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Of course, there are always a few issues. However, this team has proved that they were incredibly focused and were minimally bothered when issues would arise that would test their flexibility.
Most adults would do everything possible to have a chance to be seen and they would wait for long periods silently and patiently for that opportunity. Some of the children were a little more uncertain and would escape only to be found and brought back.
This week we had the pleasure to be assisted by a Haitian dentist who graciously volunteered his time to work along side us. He stayed at Grace Village and was assisting us each day.
The team was able to take a break during the mid day period to see some of the elderly in their homes and visit an orphanage as well as deliver water in Cite Soliel. They also had an opportunity to visit Wahoo Bay Resort and recharge on Thursday after 3 days of an intense long schedule.
As we get ready to return, most have commented on how fast the week went and how much they felt that they had accomplished. I saw the gratitude on their patients faces as they exited the clinic and I'm grateful for this team and the time they have devoted to helping these people. They worked hard and they have every reason to be proud of what they have done.

subset: commoncrawl


text: Revista de Estudos Politécnicos Polytechnical Studies Review 2008, Vol VI, nº 9 ISSN: 1645-9911 A Virtual Communication Interface Called E-Mask P. Gonçalves1, G. D. Putnik2 [email protected], [email protected] (recebido em 11 de Abril de 2008; aceite em 12 de Maio de 2008) Resumo. Este artigo apresenta um novo Interface de Comunicação Virtual (ICV), baseado em agentes, denominado E-Mask, que esconde a verdadeira aparência dos seus interlocutores. Depois de contextualizar a technologia subjacente aos Agentes da Microsoft, abordamos a implementação da virtualidade no BM_Virtual Enterprise Architecture Reference Model (BMVEARM) com personagens "humanas". São, também, apresentadas outras aplicações de agentes bem como do ICV. O E-Mask pode ser um potenciador na reconfiguração dinâmica de redes de Empresas Virtuais uma vez que, com este interface o tempo de comunicação entre utilizadores é mais curto. Palavras-chave: Interface, comunicação virtual, reconfiguação dinâmica. Abstract. This paper presents a new agent-based Virtual Communication Interface (VCI), called E-Mask, which hides the real appearance of its interlocutors. After a contextualization of Microsoft Software Agent technology, we focus on the implementation of virtuality in the BM_Virtual Enterprise Architecture Reference Model (BM-VEARM) with human-like characters. Other applications of agent software as well as the VCI are also covered. We find that the E-Mask interface may be a dynamic reconfiguration enabler in Virtual Enterprise (VE) Networks since the communication time between endusers is shortened. 1 Polytechnic Institute of Cávado and Ave, Higher School of Technology, Barcelos, Portugal 2 University of Minho, School of Engineering, Dept. of Production and Systems Engineering, Guimarães, Portugal Tékhne, 2008, Vol VI, nº9 P. Gonçalves, G. D. Putnik Keywords: Interface, virtual comunication, dynamic reconfiguration. 1. Introduction Today organizations are flatter, have a more diverse employee base and a greater use of teams. The domestic workforce is constituted by employees who reflect differences in age, ethnic heritage, race, physical abilities, gender and sexual orientation. Diversity is not just a matter of social responsibility; it is also an economic issue. Companies are realizing the advantages of combining the talents, experiences and perspectives of a diverse employee base. The ability to compete in the global economy is the single greatest challenge facing business today. Organizations want to negotiate, buy and sell overseas, consider joint ventures, market and adapt products for an international market. This makes communication essential to organizational success. State-of-the-art information technology and communication technology is enabling cross-boundary business activities. Several factors appear as supreme factors of competitiveness, namely: (1) the organizations' capability to achieve and explore competitive advantages in synergy, by using or integrating the optimal available resources for the functions that the organization undertakes; (2) the capability of fast adaptability to the market, together with (3) the capability of managing all business processes independently of distance and (4) the ability to learn with history. The recent Virtual Enterprise (VE) organizational models traduce these factors (Cunha & Putnik, 2002). The proliferation of new technology has created new business models and has made virtual teams flourish. Virtual teams are groups of geographically and/or temporary dispersed individuals brought together via information and telecommunication technologies (DeSanctis & Poole, 1997; Jarvenpaa & Leidner, 1999; Lipnack & Stamps, 1997; Powell et al., 2004). Their main advantages include quicker responses, new potentials and greater adaptability. Effective and efficient virtual communication is becoming crucial in VE networks. Even though computers extend what people want to communicate through wide A Virtual Communication Interface Called E-Mask area network (WAN) technologies in a short period of time, sometimes written, verbal and body language is momentarily misinterpreted causing the direct communication process to be inefficient or delayed (Gonçalves et al., 2006). The main goal of this article is to propose a "virtual" communication interface (VCI), which is able to minimize communication interruption time between endusers in a dynamic VE environment. We believe that the VCI may turn out to be more efficient than traditional face-to-face communication. This paper is organized in six parts: in the first part, we present the BM_Virtual Enterprise Architecture Reference Model (BM-VEARM) and explain the birth of the VCI; in the second part, we uncover how Microsoft Agent Technology works; in the third part, we discuss antropomorphism and relate it to our study; in the fourth part, the basic role of Microsoft Software Agents in the VCI is addressed; in the fifth part, we present the E-Mask as a solution for virtual communication and dynamic reconfiguration in VE. Finally, in the sixth part, we explore some other agent and E-Mask applications. 2. The BM_VEARM: the VCI Parent Even though we are living in a digital society, traditionally, people communicate face-to-face, ear-to-ear or even finger-tip to finger-tip. However, in the VE context, where companies are extended overseas and over various time zones and where business and manufacturing operations must be managed through WAN technologies and protocols, such as the Internet, in split second time, it is not always feasible to have the same people "communicate" on the "other end" or wake up the next morning and check the e-mail. In our research on the implementation of "virtual communication" in the BM_VEARM model, at the University of Minho, we decided to develop and test, in a laboratorial environment, a user-friendly and intuitive communication interface which "masks" end-users from each other. We will now explain the model and clarify why we created the interface. Tékhne, 2008, Vol VI, nº9 P. Gonçalves, G. D. Putnik The BM_VEARM, proposed by Putnik (2000a; Putnik, 2000b) is defined as a hierarchical structure of multiple levels of inter-enterprise processes which should satisfy four fundamental requirements: integrability, distributivity, agility and virtuality. We will focus on the latest for we consider it to be the VCI parent. Virtuality provides the system with the capability of on-line system reconfigurability without the interruption of any process (Putnik, 2000a). To implement virtuality in the enterprise, the introduction of an interface layer between the Control level i (principal, manager, "client") and the Control level i+2 (agent, worker, "server") is proposed. It now becomes Control level i+1. This level manages the resources which will carry on the process ordered by the upper level. Therefore, there has to be a resource manager or broker. Principal OPERATION i management OPERATION i management RESOURCE MANAGEMENT LEVEL i+1 Broker Broker Resources management Resources management Interace Principal VIRTUAL LEVEL CONTROL LEVEL i PHYSICAL LEVEL CONTROL LEVEL i+2 Agent(s) System reconfiguration Agent(s) System reconfiguration Agent(s) Figure 1 – Virtual Enterprise operation scheme – elementary structure (Putnik, 2000a) A Virtual Communication Interface Called E-Mask In this model, the Control level i (principal, manager) and the Control level i+2 (agent, worker) communicate through the Resource Management level i+1, i.e., through the resource manager, or broker. During the operation, the manager (the principal, the "client") does not have direct contact with the worker (the operator or agent, the "server"), who provides the service (or production). The broker must provide the transition from one physical structure to another in a way that the "principal" cannot be affected by the system reconfiguration, in which case the operation would be interrupted and split in two, implying some lost time. The lost time can have two components: by interruption of the operation itself (e.g. set-up time for restarting the operation), and the principal's adaptation time to the new specific organizational structure. The principal only sees a "virtual structure". In our case, the "virtual structure" is implemented through the designed VCI, which is based on MS Agent technology. In this interface, we call E-Mask, the end-user can not see or hear the human interlocutor because he/she is "masked" by one of the chosen software agents. In other words, the end-user always sees the same software agent/mask and hears the same (mask's) voice. When it comes to communicating in a VE, and as dynamic reconfiguration occurs accompanied by many interlocutor changes, the end-user must have the capability to quickly adapt to these changes and continue to trust the person who appears on the screen. The VCI appears to play an important role in shortening the virtual communication time since there is an increased concern in reducing the end-user's adaptation time to the new interlocutors, as opposed to traditional face-to-face communication, and to eliminate physical appearance and language as barriers. 3. What is Microsoft Agent Technology? Microsoft Agent enables Web sites and conventional applications to include an enhanced form of user interaction. It provides several user interface components that enable users to access and interact with the character, know the character's Tékhne, 2008, Vol VI, nº9 P. Gonçalves, G. D. Putnik status and change global settings. This section describes these basic elements of the Microsoft Agent user interface. Microsoft Agent, by itself, is really just a software technology rather than a complete, integral software application that automatically does something. That is why it is not possible to see a character appearing on the computer screen as soon as Microsoft Agent is installed on any one of the following operating systems: Microsoft Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 2000 or Windows Me. Developers need to first program the Microsoft Agent technology into their applications and Web sites. A separate software application or scripting code has to be run and it is this that actually calls upon the services of Microsoft Agent. When the applications are run, it is possible to see an animated character appear and do as it has been programmed. Microsoft Agents are 2D animated characters that may simulate human beings (actors) through basic text-to-speech tasks. This agent technology is compatible with a number of environments, including Microsoft .NET, C#, Microsoft Visual Studio, Microsoft Visual Basic, Visual C++, Microsoft Foundation Classes (MFC), Visual J++, HTML, Microsoft Office, and Microsoft Visual FoxPro. Various technologies and software packages can be used in the implementation. Thus, the final design usually consists of a combination of several different programming languages. For the implementation of this technology it is necessary to download the following components from: http://www.microsoft.com/products/msagent/downloads/ user.asp: Agent Requirements • • • • Microsoft Agent core components Microsoft Speech Recognition Engine Text-to-speech engines Microsoft Agent character files All the requirements are freely available. The Microsoft site also offers downloads for development, such as: A Virtual Communication Interface Called E-Mask • • • • • SDK documentation for Microsoft Agent Code samples Agent Character Editor Linguistic Information Sound Editing Tool Character data files for Genie, Merlin, Peedy and Robby In Figure 2 it is possible to see four famous Microsoft Agents. Figure 2 – Microsoft Agents: Genie, Merlin, Peedy and Robby Many other characters have been developed all around the world3. We decided to use Robby, E-Man and E-Woman (Figure 3) in our work due to their "resemblance". Each character has its own programmable "personality". E-Man my look like he is thinking or looking to the side and E-Woman may blink or wave. Even though Robby has less animations we decided that he would make a perfect "trio" with EMan and E-Woman. You can see E-Man´s character details bellow (Figure 4). 3 Some examples may be seen in http://www.msagentring.org/chars.aspx. Tékhne, 2008, Vol VI, nº9 P. Gonçalves, G. D. Putnik Figure 3 – Microsoft Agents: E-Man and E-Woman Figure 4 – Character details of E-Man A Virtual Communication Interface Called E-Mask In our design, Microsoft Agent is used in the communication between the user and the computer. In communicating with users, Microsoft Agent does some of the basic text-to-speech tasks. To make the character speak and move, the simple commands are as follows: function Play() { AgentX.Characters.Load("Robby", "Robby.acs"); Robby = AgentX.Characters.Character("Robby"); Robby.Show(); Robby.Play("Explain"); Robby.Speak(); } 4. Anthropomorphism Should an agent be represented by a humanoid character on the screen? The argument for doing so is that it may facilitate the formation of a perceived relationship between the user and the computer. Once there is a relationship a person acts differently towards the computer – he/she may feel more engaged in their work; may try harder; may be able to focus his/her attention on something the computer is presenting. The central issue regarding anthropomorphism is whether we are attracting a person's attention to the things they are actually trying to do or distracting them. If the character is entertaining or supportive, then anthropomorphism can be helpful. If on the other hand it takes a person's attention away from the things that they are focusing on, then it is not. Agent enthusiasts all over the world have been developing all types of agent models (animal-looking, cartoon-looking, alien-looking and even human-looking agents). Tékhne, 2008, Vol VI, nº9 P. Gonçalves, G. D. Putnik We believe human character figures may be more suitable in the case of VE communication since people are used to "communicate" and "negotiate" with people; not animals, not cartoon characters and, hopefully, with sane minds, not even "aliens". Robby the robot character is used in our interface because we believe people would respond better to him rather than to Genie, Merlin, or Peedy. Ideally, we prefer human-looking characters. In Figure 5 it is possible to see some human-looking agent examples: Figure 5 – Human-looking Agent Characters4 Of course, there is always the danger that people will treat the on-screen character as a real person, or their expectations for the human-like behavior of the system will inevitably be overextended. This is a real danger, and one that we must keep in mind and address as we are designing systems. A good example of this danger may 4 Images retrieved from: [http://www.msagentring.org/chars.aspx] and [http://www.roblindman.com/characters.php] on 17/02/2007. A Virtual Communication Interface Called E-Mask be seen in the stories told by "Second Life5" users around the globe. In our interface, the intention is to have a real person at the end of the line, therefore, and in our case, the danger is unrealistic. 5. Software Agents as VCI Actors As mentioned earlier, our goal is to improve virtual communication in VE with the design and development of an effective and efficient user-friendly interface with Microsoft Agent representatives (actors). In this section, we will describe software agents in general, discuss some of their applications and mention how Microsoft Agent technology works and is applied to our work. In our literature review, agent technology has been applied for over a decade. Authors like Bradshaw (1997), Nwana & Azarmi (1997) and Sycara et al. (1996) defend that intelligent agents have been applied to many Internet and Web applications. Over the years, many enhancements make on-line intelligent agents more human-like. Like a secretary, travel agent, stockbroker, or medical assistant, they can provide suggestions and help lessen burdens on those that employ them. The best ones provide personalized assistance, remembering past interactions, and using them to infer the user´s preferences. They automate commonly performed tasks, constantly improving their behavior and being always on the lookout for opportunities. Simple agents handle question/answer problems by looking up the question from a database. However, everything has to be hard coded by the programmer and the agents do not work well when the questions are not in the database. More advanced intelligent agents reply with information that does not exactly match the question in the database, but has the same meaning and the reply is valid. They have improved ability in coming up with an answer, but they are still limited to only replying whatever the content in the answer field. Collaborative agents can also work behind the scenes as well as directly in the user interface. Collaborative agents take information from many different sources and 5 For more information see: http://secondlife.com/. Tékhne, 2008, Vol VI, nº9 P. Gonçalves, G. D. Putnik locations. They collaborate when multiple agents act as a team in analyzing data and solving problems, bringing multi-perspective and multi-expertise capabilities to bear in solving problems. In our work, Microsoft Agents play an important role in virtual communication since they may be the supporting technology for VE reconfiguration. As mentioned previously, the broker, in the BM_VEARM model, will be represented by an animated software character (Microsoft Agent). In the next section we will present the VCI. 6. E-Mask as a Solution for Virtual Communication and Dynamic Reconfiguration In the quest of applying software agents as supporting technology for virtual communication and dynamic reconfiguration we created the E-Mask (virtual mask) application. It was developed according to the paradigm Client-Server in C# on the .NET platform. Figure 6 illustrates the global architecture of the software. It runs over the internet and, in theory, may have more than one client program communicating with the server program, though, for experimental purposes, only one client program can run over a local area network (LAN). Figure 6 – Global Architecture of the Virtual Communication Architecture A Virtual Communication Interface Called E-Mask In order for E-Mask to work we specifically needed: • • • a Text-To-Speech Portuguese (Brazilian) Engine (it provides speech output capabilities for Microsoft Agent and the Agent Character Editor); MS Agent characters: Robby, E-Man and E-Woman; SAPI 4.0 runtime support (it is required for three reasons: first, E-Mask was programmed for the Windows XP operating system; second, because Robby is compiled to use the L&H TruVoice engine as the default speech output engine and the SAPI 4.0 runtime is necessary to set this characters' TTSModeID property to use the TTS3000 engines; and third, the other Microsoft Agent characters also require this SAPI 4.0 runtime support to set their TTSModeID property. Communication between the end-user and the agent is established through a server program and a client program for E-Mask. The client application has the following implemented functions (see Figure 7): - Connect to the Server; - Select MS Agent; - Create repository of files per session; - Record Response (activated by the server). Tékhne, 2008, Vol VI, nº9 P. Gonçalves, G. D. Putnik Begin Application Select Assistant Select IP Address of Server Beginning of Conversation Figure 7 – Client Application Architecture The "invisible" interlocutor, is behind the server program in order to type what he/she wants the agent to say (with the agent's own voice) to the end-user after listening to the end-users' responses. The end-user will have a sense that he/she is talking to the agent and that the agent is replying. The interface of the application was designed in order to assure that the interaction with the client was through a Microsoft Agent. This technology allows end-users to have both a visual (they can see the agents) and a sound interaction (they can hear one agent speak at a time). This interaction enables a practical and friendly interface for the client. E-Mask is integrated in MSN Messenger in order to use the same audio features, however, its function is to mask the interlocutor, or in other words, the end-user is not able to see a person as the interlocutor but rather as a MS Agent character (shown in Figure 8). The client may choose the agent he/she wishes to speak to. The following options are MS Agents: Robby, E-Man and E-Woman. A Virtual Communication Interface Called E-Mask Figure 8 – VCI (E-Mask) Application Interface The server interacts with the client through text that is converted into sound as the chosen agent reads out loud what the server wrote in the appropriate text box. In the following image you can see an example of an MS Agent introducing himself to the client (Figure 9). The text that is written in the balloon is actually read by the agent. Hello!! My name is Robby. Figure 9 – Example of Robby, the agent, introducing himself Tékhne, 2008, Vol VI, nº9 P. Gonçalves, G. D. Putnik As Putnik et al. (2008) show, through experimental results in a laboratory environment and the subsequent statistical analysis, virtual communication time is shorter when software agents are used in a VE orientated interface. Therefore, the VCI appears to be a solution when it comes to shortening the dynamic reconfiguration time in VE networks. 7. Other Agent and E-Mask Applications Computers are now getting released from the times of WIMP (windows, icons, menus, point-and-click devices) graphical user interface. Post-WIMP will be increasingly based on the way we naturally interact with our environment and with other humans (Dam, 2000). During the recent half century, skilled artists have achieved surprisingly life-like behaviors in animated characters. In the last few years, character agents, based on real video, cartoon-style drawings, or model-based 3D graphics, have become increasingly popular in user interfaces. For applications, they are a promising option since they make the application interface more lively and more appealing. However, while animated agents, or life-like characters, start populating the interfaces of numerous computer-based applications, their impact on human users is still largely unexplored (Prendinger & Ishizuka, 2003). Over the years we have witnessed a growing interest in employing animated agents for tasks that are typically performed by humans. Some of the more prominent applications we found are: • • • • • • • as virtual tutors in interactive learning environments (Conati, 2002), as virtual sales persona on the web and at information booths (André et al., 2000), as virtual presenters (Badler et al., 2000), as virtual communication partners in therapy (Marsella et al., 2000), as virtual actors for entertainment (Prendinger et al., 2002) as virtual personal representatives in online communities and guidance systems (Cassell & Vilhjálmsson, 1999), and as virtual information experts enhancing conventional web search engines (Kitamura et al., 2002) A Virtual Communication Interface Called E-Mask Day by day people seek the Web for sales and customer support. The virtual agent is playing an emerging role in helping companies build smart and customer-friendly self-service on the Web, on the phone, on mobile devices also through video-call, thus integrating and assisting contact centre agents. In order to maximize customer satisfaction, Web sites should be as informative and timely as communicating with a human. Staffing the site with intelligent agents as virtual service representatives is a viable alternative to having several employees working long shifts. With natural language processing and a knowledge base, the intelligent agent can answer questions effectively. Virtual Assistants (VA) now offer online users entertaining, yet competent professional services: for example browser based consulting systems can be used from any computer to help in the area of customer care to reduce service inquiries. Natural language interaction, online translation, 3D-avatar technology and artificial intelligence create a powerful instrument to enable innovative services that are likely to find a wide acceptance among users. The experience of an online and live communication, simulating a personal one-to-one dialogue with an avatar as an advisor (e.g. interaction with an avatar in "Second Life"), can provide personal and entertaining opportunities of use. However, the simplicity of interaction, the possibility of seamless integration into existing platforms and workflows, the very human-like nature of the avatar users, as well as the use of natural language to navigate within the application is an extremely remarkable challenge. The development of intelligent systems using innovative application designs often leads to new technological problems. The more the advisor looks and behaves human-like, the more users will expect in terms of flexibility, knowledge and intelligence. Increasing the intelligence of a system usually involves adding knowledge sources and processes to handle them. The result is another challenge: ways to improve the filtering, indexing, retrieval and presentation of relevant external knowledge, for example documents from websites, as a natural continuation of the dialogue. Tékhne, 2008, Vol VI, nº9 P. Gonçalves, G. D. Putnik In the case of the E-Mask interface, we believe that it may be applied in areas such as e-commerce, e-health, e-finances and e-learning, just to name a few. Costumers may seek information about certain products or services in the case of marketing campaigns or sales, or just need an expert "opinion" before ordering and final payment. A person may want to be "seen" by an online "doctor" to be able to express what he/she feels more openly and receive unbiased "treatment". It could also be useful to talk to an account manager or to a teacher 24 hours a day. In this sense, the E-Mask may be useful in any online situation where virtual communication is required and quick adaptability to the "person" (agent) or even "privacy" is preferred. The agent size, voice, speed of the speech, balloon styles, etc. can be changed to meet different situations. 8. Conclusions The paper contributes to the study of virtual communication in the context of VE by presenting a new VCI and explaing how it was conceived, using Microsoft Agent as the underlying technology, how it is structured and how it may enable dyamic reconfiguration by reducing the adaptation time of the end-users. We also discussed anthropomorphism and related it to our study. In the end, other agent and E-Mask applications were described. However, further research is necessary: 1. 2. 3. 4. On other technologies that may support virtual communication in VE; On the development of our own software agents for the VCI; On the study of the design and functionalities of the VCI; On testing the VCI on people who work in enterprises and/or are geographically dispersed. The study of other underlying technologies, the development of our own software agents, as well as the study of the design and functionalities should be realized within an interdisciplinary group. We plan to undertake these goals in the near future. A Virtual Communication Interface Called E-Mask Bibliography André, E., Rist, T., Mulken, S. v., Klesen, M., & Baldes, S. (2000). The automated design of believable dialogue for animated presentation teams. In J. Cassell, J. Sullivan, S. Prevost & E. Churchill (Eds.), Embodied conversational agents (pp. 220-255). Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press. Badler, N. I., Allbeck, J., Bindiganavale, R., Schuler, W., Zhao, L., & Palmer, M. (2000). Parameterized action representation for virtual human agents. In J. Cassell, J. Sullivan, S. Prevost & E. Churchill (Eds.), Embodied conversational agents (pp. 256-284). Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press. Bradshaw, J. M. (1997). Software agents: AAAI Press. Cassell, J., & Vilhjálmsson, H. (1999). Fully embodied conversational avatars: Making communicative behaviors autonomous. Autonomous Agents and Multi-Agent Systems(2), 45-64. Conati, C. (2002). Probabilistic assessment of user's emotions in educational games. Applied Artifcial Intelligence, 555-575. Cunha, M. M., & Putnik, G. D. (2002). Discussion on requirements for agile/virtual enterprises reconfigurability dynamics: The example of the automotive industry. In L. M. Camarinha-Matos (Ed.), Collaborative business ecosystems and virtual enterprises (pp. 527-534). Boston: Kluwer Academic Publishers. Dam, A. v. (2000). Beyond wimp. IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications, 20(1). DeSanctis, G., & Poole, M. S. (1997). Transitions in teamwork in new organizational forms. Advances in Group Processes, 14, 157-176. Gonçalves, P., Putnik, G. D., Cunha, M., & Sousa, R. (2006). User-interface architectures for ve dynamic reconfiguration: An initial analysis. In e. a. Pham D. T (Ed.), Intelligent production machines and systems (proceedings of the 2nd i*proms virtual international conference) (pp. 150157): Elsevier. Jarvenpaa, S., & Leidner, D. (1999). Communication and trust in global virtual teams. Organization Science, 10(6), 791-815. Kitamura, Y., Tsujimoto, H., Yamada, T., & Yamamoto, T. (2002). Multiple character-agents interface: An information integration platform where multiple agents and human usercollaborate. Paper presented at the First International Joint Conference on Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems (AAMAS-02), New York. Lipnack, J., & Stamps, J. (1997). Virtual teams:Reaching across space, time, and organizations with technology. New York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc. Marsella, S. C., Johnson, W. L., & LaBore, C. (2000). Interactive pedagogical drama. Paper presented at the Proceedings 4th International Conference on Autonomous Agents (Agents-2000), New York. Nwana, H. S., & Azarmi, N. (1997). Software agents and soft computing: Towards enhancing machine intelligence: Springer-Verleg. Powell, A., Piccoli, G., & Ives, B. (2004). Virtual teams: A review of the current literature and directions for future research. The DATABASE for Advances in Information Systems, 35(1). Prendinger, H., Descamps, S., & Ishizuka, M. (2002). Scripting affective communication with life-like characters in web-based interaction systems. Applied Artifcial Intelligence, 16(7-8), 519-553. Tékhne, 2008, Vol VI, nº9 P. Gonçalves, G. D. Putnik Prendinger, H., & Ishizuka, M. (2003). Life-like characters. Tools, affective functions and applications.: Springer Verlag. Putnik, G. D. (2000a). Bm_virtual enterprise architecture reference model. In A. Gunasekaran (Ed.), Agile manufacturing: 21st century manufacturing strategy (pp. 73-93). UK: Elsevier Science Publ. Putnik, G. D. (2000b). Bm_virtual enterprise architecture reference model (Technical Report RT-CESPGIS-2000-<GP-01>). Portugal: University of Minho. Putnik, G. D., Gonçalves, P., Sluga, A., & Cunha, M. M. (2008). Virtual environments for dynamically reconfigurable concurrent/collaborative engineering "virtual" teams. In Cirp annals (Vol. 57). Sycara, K., Decker, K., Pannu, A., Williamson, M., & Zeng, D. (1996). Distributed intelligent agents. IEEE Expert.


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- Dimensions 240 x 260 x 260 mm Weight empty: 2.9kg full 3.4kg
- Purchase Price £2,250 + VAT, Annual usage £900 + VAT
- Weekly rental from £75 per week + costs & refundable deposit


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Trick or Treating with my kids!
The internet is full of false statements. Could this be one?
Sitting at home watching anime waiting to see if any little monsters come knocking for candy. Last year I didn't get any - so don't really expect any this year. But I'll have a bag of candy just in case since this is only my second year in this home and because the holiday is on a weekend with no school the next day it is more likely there will be more kids out and about.
Will probably just take my lab coat from work home and pretend to be a doctor or dentist or something simple. Past years I wore my Civil War reenactment uniforms but just not feeling particularly like dressing up this year.
The day the squirrel went berzerk in the 1st Self Rightious Church....
Probably sit in my home, hoping that someone will knock on my door and it would be attractive people looking for some trick or treat if you know what I mean. Then to be all in my head scratching my butt while watching anime.
Probably going to do that. I don't know. Depends on what my friends are planning.
Smiles all around~
I have 2 different parties that i have to go to after i get out of work. they will have to make room for the Crown Prince Of Crime! Dunno if i will make both of them but regardless, the jokes will be on everyone else!
Sailor Candy Moderator
Forum Clean up. Old 2015 threads Locked.
Tuxedo Mask!!!


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Some words from Narumon from Thailand who spoke to a CIDSE event in Paris earlier today.
"Our education system is teaching us to be individualistic, to compete against the other for more money and more consumption. This path is not bringing us happiness.
Greed is driving us. We feel fear that we might not have enough. Often we are ignorant of each others real needs.
We need holistic education. For our heads, hearts and hands.
We need to ask ourselves what is our role to take responsibility for this crisis we all share."


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I'm a little surprised they didn't work – my first attempt at magic loop stuff turned out great and had no ladders in it. This time… Well, you can see from the picture how bad two of them were. The up side is that at least it was only 2 ladders per cuff instead of the four it would have been if I'd used dpns.
Maybe it was because there were two separate items on the loop? I was making sure that the cables 'crossed' where they were supposed to to try and minimise the stress on the joins.
Need to get this right before moving on to more complicated patterns.


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your kiss reminded me of salad
crispy, light
and full of health.
but to me
its like starving an obese person.
I'm not saying your gross
or that you are eventually going to wilt,
I am saying you are a burst of fresh air
on the most humid day of the year.
you are a tall glass of water
after a long day of hard work.
you are relief
but I am not used to using an umbrella when it rains.
I am used to getting soaking wet
and dancing in the rain.
I'm used to not being afriad of feelings
and love
because I have found someone
who lets me eat salad
even though in the end
I'd rather eat cake instead.
Everything is easier explained when it's compared to food. Aren't I right?


text:
It was about 5 pm and my curiosity compelled me to look up the internet for the official definition of the word 'peace'. The highlighted query result glared at me from the computer screen:
/piːs/n. a state or period in which there is no war or a war has ended.
I could not help but rub my eyes in bewilderment. And somewhere deep in the alleys of my mind, my conscience found this meaning of peace to be invalid. And rightly so, for neither are all havens peaceful nor is every war zone bereft of peace. The incoherent definition made my thoughts flash in front of my eyes like a 70mm reel…
August 2016,
Jubail, Saudi Arabia
Inseparable, Mahmud and Ali are best of friends. At least that's what they want everyone to believe. 20 years of bone, flesh, and passion each, Mahmud Faz and Ali Munsi had first met a few years ago at a sports tournament and had clicked instantly. Young and immature, they were bemused by the fact that they couldn't christen the special bond, intense emotions, and profound intimacy they mutually shared; for their idea of love had never deviated from that of romantic feelings between two individuals of the opposite sex. This was evidently different. Even after coming to terms with their sexuality and deep love for each other, the boys couldn't face themselves. Such a shame it is, Mahmud wrongly felt. Inexcusable sin it is, Ali unfoundedly claimed. Love it is, echoed their hearts in unison. And love is what then transcended unattested religious assertions, baseless laws, and farce ideas. In all its amoral glory, love yet again triumphed.
Mahmud and Ali still love each other, more than ever before. But they acknowledge it only behind drawn curtains, bolted doors, and most importantly, inside a tightly shut closet. Constantly drenched in mixed portions of anxiety, anger, and fear, their public behavior is governed by invalid societal norms that define a man and predetermine his preferences. Their lives have now been permanently ridden with the fear of those closet doors breaking open. From which will emerge two vehement lovers instead of best friends, who shall not witness the following sunrise.
Saudi Arabia is one of the 9 regimes where homosexuality is punishable by death. Enslaved by an orthodox outlook and tortured by unjust laws, Love here withers to death.
October 2016,
Mumbai, India
Fireworks illuminate the sky as people all over the country celebrate Diwali today, the festival of lights that marks the beginning of Hindu New Year. The well-off and the privileged decorate their homes with oil lamps and rangolis, and seek blessings of lord Vishnu, the creator, and Goddess Lakshmi, the deity of prosperity and wealth. By nightfall, homes in the premium Vienza residential colony are soaked in golden light, people are dressed in their fanciest, and dining tables are adorned by all kinds of delicacies. A few blocks away, a right turn from the Choksi roundabout leads one to the posh suburb's dumping yard. And while everyone was busy indulging in festivities, from this stinking mass of filth emerged a pale hand—almost gloriously— holding a small plastic bag filled with what looked like gravy. The hand belonged to little Munna, whose tiny fingers clenched what would be his single course meal for the diwali feast, his catch after a strenuous 3-hour long hunt. Following him is his three-pawed friend, a stray pup who had lost one of its limbs in a freak accident. Young and immature Munna has never seen his mother. His father had coughed to death right in front of his eyes and some familiar men had burnt him amidst fervent chants. His elder sister had gone missing a few months back and he is still essentially angry with the fact that none tells him where she has gone. After all, how can one tell a seven year old child that his sister was abducted, gang-raped, and had been murdered soon after. However, Munna hasn't abandoned his very own search operation for his sister. Till then, his family is limited to the stray pup with which he shares every edible morsel he comes across.
5 women in India die every hour during childbirth. Almost 2 million TB cases are reported every year in the nation. Over 24,000 rapes are recorded annually. 22% of the population thrives under the shade of poverty line. Existence here is a strange blend of social suffering and economic agony. Life is at war with itself, stealing every chance of survival, one at a time.
January 2017,
Sinuiji, North Korea
One sultry afternoon, the usually mundane streets of Sinuiju city resonated with loud sirens. A police convoy could be seen speeding towards the city square where denizens had already thronged—after being forced out of their homes by military men—to witness the event. Women held their children tightly as the firing squad made its way through the horde. Dragged to the center of the square, a shackled middle-aged woman squealed and begged for mercy. While she was being tied to a pole amidst gasps and sighs, a megaphone boomed, "Mrs. Jung Lee, 43, was found watching a movie of western origin, to be precise, one made by the capitalist behemoths. Such blasphemous activities are intolerable in this great nation and treason's only reward is death. In the name of the supreme leader and for the glory of People's Democratic Republic of Korea, it is thus, ordered for this traitor's bodily life to be extinguished." And in no time the spectators wailed and screamed to the beats of gunshots. Their pitch accentuated with every bullet that pierced the woman's flesh. And there she fell in a pool of her own blood, blood that—much like every North Korean—was three parts drudgery and one part pain, blood that finally had the privilege to be free. Her daughter wept beside her lifeless body and looked up to the sky in search of an answer. The sky became overcast and soon, one could not distinguish between her tears and the raindrops. Perhaps, even the almighty couldn't hold himself back.
People in North Korea are denied the very right to freedom of thought let alone any liberty in action. Living a life drained with agony and helplessness, people can't foresee an end to their suffering.
Present Day,
My Room
My mom's rant about my lethargy interrupted my trance. It was about 7 pm and the definition of peace was just as shallow as it was two hours ago. Unreasonably disappointed, I rub my eyes; this time to stimulate my lacrimal glands and am instantly reminded of Omran Daqneesh, the 5 year old Syrian boy whose puzzled expression in an ambulance post an airstrike had gained global attention. And it dawned upon me that be it Omran, Mahmud and Ali, Munna, or be it Jung Lee and her daughter, peace can't coexist with plight. A brown passenger in the New York Subway who's being subject to racial slurs or a blogger in Pakistan who has been killed for having a rational opinion. Peace is not absolutely present in anyone's life with the only variable being the intensity of its absence. Be it a territory where guns are booming and bombs are being dropped or be it the banks of a serene river flowing by, the world has gone astray and peace today, is but an illusion.
It's high time that we broaden the purview of peace. Utopia might be generations away but should we not help posterity by laying future's edifice in such a fashion that the mind will be without fear, feet will be able tread upon earth as freely as the winds blowing from the horizon. Love will be celebrated and not butchered. The white dove will enjoy pride of the perch. Thoughts will amble without the fear of being trampled upon. Our race will be human and religion, solely humanity. Peace will be so prevalent that one won't have to look up the World Wide Web for its meaning. That's when we'll actually discover the meaning of peace.
"You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one"
(Imagine by John Lennon, 1971)
Youth Ki Awaaz is an open platform where anybody can publish. This post does not necessarily represent the platform's views and opinions.


text:
Can you really ever tell them enough how much you appreciate them for who they are?
For all their individual quirks, for their charms, and personalities … they are loved. More than they will likely ever understand. But I intend to tell them until they are tired of hearing it.
May they always know they are loved and cherished.


text: Dear Srikantha, // With reference to the above discussion,I am curious to know why the reference to "Boudhavatara"is introduced in saying the sankalpa in sandhyavandanam mantra? // Regarding this issue, there are some heated discussions. But here is the clarification from my side after due consultation with my friend & tarkAchArya at Sringeri Shri Naveen Holla and also the veda pAThasAla principal Shri Krishna Bhatt: As regards the rAma kShetra: Since Sringeri is in Chikmagalur district which is on Western Ghats (above sea level), the geographical area on western ghats is termed as "rama kshetra" and the geographical location along the western ghats (the portion which is below sea level) is called parashurama kshetra. As regards the bauddhAvatAra: This is referred to Lord Buddha. Further to our discussion, they said that, Lord Buddha is a highly misunderstood personality and it is his disciples who propagated the nAstika mata of Buddha. Buddha maintained diplomatic silence on this issue. However, it is the mAdhyamika bauddha that is being criticized by Sankara. Hope everything is clear now. Dear Jaladharji, As regards the dEsa / kAla samkIrtana in Sandhya, there are some abhiprAya bhEdAs among the region to region which is again based on one's guruparampara. However, when i asked Shri Narendra Kapreji about this sankalpa, he confirmed that he himself doesn't follow this sankalpa. He just utters "mama upAtta duritakshaya....sandhyAM upAsiShyE". Shri Kapreji confirms that for nityakarmas, this sort of sankalpa is not mandatory. The shruti prOkta sandhya doesn't mention all these except shrauta achamana, marjana, arghya, gayatri japa, suryopasthana etc. BTW, i perform sandhya with sampUrNa sankalpa and that is how i have been taught. regs, sriram


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Spring is a time of renewal. A time to begin again. Restore. Replenish. Revive. Recover. Re-create. Rejuvenate.
For many people, myself included, it is a time to do spring cleaning. What does this mean? Spring Cleaning. For me it means going deeper. We clean all year long, but in the spring we do a deeper cleaning. We clean in places that we don't usually clean the rest of the year; sometimes for many years. Discovering treasures along the way. Disgarding what is no longer useful. Organizing. De-cluttering. Simplifying.
This sounds like inner work doesn't it.
For myself, I have taken the idea of spring cleaning and applied it to myself. To go deeper – within. To places that I haven't gone to in many years. To discover parts of myself long forgotten. Disgarding the things in my life that are no longer useful. Finding new treasures along the way.
I began physically cleaning my home this weekend and as I did I made the connection internally. And instead of just cleaning my home, I tried to nourish it as I cleaned. It made me look at my home in an entirely different light.
A place of comfort.
My sanctuary.
A source of joy and creativity.
Warm and inviting.
A place to keep my treasures.
I remember receiving some wonderful advice years ago. I was about to begin homeschooling two of my daughters. I had never homeschooled before. I had no idea what I was in for really, but I knew it would be a challenge. I contacted this woman and she gave me this advice. "Clean your house" she said. Clean my house? What did this have to do with homeschooling? But over the years I have come to realize how important this is.
When my house is clean, and organized and un-cluttered I feel more at peace. I feel like I can accomplish so much more. I feel…..well, I feel happier inside.
"Our outer world is a reflection of our inner world. Take care of your inner world and plant the seeds of goodness & love. All other things will fall into place."
~ Unknown


text:
Paul asksâ¦What software can I use to learn different language?I am very facinated by different language namely Japanese, korean, chinese, french, etc.. What software can I download to learn them. Specifically writing, reading, pronounciation and other.
I am already using Byki. Any other software you can recommend?
thanks guys.. I think i need to save big to buy me a rosettas stone..anita answers:Rosetta Stone is the best but it is very expensive. Another alternative can be Rocket Languages –
Read more at Second Language Learning Now


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Harry Potter and the…. Is There A New Movie Being Made?
Harry Potter's time at Hogwarts may have ended four years ago, but the magical, enthralling, andrecord-breaking world J.K. Rolling managed to create over the course of seven books still lives on – and still remains in high demand. Beyond Pottermore, the official Harry [Read more...]


text:
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From DKK 1495,-


text:
Photo by: PublicDomainPictures
Matthew 9:18-26
18 While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live.
19 And Jesus arose, and followed him, and so did his disciples.
20 And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment:
21 For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.
22 But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.
23 And when Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise,
24 He said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn.
25 But when the people were put forth, he went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose.
26 And the fame hereof went abroad into all that land.
My thoughts. In these few short verses, Jesus heals two people and one is dead. Death is as bad as it gets. I cannot even begin to imagine the grief that the parents were going through. But they went to Jesus and asked him to bring her back to life.
While Jesus is going to her house, there are people all around him. Only one lady, the lady with the issue of blood, makes her way through the people just to touch the hem of Jesus's garment. Instantly she was healed. It was so powerful, that she felt it the healing power go through her body and stop her bleeding.
Jesus continues on his way to the ruler's house. The description at the rulers house made it seem like a carnival. Music, and dancing.
I don't blame Jesus when he sends the people away, telling them that the little girl is not dead, but asleep. The crowd thought they knew more than Jesus, so they laughed at what He said. But wouldn't you know, a few minutes spent with Jesus and the little girl rose up from her bed. She was healthy, restored, nothing missing, nothing broken.
It is my prayer for all those reading this blog post, to have their health restored. Jesus tells us to pray for one another. There is power in prayer and the more people praying for an individual, the more awesome the outcome is. Pray for someone else's healing so your own might be restored.


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Yield: 4 servings
|4 cups
|Corn kernels, fresh/frozen
|3 tablespoons
|Poppy seeds
|1 teaspoon
|Coriander seeds
|1 teaspoon
|Sesame seeds
|1 tablespoon
|Ginger, grated
|2 eaches
|Chili peppers
|¾ cup
|Coconut, shredded
|½ cup
|3 tablespoons
|1 teaspoon
|5 cups
|Coconut milk
Cook the corn by boiling in a small amount of water until tender. Set aside.
Using a mortar & pestle, grind all the spices, the coconut & peanuts into a smooth paste. In a large, heavy skillet, heat the ghee & fry the paste for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the corn, salt & coconut milk & simmer until the sauce reduces by half & becomes thick, 15 minutes or so. Serve over rice.
"The Africa News Cookbook"
Submitted By MARK SATTERLY On 12-05-94


text:
Authorities obtained an arrest warrant for a man long suspected in the stabbing death and dismemberment of a New Orleans strip club dancer whose body parts washed up along the Gulf Coast.
Terry Speaks, 41, who's currently in a New York prison on unrelated charges, is accused of the second-degree murder of Jaren Lockhart in 2012, TV station WWL reports. He's also accused of obstruction of justice for allegedly tampering with evidence by cutting up the young mother's body and scattering it in waters off Mississippi's shores.
Last month, police arrested Margaret Sanchez — Speaks' girlfriend when Lockhart was killed — and slapped her with the same charges.
Sanchez, now 30, and Speaks were seen together on June 6, 2012 at the French Quarter gentleman's club where Lockhart worked. Authorities contend that the 22-year-old dancer left with them to perform at a private party in exchange for money.
Margaret Sanchez
The next day, Lockhart's torso drifted ashore. Her head and parts of legs were found days later.
Numerous dancers at two strip joints had declined Speaks and Sanchez's alleged offer before Lockhart accepted, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune.
Though police believed Speaks was the killer within weeks of Lockhart's death, they announced an arrest warrant on Thursday after two inmates at a federal facility in Otisville, N.Y. alleged that Speaks said Lockhart died following a fight with Sanchez.
Speaks is locked up for failing to register as a sex offender in North Carolina and was due to be released in October.
He is expected to be extradited to New Orleans to face the murder and obstruction of justice charge.
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text:
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text:
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Quick Reference
A technique used for the determination of the relative molecular mass, Mr, in solution of a macromolecule whose size is large relative to the wavelength of the light used. The ...
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text:
The beach was a common subject matter throughout the early half of his life. He was curious about the physicality and cultural perspectives of beaches in and around Sydney. These images are: Sunrise at Newport, 1975, Approaching storm, Toowoon Bay, c1950 and Surf edge, 1940s.
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From: $ 300.00


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By Sharon Robb
December 14, 2013
Melissa Marinheiro of South Florida Aquatic Club ended on a good note Saturday at the USA Swimming Speedo Winter Junior National Championships at Greensboro (N.C.) Aquatic Center.
Marinheiro, 16, swam a lifetime-best in the 1,650-yard freestyle in 16 minutes, 51.94 seconds.
She was 23rd among a field of 42 of the nation's top age group distance swimmers. She dropped three seconds off her prevcious best time.
It was the end of an impressive fall for Marinheiro that featured the state high school meet, Winter Championships, senior and junior nationals.
"We ended up on a good note," SOFLO head coach Chris Anderson said. "We got a couple other best times here and there in her off events. Now we go for consistency in her main events. She feels she can be a lot more consistent. She is motivated to have a successful summer. It will be her time to shine for college recruiting."
Marinheiro relaxed after the meet with family and friends at dinner.
"I went to a lot of meets, it was really a challenge," Marinheiro said. "Sometimes I doubted myself but I got a lot of support.
"I am really excited about the meets I went to. I really love to go to national level meets. Everyone there has the same goal, it's a different atmosphere.
"The first two days here I didn't have good times but I was excited to pull off a best time today," Marinheiro said.
Marinheiro will get Sunday off before returning to the pool on Monday. She said she is motivated for the upcoming year.
"I want to try to get more junior cuts and national cuts for the summer," she said. "I know it will be a challenge. I am ready to train and start fresh. I want to start running again and do more dryland training. I am very motivated."
Several other Florida Gold Coast swimmers did well on the third and final night of competition among the nation's top age group swimmers on the national stage.
"I felt Florida Gold Coast had a good showing," said Anderson, also chairman of the FGC. "I thought Florida in general did great. I was congratulating a lot of Florida coaches. I thought it was a very nice showing from the start and that Florida was very well-represented at the national level. And Clara Smiddy just ripped it up."
Clara Smiddy, 17, made it a clean sweep in the backstroke events capturing the 200-yard backstroke in a meet record and lifetime-best 1:50.59.
Smiddy's previous best time was 1:55.07 which she first bettered in morning prelims in 1:52.40, breaking the meet record of 1:53.16 set in 2010 by Courtney Bartholomew.
Having the meet of her life, Smiddy led from start-to-finish to break her own meet record and became the third-fastest pre-collegiate performance of all-time behind Elizabeth Pelton and Missy Franklin.
Twenty minutes later, Smiddy had enough left in the tank to finish second in the 100-yard freestyle in 48.97, another lifetime-best lowering her previous best of 49.57.
Smiddy was the girls' individual high point winner. Curtis Ogren was the boys' high point winner.
On Friday, Smiddy won the 100-yard backstroke in a blistering lifetime-best of 51.75 to break the previous four-year-old meet record of 52.22 set by Courtney Bartholomew in 2009.
The University of Michigan-bound South Florida Heat swimmer was also third on Thursday in the 200-yard individual medley.
In the 100-yard freestyle, Caeleb Dressel, 17, of Bolles won the 100-yard freestyle in a meet record 42.85. Former Florida Gold Coast swimmer Dylan Carter, 17, of Trojan Swim Club was second in 43.07, also under the previous meet record of 43.27 set by Vlad Morozov in 2009.
1,650-yard freestyle: 1. Leah Stevens, Lakeside 16:19.29, 2. Sandra Soe, Santa Clara 16:24.35, 3. Amanda Richey, Boulder Swimming 16:26.45.
200-yard backstroke: 1. Clara Smiddy, AquaKids Sharks 1:50.59, meet record; 2. Kylie Stewart, Dynamos 1:53.12, 3. Claire Adams, Carmel 1:54.13.
100-yard freestyle: 1. Abbigail Weitzeil, Canyons Aquatic 47.78, record; 2. Clara Smiddy, AquaKids Sharks 48.97, 3. Lindsey Engel, JCC Waves 49.15.
200-yard breaststroke: 1. Kennedy Lohman, Lakeside Swimming 2:10.87, 2. Lillian King, Newburgh 2:11.17, 3. Maija Roses, SwimMAC 2:12.00.
200-yard butterfly: 1. Megan Kingsley, Mount Pleasant 1:55.26, record, 2. Madison Wright, Kingfish 1:55.30, record, 3. Lindsey Engel, JCC Waves 1:57.86.
4×100-yard freestyle relay: 1. SwimMAC 3:17.93, record, 2. Carmel 3:18.23, record, 3. Ozaukee Aquatics 3:20.42, record.
1,650-yard freestyle: 1. Kevin Litherland, Dynamo 14:58.77, 2. Francis Haas, NOVA of Virginia 15:06.13, 3. Jonathan Roberts, North Texas 15:10.15.
200-yard backstroke: 1. Tristan Sanders, Palm Harbor 1:42.50, 2. Hennessy Stuart, Denver Swimming 1:42.75, 3. Ethan Young, Carpet Capital 1:43.06.
100-yard freestyle: 1. Caeleb Dressel, Bolles 42.85, record, 2. Dylan Carter, Unattached Trojan Swim Club 43.07, record, 3. Ryan Hoffer, Scottsdale Aquatics 43.13, record.
200-yard breaststroke: 1. Curtis Ogren, Palo Alto Stanford 1:57.64, 2. Thomas Brewer, Current Swimming 1:57.73, 3. Matthew Whittle, Davis Aquadarts 1:57.75.
200-yard butterfly: 1. Robert McHugh, Baylor 1:43.64, record, 2. Micah Litherland, Dynamo 1:46.01, 3. Zachary Buerger, Allegheny North 1:46.35.
Women's 1,650-yard freestyle: 23. Melissa Marinheiro, SOFLO 16:51.94, best time.
Men's 1,650-yard freestyle: 13. Kent Haeffner, Pine Crest Swimming 15:24.93
Women's 200-yard backstroke: 1. Clara Smiddy, AquaKids Sharks 1:50.59, record; 106. Darby Goodwin, St. Andrew's Swimming 2:03.51, 109. Julia Suarez, Lake Lytal Lightning 2:03.65, 143. Melissa Marinheiro, SOFLO 2:12.34.
Men's 200-yard backstroke: 110. William Pisani, Lake Lytal Lightning 1:52.23.
Women's 100-yard freestyle: 2. Clara Smiddy, AquaKids Sharks, 48.97; 67. Marta Ciesla, Pine Crest Swimming 51.43, 161. Caroline Nava, Pine Crest Swimming 53.00.
Men's 100-yard freestyle: 2. Dylan Carter, Trojans Swim Club 43.07, record, 5. Joshua Romany, Azura Florida Aquatics 44.12, 37. Jordy Groters, Pine Crest Swimming 45.74, 40. Gage Kohner, St. Andrew's Swimming 45.76, 89. Brody Heck, St. Andrew's Swimming 46.79.
Women's 200-yard breaststroke: 14. Rachael Bradford-Feldman, St. Andrew's Swimming 2:16.64, 2:15.77 prelims; 20. Lindsey Swartz, Pine Crest Swimming 2:16.28.
Men's 200-yard breaststroke: 12. Alex Morgan, Azura Florida Aquatics 2:01.36, 15. Jordy Groters, Pine Crest Swimming 2:02.57, 75. Julio Horrego, Hialeah Swim Club 2:06.52, 86. Daniel Pereira, Azura Florida Aquatics 2:07.38.
Women's 200-yard butterfly: 44. Christina Herfurth, Lake Lytal Lightning 2:03.00, 94. Jessica Nava, Pine Crest Swimming 2:08.46.
Men's 200-yard butterfly: 24. Luis Martinez, Azura Florida Aquatics 1:51.44.
Sharon Robb can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com


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The new 250 SX features a highly developed two-stroke engine fitted in a state-of-the-art chassis. Designed with the entire know-how of the KTM R&D and motorsport department the latest generation SX with its class-leading performance is faster with less vibration than any 250cc two-stroke before. The unrivalled performance of the lightweight 2-stroke engine makes it a true contender against the more complex 4-strokes. Its chassis features a chromoly steel frame with high torsional rigidity with less longitudinal stiffness for excellent handling and bump absorption. Matched with updated WP AER 48 air-sprung forks and rear shock, new radiator guards and revised carburetor, the 2018 KTM 250 SX is the most READY TO RACE 2-stroke ever created. This masterpiece of KTMs R&D and motorsport departments is born to lead the next pack of winners that prefer premix.
Engine Type: Single Cylinder, 2-Stroke
Displacement: 249 cc
Bore/Stroke: 66.4/72.0 mm
Starter: Kickstarter
Transmission: 5 Gears
Fuel System: Mikuni TMX 38 Carburetor
Lubrication: Premix 60:1
Primary Ratio: 26:73
Final Drive: 14:50
Cooling: Liquid Cooling
Clutch: Wet Multi-Disc DDS-Clutch, Brembo Hydraulics
Ignition: Kokusan
Frame: Central Double-Cradle Type 25CrMo4 Steel
Subframe: Aluminum
Handlebar: Neken, Aluminum Ø 28/22mm
Front Suspension: WP Suspension AER 48 USD Ø 48mm
Rear Suspension: WP Monoshock 5018 BAVP DCC with Linkage
Suspension Travel Front/Rear: 310 mm / 12.2 in; 300 mm / 11.81 in
Front/Rear Brakes: Disc Brake 260 mm / 10.24 in; 220 mm / 8.66 in
Front/Rear Rims: 1.60 x 21 / 2.15 x 19 Excel
Front/Rear Tires: 80/100-21 / 110/90-19 Dunlop MX3S
Chain: 5/8 x 1/4 in
Silencer: Aluminum
Steering Head Angle: 26.1º
Triple Clamp Offset: 22 mm
Wheelbase: 1,485mm ± 10 mm / 58.5 ± 0.4 in
Ground Clearance: 375mm / 14.8 in
Seat Height: 960 mm / 37.8 in
Tank Capacity, Approx: 7 L / 1.85 gal
Weight (without fuel), Approx: 95.4 kg/ 210.3 lbs
Take the NEXT STEP! Click here to Request A Quote.
Price, if shown, is Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) or discounted from MSRP and does not include government fees, taxes, freight, preparation, delivery, dealer document preparation charges or any finance charges (if applicable). MSRP and/or final actual sales price will vary depending on options or accessories selected.ALL PICTURES SHOWN ARE FOR ILLUSTRATION PURPOSE ONLY.ACTUAL PRODUCT MAY VARY.


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Frostburg State University chemical reactions
Think about what career is best suited for you, and where you want to study. Request more information now.
Think about what career is best suited for you, and where you want to study. Request more information now.
Think about what career is best suited for you, and where you want to study. Request more information now.
Find info concerning Frostburg State University chemical reactions, registering in a technical degree program, and taking free tests online. Seek out accredited engineering programs for the best training. Given a brief internship or prior work-experience, you can expect a great return on your education. If you complete the industrial robotics program, for example, there are a variety of concentrations that may appeal to you such as mechanical engineering, factory design, or alternative energy. Check with the robotics engineering department for an updated schedule of classes, registration deadlines, and a list of industrial robotics degree requirements. Further, due to advances in engineering techniques, there is a growing shortage of graduates in factory automation, and of skilled industrial engineers in general. Please use the form above to request admissions info for Frostburg State University.
Chemical engineers apply the principles of chemistry and biology to generate chemical reactions in the production of chemicals, fuel, pharmaceuticals, and many other products. They design processes and equipment for large-scale manufacturing, plan and test production and byproduct treatment. Most chemical engineers have a bachelors degree in chemical engineering, as well as internship experience. They may spend a large portion of their work day at industrial plants, refineries, and other locations, where they monitor chemical reactions or solve onsite problems. The average salary for chemical engineers was $97,360 as reported the US Bureau of Labor Statistics in May 2015.
Biomedical engineers design equipment, devices, computer systems, and software used in healthcare. Bachelors degree programs in bioengineering include extensive lab-work, and courses such as fluid mechanics, computer programming, circuit design, and biomaterials. Accredited programs also include substantial training in engineering design, and practical internships in medical device and pharmaceutical manufacturing companies. The median annual wage for biomedical engineers was $86,220 in May 2015. Further, employment of biomedical engineers is projected to grow 23% in the next decade, which is much faster than the average for all occupations.
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Hi Everyone :)
Today I'm wearing Rimmel Baby Bellini, one of the Cocktail Colours collection and Orly Can't Be Tamed, which has purple medium glitter and gunmetal smaller glitter in a clear base.
The Rimmel is a very pretty purple with a glassfleck finish, so it shimmers and catches the light. This finish makes it just different enough from a regular purple creme that it warrents a look but it's still fairly subtle. I wanted to add more sparkle. ALWAYS more! :) So I added the Orly, in real life the two are a similar colour and went together well, but did not photograph accurately.
Here's the Rimmel on it's own:
Here's the Orly over the Rimmel.
The lovely bottles :)
Do you like adding glitter over the same colour base or do you think they should clash? I'm loving adding glitter over a polish when they are the same colour at the minute :)
Thanks for looking!
-Eleobel <3


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