computer system bus. Furthermore, the computers referred to in the specification may include a single processor or may be architectures employing multiple processor designs for increased computing capability.
The algorithms and displays presented herein are not inherently related to any particular computer or other apparatus. Various general-purpose systems may also be used with programs in accordance with the teachings herein, or it may prove convenient to construct more specialized apparatus to perform the required method steps. The required structure for a variety of these systems will appear from the description above. In addition, the present invention is not described with reference to any particular programming language. It is appreciated that a variety of programming languages may be used to implement the teachings of the present invention as described herein, and any references to specific languages are provided for disclosure of enablement and best mode of the present invention.
The present invention is well-suited to a wide variety of computer network systems over numerous topologies. Within this field, the configuration and management of large networks comprise storage devices and computers that are communicatively coupled to dissimilar computers and storage devices over a network, such as the Internet.
Finally, it should be noted that the language used in the specification has been principally selected for readability and instructional purposes, and may not have been selected to delineate or circumscribe the inventive subject matter. Accordingly, the disclosure of the present invention is intended to be illustrative, but not limiting, of the scope of the invention, which is set forth in the following claims.
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Owner name: ENTITY LABS, LTD., CALIFORNIA
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:CARTER, JOE K.;REEL/FRAME:018191/0908
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Owner name: ENTITY LABS, TEXAS
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:ENTITY LABS, LTD.;REEL/FRAME:025672/0931
Effective date: 20101228
|Apr 22, 2013
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 4
|Jul 7, 2015
|Certificate of correction


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AusGamers' Nathan "nachosjustice" Lawrence sits down with Assassin's Creed Syndicate Game Director Scott Phillips to discuss what's new for the yearly series.
Game Director Scott Phillips Talks Assassin's Creed Syndicate
AusGamers own corn-chips-as-a-meal assassin, Nathan 'Nachos Justice' Lawrence goes hands-on with the latest Creed
Darwinism vs Revolution – We Play Assassin's Creed Syndicate
Before the release of Halo 5 later this month, we go back to the beginning with a closer look at Halo: Combat Evolved.
Throwback Thursday - Halo: Combat Evolved (2001)
We take a closer look at Year 2 of Destiny, and come away impressed. And with some new weapons too.
Destiny: The Taken King Review
New XCOM: Enemy Unknown Details
Post by Steve Farrelly @ 11:35am 06/02/12 |
1 Comments
Thanks to an interview over at
Rock Paper Shotgun
, Firaxis' Jake Solomon has revealed their RTS update to the beloved series will go above and beyond to recapture the essence of the original, including in the challenge department with the inclusion of an Iron Man mode.
"We like to play Iron Man," he told the site. "And so it's something we want to actually systemically enable where if you say "I want to play this game in Iron Man", then you've only got one save slot and all auto saves and all your saves go to that slot – and the only thing you can do is save and exit.
"Of course, you get to some point where if you lose too much, I'll give you the option [and] say "do you want to turn off Iron Man", you know, "are you done? Do you want to turn off Iron Man and continue to play normally?"," he added.
As for the decision to remove Time Units from the update, something that has ired many fans, Solomon simply pointed out that at this point in time, with some of new additions they've made to the game "it just didn't map to the experience well".
"With all these new abilities and things, it just created this barrier between "I know what I want to do and I know how I'm going to do it", and instead it became this sort of thing where you were, like, "I'm not quite sure what I can do, and so I'm just going to let it sort of play out"," he explained. "So in this case when we had Time Units, they ended up making the game more shallow, because all these different abilities and combos, all these interesting things, were never getting used because people couldn't think about them that way."
The rest of the interview is a decent read for fans of the series, and anyone steadfast in avoiding the FPS entry in the franchise but excited for an RTS reboot will find some juicy nuggets (such as the potential for mod support).
XCOM: Enemy Unknown is due to land some time in 2012 and is being developed by Firaxis Games. Stay tuned to AusGamers for more as it becomes available.
xcom enemy unknown
time units
mod support
Buy now from Green Man Gaming
for only GBP£24.99 (USD$39.99 on Steam)!
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Latest Comments
Posted 12:02pm 06/2/12
Hmm No time units scared me for a second I thought that meant not turn based. Luckily, it is still turn based. I can live without time units if the system they use is superior.
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Dr. Ashraf A. Ragab's Ratings
Dr Ragab is without a doubt one of the finest orthopedic surgeons in the state. His level of skill and experience in spinal surgery is hard to match particularly in the newest minimally invasive surgical techniques and procedures. Easy to talk with, he will explain your options and suggest what is the best possible treatment for your condition and afterwards his team follows up with exceptional care and commitment to your care and satisfaction. You won't be sorry you chose Dr Ragab to treat your spinal conditions. My extreme Sciatica required 2 minimally invasive foraminotomy surgeries he performed on an outpatient basis within a 2 day span. I was in severe pain for the prior 4 months and could not walk for more than 50 ft at an time. After the procedures I was able to walk out of the clinic a couple of hours after the surgery with little pain. Of course there was localized low back pain from the procedure which was performed with the dilating tubes to eliminate any cutting of muscle tissue. After a few days the pain subsided and I am now pain free and able to do about anything i want to within reason. No pills, no pain, I am a totally satisfied patient that cannot say enough about the quality of care i received. The staff at CSI also needs to be commended, They are courteous,, well informed and responsive to your needs in addition to being consummately professional. 5 Stars all across for me !! Eddy B. Largo, Fl
Was this rating useful? 0 [[ userState['ratings'][2926619].votes_count ]]
Dr Ragab and Staff are extremely competent with a great bedside manor.most of all they will work with you what the best thing is for you and will explain why in great depth
Was this rating useful? 0 [[ userState['ratings'][2727141].votes_count ]]
Dr Ragab was very knowledgeable and caring. He showed empathy and competence. His staff was also helpful and caring.
Was this rating useful? 0 [[ userState['ratings'][2610855].votes_count ]]
Very arrogant and spent less than 5 minutes with me for severe back problems. Would you allow him to perform a lengthy surgery showing no empathy or even explaining the procedure, restrictions, or length of time of recovery?
Was this rating useful? 2 [[ userState['ratings'][2561910].votes_count ]]
Dr. Ashraf A. Ragab's response
I am sorry that you felt that way. We work hard to make sure every patient is adequately cared for and allow ample time to spend with patients in discussion of their complaints and treatment options.
Submitted Nov. 11, 2014
Dr Ragab worked on my neck. It hurt worse immediately after the surgery and has only gotten worse since March 2012. I have only been able to talk with an assistant. I was sent elsewhere for a follow-up MRI. Dr. Ragab has not seen me since proceedure. I'm looking for a new doctor to see what has been done to my neck. Still hurting in New Port Richey
Was this rating useful? 1 [[ userState['ratings'][1890344].votes_count ]]
Dr Ragab has been a blessing! He tried non-invasive action for my crippling back pain then suggested exploratory surgery. He has been caring and very approachable to myself and my family members. My first surgery went well but I may need a fusion in the future. I wouldnt trust any other surgeon with my spine. He is a great doctor and I will recommend him to everyone!
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Six surgeries (Neck and Back) and I am very pleased. Dr. Ragab is excellent in my opinion. I have no complaints and highly recommend him. H.W.
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The only downfall with Dr. Ragab is he is very arrogant. He knows very well what he is doing. Most of the thime has time to talk with his patients. Although I still suffer from severe pain, he did an excellent job on my surgery. I have a very small scar. He is not responsible for the pain I still suffer. That is from the accident istself. I would recomend him to anyone.
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Great listener. Takes all options into consideration before giving his professional opion. He did not immediately suggest surgery. He was always on time, always very clear with his words and on what was to be expected. Although he is somewhat arrogant, he is approachable. He seems to be a little bit of a perfectionist which is a plus for his patience because the scars from surgery were small and smooth.
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