Breaking the rules: Summer camping experiences and the lives of Ontario children growing up with polio in the 1940s and 1950s

This chapter presents an analysis from a critical disability studies history framework developed for a research project. It discusses how the research was conducted using an oral history method and how the analysis was produced. Oral history narratives of individuals living with polio are viewed as the most appropriate and important way to learn about and understand the meaning of polio for Canadians during the time period of 1927–1957. The chapter provides a historical backdrop to describe the development of some Ontario Society for Crippled Children (OSCC) camps, the philosophic basis for the camps, and the intended goals of the camping program. It deconstructs the philosophy of the OSCC, and presents some overarching themes. Each of the themes illustrates an aspect of the ableist dominant view of disability in relation to understandings of disabled children's lives at that time. The chapter introduces the counter narratives of the participants who attended these camps and their everyday lived experiences

Distributed resource discovery using a context sensitive infrastructure

Distributed Resource Discovery in a World Wide Web environment using full-text indices will never scale. The distinct properties of WWW information (volume, rate of change, topical diversity) limits the scaleability of traditional approaches to distributed Resource Discovery. An approach combining metadata clustering and query routing can, on the other hand, be proven to scale much better. This paper presents the Content-Sensitive Infrastructure, which is a design building on these results. We also present an analytical framework for comparing scaleability of different distribution strategies

The Spectacular Ionized Interstellar Medium of NGC55

We present deep Halpha+[NII], [SII] (6716,6731A) and [OII] (3726,3729A) images of the highly inclined, actively star--forming SBm galaxy NGC 55, located in the nearby Sculptor Group. Due to its proximity, NGC 55 provides a unique opportunity to study the disk--halo interface in a late--type galaxy with unprecedented spatial resolution. Our images reveal a spectacular variety of ionized gas features, ranging from giant HII region complexes, to supergiant filamentary and shell features, to patches of very faint diffuse emission. Many of these features protrude well above the plane of the galaxy, including a very faint fragmented shell of emission which is visible at 2.6 kpc above the disk. We identify candidate `chimneys' extending out of the disk, which could be the conduits into the halo for hot gas around disk star-forming regions, and could also provide low-density paths for the passage of UV photons from the disk to the halo. Several of the identified chimneys are `capped' with clumps of ionized gas, one of which, located at 1.5 kpc above the disk plane, appears to be the site of recent star formation. Emission--line ratios ([OII]/Halpha+[NII], [SII]/Halpha+[NII]) constrain the ionization mechanism of the gas, and our images allow the first measurement of [OII]/Halpha+[NII] in extra-planar diffuse ionized gas. The diffuse gas is characterized by emission--line ratios which are enhanced on average by a factor of two compared to those of bright HII regions. Each line ratio increases in value smoothly from the cores of HII regions, through the haloes of HII regions, into the diffuse ionized gas. Such a continuous trend is predicted by models in which the diffuse gas is ionized by photons produced by massive stars in HII regions.Comment: 19 pages, including 4 figures, plus 2 external tables. Accepted for publication in the Astronomical Journal. Compressed, postscript versions of the plates are available at ftp://skysrv.pha.jhu.edu/ferguson

Determinants of the population growth of the West Nile virus mosquito vector Culex pipiens in a repeatedly affected area in Italy

Background The recent spread of West Nile Virus in temperate countries has raised concern. Predicting the likelihood of transmission is crucial to ascertain the threat to Public and Veterinary Health. However, accurate models of West Nile Virus (WNV) expansion in Europe may be hampered by limited understanding of the population dynamics of their primary mosquito vectors and their response to environmental changes.<p></p> Methods We used data collected in north-eastern Italy (2009–2011) to analyze the determinants of the population growth rate of the primary WNV vector Culex pipiens. A series of alternative growth models were fitted to longitudinal data on mosquito abundance to evaluate the strength of evidence for regulation by intrinsic density-dependent and/or extrinsic environmental factors. Model-averaging algorithms were then used to estimate the relative importance of intrinsic and extrinsic variables in describing the variations of per-capita growth rates.<p></p> Results Results indicate a much greater contribution of density-dependence in regulating vector population growth rates than of any environmental factor on its own. Analysis of an average model of Cx. pipiens growth revealed that the most significant predictors of their population dynamics was the length of daylight, estimated population size and temperature conditions in the 15 day period prior to sampling. Other extrinsic variables (including measures of precipitation, number of rainy days, and humidity) had only a minor influence on Cx. pipiens growth rates.<p></p> Conclusions These results indicate the need to incorporate density dependence in combination with key environmental factors for robust prediction of Cx. pipiens population expansion and WNV transmission risk. We hypothesize that detailed analysis of the determinants of mosquito vector growth rate as conducted here can help identify when and where an increase in vector population size and associated WNV transmission risk should be expected.<p></p&gt

Temperature perturbation model of the opto-galvanic effect in CO2-laser discharges

A detailed discharge model of the opto-galvanic effect in molecular laser gas mixtures is developed based on the temperature perturbation or discharge cooling mechanism of Smith and Brooks (1979). Excellent agreement between the model and experimental results in CO2 laser gas mixtures is obtained. The model should be applicable to other molecular systems where the OGE is being used for laser stabilisation and as a spectroscopic tool

Mission-oriented requirements for updating MIL-H-8501. Volume 2: STI background and rationale

A supplement to the structure of a new flying and ground handling qualities specification for military rotorcraft structure is presented in order to explain the background and rationale for the specification structure, the proposed forms of criteria, and the status of the existing data base. Critical gaps in the data base for the new structure are defined, and recommendations are provided for the research required to address the most important of these gaps