How the DFCS differs from SkyQuery platform?

DFCS is a UAV swarm imagery driven knowledge base and analytics stack based entirely in the public cloud that can be used to create a trajectory involving waypoints from source to destination over a given landscape. The capabilities to store and query drone imageries for information that can be used to build a knowledge base for retrieval augmented generation in AI applications is quite generic and has many requirements like a wide variety of image querying systems. Most notably, SkyQuery, platform also has similar requirements to deal with a large dataset of images and to provide contextual information on queries. SkyView is an aerial drone video sensing platform with a high-level programming language that makes it quite suitable for developing long-running sensing applications. SkyView performs with fast video frame alignment and detection of small objects which works well for querying with its expressive domain specific language in which programs specify sensing-analytics-routing loops. It also provides a library of analytical operators to encode these steps. By separating out workflows that can be written using these operators, it allows takeoff, waypoint following and landing to be automated.

Therefore, both DFCS and SkyQuery provide computer vision pipelines and processors to convert drone video data into queryable representations, a way to contextualize queries along with an engine that provides fast responses suitable for use to provide routing directives to UAV swarm and all these with the help of programmable interfaces.

But the differences are in the use of representations for these datasets and the way they are queried. DFCS leverages AI and vector search while SkyQuery leverages language constructs. Even image processors are multimodal for DFCS while SkyQuery leverages cataloguing of output from SIFT feature extractors. The use of Retrieval-augmented-generation in queries makes the query results more meaningful for DFCS while SkyQuery requires workflows to experiments with their own querying logic. Objects are referred to with Keypoints comprising of pixel positions and a feature descriptor that are then formed into “stable groups” with SkyQuery. DFCS, on the other hand, leverages vector search that work well with contextual information presented via spatial co-ordinates, progress along waypoints and error corrections.

It could be said that the DFCS focuses more on the flight path of the UAV swarm and provides error correction feedback to let the swarm remain on course to its destination. It bolsters this with information for humans as well as feedback loops for autonomous flights and comes with Telemetry pipelines that continuously indicate manner and measure of progress along the trajectory.

By separating the cataloguing, grouping and querying of objects to remain independent of the vector representations, DFCS facilitates working with third party datastores including those that were built to be product catalogs. This help to diversify the method and means of querying for different purposes and not be restricted to leverage only one form of language. DFCS is polyglot and provides a chatbot like interface that leverages the state of the union in Retrieval Augmented Generation.

#codingexercise: https://1drv.ms/w/c/d609fb70e39b65c8/Echlm-Nw-wkggNb7JAEAAAABu53rpIuTS5AsMb3lNiM7SQ?e=u6kTma

Telemetry pipelines

 Collected and emitted telemetry data makes data ingestion and processing of sensor data independent of the input for the models used to predict the next orientation. This strategy leans on telemetry pipelines as an effective technology to solve data problems and turn expansive datasets into concise actionable insights without losing information. Waypoints, trajectory, position on the trajectory, deviations and error corrections are all that is needed, maintained and tracked for the UAV swarm to negotiate the obstacles and stay on course to reach the destination from the source. An intelligent telemetry pipeline will demonstrate these five-step approach to maximizing its value:

1. Noise filtering: This involves sifting through data to spotlight the essentials.

2. Long-Term data retention: this involves safeguarding valuable data for future use

3. Event-trimming: This tailors data for optimal analytics so that the raw data is not dictating eccentricities in the charts and graphs.

4. Data condensation: this translates voluminous MELT data into focused metrics

5. Operational Efficiency Boosting: This amplifies operating speed and reliability.

This approach is widely applicable across domains and is also visible in many projects that span Kaggle datasets, open source such as GitHub, and many publications. Emitting to an S3 or S3 compatible storage and calculating number and size of emitted events indicates the reduction in size compared to original data and as a measure of effectiveness in using telemetry instead of actual data.

With the metrics emitted for drones, the first step of noise filtering involves removing duplicates, false positives, recurring notifications and superfluous information while registering their frequency for future use. Dissecting data within specific windows, keeping unique events and eliminating excessive repetitions can be offloaded to a dedupe processor but this step is not limited to that and strives to keep the data as precise and concise as required to not lose information and still be good enough for the same analytics.

Specific datasets and SIEM are indispensable for future needs and with real-time data refinement requirements. So, leveraging cloud architecture patterns that write to multiple destinations while collecting data from multiple sources such as a service bus is a requisite for the second stage. This step could also implement filtering capabilities and journaling that ensures robustness and reliability and without loss of fidelity.

The third step is a take on advanced telemetry management with the introduction of concepts like Traffic flow segregation such as with grouping and streamlining. It does involve parsing but it improves overall performance. Deeper analysis is often better with some transformations

The fourth step for data condensation builds on the concept of refinement that proactively prevents another instance of data deluge so that even streams are manageable and meaningful. The value extends beyond volume reduction as this approach reduces data processing overheads.

The fifth step is about managing the data and ensuring the speed and reliability of operations that process this data. With increasing ingestion rates, vectorization and search may lag. Agile robust solutions that maximize the value derived from their data while making costs manageable are required here.

Data accumulation without purposeful action leads to stagnation and efficient operations aid streamlining and refining data. Speed and reliability is a function of both

 Always pertinent:

Problem: determine if a graph has cycles:

import java.util.*;

import java.lang.*;

import java.io.*;

class Ideone

{

 public static void main (String[] args) throws java.lang.Exception

 {

  int[][] m = new int[5][5]();

  for (int i = 0; i < m.length; i++) {

   for (int j = 0; j < m[0].length; j++) {

    m[i][j] = 0;

   }

  }

  m[0][1] = 1;

  m[0][2] = 1;

  m[1][0] = 1;

  m[1][3] = 1;

  m[2][0] = 1;

  m[2][3] = 1;

  m[3][1] = 1;

  m[3][2] = 1;

  m[3][4] = 1;

  m[4][3] = 1;

  var vertices = InitializeSingleSource(m, 0);

  var edges = new HashMap<String, String>();

  edges.put("A", "B");

  edges.put("A", "C");

  edges.put("B", "A");

  edges.put("B", "D");

  edges.put("C", "A");

  edges.put("C", "D");

  edges.put("D", "B");

  edges.put("D", "C");

  edges.put("D", "E");

  edges.put("E", "D");

  System.out.println(hasCyclesByBellmanFord(vertices, edges));

 }

 private static List<Vertex> InitializeSingleSource(int[][] m, int start) {

  var vertices = new ArrayList<Vertex>();

  for (int i = 0; i < m.length; i++){

   var v = new Vertex();

   v.id = String.valueOf(Character.valueOf('A' + i));

   v.d = Integer.MAX_VALUE;

   if (i == start) { v.d = 0; }

   v.parent = null;

  }

  return vertices

 }

 private static Vertex getVertex(List<Vertex> vertices, String id){

  for (int i = 0; i < vertices.size(); i++){

   if (vertices.get(i).id.equals(id)){

    return vertices.get(i);

   }

  }

  return null;

 }

 // A ->C <-D ->E

 // ->B->

 private static boolean hasCyclesByBellmanFord(List<Vertex> vertices, Map<String, String> edgeMap) {

  boolean result = false;

  for (int i = 0; i < vertices.length; i++){

   for(var entry: edgeMap.entrySet()) {

    var u = getVertex(entry.getKey());

    var v = getVertex(entry.getValue());

    relax(u, v);

   }

  }

  for (var entry: edgeMap.entrySet()) {

   var u = getVertex(entry.getKey());

   var v = getVertex(entry.getValue());

   if (u != null &&

    v != null &&

    v.d > u.d + 1) {

    result = true;

    return result;

   }

  }

  return result;

 }

 private static void Relax(Vertex u, Vertex v) {

  if (u == null || v == null) { return; }

  if (v.d > u.d + 1) {

   v.d = u.d + 1;

   v.parent = u;

  }

 }

 class Vertex {

  public String id;

  public Vertex parent;

  public Integer d;

 }

}

 Secure-by-design

The boundary between infrastructure and application engineering is one where the concerns for security are played differently. Application engineering focuses on architecture with boundaries such that the some of the resources are considered within trust boundary. The infrastructure engineering implements security with network perimeter protection and defense-in-depth strategy such that even the internal or hidden-from-world resources enjoy a certain level of protection. Both sides cannot deny the need to upskill and leverage the tools available. Developers must be trained in secure coding and infrastructure engineers must hold them true to it. Proficiency in using approved tools and establishing and maintaining effective oversight and administration go hand in hand.

With a sprawl in digital landscape of resources. tools, frameworks and platforms used to host data and run code, organizations often find it hard to benchmark their security against industry standards. “Embracing security and resilience by design” is indeed a challenge and progress to meet it must be tracked. CISA has published pivotal guidelines on the subject. One of the techniques frequently used is the Secure Code Warrior’s “Trust Score” technology which opens a new frontier of actionable security insights and benchmarking.

Cybersecurity is a discipline, and it is dynamic. While it was a $2 billion industry in the 90’s dominated by transaction systems, it is now over $2 trillion with an insatiable demand for products, services and AI applications. Virtually every company writes code in some way. Organizations have grappled with bringing security upfront into SDLC amidst cultural resistance and disagreements while having AppSec professionals deplete with a high rate of burnout. Movements like “shift left” have attempted to correct this. But accountability continues to be a sticking point at all levels and scopes. Case in point is the CrowdStrike introduced defect that affected Airlines industry. Oversight and management of software development processes must ensure Secure-by-Design is front-of-mind and achievable for each deployment.

Some of the tenets include: “Provide secure defaults for developers” with the default route during software development as one that is “paved road” or “well-lit path” and “Foster a software developer workforce that understands security” by training them on the best practices and including security education into the hired skillset. Developers need to be enabled through continuous precision learning pathways and tools to suit their tech stack and to share the responsibility for security.

 This is a summary of the book titled “The Yellow Pad” written by Robert E. Rubin and published by Penguin Press in 2023. The author is a former Goldman Sachs Executive and US Secretary of the Treasury who discusses how to navigate difficult, controversial decisions saying that he learned it requires adhering to specific principles. He also found that one must always recognize the unpredictable human element, since no event ever unfolds exactly as planned. He brings his knowledge and experience to this framework of principles. A prisoner’s insights made a lasting impact on him. In his work, he learned that risk management demands acknowledging the remotest possibilities. Mental toughness enables strong leaders to overcome bumps in the road and great leaders are curious, authentic, and true to their beliefs. A retrospective view provides clarity and fosters more effective decision-making.

He was impressed by the forthrightness of prisoners about their crimes and the importance of pause, assessment, and weighing the possible repercussions of their actions. He believed that making informed decisions amid intense upheaval requires special skill and discipline. Rubin emphasized the importance of understanding one's emotional biases and regulating them during risky crunch times. He also compared the late 20th century to the time when Vice President Al Gore warned of the dangers of global warming. Rubin and Henry Paulson, former treasury secretary under President George W. Bush, approached the Securities and Exchange Commission to advocate for financial establishments to openly acknowledge the possible costs of global warming. They believed that if more leaders around the world had thought about the issue like Al Gore, the world today would be a safer place.

Mental toughness is crucial for strong leaders to overcome challenges and maintain confidence in their decision-making abilities. They are resilient and embrace optimism, which is important within organizations. Successful leaders are known for their resilience, especially in response to public criticism. They are also known for their energetic curiosity, which leads them to take a skeptical approach and search for answers beyond obvious conclusions. Authenticity is a character trait that serves leaders well, as it allows them to explore the world around them. Being true to oneself requires consistency, even when it means disagreeing with others' opinions. Traditional management often overlooks the human element, as seen in the case of Lawrence Bossidy's management philosophy. Rubin prefers to focus on people's individuality and uniqueness, rather than specific rules and detailed lists of do's and don'ts. Despite their skepticism, leaders like Rubin can be talented and perceptive, making them valuable assets in their organizations.

Good executives prioritize the best interests of their organizations, ignoring personal feelings and fostering empathetic and patient decision-making. They credit their employees for department successes, accept blame when things go wrong, and are open to feedback from everyone. Organizational culture influences employee success, and leaders must avoid deviating from their foundational values. Success accrues upward, reflecting well on the leader. Analyzing past actions helps make informed decisions moving forward. In some cases, carefully considered decisions can still generate negative results. Intellectual openness creates an environment where people can work with leaders to make the best decisions. However, organizations often assign blame, leaving employees without valuable input. Chastising, blaming, or unfairly punishing people for making honest mistakes can fuel an unhealthy culture. Rubin seldom states his negative judgments of anyone's actions in public, as long as the people who made poor decisions undertake unflinching reviews of how their actions led to unsatisfactory outcomes.

 Comparision between CNN-LSTM and Logistic Regression

Deep Learning has shown superior performance in object detection and image classification in drone imageries. Logistic Regression shows superior prediction with drone telemetry data. While they serve different purposes, they can be compared on a common use case for predicting deviation from trajectory and compensation based on past orientations and current. The cost function in the CNN-LSTM is a mean squared error. CNN-LSTM uses the vectorized output of edge-detected and gaussian-smoothed images captured sequentially from video to predict the next steering angle of the drone. But the same data can be emitted as telemetry along with additional telemetry from edge detections, trajectory and squared errors and their corresponding vectors can then be run through Logistic Regression as shown below:Sample usage of Logistic Regression:

#! /bin/python

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

import pandas

import os

here = os.path.dirname(__file__) if "__file__" in locals() else "."

data_file = os.path.join(here, "data", "flight_errors", "data.csv")

data = pandas.read_csv(data_file, sep=",")

# y is the last column and the variable we want to predict. It has a boolean value.

data["y"] = data["y"].astype("category")

print(data.head(2))

print(data.shape)

data["y"] = data["y"].apply(lambda x: 1 if x == 1 else 0)

print(data[["y", "X1"]].groupby("y").count())

try:

    from sklearn.model_selection import train_test_split

except ImportError:

    from sklearn.cross_validation import train_test_split

train, test = train_test_split(data)

import numpy as np

from microsoftml import rx_fast_trees, rx_predict

features = [c for c in train.columns if c.startswith("X")]

model = rx_fast_trees("y ~ " + "+".join(features), data=train)

pred = rx_predict(model, test, extra_vars_to_write=["y"])

print(pred.head())

from sklearn.metrics import confusion_matrix

conf = confusion_matrix(pred["y"], pred["PredictedLabel"])

print(conf)

def train_test_hyperparameter(trainA, trainB, **hyper):

    # Train a model

    features = [c for c in train.columns if c.startswith("X")]

    model = rx_fast_trees("y ~ " + "+".join(features), data=trainA, verbose=0, **hyper)

    pred = rx_predict(model, trainB, extra_vars_to_write=["y"])

    conf = confusion_matrix(pred["y"], pred["PredictedLabel"])

    return (conf[0,0] + conf[1,1]) / conf.sum()

trainA, trainB = train_test_split(train)

hyper_values = [5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 50, 100, 200]

perfs = []

for val in hyper_values:

    acc = train_test_hyperparameter(trainA, trainB, num_leaves=val)

    perfs.append(acc)

    print("-- Training with hyper={0} performance={1}".format(val, acc))

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

fig, ax = plt.subplots(1, 1)

ax.plot(hyper_values, perfs, "o-")

ax.set_xlabel("num_leaves")

ax.set_ylabel("% correctly classified")

tries = max(zip(perfs, hyper_values))

print("max={0}".format(tries))

model = rx_fast_trees("y ~ " + "+".join(features), data=train, num_leaves=tries[1])

pred = rx_predict(model, test, extra_vars_to_write=["y"])

conf = confusion_matrix(pred["y"], pred["PredictedLabel"])

print(conf)

Emerging trends and regulations in UAV swarms

The units in a full-fledged, safe and autonomous swarm are comprised of drones and when the entire swarm is homogeneous, the adherence to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)'s Small UAS Rule (Part 107) is sufficient to clear.  This regulation mandates the following from the drones:

• Drone Weight: Must weigh less than 55 pounds, including payload.
• Visual Line of Sight (VLOS): The drone must remain within the operator's unaided visual line of sight.
• Daylight Operations: Flights are allowed during daylight or twilight (with anti-collision lighting).
• Maximum Altitude: Cannot exceed 400 feet above ground level unless within 400 feet of a structure.
• Maximum Speed: Limited to 100 mph (87 knots).
• Airspace Restrictions: Operations in controlled airspace require prior FAA authorization.
• No Flying Over People: Unless they are directly involved in the operation.
• No Moving Vehicles: Cannot operate from a moving vehicle unless in a sparsely populated area.
• Weather Visibility: Minimum visibility of 3 miles from the control station.
• Pilot Certification: Operators must hold a Remote Pilot Certificate or be supervised by someone who does.
• Registration: All drones must be registered with the FAA.

For example, Amazon's drone delivery system, known as Prime Air, is designed to deliver packages weighing up to 5 pounds within 30 minutes. The drones are fully electric and incorporate advanced aerospace standards to ensure safety and reliability such as  Part 135 Air Carrier Certificate from the FAA as well as the FAA Part 107. The drones are equipped with a sophisticated sense-and-avoid system that enables them to detect and navigate around obstacles, both static (like chimneys) and dynamic (like other aircraft). This system uses proprietary algorithms for object detection and decision-making, ensuring safe operations even in unexpected situations. The algorithms leverage a diverse suite of object detection technologies to identify obstacles and adjust flight paths accordingly. During the delivery descent, the drones can detect and avoid smaller obstacles like trampolines or clotheslines that might not be visible in satellite imagery. An automated drone-management system is being developed to plan the flight paths and ensure there are safe distances between the aircraft and other aircraft in the area, and that all aviation regulations are complied with.

The autonomous drone delivery system features a deep learning autonomous drone model built using CNN-LSTM algorithms. It includes functionalities like online purchasing, drone delivery processing, and real-time location tracking. CNN-LSTM algorithms combine Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks to handle tasks involving spatial and temporal data.CNNs are excellent for extracting spatial features from data, such as images or spectrograms. They use convolutional layers to identify patterns like edges, textures, or shapes. LSTMs are a type of Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) designed to capture temporal dependencies in sequential data. They excel at learning long-term relationships, making them ideal for tasks like time-series analysis or speech recognition.CNN layers process spatial data to extract features. These features are then passed to LSTM layers, which analyze the temporal relationships between them. This combination allows the model to understand both spatial and temporal aspects of the data, making it highly effective for tasks like video analysis, activity recognition, and speech emotion detection. This technique can help with generating textual descriptions of video sequences, identifying actions in a sequence of images and classifying emotions from audio spectrograms.

Amazon's CNN-LSTM predictor makes use of Gaussian and Edge detection preprocessing functions from image processing libraries for Steering Angle Dataset exploration.  Yolov3 bounding boxes architecture is used to find bounding boxes of cars, people, and trees in the image dataset. These bounding boxes were used by their probability model to calculate the probability of collision. Weight determination functions were used to calculate the probability of colliding into any given object. A pilot script is used to fly the drone.

 Emerging Trends of AI in Autonomous Business: 

The digital business era is maturing, with industry-leading enterprises seeking the next technology-enabled business growth curve. Autonomous business is a style of business partly governed and majority-operated by self-learning software agents, providing smart products and services to machine-customer-prevalent markets in a programmable economy. Executive leaders should factor autonomous business concepts into their long-range business strategy cycle, identify early "land grabs" needed to secure a competitive foothold, and pay attention to the possible arrival of machine customers in markets. The concept of autonomous business is still emerging, and its contours may assume a different market term in the future. It is characterized by a style of business partly governed and majority-operated by self-learning software agents, providing smart products and services to machine-customer-prevalent markets. Examples of autonomous business include fingerprint recognition door locks, people-tracking camera drones, voice assistants and chatbots. 

Operating in a programmable economy involves organizations trading with customers and other entities via blockchain decentralized ledgers, using smart contracts and digital tokens for value exchanges. This evolution of autonomous business will not be fundamentally dehumanizing, but it will lead to a four-day workweek in advanced economies, but not mass unemployment and societal crises. The definition of autonomous business is indicative rather than absolute, and it follows from prior evolutionary stages of digital and information-technology-enabled business capability and strategic value focus. Autonomous business builds on the prior phases, which will continue to grow and add value, even if their progress rate slows as autonomous business matures. It will rely heavily on golden thread business technology capacities, such as composability, that have helped weave the previous eras and continue to evolve and advance. 

The next era, "metaversal business," is expected to emerge from the integration of people into cyberspace, blurring the boundary between humans and machines. However, widespread deep immersion in cyberspace is unlikely, and direct interfacing is unlikely before the 2040s. Autonomous business will become a significant macro business technology concept in industries like mining, financial services, automotive, aerospace, defense, smart cities, medicine, research, higher education, and entertainment. It will depend on technologies that are already available and rapidly advancing, and will involve machine-controlled operations, augmented governance, and interaction with customers and other businesses through blockchain-enabled mechanisms. The programmable economy, based on distributed and decentralized digital resources, supports the production and consumption of goods and services, enabling innovation, entrepreneurship, and value exchange among humans and machines. 

#codingexercise: https://1drv.ms/w/c/d609fb70e39b65c8/EYMCYvb9NRtOtcJwdXRDUi0BVzUEyGL-Rz2NKFaKj6KLgA?e=fBM3eo

 #codingexercise

Problem: A transformation sequence from word beginWord to word endWord using a dictionary wordList is a sequence of words beginWord -> s1 -> s2 -> ... -> sk such that:

• Every adjacent pair of words differs by a single letter.

• Every si for 1 <= i <= k is in wordList. Note that beginWord does not need to be in wordList.

• sk == endWord

Given two words, beginWord and endWord, and a dictionary wordList, return all the shortest transformation sequences from beginWord to endWord, or an empty list if no such sequence exists. Each sequence should be returned as a list of the words [beginWord, s1, s2, ..., sk].

 

Example 1:

Input: beginWord = "hit", endWord = "cog", wordList = ["hot","dot","dog","lot","log","cog"]

Output: [["hit","hot","dot","dog","cog"],["hit","hot","lot","log","cog"]]

Explanation: There are 2 shortest transformation sequences:

"hit" -> "hot" -> "dot" -> "dog" -> "cog"

"hit" -> "hot" -> "lot" -> "log" -> "cog"

Example 2:

Input: beginWord = "hit", endWord = "cog", wordList = ["hot","dot","dog","lot","log"]

Output: []

Explanation: The endWord "cog" is not in wordList, therefore there is no valid transformation sequence.

 

Constraints:

• 1 <= beginWord.length <= 5

• endWord.length == beginWord.length

• 1 <= wordList.length <= 500

• wordList[i].length == beginWord.length

• beginWord, endWord, and wordList[i] consist of lowercase English letters.

• beginWord != endWord

• All the words in wordList are unique.

• The sum of all shortest transformation sequences does not exceed 105.

 

class Solution {

    public List<List<String>> findLadders(String beginWord, String endWord, List<String> wordList) {

        List<List<String>> results = new ArrayList<List<String>>();

        var q = new LinkedList<String>();

        var s = new HashSet<String>(wordList);

        q.add(beginWord);

        var result = new ArrayList<String>();

        combine(beginWord, endWord, s, results, result);

    

        var minOpt =  results.stream().filter(x -> x.get(0).equals(beginWord)).mapToInt(x -> x.size()).min();

        if (minOpt.isPresent()) {

            var min = minOpt.getAsInt();

            results = results.stream().filter(x -> x.size() == min).collect(Collectors.toList());

        }

        

        return results;

    }

    private static void combine(String top, String endWord, HashSet<String> s,  List<List<String>> results, List<String> result)

    {

            if (top.equals(endWord)) {

                return;

            }

            result.add(top);

            char[] chars = top.toCharArray();

            for (int i = 0; i < chars.length; i++)

            {

                for (char c = 'a'; c <= 'z'; c++)

                {

                    char temp = chars[i];

                    if (temp != c) {

                        chars[i] = c;

                    }

                    String candidate = new String(chars);

                    if (s.contains(candidate) && !result.contains(candidate)) {

                        var clone = new ArrayList<String>(result);

                        if (candidate.equals(endWord)) {

                            clone.add(candidate);

                            results.add(clone);

                        } else {

                            combine(candidate, endWord, s, results, clone);

                        }

                    }

                    chars[i] = temp;

                }

            }

            result.remove(top);

    }

}

 

Test cases:

1.

Input

beginWord =

"hit"

endWord =

"cog"

wordList =

["hot","dot","dog","lot","log","cog"]

Output

[["hit","hot","dot","dog","cog"],["hit","hot","lot","log","cog"]]

Expected

[["hit","hot","dot","dog","cog"],["hit","hot","lot","log","cog"]]

2.

Input

beginWord =

"hit"

endWord =

"cog"

wordList =

["hot","dot","dog","lot","log"]

Output

[]

Expected

[]

 The following script can be used to covert the manuscript of a book into its corresponding audio production.

Option 1: individual chapters

import azure.cognitiveservices.speech as speechsdk

import time

def batch_text_to_speech(text, output_filename):

      # Azure Speech Service configuration

      speech_key = "<use-your-speech-key>"

      service_region = "eastus"

# Configure speech synthesis

speech_config = speechsdk.SpeechConfig(

     subscription=speech_key,

     region=service_region

)

# Set output format to MP3

                          speech_config.set_speech_synthesis_output_format(speechsdk.SpeechSynthesisOutputFormat.Audio48Khz192KBitRateMonoMp3)

speech_config.speech_synthesis_voice_name = "en-US-BrianMultilingualNeural"

# Create audio config for file output

audio_config = speechsdk.audio.AudioOutputConfig(filename=output_filename)

# Create speech synthesizer

synthesizer = speechsdk.SpeechSynthesizer(

    speech_config=speech_config,

    audio_config=audio_config

)

# Split text into chunks if needed (optional)

# text_chunks = split_large_text(text)

# Synthesize text

result = synthesizer.speak_text_async(text).get()

if result.reason == speechsdk.ResultReason.SynthesizingAudioCompleted:

    print(f"Audio synthesized to {output_filename}")

elif result.reason == speechsdk.ResultReason.Canceled:

    cancellation_details = result.cancellation_details

    print(f"Speech synthesis canceled: {cancellation_details.reason}")

    if cancellation_details.reason == speechsdk.CancellationReason.Error:

        print(f"Error details: {cancellation_details.error_details}")

def split_large_text(text, max_length=9000):

        return [text[i:i+max_length] for i in range(0, len(text), max_length)]

input_filename = ""

large_text = ""

for i in range(1,100):

        input_filename=f"{i}.txt"

        print(input_filename)

        if input_filename:

          with open(input_filename, "r") as fin:

              large_text = fin.read()

              print(str(len(large_text)) + " " + input_filename.replace("txt","mp3"))

              batch_text_to_speech(large_text, input_filename.replace("txt","mp3"))

Option 2. Whole manuscript:

import requests import json import time from docx import Document import os import uuid

# Azure AI Language Service configuration

endpoint = "https://eastus.api.cognitive.microsoft.com/texttospeech/batchsyntheses/JOBID?api-version=2024-04-01" api_key = "<your_api_key>"

headers = {

 "Content-Type": "application/json",

 "Ocp-Apim-Subscription-Key": api_key

 }

def synthesize_text(inputs):

body = {

 "inputKind": "PlainText", # or SSML

 'synthesisConfig': {

 "voice": "en-US-BrianMultilingualNeural",

 },

 # Replace with your custom voice name and deployment ID if you want to use custom voice.

 # Multiple voices are supported, the mixture of custom voices and platform voices is allowed.

 # Invalid voice name or deployment ID will be rejected.

 'customVoices': {

  # "YOUR_CUSTOM_VOICE_NAME": "YOUR_CUSTOM_VOICE_ID" }, "inputs": inputs,

   "properties": {

     "outputFormat": "audio-48khz-192kbitrate-mono-mp3"

    }

 }

 response = requests.put(endpoint.replace("JOBID", str(uuid.uuid4())), headers=headers, json=body)

 if response.status_code < 400:

    jobId = f'{response.json()["id"]}'

    return jobId

 else:

    raise Exception(f"Failed to start batch synthesis job: {response.text}")

def get_synthesis(job_id: str):

 while True:

 url = f'https://eastus.api.cognitive.microsoft.com/texttospeech/batchsyntheses/{job_id}?api-version=2024-04-01'

     headers = { "Content-Type": "application/json", "Ocp-Apim-Subscription-Key": api_key }

     response = requests.get(url, headers=headers)

  if response.status_code < 400:

status = response.json()['status']

if "Succeeded" in status:

return response.json()

else:

print(f'batch synthesis job is still running, status [{status}]')

time.sleep(5) # Wait for 5 seconds before checking again

def get_text(file_path):

with open(file_path, 'r') as file:

  file_contents = file.read()

print(f"Length of text: {len(file_contents)}")

return file_contents

if name == "main":

input_file_name = ""

large_text = ""

inputs = []

  for i in range(1,100):

   input_file_name=f"{i}.txt"

   print(input_file_name)

   if input_file_name:

document_text = get_text(input_file_name)

inputs += [ { "content": document_text }, ]

jobId = synthesize_text(inputs)

 print(jobId)

 # Get audio result

 audio = get_synthesis(jobId)

 print("Result:")

 print(audio)

#Codingexercise: https://1drv.ms/w/c/d609fb70e39b65c8/EV8iyT_-kuVCp1f6IVela_0BRuHHSQwBqNnng7Ztz4cQaA?e=ZHpPON

 This is a summary of the book titled “Crash Landing” written by Liz Hoffman and published by Crown in 2023. When the pandemic hit, the 2008 recession was dwarfed. Leaders had to act fast. Billions of dollars changed hands. Some companies made money while others barely endured. Hoffman provided intimate portraits of leaders who navigated these times as the inside story of how some companies survived an economy on the brink. Many were blindsided by the pandemic such as the America’s airline industry. By the time they could grapple with the reality, the crisis was a major one. When money stopped flowing, companies borrowed. The US Government threw in its vast financial firepower at the crisis but the economy that survived was no longer the original before the pandemic.

In late January 2020, the financial elite at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, were unaware of the potential impact of COVID-19 on the global economy. The US economy had experienced 10 consecutive years of growth and had a record high in 2019 corporate profits. However, the American economy was particularly vulnerable to a health crisis due to stagnant wages, reduced workers' benefits, and lack of surplus funds. The virus was already affecting Taiwan and Japan, and it would soon appear in Europe and North America. The airline industry, which had enjoyed a champagne decade, was also vulnerable to the virus. In 2020, the globalized world was not interconnected by land or sea, but by air. Direct flights reached twice as many cities as they had 20 years earlier. A 35-year-old man returning from China in mid-January became America's first reported case of COVID-19, unaware of the potentially deadly virus.

In March 2020, the world faced a major crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic. American executives and Wall Street bankers were not taking the situation seriously, as businesses in other countries did. The virus spreads through the air and resembles an ordinary flu, leading to widespread social distancing. Despite rigorous lockdowns, COVID-19 quickly crossed out of China, leading to the closure of Disney's Shanghai Park, McDonald's, Starbucks, Delta, and Hilton's hotels in China. The world's greatest economy shut down, and Wall Street's financial markets experienced panic. Bill Ackman, founder and CEO of Pershing Square Capital Management, believed the virus might be difficult to control in the US, leading to massive unemployment and civil unrest. Investors began feeling spooked, and stock values fell. The Federal Reserve intervened with an interest rate cut, but the markets remained open. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization announced that COVID-19 had reached the level of a global pandemic, leading to stock declines, sports leagues ending, and Disney parks closing.

The COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted the travel industry, leading to a significant drop in revenue per available room, a crucial financial metric in the hotel industry. Hilton, a major hotel chain, had barely survived the 2008 financial collapse and was unable to survive the 2020 crisis. The pandemic exposed the dangers of a financial playbook that had become the default in corporate boardrooms over the previous two decades. Hilton's leaders called in its $1.75 billion line of credit to borrow money and worry that banks themselves could go under. The 2020 financial meltdown differed from the 2008 crisis, as it was not as severe as the 2008 crisis. Wall Street traders were uneasy and the sudden need to work from home worsened volatility. Bank reforms in 2020 limited Wall Street's activities and freedoms, leading to a decline in productivity and a dramatic fall in the S&P 500.

The US government and airline executives faced financial challenges during the COVID economic crisis, aiming to avoid bankruptcy and a complete meltdown. After negotiations, Congress pursued a multibillion-dollar payroll relief package, leading to major hedge funds selling bonds and Airbnb spending billions on COVID refunds. The number of Americans with COVID increased exponentially, and banks borrowed billions. The economy that survived the pandemic is not the one that crashed headlong into it, but it did not fall into depression. The pandemic created value, such as improved telecommunications infrastructure and higher pay for essential workers. However, inflation and interest rates rose, making life difficult for ordinary people. While the pandemic wasn't a total disaster, it required a careful balance between swift action and making the right choices.

#codingexercise: https://1drv.ms/w/c/d609fb70e39b65c8/Echlm-Nw-wkggNYlIwEAAAABD8nSsN--hM7kfA-W_mzuWw?e=BQczmz 

 Lessons from storage engineering for Knowledge bases and RAGs.

Data at rest and in transit are chunks of binaries that make sense only when there are additional layers built to process them, store them, ETL them or provide them as results to queries and storage engineering has a rich tradition in building datastores, as databases and data warehouses and even making them virtual and hosted in the cloud. Vector databases, albeit the authority in embeddings and semantic similarity, do not operate independently but must be part of a system that serves as a data platform and often spans multiple and hybrid data sources for best results. The old and the new worlds can enter a virtuous feedback loop that can improve the use of new datastores.

Take Facebook Presto, for example, as a success story in bridging structured and unstructured social engineering data. Developed as an open-source distributed SQL query engine, it revolutionized data analytics by enabling seamless querying across structured and unstructured data sources. Presto's ability to perform federated queries allowed users to join and analyze data from diverse sources, such as Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS), Apache Cassandra, and relational databases, in real-time. This unified approach eliminated the need for multiple specialized tools, bridging the gap between structured and unstructured data. Presto's architecture, optimized for low query latency, employed in-memory processing and pipelined execution, significantly reducing end-to-end latency compared to traditional systems like Hive3. Its scalability and flexibility made it a valuable tool for handling petabyte-scale datasets.

Drawing parallels to technologies that work with structured and vector data, vector databases emerge as a compelling counterpart. These databases are designed to store and retrieve high-dimensional vectors, which are mathematical representations of objects. By mapping structured data into vector space, vector databases facilitate similarity searches and enable AI algorithms to retrieve relevant information efficiently. For example, Milvus, a popular vector database, supports vectorizing structured data and querying it for advanced analytics. This process involves converting structured data into numerical vectors using machine learning models, allowing for nuanced analysis and pattern detection.

Both Presto and vector databases share a common goal: unifying disparate data types for seamless analysis. Some examples of vector databases include:

 

• Milvus: Milvus is an open-source vector database designed for managing large-scale vector data. It supports hybrid searches, combining structured metadata with vector similarity queries, making it ideal for applications like recommendation systems and AI-driven analytics.

• Weaviate: Weaviate is another open-source vector database that integrates structured data with vector embeddings. It offers semantic search capabilities and allows users to query data using natural language prompts.

• Redis (Redis-Search and Redis-VSS): Redis has extensions for vector search that enable hybrid queries, combining structured data with vector-based similarity searches. It's optimized for high-speed lookups and real-time applications.

• Qdrant: Qdrant is a vector database that supports hybrid queries, allowing structured filters alongside vector searches. It is designed for scalable and efficient AI applications.

Azure Cosmos DB stands out as a versatile database service that integrates vector search capabilities alongside its traditional NoSQL and relational database functionalities. When compared with the above list, here’s how it stands out:

• Hybrid Data Support: Like Milvus, Weaviate, Redis, and Qdrant, Azure Cosmos DB supports hybrid queries, combining structured data with vector embeddings. This makes it suitable for applications requiring both traditional database operations and vector-based similarity searches.

• Integrated Vector Store: Azure Cosmos DB allows vectors to be stored directly within documents alongside schema-free data. This colocation simplifies data management and enhances the efficiency of vector-based operations, a feature that aligns with the capabilities of vector databases.

• Scalability and Performance: Azure Cosmos DB offers automatic scalability and single-digit millisecond response times, ensuring high performance at any scale. This is comparable to the optimized performance of vector databases like Redis and Milvus.

• Vector Indexing: Azure Cosmos DB supports advanced vector indexing methods, such as DiskANN-based quantization, enabling efficient and accurate vector searches. This is like the indexing techniques used in specialized vector databases.

• AI Integration: Azure Cosmos DB is designed to support AI-driven applications, including natural language processing, recommendation systems, and multi-modal searches. This aligns with the use cases of vector databases like Weaviate and Qdrant.

While Azure Cosmos DB provides robust vector search capabilities, it also offers the flexibility of a general-purpose database, making it a compelling choice for organizations looking to unify structured, unstructured, and vector data within a single platform.

#codingexercise: https://1drv.ms/w/c/d609fb70e39b65c8/Echlm-Nw-wkggNYlIwEAAAABD8nSsN--hM7kfA-W_mzuWw?e=BQczmz 

 The following script can be used to covert the manuscript of a book into its corresponding audio production.

Option 1: individual chapters

import azure.cognitiveservices.speech as speechsdk

import time

def batch_text_to_speech(text, output_filename):

      # Azure Speech Service configuration

      speech_key = "<use-your-speech-key>"

      service_region = "eastus"

# Configure speech synthesis

speech_config = speechsdk.SpeechConfig(

     subscription=speech_key,

     region=service_region

)

# Set output format to MP3

                          speech_config.set_speech_synthesis_output_format(speechsdk.SpeechSynthesisOutputFormat.Audio48Khz192KBitRateMonoMp3)

speech_config.speech_synthesis_voice_name = "en-US-BrianMultilingualNeural"

# Create audio config for file output

audio_config = speechsdk.audio.AudioOutputConfig(filename=output_filename)

# Create speech synthesizer

synthesizer = speechsdk.SpeechSynthesizer(

    speech_config=speech_config,

    audio_config=audio_config

)

# Split text into chunks if needed (optional)

# text_chunks = split_large_text(text)

# Synthesize text

result = synthesizer.speak_text_async(text).get()

if result.reason == speechsdk.ResultReason.SynthesizingAudioCompleted:

    print(f"Audio synthesized to {output_filename}")

elif result.reason == speechsdk.ResultReason.Canceled:

    cancellation_details = result.cancellation_details

    print(f"Speech synthesis canceled: {cancellation_details.reason}")

    if cancellation_details.reason == speechsdk.CancellationReason.Error:

        print(f"Error details: {cancellation_details.error_details}")

def split_large_text(text, max_length=9000):

        return [text[i:i+max_length] for i in range(0, len(text), max_length)]

input_filename = ""

large_text = ""

for i in range(1,100):

        input_filename=f"{i}.txt"

        print(input_filename)

        if input_filename:

          with open(input_filename, "r") as fin:

              large_text = fin.read()

              print(str(len(large_text)) + " " + input_filename.replace("txt","mp3"))

              batch_text_to_speech(large_text, input_filename.replace("txt","mp3"))

Option 2. Whole manuscript:

import requests import json import time from docx import Document import os import uuid

# Azure AI Language Service configuration

endpoint = "https://eastus.api.cognitive.microsoft.com/texttospeech/batchsyntheses/JOBID?api-version=2024-04-01" api_key = "<your_api_key>"

headers = {

 "Content-Type": "application/json",

 "Ocp-Apim-Subscription-Key": api_key

 }

def synthesize_text(inputs):

body = {

 "inputKind": "PlainText", # or SSML

 'synthesisConfig': {

 "voice": "en-US-BrianMultilingualNeural",

 },

 # Replace with your custom voice name and deployment ID if you want to use custom voice.

 # Multiple voices are supported, the mixture of custom voices and platform voices is allowed.

 # Invalid voice name or deployment ID will be rejected.

 'customVoices': {

  # "YOUR_CUSTOM_VOICE_NAME": "YOUR_CUSTOM_VOICE_ID" }, "inputs": inputs,

   "properties": {

     "outputFormat": "audio-48khz-192kbitrate-mono-mp3"

    }

 }

 response = requests.put(endpoint.replace("JOBID", str(uuid.uuid4())), headers=headers, json=body)

 if response.status_code < 400:

    jobId = f'{response.json()["id"]}'

    return jobId

 else:

    raise Exception(f"Failed to start batch synthesis job: {response.text}")

def get_synthesis(job_id: str):

 while True:

 url = f'https://eastus.api.cognitive.microsoft.com/texttospeech/batchsyntheses/{job_id}?api-version=2024-04-01'

     headers = { "Content-Type": "application/json", "Ocp-Apim-Subscription-Key": api_key }

     response = requests.get(url, headers=headers)

  if response.status_code < 400:

status = response.json()['status']

if "Succeeded" in status:

return response.json()

else:

print(f'batch synthesis job is still running, status [{status}]')

time.sleep(5) # Wait for 5 seconds before checking again

def get_text(file_path):

with open(file_path, 'r') as file:

  file_contents = file.read()

print(f"Length of text: {len(file_contents)}")

return file_contents

if name == "main":

input_file_name = ""

large_text = ""

inputs = []

  for i in range(1,100):

   input_file_name=f"{i}.txt"

   print(input_file_name)

   if input_file_name:

document_text = get_text(input_file_name)

inputs += [ { "content": document_text }, ]

jobId = synthesize_text(inputs)

 print(jobId)

 # Get audio result

 audio = get_synthesis(jobId)

 print("Result:")

 print(audio)

 Problem #1:

 A stream of arbitrary integers appears in no particular order and without duplicates

  the rank of each integer is determined by the number of smaller integers before and after it up to the current position

  Write a method to get the rank of the current integer in an efficient way.

  eg: 7, 1, 3, 9, 5, 8

Solution:

A max heap is used to keep track of the elements we have seen and to count those that are smaller

using System;

using System.Collections.Generic;

using System.Linq;

public class Test

{

 private static SortedList<int, int> itemRankPair = new SortedList<int, int>();

 public static void Main()

 {

      var items = new List<int>(){7, 1, 3, 9, 5, 8};

      for (int i = 0; i < items.Count; i++)

      {

       var item = items[i];

       Console.WriteLine("Item={0}", item);

       if (itemRankPair.ContainsKey(item) == false)

       {

           itemRankPair.Add(item, GetRank(item));

       }

       Console.WriteLine();

       for (int j = 0; j < i; j++)

       {

           int k = items[j];

           if (k >= item)

           {

            itemRankPair[k] += 1;

            Console.WriteLine("item={0}, Rank={1}", k, itemRankPair[k]);

           }

       }

       Console.WriteLine();

      }

      foreach (var k in itemRankPair.Keys.ToList()){

  Console.WriteLine("item={0}, Rank={1}", k, itemRankPair[k]);

      }

 }

 private static int GetRank(int n)

 {

  int rank = 0;

  foreach( var key in itemRankPair.Keys.ToList())

  {

  if (key < n)

  {

      rank++;

  }

  }

  return rank;

 }

}

# Azure infrastructure-as-code solution: IaCResolutionsPart274.docx

 These are the steps to create an AI agent. As discussed earlier, they came in various types and forms, but they can be quite capable. From design, implementation, test to deployment, it must be specific to its requirements, make the right selections of model and knowledge base, and remain pertinent and accurate, while avoiding the pitfalls such as bias, hallucinations, and concerns against safety, security and privacy.

The first step is to draw the requirements, which involves 1. identifying the problem, 2. prompt engineering, and 3. determining user interaction. For example, scheduling meetings, answering common questions, and generating creative content requires have different approaches. Clear instructions for guiding the agents’ behavior, outlining what the agent should do in different scenarios and providing specific instructions while allowing flexibility to handle parameters will help with prompts. The way the user interacts with the agent such as a chat is also important.

The second step is to choose the right model. This is a critical step in building an effective AI agent. The models have their advantages such as GPT-4 from OpenAI for advanced NLP, LLaMA 3 by Meta for its efficiency and adaptability, and Google’s PaLM 2 for handling multilingual tasks. Model’s like Meta’s LLaMA are open and offer customization options while OpenAI’s closed/hosted model GPT-4 come with support, maintenance and ease of use. Also, a less complex model such as GPT-3 might suffice for the requirements.

The performance metrics of different models such as accuracy, response time, scalability, and the ability to handle concurrent requests are important to align with the requirements. Consider customization options when you must fine-tune them for your specific tasks, especially when there is a domain-specific language.

Check if the model can easily be integrated with existing systems and tools especially for API support, environments and external databases, web services or interfaces. There might be some cost implications of various models, and some effort required for experimentation and iteration.

The third step involves enabling tools, for say information retrieval, web browsing and function calling, along with the configuration of specific settings for each tool, the testing of its integration, and adherence to security best practices and observability.

The fourth step is the extension of capabilities via custom functions, such as for summarization or reports, even if it involves writing code, testing the implementation and integrating via endpoints or webhooks, defining parameters and configuring invocations, testing and optimization

As with all software, some best practices are upheld. AI agents are only as good as their data which must be comprehensive and free of bias. They could provide transparency in terms of references or statistics or enumeration of thought,action and observations, enhance security with robust access control with defense-in-depth strategy, avoiding complexity that involves common sense, reasoning, or understanding context and not require a whole lot of or absence of human supervision.

#codingexercise: 

https://1drv.ms/w/c/d609fb70e39b65c8/Echlm-Nw-wkggNYlIwEAAAABD8nSsN--hM7kfA-W_mzuWw?e=f29Tjt

 This article is all about AI agents. There are many types, development processes and real-world implementations. There has always been automation for complex workflows with curated artifacts, they have been boutique and never really intended for Large Language Models. While information can be tapped from multiple data sources or a knowledge base, enhanced decision-making processes needed to leverage AI agents. The operational framework of AI agents and the ways they augment LLMs is described here.

AI agents are software entities that complete a task autonomously on behalf of a user, including making requests to other services to improve the reach of standalone LLMs. They can retrieve real-time data from external databases, and APIs, manage interactive sessions with users and automate routine tasks that can be invoked dynamically or on schedule and with different parameters. An agent framework provides the tools and structures necessary to a developer to build robust, scaleable and efficient agent-based systems. This agent framework is an evolution of Reason-Action (ReAct) framework where an LLM is prompted to follow Thought/Action/Observation sequences. The Agent framework extends this by including external tools into the action step. The tools can range from simple calculators and database calls to python code generation and execution and even interactions with other agents. The calling program typically parses the output of the LLM at each step to determine the next steps. As an example, a prompt to find the weather in Seattle, WA involves a thought for needing to access a weather API to get the information, an action to call the weather API with location information and an observation on the response, followed by a thought that the relevant information is 65 degrees Fahrenheit and sunny, an action to report it to the user and an observation that the user is informed. By increasing iterations, articulation of granularity, dynamic adaptability and interoperability, the decision-making process can be arbitrarily enhanced. Compared with traditional software agents, there is very little distraction from syntax and format and more emphasis on semantics and latent meaning by virtue of LLMs and vector databases. This helps them to provide more dynamic, context-aware responses.

LLM agents can be diverse with each tailored to address specific challenges in information processing, decision support, and task automation. The task-specific agents are designed to perform specific, well-defined tasks. The conversational agents leverage natural language not a query language to interact with users. The decision support agents analyze complex data and provide insights. The workflow-automation agents co-ordinate and execute multi-step processes across different systems. The information retrieval agents can search and extract relevant information from large datasets or document repositories. The collaborative agents are creative and work with humans to accomplish complex tasks. The predictive agents use historical data and current trends to forecast future outcomes. The adaptive learning agents improve performance over time by learning from interactions and feedback. By categorizing different types of agents, an organization can streamline their operations, improve customer experiences and gain valuable insights.

 This is a summary of the book titled “Win the inside game” written by Steve Magness and published by HarperOne in 2025. The author is a performance coach who argues for a cognitive and psychological strategies to start living your full potential especially when there are increasing numbers of burnouts and for a many, a crisis of meaning. As we immerse ourselves in workplace and social media, Steve suggests developing a healthy sense of self-worth and intrinsic motivation. It’s just that we are in survival mode with the pressures of the modern life that we are merciless on ourselves and what it means for as growth and purpose. Hard work is not always virtuous. Intrinsic motivation and playful exploration will foster a sense of belonging and growth. By accepting ourselves and showing self-compassion, we can embrace the messiness of life. We learn to recast failures and losses as opportunities for learning and growth. We must proactively surround ourselves with people, objects and environments that support our growth. We will find more freedom and authenticity by disrupting the state of fear.

Many people live in "survival mode," feeling trapped in a fight for survival due to the pressures of modern life. This mode, which involves avoiding or shutting down, fighting and defending, narrowing and clinging, or accepting and exploring threats, can hinder growth and undermine a sense of life's meaning. Existential psychologist Tatjana Schnell suggests four qualities essential for a meaningful life: coherence, significance, purpose, and belonging. However, these qualities can be elusive in the modern world, with social media platforms encouraging inauthentic self-presentation, productivity-obsessed work culture, and superficial online interactions failing to foster a deep sense of belonging. Recognizing and addressing these needs can help individuals thrive in a world that is too big for their minds to handle.

The belief that hard work is virtuous can hinder happiness in the modern world. The Protestant notion that hard work is a virtue has led to an unhealthy fixation on external indicators of success, leading to poorer performance, stress, anxiety, and burnout. To thrive, prioritize intrinsic motivations and do what matters to you rather than competing with others.

High performance comes from intense work and commitment, which can grow only from an internal drive that manifests at the intersection of interest, motivation, and talent. Children naturally explore various interests, often becoming obsessed for periods of time. As people grow older, they often feel a need to choose a particular path, but rigid attachment to a narrow identity can lead to feelings of missing out and a crisis of meaning.

To achieve sustainable excellence, bring childlike exploration back into your life, seek a balance between exploration and commitment, alternate between narrowing and broadening focus, and be wary of success that might lead to cementing a commitment for the wrong reasons.

To embrace the messiness of life, cultivate self-compassion, "be someone," and "integrate the messiness." Accept your inner critic and focus on wisdom and courage to alleviate suffering. Hold onto a core sense of yourself that endures even in failures and setbacks. Seek meaning from diverse sources, such as hobbies or volunteering. Craft an empowering narrative of your journey to increase resilience and stress management. Recast failures and losses as opportunities for learning and growth.

In today's world, losing well is essential. Learning to lose well means accepting a loss and learning from it, rather than throwing a tantrum or shutting down. Failure brings clarity and helps you see yourself and pursuits as they are. Learning to lose well also helps you win better, as emotional outbursts or avoidance after a loss can lead to retreat and self-protection. Reframe your performance and view success and failure as part of your learning and growth journey.

To exit survival mode, create an environment that supports growth and downregulates the nervous system. Research shows that a person's physical environment can significantly impact their performance, with studies showing that making an office feel more like home can improve performance by up to 160%. This creates psychological ownership, which supports emotional needs for identity, belonging, and safety. Surround yourself with people who inspire you and serve as role models and cultivate relationships that feel expansive.

To find more freedom and authenticity, disrupt the state of fear by using physiological techniques to reset the nervous system. If your fears aren't life-threatening, confront them deliberately, such as dressing in a ridiculous outfit and going out in public.

Reducing attachment to specific outcomes and approaching life with more openness can help you stop living in a fearful, protective, and defensive state and start thriving. By embracing change, you can grow, adapt, form genuine relationships, and achieve goals that align with your authentic self.

 This is a summary of the book titled “Energy - a human history” written by Richard Rhodes and published by Simon and Schuster in 2018. The author is a prolific and acclaimed writer who covers major innovations in energy in the last 400 years. As a journal of scientific history, this book covers breakthroughs such as turning coal into steam, building railroads, electric grid and automobiles and eventually to harness the power of atom. His lessons on the benefits and risks of each source of energy holds value as we evaluate the challenges of climate change. Cheap abundant energy has driven prosperity for society. Wood was scarce and that prompted finding coal, but mining and transportation was difficult. Canals were built and steam drove the railway beginning with freight in 1831. The search for oil began because kerosene could be distilled from bitumen. Electricity was a breakthrough for the industrial age and the invention of the internal combustion engine propelled transportation. Oil became a global hunt with Middle East becoming a huge producer. World war II spurred the development of nuclear power, and its aftermath highlighted the pollution from power generation. Understanding the benefits and risks of each source of energy is crucial to managing environmental impact.

Over the last 400 years, western societies have demonstrated remarkable innovation in finding and exploiting new energy sources. Wood gave way to coal, and coal made room for oil, as coal and oil now make way for natural gas, nuclear power, and renewables. Obscure inventors and scientists made great advances motivated by the scarcity, cost, or other shortcomings of existing energy sources, delivering more efficient sources of heat, light, and transportation.

Elizabethan England's scarcity of wood led to the search for alternatives, such as coal, which provided energy but was difficult to mine. As coal mining expanded, miners faced the problem of flooding, leading to the development of steam engines. James Watt patented a better steam engine in 1769, which was sold to coal miners and other industrialists under an exclusive patent until 1800.

Mine owners built canals to reduce the cost of transporting coal, such as the Bridgewater Canal, which reduced the price of coal in Manchester by 50%. Improved smelting allowed for the use of iron rails for efficient coal hauling.

The Liverpool and Manchester Railway, the first commercial passenger and freight railway, opened in 1831, powered by steam. Cornish inventor Richard Trevithick developed a high-pressure steam engine, allowing it to be smaller than earlier models. George Stephenson won a competition to demonstrate the safety and speed of steam-powered rail, leading to the development of the first railway in the world, the Liverpool and Manchester Railway. The first gas lights were installed in London in 1807. The search for oil began with kerosene, a fuel source for lighting, invented by Canadian physician Abraham Gesner. The US Civil War boosted the market for oil, with production reaching 4.8 million barrels by 1870. However, the environmental costs of drilling, transporting, and distilling oil became apparent, making the process messy.

Electricity was a significant energy source that fueled economic growth. Despite the existence of electricity, scientists were unsure of how to use it. Hans Christian Oersted discovered electromagnetism, which enabled the generation of electricity in sufficient quantities for practical use. Early developers recognized Niagara Falls as a potential power source and worked to harness its potential effectively. William Stanley Jr. developed alternating current (AC), allowing transmission over long distances. Westinghouse built generators and transmission lines to harness Niagara Falls' power, making Buffalo, New York, the first electrified city. The introduction of electric streetcars in the 1880s reduced transportation costs and accelerated city growth. Henry Ford developed his first automobile in 1896, using a gasoline-powered internal combustion engine.

The need for oil became international, leading to exploration in the Middle East. In 1933, Standard Oil of California signed a 60-year deal with Saudi Arabia, leading to a significant discovery in 1938. The development of oil fields required the construction of oil and gas pipelines, which were later used to deliver natural gas, a by-product of oil production. The outbreak of World War II boosted the demand for oil, leading to the construction of the world's largest and longest oil pipeline, the Big Inch. The Atomic Energy Act granted the US government a monopoly on nuclear power, but the Atomic Energy Commission created a joint venture to build a nuclear reactor near Pittsburgh in 1953. By the 1950s, the problem of pollution from power generation became evident, and the connection between air pollution and health was poorly understood until the mid-20th century.

In the 1950s, a chemist at the California Institute of Technology discovered that smog in Los Angeles was caused by automobile and factory emissions interacting with sunlight and ozone. This led to the 1970 US Clean Air Act. Wealth has been linked to environmental regulation, with wealthier societies becoming cleaner and healthier. Understanding the benefits and risks of energy sources is crucial for managing environmental impact and addressing climate change. Climate change has increased public awareness, leading to research on renewable energy sources like wind and solar power.

 The vectors generated by embedding models are often stored in a specialized vector database. Vector databases are optimized for storing and retrieving vector data efficiently. Like traditional databases, vector databases can be used to manage permissions, metadata and data integrity, ensuring secure and organized access to information. They also tend to include update mechanisms so newly added texts are indexed and ready to use quickly.

The difference that a vector database and Retrieval Augmented Generation makes might be easier to explain with an example. When a chatbot powered by LLama2 LLM is asked about an acronym that was not part of its training text, it tends to guess and respond with an incorrect expansion and elaborating on what that might be. It does not even hint that it might be making things up. This is often referred to as hallucination. But if an RAG system is setup with access to documentation that explains what the acronym stands for, the relevant information is indexed and becomes part of the vector database, and the same prompt will now give a more pertinent information. With RAG, the LLM provides correct answers.

If the prompt was provided with the relevant documents that contain an answer, which is referred to as augmenting the prompt, the LLM can leverage that against the vector database and provide more compelling and coherent answers that would turn out to be knowledgeable as well as opposed to the hallucination referred above. By automating this process, we can make the chat responses to be more satisfactory every time. This might require additional steps of building a retrieval system backed by a vector database. It might also involve extra steps of data processing and managing the generated vectors. RAG also has added benefits for the LLM to consolidate multiple sources of data into a readable output tailored to the user's prompt. RAG applications can also incorporate proprietary data which makes it different from the public data that most LLM are trained on. The data can be up to date so that the LLM is not restricted to the point-in-time that it was trained on. RAG reduces hallucinations and allows the LLM to provide citations and query statistics to make the processing more transparent to the users. As with all retrieval systems, fine-grained data access control also brings about its own advantages.

There are four steps for building Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG):

1. Data Augmentation

a. Objective: Prepare data for a real-time knowledge base and contextualization in LLM queries by populating a vector database.

b. Process: Integrate disparate data using connectors, transform and refine raw data streams, and create vector embeddings from unstructured data. This step ensures that the latest version of proprietary data is instantly accessible for GenAI applications.

2. Inference

a. Objective: Connect relevant information with each prompt, contextualizing user queries and ensuring GenAI applications handle responses accurately.

b. Process: Continuously update the vector store with fresh sensor data. When a user prompt comes in, enrich and contextualize it in real-time with private data and data retrieved from the vector store. Stream this information to an LLM service and pass the generated response back to the web application.

3. Workflows

a. Objective: Parse natural language, synthesize necessary information, and use reasoning agents to determine the next steps to optimize performance.

b. Process: Break down complex queries into simpler steps using reasoning agents, which interact with external tools and resources. This involves multiple calls to different systems and APIs, processed by the LLM to give a coherent response. Stream Governance ensures data quality and compliance throughout the workflow.

4. Post-Processing

a. Objective: Validate LLM outputs and enforce business logic and compliance requirements to detect hallucinations and ensure trustworthy answers.

b. Process: Use frameworks like BPML or Morphir to perform sanity checks and other safeguards on data and queries associated with domain data. Decouple post-processing from the main application to allow different teams to develop independently. Apply complex business rules in real-time to ensure accuracy and compliance and use querying for deeper logic checks.

These steps collectively ensure that RAG systems provide accurate, relevant, and trustworthy responses by leveraging real-time data and domain-specific context

#codingexercise: CodingExercise-03-31-2025.docx