A Creek in Need: A Water Chemistry Analysis of a Stream Slated for Restoration (Line Creek, Schoharie County, NY)

Surface water quality may directly impact human health and the survival of aquatic life. Schoharie County is a unique laboratory for studying surface water chemistry because many creeks and streams were ravaged by large scale flooding events associated with Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee in 2011. Currently, one of the largest stream restoration projects in the US is being conducted in the Schoharie Creek watershed. One damaged stream is Line Creek, which is a small first order stream in that watershed. Line Creek was tested for sodium, chloride, alkalinity (HCO3-), hardness (CaCO3), iron, nitrite (NO2-N), nitrate (NO3-N), total and dissolved phosphorous (PO4-P), ammonia (NH3-N) and coliform bacteria. The aforementioned parameters were measured at two sites between February and May 2014 and were compared to earlier data. Data for 2014 (upstream/downstream; all values are mg/L unless otherwise noted) are: sodium 3.18/4.46; chloride 13.5/22.5; alkalinity 29.2/55.0; hardness 40.8/58.8; iron 0.296/0.354; nitrite 0.011/0.014; nitrate 0.122/0.149; total phosphorous 0.002/0.043; dissolved phosphorous 0/0.015; ammonia 0.597/0.639; coliform bacteria(CFU) 16/42. While many parameters fell within EPA guidelines for human consumption or within an accepted range for survival of aquatic life, some like iron, were too high by EPA standards, while alkalinity was too low for aquatic life to properly develop essential hard/bony body structures. This work will be discussed with respect to the larger Schoharie Creek watershed. The broad implications of the data with respect to human and aquatic life will be discussed

Collaborative Health Care Plan Support

This paper envisions a multi-agent system that assists patients and their health care providers. This system would support a diverse, evolving team in formulating, monitoring and revising a shared "care plan" that operates on multiple time scales in uncertain environments. It would also enhance communication of health information within this planning framework. The coordination of care for children with complex conditions (CCC), which is a compelling societal need, is presented as a model environment in which to develop and assess such systems. The design of algorithms and techniques needed to realize this vision would yield agents capable of being collaborative partners in health care delivery broadly as well as in other environments with similar properties such as rescue and rebuilding after natural disasters. This paper describes the key characteristics of collaborative health care plan support, defines a set of essential capabilities for autonomous "care-augmenting software agents", and discusses three major multi-agents systems research challenges that building such agents raises: evolving long-term plan management, enhancing team interactions, and leveraging human computation for care plan customization.Engineering and Applied Science

Performing the Union: the Prüm Decision and the European dream

In 2005, seven European countries signed the so-called Prüm Treaty to increase transnational collaboration in combating international crime, terrorism and illegal immigration. Three years later, the Treaty was adopted into EU law. EU member countries are obliged to have systems in place to allow authorities of other member states access to nationally held data on DNA, fingerprints, and vehicles by August 2011. In this paper, we discuss the conditions of possibility for the Prüm network to emerge, and argue that rather than a linear story of technological and political convergence and harmonisation, the (hi)story of Prüm is heterogeneous and patchy. This is reflected also in the early stages of implementing the Prüm Decision which proves to be more difficult than it was hoped by the drivers of the Prüm process. In this sense, the Prüm network sits uncomfortably with success stories of forensic science (many of which served the goal of justifying the expansion of technological and surveillance systems). Instead of telling a story of heroic science, the story of Prüm articulates the European dream: One in which goods, services, and people live and travel freely and securely

A comparison of the value patterns of early Hebrews and early Greeks

Purpose: It was the purpose of this study to explore the differences and similarities in the value patterns of the early Greeks and the early Hebrews. Five topics concerning the value patterns of these cultures were considered: (1) the view of life; (2) the view of death and the after-life; (3) the relationships between gods and men; (4) the characteristics of heroes; and (5) the status of women. Methods: The methods used to obtain data for this study were (1) close textual analysis of primary source material; and (2) comparison of conclusions with those of secondary sources. Findings: From the evidence presented in this study the following conclusions appear to be in order: 1. The value patterns revealed in the Homeric epics are, of course, more consistent than those of the early books of The Old Testament because the latter reflect various cultural levels and practices over a longer period of time. 2. Although many similarities existed between early Greek culture as revealed by Homer in his epics, and Hebrew culture as revealed in The Old Testament, these similarities generally were those which unite all cultures. Certain basic differences in philosophical outlook were found which sharply divided the early Greek mind from that of the Hebrew. 3. The early Greek culture contained the seed of humanism which also characterized Golden Age Athenian culture, and which has been the social and political motivating force in European civilization since the onset of the Renaissance. Hebrew culture and concepts, on the other hand, furnished the impetus toward the metaphysical and toward ethical monotheism which has guided European civilization as strongly as has Greek humanism

Spinning Interdisciplinary Service-Learning Webs: A Secondary Education Approach

Springboards: The ideas presented are not meant to be comprehensive. Placing this much information on one page restrains the number of ideas that can be given. They are meant to spark creative minds. Each teacher knows his/her students, community. and curriculum best. Making connections: Each and every curricular area does not need to participate for successful interdisciplinary learning to occur. Choosing your action: We have presented an example of each type of action: (direct, indirect, and advocacy). Only one type of action is required to make this a service-learning project along with preparation and reflection All School activities: When reading the Aging and Hunger and Homelessness webs it becomes obvious that an all school project is the focus. In the Aging web , references to holding a Senior Prom is a theme throughout. The same is true of the Hunger and Homelessness web where holding a Hunger Banquet becomes a school wide project. MSPAP and Service-learning: Service-learning and MSPAP are natural fit. Both incorporate real-life learning, problem-solving, critical thinking, and the opportunity to apply skills. Goals of this project: It is hoped that these webs accomplish 2 goals: 1- to increase understanding of service learning and its contributions to application of knowledge.2- to encourage curricular webbing that helps increase overall learning and understanding

Creativity out of chaos

Creativity is said to be highly desired in post-modern and post-industrial organizations Creativity and anarchy on the one hand, and managerialism, on the other, can be seen as different forms of knowledge, two opposed ideals. In many organizational as well as societal reforms we currently observe it is the managerialist ideal that wins over the anarchic. In this paper, we wonder if people fear anarchy? We reflect on the possible reasons for the fear, and we also try to explain why we believe that anarchic organizing should not be avoided or feared

UV Properties of Galactic Globular Clusters with GALEX I. The Color-Magnitude Diagrams

We present GALEX data for 44 Galactic globular clusters obtained during 3 GALEX observing cycles between 2004 and 2008. This is the largest homogeneous data set on the UV photometric properties of Galactic globular clusters ever collected. The sample selection and photometric analysis are discussed, and color-magnitude diagrams are presented. The blue and intermediate-blue horizontal branch is the dominant feature of the UV color-magnitude diagrams of old Galactic globular clusters. Our sample is large enough to display the remarkable variety of horizontal branch shapes found in old stellar populations. Other stellar types that are obviously detected are blue stragglers and post core-He burning stars. The main features of UV color-magnitude diagrams of Galactic globular clusters are briefly discussed. We establish the locus of post-core He burning stars in the UV color-magnitude diagram and present a catalog of candidate AGB-manqu \'e, post early-AGB, and post-AGB stars within our cluster sample.Comment: Accepted for publication by The Astronomical Journal. 46 pages, including 21 Figures and 3 tables. All data will be made publicly available by the time the article is published. In the meantime, please contact the authors for data requests. Revised version fixed error with figure numbers and caption

Evidence for an FU Orionis-like Outburst from a Classical T Tauri Star

We present pre- and post-outburst observations of the new FU Orionis-like young stellar object PTF 10qpf (also known as LkHa 188-G4 and HBC 722). Prior to this outburst, LkHa 188-G4 was classified as a classical T Tauri star on the basis of its optical emission-line spectrum superposed on a K8-type photosphere, and its photometric variability. The mid-infrared spectral index of LkHa 188-G4 indicates a Class II-type object. LkHa 188-G4 exhibited a steady rise by ~1 mag over ~11 months starting in Aug. 2009, before a subsequent more abrupt rise of > 3 mag on a time scale of ~2 months. Observations taken during the eruption exhibit the defining characteristics of FU Orionis variables: (i) an increase in brightness by > 4 mag, (ii) a bright optical/near-infrared reflection nebula appeared, (iii) optical spectra are consistent with a G supergiant and dominated by absorption lines, the only exception being Halpha which is characterized by a P Cygni profile, (iv) near-infrared spectra resemble those of late K--M giants/supergiants with enhanced absorption seen in the molecular bands of CO and H_2O, and (v) outflow signatures in H and He are seen in the form of blueshifted absorption profiles. LkHa 188-G4 is the first member of the FU Orionis-like class with a well-sampled optical to mid-infrared spectral energy distribution in the pre-outburst phase. The association of the PTF 10qpf outburst with the previously identified classical T Tauri star LkHa 188-G4 (HBC 722) provides strong evidence that FU Orionis-like eruptions represent periods of enhanced disk accretion and outflow, likely triggered by instabilities in the disk. The early identification of PTF 10qpf as an FU Orionis-like variable will enable detailed photometric and spectroscopic observations during its post-outburst evolution for comparison with other known outbursting objects.Comment: 14 pages, 11 figures, ApJ accepte

Dental artifacts in the head and neck region::implications for Dixon-based attenuation correction in PET/MR

BACKGROUND: In the absence of CT or traditional transmission sources in combined clinical positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance (PET/MR) systems, MR images are used for MR-based attenuation correction (MR-AC). The susceptibility effects due to metal implants challenge MR-AC in the neck region of patients with dental implants. The purpose of this study was to assess the frequency and magnitude of subsequent PET image distortions following MR-AC. METHODS: A total of 148 PET/MR patients with clear visual signal voids on the attenuation map in the dental region were included in this study. Patients were injected with [(18)F]-FDG, [(11)C]-PiB, [(18)F]-FET, or [(64)Cu]-DOTATATE. The PET/MR data were acquired over a single-bed position of 25.8 cm covering the head and neck. MR-AC was based on either standard MR-AC(DIXON) or MR-AC(INPAINTED) where the susceptibility-induced signal voids were substituted with soft tissue information. Our inpainting algorithm delineates the outer contour of signal voids breaching the anatomical volume using the non-attenuation-corrected PET image and classifies the inner air regions based on an aligned template of likely dental artifact areas. The reconstructed PET images were evaluated visually and quantitatively using regions of interests in reference regions. The volume of the artifacts and the computed relative differences in mean and max standardized uptake value (SUV) between the two PET images are reported. RESULTS: The MR-based volume of the susceptibility-induced signal voids on the MR-AC attenuation maps was between 1.6 and 520.8 mL. The corresponding/resulting bias of the reconstructed tracer distribution was localized mainly in the area of the signal void. The mean and maximum SUVs averaged across all patients increased after inpainting by 52% (± 11%) and 28% (± 11%), respectively, in the corrected region. SUV underestimation decreased with the distance to the signal void and correlated with the volume of the susceptibility artifact on the MR-AC attenuation map. CONCLUSIONS: Metallic dental work may cause severe MR signal voids. The resulting PET/MR artifacts may exceed the actual volume of the dental fillings. The subsequent bias in PET is severe in regions in and near the signal voids and may affect the conspicuity of lesions in the mandibular region. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40658-015-0112-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Intercomparison of MODIS Albedo Retrievals and In Situ Measurements Across the Global FLUXNET Network

Surface albedo is a key parameter in the Earth's energy balance since it affects the amount of solar radiation directly absorbed at the planet surface. Its variability in time and space can be globally retrieved through the use of remote sensing products. To evaluate and improve the quality of satellite retrievals, careful intercomparisons with in situ measurements of surface albedo are crucial. For this purpose we compared MODIS albedo retrievals with surface measurements taken at 53 FLUXNET sites that met strict conditions of land cover homogeneity. A good agreement between mean yearly values of satellite retrievals and in situ measurements was found (R(exp 2)= 0.82). The mismatch is correlated to the spatial heterogeneity of surface albedo, stressing the relevance of land cover homogeneity when comparing point to pixel data. When the seasonal patterns of MODIS albedo is considered for different plant functional types, the match with surface observation is extremely good at all forest sites. On the contrary, in non-forest sites satellite retrievals underestimate in situ measurements across the seasonal cycle. The mismatch observed at grasslands and croplands sites is likely due to the extreme fragmentation of these landscapes, as confirmed by geostatistical attributes derived from high resolution scenes