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The Almanac: A Seasonal Guide to 2021
by Lia Leendertz'The perfect companion to the seasons' - India KnightWelcome to The Almanac: A Seasonal Guide to 2021. If you are new to The Almanac then welcome; if you are a regular reader then hello! The Almanac is about celebrating the unfolding year in all its various facets. The old dependables which I include every year are back: moon phases, sun rises and sets, tide time tables and the sky at night. As ever there are seasonal recipes and monthly gardening tips for the flower and vegetable garden too, as well as a bit of folklore, and nature and a song for each month.This year's edition has a theme: movement, migration and pilgrimage. This was not a reaction to the unsettling events of last year - it was half written by the time Covid-19 hit - but writing it from lockdown did give me a heightened appreciation of the way in which Britain and Ireland have always and continue to be places of movement, and are intimately connected to the rest of the world. You will find within this book migration tales for each month of this year, but I have also searched out seasonal tales of human movement, and included a pilgrimage for each month, some ancient, some current, all underlining the spiritual benefits of putting one foot in front of the other. Every month I have included a method of navigating using the stars, sun or moon, so you can find your way around in the dark (or just look out of your window and know where south is). And our monthly folk songs are all shanties this year, work songs with movement at their very heart, created to coordinate muscle power to drive sailing ships backwards and forwards across the Atlantic Ocean, and containing influences from the eastern seaboard of the US down to the Caribbean and beyond mixed with British and Irish folk traditions. These songs are stitched through with movement and travel, as is this Almanac.PRAISE FOR THE ALMANAC: A SEASONAL GUIDE'This book is your bible' - The Independent'An ideal stocking filler' - The English Garden'I love this gem of a book' - Cerys Matthews'Indispensable' - Sir Bob Geldof'An uplifting nature-inspired guide' - Country & Town House magazine
The Almanac: A Seasonal Guide to 2021
by Lia Leendertz'The perfect companion to the seasons' - India KnightWelcome to The Almanac: A Seasonal Guide to 2021. If you are new to The Almanac then welcome; if you are a regular reader then hello! The Almanac is about celebrating the unfolding year in all its various facets. The old dependables which I include every year are back: moon phases, sun rises and sets, tide time tables and the sky at night. As ever there are seasonal recipes and monthly gardening tips for the flower and vegetable garden too, as well as a bit of folklore, and nature and a song for each month.This year's edition has a theme: movement, migration and pilgrimage. This was not a reaction to the unsettling events of last year - it was half written by the time Covid-19 hit - but writing it from lockdown did give me a heightened appreciation of the way in which Britain and Ireland have always and continue to be places of movement, and are intimately connected to the rest of the world. You will find within this book migration tales for each month of this year, but I have also searched out seasonal tales of human movement, and included a pilgrimage for each month, some ancient, some current, all underlining the spiritual benefits of putting one foot in front of the other. Every month I have included a method of navigating using the stars, sun or moon, so you can find your way around in the dark (or just look out of your window and know where south is). And our monthly folk songs are all shanties this year, work songs with movement at their very heart, created to coordinate muscle power to drive sailing ships backwards and forwards across the Atlantic Ocean, and containing influences from the eastern seaboard of the US down to the Caribbean and beyond mixed with British and Irish folk traditions. These songs are stitched through with movement and travel, as is this Almanac.PRAISE FOR THE ALMANAC: A SEASONAL GUIDE'This book is your bible' - TheIndependent'An ideal stocking filler' - The English Garden'I love this gem of a book' - Cerys Matthews'Indispensable' - Sir Bob Geldof'An uplifting nature-inspired guide' -Country & Town House magazine
The Almond Tree Genome (Compendium of Plant Genomes)
by Raquel Sánchez-Pérez Ángel Fernández i Martí Pedro Martínez-GómezThis book brings together the latest information on almond genomics and transcriptomics, with a particular focus on cutting-edge findings, tools, and strategies employed in genome sequencing and analysis with regard to the most important agronomic traits. Cultivated almond [(Prunus dulcis (Miller) D. A. Webb, syn. Prunus amygdalus Batsch., Amygdalus communis L., Amygdalus dulcis Mill.)] is a tree crop producing seeds of great economic interest, and adapted to hot and dry climates. Domesticated in Southeast Asia, its small diploid genome and phenotypic diversity make it an ideal model to complement genomics studies on peach, generally considered to be the reference Prunus species. Both represent consanguineous species that evolved in two distinct environments: warmer and more humid in the case of peach, and colder and xerophytic for almond. The advent of affordable whole-genome sequencing, in combination with existing Prunus functional genomics data, has now made it possible to leverage the novel diversity found in almond, providing an unmatched resource for the genetic improvement of this species.
The Almonds and Related Species: Identification, Characteristics and Uses
by Thomas M. Gradziel Alireza RahemiAlmond and peach species have global importance as food crops as well as use in landscaping including restoration and reforestation. Because currently available breeding germplasm has a very narrow genetic base, genetic improvement programs are turning to wild germplasm as sources of improved quality, productivity and resistance traits. This germplasm is also enabling the dramatic modification of traditional cropping systems as with the transfer of self-fruitfulness from related wild almond and peach species to normally self-sterile cultivated almond. While presence of an extensive wild almond and related germplasm has been documented in the literature over the past century, most information remains dispersed and often not generally accessible owing to its publication in treatises and journals of limited distribution. This monograph brings together a comprehensive characterization of almond and its related species including the cultivated and wild peaches. Because it represents the only comprehensive source of information on almond, peach and their wild relatives, it represents a basic reference text of interest to researchers in both the basic and applied plant and ecological sciences.
Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream
by Tanya Lee StoneNearly twenty years before the first women were allowed into NASA's astronaut program, a group of thirteen women proved not only that they were as tough as any man but also that they were brave enough to challenge the government. Almost Astronauts tells the story of the "Mercury 13" women, who were blocked by prejudice, jealousy, and a note scrawled by one of the most powerful men in Washington. In the end, the inspiring example of these space-age pioneers empowered young people to take their rightful place in the sky and beyond, piloting jets and commanding space capsules.<P><P> Winner of the Sibert Medal
Almost Human: Making Robots Think
by Lee GutkindA remarkable, intense portrait of the robotic subculture and the challenging quest for robot autonomy. The high bay at the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University is alive and hyper night and day with the likes of Hyperion, which traversed the Antarctic, and Zoe, the world's first robot scientist, now back home. Robot Segways learn to play soccer, while other robots go on treasure hunts or are destined for hospitals and museums. Dozens of cavorting mechanical creatures, along with tangles of wire, tools, and computer innards are scattered haphazardly. All of these zipping and zooming gizmos are controlled by disheveled young men sitting on the floor, folding chairs, or tool cases, or huddled over laptops squinting into displays with manic intensity. Award-winning author Lee Gutkind immersed himself in this frenzied subculture, following these young roboticists and their bold conceptual machines from Pittsburgh to NASA and to the most barren and arid desert on earth. He makes intelligible their discoveries and stumbling points in this lively behind-the-scenes work.
Almost Periodic and Almost Automorphic Functions in Abstract Spaces
by Gaston M. N'GuérékataThis book presents the foundation of the theory of almost automorphic functions in abstract spaces and the theory of almost periodic functions in locally and non-locally convex spaces and their applications in differential equations. Since the publication of Almost automorphic and almost periodic functions in abstract spaces (Kluwer Academic/Plenum, 2001), there has been a surge of interest in the theory of almost automorphic functions and applications to evolution equations. Several generalizations have since been introduced in the literature, including the study of almost automorphic sequences, and the interplay between almost periodicity and almost automorphic has been exposed for the first time in light of operator theory, complex variable functions and harmonic analysis methods. As such, the time has come for a second edition to this work, which was one of the most cited books of the year 2001.This new edition clarifies and improves upon earlier materials, includes many relevant contributions and references in new and generalized concepts and methods, and answers the longtime open problem, "What is the number of almost automorphic functions that are not almost periodic in the sense of Bohr?" Open problems in non-locally convex valued almost periodic and almost automorphic functions are also indicated.As in the first edition, materials are presented in a simplified and rigorous way. Each chapter is concluded with bibliographical notes showing the original sources of the results and further reading.
An Almost Practical Step Toward Sustainability: An Invited Lecture On The Occasion Of The Fortieth Anniversary Of Resources For The Future
by Robert M. SolowNobel Laureate Robert Solow explores how changes in social accounting practice could contribute to more rational debate and action in crafting economic and environmental policy. A thoughtful work about the wise use of society's natural resources, intergenerational equity, and the translation of ideas about sustainability into real policy.
Aloft! The Story of the First Hot-Air Balloon Flight / Pedaling Through the Sky (Fountas & Pinnell Classroom, Guided Reading Grade 5)
by Timothy Paulson Giorgio BacchinNIMAC-sourced textbook
Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other
by Sherry TurkleConsider Facebook--it's human contact, only easier to engage with and easier to avoid. Developing technology promises closeness. Sometimes it delivers, but much of our modern life leaves us less connected with people and more connected to simulations of them. In Alone Together, MIT technology and society professor Sherry Turkle explores the power of our new tools and toys to dramatically alter our social lives. It's a nuanced exploration of what we are looking for--and sacrificing--in a world of electronic companions and social networking tools, and an argument that, despite the hand-waving of today's self-described prophets of the future, it will be the next generation who will chart the path between isolation and connectivity.
Along Route 6 in Massachusetts (Postcard History Series)
by James A. GayRoute 6 in Massachusetts runs from Provincetown to Seekonk and passes through some of the most beautiful scenery in the state. What had once been a mere footpath for Native Americans, then widened for the use of stagecoaches, Route 6 would be officially designated the “King’s Highway” in 1920. The moniker was extremely unpopular with the local residents, so much so that the governor officially changed the name to the Grand Army of the Republic Highway in 1937. Depicted from the author’s personal collection of postcards from the 1920s to the 1960s, Route 6 winds its way around tiny fishing villages, sand dunes, marshes, beaches, lighthouses, campgrounds, hotels, restaurants, and historic cities. The combination of Route 6 and the automobile would make Cape Cod a world-renowned tourist destination.
Alpha Omega
by Nicholas BowlingStranger Things meets Black Mirror and Ready Player One in this unsettling, near-future science fiction standalone. Something is rotten in the state of the NutriStart Skills Academy With the discovery of a human skull on the playing fields, children displaying symptoms of an unfamiliar, grisly virus and a catastrophic malfunction in the site's security system, the NSA is about to experience a week that no amount of rebranding can conceal. As the school descends into chaos, teacher Tom Rosen goes looking for answers - but when the real, the unreal and the surreal are indistinguishable, the truth can be difficult to recognise.One pupil, Gabriel Backer, may hold the key to saving the school from destroying itself and its students, except he has already been expelled. Not only that - he has disappeared down the rabbit-hole of "Alpha Omega" - the world's largest VR role-playing game, filled with violent delights and unbridled debauchery. But the game quickly sours. Gabriel will need to confront the real world he's been so desperate to escape if he ever wants to leave...
Alpine Treelines: Functional Ecology of the Global High Elevation Tree Limits
by Susanna Riedl Christian KörnerAlpine treelines mark the low-temperature limit of tree growth and occur in mountains world-wide. Presenting a companion to his book Alpine Plant Life, Christian Körner provides a global synthesis of the treeline phenomenon from sub-arctic to equatorial latitudes and a functional explanation based on the biology of trees. The comprehensive text approaches the subject in a multi-disciplinary way by exploring forest patterns at the edge of tree life, tree morphology, anatomy, climatology and, based on this, modelling treeline position, describing reproduction and population processes, development, phenology, evolutionary aspects, as well as summarizing evidence on the physiology of carbon, water and nutrient relations, and stress physiology. It closes with an account on treelines in the past (palaeo-ecology) and a section on global change effects on treelines, now and in the future. With more than 100 illustrations, many of them in colour, the book shows alpine treelines from around the globe and offers a wealth of scientific information in the form of diagrams and tables.
Als wäre immer Sonntag: Die Corona-Tagebücher
by Marco LalliMärz bis Mai 2020: Es sind drei Monate, die die Welt verändern, in denen in Italien Tausende von Menschen sterben und hierzulande das Toilettenpapier aus den Supermarktregalen verschwindet.Die Corona-Tagebücher berichten unaufgeregt aus der Zeit des Lockdowns in einer süddeutschen Stadt. Sie bieten einen ständigen Faktencheck und den Blick über die eigenen Landesgrenzen, vor allem nach Italien, wo das neue Virus sich europaweit zuerst ausbreitet. Sachlich fundiert, sind die Tagebücher gleichzeitig ein sehr persönliches Zeitdokument. Marco Lalli ist Schriftsteller und promovierter Sozialwissenschaftler. Als Statistiker verfügt er über eine umfassende epidemiologische Ausbildung, mit der er die Hintergründe der Corona-Pandemie verständlich erklärt. Er ist zudem bekannt durch seine Ausführungen zum Themenkomplex des autonomen Fahrens.
Altered: An Altered Saga Novella (Altered #1)
by Jennifer RushEverything about Anna's life is a secret. Her father works for the Branch, at the helm of its latest project: monitoring and administering treatments to the four genetically altered boys in the lab below their farmhouse. There's Nick, solemn and brooding; Cas, light-hearted and playful; Trev, smart and caring; and Sam . . . who's stolen Anna's heart.When the Branch decides it's time to take the boys, Sam stages an escape. Anna's father pushes her to go with them, making Sam promise to keep her away from the Branch, at all costs. On the run, with her father's warning in her head, Anna begins to doubt everything she thought she knew about herself. She soon discovers that she and Sam are connected in more ways than either of them expected. And if they're both going to survive, they must piece together the clues of their past before the Branch catches up to them and steals it all away.
Altered Image: The Clone Series (The Clone Series #2)
by Trish MoranThe exciting second volume in Trish Moran's acclaimed young adult series exploring humanity, technology, and the problems of growing up in a dystopian future. Perfect for fans of The Giver and the Divergent trilogy.Since their successful fight to be recognised as equal to humans, the Labs - clones from the infamous research 'Centre' - are thriving in the real world, with many going into important jobs and fields of study.Many Labs are now in relationships with Non-Lab humans and, like Lab leader Abel and his girlfriend Ruby, expecting children. It soon becomes apparent that these children - the Hybrids - are equipped with super-human intelligence and skills beyond either Labs or Non-Labs.As the first generation of Hybrids start to grow up, the conflicts between their human and Lab genes and their places in the new world start to take hold, and things are complicated further when a militant group of rogue Labs, known as the Radicals, prove that they're willing to do anything in their quest to create the 'perfect' being - even at the price of human lives...
Altered Image: The Clone Series (The\clone Ser. #2)
by Trish MoranThe exciting second volume in Trish Moran's acclaimed young adult series exploring humanity, technology, and the problems of growing up in a dystopian future. Perfect for fans of The Giver and the Divergent trilogy.Since their successful fight to be recognised as equal to humans, the Labs - clones from the infamous research 'Centre' - are thriving in the real world, with many going into important jobs and fields of study.Many Labs are now in relationships with Non-Lab humans and, like Lab leader Abel and his girlfriend Ruby, expecting children. It soon becomes apparent that these children - the Hybrids - are equipped with super-human intelligence and skills beyond either Labs or Non-Labs.As the first generation of Hybrids start to grow up, the conflicts between their human and Lab genes and their places in the new world start to take hold, and things are complicated further when a militant group of rogue Labs, known as the Radicals, prove that they're willing to do anything in their quest to create the 'perfect' being - even at the price of human lives...
Altered Policy Landscapes: Fracking, Grazing, and the Bureau of Land Management
by Robert E. Forbis Jr.This book documents the United States Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) shift from a rancher-dominated agency to an energy-dominated agency. This shift is analyzed by identifying the conditions under which the expansion of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in the Rocky Mountain West triggered a political conflict between ranching and energy stakeholder groups. Through scrutiny of federal actions and policies implemented by the Executive Branch between 2004 and 2010, the book sheds light on the emphasis of domestic energy production during this time period, and how the traditional ranching and energy alliance was split by shifting policy interests. The book is meant for policy makers, natural resource agencies, and students and researchers engaged in political science, public administration, and natural resource management. Chapter 1 introduces readers to the case study at hand, and reviews literature on public land agencies and policies. Chapter 2 summarizes the legal history of public land management by the federal government, and the conditions that caused the BLM to favor energy development over ranching in the mid-2000's. Chapter 3 details the role of the Executive Branch (Bush-Cheney administration) in affecting the BLM's domestic energy policies and resource allocation, and chapter 4 analyzes the role of subgovernments in affecting the BLM's motivations too. Chapters 5, 6 and 7 contain first-hand accounts from government officials, state petroleum associations, and ranching supported interest groups to explore the concept of subgovernment stakeholder domination in policymaking, and analyze the similarities and differences between different policy-making elites. Chapter 8 concludes the text by summarizing subgovernment theory, mapping the behaviors of subgovernment actors, and discussing the implications for future political appointees in the direction of land-management agencies like the BLM.
Altering Houses and Small Scale Residential Developments
by Ann Bridger Colin Bridger'Altering Houses and Small-scale Residential Development' is a practical guide for home owners and those undertaking residential building projects. It is also useful for students and emerging professionals concerned with the built environment, especially small-scale development procedures. Undertaking house alterations can be daunting, not least because considerations of cost, design and method can simultaneously demand urgent and careful attention. In addition, there are regulations and the law to be satisfied, contracts to be entered into and a host of potential problems concerned with the form and condition of the building itself. It is a rare building which is not defective in some way, but putting things right can be very satisfying.The Bridgers' book assumes that many home owners now wish to understand more clearly what goes on when they commission contractors and consultants to convert and adapt their homes. Or course, there are also people who intend to manage a project themselves, while others may undertake work on a DIY basis, and the secret then is getting the right kind of help. This book will be invaluable in either situation because it explains how to perform certain functions yourself, yet clarifies the roles and responsibilities of the professionals who may be needed to help with the processes of buying, altering and selling a house.The economic factors in development are not overlooked since, for people who wish to develop in order to sell or let property, market conditions will be paramount, as will the forecasting and control of costs. This book provides practical guidance on these matters; it avoids theory, but does suggest further reading. It is also highly illustrated with over 100 illustrations clarifying parts of the text.The main theme of this book is altering houses but, in practice, the differences between some alterations schemes and building a new house can be relatively small. As a result, much of the material will be useful for those who wish to acquire a plot of land and undertake a modest residential development.Altering or building houses and selling them can be a complex business, covering a wide range of interrelated factors. This book will make these processes easier.
Alternating Current Field Measurement Technique for Detection and Measurement of Cracks in Structures
by Wei Li Xin'an Yuan Jianming Zhao Xiaokang Yin Xiao LiThis open access book serves as a comprehensive exploration of Alternating Current Field Measurement (ACFM), encompassing the foundational theory crucial for subsequent chapters, as well as the design and testing of ACFM probes, instruments, and software. Providing guidance and serving as a reference for ACFM instrument development, the text delves into visualization research in ACFM, offering valuable insights for technical engineering applications. Nondestructive testing (NDT) emerges as a pivotal method for detecting and assessing defects, offering support for safety pre-warning and maintenance decisions in industrial structures. Originating from the 1980s, the demand for an NDT technique arose to inspect fatigue cracks at welded intersections in offshore underwater structures in the North Sea. Conventional NDT methods proved impractical in this distinct underwater environment with quantitative evaluation requirements, prompting the development of the ACFM technique by researchers in the mechanical engineering department at University College London. Over the past four decades, ACFM's theory model, inspection methods, and equipment have undergone rapid advancements, gaining widespread utilization in ocean engineering, the power industry, rail traffic, and special equipment fields. This book encompasses diverse facets, including the global development history of alternating current field measurement technology, core basic theory, signal processing methods, probe instrument development, standardization construction, and engineering applications. Serving as a valuable learning reference for students and offering fundamental theoretical guidance for scientific researchers, it also provides case introductions for engineering applications. The book aims to propel both theoretical research and practical applications of alternating current field measurement technology, contributing significantly to its popularization and widespread application.
Alternating Current Multi-Circuit Electric Machines: A New Approach to the Steady-State Parameter Determination
by Valentin AsanbayevThis book details an approach for realization of the field decomposition concept. The book presents the methods as well as techniques and procedures for establishing electric machine circuit-loops and determining their parameters. The methods developed have been realized using the models of machines with laminated and solid rotor having classical structure. The use of such models are well recognized and simplifies practical implementation of the obtained results.
Alternating Currents: Electricity Markets and Public Policy
by Timothy J. Brennan Karen L. Palmer Salvador A. MartinezMany states within the U.S., and many countries across the world, are opening their electicity markets to competition. Many others are uncertain about their plans. These differences emphasize the complexities involved in the technology and regulatory structure of the electricity industry--an industry for which the introduction of market competition has been notoriously difficult. In response to these challenges, Alternating Currents provides a timely overview and analysis of the concerns facing industry regulators, legislators, and others as they consider whether, when, and how to open electricity markets. Authors Brennan, Palmer, and Martinez offer background on the history of regulatory policy and the technology for producing and delivering electric power. They then provide insights into the policy debates and economic issues involved in eleven important topics, including industry structure, system integrity and reliability, the mitigation of market power, and environmental protection. Alternating Currents describes the recent events leading to the demise of retail competition in California with the intent on drawing lessons for the future. In the end, the authors offer their perspective about what makes electricity a unique resource and how those factors make the potential conflict between competition and reliability the most pressing of the long-term concerns about the transformation of the electric power industry.
Alternative Energies: Updates on Progress (Advanced Structured Materials #34)
by Germán FerreiraThis book presents nine chapters based on fundamental and applied research of alternative energies. At the present time, the challenge is that technology has to come up with solutions that can provide environmentally friendly energy supply options that are able to cover the current world energy demand. Experts around the world are working on these issues for providing new solutions that will break the existing technological barriers. This book aims to address key pillars in the alternative energy field, such as: biomass energy, hydrogen energy, solar energy, wind energy, hydroelectric power, geothermal energy and their environmental implications, with the most updated progress for each pillar. It also includes the life cycle assessment (LCA) and thermoeconomic analysis (TA) as tools for evaluating and optimising environmental and cost subjects. Chapters are organized into fundamental research, applied research and future trends; and written for engineers, academic researches and scientists.
Alternative Energietechnik
by Jochem Unger Antonio Hurtado Rafet IslerDieses Lehrbuch vermittelt die technischen Grundlagen sowie wichtige Auslegungs- und Sicherheitskriterien für konventionelle, nukleare und regenerative Energiesysteme. Es zeigt die Auswirkungen des menschlichen Wirtschaftens, erklärt wie diese zu beurteilen und zu berücksichtigen sind. Es zeigt die möglichen Auswege auf, auch wenn umweltrelevante Entscheidungskriterien prinzipiell nicht quantifizierbar sind. Zusätzlich werden auch gesellschaftspolitische Aspekte angesprochen, die zu einem humanen volkswirtschaftlichen Prozess hinführen, der das ökologische Minimalprinzip gerade vollständig ausschöpft. Die anschauliche Darstellung der Sachverhalte mithilfe einfachster mathematischer Modelle setzt nur elementare Kenntnisse der Mathematik und der jeweils relevanten Fachdisziplinen voraus. Für Vertiefung und Übung sind zahlreiche Aufgaben mit den jeweiligen Lösungswegen beigefügt.
Alternative Energy and Shale Gas Encyclopedia
by Jay H. LehrA comprehensive depository of all information relating to the scientific and technological aspects of Shale Gas and Alternative Energy Conveniently arranged by energy type including Shale Gas, Wind, Geothermal, Solar, and Hydropower Perfect first-stop reference for any scientist, engineer, or student looking for practical and applied energy information Emphasizes practical applications of existing technologies, from design and maintenance, to operating and troubleshooting of energy systems and equipment Features concise yet complete entries, making it easy for users to find the required information quickly, without the need to search through long articles