BACKGROUND We wanted to demonstrate the feasibility of a novel computer-assisted ventilator alarm system, the support system for care of mechanically ventilated patients (SCMVP), to detect gas leaks and provide graphical information on the site of the leak in a manikin model. METHODS We tested six leakage scenarios. Four scenarios were applied to both the respiratory circuits with the SCMVP a...

Troubleshooting faults or performance disruptions in today’s Internet is at best frustrating. When users experience performance or connectivity problems, there is little they can do. The most common attempt to solve the problem is to reboot or call the provider’s hot line. Network providers have more information to use in diagnosing problems in their networks, but their network troubleshooting ...

Laboratory education makes up an extensive part of natural science at universities. To support meaningful learning during laboratory work, students should prepare by carefully studying the protocols. The aim this study was to design and evaluate a preparative material that focuses on protocol steps with goal help (i) understand “why” (reason or theory) steps, (ii) make practical choices, (iii) ...

■ Abstract The number, size, and scope of phylogenetic analyses using molecular data has increased steadily in recent years. This has simultaneously led to a dramatic improvement in our understanding of phylogenetic relationships and a better appreciation for an array of methodological problems that continue to hinder progress in phylogenetic studies of certain data sets and/or particular parts...

Particular WLAN pathologies experienced in realistic scenarios are hard to detect, due to the complex nature of the wireless medium. Prior work has employed sophisticated equipment, driver modifications, or even application-layer techniques, towards diagnosing such pathologies. The key novelty of our approach lies in the identification of metrics able to characterize the root causes of individu...

Most biological nutrient removal (BNR) wastewater treatment plants are required by permit to significantly reduce total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP). In Florida, advanced wastewater treatment (AWT) permit limits are as stringent as 3 mg/L TN and 1 mg/L TP as annual average or maximum month values. Consistently meeting low nutrient permit limits presents several operational challenges...

System administrators use a variety of techniques to track down and repair (or avoid) problems that occur in the systems under their purview. Analyzing log files, cross-correlating events on different machines, establishing liveness and performance monitors, and automating configuration procedures are just a few of the approaches used to stave off entropy. These efforts are often stymied by the...

Some reproductive failure occurs in all swine breeding operations, but for practical purposes reproductive failure is regarded significant only when production levels fall below the expected norm. These norms may vary from operation to operation and are based on such things as percentage of animals cycling, conception and farrowing rates, average litter size and number of pigs produced per sow ...

This chapter summarizes the common errors haunting the beginner modelers. Modeling is a tricky, error-inviting business, as you would probably agree through doing the homework problems. The errors can be as small as a typo, or as big as capturing the relationships between quantities incorrectly (i.e. making a wrong flowchart to start with). Some errors are easily detected and reported by Berkel...