text:
BAYHAN GÜRHAN (born 14 March 1980) is a Turkish arabesque singer who became famous after participating in Popstar Türkiye (_Popstar Turkey_).

Personal life

Bayhan Gürhan was born on 14 March 1980 in Adana. At an early age he was interested in arabesque, Indian, and Arabic music. At the age of six he lost his mother and with the remaining of his family moved to Germany. There he learned to speak German. At the age of nine he was taken into custody by the German Child Protective Services. He had a good ear for music which did not go unnoticed. Because of that he was allowed to perform on his flute from time to time at the church of the CPS, and briefly took piano lessons there. He eventually returned to Turkey in 1991.[1] Between 1998 and 2000 he had spend time in prison for murder.[2]

In 2003 he was a contestant in the first season of _Popstar Türkiye_ on Kanal D with judges Ercan Saatçi, Deniz Seki, and Armağan Çağlayan. After the third week of the show it was revealed that Gürhan had spend time in prison. When this got revealed in the media he was devastated.[3] In the fourth week of the show judge Deniz Seki started to criticize him in the show over this. In the fifth week of the show he won the first place. This time Seki started to criticize the voters. The audience started to boo her which made her leave _Popstar Türkiye_. She was replaced in the sixth week by Zerrin Özer. Gürhan eventually finished in third place.[4]

After the contest he released an album named _Hayal Edemiyorum_ in 2004 and _Kısa Veda_ in 2009.

In 2010 he performed at the Afyon Jazz Festival singing songs of Frank Sinatra, Andy Williams, and Louis Armstrong. In 2012 he appeared on STV in Hamdi Alkan's TV series _Kendimize Doğru_. He also appeared on Kanal D's TV series _Ankara'nın Dikmen'i_ as a guest actor. In 2013 he presented the documentary _Benim Yolum_ (English: My Way) about street musicians. In 2015 during the month of Ramadan, he played the character of Bekir in the radio show _Direkler Arası_ on TRT İstanbul Kent Radio. In October 2016 he appeared on Star TV's _Zuhal Topal'la İzdivaç_ (English: Marriage with Zuhal Topal), because he wanted to get married, but later left the show.[5][6]

In 2017 Gürhan had send a wreath of flowers to Deniz Seki's concert. Seki had recently been released from prison for drug trafficking. She responded on social media by stating that it had been a while since she made amends with Gürhan over her behavior at _Popstar Türkiye_. She appreciated the gesture and said that they were on good terms now.[7]

Discography

Albums

  Year   Title
  ------ ---------------------
  2004   _Hayal Edemiyorum_
  2008   _Vurdumduymaz_
  2009   _Kısa Veda_
  2011   _Yalan_
  2011   _Yenildim_
  2011   _Cezayir Menekşesi_
  2013   _Şafak Türküsü_

Collaborative albums

  Year   Title
  ------ ----------------------------------------------
  2003   _Popstar Türkiye_
  2004   _Popstar Top 10 En İyi Performans Şarkıları_

Singles

  Year   Title
  ------ -----------------------
  2008   _Hoşgörülü Olmalıyız_
  2008   _Bir Ben Mi_
  2008   _Fırtına Sevda_
  2008   _Kısa Sevda_
  2008   _İnceden_
  2008   _Hiç Bir Affın Yok_

Filmography

TV series

  Year   Title                   Role   Notes
  ------ ----------------------- ------ -------------
  2012   _Kendimize Doğru_       –      First role
  2013   _Arif Pancar_           –      –
  2014   _Ankara'nın Dikmen'i_   –      Guest actor

Television appearance

-   _Popstar Türkiye (2003) – Contestant_
-   _Mavi Şeker (2008) – Guest_
-   _Akşam Keyfi (2009) – Guest_
-   _Çarkıfelek (2012)_
-   _Arım Balım Peteğim (2011) – Duet with Azer Bülbül_
-   _Ben Burdan Atlarım (2013)_
-   _Benim Yolum (2013) – Himself (host)_
-   _Gündem Özel (2014)- Guest_
-   _İnsanlık Hali (2016) – Guest_
-   _Zuhal Topal'la İzdivaç (2016) – Candidate_

Notes

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

title: Bayhan Gürhan

question: What does the article say about Bayhan Gürhan's personal life?

answer: Bayhan Gürhan was born on 14 March 1980 in Adana. At an early age, he was interested in arabesque, Indian, and Arabic music. At the age of six, he lost his mother and with the remaining of his family moved to Germany. Because it was noticed that he had a good ear for music, he was allowed to perform on his flute from time to time at the church of the CPS, and briefly took piano lessons there. He eventually returned to Turkey in 1991. Between 1998 and 2000, he had spent time in prison for murder.

question: What does the article say about Seki?

answer: Seki was one of the judges in the first season of 'Popstar Türkiye' on Kanal D, where Guhran was a contestant. She started to criticize Guhram because he had spent time in prison. When he won first place in the fifth week of the show, she started to criticize the voters. The audience started to boo her, and she was replaced in the sixth week. In 2017, Gürhan had send a wreath of flowers to Deniz Seki's concert. She had recently been released from prison for drug trafficking.

question: What does the article say about classic music?


split: test

text:
__23rd August 2016

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Image credit: ClickTravelTips

MONACO LAWS FORBID LOCALS FROM SETTING FOOT INSIDE THE LUXURIOUS CASINOS IN THE MICROSTATE SUCH AS CASINO DE MONTE CARLO AND MONTE CARLO BAY CASINO ALTHOUGH THE POPULAR GAMBLING DESTINATIONS OF MONACO ATTRACT THOUSANDS OF TOURISTS EVERY YEAR.

Monaco is the state of luxury, elegance, extravagance, fun and of course gambling. The tiny city-state is located on the French Riviera. It is mostly known for hosting the most famous street circuit of the Formula 1 calendar, Circuit de Monaco. Formula 1 fans know Monaco very well mainly through the image of the beautiful azure blue sea full of luxurious yachts docked at the marina which is adjacent to the street circuit.

[Monaco Laws]

CIRCUIT DE MONACO (IMAGE SOURCE: WTT)

There is another face of this beautiful country which attracts multi-millionaire tourists to Monaco. The micro-state comprises of merely 2 km² and 38000 people. It is very small; but, its gambling income is quite huge. Monaco is an independent state; therefore, Monaco gambling laws do not have to conform to the ones in France. That is how such world-famous casinos as Casino de Monte Carlo could flourish in Monaco. (Here is a list of the best casinos in Monaco)

Casinos in Monaco constitute a gambling paradise for many Europeans. However, there is a bizarre point in Monaco Laws which forbid the locals from gambling related activities within the boundaries of the city-state. Let alone gambling in the big casinos, the Monegasques cannot event set a foot inside of a casino unless they work there. But why is it the case?

THERE IS NO CONSENSUS TO EXPLAIN THE REAL MOTIVES OF MONACO LAWS

There are different interpretations regarding the root causes of the gambling prohibition for the citizens of Monaco. The working dynamics of the micro-state are based on money. Monaco is like a Mercedes AMG with a fuel tank which can be filled only with cash. Therefore, gambling is vital for the state. Well, then wouldn’t it be better to let the locals gamble as well so that the state could increase the tax revenue? It would be a case if Monaco wasn’t a tax haven. Yes, you heard it right, Monaco is a tax haven which is perfect for the citizens as they are not burdened with an income tax. Whatever the Monegasque Robert earns, stays with the Monegasque Robert. Hallelujah for that.

It also means that the government doesn’t tax the gambling income, or not as much as in many European countries. It is better to let the foreigners gamble and increase the cash intake. The local can still enjoy an almost tax-free life style despite the fact that they cannot gamble in the shiny casinos of their own country.

HISTORICAL REASONS OF WHY MONACO LAWS KEEP LOCALS AWAY FROM CASINOS

Keeping the foreign currency intake high to render the economy nourishing continuously can be the main motivation behind the foreigner-only policy of the casinos in Monaco. However, it is better take a walk in history to find out the root causes of why Monaco citizens can’t gamble in Monaco.

The ruling family of Monaco, the House of Grimaldi faced bankruptcy in the middle of the 19th Century. It was a terrible period for the royal court of Monaco, indeed. Nevertheless, Princess Caroline woke up with a shining light bulb in her brain one day. The idea was shining bright like a diamond.  And that idea was opening a casino in Monaco.

Princess Caroline’s endeavors to convince Francois Blanc’s to move his famous Bad Homburg Casino to Monaco from Germany proved to be fruitful eventually. She had to struggle a lot to convince the casino magnate; but, eventually she reached her aim. Blanc accepted to take over the casino business of Monaco. That is how today’s world-famous gambling destination Casino de Monte Carlo came into being.

[Best online casinos in Monaco, how to gamble online in Monaco, Monaco gambling laws, Monaco laws, Monaco online casinos, online gambling sites in Monaco, why cant Monaco citizens gamble in Monaco, why cant monagasques gamble in Monaco, ]

IMAGE CREDIT: MEDIA.MNN

Princess Caroline Laws Still Relevant Today: Profit Comes from Tourists, not Locals

Yes, we still haven’t answered the essential questions: Why can’t Monegasques gamble in Monaco? The answer lies behind the foundational routes of the gambling industry of Monaco. The creator of the idea of having a casino in Monaco also banned the locals from gambling due to moral reasons. Yes, Princess Caroline didn’t want the locals to gamble away their money as the state needed every single Monegasque Franc that they could save. The main goal was attracting gambling enthusiast foreigners.

Monaco Gambling Laws haven’t changed much since then as the Monaco casino industry serves solely the foreigners. There are passport checks at the casino entrances. Only non-Monegasques over 18 can enter the casinos in Monaco.

Good thing is that Monaco laws don’t mention ONLINE GAMBLING. Therefore, Monaco citizens can gamble online freely. There are rumors that the Monegasque government plans to acquire the French online gambling which would restrict the online gambling activities in the state pretty much. However, for now the citizens can enjoy online gambling as much as they can.

If you wonder how to gamble in Monaco online, you can check our best online casino reviews. If you are interested in free online casino offers, you can also check our online casino no deposit bonuses list. Personally, we’d recommend one of the top performing operators, such as Royal Spins Casino.

question: What is the origin of the laws that ban Monaco citizens from gambling in their country?

answer: Princess Caroline of Monaco decided to attract casinos to Monaco in the 19th century. She wanted external revenue to come into the country. At the same time, she banned her citizens from gambling for moral reasons.


text:
[Schematic figure of Maxwell's demon thought experiment.]

MAXWELL'S DEMON is a thought experiment created by the physicist James Clerk Maxwell in 1867 in which he suggested how the second law of thermodynamics might hypothetically be violated.[1] In the thought experiment, a demon controls a small door between two compartments of gas. As individual gas molecules approach the door, the demon quickly opens and shuts the door so that only fast molecules are passed into one of the chambers, while only slow molecules are passed into the other. Because faster molecules are hotter, the demon's behaviour causes one chamber to warm up and the other to cool down, thereby decreasing entropy and violating the second law of thermodynamics. This thought experiment has provoked debate and theoretical work on the relation between thermodynamics and information theory extending to the present day, with a number of scientists arguing that theoretical considerations rule out any practical device violating the second law in this way.

Origin and history of the idea

The thought experiment first appeared in a letter Maxwell wrote to Peter Guthrie Tait on 11 December 1867. It appeared again in a letter to John William Strutt in 1871, before it was presented to the public in Maxwell's 1872 book on thermodynamics titled _Theory of Heat_.[2]

In his letters and books, Maxwell described the agent opening the door between the chambers as a “finite being”. William Thomson (Lord Kelvin) was the first to use the word “demon” for Maxwell's concept, in the journal _Nature_ in 1874, and implied that he intended the mediating, rather than malevolent, connotation of the word.[3][4][5]

Original thought experiment

The second law of thermodynamics ensures (through statistical probability) that two bodies of different temperature, when brought into contact with each other and isolated from the rest of the Universe, will evolve to a thermodynamic equilibrium in which both bodies have approximately the same temperature.[6] The second law is also expressed as the assertion that in an isolated system, entropy never decreases.[7]

Maxwell conceived a thought experiment as a way of furthering the understanding of the second law. His description of the experiment is as follows:[8][9]

In other words, Maxwell imagines one container divided into two parts, _A_ and _B_.[10][11] Both parts are filled with the same gas at equal temperatures and placed next to each other. Observing the molecules on both sides, an imaginary demon guards a trapdoor between the two parts. When a faster-than-average molecule from _A_ flies towards the trapdoor, the demon opens it, and the molecule will fly from _A_ to _B_. Likewise, when a slower-than-average molecule from _B_ flies towards the trapdoor, the demon will let it pass from _B_ to _A_. The average speed of the molecules in _B_ will have increased while in _A_ they will have slowed down on average. Since average molecular speed corresponds to temperature, the temperature decreases in _A_ and increases in _B_, contrary to the second law of thermodynamics. A heat engine operating between the thermal reservoirs _A_ and _B_ could extract useful work from this temperature difference.

The demon must allow molecules to pass in both directions in order to produce only a temperature difference; one-way passage only of faster-than-average molecules from _A_ to _B_ will cause higher temperature and pressure to develop on the _B_ side.

Criticism and development

Several physicists have presented calculations that show that the second law of thermodynamics will not actually be violated, if a more complete analysis is made of the whole system including the demon.[12][13][14] The essence of the physical argument is to show, by calculation, that any demon must “generate” more entropy segregating the molecules than it could ever eliminate by the method described. That is, it would take more thermodynamic work to gauge the speed of the molecules and selectively allow them to pass through the opening between _A_ and _B_ than the amount of energy gained by the difference of temperature caused by doing so.

One of the most famous responses to this question was suggested in 1929 by Leó Szilárd,[15] and later by Léon Brillouin.[16][17] Szilárd pointed out that a real-life Maxwell's demon would need to have some means of measuring molecular speed, and that the act of acquiring information would require an expenditure of energy. Since the demon and the gas are interacting, we must consider the total entropy of the gas and the demon combined. The expenditure of energy by the demon will cause an increase in the entropy of the demon, which will be larger than the lowering of the entropy of the gas.

In 1960, Rolf Landauer raised an exception to this argument.[18][19][20] He realized that some measuring processes need not increase thermodynamic entropy as long as they were thermodynamically reversible. He suggested these “reversible” measurements could be used to sort the molecules, violating the Second Law. However, due to the connection between thermodynamic entropy and information entropy, this also meant that the recorded measurement must not be erased. In other words, to determine whether to let a molecule through, the demon must acquire information about the state of the molecule and either discard it or store it. Discarding it leads to immediate increase in entropy but the demon cannot store it indefinitely. In 1982, Charles Bennett showed that, however well prepared, eventually the demon will run out of information storage space and must begin to erase the information it has previously gathered.[21][22] Erasing information is a thermodynamically irreversible process that increases the entropy of a system. Although Bennett had reached the same conclusion as Szilard's 1929 paper, that a Maxwellian demon could not violate the second law because entropy would be created, he had reached it for different reasons. Regarding Landauer's principle, the minimum energy dissipated by deleting information was experimentally measured by Eric Lutz _et al._ in 2012. Furthermore, Lutz _et al._ confirmed that in order to approach the Landauer's limit, the system must asymptotically approach zero processing speed.[23]

John Earman and John D. Norton have argued that Szilárd and Landauer's explanations of Maxwell's demon begin by assuming that the second law of thermodynamics cannot be violated by the demon, and derive further properties of the demon from this assumption, including the necessity of consuming energy when erasing information, etc.[24][25] It would therefore be circular to invoke these derived properties to defend the second law from the demonic argument. Bennett later acknowledged the validity of Earman and Norton's argument, while maintaining that Landauer's principle explains the mechanism by which real systems do not violate the second law of thermodynamics.[26]

Recent progress

Although the argument by Landauer and Bennett only answers the consistency between the second law of thermodynamics and the whole cyclic process of the entire system of a Szilard engine (a composite system of the engine and the demon), a recent approach based on the non-equilibrium thermodynamics for small fluctuating systems has provided deeper insight on each information process with each subsystem. From this viewpoint, the measurement process is regarded as a process where the correlation (mutual information) between the engine and the demon increases, and the feedback process is regarded as a process where the correlation decreases. If the correlation changes, thermodynamic relations as the second law of thermodynamics and the fluctuation theorem for each subsystem should be modified, and for the case of external control a second-law like inequality[27] and a generalized fluctuation theorem[28] with mutual information are satisfied. These relations suggest that we need extra thermodynamic cost to increase correlation (measurement case), and in contrast we can apparently violate the second law up to the consumption of correlation (feedback case). For more general information processes including biological information processing, both inequality[29] and equality[30] with mutual information hold.

Applications

Real-life versions of Maxwellian demons occur, but all such “real demons” or molecular demons have their entropy-lowering effects duly balanced by increase of entropy elsewhere.[31] Molecular-sized mechanisms are no longer found only in biology; they are also the subject of the emerging field of nanotechnology. Single-atom traps used by particle physicists allow an experimenter to control the state of individual quanta in a way similar to Maxwell's demon.

If hypothetical mirror matter exists, Zurab Silagadze proposes that demons can be envisaged, “which can act like perpetuum mobiles of the second kind: extract heat energy from only one reservoir, use it to do work and be isolated from the rest of ordinary world. Yet the Second Law is not violated because the demons pay their entropy cost in the hidden (mirror) sector of the world by emitting mirror photons.”[32]

Experimental work

In the February 2007 issue of _Nature_, David Leigh, a professor at the University of Edinburgh, announced the creation of a nano-device based on the Brownian ratchet popularized by Richard Feynman. Leigh's device is able to drive a chemical system out of equilibrium, but it must be powered by an external source (light in this case) and therefore does not violate thermodynamics.[33]

Previously, researchers including Nobel Prize winner Fraser Stoddart, created ring-shaped molecules called rotaxanes which could be placed on an axle connecting two sites, _A_ and _B_. Particles from either site would bump into the ring and move it from end to end. If a large collection of these devices were placed in a system, half of the devices had the ring at site _A_ and half at _B_, at any given moment in time.[34]

Leigh made a minor change to the axle so that if a light is shone on the device, the center of the axle will thicken, restricting the motion of the ring. It only keeps the ring from moving, however, if it is at _A_. Over time, therefore, the rings will be bumped from _B_ to _A_ and get stuck there, creating an imbalance in the system. In his experiments, Leigh was able to take a pot of “billions of these devices” from 50:50 equilibrium to a 70:30 imbalance within a few minutes.[35]

In 2009 Mark G. Raizen developed a laser atomic cooling technique which realizes the process Maxwell envisioned of sorting individual atoms in a gas into different containers based on their energy.[36][37][38] The new concept is a one-way wall for atoms or molecules that allows them to move in one direction, but not go back. The operation of the one-way wall relies on an irreversible atomic and molecular process of absorption of a photon at a specific wavelength, followed by spontaneous emission to a different internal state. The irreversible process is coupled to a conservative force created by magnetic fields and/or light. Raizen and collaborators proposed using the one-way wall in order to reduce the entropy of an ensemble of atoms. In parallel, Gonzalo Muga and Andreas Ruschhaupt independently developed a similar concept. Their “atom diode” was not proposed for cooling, but rather for regulating the flow of atoms. The Raizen Group demonstrated significant cooling of atoms with the one-way wall in a series of experiments in 2008. Subsequently, the operation of a one-way wall for atoms was demonstrated by Daniel Steck and collaborators later in 2008. Their experiment was based on the 2005 scheme for the one-way wall, and was not used for cooling. The cooling method realized by the Raizen Group was called “single-photon cooling”, because only one photon on average is required in order to bring an atom to near-rest. This is in contrast to other laser cooling techniques which use the momentum of the photon and require a two-level cycling transition.

In 2006, Raizen, Muga, and Ruschhaupt showed in a theoretical paper that as each atom crosses the one-way wall, it scatters one photon, and information is provided about the turning point and hence the energy of that particle. The entropy increase of the radiation field scattered from a directional laser into a random direction is exactly balanced by the entropy reduction of the atoms as they are trapped by the one-way wall.

This technique is widely described as a “Maxwell's demon” because it realizes Maxwell's process of creating a temperature difference by sorting high and low energy atoms into different containers. However, scientists have pointed out that it is not a true Maxwell's demon in the sense that it does not violate the second law of thermodynamics;[39][40] it does not result in a net decrease in entropy[41][42] and cannot be used to produce useful energy. This is because the process requires more energy from the laser beams than could be produced by the temperature difference generated. The atoms absorb low entropy photons from the laser beam and emit them in a random direction, thus increasing the entropy of the environment.[43][44]

In 2014, Pekola et al. demonstrated an experimental realization of a Szilárd engine.[45][46] Only a year later and based on an earlier theoretical proposal,[47] the same group presented the first experimental realization of an autonomous Maxwell's demon, which extracts microscopic information from a system and reduces its entropy by applying feedback. The demon is based on two capacitively coupled single-electron devices, both integrated on the same electronic circuit. The operation of the demon is directly observed as a temperature drop in the system, with a simultaneous temperature rise in the demon arising from the thermodynamic cost of generating the mutual information.[48] In 2016, Pekola et al. demonstrated a proof-of-principle of an autonomous demon in coupled single-electron circuits, showing a way to cool critical elements in a circuit with information as a fuel.[49] Pekola et al. have also proposed that a simple qubit circuit, e.g., made of a superconducting circuit, could provide a basis to study a quantum Szilard's engine.[50]

As metaphor

Daemons in computing, generally processes that run on servers to respond to users, are named for Maxwell's demon.[51]

Historian Henry Brooks Adams in his manuscript _The Rule of Phase Applied to History_ attempted to use Maxwell's demon as a historical metaphor, though he misunderstood and misapplied the original principle.[52] Adams interpreted history as a process moving towards “equilibrium”, but he saw militaristic nations (he felt Germany pre-eminent in this class) as tending to reverse this process, a Maxwell's demon of history. Adams made many attempts to respond to the criticism of his formulation from his scientific colleagues, but the work remained incomplete at Adams' death in 1918. It was only published posthumously.[53]

[1]

[2] Leff & Rex (2002), p. 370.

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9] Maxwell (1871), reprinted in Leff & Rex (1990) on p. 4.

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]  cited in Bennett 1987. English translation available as NASA document TT F-16723 published 1976

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]  reprinted in Vol. 44, No. 1, January 2000, p. 261

[21]

[22]

[23]

[24]

[25]

[26]

[27]

[28]

[29]

[30]

[31]

[32]

[33]

[34]

[35]

[36]

[37]

[38]

[39]

[40]

[41]

[42]

[43]

[44]

[45]

[46]

[47]

[48]

[49]

[50]

[51]

[52] Cater (1947), pp. 640–647; see also Daub (1970), reprinted in Leff & Rex (1990), pp. 37–51.

[53] Adams (1919), p. 267.

title: Maxwell's demon

question: What does the story say about the characteristics of demons?

answer: A demon is a term used in Maxwell's theory for an entity that opens and shuts molecular doors. The primary characteristic of demons in the text seems to be that they are mediating entities on the molecular level. They are some kind of molecular gatekeepers.

question: What does the text say about Henry Brooks Adams' birthplace?


text:
As Claire dressed for the day, she studied her face in the mirror. She was pretty – that much she was sure of – but she was all too aware of the flaws and badly formed areas of her face. The eyelashes were good. Short, but thick and very dark brown, and curved just enough to throw off a glossy gleam to anyone close enough to see. She liked the color of her irises. Deep blue-grey, outlined in a charcoal that contrasted with the color of her eyelashes. She leaned forward on her elbows to get a closer look at herself. Hmmm, she thought, my eyes are nice. Turning her head different directions, she admired the way the colors and angles of her eyes looked from either side, marveling at the beauty others saw every day, something she never saw from a normal glance in the mirror. Perfect.

Her jaw line was different. It had never satisfied her. It was too thick, a throwback to her German roots. It was heavy, set like her mother’s. Seeing her mother’s imperfections always offended her; she became angry at the sight of her wrinkles, and at the way she pursed her mouth when she was concentrating. Those thin, bled-out lines of flaccid flesh creamed old age. It was so ugly. And even worse than the glaring senility was the humiliation that came when they were together and the waiter would remark that they’re obviously mother and daughter. If he was trying to be funny, he’d ask if they were sisters, out for lunch. And sometimes her mother would smile; other times, she’d hear an insult in his words, and then her eyebrows would merge and her lips would warp into squished worms. And there they’d be, stuck sitting across each other, left conscious of the contrast between them. This lead one to think of how much she had aged, and to reflect on life’s unfairness. The other was chilled to recognize her future, and knew that she had already seen glimpses of what would be on mornings after long nights.

The thought of those thin, worn lips unsettled her. As she hunched even closer to the vanity, she compared the lips in her mind’s eye to those in the mirror. They had a nice shape, and this pleased her, but as she slowly smiled, the pretty Cupid’s bow stretched, and became thin, common, and unremarkable. It became old. Instinctively she relaxed her mouth into a pout, and felt soothed by how lush and full it looked. She would have to remember to keep her mouth like this, and learn to smile better. A fluid smile -- spontaneous; a smile that would hold anyone spellbound. Her reflection smiled at her a few times, and it looked sincere enough, but the Cupid’s bow always unbent to the same disappointing, familiar line. Watching her lips morph from perfectly plump to flat worked a pit into her stomach, and her heart sank further with each smile.

Tired of the mirror and her mother, she quickly moved into the closet and looked around for something to wear. Anxiety filled her as she thumbed through her clothes; everything looked as if it had walked out of the closet of an obsolete “it-girl” and right into hers. Too much satin, too much shine and too much glisten. White summer slacks and anchor-emblem insignias and tailored jackets. . . Images of sunken cheekbones and too-loose skin wrapped in clothes whose price tags couldn’t even hide the truth of its contents. No, she thought, all of these are bad. Finding something else proved to be difficult. The closet was filled with Ralph Lauren and Hugo, two of her favorite brands. Two brands which oozed pricey out of every seam, something that she believed was essential in good style. After a few more minutes in her closet, she grabbed a magazine, searching through it for inspiration. She had hoped to find an article on youthful fashions, or maybe a photo spread of the newest trends, but she had thrown out most of her magazines, so her selection was considerably narrow. Flipping through the pages, she found a photo that would serve as a guideline to putting together the right outfit. She ripped the page out, then went through her clothes again to see what would look most like the clothes in the photo.

Using the floor-length mirror in the hallway, she critiqued her outfit. Although the retired-yacht aura still lingered, the clothes were matched to give the feel of youthful carelessness. Satisfied, she put some final touched on her makeup, then switched purses for the day. A lat gaze at her reflection reassured her. All she could see was a vibrant, beautiful girl. When she walked down the street, no one would think anything except that she was really very good looking. Everything pulled and clung in the right areas, and nothing made her shape look less than ideal. Smacking her lips together, she blew herself a kiss goodbye and walked out the door.

The sunlight was brighter than she expected; the light on her vanity was soft white, one of the most flattering. Outside, though, the light was sharp, harsh, and filled her with self-consciousness. She walked in the shade, head ducked, careful not to expose her face. The light was revealing. It tripped over every flaw, casting hard shadows the only highlight what she wanted to ignore. Glancing around to see who was watching, she very deliberately pulled her sunglasses on a struck a fast pace. They were nice sunglasses, a gift from an ex, and following the newest trend, they covered a large portion of her face. The sunglasses made her look stylish, and let her feel safe. Fro behind the sunglasses she studied the people of the street. One advantage of the bright light was the clear view of gave of everyone else that was out. There were several couples; a few made Claire jealous. They were so quintessentially together. From heir hair color to their style, even to the way the leaned in to each other when one spoke, they radiated harmony and happiness. She had never felt the way those couples looked, although there had been a handful of moments when she’d thought she’d gotten close.
Everyone else on the street was just the average person. There was a little girl who was cute enough, but her nose wasn’t right; it should have been a button nose. Her mother must have been somewhere near, but Claire couldn’t identify anyone whose features matched the girl’s. Maybe she doesn’t live with her mom, she mused, and her dad takes care of her. How nice of him. I wonder if her nose reminds him of his ex-wife. In a gesture of guilt, she reached up to touch her own nose, conscious that it was a bit too wide, although she had a good profile. Discouraged, she decided to head into the café down the street to have lunch. She woke late that day, and even though it was afternoon, she was hungry, and a café sounded like the perfect place for a pick-me-up. There were always interesting people in cafés; artists, writers, or people who just looked like artists or writers. Life seemed to be extraordinarily tragic for that crowd. They were entertaining and witty as a group, but when alone they’d hunker over a cold cup of coffee, cynically smirking to themselves and staring out the window. For some reason there were many naturally handsome people on this crowd, and they always had an air of smug conceit and assurance that made them seem perpetually youthful. A sort of devil-may-care attitude, and Claire found this extremely appealing.
Claire sat down at a corner booth and looked over the menu. Before the waiter came to take her order, she did a quick inventory to see who was in the café. There weren’t many people in there. Only a few college-aged girls and a group a young men who were chatting up the barista. The men were attractive; one was thin, with a light frame and expensive clothes. He was very well kept, with the pale, haloed features of an addict. She liked the way he cut his eyes o listen to his companions. They were ice-blue. The men laughed at something the barista had said, and Claire smiled, hoping to catch their attention. It worked. The taller man, with one with dark hair and an electric smile, met her eyes. His jacket was dark brown; it looked soft, well-made – tailored. She reminded herself not to smile too eagerly and make her mouth ugly. She wanted to give him an authentic smile, one that was genuine, but not as authentic or genuine as to lose her pucker. Carefully, she made her mouth into what she hoped passed for a perfectly-pouting, easy-going smile. She supposed that she was successful, because the man smiled in return. It was an even, full smile that reached up to his eyes. There was a dimple in his left cheek. Normally, asymmetrical features irked her, but his dimple seemed to be specially placed there, like an accent mark to set off the rest of his smile.
The man leaned over and whisper to the barista without taking his eyes off of Claire. As he spoke, the Adam’s apple in his throat worked subtly. Day-old stubble crept down from his cheekbones to shadow his jaw. She wondered what he was saying. It was about her, she was certain. The barista smiled at the man, and nodded, then sad something to the whole group of men that set them off laughing. The waiter came over and gave her a cup of coffee. Claire was disappointed, but on consideration, there wasn’t much else he could have sent her. It is a café, she thought. To let the waiter see her appreciation, she looked up at him and demurely said, “Thank you.” His expression showed that he was caught off-guard, by what, Claire could only guess. It was gratifying to know that he found her attractive. She watched his eyes dart over her face. The tall man at the bar was watching them, and laughed, nonchalant about lure Claire had cast out. The waiter hesitated for a moment, and then left. Knowing that the man with the brilliant smile watched, she carefully missed cream and sugar into the coffee, and raised the cups to her lips. Pausing, she peered over the rim of the cup, making eye contact with the man, so that he could make no mistake that the sip was intended for him. Her lips would pout perfectly on the rim of the cup, and she wanted him to see it.
Just as Claire has wanted, the man began to respond. Straightening his back, his smile softened. Instead of bright and electric like it was before, it turned sweet and secretive. Her sharp eye took in that new smile, and thoughtfully weighed its merits. Smiling seriously as he was, a new gravity hung around him, making him seem older in a puzzling way. There were tiny creases near his eyes, small enough that she had miss them at first, but there nonetheless. A lump worked into the back of her throat. The dimple in his left cheek was fainter, a hint of the mature smile, and she tired to concentrate on its shape. She regretted seeing those creases, because the attention he was paying to her was enjoyable. Making another effort, she sipped the coffee as a gesture and then set it down, faintly smiling her thanks in his direction, all the while trying to keep her mouth’s shape undistorted. A blush crept under the man’s whiskers, something she took as a delightful homage to her success. Nearly an unconscious movement, her fingers flew up to her mouth and traced the peaks of her Cupid’s bow, as if they were memorizing the set of her mouth as it was in that moment. She wondered how she had managed to hit on the right combination of a controlled and authentic smile. There were times when she worried that she was too concerned about her appearance, but experience always validated the draining effort of constantly critiquing herself and rewarded her diligence with success. The only thing that could have gratified her more was to be just as effectively alluring to a man who didn’t have crow’s feet around his eyes, even if his weren’t too noticeable. Dissatisfied, she began fidgeting in her seat, wishing that another, more attractive man would walk into the café. There had to be someone out there who would be what she needed, someone whose perfection and style could only be matched with hers. Sadly, no one walked into the café at that moment except for a young woman.
The light thrown from the opened door caught the dark-haired man’s attention, and Claire saw his eyes skim over the newly arrived woman. Her dress was fashionable and flattering, and undoubtedly the designer and envisioned it on a body like one it was on. Claire sullenly noticed the milky texture of the woman’s skin and the faultless composition of her face. Nothing was too big or unrefined; all of her features seemed to have been especially formed for the pages of a magazine, a face that a photographer would love. Claire cut her eyes back to the man. He had only looked at the new young woman briefly, but it had been enough. Swirling the coffee cup in his hand, he held his eyes down, as if her were suddenly introspective and shy. It was like the sight of that girl had changed his thoughts. Whatever had happened, he kept his gaze off of Claire for longer than was comfortable. Her confidence wavered. Gulping the last of her still-hot coffee, she stood up to leave, making an effort to do so with as much grace of movement as she could. She’d been told that, when using good posture, her neckline and shoulders could stop traffic. She made herself tall and lean, and moved how she thought a dancer might, with dignity and poeticism infused into every movement. She gave him her best show. With a look over her shoulder, she watched to see if he noticed; he didn’t. He stared into his coffee cup as if it held the secrets of life. Only as she walked out of the door did he acknowledge that she was leaving. He nodded his head and gave her a rueful smile. She took in the smile and weighted its meaning. There was nothing in it to save her. It only told her that something had changed in the man. As soon as she knew this, she realized that it had been inevitable all along. There would always be a younger, more attractive woman to take away her men.

She left the café walking tall and straight as she could, and although she strained to make her spine long and elegant, there was no way to make her neck long enough to entirely mitigate the thickness of her jaws and her flat nose. Mechanically, her hand found her sunglasses from within her purse and roughly put them onto her face as she stepped into the street. Again, the sunlight shone relentlessly down, beating the unsettled dismay in her stomach into a bitter and passionate anger. She was furious. Her mother’s face flashed in her mind, and she vehemently resented her mother and the shared features between them. Anger twisted her expression, forcing her eyebrows into a scrunched wreck and etching tense creases around her mouth. The sunglasses shielded her from onlookers, and she spitefully too advantage of this to indulge in her frown. After all her care and work to avoid expressions and emotions which would mold her face to be the same as her mother’s, it seemed as if it was unavoidable in the end. Even strangers knew what she really was, and what she would be.

Her humiliation was unbearable; she hated everyone on the street because she was so obviously an imposter. When she had left her house, her outfit had been young and hopeful. Now it was cheap and pathetic. It showcased her very average, unremarkable body, making it obvious to the world that she was nothing to be noticed – that she was on the same path to senility and obsolete ugliness as every other unattractive woman in the world. Her purse was heavy, and its weight pulled her shoulder down, making her stoop and walk with slightly uneven steps. All-too aware of how she looked, she ducked her head deep down towards her chest and walked faster, desperate to make it home.

As she got to her front door, relief washed through her. She hastily began searching her purse for her keys, but they were difficult to find, and it seemed like it was an eternity before her fingers found them. Then she couldn't unlock the door fast enough. Nerves and frustration made her jittery, and her anger rose at her inability to open her own front door. Finally, she unlocked the door, and rushed inside. Relief washed over her, and she pressed herself onto the entry-way wall. Pulling her sunglasses off, she put her hands to her cheeks, cupping their shape. Her fingers trembled over her face, prodding its contours invasively, picking at the incriminating features. Her breath came in quick, shallow beats, and her eyes flickered around the hallway.

She caught sight of herself in the large mirror near the entrance, and she was startled at the sight of her own eyes. She was thrown off-guard by how lovely they were, and stood there for a moment appreciating their beauty. Her breath began to slow, and she moved one hand from her face to her chest, trying to calm and still herself. The light in the hallway was the brilliant, incandescent light that came from a diffusion of the sunlight that played off of the glass panels in her door and the entryway mirror. It was luminous and kind, and softened the angles around her face. She smiled to herself, happy with the face in the mirror.

title: [MF] Her Mother's Daughter

question: What does the story say about flawed facial features?

answer: Claire is not satisfied with her heavy jaw line. She also dislikes her wrinkles and thin, worn lips. The little girl on the street has a nose that isn't right. Claire thinks her own nose is a bit too wide. She is normally irked by asymmetrical features. The man who smiles at her has tiny creases near his eyes.

question: What does the story say about plastic surgery?

question: What does the story say about attraction?

answer: Claire is jealous of the way the various couples she sees lean into each other when one speaks, radiating harmony and happiness. There are many naturally handsome people among the artist and writer crowd at cafes. Claire finds their devil-may-care attitude appealing. There are many attractive men at the cafe. She is gratified to know that the man who buys her a coffee finds her attractive. She wishes she could be that alluring to a man who didn't have crow's feet around his eyes. A young woman walks into the cafe and captures the dark-haired man's attention. Claire realizes there will always be a younger, more attractive woman to take away her men.


text:
[Artificial Intelligence: Learn Everything About AI in These Online Courses (Including AI Programming)]
Picture: ArkhipovAleksey/shutterstock
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) is not only relevant for science fiction writers.

Robots, automated translations and self-driving cars impressively show what possibilities arise with AI.

But WHAT IS AI exactly? And how can you LEARN MORE about it – and become an AI software developer yourself?

_(Jump directly to the online courses about AI here.)_

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Keep reading to find out:

1. What AI IS

2. Why AI is IMPORTANT TODAY

3. How you CAN LEARN MORE about AI and become an AI programmer

------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE? AND WHAT IS IT ABOUT?

The aim of AI research has always been to artificially emulate HUMAN INTELLIGENCE. This is, however, extremely difficult for a variety of reasons. (The problem starts with the definition of "intelligence".)

We speak about Artificial Intelligence today when computer systems SOLVE PROBLEMS INDEPENDENTLY.

In CONTRAST to a traditional algorithm ("if problem X, then solution Y"), the machine independently chooses the solution for a given problem.

To be able to do this, a computer system's SELF-LEARNING ABILITY is particularly important. The computer first needs to learn how certain tasks are solved.

So how can computers learn?

Simply put, by being trained USING LARGE DATA SETS. For this, the system is organized as an "artificial neural network", which works in a way similar to the human brain.

The learning process with training data is called MACHINE LEARNING or DEEP LEARNING. Thus knowledge is generated from experience – for example, by pattern recognition. Modern statistical methods are used to achieve this.

IN SUMMARY:

--> AI systems are NO LONGER BEING INSTRUCTED by their programmers with a fixed algorithm for a single solution.

--> The AI system LEARNS INDEPENDENTLY from huge data sets how problems are best solved.

--> To do that, the system needs to be programmed appropriately.

2. WHY IS AI IMPORTANT TODAY? WHY THE HYPE?

Recent developments have led to an enormous increase in the importance of Artificial Intelligence:

-   TECHNOLOGICAL PROGRESS: The programming of Machine Learning / Deep Learning systems with artificial neural networks is now well advanced.
-   DATA VOLUME: There are many areas with incredibly large amounts of data (Big Data) that are available for training purposes of AI systems (for example, image data, voice data, search queries).
-   COMPUTING POWER: The computing capacity to process large amounts of data is now available.
-   RELEVANT APPLICATIONS: AI applications for the mass market became possible, for example, in the areas of:

- Internet search (e.g., _Google RankBrain_)

- E-mail spam filters

- Speech recognition (for example, _Siri_, _Amazon Echo/ Alexa_)

- Automated translation (e.g., _Google Translate_)

- Image recognition (e.g., in radiology)

- Robotics and self-driving cars (connects AI technology and mechanical components)

The AI machines are FAR SUPERIOR to human experts in many areas. Reports about achievements in chess and poker, lipreading, and mind reading prove this point. Already pieces of music and paintings can be created independently by computer systems. And even chatbots are beginning to sound natural.

According to experts, Artificial Intelligence will affect MANY AREAS OF LIFE and most industries in the years to come. Therefore, serious critics like Professor Russel from UC Berkeley begin to consider a POSSIBLE FUTURE THREAT from "superintelligent" robots (see this speech).

Currently, there are many companies and organizations that require people to fill JOBS and projects that arise in the development and application of AI software. IT professionals with RELEVANT SKILLS are, of course, in great demand.

_The AI expert says: "Artificial Intelligence is the New Electricity":_

_(From 2:30, neural networks from 25:30)_

3. HOW CAN YOU LEARN MORE ABOUT AI PROGRAMMING?

We list various books and online courses below that deal mainly  with the PROGRAMMING of AI systems. (Some of them are even free.) These are mostly for computer science students or software developers who want to grow their skills. But OTHER INTERESTED LEARNERS can gain insight in AI as well!

(Note: Basic prior knowledge in certain areas is sometimes required. If you want to brush up on these subjects, check out these courses for example: Essential Mathematics for AI (Microsoft), Mathematics for Machine Learning (Imperial College London), and coding skills in the Python programming language.)

BASIC AI BOOKS

Even if they do not replace a university seminar or an online course, textbooks may be a useful ADDITION AND LEARNING AID for AI learners. Here are two well-known books:

-   Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach: A classic textbook by well-known Professors Russell and Norvig. At approximately 1,000 pages and on the professional level of an undergraduate study program, the "intelligent agent" is explored in great detail.
-   Deep Learning: This book gives a comprehensive explanation of machine learning with artificial neural networks for students and practitioners.  lt also includes sections about the required linear algebra and statistics knowledge.

ONLINE COURSES ON ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Introductory Courses for Beginners

These courses are often designed for students or programmers who want to approach the field of AI. The mechanics of artificial intelligent systems are explained step by step. Some of the courses can be taken FOR FREE, while an (optional) certificate may have a nominal cost.

-   BEGINNERS can get an overview of artificial intelligence in the AI for Everyone course offered by Andrew Ng, who is one of the leading AI experts. This course was not only designed for programmers and tech experts, but also for business executives and other learners with not technical background.
-   In the basic Intro to Artificial Intelligence course by provider Udacity, participants will also get a BROAD OVERVIEW of the subject. From statistics and the functioning of artificial neural networks to image processing, speech recognition, and robotics, many important areas are covered. Participation is free, but basic prior knowledge in statistics and linear algebra is required.
-   In the AI course from Columbia University (via edX), the foundations of AI can be studied as well. Since PRACTICAL AI PROBLEMS are being addressed, knowledge in Python is beneficial. The course is free, and an optional certificate can be purchased.
-   Artificial Intelligence AZ is the hands-on course by Udemy. Here, participants can learn how to program an AI sytem in more than 100 short video lessons. NO PRIOR CODING SKILLS are required (only high school knowledge in maths).
-   Machine Learning by Stanford University is one of the MOST FAMOUS introductory courses on the subject. Professor Andrew Ng was the leading AI expert at Google and Baidu, and he is the founder of Coursera. Course participation is free (an optional certificate can be purchased), and the necessary algebra basics are included in the course.
-   Microsoft teaches Principles of Machine Learning (via edX). Here participants learn how ML models in the programming languages R AND PYTHON can be created with the Microsoft Azure cloud computing platform.
-   Google also offers a free ML Crash Course. More than 18,000 GOOGLE EMPLOYEES have already taken the course, which also includes an introduction to Google's TensorFlow platform.

Longer Course Series for a Career Start in AI

These paid course series are usually made up of 4-6 INDIVIDUAL online courses (MOOCs). They comprehensively prepare you for a career in this field. You should allow some time in your schedule for these courses over several months. After successful completion, you can receive CERTIFICATES recognized by potential employers. (_"Are the Certificates Worth It?"_)

-   Artificial Intelligence Nanodegree (Udacity):

This series of courses offers comprehensive training in the field of artificial intelligence, which should enable immediate real-world programming activity. The courses and practical projects were created with INDUSTRY PARTNERS SUCH AS IBM AND AMAZON. The Nanodegree certificate from Udacity is well known by industry experts. Duration: approx. 6 months.

-   Artificial Intelligence MicroMaster (edX):

The MOOC series at Columbia University contains 4 courses. In addition to the basics, machine learning and robotics play an important role. The program contains approximately 25% of the content FROM A MASTER'S DEGREE PROGRAM at Columbia.

-   Deep Learning Specialization (Coursera):

This course sequence by LEADING AI EXPERT ANDREW NG gives a detailed introduction to Deep Learning. The various video courses and projects can be completed within a few months. However, prior coding knowledge is an advantage.

-   Machine Learning Engineer Nanodegree (Udacity):

This Nanodegree program from Udacity explains the technical DETAILS OF MACHINE LEARNING. The lecturer is Professor Sebastian Thrun, who is also the founder of Udacity. The program lasts about 6 months.

Other Interesting AI Courses

-   A PYTHON BOOTCAMP for ML applications is included in this online course from Udemy.
-   Four individual MOOCs are available in this course series – which covers ROBOTICS – from the University of Pennsylvania.
-   The AI application of SELF-DRIVING CARS is taught in these Nanodegree courses co-created by Daimler, BMW and Uber.
-   This Coursera Specialization shows how RECOMMENDER SYSTEMS can be programmed by means of ML.
-   DEEP LEARNING as a special field of Machine Learning is explained in great detail in this free video course, which was developed with AI experts from Google. There is also another free course program available from an IBM-sponsored learning platform. The advanced concept of DEEP REINFORCEMENT LEARNING is explored in this course series.
-   Key for modern machine learning systems are ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORKS, which are the main focus of this Coursera-MOOC.
-   This short video course shows how ML models in the Google Cloud with the open source platform TENSORFLOW can be implemented (1 week).
-   Those who want to approach the field of artificially replicated intelligence by a study of the HUMAN MIND can learn with these MIT video lectures, which explore the borders between computer science and philosophy.
-   Selected aspects of AI PHILOSOPHY are being discussed in the podcast series of MIT's Lex Fridman. This includes Gary Kasparov remembering the moment when he realized the superiority of AI chess computers.

EDUKATICO IS YOUR SEARCH PORTAL FOR ONLINE COURSES

THOUSANDS OF ONLINE COURSES from various providers in 22 subject areas are included in our directory (online lectures, MOOCs, and other video courses).

With the free Course Manager, you can organize YOUR ONLINE LEARNING and define your individual learning schedule.

Are you interested in online learning? You can subscribe to our NEWSLETTER here. And follow us on Facebook or Twitter!

question: What does the text say about the AI learning process?

answer: Large data sets are organized in systems of artificial neural networks. The learning process that uses this data is called machine learning or deep learning. The computers use modern statistical methods to achieve pattern recognition and thus form their own solutions.

question: What is the best online course in AI?

question: Summarize what AI can be used to accomplish.

answer: AI can support robotics and self-driving cars, internet searches and filters, speech and image recognition, and automated translation.

question: What does the text say about space travel?


text:
_NASTY GAL_ is the third and final studio album by American funk musician Betty Davis. It was released in 1975 on Island Records and was Davis' first album on a major label.

It failed commercially upon release, and after the failure of this album Island Records shelved her planned follow-up, _Is It Love or Desire?_ Under pressure by the record company, Davis abandoned her music career altogether shortly after this album's release.[1] It was reissued on Light in the Attic Records in 2009 on CD, and again in 2018 on colored vinyl in conjunction with record club Vinyl Me, Please[2], which has rekindled interest in the album by music critics and fans, generating favorable retrospective reviews.

Background

After the underground success of her previous two records, Davis toured extensively with a backup band called “Funk House” that included Nicky Neal, Larry Johnson, Fred Mills, and Carlos Morales. Her tours were marked by her exuding sexuality.[3] When ABC acquired her previous label Just Sunshine and its parent distributor Blue Thumb Records, Island Records approached Davis with a buyout offer. After accepting, Davis started working on new material for an album. On Davis' previous two albums, she relied on a multitude of session musicians, but felt a close connection with Funk House, so she chose to record the album with them instead.[4]

Critical reception

Initial reviews for the album were unfavorable. Critics believed Davis' image eclipsed her actual talent.[5] Davis had plans to release a fourth album, _Is It Love or Desire?_, and even recorded a few tracks before being ultimately shelved by Island. These sessions, which had featured Herbie Hancock, Chuck Rainey, Alphonse Mouzon, among others, were released in 2009 by Light in the Attic. After becoming disillusioned with the music industry, Davis retired.

After Light in the Attic reissued Davis' discography, contemporary reviews cropped up and have been much more positive, often noting that the album displays potential wasted by Island Records' dismissal of Davis' music and style.

Track listing

Charts

+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Chart (1976)                      | Peak                              |
|                                   | position                          |
+===================================+===================================+
| Australian (Kent Music Report)    | 96[6]                             |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+

Personnel

Adapted from LP liner notes.[7]

-   Betty Davis – vocals, producer, arrangement
-   Larry Johnson – bass guitar
-   Nicky Neal – drums, backing vocals
-   Fred Mills – keyboards, vocals on “Nasty Gal”, backing vocals
-   Carlos Morales – lead guitar, lead vocals on “Gettin Kicked Off, Havin Fun”, backing vocals
-   Errol Bennett – congas
-   James Allen Smith – synthesizer
-   Buddy Williams – bass drum
-   Gil Evans – conductor and arrangement on “You and I”
-   Bob Clearmountain – engineering
-   Josea Rodriguez – mastering

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

title: Nasty Gal (album)

question: What happened to Betty Davis's music career?

answer: American funk musician Betty Davis released her final studio album, Nasty Gal, in 1975. Even though Island Records released it, making it her first album released by a major record label, it was a commercial flop because it wasn't well received. Because of this, it was Davis's final studio album. Despite her best efforts, Island Records halted the release of her follow-up album, Is It Love or Desire. The subsequent pressures from the label forced Davis to discontinue her music career.

question: How did the critics react to the album?

answer: Reviews for the album were predominantly poor. Some thought that Davis's fame had overshadowed her talent, which was seen as a negative thing. Her fourth studio album, Is It Love or Desire, was still in the works despite the negative feedback she received from her previous project. Chuck Rainey, Alphonse Mouzon, and Herbie Hancock were among the musicians she had collaborated with. It was unfortunate that Island Records had no intention of releasing the album, so they put it on the back burner. Davis was eventually forced to retire as a result of this incident.

question: What was the aftermath of Davis's unreleased fourth studio album?

answer: While her third album Nasty Gal was a commercial dud for Island Records, Davis tried for a fourth studio album, which was eventually shelved by the record label. As a result, the album was re-released on CD in 2009 and colored vinyl in 2018 with the help of record club Vinyl Me, Please, and Light in the Attic Records. Fans and music critics alike became interested in the record after its revival. Retrospectively, the album received positive reviews, noting that Island Records' repudiation of Davis' music and style harmed the album's potential.


text:
KEEP SCOTLAND BEAUTIFUL is an environmental charity based in Scotland, which aims “to make Scotland a cleaner, greener and more sustainable place to live, work and visit.”[1] The organisation campaigns and educates on a range of environmental issues including climate change and litter reduction.

History

Keep Scotland Beautiful was founded as an independent Scottish charity in 2000, bringing together a range of environmental initiatives and activities including Waste Aware Scotland, Eco-Schools Scotland, People and Places Programme, Beach Awards and Beautiful Scotland.

The organisation’s origins lie in the 1960s, with the ‘Beautiful Scotland in Bloom’ campaign run by the Scottish Tourist Board and the Scottish Women’s Rural Institute. After this, under the auspices of Keep Britain Tidy, its focus in Scotland included educating young people about the environment through the Eco-Schools programme. Since becoming an independent Scottish charity, it has continued to campaign on a range of environmental issues including local environment quality and climate change.

Timeline

2000s

-   2000: Keep Scotland Beautiful is founded, bringing together a range of environmental campaigns, initiatives and awards.
-   2002: The charity launches ‘Have Some Pride’, a campaign aimed at reducing litter by encouraging people to take pride in their local area.
-   2003: The charity’s Local Environmental Audit and Management System (LEAMS) becomes a national benchmarking tool for local authorities to audit the quality and cleanliness of their local environments.
-   2004: Along with the Scottish Government and SEPA, Keep Scotland Beautiful launches the national flytipping campaign Dumb Dumpers, voiced by Richard Wilson.
-   2005: Former Chief Executive John Summers is awarded an OBE for services to the environment.
-   2008: Keep Scotland Beautiful takes on management of the Scottish Government’s Climate Challenge Fund, providing funding for community projects taking action on climate change.[2]
-   2008: Scotland’s first Litter Summit is hosted by the charity, attended by MSPs and members of the Scottish Government. One of the outcomes was to investigate a deposit return system for Scotland.
-   2008: In partnership with the Royal Horticultural Society, the charity launches It’s Your Neighbourhood,[3] a community initiative aimed at helping gardening groups make improvements to their local areas’ environments.

2010s

-    2010: Keep Scotland Beautiful presents the 1000th first-time Green Flag for Eco-Schools Scotland, celebrating the work of young people to protect the environment.
-    2012: The charity’s flagship Clean Up Scotland campaign is launched at the Scottish Parliament.
-    2013: Keep Scotland Beautiful awards its first Green Flags for parks, intended to celebrate well-kept green spaces.
-    2014: The organisation creates Scotland’ first National Award for Environmental Excellence®,[4] allowing organisations to benchmark their environmental performance.
-    2015: Following the launch of the One Planet Picnic initiative the previous year, the charity launches their national Pocket Garden[5] design competition for schools across Scotland.
-    2016: The charity publishes a report[6] revealing growing levels of litter, dog fouling and other antisocial environmental behaviours across Scotland. An update report[7] was published in October 2017, detailing how these trends had developed over the preceding year.
-    2016: The charity launches its ‘Give Your Litter a Lift’ campaign to tackle litter levels along Scotland’s roadsides.[8]
-    2018: Keep Scotland Beautiful becomes the first Climate Literate organisation in Scotland, as recognised by The Carbon Literacy Project.
-    2018: The charity launches several behaviour change campaigns aimed at tackling unsustainable consumption and its effects: Upstream Battle,[9] My Beach Your Beach and Cup Movement.[10]
-   2019: The charity launches, with funding from the Scottish Government, Climate Ready Classrooms - a programme aimed at secondary school pupils and teachers to help them understand climate change and the actions they can take to combat the climate crisis.

Programmes

Keep Scotland Beautiful manages several environment-related campaigns and programmes in Scotland. These include Eco-Schools Scotland, Climate Ready Classrooms, Clean Up Scotland, the Green Flag Award, the Beach Awards, Beautiful Scotland, the Climate Challenge Fund, the National Award for Environmental Excellence, Carbon Literacy Training and Heritage projects and Canal College.

[1]  Keep Scotland Beautiful|website=www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org|language=en|access-date=2020-02-26}}

[2]

[3]  Keep Scotland Beautiful|website=www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org|language=en|access-date=2020-02-26}}

[4]  Keep Scotland Beautiful|website=www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org|language=en|access-date=2020-02-26}}

[5]  Food and the Environment|website=www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org|language=en|access-date=2020-02-27}}

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

title: Keep Scotland Beautiful

question: What is the history of Keep Scotland Beautiful?

answer: Keep Scotland Beautiful was founded as an independent Scottish charity in 2000, bringing together a range of environmental initiatives and activities. The origins of the group are from the 1960s, with a campaign called "Beautiful Scotland in Bloom" run by the Scottish Tourist Board and the Scottish Women's Rural Institute.

question: What happened in 2019?

answer: In 2019, the group launches a school program called Climate Ready Classrooms, which aimed at secondary school students and teachers to help them understand climate change and the actions they can take to combat the climate crisis.


text:
“Daisy….”a soft voice whispered in the dim light.

Daisy looked around, startled.

“Whoever you are, go away.” Daisy said trying to place the voice. It was so familiar….

“Not a chance. You’re stuck with me now and you won’t be able to ignore me anymore” he hissed.

“I h-haven’t been ignoring you. I’m just very….”

“LIAR! You know you can’t lie to me, Daisy.”

Daisy burst into tears.

“Oh shut up. You can be such a baby sometimes.”

“W-what are you going to do to me?” Daisy asked while trying to control her sobs.

“I’m not going to DO anything to you. I just want to help you fill in the gaps.”

“What gaps?”

“The ones in your memory. For example, can you remember what you had for breakfast yesterday?”

“Of course! I had…. Uh…”

He chuckled.

“Daisy, Daisy, Daisy. You had oatmeal with sliced bananas on top.”

“I knew that! Shut up!”

“Do you remember Louis?”

“You mean my husband of four years? Yeah, like I could ever forget him.”

“Then you must remember what you did to him, right?”

Daisy could hear the smirk in his voice, and scrunched her face trying to sift through her memories. She couldn’t stand this bastard knowing more than her.

“I… I haven’t done anything to him.”

“Oh really? Absolutely nothing? Hah! Clearly you need me more than you know. You can’t remember anything.”

This time he laughed out loud, not even bothering to hide his contempt.

“There’s nothing to remember. You’re just fucking with me. Shut up!”

Daisy turned away, resolved to end this conversation.

“Let’s play a little game. I’m going to describe an event, and you’re going to try to remember it.”

Daisy stayed resolutely silent.

“Do you remember yesterday morning? It was a pretty uneventful day. Louis had breakfast with you and then left for work. Do you remember that, Daisy?”

Daisy nodded slightly, still trying not to engage.

“Do you remember how you burnt his toast?”

“I’m always doing things like that. Louis didn’t mind though.”

“And the bruise on your arm?”

“This little thing?” Daisy poked at it. “I was cleaning up and I dropped a dish. I must’ve hit my arm while picking it back up.”

Even Daisy could hear the uncertainty in her voice.

“Louis was so worried about it, too. He gave me an ice pack, and told me he loved and that he was sorry. I’m so lucky to have a man like him in my life.”

Silence. Daisy ran her answer through her head over and over, trying to see if there were any gaps or mistakes.

“And the stitches two months ago?”

“Another case of my notorious clumsiness. Louis was having some fun, and threw a glass at me…. I mean to me. I didn’t catch it and somehow managed to break it on top of that. I sliced open my hand on one of the pieces.  I needed twelve stitches.”

Daisy started laughing at herself.

“Louis was so nice after that! He visited me at the hospital every day, and gave me the most beautiful flowers. He kept saying over and over that he loved me and that he was sorry. He was always so sorry for my clumsiness…”

More silence. He studied Daisy for a bit, and in a gentler tone said, “See, this game isn’t that hard. Now let’s skip to the end of yesterday.”

“Let’s see, Louis came home from work; I fixed him dinner; he ate it; we watched TV; and then went to bed…. You’re right this game is easy.”

He let out a low, cool chuckle, any tenderness gone in a flash.

“Wrong! That’s not what happened last night. You’re omitting one crucial detail. Do you want another go? Maybe use a lifeline?”

“Uh, I can’t remember anything else…”

“And that’s what I’m here for. To help you…” his voice became more and more serpentine.

“The first part of your memory is spot on: you made him dinner, and he ate, and then watched TV. The last part, however, is a lie.”

“What do you mean?”

“Louis never made it to bed. Do you wanna know why?”

“No. You’re lying! He went to bed!”

“He never went to bed because he’s dead! You killed him!”

“No! No… I would never do that! I’m a good person. Louis loved me! Why would I murder him?”

“Bull shit! You’ve been planning this ever since you became extremely ‘clumsy’. You chose a knife because it made no sound, and you could watch the life drain from his body by your hand. You knew that slitting his throat would be both painful and silent. So you took your chef’s knife and walked into the living room. You went silently behind him and started stroking his hair. He moaned softly and you quickly drew his face up towards yours as if to kiss him. But instead of a kiss you drew the knife across his throat. He bled more than you thought he would, but it was worth it to see that look of understanding cross his face. He knew he was dying and that you had killed him!”

“NO no no no no no no…”

Daisy started rocking back and forth.

“You didn’t count on me though, did you? You planned everything so carefully, and once it was over, your mind neatly erased any memory of it. Except me. I’ll always be here, Daisy. That voice inside your head, forcing you to remember what you’ve done to me!”

And he started to laugh. Slowly at first but building into something maniacal and menacing. Daisy suddenly realized why the voice was so familiar, and broke down in tears again. She retreated to the corner, grabbed her knees, and continued to rock, mumbling no under her breath over and over.

*****

Behind the one way mirror the doctor looked at the woman in the corner of the cell and said, “Where did you find her?”
“She was wandering the streets downtown. She seemed to be talking to herself so I called the cops and just wanted to make sure she got some help. I’m glad they put her here with you. She seems safer in here.”
“She seems to have suffered some sort of mental break. She has injuries consistent with long term abuse and there was some blood on the clothes she came in with. So far she’s been unresponsive and I don’t know if we’ll ever find out who she is. Thank you for your help Mr…” the doctor glances down at the police report, “Tully.”

title: [MS] Daisy Tully

question: What can we determine about the voice speaking to Daisy?

answer: The voice starts off by trying to help Daisy recollect some incidents she seems to have forgotten - what she ate for breakfast and how she got a bruise on her arm. From there, the voice goads her about the nature of her relationship with her husband, reminding her of how she killed him. In the end, the voice seems to be that of Daisy's conscience, reminding her of the evil she's done.


text:
The was centered around the use of bid-rigging between 47 colluding Japanese firms and Japan Highway Public Corporation (JH) in the granting of contracts to build steel bridges in violation of Japanese competition law.[1][2] It was the biggest such scandal in the history of the nation up to that point, with an estimated 23.5 billion Japanese yen of unfair gains over fiscal years 2003 and 2004.[3][4]

Background and history

The scandal is one example of the long-time practice of _dango_, where construction companies and bureaucrats exchange favors and kickbacks for a mutually beneficial outcome, causing less competition and increased costs for public infrastructure.[5][6] In this case, former executives of JH had been given jobs in private firms in exchange for unreleased information about JH construction projects,[7] part of a tradition known as .[8] This had an effect on the public purse: an example is where contracts for bridges in Shizuoka Prefecture unfairly awarded in May 2004 increased JH's expenses by 45.7 million yen ().[9] The parties involved included major steel companies such as Kobe Steel[10] and Nippon Steel, as well as conglomerates such as Nippon Sharyo and Kawasaki.[11] They were represented by two bodies: A-kai (A association) and K-Kai (K-association), which have reportedly existed since 1960.[12][13] Businesses in both organizations had successfully netted most of the infrastructure orders between FY2002 and FY2004 put forward by regional bureaus of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT).[14]

Investigation

On 22 May 2005, prosecutors raided the offices of the 47 firms involved, with eight in particular being focused on.[15] Four days later, employees of 11 companies, including the eight previously scrutinized, were arrested.[16] The then-vice president of JH, Michio Usida, was taken into custody on 25 July and fired from his position on 22 August.[17] On 24 March 2006, the Fair Trade Commission of Japan ordered 44 companies to pay over 12.9 billion yen in surcharges to JH and the MLIT.[18]

Aftermath

The Japanese government amended and strengthened anti-bidrigging laws in light of the scandal as well others around the same time. By 2009, it was determined that many of these measures worked, with a substantial decrease in noncompetitive bidding.[19]

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[14] https://www.unafei.or.jp/publications/pdf/GG5/GG5_Adviser5.pdf

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title: 2005 Japanese bridge scandal

question: Explain the 2005 Japanese bridge scandal.

answer: 47 colluding Japanese firms and the Japan Highway Public Corportation used bid-rigging in the granting of contracts to build steel bridges. This violated Japanese competition law.

question: Who were some individuals involved in the scandal?

answer: Michio Usida, the vice president of the Japan Highway Public Corporation is the only individual named.

question: Describe the aftermath of the scandal.

answer: As a result of the scandal, the Japanese government amended and strengthened anti-bidrigging laws.

question: What is dango?

answer: A practice where construction companies and bureaucrats exchange favors and kickbacks for a mutually beneficial outcome, resulting in less competition and increased costs for public infrastructure.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The 2005 Japanese bridge scandal consisted of bid-rigging between Japanese firms and the Japan Highway Public Corporation (JH) in the granting of contracts to build steel bridges. As a result of the investigation, the vice president of JH was taken into custody and fired from his position and the government amended and strengthened anti-bidrigging laws.


text:
The 2019 SAN FRANCISCO DISTRICT ATTORNEY ELECTION was held on November 5, 2019, to elect the next district attorney of San Francisco. The election, which was held alongside the 2019 mayoral election in which incumbent mayor London Breed easily won her first full term, was won by public defender Chesa Boudin.

The incumbent district attorney, George Gascón, announced in October 2018 that he would not seek a third term.[1] Gascón then abruptly resigned in October 2019, and Breed appointed Suzy Loftus to replace him on an interim basis.[2][3]

Four candidates, Chesa Boudin, Suzy Loftus, Nancy Tung, and Leif Dautch, ran in the nonpartisan election,[4][5] with Boudin and Loftus seen as the front-runners.[6] San Francisco elections are conducted using ranked-choice voting: voters are permitted to rank the candidates in order of preference, and should no candidate garner a majority of first-choice votes, the support of the candidates with the fewest votes are successively re-allocated until one candidate attains a majority.[7]

The winner of the election was unclear for several days;[8] Loftus conceded the race to Boudin on November 9.[9] The final results showed Boudin defeating Loftus by 4.6 percentage points in first-choice votes, and by 1.7 percentage points in the final round.[10]

Background

In January 2011, district attorney Kamala Harris resigned to become attorney general of California, having been elected in 2010.[11] George Gascón, at the time the chief of police of San Francisco, was appointed as her successor by outgoing Mayor Gavin Newsom, who had been elected in 2010 to become lieutenant governor of California.[12] Gascón was subsequently elected to two full terms as district attorney, in 2011 and in 2015.[13]

On October 2, 2018, after Suzy Loftus announced her candidacy for the office, Gascón announced that he would not seek re-election. On October 19, 2019, in the midst of the campaign, Gascón abruptly resigned as district attorney;[14] he said he was considering running for district attorney of Los Angeles in 2020.[15][16] Mayor London Breed then appointed Loftus to replace Gascón.[17][18] The appointment was criticized by Loftus's election opponents, who charged that Breed was conferring the advantage of incumbency on her preferred candidate less than three weeks before the election;[19][20] until the appointment of Loftus, the election had been slated to be the first open race for district attorney in over a century.[21][22] However, some contend that the appointment hurt Loftus's chances in the election, as voters felt that the decision had seemingly been taken away from them.[23]

Candidates

-   Chesa Boudin, public defender[24][25]
-   Leif Dautch, prosecutor, former deputy district attorney of San Francisco[26][27]
-   Suzy Loftus, interim district attorney of San Francisco, former police commissioner of San Francisco[28][29]
-   Nancy Tung, prosecutor, deputy district attorney of Alameda County, former deputy attorney general of California [30][31]

Endorsements

Polling

+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
| Pol | Dat | RCV | Sam | Mar | Che | Lei | Suz | Nan | Und | Ref |
| l   | e(s | cho | ple | gin | sa  | f   | y   | cy  | eci | s   |
| sou | )   | ice | siz | of  | Bou | Dau | Lof | Tun | ded |     |
| rce | adm |     | e   | err | din | tch | tus | g   |     |     |
|     | ini |     |     | or  |     |     |     |     |     |     |
|     | ste |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
|     | red |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
+=====+=====+=====+=====+=====+=====+=====+=====+=====+=====+=====+
| Tul | Oct | Fir | 400 | ± 4 | |   | 10% | 18% | 11% | |   | [32 |
| chi | obe | st  |     | .9% | 21% |     |     |     | 40% | ][3 |
| n   | r   |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     | 3]  |
| Res | 13– |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
| ear | 16, |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
| ch  | 201 |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
| (Bo | 9   |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
| udi |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
| n)  |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+

Results

[First choice results by congressional district: ]

The results of the election are shown in the following tables:[34]

  Candidate           Round 1   Round 2           Round 3
  ------------------- --------- ----------------- ---------
  Chesa Boudin        68,785    73,530            86,682
  Suzy Loftus         59,990    66,489            83,850
  Nancy Tung          37,337    46,608
  Leif Dautch         27,021    rowspan = “1” |
  CONTINUING VOTES    193,133   186,627           170,532
  EXHAUSTED BALLOTS   0         6,437             22,409
  OVER VOTES          525       594               717
  UNDER VOTES         12,387    12,387            12,387
  TOTAL               206,045   206,045           206,045

  : Round-by-round results[35]

Aftermath

Loftus conceded to Boudin on November 9.[36][37] Since Boudin was seen as by far the most progressive candidate in the race, the result was interpreted as a continuation of a national trend of bold criminal justice reformists elected in large cities, including Larry Krasner in Philadelphia; Rachael Rollins in Boston; and Kim Foxx in Chicago.[38][39]

Boudin took office on January 8, 2020.[40]

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title: 2019 San Francisco District Attorney election

question: Who won the election?

answer: Chesa Boudin

question: Who were the candidates?

answer: Chesa Boudin, Suzy Loftus, Nancy Tung, and Leif Dautch

question: When did Loftus concede to Boudin?

answer: November 9, 2019

question: Who was the interim district attorney before the election?

answer: Suzy Loftus

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The 2019 San Francisco District Attorney Election was held on November 5, 2019. Chesa Boudin won, defeating three other candidates, including Suzy Loftus, who had been appointed interim district attorney following the resignation of George Gascon.


text:
PERIOD (PER) is a gene located on the X chromosome of _Drosophila melanogaster_. Oscillations in levels of both _per_ transcript and its corresponding protein PER have a period of approximately 24 hours and together play a central role in the molecular mechanism of the _Drosophila_ biological clock driving circadian rhythms in eclosion and locomotor activity.[1][2] Mutations in the per gene can shorten (_perS_), lengthen (_perL_), and even abolish (_per⁰_) the period of the circadian rhythm.[3]

Discovery

The period gene and three mutants (_perS_, _perL_, and _per⁰_) were isolated in an EMS mutagenesis screen by Ronald Konopka and Seymour Benzer in 1971.[4] The _perS_, _perL_, and _per⁰_ mutations were found to not complement each other, so it was concluded that the three phenotypes were due to mutations in the same gene.[5] The discovery of mutants that altered the period of circadian rhythms in eclosion and locomotor activity (_perS_ and _perL_) indicated the role of the per gene in the clock itself and not an output pathway. The period gene was first sequenced in 1984 by Michael Rosbash and colleagues.[6] In 1998, it was discovered that _per_ produces two transcripts (differing only by the alternative splicing of a single untranslated intron) which both encode the PER protein.[7]

Function

Circadian clock

In _Drosophila_, _per_ mRNA levels oscillate with a period of approximately 24 hours, peaking during the early subjective night.[8] The _per_ product PER also oscillates with a nearly 24-hour period, peaking about six hours after _per_ mRNA levels during the middle subjective night.[9] When PER levels increase, the inhibition of _per_ transcription increases, lowering the protein levels. However, because PER protein cannot directly bind to DNA, it does not directly influence its own transcription; alternatively, it inhibits its own activators.[10] After PER is produced from per mRNA, it dimerizes with Timeless (TIM) and the complex goes into the nucleus and inhibits the transcription factors of _per_ and _tim_, the CLOCK/CYCLE heterodimer.[11] This CLOCK/CYCLE complex acts as a transcriptional activator for _per_ and _tim_ by binding to specific enhancers (called E-boxes) of their promoters.[12][13] Therefore, inhibition of CLK/CYC lowers _per_ and _tim_ mRNA levels, which in turn lower the levels of PER and TIM.[14] Now, cryptochrome (CRY) is a light sensitive protein which inhibits TIM in the presence of light.[15] When TIM is not complexed with PER, another protein, doubletime, or DBT, phosphorylates PER, targeting it for degradation.[16]

In mammals, an analogous transcription-translation negative feedback loop is observed.[17] Translated from the three mammalian homologs of drosophila-per, one of three PER proteins (PER1, PER2, and PER3) dimerizes via its PAS domain with one of two cryptochrome proteins (CRY1 and CRY2) to form a negative element of the clock.[18] This PER/CRY complex moves into the nucleus upon phosphorylation by CK1-epsilon (_casein kinase 1 epsilon_) and inhibits the CLK/BMAL1 heterodimer, the transcription factor that is bound to the E-boxes of the three per and two cry promoters by basic helix-loop-helix (BHLH) DNA-binding domains.[19]

The mammalian period 1 and period 2 genes play key roles in photoentrainment of the circadian clock to light pulses.[20][21] This was first seen in 1999 when Akiyama et al. showed that mPer1 is necessary for phase shifts induced by light or glutamate release.[22] Two years later, Albrecht et al. found genetic evidence to support this result when they discovered that mPer1 mutants are not able to advance the clock in response to a late-night light pulse (ZT22) and that mPer2 mutants are not able to delay the clock in response to an early night light pulse (ZT14).[23] Thus, mPer1 and mPer2 are necessary for the daily resetting of the circadian clock to normal environmental light cues.[24]

_per_ has also been implicated in the regulation of several output processes of the biological clock, including mating activity[25] and oxidative stress response,[26] through _per_ mutation and knockout experiments.

_Drosphila melanogaster_ has naturally occurring variation in Thr-Gly repeats, occurring along a latitude cline. Flies with 17 Thr-Gly repeats are found more commonly in Southern Europe and 20 Thr-Gly repeats are found more commonly in Northern Europe.[27]

Non-circadian

In addition to its circadian functions, _per_ has also been implicated in a variety of other non-circadian processes.

The mammalian period 2 gene plays a key role in tumor growth in mice; mice with an mPer2 knockout show a significant increase in tumor development and a significant decrease in apoptosis.[28] This is thought to be caused by mPer2 circadian deregulation of common tumor suppression and cell cycle regulation genes, such as _Cyclin D1_, _Cyclin A_, _Mdm-2_, and _Gadd45α_, as well as the transcription factor _c-myc_, which is directly controlled by circadian regulators through E box-mediated reactions.[29] In addition, mPer2 knockout mice show increased sensitivity to gamma radiation and tumor development, further implicating mPer2 in cancer development through its regulation of DNA damage-responsive pathways.[30] Thus, circadian control of clock controlled genes that function in cell growth control and DNA damage response may affect the development of cancer _in vivo_.[31]

_per_ has been shown to be necessary and sufficient for long-term memory (LTM) formation in _Drosophila melanogaster_. _per_ mutants show deficiencies in LTM formation that can be rescued with the insertion of a _per_ transgene and enhanced with overexpression of the _per_ gene.[32] This response is absent in mutations of other clock genes (_timeless_, _dClock_, and _cycle_).[33] Research suggests that synaptic transmission through _per_-expressing cells is necessary for LTM retrieval.[34]

_per_ has also been shown to extend the lifespan of the fruit fly, suggesting a role in aging.[35] This result, however, is still controversial, as the experiments have not been successfully repeated by another research group.

In mice it has been shown that there is a link between per2 and preferred alcohol intake.[36] Alcohol consumption has also been linked to shortening the free running period.[37] The effect of alcoholism on per1 and per2 genes have also linked to the depression associated with alcohol as well as an individual's disposition to relapse into alcoholism.[38]

Mammalian homologs of _per_

In mammals, there are three known PER family genes: PER1, PER2, and PER3. The mammalian molecular clock has homologs to the proteins found in _Drosophila_. A homolog of CLOCK plays the same role in the human clock, and CYC is replaced by BMAL1.[39] CRY has two human homologs, CRY1 and CRY2.[40] A computational model for model has been developed by Jean-Christophe Leloup and Albert Goldbeter to simulate the feedback loop created by the interactions between these proteins and genes, including the _per_ gene and PER protein.[41]

  ------------------- --------------------------------- ---------- -------- -------- ------------- ------------- ------------- ----------------- ------------- ------------------ ---------------- ------ ----------- --------------- ------- --------- ---------------------------- ------------------- --------------------------------- ---------- -------- -------- ------------- ------------- ------------- ----------------- ------------- ------------------ ---------------- ------ ----------- -------------- ------- ----------- ---------------------------- ------------------- --------------------------------- ---------- -------- -------- ------------- ------------- ------------- ----------------- ------------- ------------------ ---------------- ------ ----------- -------------- ------- ------------ ----------------------------
  {{infobox protein   period homolog 1 (Drosophila)]]   caption=   image=   width=   HGNCid=8845   Symbol=PER1   AltSymbols=   EntrezGene=5187   OMIM=602260   RefSeq=NM_002616   UniProt=O15534   PDB=   ECnumber=   Chromosome=17   Arm=p   Band=12   LocusSupplementaryData= }}   {{infobox protein   period homolog 2 (Drosophila)]]   caption=   image=   width=   HGNCid=8846   Symbol=PER2   AltSymbols=   EntrezGene=8864   OMIM=603426   RefSeq=NM_003894   UniProt=O15055   PDB=   ECnumber=   Chromosome=2   Arm=q   Band=37.3   LocusSupplementaryData= }}   {{infobox protein   period homolog 3 (Drosophila)]]   caption=   image=   width=   HGNCid=8847   Symbol=PER3   AltSymbols=   EntrezGene=8863   OMIM=603427   RefSeq=NM_016831   UniProt=P56645   PDB=   ECnumber=   Chromosome=1   Arm=p   Band=36.23   LocusSupplementaryData= }}
  ------------------- --------------------------------- ---------- -------- -------- ------------- ------------- ------------- ----------------- ------------- ------------------ ---------------- ------ ----------- --------------- ------- --------- ---------------------------- ------------------- --------------------------------- ---------- -------- -------- ------------- ------------- ------------- ----------------- ------------- ------------------ ---------------- ------ ----------- -------------- ------- ----------- ---------------------------- ------------------- --------------------------------- ---------- -------- -------- ------------- ------------- ------------- ----------------- ------------- ------------------ ---------------- ------ ----------- -------------- ------- ------------ ----------------------------

The human homologs show sequence and amino acid similarity to Drosophila Per and also contain the PAS domain and nuclear localization sequences that the Drosophila Per have. The human proteins are expressed rhythmically in the suprachiasmatic nucleus as well as areas outside the SCN. Additionally, while Drosophila PER moves between the cytoplasm and the nucleus, mammalian PER is more compartmentalized: mPer1 primarily localizes to the nucleus and mPer2 to the cytoplasm.[42]

Clinical significance

Familial advanced sleep-phase syndrome known to be associated with mutations in the mammalian Per2 gene. People suffering from the disorder have a shorter period and advanced phase where they go to sleep in the early evening (around 7pm) and wake up before sunrise (around 4am). In 2006, a lab in Germany identified particular phosphorylated residues of PER2 that are mutated in people suffering of FASPS.[43] Chronotherapy is sometimes used as a treatment, as an attempt to alter the phase of the individual's clock using cycles of bright light.

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title: Period (gene)

question: What does the text say about melatonin?

question: What does the text say about the Period gene?

answer: Period (PER) is a gene located on the X chromosome of "Drosophila melanogaster". Oscillations in levels of both "per" transcript and its corresponding protein PER have a period of approximately 24 hours and together play a central role in the molecular mechanism of the "Drosophila" biological clock driving circadian rhythms in eclosion and locomotor activity. Mutations in the per gene can shorten (perS), lengthen (perL), and even abolish (per⁰) the period of the circadian rhythm. The period gene and the three mutants (perS, perL, and per⁰) were isolated in an EMS mutagenesis screen by Ronald Konopka and Seymour Benzer in 1971.


text:
The coffee shop was small, barely used, and would soon go out of business if their sales remained constant. It was a shame, as they made good drinks.

I sat, working on my fourth cup. I got there five minutes early, and had been chugging the damn things like they were the key to survival. My pen and paper were out, drawing all possible connections to the case. But what the hell were there?

She arrived, followed in by a group of people. I instantly knew this to be peculiar, as this place had no income of people this extravagant.

"Hello, what do you want-"

"YOUR GOD DAMN MONEY." A mechanical glove was on his hand, just like the one from the security camera. Except the two had different voices, heights, gaits, and posture. So it must be some new Arso weapon they're manufacturing to enact their crimes.

I pulled the gun from the armpit holster under my suit. It was a custom Colt 1911, something that never failed and something that always had my back.

"Easy there, pyro. Put your empty hand skyward, and the gauntlet facing down." He turned, raising it towards me. I pulled the trigger, sending a shot through his skull. He fell, and the others formed into a group with my date in the middle. Funny, he we were and I didn't even know her name.

"Give us the money, we give you her. Los entiendes?"

"No."

"Very well." They shot her in the knee with a revolver. They took one of the gloves and spewed a wall of fire between me and them, before dragging her out and into a car waiting outside. The leader of the group punched the clerk as hard as he could with the stainless steel, taking all of the cash out from the register. He turned to me, and spit at me.

"What do you want? Chaos, anarchy, war?"

"Doesn't matter. Just know-"

"What?" I backed into a corner, the flames licking at my feet.

"Vive la revolution."

title: [MS] (Tobias Kelly) Crash and Burn - Part 3: *Fuego*

question: Where does the action take place?

answer: The action takes place in a coffee shop.

question: What does the group of people want?

answer: The group of people wants the narrator's money.

question: What weapons are the strangers using?

answer: The strangers are using some sort of fire gauntlets.

question: Where do the strangers take the girl?

answer: The strangers take the girl to a car waiting outside.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator is waiting for their date in a coffee shop. When she arrives, a group of people arrive with her. They demand the narrator's money, and when they refuse they take their date and set the coffee shop ablaze.