#CPSC 444

[ayyellesrambles]

Graduated (finally) from UBC BCS & final course review

I’m finally done with UBC, and have no immediate plans to go back to do more school, 7 years was enough haha! 

Why is this relevant to you? My knowledge of what goes on at UBC is going to start dwindling as I become more removed from campus and the university experience. You guys have probably seen that I’ve started diverting the questions I’ve received over to the fine folks of r/UBC, as I’ve been wrapped up in BCS for the past couple of years and things have changed a lot over on the BSc side, especially for first and second year courses. 

I’ll keep trying to answer the questions I get, but I’ve started working full time as a Software Developer at a local tech company so my time has become limited. 

Anyway, I’ll give you a short overview of the courses I took for my last term at UBC. 

BIOL 430

This course was a nice break from my CPSC courses and brought me back to the BIOL days with all the papers we had to read and learning about different biological systems. I forgot how much I found genomics fascinating. This course was relatively chill too for a 400-level BIOL courses. There were papers we had to read before each class, as well as discussion questions we had to answer. The answers to the discussion questions were discussed in small groups, with further clarification available from the instructors (Professor and TA), should you need it. There weren’t marks given for these questions, but participation is necessary as the instructors observed us during this discussion period. We had one midterm, a final exam and a small research project as well, which focused on using Bioinformatic techniques and tools. This course actually tied in really nicely to my interest in biology and computer science and there was quite a bit of focus on how to use different computational techniques to analyze genomic sequences. My friend who took this course and is working in bioinformatics right now thought it was very, very relevant to the things she does at work. 

CPSC 319

This course was a lot of work, even as a group of 6. It felt like a part-time job, when I wasn’t busy studying for other courses, I was busy working on the web app for this course. We were given a list of projects to choose from on the first day of the class and then were chose to rank our top 3, the instructor then randomly assigned us to those choices. Most people got either their first or second choice. My group worked on building a web application for a local non-profit using Java, Spring, and ReactJS. We were basically given a list of requirements long with some general technical requirements and had to do the implementation and deployment all on our own. Java and React don’t really go together, but my group and I were super stoked at the beginning of the term and wanted to give it a try. The learning curve for making those work together was relatively hard, as nobody had any experience using the two together, so we spent a good chunk of our time just getting basic things to work, as opposed to actually implementing complex features. I learned a lot though since we were forced to troubleshoot everything on our own and were the only ones who were familiar with our codebase. 

CPSC 404

I liked this course, and I had Ed Knorr was a professor, he was great. The material can get a little dry sometimes, but he was hilarious and made the topics more interesting and engaging. We learned all about database optimizations and surprisingly learned a lot about different calculations and how databases decide what sort of queries to run and what sort of look up to do. The calculations weren’t too complex though, mostly algebra. The workload was very manageable as well, we had pre-reading assignments due every class, but they were for participation marks. We also had 3 midterms, a small database assignment and a final exam. This course is super useful for anyone interested in being a Database Administrator as you learn all about optimization. 

CPSC 444

I enjoyed 344 enough to take 444, and again, this course was a lot of work. It was less theoretical though, and more hands-on. Again, we had assignments due nearly every week, including a big, independently written report near the end of the term. There was more focus on research methods in HCI in this course and you’ll be doing a field studies and experiments on your own prototype. My team used vanilla JavaScript and the Bootstrap library to create a prototype. Because there were so many assignments due, we didn’t have a midterm, but we did have a final exam. I felt a little overwhelmed by the end of the term though, with 319 requiring a lot of work as well. 

#UBC #Personal #BCS #Course Review #BIOL 430 #CPSC 319 #CPSC 404 #CPSC 444

[kacydeneen]

1M Chainsaws Recalled For Operating After Being Turned Off

Harbor Freight Tools this week issued a recall for about a million electric chainsaws after three people were injured when their chainsaws continued to operate after being turned off. 

There were 15 reports of malfunctioning power switches in all, and one person's laceration injuries were serious enough to require stitches, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said in its recall notice.

Harbor Freight Tools's recall affects two models of 14-inch chainsaws sold under three brand names: Portland, One Stop Gardens and Chicago Electric. The Portland and One Stop Gardens brands are green and black. The Chicago Electric brand chainsaws are red and black.

The chainsaws, which retailed for about $50, were available at Harbor Freight Tools stores nationwide and through the Camarillo, California-based company's website from May 2009 through February 2018. 

Free replacements are available at the company's stores. 

Harbor Freight Tools can be reached at 800-444-3353 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. PT, or by email at [email protected]. 

Click here for more details on the affected model numbers and other information.

Photo Credit: CPSC 1M Chainsaws Recalled For Operating After Being Turned Off published first on Miami News

[lindamcsherry]

Western Gas Propane Recall Issued Over Lack Of Sufficient Odorant

A recall has been issued for nearly 46 million gallons of propane gas delivered to consumer’s storage tanks, or sold in portable cylinders nationwide, since it may lack of sufficient levels of odorant that is designed to help identify gas leaks. 

The Western Gas propane recall was announced by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) on December 28, after the manufacturer recognized propane used to fill stationary or portable holding tanks lacked sufficient levels of odorant to allow consumers to identify a gas leak.

While no injuries or incidents have been reported in relation to the gas recall, this could pose a serious and potentially life-threatening risk in homes nationwide.

Propane gas is a colorless and odorless flammable gas that when breathed or swallowed can cause serious and potentially fatal adverse health consequences. When inhaled, propane gas takes the place of oxygen in the lungs and can result in asphyxiation and breathing difficulties that could be fatal if prolonged.

Side effects of propane poisoning may include nausea, vomiting, fever and headache, skin and throat irritation, respiratory difficulties, dizziness, burning of the mouth and throat, and in prolonged exposures may cause seizures.

Given the toxic effects of exposure to propane, distributors are required to add a non-harmful odor, typically ethyl mercaptan, which provides a distinct smell to alert individuals to the presence of a gas leak.

The recall includes 45.7 million gallons of under-odorized propane gas delivered to consumer’s storage tanks or sold at retail locations in portable cylinders for recreational vehicles, barbecues, stoves, and other appliances. According to Western Gas, all propane tanks that have been inspected for the level of odorant or have been refilled after November 2017 are not impacted by the recall.

The recalled propane was distributed by Western Gas Partners LP, of The Woodlands, Texas, to various retailers in Colorado, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wyoming from April 2015 through October 2017.

Customers are being asked not to test the propane themselves, and to immediately contact their supplier or Western Gas at 833-444-1451 or visit them online at www.propaneawareness.com to determine whether their propane is affected and arrange for a free inspection.

If the inspection confirms the propane contains insufficient levels of odorant, Western Gas will promptly arrange for additional odorization or replacement. Customers with portable cylinder tanks should contact their supplier to confirm if the propane used is included in the recall and return the tank to the retailer for a free replacement.

The CPSC is urging customers not to test the propane tanks themselves and to immediately vacate their home or area if they smell a faint odor of gas, and call 911 or their gas supplier from a neighbor’s phone.

The post Western Gas Propane Recall Issued Over Lack Of Sufficient Odorant appeared first on AboutLawsuits.com.