Pictorial Guide to the Groupers (Teleostei: Serranidae) of the Western North Atlantic

This guide was developed to assist with the identification of western North Atlantic grouper species of the genera Alphestes, Cephalopholis, Dermatolepis, Epinephelus, Gonioplectrus, Mycteroperca, and Paranthias. The primary purpose for assembling the guide is for use with projects that deploy underwater video camera systems. The most vital source of information used to develop the guide was an archive of underwater video footage recorded during fishery projects. These video tapes contain 348 hours of survey activity and are maintained at the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Pascagoula, Mississippi. This footage spans several years (1980-92) and was recorded under a wide variety of conditions depicting diverse habitats from areas of the western North Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico. Published references were used as sources of information for those species not recorded on video footage during NMFS projects. These references were also used to augment information collected from video footage to provide broader and more complete descriptions. The pictorial guide presents information for all 25 grouper species reported to occur in the western North Atlantic. Species accounts provide descriptive text and illustrations depicting documented phases for the various groupers. In addition, species separation sheets based on important identification features were constructed to further assist with species identification. A meristic table provides information for specimens captured in conjunction with videoassisted fishery surveys. A computerized version enables guide users to amend, revise, update, or customize the guide as new observations and information become available. (PDF file contains 52 pages.

Integration of Keyboarding with Fourth Grade Writing

Keyboarding is an enhancing tool in the writing process of elementary school children in grades one through four. Studies show that learning computer keyboarding with appropriate software and instruction in the elementary grade level is a skill that is proactive towards student growth in their own writing skills. The development of supplemental keyboarding and writing activities and assessment rubrics are presented. A total of ten different technologically enhanced writing activities are presented for use in the classroom or a lab setting. The activities are complete with lesson plans, design templates, overviews of materials and assessments. The activities are designed to combine Essential Academic Learning Requirements in fourth grade writing with keyboarding skills

Kinematic synthesis of adjustable spatial four and five-bar mechanisms for finite and multiply separated positions

Although spatial mechanisms are more general in structure than planar mechanisms, their applications are few due to the limited number of practical design tools and the complexity of those available. It is in fact the task of the future to develop effective, but practical design tools for spatial mechanisms. This research presents several new methods for synthesizing adjustable spatial mechanisms. The first method involves the kinematic synthesis of spatial mechanisms for multiphase motion generation. Using this method, spatial four and five-bar mechanisms can be synthesized to achieve different phases of prescribed rigid body positions. The theory of this approach has also been extended to incorporate rigid body tolerance problems. Using the tolerance problem method, spatial four-bar mechanisms can be synthesized to achieve the prescribed precise rigid body positions and also satisfy the rigid body positions within the prescribed tolerances. Both approaches use the R-R, S-S, R-S and C-S dyad displacement equations. The second method involves the kinematic synthesis of spatial mechanisms for multiphase multiply separated positions. Using this method, spatial four and five-bar mechanisms can be synthesized to achieve different phases of prescribed rigid body positions, velocities and accelerations. The theory of this approach has also been extended to incorporate instantaneous screw axis (ISA) parameters. Using ISA parameters, spatial four-bar mechanisms can also be synthesized to achieve different phases of prescribed rigid body positions, velocities and accelerations. Both approaches use the R-R, S-S, R-S and C-S dyad displacement, velocity and acceleration equations. For each method, the maximum number of prescribed rigid positions is determined for each mechanism for two and three phase problems. The spatial four and five-bar mechanisms considered in this research are the RRSS, RRSC, RSSR-SS and RSSR-SC