Fallout New Vegas quits to desktop with no error message

Question: Just installed Fallout New Vegas.
After some time of game play the game just quit to Desktop without any error messages.
Can someone point me directions on why this is happening and how can I fix it?
Running on Windows 7 32-bit, nVidia GTS250 MB.
Answer: The game is very buggy, make sure you have the latest patch installed (should happen automatically if Steam is not in offline mode). Also try to install the latest Nvidia driver.
But most likely you just have to wait for a new patch to fix some more of the numerous crashing bugs this game obviously has.
Answer: If you have a multi-core machine, you may want to try these instructions: Fallout 3 (and New Vegas): Video/Display Freezes, sound keeps going

Please Note: Even though this was written with Fallout 3 in mind, it also works for Fallout New Vegas. Enjoy!
The game engine has some issues with processors that have more than 2 cores. You can force the game to only use two of them and it will stop the freezing. I haven't had it freeze once since I did this several days ago.
Open up the fallout.ini file in: My Documents\My Games\Fallout3
(Note: In Fallout New Vegas, Most tweaks which would normally go in the Fallout.ini file in Fallout 3 actually need to be made in the Fallout_default.ini file found under the \Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\fallout new vegas directory in Fallout: New Vegas. This is because when the game is launched via Steam, it opens the launcher first, which overwrites your Fallout.ini file with the contents of the Fallout_default.ini file, along with your launcher settings. Make a backup of Fallout_default.ini, then edit it with a text editor.) (Source)
Find the line:
bUseThreadedAI=0
change it to:
bUseThreadedAI=1
Add another line after it and insert:
iNumHWThreads=2
This will limit the game to 2 cores and prevent the engine bug from
  causing the game to freeze.
Answer: From the PC Gaming Wiki's "Fallout New Vegas - Game Crashes Randomly" article:

D3D9.dll Replacement

Start the installer in compatibility mode for Windows XP SP3 and as an Administrator.
Download D3D9.dll from MediaFire or a similar source.
Place D3D9.dll in the directory that contains FalloutNV.exe.

Random Crashes  (Random Crashes that tell you FalloutNV.exe has stopped working.)

Download the following mods: NV Stutter Remover, CASM, Fake Fullscreen Mode Windowed.
For assistance on downloading these mods: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0E5E8CA384409B11&feature=plcp

I have personally tried NV Stutter Remover and CASM. NV Stutter Remover modifies the game to be more "stable" (more info on its New Vegas Nexus page here). CASM (Cipscis' Automatic Save Manager) allows for an incremental auto-save function specified by a time preset (can also be done manually through a hotkey), allowing you to load a savegame close to when FNV crashed. Fake Fullscreen Mode Windowed runs the game in windowed mode, which some report as helpful in preventing crashes (more info in its New Vegas Nexus page here).


What does mean the mind boggles?

Question: I have a query about the mind boggles? It's too hard to understand for English learner.
so what does mean the mind boggles?
Answer: "Mind-boggling" or to "boggle your mind" is an expression that means overwhelming, startling, amazing, or astonishing.
Here is a definition:

having a very powerful or overwhelming effect on the mind
a mind-boggling [=stunning] performance
amazingly or confusingly large, great, etc.
a mind-boggling array of options
He received a mind-boggling $200 million in pay.
The sheer vastness of space is mind-boggling.
Answer: To boggle, like many English verbs, can be both transitive or intransitive.
The complexity of this system boggles the mind.
The mind boggles at the complexity of this system.
In face of such complexity, the mind boggles.

What does mean the mind boggles?


Using Machine Learning to Predict Musical Scales

Question: It's possible to use Machine Learning techniques to cluster songs into musical-scale groups? I mean: "this song was written in C"... or "this song was written in Am" etc. I made a fast search about the subject and I found no software that can do this. If you know some software, or research (academic papers), related to that subject, could you link it here for me? I'm very interested in that subject but I'm not sure from where I can begin. I have a little experience with Random Forests and Neural Networks, maybe I can accomplish the classification task with one of those algorithms, but, again, I'm not sure which kinda of features I should pass to the algorithm. Thanks in advance.
Comment: What data are you starting with? If you've got sheet music, this is going to be a lot easier than starting from audio, etc
Comment: Hi @PhilipKendall , the data I expect to be the input is an music file (a .wav for example).
Comment: Looks like an interesting area to research on.. All the best.. have a look into the algorithm behind SoundCloud and other popular music classification apps that sorts the music based on their genre / tone etc..
Comment: Look harder. e.g. libXtract. People have tried that, but it is kot half as easy as you think it is... it's not really that well defined, either, unless you have the original score (then it may be clear what the author meant, or not). And of course, some change tonality, too.
Answer: From a very high level -- You can convert the song to a spectrogram, there are a large number of implementations to do this. From there you can analyze the sound waves. In the case of the key, for instance, the note A is equal to 440 hz. Look into FFT as well.  Hope this helps get you started. I know spotify trains neural networks on spectrograms of songs to find similar songs based on "sound".
Comment: Thank you very much sir! I'm taking a look in Fast Fourier Transform right now.
Answer: You can take a look at Music Information Retrieval Evaluation eXchange (MIREX). An annual competition with number of different tasks from MIR. The most relevant to your question being Audio Key Detection. Explanation papers for the used approaches can be found here.
In terms of library for extracting knowledge from audio signal I'd recommend Essentia. There are numerous features you can compute over time window in a track including tonal descriptors (key and scale).
Once you've built discriminative representation of a track for your task you can use any supervised classification model fed with labeled data. There are several musical datasets on the web labeled with track information. Take a look at GTZAN, each track has genre, tempo and key as meta.
Comment: Thank you @ov32m1nd . Essentia is exactly what I was searching for. Seems like a great place to start. I'm taking a read on its paper right now (ps: sadly I don't have sufficient reputation to positive your answer :/ ).
Answer: I kept searching and I recently found this and this articles that seems to be very promissory. I think that if I can identify a good number of notes from a music, I will be able to identify the music scale itself.
If you guys have more material to suggest on this subject I'll be very grateful.


What kind of mushroom is this?

Question: I found this in my garden:
What type of mushroom is it? What is that ink-like substance? Does it affect in some way to the other plants?
Comment: Welcome to the site! We generally don't answer questions about safety of eating a mushroom or plant. However, if you change the question just to ask which mushroom it is, we'd be happy to try and help with that. As you can see, @pnuts gave you a link to compare your mushroom for identification purposes. Other people might also do that. Since you're new here, have a look at our [help] to learn about our site. Leave a note here if you'd like us to re-word the question or explain further. We hope you stay and have some fun!
Answer: It's not clear from the comments whether or not you've found the answer to your question, but this is one of the Coprinopsis mushrooms or toadstools, commonly known as Inkcap. They start out bellshaped, then flatten out over time, and the spore print is black - as it deteriorates, it can exude black liquid, which once was used as ink. It's a saprophytic mushroom, meaning it lives on dead matter, and will not be harmful to other plants. Info here https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coprinopsis_atramentaria
Comment: Close, but not exact. It's C. comatus, not atramentaria. (Sorry, sudden bout of know-it-all-ness ;-))
Comment: @Stephie - oh dear, well obviously the link was misleading - I only put in the link as general info on Coprinopsis  or inkcaps in general rather than atramentaria in particular, so yea, you're right - most excrete inky black stuff over time

What kind of mushroom is this?


What is the percentage of free riders in public goods games?

Question: Of all experimental public good games that have been conducted in laboratory & field settings, what is the average percentage of subjects that can be classified as free-riders (as opposed to (strong) cooperators & conditional cooperators)?
Comment: This chapter in the *Handbook of Experimental Economics Results* may be useful: http://www.sciencedirect.com.proxy.lib.sfu.ca/science/article/pii/S1574072207000820 And there's a 20+-year-old review by Ledyard that you might find useful http://www.econ.ohio-state.edu/kagel/handbook.html#Chap2cont
Answer: So you are looking for a meta paper that aggregates results from other papers. What you mean by "all experimental public good games" is unclear because the setup of most public good games is different. The multiplicator of the public good, the number of rounds, the level of allowed commucination, whether there is punishment, etc., these frequently vary and have a very big impact on the course of play.
Another reason why such a meta paper is unlikely to exist is because the ratio of cooperators is context dependent. How the possible actions are labeled: 'Cooperation' and 'Defection' or 'Give money' and 'Save money' has a strong effect on behavior. So even seemingly similar, 'basic' games could be very different.
Your best shot may be trying to find a famous experiment and seeing if there have been any replications. You could then aggregate the data and calculate the desired ratio.
Comment: thanks denesp! this paper looks potentially useful: http://home.cerge-ei.cz/richmanova/UPCES%5CZelmer%20-%20Linear%20Public%20Goods%20Experiments%20A%20Meta-Analysis.pdf
Comment: @Job If it turns out to provide the sort of answer you are looking for do post it.
Comment: There is an [Experimental Economics Replication Project](http://experimentaleconreplications.com/).


Рисовать: drawing or painting?

Question: The phrase "что он рисует?" is translated as "what is he drawing?". I'm interested in why not 'paint'? It seems to me that to paint and to draw is kind of the same in Russian? If we open a random website about art and craft in English we can see even two different categories for painting and for drawing: https://diysguide.com/category/painting/. And we understand the difference. Are there any other words except рисовать?
(sorry, it's not my native)
Comment: So, words don't depend on the medium? I know that чертить is used for pencils, but is рисовать used for every medium?
Answer: In English, the word painting represents creating art impressions using wet media (like paint, pigment, dye), while drawing encompasses dry media (graphite, chalk) as well as wet media/shaped tip (pen, marker) impressions.
In Russian, there is no such distinction. There is only one generic word for creating artistic impressions by hand - "рисовать". Other words that might be used as synonyms ("изображать", "раскрашивать", "писать" etc.) can be used only in narrow contexts.
Comment: Actually, there is a distinction, when you speak with or about an artist. Artists use different words for "drawing" (рисовать) and "painting with oil" (писать маслянными красками).
Comment: @Marina - I agree, but this is what I call "narrow context". In "layman terms", "писать " is "рисовать".
Answer: There are some words in Russian to designate various types of making images:
рисовать (from рисунок — a picture) — to paint, to make an illustration, a picture;
чертить (from черта — a line) — to make technical drawings;
изображать (from изображение — an image) — to make an image; also could be use as a synonym for imitate;
красить, раскрашивать (from краска — dye) — to fill (a contour), to paint smth with dye, color pencils, markers, etc.;
иллюстрировать (from иллюстрация — an illustration) — to illustrate;
писать (lit. to write) (jarg.) — to paint a picture (using by painters).
Of course, there could be used a lot of prefixes, especially for рисовать: нарисовать, разрисовать, отрисовать, обрисовать.
Answer: Meaning of the question "Что он рисует?" depends on context. If you are talking about a kid, it may mean "drawing"o or "painting". But if you are talking about a professional artist, it means "What is he drawing?" only.  If an artist is using oil paint, the question would be "Что он пишет?" or "Над чем он сечас работает?". It would be illiterate to say about a painter "Он рисует".  This is a part of a professional jargon, I think. I know, because I used to speak with artists in Russia.
Answer: По-русски, только малышня говорит рисовать(drawing), более литературно, культурно и красиво говорить: "писать картины" painting pictures

Рисовать: drawing or painting?


Is there a crosswind that would perfectly cancel out the "torque" of a C172 on takeoff?

Question: We all know that on takeoff you need right rudder in order to balance out the "torque" of the propwash hitting the tail.  Is there an exact crosswind that would cancel out this torque?
Answer: It is reasonable to believe, (as it is with most hypothetical questions of this sort...) that the answer is yes.  However, there are a few things to consider:

It would need to vary to the degree that the throttle is advanced.

It would need to vary during the acceleration as aerodynamic effects change.

So, if you think you might be able to listen to ATIS and discern that you won't need rudder on the takeoff roll, it isn't that simple.
Comment: Yeah I know I was just story telling.
Comment: Then there was gyro precession effects on taildraggers.  When I was  part owner of a C-180, when it was on wheels, if you tried to raise the tail early, with a bit too much gusto, the propeller precession would swing it left pretty hard.  If there was a strong left xwind, you'd find yourself running out or rudder.  Much safer to hold the tail down with elev and let it come up gently after past about 30kt.
Comment: Good point.  I consider adding this to my answer, but the OP asked specifically about a 172.
Answer: NOTE: This is not meant to be a scientific analysis. In older 172's such as a 172M, when there is a 2-3 degree crosswind perpendicular to the path of the airplane it seems to cancel the torque out on departure. In the newer models like the 172S, it is more like 4-5 knots.
Comment: Fascinating experiential answer!
Answer: Yes, but not really.
If the the 172 were traveling at a constant velocity and with a constant prop speed (rpm), then there would be a linear combination of crosswind direction and wind speed that would exactly cancel out the torque.  For example, a 90 degree crosswind would need a lower velocity to counter the torque, whereas a narrow angle crosswind would need a much higher velocity.
But on takeoff, the aircraft velocity will be increasing over time.  Whatever crosswind direction and velocity numbers you chose which fit the example above would not work for all other aircraft velocities.  As the velocity increases, the effective force on the vertical stabilizer (and fuselage) from air will change.
To make this easier to imagine, consider a craft moving at 500kts with a 20kts 90 degree crosswind vs a craft moving at 5kts with the same crosswind.  The faster the craft is moving forward, the less off-axis wind forces will matter.
So when the aircraft is motionless, and the engine is set for takeoff power, the crosswind direction and velocity combination that will perfectly counter the torque will be one set of numbers, but as the aircraft increases speed the perfect counter numbers will change.  Ignoring the complexities of fluid dynamics, this could be represented in a 3D graph (crosswind direction, crosswind velocity, and aircraft velocity).  It would look something like a tilted triangle.


Does a great work bring benefits to the entire region or just to the 4 cities which built it?

Question: In a big region of 16 cities there are 4 great works to build but not every city can built them, just the four which surround them. Will the Great work bring benefits to the entire region or only to the cities surrounding them?
Answer: It is only to the 4 cities that built it. Sorry :(
Comment: That is not what I expected :(
Comment: @SadlyNot - Having not played Simcity, I can only assume that if the region played its cards right, each city should benefit from one great work.
Comment: This what I expected. The type of resources generated by Great Works (education, tourists, energy, etc) all need a road connection for agents to travel along.
Comment: @popo if this is the answer your looking for please accept it or tell me what I can do to make it better.
Answer: The 16 city regions are broke up into clusters of 4 cities each. Each 4-city cluster does NOT even "see" or notice the other cluster's Great Work. Let me show you an example:

I have a Space Center Great Work in the red highlighted portion, but my current city does not even recognize it as being built, because its in a different cluster of the region.
There are regions with more than 4 city cluster to 1 Great Work site, however. Whitewater Valley (5 cities to 1 Great Work) and Reflection Atoll (7 cities to 1 Great Work) both exceed that number.
This is all very contrary to the wording on some of the descriptions of the Great Works (saying that they benefit the entire region).
Also, I do believe most of the Great Works' benefits arrive by road, and that's the main separation reason of the clusters, highway region roads.
Comment: @Popo They gain benefits from unlocks and such, and I believe if you are connected by a river or rail you can ship materials between cities. That's about all the "connected-ness" you get though.
Comment: Thank you for your answer. We can assume that in the big region the 16 cities aren't all connected. Am i right?
Comment: The big region w/ 16 cities is actually 4 small city clusters.


What's the title of the soundtrack in Ranma 1/2 Episode 20?

Question: What's the title of the soundtrack played in the scene where Azusa is talking to her toys in Ranma 1/2 Episode 20? It kinda sounds like Tchaikovsky.
Answer: I don't know the name of the soundtrack from the anime, but it sounds very much like Tchaikovsky's Allegro non troppo from Piano Concerto No. 1.


Sharepoint Designer changes browser enabled form?

Question: I currently had a browser enabled InfoPath form which would open from SharePoint.  I recently made changes in SharePoint Designer (specifics here, it's the accepted answer: Simple way to color code a column in a document library?) and now my InfoPath form will still open in a browser and can be saved, but if I want to modify it, it wont let me open the form in a browser. It has to be opened in the client application. Any help/suggestions as to how I can modify it through the browser?
Comment: are you receiving any error or something when you open to modify in browser?
Comment: What are you even talking about?
Answer: Wouldn't you just want to use rules within InfoPath to handle that?  You can create display rules based on the value of fields.
Comment: I have it set to open in a browser, but for some reason when I click it on the Sharepoint server (only to modify not create) it opens it in the infopath client.
Answer: just check what is the extension of the form- .xsn or .xml?
fyi .xml will open in browser and .xsn will open in client


Sources of information about postdoctoral/PhD grants and funding

Question: We are a research group in Spain. For first year postdocs and PhDs from other european countries that want to come to our lab, there is no support for spanish ministry of science. Therefore we wonder where can we find information about such funding from any other country in the world.
Comment: This is a good idea, but I fear that the directory would be quite large and quickly go out of date. We have a department that produces an online directory of all the funding opportunities available at all levels, across all departments. It covers everything from travel grants to multi-million euro EU projects. There are many many opportunities. Maintaining such a list across countries would be difficult.
Comment: _it is to our advantage to avoid encouraging competition_ — [citation needed]
Comment: could we acccess your online directory?
Comment: Unfortunately, it is only accessible to staff and only in Dutch.
Answer: As a PhD student trying to find a good postdoc position it's in my interest to help you find funding for places. These links may help as they all currently have open calls for projects/fellowship funding:

Google Awards http://research.google.com/university/relations/research_awards.html
Marie-Curie Actions http://ec.europa.eu/research/mariecurieactions/
ERCIM https://fellowship.ercim.eu/

Please let me know if you manage to get some funding ;)


Does an Arduino 101 come with bluetooth HID capabilities?

Question: I would like to prototype an Ergodox-like keyboard. My take on this good design would be to affix each half of the keyboard to my chair's armrests, so that the arms are always in a natural relaxed position. In order to achieve this, bluetooth capabilities seem necessary in order to avoid cable mayhem each time I move the chair.
I am aware that the Arduino Leonardo has USB-HID capabilities, but will that translate to the additional USB module that would be required? I saw that Adafruit has an EZ-key bluetooth module that seems to fit the bill, but even so, it would require more cabling and complexity, for a project that is already very near my threshold (or above it).
What would be easy is if the Arduino 101 had HID capabilities. I would just need to solder the matrix of keys, and almost be done. Does it?
Thanks for your attention.
Answer: The Arduino 101 has HID capabilities. I found example code for using the Arduino 101 as a keyboard, as well as some other discussions saying that the Arduino 101 has HID capabilities.
Here is some example code on GitHub.


The word for the place like library without books!

Question: You're probably wondering what kind of library that is, but I mean a place that is very quiet and people usually read books, or newspapers or do academic work, but there are no books or librarians there, it's just a peaceful place to read books. What's the word for that ?
Comment: I believe that either "library" or "community center" could be used. This reminds me the movie I recently watched, *Robot & Frank*, since I couldn't find the exact dialogue in the movie, I will borrow the relevant part from Wikipedia, "[library] is being renovated and turned into a community center in the wake of declining interest in print media". If I recall correctly, this high-tech community center uses augment reality to replace the printed books.
Answer: A "reading room" is generally a quiet space for reading books. It may or may not contain books.
A "study" is generally a room for reading in a large home or estate. A study will often contain books.
A "study room" is generally a publicly accessible space at, for example, a library or school. The room itself usually does not contain books. Study rooms often have tables and a door, so that people can work together without disturbing people outside the reading room.
Comment: Or "study hall".
Answer: I think you are describing what is known as a "learning commons". Wikipedia says:

Learning commons, also known as scholars' commons, information commons or digital commons, are educational spaces, similar to libraries and classrooms that share space for information technology, remote or online education, tutoring, collaboration, content creation, meetings and reading or study. Learning commons are increasingly popular in academic and research libraries, and some public and school libraries have now adopted the model. Architecture, furnishings and physical organization are particularly important the character of a learning commons, as spaces are often designed to be rearranged by users according to their needs.

Here are some images of such places:
http://cdn.architecturelab.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/slc_highres_05.jpg

(source: ectorhoogstad.com)
Comment: I love these pictures!
Comment: It should be noted that this is a relatively newfangled term. Even the Wikipedia article mentions that the concept has been around for "a few decades," and I believe it's picked up steam with the advent of wireless internet cafes and such. It's a valid answer to the O.P.'s question, but one that might not be all that applicable in every location. +1 for the "contemporary" answer.
Comment: @Tyler James Young - Agree! 4 pictures = > 4000 words. Way to explain a new concept.


Does MIMIC-III have patients with atrial fibrillation & knee osteoarthritis?

Question: Do you know if the MIMIC-III database includes patients (in parcticular their free-text notes, medications & demography) - that have either atrial fibrillation,  knee osteoarthritis or closely related diseases?
Answer: Almost certainly there are patients with atrial fibrillation:
select value, count(distinct icustay_id) as numad
from chartevents
where itemid = 212
group by value
order by numpat desc;

   value         | numadm
-----------------+--------
Normal Sinus     |  24787
Sinus Tachy      |  15481
Sinus Brady      |   7512
Atrial Fib       |   5416

In terms of osteoarthritis, one can check the ICD-9 codes that were used to bill for the patient's hospital stay. Looking for patients with ICD-9 code 715 (Osteoarthrosis and allied disorders) gives:
select count(distinct hadm_id) as numadm
from diagnoses_icd
where icd9_code between '715' and '71599';

 numadm
--------
   1453

And isolating that to Osteoarthritis of the lower leg (which knee is classified under):
 select count(distinct hadm_id) as numadm
 from diagnoses_icd
 where icd9_code in ('71516','71526','71536','71596');

 numadm
--------
   321


Automated Manual Testing / Robot-computer interaction

Question: What is the technical term for a computer mechanically interfaces another computer? For example a robot mechanically interacting (vs API) with a PC or smartphone as a human would to automatically gather data and making input decisions based on feedback from the device
At a software level, it can be like Selenium Webdriver simulating clicks on a web page.

Possible use cases are

Quick and dirty way to interface with a proprietary mobile app system to achieve automation interoperability without reverse engineering APIs
Software Testing Cases

I wish to do more research into this. Is there an off the shelf prototype that is available for purchase? Or some schematic that would allow you to device your own, complete with open source APIs? One that fits many device types and brands?
Comment: the first thing that pops into my head is a `touchpanel test jig`
Answer:
Is there an off the shelf prototype that is available for purchase?

Generally, of the shelf robots, there are plenty, specifically for UI testing there are none

Or some schematic that would allow you to device your own, complete with open source APIs?

Generally schematics/APIs for robots, there are plenty. Specifically for UI testing there are none


How to build a map with markers from single posts?

Question: I'm writing a blog which is currently hosted at Wordpress.com. My blog posts often contain content from different cities in my country. Now I'd like to include some kind of geoposition in my blog. Furthermore there should be another site with a map (optimal solution would be an OpenStreetmap) and markers which are at the geoposition and link to that specific post. Currently I have no idea if this is possible at all and how to realise it. How can I realise it?
Answer: Since your blog runs on wordpress.com, your options are limited.
In order to render the map, you need the data in some form that the map can process it. Either addresses or geocodes.
In order to generate the map dynamically without manual interference, these data need to be saved with the post, and somehow retrieved.
With wordpress custom fields you should be able to save those data. This functionality is only available as VIP:
https://vip.wordpress.com/documentation/vip-development-tips-tricks/custom-fields/
Also, as far as I can see the plugin support at wordpress.com is limited.
The only thing that comes near your desire is the use of google maps, but as far as I can see I am afraid you will have to insert the markers manually. See: "embed a Custom Google Map into your WordPress.com blog":
https://en.support.wordpress.com/google-maps/
Good luck!


Understanding DNA match of 1,723 cM

Question: I have a DNA match of 1,723 cM with a male 6 years younger than me. His father is one of a twin, could my match be not my half-sibling but my 1st cousin.
Answer: Given the 1723 cM number, I'm interpreting "his father is one of a twin" as "his father and my father are identical twins". This means that genetically, you and your first cousin are half-siblings.
The difference between genetic relationships and biological relationships is a nuance that the consumer DNA market ignores wholesale. If my child were to take a DNA test, all of the sites would claim a parent-child relationship with my sibling, with cheerful 100% certainty. (Just to make it clear: my sibling is childless, so all of the sites would be 100% wrong about the biological relationship.)
Answer: The Shared cM Project 4.0 tool v4 for 1,723cM does not suggest first cousin but it does suggest half-sibling.  If grandparent, grandchild, niece/nephew and uncle/aunt are ruled out or considered unlikely based on your age difference then half sibling seems to be the most likely.  Sibling is also a remote possibility.
Comment: Note that given the mention of twins in the question, this answer needs a strong disclaimer that it's talking only about _genetic_ relationships, not biological or social ones.

Understanding DNA match of 1,723 cM


Difference between ISTQB & BBST, Which one have powerful content?

Question: I know it could be an opinion-based question between two groups(ISTQB vs BBST) but I would like to say as the content is invaluable for anyone who wants to be a better tester. if as freshers want to start his/her career then which one will be more valuable from the content & skill point of view. which can help most to the candidate in the competitive world or make someone a good test tester?
Comment: When you see it from a career perspective ISTQB has more value, just go to linked in and search keyword istqb under jobs , you can find many roles but for bbst its hard to find any.
Comment: Certification is like real estate investment, you put down your time , money and efforts , and its important to choose the right one.
Comment: If this is opinion based, then even this too https://sqa.stackexchange.com/q/44703/40022. Most questions will be opinion based and the answers will be to, it is up to the author of the question to choose the best answer that is applicable to his context.
Comment: This is entirely an opinion based question.Although certifications may help to understand the terminology  a bit , it is practical exposure testing real projects which clarifies and solidifies the testing concepts in one's mind.
Comment: @VishalAggarwal I don't understand how is this opinion based when you have reference like available job roles, user experience., recruiter feedback etc  This question is important for someone who is planing to start a career in this industry.
Answer: This might be an opinion-based question, so I'll add my opinion.
I've yet to find a job description that would mention BBST, but I've found several that mentioned ISTQB among the requirements. PDHide mentioned something similar in the comment section. You can try to search on some job portals and gather more information on this. I've also been asked some questions from the exams during interviews. However, it's important to know that frequency does not automatically equal quality or usefulness or whatever. It very well could be that ISTQB is more available, therefore it's easy to want candidates to have this exam as at least some sort of proof they are serious about testing.
You can actually see the syllabus for ISTQB online: https://www.istqb.org/downloads/syllabi/foundation-level-syllabus.html That's actually all that will be tested during the exam. I still think you can learn something from it, but it's important to balance it with some context and practice.
On the other hand, BBST seems to be a bit more practical:

"Buzzwords" such as domain testing, risk-based testing, bug advocacy, testing tours, context-driver testing are highly relevant, yet ISTQB doesn't seem to mention them. It's partly just a different terminology, but that matters as well after all.
Lastly, I don't think this should a either-or question. You can sign up both for ISTQB and BBST. They will bring different values to you, and you'll most likely learn something from both. If, however, you want to focus only on being successful "in your CV", ISTQB seems to have a bigger reach.
Comment: word of caution - once you learn all these good terms and procedures you may be more frustrated at your workplace and with co-workers who don't know the terms and practices.
Comment: in ISTQB domain testing is mentioned as Equivalent partition , with each partition to be considered as a domain
Comment: I would recommend to start with ISTQB and then do anything else. As it gives clear introduction to simple yet important terminologies and approaches needed in Testing domain.  It helps you during technical team discussions , sometimes words plays more role than skills when it comes to management level. Thats why we have BDD , KDD etc :D
Comment: @MichaelDurrant true should know the audience


Online courses in standard university curriculums

Question: Does anyone know examples where online courses (or other similar eLearning methods) are currently used effectively in the curriculum of a university?
Comment: What does "effectively" mean in the context of this question?
Comment: Maybe this question is interesting for you: [Can I include the completion of Udacity and Coursera classes I have attended in an academic CV?](http://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/2336/can-i-include-the-completion-of-udacity-and-coursera-classes-i-have-attended-in)
Comment: Fully online or semi-presential? (aka, can I do it from the other side of the world, or I have to go to a regular class/exam at some point)
Comment: if there are functioing examples of online exams I would also be interested in that
Comment: @50k4, perhaps you should ask that as a new question.
Answer: There are several types of online learning. Some practical considerations you seem to be wondering about are meeting times, delivery methods, and best practices in online learning.
The time of meeting could be described as synchronous, asynchronous, or a combination of both. Synchronous refers to the practice of the students and instructor meeting online on specific days at specific times. Asynchronous means that the students and instructor do not have to "meet" or connect online on specific days and times. Most online courses are asynchronous.
The delivery methods of online course content is as varied as the universities, majors, and faculty involved. Nearly all of them will use an LMS, or Learning Management System, to deliver course content to students. Some of the most popular are Blackboard, Brightspace by D2L, and Canvas. The content itself may be text-based, video-based or audio based and may include interactive elements, whether simply utilizing the discussion and quiz tools in the LMS or more complex learning interactions such as simulations or gamification.
You can get started in finding some of the best practices for online instruction can be found by searching academic research using keywords such as: elearning, distance learning, online, best practices in online learning (or elearning, or distance learning), and postsecondary (higher ed) educational technology. Another research topic that might be of interest to you is instructional design models. Many of the best practices in online teaching and learning have much in common with F2F best practices. The delivery method is simply the means, not the end.
Additionally, there are universities offering bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees in instructional technology, instructional design, or educational technology where one can make a study and subsequently, a career, in online learning. There are also many national and international organizations devoted to the continual improvement of distance/online learning/elearning in both K-12 and higher ed.
Answer: Online master's programs are quite common in Library and Information {Science|Studies} schools/departments. Sometimes there is a (very limited) requirement for face-to-face attendance, e.g. an opening orientation bootcamp.
As far as I know, no online LIS program has lost accreditation merely for being online. Admittedly that's not the best way to measure effectiveness, but it's hard to know what is, exactly.
Some working professionals still maintain a hiring bias against students from online programs. To the best of my knowledge that has diminished over time (though not to zero), and in my experience most of their objections (when they can be bothered to articulate them) are either mistaken or specious.
Comment: Could you please explain more about the practical aspects? How are exams carried out, is there live interaction (videochat or similar), video lectures or lectrue notes? Are there any best practices?
Comment: Few exams on the master's level (it's usually project-based work), but we can either use the learning-management system's quiz function or do a timed release of an exam paper. Live interaction level varies; where I am, some require it and some (like me) prefer wholly-asynchronous. Video lectures are common; most of us post our lecture slides for students also. Best practices -- large literature on this, check it out. :)
Comment: could you give sime hints how to search for the literature on best practices?


Can I duplicate magazines other than S.P.E.C.I.A.L. to gain skills?

Question: Can I use duplicate glitch to duplicate magazines such as U.S. Covert Operation Manual or Astoundingly Awesome Tales to stack the skills or advantage? Like SPECIAL magazine, every duplicated item is new/unread. Can I dupe other types of magazine?
Comment: What other magazines do seems to be the equivalent of addPerk command, which does not allow multiple instances of the same perk to stack bonuses. I'll leave answering to someone who can test that however. It could be helpful if you added a reference to how the glitch works.
Answer: No, you cannot duplicate magazines to gain perks from them. Unlike the 'You're Special' book, as Deltharis mentioned in the comments, the magazines actually give you an instance of a perk, or unlock tattoos/hairstyles/settlement items.
There would be no reason to duplicate tattoos/hairstyles/settlement items magazines, as finding them unlocks the reward, and there's no use in unlocking them again. Some of the other magazines, such as the Wasteland Survivor's Guide and Amazingly Awesome Tales, each give a unique perk with only one rank (e.g. Wasteland Survival 1, Wasteland Survival 2, and so on).
The remaining magazines (Grognak the Barbarian, Massachusetts Surgical Journal, Tales of a Junktown Jerky Vendor, Tesla Science, Tumblers Today, U.S. Covert Operations Manual, Unstoppables) have multi-point perks, where each magazine gives one point into that perk. However, magazine duplication does not give multiple points into the respective perk. Each magazine needs to be found to max out the respective perk (Example of user describing no bonus effects from duplicating perk magazines and bobbleheads).
There is actually a case of the same magazine being obtainable in the game twice, without item duplication. Grognak the Barbarian issue #05 is obtainable in both Vault 75 and Vault 81. I obtained both #05 issues before finding all 10 issues of Grognak, but only received a point in the Barbarian perk for the first one I found. To get the Barbarian perk maxed at 10 points, I had to find all 10 issues of the magazine.
Answer: I did duplicate the magazines but there is no effect. I think both the book and magazines are programed differently. I wanted to stack the tesla for the 10% extra in core duration but to no avail. It doesn't happen the same as with the book. Dogmeat got a new one, but can be seen on his mout, so I guess it is possible to duplicate them but there is no effect other than having multiple copies.


Why cook green plantains?

Question: Many cookbooks and chefs recommend cooking green plantains before eating them.  Is it just because of all the starch? Or are there any toxins as in sprouting potatoes?  Does the ratio of amylose to amylopectin have anything to do with the recommendation?
Comment: Cookbooks and chefs would probably recommend cooking potatoes before eating too.
Comment: Have you ever *eaten* a raw green plantain? YUCK!
Comment: In my experience, both amylase and amylopectin taste bad when uncooked. It is probably more the ratio of sugar to starch which is important here. (Starches turn to sugar while ripening).
Comment: I stumbled on this page while looking for solution to stomach upset after eating a meal of unripe plantain. I now suspect that it was not well cooked. I had indigestion all night. Thsnks for your response.
Answer: According to the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN) "Banana and plantain do not contain significant levels of any toxic principles."  Raw, unripe plantains can be difficult to digest, especially if eaten in large quantities.  Doing so can lead to upset stomach.  This may be due to the fact that they contain starches resistant (RS2) to digestive enzymes, compounds that inhibit salivary amylase production, and significant quantities of amylose.
Raw, unripe plantains and bananas also have a starchy or waxy texture and a bitter flavor which can be unpalatable.
Answer: If you eat a brown very ripe Plantain, they taste just like a banana. Any plantain that is green or yellow, will taste better peeled and cooked.Be sure to use a peeler for this as it is almost impossible to take the skin off of an unripe plantain.
Comment: This is essentially repeating the question, not answering it.
Comment: @JanDoggen how so? The question says nothing about flavor.

Why cook green plantains?


Are paper airplanes on-topic here?

Question: Considering that origami is an art, and paper airplanes are basically the same, except that you make airplanes with the paper and throw them, is paper airplane making within the scope of crafts.se?
Comment: You were too quick accepting an answer with just one opinion and no convincing vote count. Meta questions should draw some discussion.
Comment: Meta is one place where I feel like the accepted answer feature doesn't even make sense. You can accept the lowest voted one, if you feel like it! I personally don't see the point in bothering.
Comment: @CamilStaps I unaccepted it.
Answer: Yes, absolutely, the same as any other paper or modeling craft.
Just as you said, it's a folding paper art. It's also about making models. We've established origami as on topic, and paper crafting. I expect model making will be on topic. Paper airplanes fit into any one of these, so there's no reason to exclude them.
However, the questions should be about the craft itself, and not trivia such as "What's the largest paper airplane ever made?"
And not about making specific models, such as "How do I make a B-52 bomber?", same as with origami where "How can I make a paper giraffe?" wouldn't be allowed.
But "What can I add to my paper airplane to make the point sturdier without adding much weight?" or "Reliably tape parts to paper airplane without creating imbalance" should have a place here.
Comment: If someone can write an answer justifying why paper airplanes would be off topic when origami and model making are on topic, please do so. Maybe it'll help explain this down vote.
Comment: I suggest editing the heading to "It depends", because you also give examples of questions that would not belong here.
Comment: @Camil I really don't see the point, because they're the same examples we'd use for any craft, really. It's the same scope of on topicness as the rest.
Comment: It's simply that your heading doesn't fit the body.
Answer: Yes, absolutely. As the person who's been asking most of the origami questions, I'd actually think of it as an origami sub-category, say, like kusudama, unit origami, rezuru, tesselations, microgami, currency/business card/gum wrapper, or free-form origami, that has its own special issues/techniques.  I would, however, recommend tagging it as paper-airplane to be able to pull out the paper aircraft specific questions from the rest of the origami "noise".
The main thing is that the questions should probably be about the physical creation (folding, materials) of the airplane, while questions solely about aerodynamics of paper aircraft might be better served on aviation.SE or physics.SE.  Issues in designing said aircraft might be a toss-up.
See:

paper-airplane tag on aviation.SE.
paper-airplane tag on physics.SE.

Are paper airplanes on-topic here?


I'm looking for the word that says there's such a thing as using too much description

Question: In editing a book I'm trying to find the word to tell the author that there is such a thing as using too many descriptive phrases or too much description. Anyone? Keep thinking alliteration, but that's not right. Example, He refilled the stumpy thing. He was referring to his scotch glass. Stumpy is unnecessary, and excessive. Which he does often. So, what's the word I'm looking for?
Comment: There's a such thing as "verbosity."  Using too many adjectives is often described as "flowery language."  If the words actually add no meaning, then the term is "deadwood."  Ironic, though, that you're criticizing this person for having too many words when you yourself don't have enough.
Answer: There's a such thing as "verbosity."

verbosity
the state or quality of being verbose; superfluity of words; wordiness

Also, using too many adjectives is termed "purple prose" or "flowery language."

purple prose
prose that is too elaborate or ornate.

If the words actually add no meaning, then the term is "deadwood."

deadwood
(in writing) unnecessary words, phrases, or exposition; expendable
  verbiage.

Ironic, though, that you're criticizing this person for having too many words when you yourself don't have enough.  But you're right about using too many adjectives.  It makes for terrible writing. So tedious.
Comment: There's also 'prolix'
Answer: and now from the OED: a noun!

TMI n. colloquial (originally in the language of electronic
  communications) too much information; usually implying disgust or
  disapproval in response to a disclosure of an excessively personal or
  graphic nature.

As in:

1996   Lemonade & Pizza in alt.cosuard (Usenet newsgroup) 25 Mar.
  All the underwear in question is briefs and not boxers. TMI?

Information overload (1967) was and still is used, but the OED added TMI as a noun in 2009.
Answer: I'd also suggest

Excessive going beyond a normal or acceptable limit in degree or amount

and

Overkill the state or an instance of going beyond what is usual, proper, or needed

but you could also use

Superfluous: 1a : exceeding what is sufficient or necessary : EXTRA
  b : not needed : UNNECESSARY
  2 obsolete : marked by wastefulness : EXTRAVAGANT
Comment: I like superfluous
Answer: Informally, purple prose.
Purple prose is characterized by the excessive use of adjectives, adverbs, and metaphors.
Formally, euphuism.
Euphuism is a peculiar mannered style of English prose. It consists of a preciously ornate and sophisticated style, employing a deliberate excess of literary devices such as antitheses, alliterations, repetitions and rhetorical questions.


How can I remove freckles from my skin?

Question: my question is that: how to remove freckles from my face? As my face  is completely covered by freckles and it becomes more prominant when I apply makeup or any other cosmetic to my skin. It becomes very embarrassing for me when I go to any event. According to my point of view, freckles, wrinkles or pimples appear on the skin because of some deficiency or lack of something in our body. So what's the reason behind the appearance of freckles on the skin?
Comment: freckles are rusty nerve endings, so you've got nerves of steel ;)
Comment: I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because it is about a health issue. Please see the [tour].
Answer: Freckles are generally harmless. A freckle is usually caused by exposure to ultraviolet light which darkens the pigment in the skin and as a result are more common in the summertime and fade in the winter. Genetics play a role as well in the formation of freckles. Use sunscreen when outside in the sun and don't overdo the sunshine exposure and it should rectify itself.
Answer: For removing freckles take one lemon juice and dip a cotton ball then apply it on your face in the freckled area ,after ten minutes when you see soaking the juice in your skin wash it with cold water,apply this process twice a week.

How can I remove freckles from my skin?


I want to lose weight, what now?

Question: Someone has made the decision to start losing weight today. The person should choose a diet program and a sport maybe.

How to choose the best diet program for ourselves?
Are there other things one should consider?
Answer: You'd need two things more than others:

Diet : Choose a diet which meets your needs the most. I found an interesting article on "Choosing a diet that's right for you", here's a summary of it:

[...]Think about these factors:
Past diets. Think about diets you may have tried before. What did you like or dislike about them? Were you able to follow the diet? What worked or didn't work for you on this diet? How did you feel physically and emotionally while on the diet?
Personality. Do you prefer to diet on your own, or do you like getting support from a group? If you like group support, do you prefer online support or in-person meetings?
Budget. Some weight-loss programs require you to buy supplements or meals, or to visit weight-loss clinics or attend support meetings. Does the cost of such programs fit your budget?
Special needs. Do you have a health condition, such as diabetes, heart disease or allergies? Do you have specific cultural or ethnic requirements or preferences when it comes to food? These are important factors that should help determine which diet you choose.
For a safe and effective weight-loss approach, look for these features:
Flexibility. Look for a plan that doesn't forbid certain foods or food groups but instead includes a variety of foods from all the major food groups. A healthy diet includes vegetables and fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, lean protein sources, and nuts and seeds — and even an occasional sweet indulgence.
Balanced nutrition. A weight-loss plan should include proper amounts of nutrients and calories for your individual situation. Diets that direct you to eat large quantities of certain foods, such as grapefruit or meat, that drastically cut calories, or that eliminate entire food groups, such as carbohydrates, may result in nutritional problems, even if you take vitamins or supplements.
Enjoyment. A diet should include foods you like and that you would enjoy eating for the rest of your life — not just for several weeks or months. If you don't like the diet, if it's overly restrictive or if it becomes boring, you're probably not going to stick to it.
  Availability. If a diet plan doesn't feature foods that you can easily find in your local grocery store, it may be harder to follow.
Physical activity. Every weight-loss program should include recommendations to increase physical activity. Exercise plus calorie restriction can help give you the weight-loss edge. Exercise also offers numerous health benefits, including boosting your mood, strengthening your cardiovascular system and reducing your blood pressure. And exercise is the most important factor in maintaining weight loss. Studies show that people who maintain their weight loss over the long term get regular physical activity.
  Steady pace. A slow and steady approach is easier to maintain and usually beats out fast weight loss for the long term. A weight loss of 1 to 2 pounds a week is the typical recommendation. In some situations, faster weight loss can be safe if it's done the right way — such as a very low calorie diet with medical supervision, or during a brief quick-start phase of a healthy-eating plan that offers lots of healthy and safe strategies at once.

Here's a list of latest diets: The latest diets and diet plan reviews

Daily exercise: Adding 15 minutes of moderate exercise, say walking one mile, to your daily schedule, for example. source: Exercise and weight control

That's it. The thing is, you need to make the decision. And keep in mind:

A weight loss plan only works if you stay with it.
Answer: I decided to lose weight about 3 months ago as I had put on about 8 KGs over the past three years. In that period, I started working from home and was very time poor and highly stressed, the results of which was that I started snacking a lot and doing no exercise.
My strategy was simply:

to minimise the snacks
reduce junk food to a minimum required to keep my sanity
reduce alcohol consumption
start running

I chose running as an exercise as I am still very time poor and it seems to offer the best bang for buck. I can now do a 12K run in about 1:15 and burn about 1100 calories.
I started with short runs (6Ks) and have built up to longer runs. I now try to run between 30 and 40 Ks a week, usually three 12K runs though sometimes a mix in shorter or longer runs to build speed or endurance.
Before each run, I record my weight in an Excel spreadsheet so that I can track my progress. In the past two months, I have dropped 4 KGs at a fairly consistent rate.
My wife also started trying to lose weight at the same time. She uses a similar strategy but also tracks her calorie intake, attempting to limit herself to 1200 calories a day. If she does the same run as me at the same speed, she burns about 60% of the calories so she has to compensate by running further. She uses a Ipod+Nike thing to track her progress.
I could not be bothered counting calories but I do take notice of which foods seem unusably high. Croissants, for example, are way high in calories so I tend to avoid them now.
We did not really change our diet much, but I think we had a fairly healthy diet anyway.
At this rate, I should be able to attain my weight loss gains by the end of summer, then drop down the runs over winter to maintain the same weight.
Answer: With my full heart I recommend the "Tao of balanced diet, secrets of a thin and healthy body" by Dr. Stephen T. Chang.
This book not only shows you how to prepare simple and yet well balanced, nutritious and tasty dishes (treats, actually) but it revelas an entirely new look on nutritionism.
There are also exercises in the book that are not usual weight-loss exercises. Rather, they strengthen the body's function to balance itself (being fat is one way of being imbalanced).
These exercises are deceptively easy, and yet so effective.
I've lost 7.3kg in 3 weeks. I don't know how. I never lacked good food or had a drop of sweat fall :)
This is my top recommendation! :)
you can check it out on thegreattao.com, and also read some interesting articles.

I want to lose weight, what now?


How was my avatar retrieved?

Question: I've never been on this site, before. My company logo is, of course, public and available in many places. My blog logo is a variation. I just posted an 'answer' and was asked my name (I used my first name only), my email address (I gave a gmail address that I use) and my home page, for which I gave my blog. Yet, after posting, my company logo appeared immediately. How was that done? From where was my logo accessed. It's a pretty neat web programming trick, even if it is easily available, in a lot of places IMHO
Answer: I think Stack Exchange retrieves logos from Gravatar, based on your email address.
Comment: That it does. However it is possible it will retrieve from another service as well, such as twitter, et cettera. It's likely not the case for Ray here though. :)
Comment: If you view the source for the avatar images, you will see that they do indeed come from gravatar.com.
Answer: Probably related to how he signed in via openid. This would be an off-topic or meta question though.

How was my avatar retrieved?


Can fallow deer be used for milk?

Question: Is is possible or easy to milk a fallow deer, is it a quality milk, and can it be turned into cheese?
Comment: If apply tranq the taste might be affected, but still better than terrified doe
Answer: Historically, fallow deer have been domesticated for purposes of milking, and there is continued interest in the species to this day for producing boutique dairy products.
While deer are nervous animals, with long-term exposure to and care from humans, it is reasonable to expect that they would be no more difficult to milk than a cow (meaning that they would accept the presence of a familiar human and would allow themselves to be milked), and once accustomed to being milked, in the absence of a fawn, they would likely be no less eager to relieve the pressure and discomfort of full udders at the time that they are regularly milked than cows have been shown to be.
However, unlike a cow, the yields would be lower in both quantity  per day and total number of productive days per year.
Comment: I disagree with "no more difficult than a cow" horses and camels have been domesticated and milked  for a very long time and they are still much harder to milk than cows. thanks to many many generations of selective breeding cows produce milk for much longer than any animal normally would. Cows also give a lot more milk than either of these animals.
Comment: I would add the even horses and camels are easier than fallow deer.  Cowboys with experience catching wild horses tend to get themselves mauled trying to catch wild dear.  This is because a roped dear will attack its captor instead of trying to run away.
Comment: My point is that *it has been done already*, so despite any difficulties, it *is* possible.
Answer: Possible yes
Easy no
Very few animals are comfortable being milked, even many domesticated animals that have been milked for hundreds of generations are still difficult to milk. (camels, horses). Can they be milked of course it is just a pain in the ass,  the animals don't like it and it is more work, you will not have factory dairy production with deer.
fallow deer milk composition is similar to buffalo and sheep milk, so it may even be healthier than cow milk. It is a better source of calcium and a worse source of iodine.
Any milk can be turned in to cheese, so that is not a problem. Mozzarella is actually water buffalo milk.
Comment: For the sake of the many Americans on this site, you should clarift the word "buffalo", either by giving its scientific name *Bubalus bubalis*, or by calling it a [*water* buffalo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_buffalo). Americans use the word *buffalo* to mean what is called a *bison* elsewhere.

Can fallow deer be used for milk?


Embedded PNG on Illustrator, and save the file as PDF. But the PNG (barcode part) turns out GRAY COLOR!

Question:
I'm working on a product packing design, so I need to have a barcode on the packaging. But when I attached the barcode PNG in Illustrator and exported the file to PDF format to print. The barcode turns out Gray color! I tried to "Unembed" the PNG and export it to PDF again; the barcode turns out normal. I don't understand why this is happening, and I'm not sure if it's ok that I do not embed the PNG and just send the file to the printer.
So, questions:
When I print the PDF file, will the "Unembed" PNG barcode still turns out normal?
Comment: A thought occurs - you will be exporting to CMYK presumably, It could be as a result of converting the PNG from RGB.
Can you convert the PNG to CYMK before inserting?
Comment: Just clicked the diamond mark. First time user here!
Comment: Are you SURE the barcode background is PURE white ? (#FFFFFF)
Comment: Yes, I embed the PNG and export to PDF file on the other packages everything was right. Beside this one, I cannot embed the PNG because it will become gray barcode on PDF format. I don't understand why this's happening....AND, I checked, the barcode background really is #FFFFFF.......I need to submit this PDF file to printer....not sure it will shows up right!!!
Comment: Thank you Digital Lightcraft!! It works!!! The PDF file shows white barcode now!!! Thanks for the heads up!!!!
Comment: Excellent! I have posted the answer, I would be grateful if you could mark it as correct :-)
Answer: You need to convert the PNG to the CMYK colour space before importing.
When you export out to a CMYK PDF for print, the white can be discoloured during this process.


What is Fritz Powerbook 2015?

Question: Learning chess & I thought Fritz Powerbook 2015 was THE chess-playing engine with GUI only to learn that it requires Fritz12, 13, 14 or 15 to use it. I had read that it had a lot of useful info on chess openings. I'm considering purchasing the new Fritz15 both to have it as well as make use of Powerbook 2015, but I'm wondering if anyone can clarify how and why one uses a "powerbook" in Fritz.
Answer: The powerbook contains 1.5 million games of grandmasters (including the most recent ones).  For the power book, these games have been processed so you can see their openings, and for each opening position you can see all the moves that have been played as well as the associated winning/drawing/losing rates.  So basically, it is an up-to-date overview of opening theory at the top level so far.
Answer: Fritz Powerbook is an opening book for the Fritz chess engine based on the latest grandmaster games. For a chess engine you want Deep Fritz, Komodo, or one of the other programs listed under the chess programs category (houdini, junior?).
Answer: A Powerbook is an engine aided opening book simply. They collect games of strong players, collect strong engines matches, build a tree, go through the tree using the engine, optimize the book with engine again. Result is a refined opening book.

What is Fritz Powerbook 2015?


Peak Envelope Power (PEP) = Transmitter Power?

Question: I need to determine the Peak Envelope Power for the VSAT station. Given that the modulation is not AM, would it be correct to assume that the PEP will be the same as transmitter power?
Comment: Please add this information to your question: What modulation _is_ being used? What is "the VSAT station", or rather, what is VSAT?
Comment: How accurate do you want the PEP to be?  You could use a PEP reading meter or even make one yourself if the power is not too high (which requires more special design & construction methods).
Comment: Thank you all for your comments. I am not doing it for the concrete station, but rather I want to establish a general rule on how to calculate PEP. Also, I have no access to the said station, I only have the technical details of it.
Answer: There are modulations that would not be called "AM" which still modulate amplitude. For example, BPSK reverses phase at a zero amplitude point. BPSK could also be considered a digital amplitude modulation where the amplitude varies between 1 and -1.
Thus, you must be careful to specify what you mean by "not AM". If you mean to exclude all modulations that modulate power at all, then peak and average power could be considered the same in practice. MSK is an example that would qualify.
This would only apply to the extent that the transmitted waveform has an RMS average equivalent to a sine wave. For example consider that a square wave has a higher RMS average, and thus a higher power, than a sine wave of equal amplitude. In practice the difference will be small or nonexistent for most modulations.
Comment: Phil , I think you have a misconception that multiplying by ±1 would be considered AM. It isn't, because the amplitude is not changed. Only the phase changes by 180 degrees. I'll grant that in a finite bandwidth system, there would be some (generally negligible) envelope modulation, but in modulation theory, it's classified as phase modulation. Similarly, QPSK can be considered phase modulation in multiples of 90 degrees (if you don't like the quadrature carrier model). and still has a constant envelope (ignoring BW limiting). BTW, I've been designing PSK systems for nearly forty years.
Comment: @Jim No real PSK system used in amateur radio I've seen multiplies by just ±1. Rather, it employs a pulse shaping filter, usually an RRC filter or something close to it. Your minor concession to a bandwidth limited system is _nearly always the case_ for radio, with the  exception of inexpensive, low power remotes which don't need to secure primary frequency allocations, and for which cost is the driving concern for design. Here's a reference: https://www.slideshare.net/sristykp/modulation-46756444 and another: http://www.photonteck.com/upfile/2014/05/27/20140527165836_983.pdf (see 3.7)
Answer: For all intents and purposes they are the same, yes.
Here is a good quote from W8JI that explains it.
"Average power is same as equivalent work power or heating power of each cycle averaged over a significant time compared to the time when power level changes. With an unchanging (during the measurement period) power level, such as a steady unmodulated carrier applied to a constant resistance load, average power and peak envelope power are the same. If we close and hold-closed a manual telegraph key on a good stable CW transmitter, we will see the average power displayed on a power meter. It will not be the "RMS power".  It is also the peak envelope power, because it is the maximum stable heating power level over some period of time that we hold the key."
This is from his website on AM, here:  Amplitude Modulation
Answer: For VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal), I can't find anything that specifically identifies the modulation used other than to say that it uses TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access). But my experience with this type of equipment suggests that it is probably a constant envelope type of waveform while transmitting. (Such as QPSK). This is because the amplifiers used for these systems are typically non-linear and are designed to run at one power output level.
So PEP would be equivalent to Average Power for a steady transmission.
But your average power calculation might need to take into account the duty factor, since it is a TDMA signal. If that's important to you, you should say so in your question. If you do that, we can readdress your question.
Comment: Are you sure QPSK is constant envelope?
Comment: Absolutely. It is two BPSK signals in quadrature (sine and cosine), The sum of the two will always be a constant magnitude. The individual channels do not possess this characteristic by themselves.
Comment: Why would one channel increase in amplitude when the other decreases to keep the sum amplitude equal? If one channel is not performing any phase reversals (say that means all 0 bits) and the other does perform a phase transition, how is that a constant amplitude?
Comment: Because they are two equal amplitude BPSK channels in quadrature (sine and cosine). The RF voltage produced is the RSS (root sum square) from the two channels. The RSS os sine and cosine is (from a well known trigonometric identity) equal to a constant. Note that the phase shifts (sign) don't affect the result.
Comment: It's not just the phase shifts: it's that the phase reversal requires (if you want to do it in less than infinite bandwidth) the amplitude to go through zero. Adding an orthogonal carrier changes nothing: $\cos(t) + A \sin(t)$ is not equal to a constant amplitude if A varies between 1 and -1. And let's not forget the other carrier can change phase also. And they can change phase at the same time.


How can I Identify Cause of Slow Image Loading in IIS?

Question: Please excuse if this question isn't as clear as it should be, but I'm a Dev (not a System Administrator) who is trying to help out with an issue we're seeing.  We just migrated the hosting of our sites to a data center (faster servers and more bandwidth).  All of the data from the database is loading faster, but the CSS and image files seem to have slowed down considerably.  The pages will load all of the data, but it takes some time before all of the images download and render (images are hosted by same web servers).  Note, that we're now virtualized too (VMWare).  One, are there any settings or known issues that can quickly help me identify the cause of the slow down?  Two, if not, what are some things I can do to try and isolate the cause of the lag?
Comment: Do you have static content caching enabled?
Comment: I'll check on that static content caching.  I know all of the same settings were transferred when we migrated.  We're also getting sporadic Invalid Postback exceptions too since moving.
Answer: First thing I'd try is yslow in Firefox to get some numbers on response time. It may also give you some tuning tips.  If your website was in-house you may have never noticed the latency caused by lots of images and lots of CSS files. (IIRC some web browsers limit themselves to 4 simultaneous download operations, so a page with lots of small assets is slower than a page with a few large assets)


Trying to find out the meaning of my birthmark

Question: I have a birth mark on the bottom of my right foot. It is a crescent moon reddish in color... it faces the same way a C would. I'm just curious if it has a significant meaning to it because I've always felt a strong connection to the moon and things like crystals and all that cool type of stuff.. !
photo of the foot
Comment: ideally a smaller photo of the foot with a detail of the mark would be better.  That massive of your foot is just too much!
Answer: Informally, I'd say the crescent can definite be taken as a lunar symbol, reinforcing your connection to the moon.
Regarding the letter C in relation to quartz crystals, this is much shakier because "crystal" is an English word, and has different forms in other languages: kristall is German for crystal; in Catalan it's vidre; in Chinese it's 水晶 (Shuǐjīng).  You can see the problem.

There is a nice semi-mythical parallel using letters, in the sense that Shakespeare can be considered a myth-maker.  (Mythology defined here from a strictly narrative, as opposed to religious, perspective:)

Richard plots to have his brother Clarence, who stands before him in the line of succession, executed over a prophecy that "G of King Edward's heirs the murderer shall be". Richard leads the king to interpret this as referring to George of Clarence, without realizing it actually refers to Richard of Gloucester.

(PS--don't trust wiki entirely.  Always best to read or see the play.  George of Clarence isn't drowned in a any old wine, but a "butt of malmsey";)


Are /gz ɨz/ pronounced voiced in normal speech? Why are they described as voiced consonants?

Question: As in "dogs" and the suffix "-es".
I have learned later that the ending should be voiced, while everywhere I hear native speakers pronounce them voiceless. However, I followed the book and pronounce them voiced, but then people seems not understand me.
Comment: Possible duplicate of [Does "fathers" in RP exclude R and unvoice the S?](https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/29132/does-fathers-in-rp-exclude-r-and-unvoice-the-s)
Comment: My husband learned English while being partly deaf. Whenever he said dogs, he said; dos, you couldn't hear the g. If you do not pronounce the g in dogs, you can't say the word properly and people will not understand what you mean.  "Look at all the dos out there!" means nothing.
Comment: This a problem of modern linguistics. It is impossible to codify speech perfectly. Only with familiarity can an epidemic of misunderstanding be brought under control.
Comment: See also [Are "whores" and "horse" homophones?](https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/342273). The words "dogs" and "docks" are not homophones, but the former doesn't necessarily have a fully voiced [z] sound.
Answer: Unlike languages like Standard High German, English does not systematically devoice voiced obstuents in word-final position. In phrase-final position or before unvoiced consonants, however, the voicing is considerably reduced.
Thus the voiced z-sound in

This place is going to the dogs.

and

dog's collar

is far less articulated than in

dogs of war

In other words, if you hold two fingers on your throat where you can feel the vocal chords vibrating, you should still sense the vibration in the first two examples, but it will be neither as strong nor as long as in the third.


Water Filtration for Cold Brew Vending

Question: I am going to begin vending cold brew at parties/pop-up events with the Toddy process, what are good methods to assure that I have optimal water quality with as little overhead as possible?  I will brew between 12-18 gallons of cold brew for 350-400 people.
Answer: I typically buy the giant water jugs that they use for office water coolers. They sell them at nearly all grocery stores and compared to coffee, it's pretty inexpensive. I'd say if it starts taking you more than 20 minutes to move the water by hand, then congratulations on your success, and it's time to buy a filter. If you filter, you'll have the overhead of maintaining the filter and ensuring whatever water supply you have is being filtered well enough, but until then -- just buy it from higher end drinking water sources in large jugs or bottles.

Water Filtration for Cold Brew Vending


How can I consume my whole bitcoin balance in a single transction? Is it possible to use multiples UTXOs in a single transaction?

Question: I want to make use of a single bitcoin address for payment. I'm using bitcoinjs library's transction builder for creating my own transaction. Can anyone help with a proper code to use multiple UTXO's in a single transaction? Is there any function which can automatically select the no. of UTXO's to be consumed depending on the output transaction value to be sent?
Thank you.
Answer: Of course, you can add as many UTXO's as will fit in a block. In fact, you usually have to because you don't always have a UTXO for the exact amount you are trying to spend. Note that more UTXO will result in a higher transaction fee because the fee is based on the current market fee rate (satoshi/kB) and more UTXO increases the kB.
For example, check out this transaction, it uses 7 UTXO as inputs.
See Bitcoin Wiki - Transactions
Comment: Nit: you can't "add as many UTXO's as will fit in a block". Bitcoin transactions bigger than 400,000 weight units are non-standard and will not be relayed.
Comment: Thanks @Murch didn't realize there was a relay standard!
Answer: Yes, after refering to some documentations I'm now sure that,you can consume multiple UTXOs in a single transaction but upto a certain limit.Also transaction fees will increase as the size of input increases using multiple UTXOs.
I used Transaction Builder of bitcoinjs-lib, for transaction. Hence, using
tx.addInput(txId, vOut) (txId and Vout of respective UTXO to be used)
multiple times, multiple UTXOs can be used. However to estimate the no. of UTXOs, simple logic such as using a FOR loop, till the sum of all UTXOs is sufficient for the btc to be sent, will work.


Won't update system - HTC Vivid

Question: My htc vivid won't update the system from the settings or check for updates on the phone. I keep getting "Error" server unavailable. I reset my phone to factory settings and it still has same error message. Why can't It update? How do I update it? It's original 4.0.3 won't let me download certain apps because it's not updated. Help!
Answer: According to the official site, version 4.0.3 is the most up-to-date version of Android released for the HTC Vivid (AT&T) phone, and no newer OS versions will be released for it by either HTC or AT&T.
There are 3rd-party ROMs available for this phone with more recent Android versions, including 4.3 Jelly Bean and 4.4 KitKat.  Installing these requires unlocking the bootloader on your phone, rooting it, and installing a custom recovery image.  This usually voids the manufacturer warranty.  There are tools such as WinDroid Toolkit that make this process easier, but those are not without risk.  Head over to XDA-Developers HTC Vivid sub-forums and read up on the details.

Won't update system - HTC Vivid


Were the Borg originally their own race, before assimilation started?

Question: Part of what makes the Star Trek TNG episode "I, Borg" so confusing for me is that the Borg in their first episode, "Q Who", seemed like their own species. Half robot, half biological entity race. Then they talk about freeing Hugh. Wasn't Hugh always a Borg though? The "I am not Borg" thing is confusing. It's as if they weren't their own race
Comment: https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Borg Please read this or countless articles describing the borg found via duckduckgo
Answer: What we learn about the Borg is they either assimilate individuals of other races, or create their own young in incubation chambers.
As such, the Borg are a variety of races.
Why do they seem like one race?

Star Trek very much endorses the idea of "Planet of Hats": Each race gets a dominant characteristic, and they bang that drum really hard: Warrior Klingons, Logical Vulcans, greedy Ferengi, conniving Romulans etc. If a Norsican boards the ship, this won't be a romance story.
So one is conditioned to thinking "pattern behavior ~= race".  With the Borg, they all act exactly the same (hive mind and all).  So they seem like a race in that sense.
They are so covered up with cyber gear all over their heads that you can't really see what race they are. And they didn't really bother showing us any distinctions until we got to know the Borg a lot better in Voyager.
Comment: In fact, the whole "can't tell what race they are" from early instalments was rather deliberate - similarly [you couldn't tell what gender they were, either](https://scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/124285/have-we-ever-seen-a-female-borg-drone-extra).  Voyager did a *lot* of retcons with the Borg.
Comment: Actually they all looked the same, so I disagree. They all looked like humans, like a human-like race. White-skinned. The whole "Borg being a consumption of other assimilated races" didn't begin until "Voyager." I think in "TNG" they were their own race.


Java Runtime Envoriment intallation problem

Question: Hello i have a terrible problem with java.
I run Windows 7 64x and had a currpted Installation of Java. I couldn't uninstall cause error 1723 dll doenst exist. So i uninstalled java the regestry way. Now Java is gone from Installation explorer. I thougth all is fine.
But... If i try now to install java again i get a "is already installed" massage box. I have to diecide to install again or stop. When i pick install again another error comes up that this is only available for installed software...
What the h**l is going on? first he said its there then its not.... and i cant install the software :(
Were is java installer looking for existing installation and how can i get rid of it???
Thanks for your help!
Answer: Okay... I got it
in x64 there is another JavaSoft Folder in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Wow6432Node


How to reference organizing conference symposia / panels on CV?

Question: Presentions for papers or posters at conferences are easy to reference, but how do you reference activities such as organizing conference symposia / panels on your CV?
Answer: I recommend including a section at the end of your CV entitled "Service", where you list things like conference/panel organization, committee memberships, refereeing activities, and the like.  Initially you may have only one or two items, but the list will grow over time.  As this list grows, organize it into subsections (University service vs Professional service, for example) and subsubsections (editorial boards, program committees, workshop organization, proposal reviews, refereeing, ...).
(I'm assuming that you mean the American Academic CV, which includes everything, and not the UK Professional CV, which is just a two-page sketch.)
Answer: There are, of course, a number of ways to do this, as there is no fixed "CV" format even within a field, let alone across them. I will tell you my own methods for doing this:
Long sessions, such as full or half-day workshops, breakout tracks, etc. go under Teaching Experience, with the conference information placed in lieu of normal course information. For example:

Session Organizer, "An Introduction to Doing Good Research", Learning Institute, Association for Right Thinking People Annual Conference. October 2011, 2012 and 2014

Smaller sessions get pulled into Invited Talks, which in my CV is actually Invited Talks and Organized Workshops, which then have 'Panel Moderator' or 'Symposium Organizer' instead of an author. For example:

Symposium Organizer, "Novel Methods in Being Unimpeachably Correct". 2016. Society for Doing Science Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL.
Comment: Agreed, just that I'd probably gather all such under a heading "Organization of conferences and symposia" at the end of the CV, as far as you are responsible for it in a meaningful way. If no, just leave out. It isn't very relevant for your *research* potential, anyway.
Comment: @vonbrand I'd do the same if I had a fair number of them, but if I'm running under the assumption that there are few enough of them that they would be conspicuously few in their own section. Symposium organization is, at times, a fairly strong signaling mechanism in my field, so they *do* have a relevant message for your research potential.


What was SOAP invented for?

Question: This question is inspired by this one. What was the initial goal of inventing SOAP? Why was it invented when we had old kind HTTP and REST?
Comment: Washing up?
Comment: A consultant somewhere used an enterprise information system that was fast and responsive, seeing their revenue evaporating, they invented a standard with brutally slow overhead to recommend to management.  It has XMLs they said!  XMLs are good, and enterprise!  The permanent developers were powerless to resist.  Now the consultant has an endless revenue stream making performance tweaks on the glacier-like ESB and the world is right again.
Comment: Similar question: http://programmers.stackexchange.com/questions/111932/what-are-the-deciding-factors-in-choosing-to-expose-a-web-service-as-a-soap-or-re
Comment: @Gilbert - the question mentions that already as *inspiration*.  My take, this is more philosophical, instead of practical.  What led to the invention, instead of, which should I choose.
Answer: REST is not a standard, it is a (loosely defined) architecture. And it is tied to HTTP, which a lot of people in the corporate world saw as a limitation. So they thought they needed a general standard proper, which works over other transfer layers as well.
And btw SOAP was defined prior to REST (at least according to Wikipedia :-)
Comment: Lots of RESTful stuff was definitely used before SOAP was invented, they just called it GET and POST by and large.
Answer: SOAP is way more suitable than plain HTTP for exchanging complex data structures. REST is by design practically restricted to CRUD operations, while SOAP allows arbitrary method calls, which may be something that cannot be pressed into the REST scheme.
Comment: REST isn't restricted to CRUD, practically or theoretically. HATEOAS, for example, revolves around discoverable interactions/representations - http://www.infoq.com/articles/webber-rest-workflow.
Comment: FinnNK: Still not convinced... Sure, you can make anything a GET or PUT, but I'm not sure it's very RESTy in every case. For example, imagine a webservice that receives a list of records, merges them with existing records in the database (inserting new and updating existing records, but not deleting anything) and returns a list of all records that were not up-to-date. How to make that RESTfull?
Comment: REST resources can be 'processing' resources as much as 'noun' resources. Here you'd expose some endpoint that accepts the update plus some sort of id - you can then query using that id to get the not-up-to-date records (and that query location itself may be discoverable via a link). That said batch update is one of classic scenarios for SOAP - use whatever's the best match is my take on it.
Comment: @ammoQ: One way your service would likely be done with a POST of the list of records.  On the return you could, among other things, have a URL to GET that listed the out-of-date records.
Answer: From Wikipedia:

SOAP, originally defined as Simple Object Access Protocol, is a protocol specification for exchanging structured information in the implementation of Web Services in computer networks. ... SOAP has three major characteristics: Extensibility (security and WS-routing are among the extensions under development), Neutrality (SOAP can be used over any transport protocol such as HTTP, SMTP or even TCP), and Independence (SOAP allows for any programming model).

SOAP is not limited to HTTP and provides for security right out of the box.
If you're using HTTP and you don't need security (your web service is open to the public), then you don't need SOAP.
Answer: I wasn't in the room, but I'd generally say SOAP was a very, very good idea and a very reasonable response to the other RPC options that existed in the mid to late 90s. Such as CORBA, a beast which I can't say I've had to personally deal with, but the mere mention of which can make grown men soil themselves. Options beyond CORBA were actually scarier in many cases and there was little standardization and lots of custom messaging protocols going on. Integrated systems were very, very hard stuff. There were good reasons not to rely on HTTP as a transport. In the late 90s, typical LAN speeds were 10 megabits or less, WAN speeds were oftentimes measured in baud. The entire edge caching infrastructure that does so much for REST didn't exist.
Which gets us to SOAP -- which in and of itself doesn't specify a transport medium. I believe someone managed to implement a SOAP call over carrier pigeon. Or perhaps an african swallow. In any case, it is a vastly simpler to implement messaging option than what came before. And if you had a decent SOAP toolkit, it was much, much easier to consume than anything else that had come before. And easier to make tools for. So easy that they thought they needed to extend the protocol. And that is where WS-* comes in. Which is where the wheels fell off that truck . . .
Comment: +1. Your's was the only answer that connects SOAP with it's origin - distributed computing. SOAP wasn't much about HTTP as much as it was about Application to Application talk - where *beasts* like CORBA failed!
Answer: SOAP is a messaging protocol, which was created for the same reason any other messaging protocol has been created; to standardize the way in which object information is passed around. As the Wikipedia page states, it originated at Microsoft, and is now an open standard maintained by the W3C.
The better question is why to choose between SOAP or some XML-flavored scheme or JSON or whatever, and the answer comes down to use whatever's easiest/most practical in your particular situation.
Answer: In my opinion SOAP is another take at RPC. Just take a look at how do you expose WebService these days. One party marks method as WebService and the other just fetches WSDL and uses remote methods as if they were local. I'm pretty aware of all the SOAP problems, but on some level of abstraction SOAP/WS delivers on its RPC promise. Of course you can come up with an API based on REST architecture, but it will still require other party to code some bits which somehow defy RPC definition.

What was SOAP invented for?


Book Identification: Young Adult Virtual Reality Novel

Question: It's a Young Adult novel that I first read in 2002 or 2003. The story revolves around a boy living in a dystopian setting in which a sort of virtual reality simulation is extremely popular. I believe it involved some sort of needle that would allow the user to experience a virtual reality while in reality they were in a sort of temporary coma body-wise. The main boy has some sort of condition (I don't remember if it's a disease or an allergy) to this stuff, so he can't do the virtual reality simulations.
I don't remember a lot of the plot, but I do remember that where the boy lives is ruled by this cruel kid with a terrible reputation. Near the end of the novel the main character finds this terrible boy emaciated and hooked up to the virtual reality stuff, and he realizes that all the stories about him are fake, because he has clearly been hooked up to the simulations for a very long time.
Comment: Was the book new or old when you read it?
Comment: I don't think it was very old, but I don't know if it was a new release then or not.
Comment: possibly the same as https://scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/142774/story-where-people-inject-books-in-the-back-of-their-necks (which is newer but has an accepted answer)
Comment: One of the first fantasies of this kind was "Labyrinth of Reflections" of Sergei Lukyanenko in 1997 (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labyrinth_of_Reflections). However, it is not the story you are looking for.
Answer: I think you might mean The Last Book In The Universe. The protagonist lives in a gang-ridden world after civilization is destroyed in an earthquake. Many people choose to use virtual reality simulations to escape the situation, but the protagonist is epileptic and cannot. Much of the book's plot involves him rediscovering literacy.


How to use XSS vulnerability to read file on server?

Question: Can I use an XSS vulnerability to read files on the server by injecting PHP code to the page? Ex: Use document.write to inject PHP code that read the file.
Comment: Welcome to Security.SE. XSS will not be able to accomplish what you are describing, in the way you are describing it. Are you referring to another vulnerability instead of XSS?
Answer: No. XSS makes it possible to run Javascript in a browser of another user. This makes it possible to do request on behalf of that user. Since the code is only run in the browser, you cannot use PHP code.
If you have XSS and you want to run code on the server, the best approach would be to steal the cookies of a logged in administrator using XSS, and use the admin interface to further gain access to the server. Stealing cookies with XSS does not work if the cookie is marked as httponly, because then you can't read the cookie with Javascript.
Answer: There is a variant of XSS, sometimes called "Server-side cross-site scripting". It is much less common than client-side XSS. In fact, I have only seen it once on a live web site.
It occurs when the server renders HTML documents. This can happen when the server produces a PDF (e.g. a printable invoice) and HTML is part of the chain. If the attacker can inject tags into this HTML, they can reference local resources on the server. In the example I saw, it was only possible to include images, but variants may allow including other file types.
Some people may argue that this is not XSS. It is an example of CWE-610: Externally Controlled Reference to a Resource in Another Sphere. Other examples would be XML External Entities and external references from Word or SVG documents. I think "Server-side XSS" is a reasonable name for it, but I'm open to other suggestions.
Answer: You are mixing up scripts that run on the server, and scripts that run on the client.
When you do XSS, you inject script on the client. Usually it is JavaScript, but it could be VBScript or some other client scripting language.
You can not use document.write to write PHP. That function is JavaScript, and is therefor executed on the client. It writes in the document the client (e.g. browser) is using. Since PHP is run on the server, this will not work.
You could inject PHP code if there is a vulnerability in the server side code that lets you execute code. E.g. if you have something like this
eval($_GET['param']);

you could use it to execute arbitrary PHP code and steal files from the server. Such a vulnerability is much more serious than a normal XSS vulnerability, but also much less common.
Answer: Lets imagine that there is admin-account in specially crafted webapp and that account has rights to get certain files from server (like, if admin requests /getfile.php?filename.txt, the getfile.php returns content of "filename.txt"). Then you could inject ajax-request to admin's client side and request files with that.