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International Journal of Distributed Sensor Networks
Volume 2012 (2012), Article ID 709208, 17 pages
Multiscale Acceleration-Dynamic Strain-Impedance Sensor System for Structural Health Monitoring
1Faculty of Civil Engineering, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
2Department of Ocean Engineering, Pukyong National University, Busan 608-737, Republic of Korea
3Research Center for Ocean Industrial Development, Pukyong National University, Busan 608-737, Republic of Korea
Received 21 July 2012; Accepted 17 September 2012
Academic Editor: Ting-Hua YI
Copyright © 2012 Duc-Duy Ho et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
A multiscale wireless sensor system is designed for vibration- and impedance-based structural health monitoring. In order to achieve the objective, the following approaches are implemented. Firstly, smart sensor nodes for vibration and impedance monitoring are designed. In the design, Imote2 platform which has high performance microcontroller, large amount of memory, and flexible radio communication is implemented to acceleration and impedance sensor nodes. Acceleration sensor node is modified to measure PZT's dynamic strain along with acceleration. A solar-power harvesting unit is implemented for power supply to the sensor system. Secondly, operation logics of the multi-scale sensor nodes are programmed based on the concept of the decentralized sensor network. Finally, the performance of the multi-scale sensor system is evaluated on a lab-scale beam to examine the long-term monitoring capacities under various weather conditions.
1. Introduction
Many researchers have developed novel sensing technologies for the practical structural health monitoring (SHM) applications. The SHM system for civil infrastructures mainly includes a number of sensors, a huge amount of signal transmitting wires, data acquisition instruments, and centralized data storage servers [1–3]. Also, the stored data in the centralized servers should be handled for offline information analysis. In order to reduce high-tech labors and costs associated with the wired SHM system, many researchers have attempted to adopt wireless sensors [4–10]. One of great advantages for using wireless sensors is autonomous operations for SHM, which can be implemented by embedding system technologies.
The development of wireless sensor nodes as much as the selection of embedding SHM algorithms are important topics for the autonomous SHM [11–15]. To date, many damage monitoring algorithms have been developed for detecting the location and the severity of damage in structures [16–20]. Most of those algorithms are dependent on structural types, damage characteristics, and available response signals that are related to external loadings and environmental conditions.
Since 1990s, several researchers have focused on using vibration characteristics of a structure as an indication of its structural damage [21–24]. Acceleration response of a structure is usually measured to obtain modal parameters such as natural frequency and mode shapes which are utilized for damage detection. It were demonstrated that curvature (or strain) mode shapes are sensitive to structural damage in beam structures [19]. However, computational differentiation of mode shapes with assumption in boundary condition is required to obtain curvature mode shapes from acceleration response. This may lead to less or more errors in estimation of curvature mode shapes. Alternatively, curvature mode shapes directly extracted from strain response are much more accurate. Nevertheless, using strain response, the curvature mode shapes are sensitive only to damage nearby sensor [25]. Therefore, in a hybrid concept, damage detection results would be more accurate and reliable by the combined usage of acceleration and strain responses [26].
Based on the previous works, however, vibration-based approaches cannot easily distinguish multiple damage types unless the information on real damages is known. The pattern of one damage type is hard to be distinguished from the other since the change in vibration characteristics may be attributed to the damage types involved in the structure. Therefore, other nondestructive evaluation techniques which are complementary to vibration-based approaches should be sought. Recently, electromechanical impedance-based monitoring has shown the promising success to detect the minor incipient change in structural integrity at local subsystems [27–31]. Compared to vibration-based approaches, the impedance-based method has the capability of more precisely localizing damage. Moreover, its local monitoring does not characterize the entire structure, which means the global healthy state would not be easily captured to couple with the local monitoring information. Using those characteristics of the impedance-based methods, Kim et al. [32] first proposed a combined SHM system with global vibration-based techniques and local impedance-based techniques. Also, Kim et al. [20] proposed a serial hybrid SHM scheme using the global and local techniques for sequentially monitoring of damage in PSC bridges.
This paper presents a multiscale wireless sensor system which is designed for vibration- and impedance-based SHM. Firstly, smart sensor nodes for vibration and impedance monitoring are designed. In the design, Imote2 platform which has high performance microcontroller, large amount of memory, and flexible radio communication is implemented to acceleration and impedance sensor nodes. Acceleration sensor node is modified to measure PZT's dynamic strain along with acceleration. A solar-power harvesting unit is implemented for power supply to the sensor system. Secondly, operation logics of the multiscale sensor nodes are programmed based on the concept of the decentralized sensor network. Finally, the performance of the multiscale sensor system is evaluated on a lab-scale beam to examine the long-term monitoring capacities under various weather conditions.
2. Multiscale Wireless SHM System
An efficient SHM system must have the capability to monitor structural properties in different scales to guarantee the designated behaviors of the structure as well as specified structural components. Also, the change in structural characteristics due to environmental perturbation must be examined to distinguish environment effect from damage-induced effect. Additionally, the installation and operation of the SHM system should be convenient, cost-efficient, and enabled for long-term monitoring with minimized human engagement.
Considering those requirements, this study presents a multiscale wireless SHM system as schematized in Figure 1. The system is implemented with wireless/autonomous operation unit so that the structural responses are automatically measured, and the data are wirelessly transmitted to the base station. The sensor system can be alive for long time with solar-power unit which harvests solar energy and supplies power to sensors. Also, the environmental temperature is monitored with temperature monitoring unit. In order to examine structural health in different scales, three types of structural responses which are acceleration, dynamic strain, and electromechanical (E/M) impedance are monitored. Global structural changes are monitored using acceleration response since it represents global behavior of structure. Meanwhile, local structural changes are monitored using dynamic strain response since it is sensitive to local behavior of structure. For specified members, the E/M impedance responses are monitored by PZT sensors since E/M impedance is very sensitive to any mechanical change around the sensor.
3. Hardware Design of Multiscale Sensor System
3.1. Schematic of Multiscale Sensor Node
According to the concept of multiscale wireless SHM system, an acceleration-dynamic strain-impedance sensor node on Imote2 platform was designed as schematized in Figure 2. The high-performance sensor platform, Imote2, provided by Crossbow Technology [34] was selected to control the operation of the sensor node. For vibration monitoring, SHM-A, SHM-AS, and SHM-H sensor boards were selected. The SHM-A and SHM-H sensor boards were developed for acceleration measurement by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) [35, 39]. The SHM-H is utilized to measure low-amplitude acceleration response. For measuring higher amplitude acceleration response, the cheaper sensor board SHM-A is employed. The SHM-AS sensor board was modified from SHM-A sensor board in order to additionally measure PZT's dynamic strain signal. For impedance monitoring at critical structural components, impedance sensor board (SSeL-I) developed by Pukyong National University (PKNU) [36] was also selected. As shown in Figure 1, the solar-powered energy harvesting is implemented by employing solar panel and rechargeable battery. Figure 3 shows the prototype of the multiscale sensor node which consists of four layers as (1) X-bow battery board, (2) Imote2 sensor platform, (3) SHM-H board or SHM-A (AS) board, and (4) SSeL-I board.
3.2. Imote2 Sensor Platform
For the multiscale sensor node, a sensor platform should be selected based on the capabilities of microcontroller, memory, and wireless radio. Table 1 gives the comparison of three sensor platforms including Mica2 [33], wireless sensor node (WSN) [6], and Imote2 [34]. As summarized in the table, the Imote2 has high performance microcontroller and large memory as compared to Mica2 and WSN. Lynch et al. [6] selected a wireless radio using 9XCite-900 MHz which has the outdoor line-of-sight range up to 300 m. However, only radio frequency of 2.4 GHz is allowed to be used outdoor in Korea. Therefore, the Imote2 platform was selected for this study.
The prototype of Imote2 sensor platform is shown in Figure 4. It is built with 13–416 MHz PXA271 XScale processor. This processor is integrated with 256 kB SRAM, 32 MB flash memory, and 32 MB SDRAM. It is also integrated with many I/O options such as 3 × UART, I2C, 2 × SPI, SDIO, I2S, AC97, USB host, Camera I/F, GPIOs. Therefore, Imote2 platform is very flexible in supporting different sensor types, ADC chips, and radio options. A 2.4 GHz surface mount antenna which has a communication range of about 30 m is equipped for each Imote2 platform. In addition, an SMA connector is soldered directly to the board for connecting to an external antenna in case of longer communication range is desired. The Imote2 platform connects with sensor boards and battery board by basic connectors.
3.3. SHM-H Sensor Board for Acceleration Measurement
For large civil infrastructures where their vibration is very small, highly sensitive vibration sensor must be employed to acquire structural response. For that, the high-sensitivity SHM-H sensor board was developed by Jo et al. [35]. Comparison of the SHM-H and a commercial PCB system is shown in Table 2. The sensor board has relative low input range and relative high noise density. But their dimensions, weight, and cost are much lower than the commercial PCB system.
As schematized in Figure 5 and listed in Table 2, the SHM-H includes several key components such as accelerometer, antialiasing filter and analog-to-digital converter (ADC). It employs a SD1221L-002 accelerometer [40] for high-sensitivity channel, which has input range ±2 g, sensitivity 2 V/g, and output noise 5 μg/√Hz. It also employs a LIS344ALH accelerometer for two normal channels, which has input range ±2 g, sensitivity 0.66 V/g, and output noise 50 μg/√Hz. In addition, it has a Sensirion SHT11 digital relative temperature and humidity sensor. A 4-channel 16-bit high-resolution ADC with digital antialiasing filters (QF4A512) is adopted to convert analog signal to digital data by 16 bit resolution (12 bit resolution is guaranteed through oversampling and averaging process). By adopting the customizable digital filters, the sensor board provides user-selectable sampling rates and cutoff frequencies that can meet a wide range of applications for civil infrastructure monitoring.
3.4. SHM-A (AS) Sensor Board for Acceleration and PZT's Dynamic Strain Measurement
For monitoring vibration responses of structures or structural components with large vibration magnitude, a cheaper acceleration sensor board with lower sensitivity, SHM-A, can be used. The SHM-A sensor board was developed by Rice et al. [39]. As listed in Table 2, the components of this sensor board are similar to those of the SHM-H sensor board, except the high-sensitivity accelerometer. For acceleration measurement, the SHM-A employs the triaxial LIS344ALH accelerometer of which its sensitivity is relatively lower and output noise is quite higher than the SHM-H.
In this study, a modified SHM-AS sensor board was designed to measure PZT's dynamic strain signals, additionally. The principle of PZT as the passive strain sensor is that electrical displacement (related directly to electrical current) is induced since a mechanical stress (or strain) is applied to a PZT material. More detailed explanation of PZT's dynamic strain can be found in [41].
The schematic of SHM-AS sensor board is shown in Figure 6. This sensor board was modified from SHM-A sensor board. First, the dynamic strain signal from PZT sensor is passed through a signal conditioner circuit to produce an analog signal of 0–3.3 V. Then, the external channel (i.e., channel 4) on SHM-A sensor board is hooked up for measuring the analog signal which is processed by the ADC. Note that the input range 0–3.3 V is required to be maintained for the external channel on SHM-A sensor board.
3.5. Impedance Sensor Board
For damage detection of critical local region, electromechanical impedance of a structure is monitored. The changes of electromechanical impedance represent the changes of structural properties which are caused by damages [20, 27, 29]. In this study, the SSeL-I sensor board developed by Kim et al. [36] was selected for impedance-based SHM. The SSeL-I sensor board was designed on the basis of original impedance sensor nodes presented by Mascarenas et al. [42] and Park et al. [43]. As schematized in Figure 7, the sensor board consists of an AD5933 impedance converter, a connector to PZT patches, a temperature and humidity sensor SHT11, and two connectors to the Imote2 sensor platform. The microcontroller PXA271 and wireless radio CC2420 on the Imote2 platform are utilized for controlling impedance measurement and data transmission, respectively.
The core component of the sensor board, AD5933 impedance converter, has the following embedded multi-functional circuits: function generator, digital-to-analog converter, current-to-voltage amplifier, antialiasing filter, ADC, and discrete Fourier transform (DFT) analyzer. With measurable range from 1 kHz to 100 kHz, this chip converts real and imaginary of impedance signatures at a target frequency and transmits these values into the microcontroller [44]. As outlined in Table 3, the specifications of the SSeL-I sensor board is compared with those of the commercial impedance analyzer HIOKI3532. Note that the cost of the SSeL-I sensor board is much lower than the HIOKI3532.
3.6. Solar Power Harvesting Unit
The use of disposable battery is available for powering smart sensor nodes. However, it needs to be regularly replaced for long-term usage. In order to deal with power supply issue, especially for long-term operation of smart sensor nodes, energy harvesting is essential. Among the natural energy sources (i.e., solar energy, wind energy, and vibration energy), solar energy is a valuable selection for Imote2 platform. The solar power harvesting system consists of a solar panel and a rechargeable battery. To harvest solar energy, the original hardware of X-bow battery board must be modified as Miller et al. [37].
In order to select appropriate solar power harvesting components, power consumption of the three sensor nodes is examined. The power consumption of each prototype sensor node (i.e., Imote2/SHM-A (AS), Imote2/SHM-H, and Imote2/SSeL-I) is listed in Table 4. Among the three prototypes, Imote2/SHM-H is most consumed power. Rechargeable battery must be selected in order to supply power enough for long-time operation of the sensor nodes. Due to the requirement for solar panel integrated with the Imote2 platform such as output voltage range 4.6–10 V and output current range 115–1400 mA, SPE-350-6 solar panel (9 V, 350 mA) provided by SolarMade is a suitable selection. In addition, Powerizer Li-polymer rechargeable battery which has the capacity of 10000 mAh, normal voltage of 3.7 V which can be charged up to 4.2 V, and contains a protection circuit is also employed. Figure 8 shows SPE-350-6 solar power and Li-ion Battery used for the multiscale sensor node.
When solar energy is available, it is assumed that the solar panel harvests in an hour the minimum voltage of 4.6 V, minimum current of 115 mA, and minimum power of 529. This power is sufficient to operate the Imote2/SHM-A (AS), Imote2/SHM-H, and Imote2/SSeL-I in about 47 minutes, 45 minutes, and 128 minutes, respectively. Note that it takes only about 2 minutes for one impedance measurement with 501 sweeping points. When solar energy is not available, the full-charged battery can still supply enough power in 60 hours, 55 hours, and 160 hours to the Imote2/SHM-A (AS), Imote2/SHM-H, and Imote2/SSeL-I, respectively.
4. Embedded Software for Multiscale Sensor System
4.1. Software for Solar Power Harvesting Unit
For solar power harvesting, ChargerControl component from ISHMP Services Toolsuite [45] is employed. This component is developed to check battery voltage and to control charging process. If the battery voltage is less than 3.9 V or the charging voltage is adequate (more than 4.1 V), the charging mode will be initiated. If the battery voltage is sufficient, the Imote2 goes to sleep mode. The ChargerControl component works in conjunction with SnoozeAlarm component which frequently checks charging voltage and battery voltage for the efficient charging process. More details about the solar power harvesting system can be found in [37].
4.2. Vibration-Based SHM Software
As schematized in Figure 9, device drivers of vibration-based SHM are programmed for the Imote2/SHM-A(AS)/SHM-H according to UIUC ISHMP Service Toolsuite and PKNU SSeL (Smart Structure engineering Lab) SHM Tools [43]. The sensor nodes are embedded with the following key components: (1) RemoteSensing for synchronized vibration measurements, (2) AutoMonitor for autonomous operation, and (3) VibrationMonitoring for vibration-based damage detection.
After finishing vibration measurements, all the measured data from leaf nodes are transmitted to a gateway node. Then the data is processed to feature extraction and damage detection from SSeL SHM tools. The SSeL SHM tools include a device driver for ADC and mathematical functions for damage monitoring such as power spectral density (PSD) and correlation coefficient (CC) of PSDs. Also, the modal identification method, stochastic subspace identification (SSI) algorithm, is embedded into the system to extract modal parameters such as natural frequencies and mode shapes.
The RemoteSensing provides a high level of flexibility in the choice of network and sensing parameters. Figure 10 shows the flowchart of the RemoteSensing component [37]. The application includes the following four major steps. The first step is network synchronization. The second step is sending measurement parameters from the gateway node to leaf nodes. The third step is data collection. The last step is transferring data back to the gateway node and saving the data on the base station.
The AutoMonitor is another advanced component of ISHMP Service Toolsuite that allows autonomous operation of sensor network by combining three components: ThresholdSentry, RemoteSensing, and SnoozeAlarm as shown in Figure 11. ThresholdSentry is a component that periodically wakes leaf nodes at predefined time to measure data with the RemoteSensing component. SnoozeAlarm is a component that puts the leaf nodes in a continuous sleep/wake cycle. The purpose of the SnoozeAlarm is power saving. The node uses less than 10% of the power when it is in the deep sleep mode than when it is in an idle awake mode. The interval time to execute the AutoMonitor component is defined by user. More detail about the operation of the AutoMonitor component can be found in [38].
The VibrationMonitoring component is programmed in SSeL-SHM Tools to extract vibration features and to detect damages in structure. Firstly, the change in power spectral density (PSD) of vibration signal can be utilized to detect the change in structural properties. PSD is calculated from Welch's procedure as follows [46]: where is the dynamic response transformed into frequency domain; is the number of divided segments in time history response; is the data length of a divided segment.
To estimate the change in PSD due to structural change, correlation coefficient (CC) of PSD is calculated as follows [36]: where is the expectation operator; and are the PSDs of two time history signals before and after the change in structural properties, respectively; , are the corresponding standard deviations of PSDs, respectively.
Secondly, the change in structural properties can also be detected using the change in modal parameters such as natural frequencies. In order to obtain natural frequencies, stochastic subspace identification (SSI) is first performed to extract natural frequencies and mode shapes [47]. Subsequently, the relative change of natural frequency or frequency shift (FS) is calculated as follows: where , are the th natural frequency before and after the change in structural properties, respectively.
4.3. Impedance-Based SHM Software
As schematized in Figure 12, device drivers of impedance-based SHM are programmed for the Imote2/SSeL-I according to UIUC ISHMP Service Toolsuite and PKNU SSeL (Smart Structure engineering Lab) SHM Tools [43]. The sensor nodes are embedded with the following key components: (1) Impedance for impedance measurements, (2) ImpAutoMonitor for autonomous operation, and (3) ImpedanceMonitoring for impedance-based damage detection.
After finishing impedance measurements, all the measured data from leaf nodes are transmitted to a gateway node. Then the data is processed to feature extraction and damage detection from SSeL SHM tools. The SSeL SHM Tools include a device driver for impedance measurement and mathematical functions for damage monitoring such as root mean square deviation (RMSD) and correlation coefficient (CC) of impedance signatures.
Figure 13 shows the flowchart of the Impedance component. The application includes the following three major steps. The first step is sending measurement parameters from the gateway node to leaf nodes. The second step is impedance measurement. The last step is transferring data back to the gateway node and saving the data on the base station.
The ImpAutoMonitor is a component of SSeL SHM Tools that allows autonomous operation of sensor network for impedance monitoring as shown in Figure 14. The component is the combining of Timer component and the Impedance component. Timer is a component that periodically wakes leaf nodes at predefined time to measure impedance data with the Impedance component. The interval time to execute the ImpAutoMonitor component is defined by user.
The ImpedanceMonitoring component is programmed in SSeL SHM Tools to extract impedance features and to detect damages in structure. In order to quantify the change in impedance signature due to the change in structural properties at critical region, root mean square deviation (RMSD), and correlation coefficient (CC) of impedance signatures are calculated as follows: where and are the impedances at the frequency measured before and after the change in structural properties, respectively, and denotes the number of frequency points in the sweep. where is the expectation operation; , signify the mean values of impedance signatures before and after structural change; , signify the standard deviation values of impedance signatures before and after structural change. It is worth noting that RMSD of impedance is more sensitive to the change in impedance magnitude, whereas CC of impedance is more sensitive to the change in impedance frequency.
5. Performance Evaluation of Multiscale Sensor System
5.1. Target Structure and Experimental Setup
The performance of the multiscale sensor nodes is evaluated by open-air monitoring tests on a small-scale beam model. The test model is an aluminum cantilever beam with the dimension of mm. It was placed outdoors on the third floor of a building so that it could be exposed to various weather conditions (e.g., sun-light and rain). Responses of the beam were measured under long-term ambient vibration condition. As shown in Figure 15, the multiscale sensor nodes, Imote2/SHM-AS/SSeL-I, were arranged on the beam at a location 400 mm distanced from the fixed end. It was connected with a solar panel for energy harvesting purpose.
Vibration signals (i.e., acceleration and dynamic strain) were recorded with sampling rate of 500 Hz (digital cut-off frequency was set of 200 Hz). As shown in Figure 15, for PZT's dynamic strain measurement, a PZT patch, FT-35T-2.8A1, was bonded on the beam at the same location with accelerometer. The PZT patch was connected to external channel (i.e., channel 4) on SHM-AS sensor board. For impedance measurement, a PZT-5A type sensor connected to the SSeL-I sensor board was also bonded on the beam. The impedance signatures between 40 kHz and 60 kHz were measured from the PZT sensor with 500 intervals. For temperature measurement, temperature sensor on the SHM-AS board (i.e., SHT11) was moved outside of the sensor box with extended lines and covered with filter cap making a waterproof. Temperature was also measured by wired thermometer with Kyowa EDX-100A Universal Recorder for comparison. Additionally, supply voltage and charging status were also recorded by the multiscale sensor nodes. The interval time to execute the AutoMonitor and ImpAutoMonitor was setup as one hour for autonomous operation.
5.2. Performance of Temperature Sensing Unit
During ten-day experiment (9th August to 18th August, 2011), temperature was recorded by the multiscale sensor nodes. Figure 16 shows the temperature monitoring results due to the change in weather condition. It is observed that temperature data measured by the sensor nodes shows relatively good agreement with those by Kyowa system. However, the temperature data show significant gap (e.g., 7°C) when temperature went up under sunlight (more than 35°C).
5.3. Performance of Power Harvesting Unit under Various Weather Condition
In order to evaluate the performance of power supply unit, some parameters such as supply voltage, charging status were recorded by the multiscale sensor nodes during the ten-day experiment. The charge status of solar power harvesting unit is shown in Figure 17. During ten-day experiment, the supply voltage remained around 4.0 V which satisfies the minimum required voltage for Imote2 operating of 3.7 V. As shown in Figures 17(b) and 17(c), the charging process of the solar power harvesting unit worked stably well for long-term monitoring, except on some cloudy days (i.e., 11th, 16th–18th August, 2011). On those days, the charging voltage was relatively low.
5.4. Vibration Monitoring Performance
Figures 18 and 19 show acceleration responses and PZT's dynamic strain responses, respectively, measured by the Imote2/SHM-AS sensor node. Under ambient vibration condition, vibration responses of the test beam were recorded for 200 seconds per every one hour. As shown in Figures 18(b) and 19(b), PSDs indicating two modes were calculated by (1) to estimate changes in frequency responses due to the temperature change. Note that, some noise peaks due to electrical effect were also obtained in the PSD of dynamic strain. Therefore, the improvement on sensor node design to eliminate electrical noise from PZT's dynamic strain should be remained as future study.
Figure 20 shows the correlation coefficients (CCs) of PSDs versus temperature changes during the ten-day test period. As shown in Figure 20, the CCs of PSDs measured by the accelerometer were good matching with those measured by the PZT sensor. The CCs of PSDs change little due to the change in weather conditions. However, during rainy times (on 9th, 11th and 13th August, 2011), CCs of PSDs were significantly reduced.
Next, stochastic subspace identification (SSI) algorithm was utilized to extract natural frequencies [47]. Figure 21 shows the SSI method's stabilization charts for modal identification of the test beam. Natural frequencies of two first modes are identified similarly by using acceleration (i.e., 9.964 Hz and 52.847 Hz) and PZT's dynamic strain (i.e., 9.964 Hz and 52.796 Hz). Since temperature variation causes the change in structural properties, the changes in natural frequencies due to temperature are monitored to detect structural changes (3). Figures 22 and 23 show the relative changes in natural frequencies versus temperature changes during the long-term period. Both modes 1 and 2 show sensitive changes due to the temperature changes. It is noticed that natural frequencies decrease as temperature goes up and vice versa. The monitoring results show that the PZT's dynamic strain can be used for vibration-based SHM applications.
5.5. Impedance Monitoring Performance
As shown in Figure 24, the impedance signals between 40 kHz and 60 kHz were measured from the PZT sensor by the Imote2/SSeL-I sensor node. The impedances in the range between 51 kHz and 52 kHz are sensitive to the temperature change. The real impedances shift to up and left side as the temperature increases. In order to evaluate that effect, the root mean square deviation (RMSD) and correlation coefficient (CC) of impedance signatures were calculated by (4) and (5). Ten-day impedance monitoring results are shown in Figure 25. The RMSD of impedance increases as the temperature increases, and vice versa. Meanwhile, the CC of impedance decreases as the temperature increases and vice versa.
6. Concluding Remarks
A multiscale acceleration-dynamic strain-impedance sensor system was developed for vibration and impedance based SHM. Firstly, acceleration-based and impedance-based smart sensor nodes were designed. The hardware and embedded software were designed for the multiscale SHM system. In the design, Imote2 platform is implemented to acceleration and impedance sensor nodes. For strain monitoring, the acceleration sensor node was modified to measure PZT's dynamic strain. A solar-power harvesting unit was implemented for power supply to the sensor system. Secondly, operation logics of the multiscale sensor nodes were programmed based on the concept of the decentralized sensor network. Finally, the performance of the multiscale smart sensor system was evaluated on a lab-scale beam to examine the long-term monitoring capacities under various weather conditions.
From the evaluation tests, the following conclusions have been made. The solar-power supply worked stably well for long-term monitoring. Environmental temperature was accurately monitored by the multiscale sensor system. Global and local behaviors of beam structure with regarding to acceleration, PZT's dynamic strain, and impedance were well monitored by the sensor system under various weather conditions. As a summary, the multiscale smart sensor system showed good performance for the robust long-term vibration and impedance monitoring.
This work was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (2011-0004253). The graduate student involved in this study was also partially supported by the Brain Korea 21 (BK21) program, Korea.
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- N. Stubbs and R. Osegueda, "Global non-destructive damage evaluation in solids," The International Journal of Analytical and Experimental Modal Analysis, vol. 5, no. 2, pp. 67–79, 1990.
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- F. P. Sun, Z. A. Chaudhry, C. A. Rogers, and M. Majmundar, "Automated real-time structure health monitoring via signature pattern recognition," in Smart Structures and Materials 1995: Smart Structures and Integrated Systems, Proceedings of the SPIE, pp. 236–247, San Diego, Calif, USA, March 1995. View at Scopus
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- J. A. Rice, K. Mechitov, S. H. Sim et al., "Flexible smart sensor framework for autonomous structural health monitoring," Smart Structures and Systems, vol. 6, no. 5-6, pp. 423–438, 2010. View at Scopus
- Silicon Designs, "Model 1221-Low noise analog accelerometer," 2008, http://www.silicondesigns.com/.
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- J. S. Bendat and A. G. Pierso, Engineering Applications of Correlation and Spectral Analysis, Wiley-Interscience, New York, NY, USA, 1993.
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by SAND STUDIO
Download this app if: you want to control your device through a web browser.
Advisor Review
AirDroid flies between your Android device and your computer — The tagline reads "enjoy your Android over the air," but perhaps more accurate would be "enjoy your Android over your computer." AirDroid connects your Android device to your desktop, laptop or tablet — really anything that can browse the web — and lets you send messages, browse photos or files,...
Developer Notes
AirDroid allows you to access and manage your Android phone or tablet from Windows, Mac or the web, wirelessly, for free.
Better focused
Calls, SMS, and the app notifications you allowed, mirrored to the large computer screen you are focusing on.
Better equipped
Type with full physical...
Useful — A neat way to control your Android phone remotely, say from a PC or Mac web browser.

subset: commoncrawl


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Thousands of people gathered in West Capitol Park on Thursday (Feb. 28) to protest Gov. Cuomo's Secure Ammunition and Firearms (SAFE) Act, signed in January. Buses carried people in from across the state for the ...
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============================ I don't have BC, you can't get the badge right now! ============================ Complete the 2 theory courses and land the shuttle 3 times successfully to receive a badge, this badge will allow you to fly the shuttle in "Tests"!! get the badge now! :D data persistant! you only need to do the test once!
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Full text of Practical Approach to Regional Anesthesia, A 4th ed. (2009) Editor: Mulroy, Michael F.; Bernards, Christopher M.; McDonald, Susan B.; Salinas, Francis V. is available through Books@Ovid
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A confident Chris Weidman spoke with UFC Tonight analysts Chael Sonnen and Kenny Florian about his upcoming fight with Anderson Silva at UFC 162. watch video >>
UFC Tonight's Chael Sonnen and Kenny Florian explain why Chris Weidman may very well be the man to finally defeat Anderson Silva in the UFC. UFC 162 is right around the corner and many analysts think Weidman will get the job done. watch video >>
At the UFC 175 media day, UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman discusses Chael Sonnen, the impact of drug testing in MMA, if he would ask for Vitor Belfort to get extra testing if he had to face him next, Eddie Gordon's debut, and much more. Subscribe to our channel for more MMA videos! Click here: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=mmafightingonsbn - Check us out on Facebook (Facebook.com/MMAFighting) and follow us on Twitter (@MMAFighting)! - MMA Fighting http://www.mmafighting.com watch video >>
UFC 175 STARE DOWNS: Chael Sonnen vs Wanderlei Silva Ronda Rousey vs Alexis Daivs Lyoto Machida vs Chris Weidman watch video >>
At the UFC 175 press conference, Chris Weidman vs. Lyoto Machida, Ronda Rousey vs. Alexis Davis, Chael Sonnen vs. Wanderlei Silva and B.J. Penn vs. himself squared off in Las Vegas on Friday.Subscribe to our channel for more MMA videos! Click here: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=mmafightingonsbn- Check us out on Facebook (Facebook.com/MMAFighting) and follow us on Twitter (@MMAFighting)!- MMA Fightinghttp://www.mmafighting.com watch video >>
Chael Sonnen prediction for Anderson Silva vs Chris Weidman 2 at UFC 168 watch video >>
UFC Tonight's Chael Sonnen and Kenny Florian have their predictions ready for UFC 162: Sonnen vs Silva. Spoiler alert: they think Silva's reign could be coming to an end. watch video >>
UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva dropped in to chat with UFC Tonight analysts Chael Sonnen and Kenny Florian before his big fight at UFC 162. Silva talks Chris Weidman, retirement, and much more. watch video >>
"The All-American" Chris Weidman joined Jay Glazer, Chael Sonnen and Stephan Bonnar at the UFC on FUEL TV Post-Fight show. Weidman put on an absolutely incredible performance against Munoz, lighting him up throughout the fight en route to a KO victory. watch video >>
UFC middleweight madman Chael Sonnen calls out Anderson Silva, Lyoto Machida, Wanderlei Silva, and more in his first-ever "Chael's Corner" segment on UFC Tonight. Watch it every Tuesday on FUEL TV at 10/7p ET/PT starting January 3. watch video >>
UFC 189 features Jose Aldo vs Conor McGregor on July 11th in Las Vegas. Chris Weidman is injured so his UFC 184 fight with Vitor Belfort is off; Ronda Rousey vs Cat Zingano is now the main event. Ellenberger vs Koscheck is also on that card. Weidman will likely return in April or May Ian McCall and Team Alpha exchange words. Team Alpha Male won gym of the year at the World MMA Awards. Coach of the year: Duane Ludwig Fighter of the year: Robbie Lawler KO of the year: Hunt over Nelson. Sub of the year Saunders over Heatherly Fight of the year: Aldo vs Mendes UFC 183 final staredowns with Nick Diaz, Anderson Silva, Miesha Tate, Sara McMann. Anderson Silva's last training session. Rumble got a lot of fans in Sweden. Anthony Pettis vacationing in Puerto Rico. Conor McGregor on CM Punk. and Cowboy hangs out with the Wu Tang Clan. Full clips: Conor Q&A: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHFkLlpodBQ Aldo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1ck-Pq412c Conor on Punk: http:/ watch video >>
Chris Weidman checks in with the UFC Tonight team as an army-sized panel of analysts takes turns asking him questions about his title defense at UFC 175. Also, Chael Sonnen throws in the towel. Note: All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. The content in the video is not endorsed by any people depicted in the video. watch video >>
Middleweight champion Chris Weidman makes a special announcement on UFC Tonight and also talks about Luke Rockhold, Vitor Belfort and more. watch video >>
UFC 175 has a headliner for the ages on July 5th, when UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman will defend his crown against former light heavyweight champion Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida. Weidman, fresh off two finishes of future Hall of Famer Anderson Silva in 2013, will now battle Brazil's Machida, who has won two straight at 185 pounds against Mark Munoz and Gegard Mousasi. Plus, UFC women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey will attempt to successfully defend her title for the third time when she faces top contender Alexis Davis in the co-main event. watch video >>


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Send gorgeous 25th anniversary invitations with PurpleTrail and celebrate the silver anniversary in style. Our designs are easily personalized to create 25th anniversary invites filled with the couple's sentiment and style. Whether you are looking for something contemporary or classic, you'll find inspiration in this unique collection of party invitations. Add in photos to any design to make it truly unique.


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Book your room at New Horizon Hotel
Luxury Room
Max Occupancy: 3 guests (up to 2 children, 1 infant)Suite (Horizon)
Max Occupancy: 4 guests (up to 3 children, 1 infant)Royal Suite
Max Occupancy: 6 guests (up to 5 children, 1 infant)Family-friendly Mandaluyong hotel with a restaurant
This family-friendly hotel is located in the city center, close to William J Shaw Theater, Shangri-La Mall, and Power Plant Mall. Also nearby are SM Megamall and Robinsons Galleria Mall.
Hotel Features
In addition to a restaurant, New Horizon Hotel features complimentary wireless Internet access. Other amenities include massage/treatment rooms and a porter/bellhop.
Room Amenities
Televisions come with premium satellite channels. Guestrooms also feature complimentary wireless Internet access, complimentary high-speed (wired) Internet access, and refrigerators.
Information missing or incorrect? Tell us!Hotel Amenities
Hotel Amenities
The hotel offers a restaurant. A complimentary breakfast is offered each morning. Public areas are equipped with complimentary high-speed wireless Internet access. A business center is on site at this 3-star property. 4 meeting rooms are available. For a surcharge, the property provides a roundtrip airport shuttle (available on request) and an area shuttle. This family-friendly hotel also offers multilingual staff, laundry facilities, and dry cleaning/laundry services. Onsite self parking is complimentary.
New Horizon Hotel has designated areas for smoking.
- Airport transportation (surcharge)
- Total number of rooms - 69
- Number of floors - 5
- Business center
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Elevator/lift
- Express check-in
- Express check-out
- Free WiFi
- Wired (high-speed) Internet access - surcharge
- Designated smoking areas
- Laundry facilities
- Luggage storage
- Area shuttle (surcharge)
- 24-hour front desk
- Restaurant
- Spa treatment room(s)
- Multilingual staff
- Porter/bellhop
- Safe-deposit box at front desk
- Free self parking
- Number of meeting rooms - 4
- Wedding services
- Free breakfast
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi , Free wired high-speed Internet
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi , Wired (high-speed) Internet access - surcharge
Free self parking
Room Amenities
- Premium TV channels
- Premium bedding
- Air conditioning
- Free newspaper
- Phone
- Refrigerator
- Minibar
- Coffee/tea maker
- Free bottled water
- Daily housekeeping
- Private bathroom
- Free toiletries
- Hair dryer (on request)
- Shower/tub combination
- In-room massage available
- Satellite TV service
- Iron/ironing board
- In-room safe
- Desk
- Rollaway/extra beds available
- Cribs/infant beds available
- Free WiFi
- Blackout drapes/curtains
- Room service (limited hours)
- Free wired high-speed Internet
Where to Eat
A complimentary hot/cold buffet breakfast is served each morning between 6 AM and 10 AM.
The Picasso Place - This restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Room service (during limited hours) is available.
Nearby Things to Do
The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.
- Golfing nearby
- Golf lessons available nearby
To make requests for specific accessibility needs, complete the "Special or Accessibility Requests" section of "Trip Preferences" when you book your hotel.
- Accessible path of travel
- Accessible bathroom
- Accessible parking
- In-room accessibility
Hotel Policies
Check-in time starts at 2 PM
Check-out time is noon
Payment types
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on hotel policy.
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card or cash deposit are required at check-in for incidental charges.
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges. Special requests cannot be guaranteed.
No pets or service animals allowed
- Breakfast fee: PHP 350 per person (approximately)
- Airport shuttle fee: PHP 850 per vehicle (one way)
- Deposit: PHP 500 per stay (cash only)
We should mention
No pets and no service animals are allowed at this property.


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text: sircracker - Franchizee Player Feat. Angel, Mac Moody By sircracker Posted Nov 17, 2012 at 06:10 AM 0 0 0Comments 1 Views Share Tweet gplus thumblr pinterest 1 Franchizee Player sircracker feat. Angel, Mac Moody Follow Artist Embed Me To Playlist Download Songs Mixtapes Videos 0 0 0 1 Powered By HOTNEWHIPHOPhotnewhiphop.com Edit Colors Full Player Simple Player Embed Script Copy Short Link Copy Iframe Copy Preview Full Player Simple Player Embed Code Copy NOTE: Minimum player width is 370 pixels, height is 50 pixels. Back Full Player Simple Player NOTE: Player width is 450 pixels, height is 50 pixels. Title Artist Back 01:23 04:56 Embed Code Copy


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The Typewriter
Skipping CDs
The Payphone
The CRT Television
Blowing on a Nintendo Cartridge
The Telephone Slam
The Modem
The Dot Matrix Printer
Tape Hiss
Advancing Film in a Camera
Friction-Shifting a Bike
and I don't hear tape hiss, but the new Comedy Central channel on Sirius radio hisses ever 20 seconds, not sure why.
Phew, I thought I was going crazy with the comedy central hiss on Sirius
I hear the same annoying hiss only it is pretty constantly and it is rhythmic. Hissssss, Hissssss, Hisssss etc. anyone ready to complain to sirius?


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Main Contents begins from here.
About Panasonic
Contributing to biodiversity conservation by supporting WWF
2008 activity in China
Activity scenery | Activity group | Activity name | Summary |
China Ocean News Press, Oceanic and Fishery Administration of Nantong, Communist Youth League Committee of Nantong, Fisheries Society of Nantong, Nantong Marine Environment Monitoring Center and Dong Zhaoxiang Central Elementary School of Haimen City | China's Yellow Sea, Word's Yellow Sea-China's Action Plan on YSE | Photo contest on biodiversity and key habitats of the whole Yellow Sea Ecoregion(Nantong) | |
Environmental and Natural Resources Law Institute of Shandong Law Society | Coastal City & Colourful Home-Improving Public Awareness on Biodiversity and Coastal Habitats Protection in the Yellow Sea Ecoregion | Study tour for team of government officials, environmental law and natural science researchers, journalists, and student representatives to the Yellow River Delta. | |
College of Ocean, Shandong University-Weihai | The conservation and public awareness on marine biodiversity in Yantai and Weihai Eco-region of the Yellow Sea of China | Stakeholder workshop on biodiversity conservation in the Yellow Sea Ecoregion Education of fishing community on the protection of endangered marine life |
First Institute of Oceanography | Maintaining and conserving the biodiversity, building harmonious ecosystem together | A two-day training organized for 15 volunteers on coastal wetland conservation, marine protected management and integrated coastal management. | |
Sino-Unino create city environment laboratory | Birds, beach, natural harbor |
Focus on raising local awareness of migratory shore bieds and coastal wetlands. A series of public awareness activities on coastal wetland conservation were taken. |
2008 activity in Korea
Activity scenery | Activity group | Activity name | Summary |
Green Korea United | The Friends of Spotted Seals from the Baekryeong Island : A Monitoring on Spotted Seals | Organized a spotted seal monitoring team of Baekryeong school students → Raised awarness of the students, parents and local communities on the ecology of spotted seals and the conservation issues |
Eco-Horizon Institute | Folk Festival on Tidal Flat, Organized by People from Muan Area | Organized the folk play performance team of people from Woldu Village, with an assistance of a local professional theatrical company → Raised awarness of Woldu and adjacent villages on the notion that marine protected areas are important and beneficial their livelihoods. |
Jeju Wildlife Research Center | Publishing a material for migratory birds and environmental education based on local areas | Development of contents and collection of photos and materials to be included. → Strengthened partnerships of local stakeholders |
2009 activity in China
Activity group | Activity name | Summary | |
Shanghai Wildbird Society | Education on Conservation of Biodiversity in Nanhuidongtan | 1 In July and August, gave lectures and guided tours to Nanhuidongtan for college students in Shanghai | |
Huaihai Institute of Technology | Harmonious Biosphere, Magnetic Haizhou Bay | 1 In March, offered lecture on the ecological importance of Haizhou Bay 100 preliminary school students. 2 In October, organized study tour to coastal wetland for high-school and collegw students. |
Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences | Environmental Education on Island Biodiversity of the Qiansandao | 1 In May, conducted biodiversity survey in waters around the Qiansandao Islands. 2 In July, offered workshop to 150 fishermen and mariculture practitioners on sustainable fishery and mariculture. |
The school of Law and Political Science of Ocean University of China | Wetlands / Waterbirds / Environment Protection Volunteers | 1 In March, a volunteer group of over 20 students formed and trained 2 In August, a study tour to Canzhou, including both field trip to coastal wetlands and communication with Canzhou government stakeholders |
Shenyang University of Technology, Center of Ecology | Study on the Breeding Population of Black-faced Spoonbill and Environmental Education | 3 large scale and 4 small surveys have been conducted in Changshan Islands. |
2009 activity in Korea
Activity scenery | Activity group | Activity name | Summary |
PGA Wetland Ecology Institute | Sustainable fishery in Han River estuary with local community | 1 Restoration of traditional methods and equipments used in eel fishing. 2 Brackish and Migratory species monitoring in collabpration with fishermen. |
Korea Network for Coastal Conservation | Shihwa Lake - Daebu Island regional integration program for production culture and tidal flat ecosustems | 1 Develop "Daebu Island Ecotourism Map" 2 Make foundation for a regional eco-tourism plan & Form a local community group. |
Eco-Horizon Institute | Establishing Sustainable Development Plan of Yongsan Village in Muan Tidal Flat | 1 Organize a village corporative to establish the Yongsan village sustainable development plan. 2 Education program" |
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Phi Theta Kappa, an internationally recognized honor society for community and junior colleges, is designed to recognize the academic achievements of the two-year college student.
The purpose of Phi Theta Kappa shall be to recognize and encourage scholarship among two year college students. To achieve this purpose, Phi Theta Kappa shall provide opportunity for the development of leadership and service, for an intellectual climate for exchange of ideas and ideals, for lively fellowship for scholars, and for stimulation of interest in continuing academic excellence.
Phi Theta Kappa offers the student:
Some very successful people are Phi Theta Kappa alumni:
For membership information, comments or random remarks, please direct e-mail to advisor Jon Ewing.
Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society's, Scholarship Connection, has a comprehensive listing of transfer scholarships offered by four-year and senior-level institutions exclusively for Society members.
Organization Profile of Phi Theta Kappa from the Richland Chronicle, Student Newspaper of Richland College


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12 Favorite Pork Recipes
The front panel is red, white, and black with modern drawings of links, ham, and bacon. The back panel has recipes and a small illustration of sauerkraut, an apple, and a salt and pepper shaker at the top.
Donor: Sliker, Shirley Brocker
Brand Name: National Live Stock & Meat Board
Publisher: National Live Stock and Meat Board (Chicago, Ill.)
1955 (ca.)
12 p.
22.2 x 10.2 cm
Language: English
Key Terms:
Copyright: Permission is granted from the copyright owner/holder.
Citation: 12 Favorite Pork Recipes. The Alan and Shirley Brocker Sliker Collection, MSS 314, Special Collections, Michigan State University Libraries. Available at http://www.lib.msu.edu/exhibits/sliker/detail.jsp?id=2300


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Now that Notch has finally added health, I figure it's about time to post yet again about the Mazcraft server.
I've updated the server with he latest build, and patched it with lhamacraft, and will be including runecraft once that is updated to work with the current build.
You can find the Mazcraft website here.
There's a couple of texture packs I included on the website with screen-shots that you can download and try, if you feel like adding modifications to these to update them, feel free.
The server currently has PVP enabled, as well as all monsters/animals. However, I'll disable PVP if we end up beating the crap out of each-other too often accidentally.
Finally, for those of you that like to mod your minecraft, I highly recommend Zan's Minimap Mod. It really helps give you more sense of direction in the game, you can find the main page here.


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This is the place to see what new titles have been added to our eBook collection, staff suggested eBook reads as well as news and updates from Overdrive.
The Library's e-book provider, Overdrive, has made Streaming Video available to all library patrons. Click here to go to the Library's Streaming Video page and start watching today!


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could i get my health check done in Beijing and do a Tourist to work visa run in Hongkong. Or do i have to get it done in Hongkong?
health check up for z visa
You loved it. I cant wait to see the reaction when they see the black forest on my chest
Do it in China.It is fun.
Especially in Nanjing or Guangzhou.
They have you lie on a dirty cot.
Pull up your shirt.
Pull up your bra.
And hook starter cables to your boobs.
They call this an EKG.
HePingLi Hospital before 10:30am, 4th floor, 600-700rmb
My experience there:
Go to 4th floor
fill out form & wait (maybe)
pay in next room
tell your weight & height (or get weighed & heighted)
they take blood
EKG (yes, bra up)
DOWNstairs to 1st floor for chest Xray
pick it up about a week later
BRING a few little headshots, or get them taken there for maybe 20kuai or so. (and bring passport of course)


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Member Profile
Visit My Blog: Dialectics, and other words whose meaning I don't know
Real Name: JohnChannel: Books: Printed Glory
Member Since: September 29, 2007
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Comments to kronosposeidon
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i wish you were still a dinosaur
I'm having a release party on September 29 but I think I'll release it a couple of weeks earlier around the 15th or so. Just waiting for the artwork to get finished up and then it's off to the manufacturer! You'll know as soon as it's ready
Just briefly stopping by. I pulled up my stakes a long time ago.
Hope you've been well. Make sure to drop me a line when your CD drops. September, isn't it? Don't forget, or I'll get stabby.
You just received a gift of 2 Power Points from member @pumkinandstorm. What a lovely human being.
Thanks so much for the promotes kp!!! Nice to see you back here...I hope you post some more videos soon so I can return the favor.
Glad to see you're still roaming the halls on occasion. *books!
* gay *fear
It's a storm troopers in the Justice League of Denmark.
I don't know how often you visit reddit, but you might like this if you haven't seen it yet: http://redd.it/1ebblx
Da fuq? Those may be the scariest servicemen I have ever seen. They look like sci-fi soldiers from a very grim future. Sweden may be in trouble.


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Highland Park
Tonopah, Nevada 1 course · 9 holes Driving directions
Posted scores Log In or Sign Up to post scores
Friday, April 27, 2012
Dallas Trower 20 - Long tees, 9 holes "fun little course. hit it up on our way back home from vegas. my buddy Don got his first Ace on hole 6 as well."


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Nose: The aroma is perfused with violet and gentle spice notes, there is also a hint of soft calves leather.
Palate: The palate is rich with raisins, manuka honey and winter spices.
Finish: The finish is long and complex with dried spice and herb notes and some red berries on the tail.
Overall: This is a well-aged Cognac with a great complexity.
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Current Time
About 200 stone marae—ancient temples built to honor Polynesian gods—have been excavated on the island of Huahine
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Handprint Clover Canvas
This handprint clover canvas is the perfect way to involve the kids in making St. Patrick's Day decor! You can make…
Four-leaf Clover Rubber Band Charm
Rubber band charms are so much fun and so easy to make! This lucky clover charm made from green rubber…
Lucky Clover Notes
Slip in these lucky notes shaped liked shamrocks and four-leaf clovers into your pot of gold for St. Patrick's Day.
Shamrockin' Nail Art
Show your St. Patrick's Day spirit with this Shamrockin' Nail Art! A fun way to celebrate the day.
End-of-the-Rainbow Loot Buckets
In almost no time at all you can put together these fun party cups perfect for St. Patrick's Day!
Four Leaf Clover Paper Plate Crown
Need a quick St. Patrick's Day craft with little mess? This fun hat is easy to make from a paper…
Shamrock Potato Stamps
Make these colorful shamrock potato stamps to decorate cards or wrapping paper, or just for stamping fun!
Doll Sized DIY Shamrock Fashion
Create some doll sized fashion to celebrate St. Patrick's Day! Adorable hair accessories your doll can wear for the holiday!
Hand Tinted Shamrock Mason Jars
Learn how to hand tint mason jars a really pretty Kelly green and stencil on gold glitter to make beautiful…
A Little Luck Charm Bracelet
This 4-leaf clover charm bracelet is fun for St. Patrick's Day. Wear it year-round for a little extra luck!
Shamrock Puppy Printable
This fun Shamrock Puppy St. Patrick's Day craft activity uses an upside-down shamrock to create a dog's face. It's surprising…
Pipe Cleaner Shamrock Centerpiece
DIY Shamrock centerpiece with Pipe Cleaners and Buttons for St. Patrick's Day decorating!
Handprint Leprechauns
Make these fun, festive handprint leprechauns with a little paint, a little bit of fabric, and an adorable little hand….
Recycled Jar Terrariums
Grab the chance to teach your kids about the outdoors with this easy, frugal, terrarium project. No fancy globes needed…recycle…
St. Patrick's Day Window Clings
Made with puffy paint, these window clings are a fun project for any age! Easy to make and plenty colorful,…
St. Patrick's Day Pins
Shamrock pins made from fuzzy chenille stems. Pretty to wear for St. Patrick's Day!
3D Tissue Paper Shamrock
St. Patrick's Day is on March 17th, so if you are looking for a last minute idea to keep the…


text: Touchstone: A Journal of Mere Christianity "The Latin Letters of C. S. Lewis" first appeared in the Spring-Summer 1989 issue of Touchstone. The Latin Letters of C. S. LewisThe Latin Letters of C. S. Lewis Letters: C. S. Lewis and Don Giovanni Calabria: A Study in Friendship reviewed by James L. Sauer Between 1947 and 1961, C. S. Lewis corresponded in Latin with two members of the Roman Catholic order of the Poor Servants of Divine Providence in Verona, Italy. Don Giovanni Calabria wrote Lewis after reading his Screwtape Letters. Calabria's ecumenical purpose in contacting Lewis involved the persuasion of "the dissenting brethren whose return to the unity of the body, which is the Church, is most greatly desired," to resume that ancient cohesion. After Calabria's death in 1954, the communication was continued with Don Luigi Pedrollo. Moynihan has done us a service in gathering, translating, and editing these letters. Though one must admit a certain annoyance at his publishing first a prospectus and commentary, and three years later, the letters. Certainly, the texts and commentary could have been brought together in one book; and the multiplicity of texts on Lewis, however lucrative, staunched. But it must also be added that the translation is better for the delay, Moynihan having polished the translations of the earlier excerpts. If there is any universal theme to these letters it is that of "Christian unity." This hallmark is set from the onset of their communication by Calabria and followed closely by Lewis. Calabria, a holy and pious man—and now beatified by the Roman Church—writes with a pleasant pastiche of Scripture and the holy fathers somewhat reminiscent of Thomas à Kempis' Imitation. Lewis, on the other hand, writes with that vim we have come to expect; biblical allusions, classical quotations, high church anglicanisms, humor, and humble wisdom. Though there are discussions of theology proper, the problem of petitionary prayer, the martyrdom of missionaries in China, and the like; it is to the central theme of their friendship which we return: Lewis's suggestion that a conscious love and labor together, as we witness in the contemporary pro-life movement, might set the foundation for doctrinal discussion. Our present tendency is to begin with doctrines which we know we disagree about, and never move on to loving labors. Certainly this is the case in Communist countries. You don't ask a person's view of the sacraments when his beaten body is thrust into your cell. The union of the Christian church also exists; what we are struggling about is how we relate to each other, and to the head. It is apropos that he ends his last letter to Don Giovanni Calabria with this line: "Let us rejoice together, my Father: though divided in space, yet in spirit and charity we are united: and may you ever pray for. . . [signature]" (Letter 28) Throughout the letters one is struck by the united pietas of Lewis and Calabria. Their friendship did not solve the problem of the schism of Christendom; but it did reflect, in a living full-fleshed way, the charity which can be the only basis of reunion. James L. Sauer is the Director of Library, Eastern College, St. Davids, Pennsylvania. "The Latin Letters of C. S. Lewis" first appeared in the Spring-Summer 1989 issue of Touchstone. If you enjoyed this article, you'll find more of the same in every issue. Letters Welcome: One of the reasons Touchstone exists is to encourage conversation among Christians, so we welcome letters responding to articles or raising matters of interest to our readers. However, because the space is limited, please keep your letters under 400 words. All letters may be edited for space and clarity when necessary. firstname.lastname@example.com This page and all site content © 2015 by The Fellowship of St. James. All rights reserved. Please send comments, suggestions, and bad link reports to email@example.com. |


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Why Ohio? Behind Obama's choice of Cleveland for jobs speech
It's no accident President Obama is delivering a major speech on economic recovery in Ohio, a struggling state that makes or breaks presidencies.
Larry Downing/Reuters
Ohio makes or breaks presidencies. That's one reason why President Obama picked Cleveland to unveil a new plan for economic recovery just 55 days before voters decide whether Democrats keep their majorities in the House and Senate.
He's also pointedly taking on House Republican leader John Boehner, who laid out the Republican alternative at a business forum here in Cleveland just two weeks ago. Vice President Biden has stumped in Toledo twice in as many weeks, including a speech at a Chrysler assembly plant on the administration's investments in the auto industry and a turn with embattled Gov. Ted Strickland (D) at the Labor Day parade on Monday.
If Democrats defy the polls and beat back a GOP surge in November, it will be because voters in places like Cleveland get as fired up for Democrats in 2010 as they were in 2008. Mr. Obama picked up 60,000 new Democratic votes in Cleveland's Cuyahoga County in 2008 and needs to energize these voters again in 2010.
Page 1 of 4


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XE Market Analysis
North American Edition2015-03-06 11:28 UTC
EUR-USD dove further into 11-year-plus low territory, making a low-so-far of 1.0962 with the market deciding it didn't need to see the U.S. payrolls outcome to be euro bearish. The move reflected a broader drop in the European majors, with Cable also down quite sharply and USD-CHF flipping to new trend highs. The European majors also fell against the yen, Aussie and other currencies. USD-JPY corrected to the 120.00 area after making a three-week high of ... Read More ►
European Edition2015-03-06 07:10 UTC
EUR-USD extended to a new 11-year-plus low at 1.0987 just after the London close on Thursday. The 1.10 handle was since recovered but rebounds have remained muted affairs. The dollar's yield advantage over the euro pushed to new cycle highs above 177 bp in the 10-year T-note over Bund differential. USD-JPY corrected to the 120.00 area after making a three-week high of 120.42 yesterday. Five-week lows in EUR-JPY near 132.00 was an offsetting driver, as ... Read More ►
Asian Edition2015-03-05 19:02 UTC
The dollar firmed up again in N.Y. trade on Thursday, despite higher than expected jobless claims, soft factory orders, and downwardly revised productivity data. The ECB meeting and press conference was the driver, where Draghi outlined the upcoming QE program. The bank upped its growth projections sharply as well, which were taken with a grain of salt by the FX markets. EUR-USD initially rallied into the press conference, as shorts were covered, peaking ... Read More ►
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Faculty Commons
Due to the renovation of the West Union, the last day of service for Faculty Commons will be Friday, June 28th. Faculty Commons will reopen upon the completion of the West Union Renovation Project scheduled for 2015.
All are encouraged to utilize the Divinity Refectory, located in the Divinity School, which offers fresh-made local menu items and a weekly specials menu, in similar fashion to Faculty Commons. The Divinity Refectory is a "green" environment-friendly eatery serving hot breakfast and lunch with fresh, traditional, vegetarian and vegan options with an ample amount of space for small gatherings.
While the West Union is under construction the new Events Pavilion will provide a temporary dining location offering a beautiful setting and exciting venues and menus to include Tex Mex/southwestern, Italian, deli, bistro, comfort foods, soup and salad and grab and go options, opening August 26, 2013. In addition to the new dining options at the Events Pavilion, The Loop will be coming to the Bryan Center and will be expanding their type of service to include a grab and go quick service option. Also coming to the Bryan Center this upcoming fall is an Au Bon Pain cart out on the plaza and Red Mango, which will offer frozen yogurt and fresh fruit smoothies.
Chef Manager: Chris Holloway
Owner/Operator: Sam Clowney and Chris Holloway


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Hands On With the JooJoo, Formerly Known as CrunchPad
- |
- 8:24 pm |
- Permalink
The $200 touchscreen tablet known as the CrunchPad has morphed into a $500 device called JooJoo.
Designed and developed by a Singapore-based company, Fusion Garage, JooJoo is tablet-like device made for internet surfing and little else.
Wired.com got some hands-on time with the JooJoo. At 2.4 lbs, JooJoo is a lightweight, slim tablet with a vivid, crisp 12.1-inch touchscreen display.
Beautiful Hardware, Fast Boot-up
JooJoo has a capacitive touchscreen, which means it is about as responsive as an iPhone touchscreen and as much of a delight to use. There's also an LCD screen that supports high-definition content. Overall, it measures about 13.3-inches deep, but has a slimmer profile than Apple's Macbook Air.
JooJoo runs a custom operating system built by Fusion Garage and boots in just under nine seconds directly to a homepage screen. It's fast and takes the user directly to services that they may use.
The homepage screen is divided vertically into three sections: Be connected, Be informed, and More apps.
Under the 'Be connected' tab, there are web services such as Twitter, LinkedIn, Flickr, Facebook and YouTube among others.
The 'Be Informed' tab features sites such as The New York Times, Reuters, AOL and CNN.
More apps has icons that link, for instance, to Google docs, Yahoo and Hulu.
Now here's the weird part, a default option on the device called 'Paint me a new background' changes the homepage screen color to a new one every time you come back to it. And screen colors include red, violet, green and yellow — all of which seem rather bright and a tad harsh.
The good news, says Fusion Garage, is that users can always uncheck the option and set it to plain white. Still, it's rather puzzling to us why Fusion Garage would offer this feature.
JooJoo is also thin in the number of ports it offers. There's just one USB port. It also has a standard headphone and microphone jack.


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Visit our pawn shop for your research and shopping
Visit our pawn shop for your research and shopping
The term "First Phase" is a historical term that refers to the early experimentation and development in jewelry by the southwestern Native American Indians.
It is generally though to be a period from approximately 1860-1900.
First Phase jewelery was made for personal use or for family or friends – it was not driven by commercial influences.
Sometimes First Phase is used to refer to the design styles from that era, so a bracelet made to look like a First Phase bracelet would be "First Phase Style" but not First Phase itself. This is an important distinction that should be used when describing items.
Between 1900-1930, tourism grew and Native American jewelry began being influenced by commercialism – what would sell. This is sometimes referred to as the Transitional Period.
To see more views of the items pictured and learn more about their estimated age, click on the photos.
The word concho comes from the Spanish "concha" which actually means "conch" or "seashell" but has come to mean round or oval disks (occasionally rectangles) of silver used to decorate saddles, bridles, clothing, used as jewelry such as for pendants and bolo ties and for adorning or making belts.
Concho belts are a long-time Navajo tradition yet it has been suggested that the Navajo borrowed conchos from Mexican tack items or from the Plains Indians.
The earliest conchos were silver dollars that were hammered, then stamped and edged, then slotted and strung together on a piece of leather.
Later in the evolution of concho belts, copper loops were added to the back of the conchos so that the conchos could be slipped onto a leather belt.


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Sign in to digital edition
Friday 27 Feb 2015
Several pavilions have chosen to include artists of different nationalities in their exhibitions this year, but none have done so as crudely as the Italian commissioners and curators of the first ever Kenyan pavilion. Mystifyingly entitled "Reflective Nature: a New Primary Enchanting Sensitivity," the exhibition is split over two locations: the space on the island of San Servolo is entirely devoted to a special project by the Italo-Brazilian artist Cesar Meneghetti, while the main site, at the Caserma Cornoldi, has a total of eight Chinese artists, one Italian and just two Kenyans. The catalogue does little to justify this strangely blatant marginalisation of Kenyan artists, opting to wax lyrical about the beauty of "nature" in painfully reductive and primitivist terms instead: "this is Kenya, where Nature IS" declares the commissioner Paola Poponi. We find the Italian artist Armando Tanzini's crass "tribal" artefacts (including a nude, supine sculpture of an African woman, carved out of wood) in one room, while the main courtyard space is dominated by garish flower pieces by Feng Zhengjie and a metallic orb by Chen Wenling.
Feng-Zhengjie,China no62, 2005. Does this represent Kenya?
The rest of the exhibition includes an incoherent assortment of Chinese paintings and an installation or two that have no artistic connection with Kenya whatsoever. Instead we see the same clichéd offerings of vacuous post political pop, expressionistic paintings of China's industrial wastelands and Li Wei's cartoonish photographs of himself falling off buildings and monks afloat on clouds of red smoke. The charming, naive pastels of Kivuthi Mbuno and Wangombe Wachira's batik-like floral paintings appear somewhere in the mix as token examples of "authentic" Kenyan art that we are presumably meant to take as representative of the exhibition's shambolic attempt at "eradicating cultural difference."
What the curators and commissioners have achieved instead is a frightening manifestation of neo-colonialism vulgarly presented as multiculturalism. China is of course a main investor in Kenya, and the most interesting thing that unwittingly comes out of this cynical tribute to its art is the increasingly ambivalent relationship between the two countries. On the part of the curators, the exhibition a stunning example of present day Orientalism, and its cursory inclusion of the two Kenyan artists is Primitivism at its very worst. To be avoided like the plague.
Wenny Teo is the Iwan and Manuela Wirth lecturer of modern and contemporary Asian Art at the Courtauld Institute of Art
Published Tue, 04 Jun 2013 11:41:00 GMT
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(3 star hotel)
including 8 days parking
from the airport
customer rating
Pre Book at the Best Price
A delightful hotel offering great value rooms, with holiday parking. The Mercure Bowdon Hotel is close to many local attractions, shopping centres and areas of natural beauty, and with great leisure facilities on-site, this hotel makes an ideal choice for a pre-flight stay.
Reasons to book Mercure Bowdon Hotel
- Close to the airport - only 10 minutes drive from Manchester airport
- A pool and spa on site so you can start your holiday completely relaxed.
- 3-star comfort and well appointed rooms at a low price
- Perfectly located for early morning flights
Mercure Bowdon Hotel Transfers
A taxi to the airport from the hotel costs around £12, each way. You can make the arrangements when you check in.
Transfer hours: 24 hours a day.
Mercure Bowdon Hotel Address
Langham Road,
Longitude -2.35263
Latitude 53.37740
More Information
This great value hotel is only 10 minutes away from Manchester airport and has its own indulgent spa - check-in for a relaxing stayover.
Check in at the hotel's reception anytime from 14:00.
There's plenty to do at the Mercure. Relax and unwind in the hotel's tranquil spa, or make a splash in the hotel's heated swimming pool, all included in the price of your stay.
Treat yourself to a little 'me time' at the hotel's cafe bar. Whether you're in the mood for a delicious Lavazza coffee or a glass of crisp wine, the relaxed atmosphere and comfy seating are guaranteed to leave you feeling relaxed. You can also grab something to eat from the light bites menu.
Enjoy the bar's on-screen entertainment - their plasma TVs show both live sports and news channels for any sports fanatics. Alternatively, you could head to the Mercure's mini library and relax with a good book.
Your spacious and vibrant bedroom awaits you, equipped with a flat-screen TV with Freeview channels, access to the hotel's wifi, which is included in the price of your stay, and, of course, a comfy bed, everything you need for your pre-flight stay.
Wake up to the Mercure's hearty buffet breakfast to start your day off right, served from 07:00 - 10:00 weekdays.
After you check out, you're only a ten-minute transfer away from the airport. A taxi-ride from the hotel will cost about £12 return and can be booked at reception.