Scale Track

O Scale Model Trains – A Popular Choice
No matter how old you are, if you love trains, you will likely adore the O-27 scale model train. If you want trains that don’t cost much, last a long time, and are easy to use, invest in O scale model trains. A lot of people who get trains as a hobby got their start with a Lionel, MTH, or American Flyer O scale model train that they set up in their home.
The German toy company Marklin developed the O scale train in 1900. Instead of providing a realistic train experience, they focused on making model trains fun. Before long, everyone used the O scale for their model railroads. Once the United States got through the Great Depression, it became standard to use O scale model trains. O scale tracks typically have three rails on them. You can find current O scale tracks in three or two track outfits, though (three rail tracks are powered). Since the advent of more realistic train operations, people have been passing over the O scale trains for HO and NO scale model trains. However, people still tend to start out their train collections with O scale trains.
What do O scale model trains do? Train scales are determined between the difference in size between their real counterparts. Regional scales tend to be a little different, though! O scale model trains in America are at 1:48 scale. However, British O scale trains have a 1:43.5 ratio. The rest of Europe has a 1:45 O scale ration. Therefore, you shouldn’t count on all O scale model trains worldwide to be the same size. Make sure you know how different the trains can be as you shop for O scale items.
What exactly is the O-27 scale and how is it different? You can find this among several O scale tracks. A regular O scale model has a 31 inch diameter when it’s made into a perfect circle. It’s technically O-31 scale, but since it’s the standard, it’s just called O scale. However, O-27 scale gives you a 27″ diameter if you lay out its track in a perfect circle. There are many different sizes of O scale track, like O-31, O-72, O-27, and O-54, so look out for these variations. As before, the number on the scale is the diameter of a circular track. With the smaller tracks, you can have a better efficiency of space, but it’s not as realistic, and it can be harder for full sizes O scale trains to navigate the track. You can, though, mix and match your track sizes so you can make your own custom track that meets your desires.
O scale model trains are becoming more popular of late, despite the dominance of N and HO scale trains. Due to this newfound popularity, it’s easy to find O scale equipment and trains nowadays. In the past few decades, O scale model trains have enjoyed a much higher level of detail. Since O scale standards tend to be confusing, it’s hard to find consistent equipment. Make sure you know how different O scale is in each region, and whether or not you want two or three rail tracks. Despite all this, you can’t go wrong with O-27 scale model trains, especially if you just want to get started with model trains as a hobby.
About the Author
Mike Foster is a model train enthusiast and enjoys helping others learn about this fascinating hobby.
For more on O scale model trains, visit his website: http://model-train-essentials.com
N-scale Trains at Track Level
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Digital Scale $349.00 Lightweight and easily transported…. |
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Stop Making Sense $19.52 Studio: Uni Dist Corp (music) Release Date: 10/26/1999 Starring: David Byrne Chris Franz Rating: Pg Director: Jonathan Demme… |
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Blue Train $6.92 Blue Train is one of those ineffable sound recordings that actually seems to capture a moment of perfect artistry. Coltrane was in the midst of a Prestige recording contract but was able to honor a previous commitment to Blue Note and release this one album. With four Coltrane originals, including the haunting theme of the title track, and one standard, this recording showed Coltrane was becoming … |
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Libra Scale $5.45 NE-YO LIBRA SCALE (F)… |
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Kreg KMS7724 12 Self-Adhesive Measuring Tape (Left-Right Reading) $7.44 1/2″ wide self-adhesive measuring tape fits snugly into the indentation on the topside of Top Trak and Heavy Duty Trak. Metallic tape is highly scuff resistant and can be trimmed to length with scissors. Be sure to choose the correct tape orientation; left-to-right reading to the right of the saw blade, right-to-left reading to the left of the saw blade…. |
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Incra TTRACKPLUS24 24-Inch T-Track Plus $13.69 Add accuracy and precision to your jigs and fixtures with T-Track Plus from Incra. These tracks are designed with a host of enhancements. Like other tracks, the extruded anodized aluminum construction is designed to house a 1/4″-20 bolt head, but thats where the similarity ends. First, this track features a well in the extrusion allowing the track to be mounted using the included #8 pan head screw… |
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SceneMaster Home Lighting Kit $4.35 Working lights will add drama and action to your entire layout, and this economical kit makes it easy to install lighting in almost any building. Its completely assembled, with screw-type bulb, socket with hook-up wires and a plastic mounting base, which can be nailed to your layout surface, or glued inside your buildings. This all-purpose house light is pre-wired for easy operation. Use lamp bulb… |
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The Legend of the Blue Mermaid $1.99 … |
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Building An O Gauge Layout – Beginner & Advanced $9.25 Building an O Gauge Layout – Beginner & Advanced You’ve got your train set. Why not build a permanent layout? It’s fun, creative, and you learn the basics of carpentry, electricity, and making scenery. And you can get your entire family involved. There’s something to do for everyone. Lionel’s® FasTrack® has emerged as the track of choice among a new generation of layout builders. FasTr… |
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4mm Scale $8.59 Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher’s book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: Oo Gauge, 4mm Scale, P4 Gauge, Oo9, Em Gauge, Oon3, Irish P4. Excerpt: 4 mm scale is the most popular model railway scale used in the United Kingdom . The term refers to the use of 4 millimeters on the model equating to a distance of 1 foot (305 mm) on the prototype (1:76.2). It is also used for military modelling.For historical reasons, a number of different standards are employed.Standard gauge 4mm scale model of a British Rail Class 25 shown with a 18mm coin for size.Three different gauges are used for modelling standard gauge railways in the United Kingdom .OO gauge OO gauge uses 4 mm scale with 16.5 mm gauge track, which is inaccurately narrow since it is correct for HO scale (1:87.1). It is the most popular standard for 4 mm scale trains and is the only one produced by mass-market manufacturers. The traditional standard for wheels and track is a very coarse one with extremely oversize rails and flanges ; in recent years, some manufacturers have switched to using the American National Model Railroad Association HO standard S-4 instead.EM gauge EM was originally defined to use 18mm as the track gauge (hence the name), this was revised, and today EM gauge uses an 18.2mm track gauge, which is closer to accurate but not fully to scale. It was developed as an early improvement on the standard OO system. It is still popular with FineScale modellers today because it utilises larger than scale flanges on the wheels of rolling stock, and because point and crossing (P |
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? ???? $14.99 Ang? lique Kidjo was born in Cotonou, Benin, but like many modern African artists, she’s gone her own way, using traditional music to forge her own personal hybrid of African, European, and American pop. On this album Kidjo pays tribute to the people who inspired her career, including her mother, Miriam Makeba, and American R&B artists like Aretha Franklin, James Brown, and Otis Redding. And while the tunes Kidjo tackles may be familiar, her arrangements turn them inside out and shed new light on their African roots. “Cold Sweat” gets a take that salutes the Afro-beat of Fela Kuti, who used Brown’s funk for his own music. The rhythm-heavy track swings like mad, with Kidjo’s powerful vocal climbing the scale and weaving in and around the backbeat. She bases her version of “Mbube” (better known in the U.S. as “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”) on the singing of Makeba, and uses the original Zulu lyrics. A simple acoustic guitar and percussion arrangement gives Kidjo room to show off her impressive range and emotional skill. Kidjo used to make up words to the American songs she couldn’t understand, and sings Yoruba lyrics to Otis Redding’s “I’ve Got Dreams to Remember.” Its Memphis-meets-Cotonou approach is intensified by the female backing vocalists and Kidjo’s wailing high end. Bollywood tunes were also a big part of Kidjo’s upbringing. On “Dil Main Chuppa Ke Pyar Ka,” a hit by Mohammed Rafi, Steve Gorn drops a flute solo that recalls a Zulu pennywhistle into a Congolese rhythm track. Kidjo’s originals include “Kelele,” a sprightly highlife tune, and “Afia,” a re-Africanized samba written with Brazilian guitarist Vinicius Cantuaria. ~ j. poet, Rovi |
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A Multi-Resolution Discontinuous Galerkin method for unsteady compressible flows. $49.99 The issue of local scale and smoothness presents a crucial and daunting challenge for numerical simulation methods in fluid dynamics. Yet in the interests of both accuracy and economy, how can one devise a general technique that efficiently resolves flow features of consequence and discriminates against others which are either “negligible” or amenable to “universal” modeling? This is particularly difficult because geometries of engineering interest are complex and multi-dimensional, precluding a priori knowledge of the flowfield. To address this challenge, the current work employs wavelet theory for the local scale decomposition of functions, which provides a natural mechanism for the adaptive compression of data. The resulting technique is known as the Multi-Resolution Discontinuous Galerkin (MRDG) method.;This research successfully demonstrates that the multi-resolution framework and the discontinuous Galerkin method are well-suited for a new approach to accuracy and cost as demonstrated by the relative ease of their integration in spatial dimension greater than one. Some specific steps achieved include the implementation of suitable data encoding and compression algorithms, construction of multi-wavelet expansion bases in one and two dimensions, and derivation of the multi-resolution derivative operator that includes an upwind-type correction to the central scheme. Solutions with the MRDG method are observed to adapt to and track both smooth and discontinuous flow features in an entirely solution-driven manner without the need for a priori user knowledge of those flow features. Run-time efficiency and local adaptation characteristics are explored via a series of classic test problems. |
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A Multi-Resolution Discontinuous Galerkin method for unsteady compressible flows. $49.99 The issue of local scale and smoothness presents a crucial and daunting challenge for numerical simulation methods in fluid dynamics. Yet in the interests of both accuracy and economy, how can one devise a general technique that efficiently resolves flow features of consequence and discriminates against others which are either “negligible” or amenable to “universal” modeling? This is particularly difficult because geometries of engineering interest are complex and multi-dimensional, precluding a priori knowledge of the flowfield. To address this challenge, the current work employs wavelet theory for the local scale decomposition of functions, which provides a natural mechanism for the adaptive compression of data. The resulting technique is known as the Multi-Resolution Discontinuous Galerkin (MRDG) method.;This research successfully demonstrates that the multi-resolution framework and the discontinuous Galerkin method are well-suited for a new approach to accuracy and cost as demonstrated by the relative ease of their integration in spatial dimension greater than one. Some specific steps achieved include the implementation of suitable data encoding and compression algorithms, construction of multi-wavelet expansion bases in one and two dimensions, and derivation of the multi-resolution derivative operator that includes an upwind-type correction to the central scheme. Solutions with the MRDG method are observed to adapt to and track both smooth and discontinuous flow features in an entirely solution-driven manner without the need for a priori user knowledge of those flow features. Run-time efficiency and local adaptation characteristics are explored via a series of classic test problems. |
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A Multi-Resolution Discontinuous Galerkin method for unsteady compressible flows. $108 The issue of local scale and smoothness presents a crucial and daunting challenge for numerical simulation methods in fluid dynamics. Yet in the interests of both accuracy and economy, how can one devise a general technique that efficiently resolves flow features of consequence and discriminates against others which are either “negligible” or amenable to “universal” modeling? This is particularly difficult because geometries of engineering interest are complex and multi-dimensional, precluding a priori knowledge of the flowfield. To address this challenge, the current work employs wavelet theory for the local scale decomposition of functions, which provides a natural mechanism for the adaptive compression of data. The resulting technique is known as the Multi-Resolution Discontinuous Galerkin (MRDG) method.;This research successfully demonstrates that the multi-resolution framework and the discontinuous Galerkin method are well-suited for a new approach to accuracy and cost as demonstrated by the relative ease of their integration in spatial dimension greater than one. Some specific steps achieved include the implementation of suitable data encoding and compression algorithms, construction of multi-wavelet expansion bases in one and two dimensions, and derivation of the multi-resolution derivative operator that includes an upwind-type correction to the central scheme. Solutions with the MRDG method are observed to adapt to and track both smooth and discontinuous flow features in an entirely solution-driven manner without the need for a priori user knowledge of those flow features. Run-time efficiency and local adaptation characteristics are explored via a series of classic test problems. |
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A Wish $16.98 Hamza el Din has long enjoyed a reputation as one of the world’s great oud players, and the mastery he displays here quickly establishes just why he’s so lauded. The virtuosity shown on “Greetings,” for example, is a sheer delight, his nimble and thoughtful fingers creating lovely melodies behind the vocals of Shizuru Ohtaka. But it’s on “Sunset,” which is variations on a theme by Riad el Sumbati, that the power of his playing truly begins to shine. Completely solo, he works in the maqam, or scale, building his work. However, he’s not afraid to leave his oud behind, and just use rhythm, as he does on “Nagrishad,” where the only instruments are beaten and the vocal carries the only melody. But the centerpiece is the title track, a gorgeous song graced by the cello of Joan Jeanrenaud and W.A. Mathieu’s piano, which, with their Western tunings, bring the piece to a place that’s not completely of el Din’s Nubian homeland. It’s a lovely work whose themes resonate and last long after the CD, and it might well be the most accessible — at least to Western ears — music that el Din’s composed in a long career. ~ Chris Nickson, Rovi |
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A study on the influence of coach’s leadership behavioral styles and organizational commitment on athlete’s satisfaction of college track and field athletes in Taiwan. $49.99 The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of coach’s leadership behavioral styles and organizational commitment on athlete’s satisfaction of college track and field athletes in Taiwan. There were total of 326 athletes from National Taiwan Sports University (Taoyuan), Taipei Physical Education College, National Taiwan Sports University (Taichung), and National Changhua University of Education included in this study. There were four questionnaires utilized for data collection: A demographic survey, Leadership Scale for Sports (LSS), Athlete Organizational Commitment scale, and Athlete Satisfaction Scale. The data received from the survey was analyzed using the SPSS 16.0. Demographic variables, reliability analysis, multiple regression, and MANOVA analysis were conducted to evaluate the survey data.;The analysis of the results indicated there were significant differences regarding leadership according to gender and the different track and field events the athletes competed in. Moreover, a coach’s training and instruction behavior and positive feedback were the key elements to influence college track and field athletes’ satisfaction. |
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A study on the influence of coach’s leadership behavioral styles and organizational commitment on athlete’s satisfaction of college track and field athletes in Taiwan. $49.99 The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of coach’s leadership behavioral styles and organizational commitment on athlete’s satisfaction of college track and field athletes in Taiwan. There were total of 326 athletes from National Taiwan Sports University (Taoyuan), Taipei Physical Education College, National Taiwan Sports University (Taichung), and National Changhua University of Education included in this study. There were four questionnaires utilized for data collection: A demographic survey, Leadership Scale for Sports (LSS), Athlete Organizational Commitment scale, and Athlete Satisfaction Scale. The data received from the survey was analyzed using the SPSS 16.0. Demographic variables, reliability analysis, multiple regression, and MANOVA analysis were conducted to evaluate the survey data.;The analysis of the results indicated there were significant differences regarding leadership according to gender and the different track and field events the athletes competed in. Moreover, a coach’s training and instruction behavior and positive feedback were the key elements to influence college track and field athletes’ satisfaction. |
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A time domain model for wave induced motions coupled to energy extraction. $49.99 The focus of this research is numerical modeling and experimental validation of the coupled dynamics of water wave induced motions and energy extraction of a free floating body. Of interest is extraction of wave energy as a means to augment the powering requirements of a data buoy. A physics based simulation is developed for the purpose of exploring the design space for such a device. In contrast to conventional seakeeping analysis, the parameter range of interest does not constrain wave amplitude or wavelength by the characteristic body length scale.;A potential flow panel code is developed that is designed to capture the nonlinearities associated with the problem of a body that has characteristic length that is an order of magnitude smaller than the amplitude of ambient waves. The Weak Scatterer nonlinear free surface boundary conditions are instituted in order to satisfy the demands of this parameter range. The hydrodynamic problem is solved using a desingularized boundary integral method. The body exact instantaneous wetted surface is determined by consideration of the time dependent position and orientation of the body relative to an ambient wave field.;The specific application of a planar pendulum contained within a floating hull and coupled to an energy extraction device is suggested for the purpose of validation. A simplified model of the application is developed to gage reasonability of the application. The fully nonlinear coupled equations of motion for the seven degree of freedom system are explicitly written and implemented into the panel code.;Experiments are performed that measure the response of the system to regular wave excitation. An infra-red vision system is used to characterize the free surface flows and to track rigid body motions in waves. The free surface characterization experiments agree well with Stokes second order drift. Experimental results for rigid body motions demonstrate large amplitude pitch as well as a nonlinear drift. Chaotic |
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A time domain model for wave induced motions coupled to energy extraction. $49.99 The focus of this research is numerical modeling and experimental validation of the coupled dynamics of water wave induced motions and energy extraction of a free floating body. Of interest is extraction of wave energy as a means to augment the powering requirements of a data buoy. A physics based simulation is developed for the purpose of exploring the design space for such a device. In contrast to conventional seakeeping analysis, the parameter range of interest does not constrain wave amplitude or wavelength by the characteristic body length scale.;A potential flow panel code is developed that is designed to capture the nonlinearities associated with the problem of a body that has characteristic length that is an order of magnitude smaller than the amplitude of ambient waves. The Weak Scatterer nonlinear free surface boundary conditions are instituted in order to satisfy the demands of this parameter range. The hydrodynamic problem is solved using a desingularized boundary integral method. The body exact instantaneous wetted surface is determined by consideration of the time dependent position and orientation of the body relative to an ambient wave field.;The specific application of a planar pendulum contained within a floating hull and coupled to an energy extraction device is suggested for the purpose of validation. A simplified model of the application is developed to gage reasonability of the application. The fully nonlinear coupled equations of motion for the seven degree of freedom system are explicitly written and implemented into the panel code.;Experiments are performed that measure the response of the system to regular wave excitation. An infra-red vision system is used to characterize the free surface flows and to track rigid body motions in waves. The free surface characterization experiments agree well with Stokes second order drift. Experimental results for rigid body motions demonstrate large amplitude pitch as well as a nonlinear drift. Chaotic |
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A&D CP-1THW Wireless Combo Kit $199 Welcome to Wellness Connected, your complete wellness tracking system! This combo pack contains the tools you need to get you moving towards better health at any stage of life. Including a Wireless Activity Monitor, Wireless Automatic Blood Pressure Monitor, Wireless Precision Scale, and ActiLink USB Transceiver. Information is the key to long-term wellness maintenance and improvement. Through daily tracking of blood pressure, weight, and physical activity, individuals can become aware of their personal progress and take a proactive approach to caring for their health. The Wellness Connected system helps you do just that, keeping you motivated to reach your health goals whether they’re losing weight, lowering blood pressure, or keeping a daily activity regimen. The Wellness Connected software application automatically receives your measurements and graphs it in a colorful, user-friendly interface. Or, take your wellness tracking to the next level by subscribing to the ActiHealth Online service. With ActiHealth, you can view your wellness data from any Internet-enabled computer and even remotely track the progress of family and friends such as an elderly parent or weight loss partner. Wherever you want to go with your health, Wellness Connected will help you get there. |
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Adobe InDesign CS2 One-on-One $0.99 Digital publishing guru Deke McClelland has written over 80 books on computer design and imaging that have won numerous industry awards. An Adobe Certified Expert, Deke is a featured speaker at The InDesign Conference and a member of the PhotoshopWorld Instructor Dream Team. Deke hosts the exhaustive and entertaining DVDs “Total Training for Adobe Photoshop” and “QuarkXPress to Adobe InDesign CS-Making the Switch,” In 2002, Deke was inducted into the National Association of Photoshop Professionals’ Photoshop Hall of Fame. Nothing speeds up learning like personal training from a skilled tutor. “Adobe InDesign CS2 One-on-One” delivers that invaluable learning experience by giving you the closest thing possible to private lessons with author Deke McClelland, a world-renowned expert on digital graphics and design. You can proceed at your own pace, working on relevant, real-world projects, while mastering fundamental and advanced concepts, theories, techniques, and best practices for making the most of InDesign. With over two hours of Deke’s professional instruction and advice, and 600 full-color images, diagrams, and screenshots to illustrate every key step, you’ll soon be on the fast track to becoming a real InDesign expert. This comprehensive multimedia training solution shows you how to: Create professional-looking documents with InDesign’s powerful text and graphic tools Import text from a word processor, move and scale existing text frames, and check spelling Use the line, pen, and geometric shape tools to draw complex graphic objects Apply fill and stroke, specify process and spot colors, and design custom rules Use the new AdobeBridge to organize andmanage your digital assets Import and modify layered artwork from Photoshop and Illustrator Create inline graphics and anchored objects that move automatically with your text from one page to the next Create, edit, and link paragraph styles, complete with nested character |
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Alejandro Sanz Songs: La Tortura, Coraz n Part o, Looking for Paradise, Te Lo Agradezco, Pero No, a La Primera Persona, Desde Cu ndo $9.05 Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher’s book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: La Tortura, Corazón Partío, Looking for Paradise, Te Lo Agradezco, Pero No, a La Primera Persona, Desde Cuándo, Enséñame Tus Manos. Excerpt: " (English: ) is a Latin pop-reggaeton song performed by singers Shakira and Alejandro Sanz. It was recorded for Shakira’s sixth studio album , released in June 7, 2005. The song achieved large-scale success on different radio and chart formats, becoming the most famous Spanish language track of both singers worldwide and the fifth most successful song in Shakira’s career behind “Hips Don’t Lie”, “Whenever Wherever”, “Underneath Your Clothes” and “She Wolf” and the most successful song ever for Alejandro Sanz. The song won two Latin Grammy Awards at the 2006 Ceremony for Song of the Year and Record of the Year. The song was number 1 in Spain for 26 weeks. The single is a duet between Shakira and Spanish balladeer Alejandro Sanz, both of whom also composed it along with Luis Fernando Ochoa. It was mixed by Gustavo Celis. It tells the story of a woman who has been emotionally “tortured” because her boyfriend cheated and eventually left her for another, and has now returned begging forgiveness. He apologises extravagantly, but is ultimately thinking that some infidelity is natural for men and that for the woman not to forgive him would be tiresome and unreasonable. However, on the end of the song, Shakira’s character humiliates him and says that she is not going to shed a single tear over him. The single is Shakira’s sixth in the United States, following the commercial success of her 2001 English language album Laundry Service. Since its release as a single, the song has become one of the most important Latin songs to move into the mainstream English-speaking culture in the U.S. and Canada. |
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Alinda Asteroids: 4179 Toutatis, 6489 Golevka, Alinda Family, 887 Alinda, 3360 Syrinx, 3806 Tremaine $8.59 Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher’s book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Not illustrated. Excerpt: 4179 Toutatis – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Toutatis has a 3:1 orbital resonance with Jupiter and a 1:4 resonance with Earth. The resulting gravitational perturbations lead to chaotic behaviour in the orbit of Toutatis, making long-term predictions of its location progressively inaccurate over time. Current estimates put the Lyapunov time horizon for predictability at around 50 years. Thus the location and thus collision risk posed by Toutatis is impossible to gauge beyond this period . The close pass in September 2004 was close enough to raise concerns that Toutatis would eventually collide with Earth. To put the approach in perspective, it is useful to imagine the asteroid and the Earth as two race cars, on two racetracks that represent their two orbits. The asteroid’s track is about the length of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but wider: 1.5 km long and 1.2 km wide. Earth’s track would be a circle 600 m (650 yards) in diameter located inside the asteroid’s track, intersecting it near one end. At this scale, when the two speeding cars reach the intersection, they would pass within 3.2 m (10.2 ft, or two-thirds of a car-length) of each other, and could theoretically pass within 1.8 m (6 ft) of each other. The analogy breaks down, however, when one notes that the real “tracks” (representing the orbits) are not fixed in space and could be perturbed in the future, and the real orbits are actually three-dimensional. However, the likelihood of collision is considered to be small. As a planet-crossing asteroid, Toutatis is likely to be ejected from the solar system on a time scale of a few tens of thousands of years, giving it a limited number of opportunities to strike Earth before disappearing forever. … More: |
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An analysis of faculty perceptions of scholarship in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. $49.99 The purpose of this study was to assess faculty perceptions regarding the standards used to assess and evaluate full-time faculty in the MnSCU system. Second, it examined perceptions of faculty about the changing context of what is accepted as scholarship and whether administrators/reviewers have similar perceptions of the process. Finally, this study examined the demographic traits of the faculty to determine if there are differences in their perceptions based on their personal characteristics. A researcher-developed survey instrument with five-point Likert scale items was used to collect data from tenured and probationary tenure track faculty in the seven universities in MnSCU. The survey questions were organized into five subscales: teaching and research, scholarly or creative achievement, continuing preparation and study, contributions to student growth and development, and the changing context of scholarship. The population for this study was 1,926 faculty members at the universities in MNSCU who were sent an email with the link to the electronic survey, of which 412 surveys were completed, reflecting 20.9% return. Computation of the means for the survey questions and the composite subscale means indicated that faculty members generally consider the evaluation process to be a dichotomy, while they perceive importance to several activities for professional development they perceive little reward for those activities. Faculty members participating in the study did not see teaching being evaluated as equal to research nor did they agree that it was equally rewarded with other criteria. Conversely, respondents agreed that there is greater reward for research scholarship. Faculty members generally agreed about the value of contributions to student growth and development, but clearly disagreed that the efforts are equally rewarded with other evaluation criteria. |
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An analysis of faculty perceptions of scholarship in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. $49.99 The purpose of this study was to assess faculty perceptions regarding the standards used to assess and evaluate full-time faculty in the MnSCU system. Second, it examined perceptions of faculty about the changing context of what is accepted as scholarship and whether administrators/reviewers have similar perceptions of the process. Finally, this study examined the demographic traits of the faculty to determine if there are differences in their perceptions based on their personal characteristics. A researcher-developed survey instrument with five-point Likert scale items was used to collect data from tenured and probationary tenure track faculty in the seven universities in MnSCU. The survey questions were organized into five subscales: teaching and research, scholarly or creative achievement, continuing preparation and study, contributions to student growth and development, and the changing context of scholarship. The population for this study was 1,926 faculty members at the universities in MNSCU who were sent an email with the link to the electronic survey, of which 412 surveys were completed, reflecting 20.9% return. Computation of the means for the survey questions and the composite subscale means indicated that faculty members generally consider the evaluation process to be a dichotomy, while they perceive importance to several activities for professional development they perceive little reward for those activities. Faculty members participating in the study did not see teaching being evaluated as equal to research nor did they agree that it was equally rewarded with other criteria. Conversely, respondents agreed that there is greater reward for research scholarship. Faculty members generally agreed about the value of contributions to student growth and development, but clearly disagreed that the efforts are equally rewarded with other evaluation criteria. |
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An analysis of faculty perspectives on the theory and practice of academic freedom. $49.99 Academic freedom is a concept said to be poorly defined and misunderstood. Much of the literature on academic freedom suggests that the presumed professorial right is threatened by a variety of internal and external forces. This study examines the theory and practice of academic freedom within the context of instruction in the university classroom. The study attempts to determine if there is a difference between faculty perspectives about the theoretical constructs of academic freedom and its praxis in instructional practice. In other words, "this is what I believe academic freedom is and does, but here is what I have experienced." This study involved tenured or tenure-track teaching faculty from four American Association of State Colleges and Universities institutions located in the Great Lakes region of the upper Mid-West. The sample consisted of 123 faculty with terminal degrees, teaching in one of the following departments: Biology/Life Sciences; English; History; Philosophy; Political Science; and Sociology. The Questionnaire of Faculty Perceptions about the Theory and Practice of Academic Freedom asked faculty to indicate their understanding of the theoretical constructs of academic freedom and their application when choosing course materials, topics of discussion, instructional methodologies, and student assignments. The questionnaire utilized Likert scale items (a range of 1-5), as well as open-ended items. This result of this study was surprising in that it appeared to contradict the literature on academic freedom. The findings suggested that there was no significant difference between faculty perspectives about academic freedom theory and practice in the university classroom. |
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An analysis of faculty perspectives on the theory and practice of academic freedom. $49.99 Academic freedom is a concept said to be poorly defined and misunderstood. Much of the literature on academic freedom suggests that the presumed professorial right is threatened by a variety of internal and external forces. This study examines the theory and practice of academic freedom within the context of instruction in the university classroom. The study attempts to determine if there is a difference between faculty perspectives about the theoretical constructs of academic freedom and its praxis in instructional practice. In other words, "this is what I believe academic freedom is and does, but here is what I have experienced." This study involved tenured or tenure-track teaching faculty from four American Association of State Colleges and Universities institutions located in the Great Lakes region of the upper Mid-West. The sample consisted of 123 faculty with terminal degrees, teaching in one of the following departments: Biology/Life Sciences; English; History; Philosophy; Political Science; and Sociology. The Questionnaire of Faculty Perceptions about the Theory and Practice of Academic Freedom asked faculty to indicate their understanding of the theoretical constructs of academic freedom and their application when choosing course materials, topics of discussion, instructional methodologies, and student assignments. The questionnaire utilized Likert scale items (a range of 1-5), as well as open-ended items. This result of this study was surprising in that it appeared to contradict the literature on academic freedom. The findings suggested that there was no significant difference between faculty perspectives about academic freedom theory and practice in the university classroom. |
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An investigation of the attitudes and barriers of the use of computer technology among track and field officials in Taiwan. $49.99 The purpose of this study was to investigate the attitudes and barriers of the use of computer technology among track and field officials, and to discover the needs of information technology in Taiwan. It was designed based on a mixed method. The quantitative method was conducted to determine the attitudes and barriers by using computer technology among track and field officials and the subjects involved with 135 track and field officials who participated in the Chinese Taipei International Athletic Meet in Tainan City on May 29-30, 2008. A total of 101 responded for an effective response rate of 74.8%. An quantitative instrument included demographics and the Attitudes Toward Computer Technology Scale in Chinese version (ACT). Barriers in the Use of Computer Technology in Chinese version (BUC) was used as the research tool. The data were analyzed with descriptive statistics (means, standard deviations, and percentage), t-test, MANOVA, and Bonferroni. The .05 level of significance was used for all statistical analysis. Furthermore, fifteen officials who have experience serving as chief officials and who participated in this championship were selected for a further face-to-face interview with a formal and semi-structured format. The qualitative method was designed to explore the needs of information technology. A significant difference was found between professions and the set of comfort/anxiety. Analysis showed that the age groups of 21-30 and 31-40 had stronger feelings of comfortable in the use of computer technology than the age group of 60 up. Furthermore, the findings indicated that the officials who have a master’s degree had more comfortable feelings about using computer technology than those with a junior college degree. The results determined 7 factors as either barriers or facilitators in the use of computer technology, including administration, training, software, support, time, equipment, and facilitator. Most of 15 track and field officials who |
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An investigation of the attitudes and barriers of the use of computer technology among track and field officials in Taiwan. $49.99 The purpose of this study was to investigate the attitudes and barriers of the use of computer technology among track and field officials, and to discover the needs of information technology in Taiwan. It was designed based on a mixed method. The quantitative method was conducted to determine the attitudes and barriers by using computer technology among track and field officials and the subjects involved with 135 track and field officials who participated in the Chinese Taipei International Athletic Meet in Tainan City on May 29-30, 2008. A total of 101 responded for an effective response rate of 74.8%. An quantitative instrument included demographics and the Attitudes Toward Computer Technology Scale in Chinese version (ACT). Barriers in the Use of Computer Technology in Chinese version (BUC) was used as the research tool. The data were analyzed with descriptive statistics (means, standard deviations, and percentage), t-test, MANOVA, and Bonferroni. The .05 level of significance was used for all statistical analysis. Furthermore, fifteen officials who have experience serving as chief officials and who participated in this championship were selected for a further face-to-face interview with a formal and semi-structured format. The qualitative method was designed to explore the needs of information technology. A significant difference was found between professions and the set of comfort/anxiety. Analysis showed that the age groups of 21-30 and 31-40 had stronger feelings of comfortable in the use of computer technology than the age group of 60 up. Furthermore, the findings indicated that the officials who have a master’s degree had more comfortable feelings about using computer technology than those with a junior college degree. The results determined 7 factors as either barriers or facilitators in the use of computer technology, including administration, training, software, support, time, equipment, and facilitator. Most of 15 track and field officials who |
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Analysis of a disaster medical track for the Certificate in Emergency Management and Preparedness Program at the University of Texas at Dallas. $49.99 Since the tragic events of September 11, 2001, the United States has engaged in building the infrastructure and developing the expertise necessary to protect its borders and its citizens from further attacks against its homeland. One approach has been the development of academic courses to educate individuals on the nature and dangers of subversive attacks and to prepare them to respond to attacks and other large-scale emergencies in their roles as working professionals, participating members of their communities, and collaborators with first responders. An initial review of the literature failed to reveal any university-based emergency management courses or programs with a disaster medical component, despite the public health significance and need for such programs. In the Fall of 2003, The School of Management at The University of Texas at Dallas introduced a continuing education Certificate in Emergency Management and Preparedness Program. This thesis will (1) describe the development and implementation of a new Disaster Medical Track as a component of this Certificate in Emergency Management and Preparedness Program, (2) analyze the need for and effectiveness of this Disaster Medical Track, and (3) propose improvements in the track based on this analysis. |
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Analysis of a disaster medical track for the Certificate in Emergency Management and Preparedness Program at the University of Texas at Dallas. $49.99 Since the tragic events of September 11, 2001, the United States has engaged in building the infrastructure and developing the expertise necessary to protect its borders and its citizens from further attacks against its homeland. One approach has been the development of academic courses to educate individuals on the nature and dangers of subversive attacks and to prepare them to respond to attacks and other large-scale emergencies in their roles as working professionals, participating members of their communities, and collaborators with first responders. An initial review of the literature failed to reveal any university-based emergency management courses or programs with a disaster medical component, despite the public health significance and need for such programs. In the Fall of 2003, The School of Management at The University of Texas at Dallas introduced a continuing education Certificate in Emergency Management and Preparedness Program. This thesis will (1) describe the development and implementation of a new Disaster Medical Track as a component of this Certificate in Emergency Management and Preparedness Program, (2) analyze the need for and effectiveness of this Disaster Medical Track, and (3) propose improvements in the track based on this analysis. |
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Arkansas Tornadoes: List of May 2003 Tornado Outbreak Sequence Tornadoes, 2008 Super Tuesday Tornado Outbreak, April 2009 Tornado Outbreak $32.75 Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher’s book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: List of May 2003 Tornado Outbreak Sequence Tornadoes, 2008 Super Tuesday Tornado Outbreak, April 2009 Tornado Outbreak, January 1999 Tornado Outbreak Sequence, March 2009 Tornado Outbreak Sequence, List of 1999 Oklahoma Tornado Outbreak Tornadoes, January 2008 Tornado Outbreak Sequence, April 1996 Tornado Outbreak Sequence, May 1-2, 2008 Tornado Outbreak, May 2003 Tornado Outbreak Sequence, April 2, 2006 Central United States Tornado Outbreak, Arkansas-mississippi-alabama Tornado Outbreak, 1997 Benton, Arkansas Tornado Outbreak, March 1952 Southern United States Tornado Outbreak, Late-November 2005 Tornado Outbreak, Late-September 2006 Tornado Outbreak, May 1968 Tornado Outbreak, Easter Weekend 1999 Tornado Outbreak, November 2005 Iowa Tornado Outbreak, 1953 Vicksburg, Mississippi Tornado Outbreak, April 1924 Tornado Outbreak. Excerpt: The 1953 Vicksburg, Mississippi tornado outbreak was a deadly severe weather event that affected northeastern Louisiana , southeastern Arkansas , and western Mississippi on December 5, 1953. At least four confirmed tornadoes touched down; one of the tornadoes produced F5 damage on the Fujita scale as it moved through the city of Vicksburg, causing 38 deaths in the area. It remains the fourth deadliest tornado to affect the U.S. state of Mississippi; behind the 1840 Natchez tornado, the 1936 Tupelo tornado – see Tupelo-Gainesville tornado outbreak – and the March 3, 1966 Jackson tornado . It is one of only two F5 tornadoes recorded in Mississippi since 1950. Summary The first tornado touched down near Bernice, Louisiana and moved northeast to the Mount Union area, injuring 16 people. The second tornado featured the longest continuous track of the event, traveling 58.3 miles (93.8 km) across northeastern Louisiana and southeastern Arkansas. |
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Assistive technology as an accommodation on accountability assessments: An analysis of attitudes and knowledge of special education professionals. $49.99 No Child Left Behind legislation has required public schools to increase efforts to measure and track student performance through school, district, state and nation-wide assessments. Researchers argue that it is essential for all students, including special education students, to be included in accountability assessments in order to help measure and track educational progress and compare the performance of schools, districts and states in terms of achieving educational goals. One method for including more special needs students in accountability assessments is to use accommodations during testing. Assistive technology is an accommodation that is approved for use on accountability assessments in many states and has the potential to significantly impact the performance of special education students.;The primary purpose of this research was to gather and analyze data from special service providers (staff of a special education cooperative) and educators and administrators (employees of the school districts the cooperative serves) on the subject of using assistive technology as an accommodation on Colorado State Assessment Project (CSAP) testing. The researcher conducted a survey to measure the attitudes and knowledge of educators and special service providers on this subject. The survey was a five point Likert scale comprised of ten items designed to measure “attitudes” and ten items designed to measure “knowledge”. Data was analyzed using backward regression analysis to compare scores between groups and consider the impact that years of work experience had on survey scores.;The researcher used responses from survey data to select ten survey respondents to participate in in-depth interviews. Interview data was analyzed using pentadic analysis, a method of rhetorical analysis designed by Kenneth Burke (1945).;Survey results indicated that the knowledge and attitudes scores between the two groups were similar, however regression analysis identified a significant |
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Assistive technology as an accommodation on accountability assessments: An analysis of attitudes and knowledge of special education professionals. $49.99 No Child Left Behind legislation has required public schools to increase efforts to measure and track student performance through school, district, state and nation-wide assessments. Researchers argue that it is essential for all students, including special education students, to be included in accountability assessments in order to help measure and track educational progress and compare the performance of schools, districts and states in terms of achieving educational goals. One method for including more special needs students in accountability assessments is to use accommodations during testing. Assistive technology is an accommodation that is approved for use on accountability assessments in many states and has the potential to significantly impact the performance of special education students.;The primary purpose of this research was to gather and analyze data from special service providers (staff of a special education cooperative) and educators and administrators (employees of the school districts the cooperative serves) on the subject of using assistive technology as an accommodation on Colorado State Assessment Project (CSAP) testing. The researcher conducted a survey to measure the attitudes and knowledge of educators and special service providers on this subject. The survey was a five point Likert scale comprised of ten items designed to measure “attitudes” and ten items designed to measure “knowledge”. Data was analyzed using backward regression analysis to compare scores between groups and consider the impact that years of work experience had on survey scores.;The researcher used responses from survey data to select ten survey respondents to participate in in-depth interviews. Interview data was analyzed using pentadic analysis, a method of rhetorical analysis designed by Kenneth Burke (1945).;Survey results indicated that the knowledge and attitudes scores between the two groups were similar, however regression analysis identified a significant |
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BR-800 Digital Recorder $449 Standalone multi-track portable recorders have come a long, long way since the first portable cassette tape-based systems came upon the scene over 30 years ago. These portable machines allowed musicians to multi-track record at home and realize their musical vision in a more fleshed-out fashion than ever before. They were relatively affordable and opened the doors to a whole new slew of musician-friendly, music-making products, including rackmount effect processors, drum machines, sync boxes, MIDI-based synthesizers and, of course, personal computers.Leap ahead to 2010 and be amazed by the Boss BR-800 Digital Recorder and all it brings to the table. The Boss BR-800 is a complete, portable music production system and USB audio interface. Everything youll need to make professional-sounding full-scale productions is right there in the box, ready to roll. It has 64 virtual tracks of recording. You can record 4 tracks at a time and listen back to 8 at a time. All your work is saved to the included 1 GB SD card (larger capacity SD cards of 2 GB up to 32 GB are also supported) or to a computer via the built-in USB bus.The BR-800 boasts a long list of features to help make your productions stand out and be fully realized. Onboard is Roland's famous COSM guitar/bass amp modeling, acoustic guitar body modeling with the AP-1 preamp, powerful effects from the Boss GT-10, and vocal effects from the VE-20, including harmony, double tracking, real-time pitch correction and more. The BR-800 includes inputs for guitar, bass, microphone with 48V phantom power, and 4 XLR and inputs. The built-in high-quality stereo condenser microphones help make field recording or spontaneous idea capture a breeze. The interactive EZ Recording feature helps guide you through the recording process, acting as your personal recording guru and making operations easy. Sweet! The built-in drum machine, taken from the popular Boss DR-880, is a godsend and can turn out very realistic-sounding drum tra |
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Bach: Sonatas & Partitas for Violin solo $33.98 Christian Tetzlaff recorded the Bach sonatas and partitas for solo violin in 1994, for Virgin Classics, a performance that has been repackaged in a terrific four-disc budget set along with Ralph Kirshbaum’s readings of the unaccompanied suites for solo cello. This new recording by Tetzlaff, made in 2005, doesn’t differ in its fundamentals from the earlier set. His interpretations still have the unusual combination of brisk, Romantic, and detailed. Tetzlaff plays with very little vibrato, but he often pushes the tempo beyond the confines of the dance rhythms contained in the music; the feel of his playing is sharp rather than graceful. The most expressive aspect of his playing comes not in the tone quality of the violin but in the dynamic contrasts he inserts into the music — and these are, if anything, intensified in this version as compared with the earlier one. Tetzlaff may be a little chilly for some listeners, but he is among the few violinists who does not seem to be trying to scale the heights of these works — the notes obey him, rather than forcing him to obey them. In the big Chaconne that ends the Partita No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1004 (CD 2, track 5), he is at his best with a constantly lively reading that slashes through polyphonic passages, springs lightly off of double and triple stops, and fades away to near silence without ever letting things get out of hand. Some might quibble whether Tetzlaff returned “too soon” to these massive challenges of the violin repertory, but the overall effect of these recordings is different from that of the earlier ones — partly because of the very live acoustics of the Norwegian church where the new recording was made. The new recording is sharper and a bit more dramatic, but both approach the Bachian sublime. ~ James Manheim, Rovi |
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Biometrics and surveillance: Identification, de-identification, and strategies for protection of personal data. $49.99 In this thesis, I explore the current needs for and the state of conventionally deployed biometric systems as they relate to the following categories of societal concerns: (1) collection of personal information across domains linked by biometric identifiers, (2) errors that lead to a false accusation, (3) errors that lead to inconvenience, (4) collection/use without consent, and (5) use of biometrics data when not needed for a function or not proportional to potential for loss or risk. In Chapter 1, I examine the errors and use of biometrics as an identifier by reviewing the state of independent testing of common biometric modalities and performing a gap analysis. This gap analysis is then discussed with regard to the requirements of typical applications (personal security, forensic/surveillance applications, watchlists, and large-scale ID systems). A technique (k-Same) to minimize use of biometric data for secondary purposes is proposed and demonstrated in Chapter 2, which is a technical method proposed to begin to address the fourth category of concerns for data with facial images. In the context of sharing video surveillance data, a significant threat to privacy is face recognition software, which can automatically identify known people, such as from a database of drivers' license photos, and thereby track people regardless of suspicion. Chapter 2 introduces an algorithm to protect the privacy of individuals in video surveillance data by de-identifying faces such that many facial characteristics remain but the face cannot be reliably recognized. A trivial solution to de-identifying faces involves blacking out each face. This thwarts any possible face recognition, but because all facial details are obscured, the result is of limited use. Many ad hoc attempts, such as covering eyes, fail to thwart face recognition because of the robustness of face recognition methods. This paper presents a new privacy-enabling algorithm, named k-Same, that guarantees face |
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Biometrics and surveillance: Identification, de-identification, and strategies for protection of personal data. $49.99 In this thesis, I explore the current needs for and the state of conventionally deployed biometric systems as they relate to the following categories of societal concerns: (1) collection of personal information across domains linked by biometric identifiers, (2) errors that lead to a false accusation, (3) errors that lead to inconvenience, (4) collection/use without consent, and (5) use of biometrics data when not needed for a function or not proportional to potential for loss or risk. In Chapter 1, I examine the errors and use of biometrics as an identifier by reviewing the state of independent testing of common biometric modalities and performing a gap analysis. This gap analysis is then discussed with regard to the requirements of typical applications (personal security, forensic/surveillance applications, watchlists, and large-scale ID systems). A technique (k-Same) to minimize use of biometric data for secondary purposes is proposed and demonstrated in Chapter 2, which is a technical method proposed to begin to address the fourth category of concerns for data with facial images. In the context of sharing video surveillance data, a significant threat to privacy is face recognition software, which can automatically identify known people, such as from a database of drivers' license photos, and thereby track people regardless of suspicion. Chapter 2 introduces an algorithm to protect the privacy of individuals in video surveillance data by de-identifying faces such that many facial characteristics remain but the face cannot be reliably recognized. A trivial solution to de-identifying faces involves blacking out each face. This thwarts any possible face recognition, but because all facial details are obscured, the result is of limited use. Many ad hoc attempts, such as covering eyes, fail to thwart face recognition because of the robustness of face recognition methods. This paper presents a new privacy-enabling algorithm, named k-Same, that guarantees face |
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BlueChart Pacific MapSource – CD-Rom $148.58 BlueChart cartography is Garmin's exclusive marine cartography. This line of cartography products is designed to provide interactive viewing of detailed nautical chart data, thereby providing navigators with innovative object-oriented cartography. These detailed electronic nautical charts look just like paper charts when displayed on your compatible Garmin chartplotter or handheld. BlueChart Pacific contains updated coverage of Australia, New Zealand, and Asia, including tide predictions. For a list of products that Garmin recommends with this software, see the product compatibility table located in the upper right-hand corner of the BlueChart Pacific product page.Whether you're exploring new coastline or cruising your favorite bay, BlueChart Pacific v7 contains the most detailed marine cartography around. These electronic nautical maps give you peace of mind when navigating offshore. See the product compatibility table (right) for a list of products that Garmin recommends with this software. * Chart-specific information, including chart name and number, scale, revision date, latest Notice to Mariners date * Object-oriented cartography * Faithful representation of published official paper charts * Shaded depth contours * Intertidal zones * Spot soundings * Navaids with view range and coverage * Port plans * Tides, wrecks, restricted areas and anchorages * Trip and waypoint management function lets you transfer waypoints, routes and tracks between your GPS and your PC * Real-time track plotting allows you to interface your Garmin chartplotter or handheld GPS with a PC laptop and must have compatible GPS with unlock code |
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Buildings and Structures in Richmond, British Columbia: Richmond Olympic Oval, Aberdeen Centre, River Rock Casino Resort, Richmond Centre $10.18 Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher’s book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: The Richmond Olympic Oval (French: ), or the Richmond Oval is a facility in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada. It is the venue of the speed skating events of the 2010 Winter Olympics, and is the location for the official Olympic anti-doping lab. The total cost of the project was $178 million. It has been built on a site beside the Fraser River, a few blocks away from Lansdowne Station on the Canada Line. From the air, it is the first Olympic venue many visitors will see flying into the Vancouver, and the roof takes the stylized native shape of a heron’s wing, a tribute to the Salish First Nation and the large wading bird that cohabited the riverbank at first European contact 230 years ago. It is a 33,750 m² facility, including a 20,000 m² main floor that includes a 400 m refrigerated track. It can accommodate 8,000 spectators. The Oval was built to qualify the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Scale (LEED) Silver certification; for example, the Oval’s refrigeration plant is designed to heat other areas of the building through the utilization of what is otherwise waste heat from cooling the ice surface. The Olympic Oval with Water Sky Garden sculpture by Janet EchelmanA distinctive feature of the Richmond Oval is its unique “wood wave” roof. This roof, which is one of the longest clear spans in North America, includes one million board feet of B.C. pine-beetle kill wood linked together in undulating sections to create a rippled effect. These one of a kind wood panels were designed by structural engineers Fast + Epp and constructed at the design build firm StructureCraft Builders Inc. in Delta, B.C. As a result, the Oval was given an award of excellence in architectural innovation by the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada spe… More: |
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Cardinal: A framework for performance modeling and prediction of application execution. $49.99 Traditionally, patterns and repetition in program behavior are exploited in multiple ways to increase performance in computer systems. Cache memory and branch prediction are examples of hardware technologies that leverage short-term knowledge of program behavior to enhance performance. On a different scale, profile-guided compiler transformations use profile information to customize optimization decisions to program behavior. However, as the microprocessor industry shifts to multi-core designs, continued performance gains can only be achieved by systems that track and adapt to interactions of multiple concurrent programs. Multiple cores per system do not universally improve performance since shared resources and operating conditions cause interference. To optimally manage and design multi-core systems so that they may achieve continued performance gains, new methods of representing and exploiting program execution behavior are required.;This thesis presents a new representation, the Cardinal Execution Map (CEM), which describes phase-based program behavior in a compact form. The representation aids computer system design, helps analyze resource contention in multi-core environments and directs run-time systems to better utilize hardware. The Cardinal Execution Map can be constructed off-line (statically) and at run time (dynamically) to enhance the study of microarchitecture, program behaviors, and multi-core systems. Presented in the thesis are the execution modeling framework, a set of analyzes for execution prediction and program behavior identification, and a multi-context program interaction modeling system. |
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Cardinal: A framework for performance modeling and prediction of application execution. $49.99 Traditionally, patterns and repetition in program behavior are exploited in multiple ways to increase performance in computer systems. Cache memory and branch prediction are examples of hardware technologies that leverage short-term knowledge of program behavior to enhance performance. On a different scale, profile-guided compiler transformations use profile information to customize optimization decisions to program behavior. However, as the microprocessor industry shifts to multi-core designs, continued performance gains can only be achieved by systems that track and adapt to interactions of multiple concurrent programs. Multiple cores per system do not universally improve performance since shared resources and operating conditions cause interference. To optimally manage and design multi-core systems so that they may achieve continued performance gains, new methods of representing and exploiting program execution behavior are required.;This thesis presents a new representation, the Cardinal Execution Map (CEM), which describes phase-based program behavior in a compact form. The representation aids computer system design, helps analyze resource contention in multi-core environments and directs run-time systems to better utilize hardware. The Cardinal Execution Map can be constructed off-line (statically) and at run time (dynamically) to enhance the study of microarchitecture, program behaviors, and multi-core systems. Presented in the thesis are the execution modeling framework, a set of analyzes for execution prediction and program behavior identification, and a multi-context program interaction modeling system. |
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Cell fate decisions: Interplay between chromatin architecture and the master regulator PHA-4. $49.99 The building of organs begins with the commitment of pluripotent cells to specific developmental fates. This process of cell fate specification involves progressive restrictions in developmental choices imposed by differential waves of gene expression programs. Orchestrating these transcriptional programs is a specialized class of transcriptional regulators known as selector genes, which function in the context of a dynamic chromatin environment. However, despite the importance of selector genes, their mechanism of action is largely unknown. We have chosen to investigate the molecular mechanisms that govern the transition from pluripotency to differentiation and the role of selector genes in this process, using the pharynx or foregut of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as a model system.;For our studies, we developed approaches that use artificial chromosomes and fluorescence in situ analysis to track the configuration of chromatin surrounding foregut genes. This analysis revealed large-scale alterations in chromatin morphology in pluripotent versus differentiating cells. During pluripotency, foregut genes were decompacted, even though they were transcriptionally quiescent. As pluripotency was lost, foregut genes assumed a condensed morphology, relocated to the nuclear periphery, and became enriched for marks of heterochromatin. We show that the polycomb complex protein mes-21E(Z) promotes the large-scale reorganization of chromatin and gene expression changes that accompany the loss of pluripotency during C. elegans embryogenesis.;As embryogenesis progressed, these events were reversed; the chromatin of foregut genes became decompacted again. This decompaction in differentiating, but not pluripotent cells, was dependent on the binding of the key foregut regulator pha-4/FoxA to pharyngeal targets. We show that PHA-4 binds to the promoters of its targets hours before the onset of transcription. This binding was necessary and sufficient for large-scale chromatin |
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Cell fate decisions: Interplay between chromatin architecture and the master regulator PHA-4. $49.99 The building of organs begins with the commitment of pluripotent cells to specific developmental fates. This process of cell fate specification involves progressive restrictions in developmental choices imposed by differential waves of gene expression programs. Orchestrating these transcriptional programs is a specialized class of transcriptional regulators known as selector genes, which function in the context of a dynamic chromatin environment. However, despite the importance of selector genes, their mechanism of action is largely unknown. We have chosen to investigate the molecular mechanisms that govern the transition from pluripotency to differentiation and the role of selector genes in this process, using the pharynx or foregut of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as a model system.;For our studies, we developed approaches that use artificial chromosomes and fluorescence in situ analysis to track the configuration of chromatin surrounding foregut genes. This analysis revealed large-scale alterations in chromatin morphology in pluripotent versus differentiating cells. During pluripotency, foregut genes were decompacted, even though they were transcriptionally quiescent. As pluripotency was lost, foregut genes assumed a condensed morphology, relocated to the nuclear periphery, and became enriched for marks of heterochromatin. We show that the polycomb complex protein mes-21E(Z) promotes the large-scale reorganization of chromatin and gene expression changes that accompany the loss of pluripotency during C. elegans embryogenesis.;As embryogenesis progressed, these events were reversed; the chromatin of foregut genes became decompacted again. This decompaction in differentiating, but not pluripotent cells, was dependent on the binding of the key foregut regulator pha-4/FoxA to pharyngeal targets. We show that PHA-4 binds to the promoters of its targets hours before the onset of transcription. This binding was necessary and sufficient for large-scale chromatin |
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Computer Storage Devices by Company: Cbm Storage Devices, Emc Storage Devices, Hp Storage Devices, Ibm Storage Devices, Iomega Storage Devices $47.42 Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher’s book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: Cbm Storage Devices, Emc Storage Devices, Hp Storage Devices, Ibm Storage Devices, Iomega Storage Devices, Proware Storage Devices, Syquest Storage Devices, Punched Card, Direct Access Storage Device, Early Ibm Disk Storage, Emc Symmetrix, Microdrive, Ibm General Parallel File System, Iomega Zip Drive, 9 Track Tape, Clariion, Ibm 1360, Millipede Memory, Racetrack Memory, Commodore Datasette, Group Code Recording, Ibm System Storage, Ibm San Volume Controller, Iomega Jaz Drive, Ibm 3480 Family, Ibm 7 Track, Commodore Reu, Iomega Ditto Drive, Ibm Magstar Mp 3570, Hp Media Vault, Hp Xp, Lpar, Amiga A570, Ibm 729, Ibm 3850, Ibm 3592, Ibm Scale-Out File Services, Serial Storage Architecture, Dynamic Logical Partitioning, Hp Storageworks, Ibm 3590, Ibm 7302, Iomega Rev, Lt. Kernal, High Performance Storage System, Iomega Pocket Zip Drive, Syquest Ez 135 Drive, Ibm Global Mirror, Iomega Bernoulli Box, Hp Memory Spot Chip, Syquest Sparq Drive, Srdf, Emc Invista, Ibm 727, Ibm Extended Density Format, Fixed Block Architecture, Ibm 726, Ibm 728, Ibm Eserver, Ibm Enterprise Storage Server, Ibm 7330, Predictive Failure Analysis, Ibm San File System, Hp Dc100, Hp Jamaica, Ibm 738, Pr/sm, Proware Epica, Ibm 2314, Ibm 1301, Ibm 1405, Ibm 2310, Ibm 2311, Ibm 1302, Ibm 1311, Ibm 3330, Ibm 3340, Ibm 3350, Ibm 3380, Ibm 3390, Ibm 350, Ibm 353, Ibm 355, Clik!. Excerpt: A punched card (or punch card or Hollerith card or IBM card), is a piece of stiff paper that contains digital information represented by the presence or absence of holes in predefined positions. Now almost an obsolete recording medium, punched cards were widely used throughout the 19th century for controlling textile looms and in the late 19th and early 20th century for operating fairground organs … More: |
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Computers In Films (Study Guide) $31.4 Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher’s book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: Wargames, Hal 9000, Independence Day, Desk Set, You’ve Got Mail, Summer Wars, Live Free or Die Hard, Tron, Antitrust, Superman Iii, Tron Legacy, the Net, Steal This Film, Weird Science, Pirates of Silicon Valley, the Lawnmower Man, Hackers, Untraceable, Firewall, Swordfish, Demon Seed, Sneakers, Colossus: the Forbin Project, Echelon Conspiracy, Wargames: the Dead Code, Electric Dreams, the Computer Wore Tennis Shoes, Terminal Entry, the Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace, Track Down, Babbage, the Net 2.0, Code Rush, Ignition, Max Knight. Excerpt: Independence Day (also known by its promotional abbreviation ID4) is a 1996 science fiction film about a hostile alien invasion of Earth, focusing on a disparate group of individuals and families as they coincidentally converge in the Nevada desert and, along with the rest of the human population, participate in a last-chance retaliation on July 4 the same date as the Independence Day holiday in the United States. It was directed by Roland Emmerich, who co-wrote the script with producer Dean Devlin. While promoting Stargate in Europe, Emmerich came up with the idea for the film when fielding a question about his own belief in the non-existence of alien life. He and Devlin decided to incorporate a large-scale attack when noticing that aliens in most invasion films travel long distances in space only to remain hidden when reaching Earth. Principal photography for the film began in July 1995 in New York City, and the film was officially completed on June 20, 1996. The film was scheduled for release on July 3, 1996, but due to the high level of anticipation for the movie, many theaters began showing it on the evening of July 2, 1996, the same day the action in the film begins. The movie’s combined domest… More: |
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Defining the Wind: The Beaufort Scale, and How a 19th-Century Admiral Turned Science into Poetry $0.99 “Nature, rightly questioned, never lies.” —A Manual of Scientific Enquiry, Third Edition, 1859Scott Huler was working as a copy editor for a small publisher when he stumbled across the Beaufort Wind Scale in his Merriam Webster Collegiate Dictionary. It was one of those moments of discovery that writers live for. Written centuries ago, its 110 words launched Huler on a remarkable journey over land and sea into a fascinating world of explorers, mariners, scientists, and writers. After falling in love with what he decided was “the best, clearest, and most vigorous piece of descriptive writing I had ever seen,” Huler went in search of Admiral Francis Beaufort himself: hydrographer to the British Admiralty, man of science, and author—Huler assumed—of the Beaufort Wind Scale. But what Huler discovered is that the scale that carries Beaufort’s name has a long and complex evolution, and to properly understand it he had to keep reaching farther back in history, into the lives and works of figures from Daniel Defoe and Charles Darwin to Captains Bligh, of the Bounty, and Cook, of the Endeavor. As hydrographer to the British Admiralty it was Beaufort’s job to track the information that ships relied on: where to lay anchor, descriptions of ports, information about fortification, religion, and trade. But what came to fascinate Huler most about Beaufort was his obsession for observing things and communicating to others what the world looked like.Huler’s research landed him in one of the most fascinating and rich periods of history, because all around the world in the mid-eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, ina grand, expansive period, modern science was being invented every day. These scientific advancements encompassed not only vast leaps in understanding but also how scientific innovation was expressed and even organized, including such enduring developments as the scale Anders Celsius |
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Defining the Wind: The Beaufort Scale, and How a 19th-Century Admiral Turned Science into Poetry $80.4 “Nature, rightly questioned, never lies.” —A Manual of Scientific Enquiry, Third Edition, 1859Scott Huler was working as a copy editor for a small publisher when he stumbled across the Beaufort Wind Scale in his Merriam Webster Collegiate Dictionary. It was one of those moments of discovery that writers live for. Written centuries ago, its 110 words launched Huler on a remarkable journey over land and sea into a fascinating world of explorers, mariners, scientists, and writers. After falling in love with what he decided was “the best, clearest, and most vigorous piece of descriptive writing I had ever seen,” Huler went in search of Admiral Francis Beaufort himself: hydrographer to the British Admiralty, man of science, and author—Huler assumed—of the Beaufort Wind Scale. But what Huler discovered is that the scale that carries Beaufort’s name has a long and complex evolution, and to properly understand it he had to keep reaching farther back in history, into the lives and works of figures from Daniel Defoe and Charles Darwin to Captains Bligh, of the Bounty, and Cook, of the Endeavor. As hydrographer to the British Admiralty it was Beaufort’s job to track the information that ships relied on: where to lay anchor, descriptions of ports, information about fortification, religion, and trade. But what came to fascinate Huler most about Beaufort was his obsession for observing things and communicating to others what the world looked like.Huler’s research landed him in one of the most fascinating and rich periods of history, because all around the world in the mid-eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, ina grand, expansive period, modern science was being invented every day. These scientific advancements encompassed not only vast leaps in understanding but also how scientific innovation was expressed and even organized, including such enduring developments as the scale Anders Celsius |
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Duplex Locomotives: Prr S1, Duplex Locomotive, Prr T1, Prr Q1, Lswr T7 Class, Prr Q2, Baltimore and Ohio Class N-1 $8.73 Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher’s book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: The PRR S1 class steam locomotive (nicknamed “The Big Engine”) was an experimental locomotive that was the largest rigid frame passenger locomotive ever built. The streamlined Art Deco styled shell of the locomotive was designed by Raymond Loewy. The S1 was the only locomotive ever built to use a 6-4-4-6 wheel arrangement. Also, the S1 class was a duplex locomotive, meaning that it had two pairs of cylinders, each driving two pairs of driving wheels. Unlike similar-looking articulated locomotive designs, the driven wheelbase of the S1 was rigid. The S1 was completed January 31, 1939 and was assigned locomotive number 6100. The S1s extreme length, (140 feet 2½ inches/42.74 metres), made it incapable of negotiating curves on most of the PRR track system. This problem, combined with a wheel slippage problem limited the S1s usefulness. No further S1 models were built as focus was shifted to the T1 class. The last run for the S1 was in December 1945 and the engine was scrapped in 1949. In 1937, Pennsylvania Railroad officials decided to build a new passenger locomotive to replace its aging K4s locomotive. The PRR officials also hoped that the new S1 steam locomotive would have performance equal to their GG1 electric locomotive. In a collaborative effort, the Pennsylvania Railroad, Baldwin Locomotive Works, the Lima Locomotive Works and the American Locomotive Company contributed to the experimental S1 design. The S1 under construction at Altoona. The smaller boiler in the photo is for a B6 switcher giving a sense of scale.The S1 was the largest express passenger locomotive ever constructed, with an overall length was 140 feet 2½ inches (42.74 m). At 77 feet (23 m) long and a weight of 97,600 pounds (44.3 t), the cast steel locomotive bed plate ma… More: |
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Energy efficient processing and distributed power management for wireless video sensor networks. $49.99 The successful proliferation of multimedia-enabled devices and significant advances in Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) technology has spawned new research efforts in migrating video processing onto ever smaller and cheaper devices. Additionally, as Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) continue to improve in functionality with memory and processing resources becoming cheaper and more power efficient, future WSN systems will form Video Sensor Networks (VSN) containing video as a primary sensing mode. This dissertation focuses on both node-level and network-level issues to achieve power efficiency for future VSN systems. These new techniques include: (1) A Region of Interest (ROI) video processing technique is introduced which limits processing to a portion of a video frame in an attempt to successfully track a dominant moving object within a single camera’s Field Of View (FOV) while saving on considerable processing requirements. (2) An Adaptive Data Partitioning (ADP) algorithm is described which splits each video frame into multiple regions and assigns each region to a different Processing Element (PE) to parallelize the processing task. (3) A set of Coordinated Distributed Power Management (CDPM) policies are proposed which extend well-known local power management policies to include information from multiple nodes within the VSN. A detailed VSN simulator has been used in the experiments to help analyze performance/resource-savings tradeoffs and prototype VSN nodes have been built to physically verify performance of many of the techniques included herein. |
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Energy efficient processing and distributed power management for wireless video sensor networks. $49.99 The successful proliferation of multimedia-enabled devices and significant advances in Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) technology has spawned new research efforts in migrating video processing onto ever smaller and cheaper devices. Additionally, as Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) continue to improve in functionality with memory and processing resources becoming cheaper and more power efficient, future WSN systems will form Video Sensor Networks (VSN) containing video as a primary sensing mode. This dissertation focuses on both node-level and network-level issues to achieve power efficiency for future VSN systems. These new techniques include: (1) A Region of Interest (ROI) video processing technique is introduced which limits processing to a portion of a video frame in an attempt to successfully track a dominant moving object within a single camera’s Field Of View (FOV) while saving on considerable processing requirements. (2) An Adaptive Data Partitioning (ADP) algorithm is described which splits each video frame into multiple regions and assigns each region to a different Processing Element (PE) to parallelize the processing task. (3) A set of Coordinated Distributed Power Management (CDPM) policies are proposed which extend well-known local power management policies to include information from multiple nodes within the VSN. A detailed VSN simulator has been used in the experiments to help analyze performance/resource-savings tradeoffs and prototype VSN nodes have been built to physically verify performance of many of the techniques included herein. |
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Epson Perfection V700 Flatbed Scanner – 6400dpi Optical – 48-bit Color – 16-bit Grayscale – USB $425.52 The Epson Perfection V700 Photo is the ideal scanner for photo enthusiasts and advanced amateur photographers. Featuring Epson s unique Dual Lens System combined with DIGITAL ICETM Technologies it delivers exceptional quality film and photo scanning.Perfect scanningWith the Epson Perfection V700 Photo,clear, detailed enlargements and superb tonal reproduction is guaranteed,thanks to Epson s exclusive Dual Lens System for 6400dpi film scanning and 4.0D Maxoptical density.Not only can you scan your favourite images and then produce superbly detailed large-scale enlargements as you would expect, with greater power,faster speed and more flexibility, the Epson Perfection V700 Photo is setting a new standard in flatbed scanning for professional-standard photographic reproduction.Scanning quality is further assisted by a moving TPU light that ensures the brightest possible light source for smooth scan images and sharper definition. A moving blue Light Emitting Diode (LED) lets you visibly track the scanning progress.Unique technologyThe unique Epson Dual Lens System lets you scan various film formats at the extremely high resolution of 6400dpi, truly amazing for a scanner at this price. You can also do reflective and transparency scanning at up to 4800 dpi. That means you won t need to make any quality compromises on your scans, and when it comes to enlargements, even from 35mm format films, they will be highly detailed and crystal clear. 4.0DMax optical density also gives you superb reproduction of shadows and highlights so you needn t worry about losing the subtle shading that makes a good image great.Restore your precious memoriesDIGITAL ICETM Technologies automatically removes scratches and dust from old and damaged photos and film, saving you hours of post-scanning image editing. Epson Easy Photo FixTM also allows you to restore faded colour photos in just one easy step. Inclusive |
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Escali 115NWR Portable Nutritional Tracker, Warm Red $59.95 The Cesto Kitchen Scale is an ultra thin, portable nutritional food scale, a great way to keep your fitness goals on track! This versatile food scale measures up to 11 lbs. or 5000 grams. It measures in ounces, pounds, pounds and ounces, grams, fluid ounces and milliliters. Accurate in 0.1 oz or 1 gram increments. This digital food scale allows you to have access to weight and nutritional data and the user friendly touch glass displays calories, sodium, protein, fat, carbohydrates, cholesterol or fiber with the input of 999 different food codes. Available in Black, Silver Gray and Warm Red. |
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Experimental and analytical evalution of embedded link performance with small-scale channel fluctuations. $49.99 We have deployed a first-of-its-kind, urban-scale wireless mesh network which provides Internet access to 1000′s of users spanning multiple square kilometers in an underserved area in Houston, TX. However, in this and other urban environments, IEEE 802.11 link performance is both misunderstood and poor-performing due to complex node interactions which are affected by a vast array of factors including topology, channel conditions, modulation rate, packet sizes, and physical layer capture. In this thesis, I draw from 100′s of thousands of urban measurements and develop an analytical model to understand the performance of links embedded in the aforementioned complex scenarios. My focus is on two fundamental concepts involving embedded links. First, choosing the modulation rate which maximizes the throughput is imperative since each bit of the (overly-)shared medium is critical. Yet, all existing rate adaptation mechanisrns fail to track the ideal rate even in a simple, non-mobile urban scenario. Using a custom cross-layer framework, I implement multiple and previously un-implemented rate adaptation mechanisms to reveal the reasons for the failure and design rate adaptation mechanisms which are able to track urban and downtown vehicular and non-mobile environments. Second, I pose a basic, yet unsolved problem: given a time-varying channel and traffic matrix in the aforementioned complex scenario, predict the throughput of an embedded link and understand the complex interactions of factors that lead to its performance. By performing thousands of measurements of embedded links on an urban mesh network and developing an analytical model, this work is the first to show that even a 1 dB change in channel state can yield a bi-modal shift in throughput that emulates a change in node connectivity. Finally, I apply our model and experimentation to modulation rate selection and the interaction of control and data traffic to show that understanding these complex |
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Experimental and analytical evalution of embedded link performance with small-scale channel fluctuations. $49.99 We have deployed a first-of-its-kind, urban-scale wireless mesh network which provides Internet access to 1000′s of users spanning multiple square kilometers in an underserved area in Houston, TX. However, in this and other urban environments, IEEE 802.11 link performance is both misunderstood and poor-performing due to complex node interactions which are affected by a vast array of factors including topology, channel conditions, modulation rate, packet sizes, and physical layer capture. In this thesis, I draw from 100′s of thousands of urban measurements and develop an analytical model to understand the performance of links embedded in the aforementioned complex scenarios. My focus is on two fundamental concepts involving embedded links. First, choosing the modulation rate which maximizes the throughput is imperative since each bit of the (overly-)shared medium is critical. Yet, all existing rate adaptation mechanisrns fail to track the ideal rate even in a simple, non-mobile urban scenario. Using a custom cross-layer framework, I implement multiple and previously un-implemented rate adaptation mechanisms to reveal the reasons for the failure and design rate adaptation mechanisms which are able to track urban and downtown vehicular and non-mobile environments. Second, I pose a basic, yet unsolved problem: given a time-varying channel and traffic matrix in the aforementioned complex scenario, predict the throughput of an embedded link and understand the complex interactions of factors that lead to its performance. By performing thousands of measurements of embedded links on an urban mesh network and developing an analytical model, this work is the first to show that even a 1 dB change in channel state can yield a bi-modal shift in throughput that emulates a change in node connectivity. Finally, I apply our model and experimentation to modulation rate selection and the interaction of control and data traffic to show that understanding these complex |
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Forcing mechanisms for heavy precipitation in the extratropical transition of Atlantic hurricanes. $49.99 Freshwater flooding is the number one inland killer associated with hurricanes that make landfall in the Mid-Atlantic region. Although great improvements in hurricane track forecasting have been made over the past decade, forecasting hurricane intensity change and rainfall has remained problematic. This challenge becomes even more difficult after the storm makes landfall. Over land, storms typically weaken; however, strong nonlinear interactions with mid-latitude systems or forcing from terrain can reintensify the storm or trigger extreme precipitation events. The goal of the work presented here is to better understand the physical processes that lead to heavy precipitation and storm reintensification during the extratropical transition of hurricanes in the Mid-Atlantic region. We use the North American Regional Reanalysis to analyze in detail two landfalling storms: Hurricane Gaston (2004) and Hurricane Ernesto (2006). Both storms presented forecast challenges and both resulted in heavy precipitation, although through different mechanisms. Gaston was shown to create its own baroclinic zone, which led to heavy rainfall and latent heat release which allowed the storm to briefly rejuvenate over land. Ernesto interacted strongly with an upper level trough and jet, which created a secondary circulation that fueled the storm with moisture from the Atlantic. A potential vorticity analysis shows evidence for a case of stolen identity and possible stratosphere-troposphere exchange (STE). Diabatic forcing in the mesoscale proved to be most important in the transition of Gaston, whereas synoptic scale interactions were crucial to the evolution of Ernesto, which also occluded very quickly. The various spatial scales and rapid transitions of both these storms provide insight into the forecasting challenges during these transition events. |
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Forcing mechanisms for heavy precipitation in the extratropical transition of Atlantic hurricanes. $49.99 Freshwater flooding is the number one inland killer associated with hurricanes that make landfall in the Mid-Atlantic region. Although great improvements in hurricane track forecasting have been made over the past decade, forecasting hurricane intensity change and rainfall has remained problematic. This challenge becomes even more difficult after the storm makes landfall. Over land, storms typically weaken; however, strong nonlinear interactions with mid-latitude systems or forcing from terrain can reintensify the storm or trigger extreme precipitation events. The goal of the work presented here is to better understand the physical processes that lead to heavy precipitation and storm reintensification during the extratropical transition of hurricanes in the Mid-Atlantic region. We use the North American Regional Reanalysis to analyze in detail two landfalling storms: Hurricane Gaston (2004) and Hurricane Ernesto (2006). Both storms presented forecast challenges and both resulted in heavy precipitation, although through different mechanisms. Gaston was shown to create its own baroclinic zone, which led to heavy rainfall and latent heat release which allowed the storm to briefly rejuvenate over land. Ernesto interacted strongly with an upper level trough and jet, which created a secondary circulation that fueled the storm with moisture from the Atlantic. A potential vorticity analysis shows evidence for a case of stolen identity and possible stratosphere-troposphere exchange (STE). Diabatic forcing in the mesoscale proved to be most important in the transition of Gaston, whereas synoptic scale interactions were crucial to the evolution of Ernesto, which also occluded very quickly. The various spatial scales and rapid transitions of both these storms provide insight into the forecasting challenges during these transition events. |
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Four years of ERA-40 vorticity maxima tracks. $49.99 This study attempts to distinguish between developing and nondeveloping tropical disturbances using reanalysis data and satellite data. This is the first time many developing and nondeveloping disturbances have been compared on a consistent basis using both large-scale environment information and data from geostationary satellites and the Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM). Vorticity maxima (VM) are identified on Hovmdller plots of time filtered and smoothed relative vorticity. VM have been tracked manually for June-October, 1998–2001 in the Atlantic and eastern North Pacific (EPAC). Midlevel and low-level VM are tracked independently. The VM are classified as developing or nondeveloping based on whether they can be traced to a storm in the National Hurricane Center best track database. The climatology of VM tracks agrees with previous knowledge of tropical wave disturbances and hurricane precursors in the Atlantic and EPAC. Genesis productivity, defined as the fraction of noncyclone VM that eventually develop, reaches a maximum of 30% in the Atlantic and 50% in the EPAC. Significant differences between developing and nondeveloping VM are found with respect to large-scale predictors and satellite-derived predictors (area of cold cloud tops and rainfall). Surprisingly, vertical shear is stronger for developing VM in the EPAC. For the EPAC, the satellite-derived predictors give greater discrimination than in the Atlantic. Also, incorporating the satellite-derived predictors in linear discriminant analysis increases the discrimination in the EPAC but not in the Atlantic. Linear discriminant analysis is used to quantify the relative importance of the individual predictors and to make comparisons with previous studies. Finally, for a limited subset of cases with coverage from the TRMM precipitation radar, the properties of precipitation features (PFs) associated with developing and nondeveloping disturbances are compared. The most significant difference |
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Four years of ERA-40 vorticity maxima tracks. $49.99 This study attempts to distinguish between developing and nondeveloping tropical disturbances using reanalysis data and satellite data. This is the first time many developing and nondeveloping disturbances have been compared on a consistent basis using both large-scale environment information and data from geostationary satellites and the Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM). Vorticity maxima (VM) are identified on Hovmdller plots of time filtered and smoothed relative vorticity. VM have been tracked manually for June-October, 1998–2001 in the Atlantic and eastern North Pacific (EPAC). Midlevel and low-level VM are tracked independently. The VM are classified as developing or nondeveloping based on whether they can be traced to a storm in the National Hurricane Center best track database. The climatology of VM tracks agrees with previous knowledge of tropical wave disturbances and hurricane precursors in the Atlantic and EPAC. Genesis productivity, defined as the fraction of noncyclone VM that eventually develop, reaches a maximum of 30% in the Atlantic and 50% in the EPAC. Significant differences between developing and nondeveloping VM are found with respect to large-scale predictors and satellite-derived predictors (area of cold cloud tops and rainfall). Surprisingly, vertical shear is stronger for developing VM in the EPAC. For the EPAC, the satellite-derived predictors give greater discrimination than in the Atlantic. Also, incorporating the satellite-derived predictors in linear discriminant analysis increases the discrimination in the EPAC but not in the Atlantic. Linear discriminant analysis is used to quantify the relative importance of the individual predictors and to make comparisons with previous studies. Finally, for a limited subset of cases with coverage from the TRMM precipitation radar, the properties of precipitation features (PFs) associated with developing and nondeveloping disturbances are compared. The most significant difference |