Communicating with Faculty,Staff, and Students Using Library Blogs: Results from a Survey of Academic Health Sciences Libraries

This study investigated use and management of blogs in academic health sciences libraries. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected with a questionnaire distributed to bloggers and administrators representing 22 libraries self-identified as using blogs to publish library newsletters. Perceived barriers to use of blogs included lack of patron awareness and technical issues. Blogs were viewed as easy to use by librarians and blogs are used to promote licensed resources. Blogs do not replace other interactions with librarians, but in the future, could be used to develop a community, provide tools for learning, and increase visibility of the library.     

A case study of factor influencing role improvisation in crisis response teams

Common characteristics of crisis situations are ambiguous and unplanned for events. The need for improvised roles can therefore be an imperative factor for the success of an operation. The aim of this study is to deepen the understanding of the processes taking place during improvised work “as it happens”. A case study of a crisis management team at work is presented and provides an in-depth analysis of the information and communication flow of persons acting in improvised roles, including contextual factors influencing the task at hand. The analysis suggests that three main factors lay behind decreased performance by the team when some of its members were forced to take on roles for which they lacked professional training; lack of language skills, lack of domain knowledge and insufficient organizational structure of the tasks. Based on the observations from this case study, we suggest three ways of improving a team’s performance and hence resilience when forced to improvise due to lack of personnel in one or more required competence areas. These are training to take on the responsibility for tasks or roles outside ones professional area of specialization, developing formal routines for changes in roles and tasks and developing and using tools and routines for information sharing.     

Optimisation of four-sensor probes for measuring bubble velocity components in bubbly air-water and oil-water flows

In a previous paper Lucas and Mishra (2005) [3] a local four-sensor conductance probe was introduced to measure the velocity vectors of dispersed bubbles in bubbly two-phase flow in which the continuous phase is water. There are a very limited number of alternative methods available for bubble velocity vector measurement with which results from, for example, computational fluid dynamic models can be compared and so the four-sensor probe technique is of interest to the multiphase flow community. In the previous paper [3] a mathematical model was presented to calculate the velocity vector of each gas bubble from seven time intervals which were measured using the output signals from each of four ‘needle’ conductance sensors located within the probe. In the present paper, a new technique for making the local four-sensor probe is introduced to minimise interference with the measured bubbles. A new signal processing method is presented using criteria to ensure that (i) the group of sensor signals from which the bubble velocity vector is to be determined are all produced by the same bubble and (ii) bubbles which contact the local four-sensor probe in an ambiguous manner are ignored. The accuracy with which the locations of each of the rear sensors in the probe relative to the lead sensor can be measured influences the accuracy with which the bubble velocity vector can be measured. However, the degree to which the accuracy of the measured velocity vector is affected by errors in the measured probe dimensions is dependent upon the geometrical arrangement of the four sensors within the probe. Experimental results and an error analysis are presented which show that the susceptibility of the velocity vector measurement technique to errors in the measured probe dimensions is reduced if the geometrical arrangement of the four sensors is optimised. As a result of this initial work, an optimised probe, known as the P30 probe, was designed and built and results obtained from the P30 probe in swirling oil-in-water bubbly flow are presented. A probe calibration factor is defined in this paper which can be interpreted as a measure of the interference of a probe with the motion of the bubbles with which it interacts. For the probes described in this paper the calibration factor was found to be much closer to unity than for previous four-sensor probes described in the literature (e.g. [3]) suggesting that these new probes have a much smaller effect on the bubbles’ motion than previous probes.     

Development of a new indicator of pollutant loads and its application to the Chesapeake Bay watershed

Pollutant load reductions are often required to restore aquatic ecosystems experiencing eutrophication. Loads can be estimated using watershed models or data from monitoring stations, however data availability can limit the timeliness or comprehensiveness of the load estimates. We developed an approach to address this challenge that used watershed model results to estimate the proportion of annual nonpoint source nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and sediment (Sed) loads derived from unmonitored catchments. This proportion was multiplied by the nonpoint portion of United States Geological Survey (USGS) estimated annual river loads to account for annual variation in hydrologic conditions. Total loads were calculated as the sum of measured river loads, reported point sources from unmonitored areas and the estimated nonpoint source loads from unmonitored catchments. We applied this approach to the Chesapeake Bay because of its socio‐economic and ecological importance. Median watershed loads for N, P and Sed were 140, 6.4 and 3030 Mg year^?1, respectively (1990–2004). Nonpoint source loads from the monitored areas constituted the greatest source of N, P and Sed (55, 47 and 74% respectively) to the Bay. The high N, P and Sed yield rates (7.3, 0.38 and 99 kg ha^?1 year^?1, respectively) from nonpoint loads originating from unmonitored areas near the Bay resulted in 25, 32 and 26% (N, P and Sed, respectively) of the Bay's total loads (excluding direct atmospheric deposition, shoreline erosion and oceanic inputs). Disproportionately high loads of P and Seds were associated with years that experienced elevated discharge whereas N loads were directly related to discharge. Error estimates indicated that our methods were most reliable for N (±6%) but reasonable for P (±22%) and provide an effective technique for the timely estimation of pollutant loads from watersheds with unmonitored catchments. Management strategies that decrease N deposition and reduce runoff to control P and Sed transport will effectively reduce pollutant loads. Published in 2010 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

QuickBird and Hyperion data analysis of an invasive plant species in the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador: Implications for control and land use management

In the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador, one of the greatest threats to the terrestrial ecosystem is the increasing number and areal extent of invasive species. Increased human presence on the islands has hastened the introduction of plant and animal species that threaten the native and endemic flora and fauna. Considerable research on invasive species in the Galapagos Islands has been conducted by the Charles Darwin Foundation. We complement that work through a spatially- and spectrally-explicit satellite assessment of an important invasive plant species (Psidium guajava — guava) on Isabela Island that integrates diverse remote sensing systems, data types, spatial and spectral resolutions, and analytical and image processing approaches. QuickBird and Hyperion satellite data are processed to characterize the areal extent and spatial structure of guava through the following approaches: (1) QuickBird data are classified through a traditional pixel-based approach (i.e., an unsupervised classification approach using the ISODATA algorithm), as well as an Object-Based Image Analysis (OBIA) approach; (2) multiple approaches for spectral “unmixing” of the Hyperion hyper-spectral data are assessed to construct spectral end-members from QuickBird data using linear and non-linear mixture modeling approaches; and (3) landscape pattern metrics are calculated and compared for the pixel-based, object-based, and spectral unmixing approaches. The spectral–spatial characteristics of guava are interpreted relative to management strategies for the control of guava and the restoration of natural ecosystems in the Galapagos National Park.     

A neural network job-shop scheduler

This paper focuses on the development of a neural network (NN) scheduler for scheduling job-shops. In this hybrid intelligent system, genetic algorithms (GA) are used to generate optimal schedules to a known benchmark problem. In each optimal solution, every individually scheduled operation of a job is treated as a decision which contains knowledge. Each decision is modeled as a function of a set of job characteristics (e.g., processing time), which are divided into classes using domain knowledge from common dispatching rules (e.g., shortest processing time). A NN is used to capture the predictive knowledge regarding the assignment of operation’s position in a sequence. The trained NN could successfully replicate the performance of the GA on the benchmark problem. The developed NN scheduler was then tested against the GA, Attribute-Oriented Induction data mining methodology and common dispatching rules on a test set of randomly generated problems. The better performance of the NN scheduler on the test problem set compared to other methods proves the feasibility of NN-based scheduling. The scalability of the NN scheduler on larger problem sizes was also found to be satisfactory in replicating the performance of the GA.     

Silver Bullet Talks with Jeremiah Grossman

Silver Bullet Security Podcast host Gary McGraw interviews Jeremiah Grossman, founder and CTO of WhiteHat Security, who is well known for his work in Web application security.     

Magnetic quadrupole doublet focusing system for high energy ions

A high energy focused ion beam microprobe using a doublet arrangement of short magnetic quadrupole lenses was used to focus 1-3 MeV protons to spot sizes of 1x1 microm2 and 1-4.5 MeV carbon and silicon ion beams to spot sizes of 1.5x1.5 microm2. The results presented clearly demonstrate that this simple doublet configuration can provide high energy microbeams for microanalysis and microfabrication applications.     

CLUSTEREASY: A program for lattice simulations of scalar fields in an expanding universe on parallel computing clusters

We describe an MPI C++ program that we have written and made available for calculating the evolution of interacting scalar fields in an expanding universe on parallel clusters. The program is a parallel programming extension of the simulation program LATTICEEASY. The ability to run these simulations on parallel clusters, however, greatly extends the range of scales and times that can be simulated. The program is particularly useful for the study of reheating and thermalization after inflation. The program and its full documentation are available on the Web at http://www.science.smith.edu/departments/Physics/fstaff/gfelder/latticeeasy/. In this paper we provide a brief overview of what the program does and what it is useful for.

Program summary

Program title: CLUSTEREASYCatalogue identifier: AEBJ_v1_0Program summary URL:http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/summaries/AEBJ_v1_0.htmlProgram obtainable from: CPC Program Library, Queen's University, Belfast, N. IrelandLicensing provisions: Standard CPC licence, http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/licence/licence.htmlNo. of lines in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 7469No. of bytes in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 613 334Distribution format: tar.gzProgramming language: C++/MPIComputer: Cluster. Must have the library FFTW installedOperating system: AnyRAM: Typically 4 MB to 1 GB per processorClassification: 1.9External routines: A single-precision version of the FFTW library (http://www.fftw.org/) must be available on the target machine.Nature of problem: After inflation the universe consisted of interacting fields in a high energy, nonthermal state [1]. The evolution of these fields cannot be described with standard approximation techniques such as linearization, kinetic theory, or Hartree expansion, and must thus be simulated numerically. Fortunately, the fields rapidly acquire large occupation numbers over a range of frequencies, so their evolution can be accurately modeled with classical field theory [2]. The specific fields and interactions relevant at these high energies are not known, so different models must be tested phenomenologically. In many cases, e.g., those involving symmetry breaking, the wide range of physical time and length scales in the problem requires parallel computing.Solution method: CLUSTEREASY solves the equations of motion for interacting scalar fields in an expanding universe. The user describes a particular theory by entering the field potential and its derivatives in a model file and the program then uses a staggered leapfrog method to evolve the field equations and Friedmann equation for the fields and the expansion of the universe. Different processors compute the evolution on subgrids defined by block decomposition, and the processors exchange edge data after each time step to allow for calculation of spatial derivatives.Restrictions: In its current form CLUSTEREASY only includes scalar fields and does not include metric perturbations. For 2D and 3D simulations the cluster must already have the (free) libraries FFTW installed.Additional comments: CLUSTEREASY is the parallel form of the program LATTICEEASY (AEAW_v1_0), Comp. Phys. Comm. 178 (2008) 929.Note: The default installation type for FFTW is double-precision so care must be taken to specify single-precision when running the “configure” file associated with the FFTW software package installation.Running time: The running time can range from minutes to weeks.References:[1] A.D. Linde, Particle Physics and Inflationary Cosmology, Harwood, Chur, Switzerland, 1990.[2] S. Khlebnikov, I. Tkachev, Phys. Rev. Lett. 77 (1996) 219, hep-ph/9603378.     

"Evaluation of child witnesses for confrontation by criminal defendants": Erratum.

Reports an error in the original article by M. A. Small and G. B. Melton (Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 1994[August], Vol 25[3], 228–233). Footnote 1 incorrectly indicates that the Craig brief was written without the aid of private legal counsel. Though the brief in question was written with more APA member involvement than has been the case for other briefs, private legal counsel participated and was listed as a coauthor. (The following abstract of this article originally appeared in record 1994-43476-001.) States have passed legislation governing the procedures by which children may testify in cases of child abuse. In Maryland v. Craig (1990), the US Supreme Court reviewed the constitutionality of these procedures. As a result, psychologists may be asked to perform evaluations regarding the potential trauma a child faces in confronting a defendant in a criminal case. Specifically, opinions of psychologists may be sought as to the potential trauma a child may endure as a result of a face-to-face confrontation with a defendant. Research relevant to this assessment is reviewed, and it is suggested that psychologists may be of most help in preparing children to testify.… (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)