36,221 research outputs found
Making automated computer program documentation a feature of total system design
It is pointed out that in large-scale computer software systems, program documents are too often fraught with errors, out of date, poorly written, and sometimes nonexistent in whole or in part. The means are described by which many of these typical system documentation problems were overcome in a large and dynamic software project. A systems approach was employed which encompassed such items as: (1) configuration management; (2) standards and conventions; (3) collection of program information into central data banks; (4) interaction among executive, compiler, central data banks, and configuration management; and (5) automatic documentation. A complete description of the overall system is given
Investigation of line-of-sight propagation in dense atmosphere, phase 2 Final report, Jun. 1970 - Feb. 1971
Effect of microwave absorption and decimetric radio noise in Jovian atmospheres on radio communication in 1 to 10 GHz frequency ban
Dielectronic recombination data for astrophysical applications: Plasma rate-coefficients for Fe^q+ (q=7-10, 13-22) and Ni^25+ ions from storage-ring experiments
This review summarizes the present status of an ongoing experimental effort
to provide reliable rate coefficients for dielectronic recombination of highly
charged iron ions for the modeling of astrophysical and other plasmas. The
experimental work has been carried out over more than a decade at the heavy-ion
storage-ring TSR of the Max-Planck-Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg,
Germany. The experimental and data reduction procedures are outlined. The role
of previously disregarded processes such as fine-structure core excitations and
trielectronic recombination is highlighted. Plasma rate coefficients for
dielectronic recombination of Fe^q+ ions (q=7-10, 13-22) and Ni^25+ are
presented graphically and in a simple parameterized form allowing for easy use
in plasma modeling codes. It is concluded that storage-ring experiments are
presently the only source for reliable low-temperature dielectronic
recombination rate-coefficients of complex ions.Comment: submitted for publication in the International Review of Atomic and
Molecular Physics, 8 figures, 3 tables, 68 reference
Probing nuclear expansion dynamics with -spectra
We study the dynamics of charged pions in the nuclear medium via the ratio of
differential - and -spectra in a coupled-channel BUU (CBUU)
approach. The relative energy shift of the charged pions is found to correlate
with the pion freeze-out time in nucleus-nucleus collisions as well as with the
impact parameter of the heavy-ion reaction. Furthermore, the long-range Coulomb
force provides a 'clock' for the expansion of the hot nuclear system. Detailed
comparisons with experimental data for at 1 GeV/A and at
2.0 GeV/A are presented.Comment: 21 pages, latex, figures include
VALUING LOSSES FROM DEPOPULATING MICHIGAN DAIRY HERDS
Depopulating dairy herds in the effort to eradicate disease would have significant economic effects. This paper evaluates farm-level effects that might occur and puts forth a method for quantifying losses. The reader is directed elsewhere for industry or state-level effects of disease eradication or depopulation.Livestock Production/Industries,
An Examination of US Consumer Pet and Veterinary Expenditures, 1980-1999
The veterinary medical profession touches nearly everyone's life, either directly or indirectly. An estimated 58.3% of US households own pets (AVMA, 2002), and most people consume livestock products in the form of meat, dairy products, wool, or leather. The health and well being of all these animals depend heavily on relationships with veterinarians. Veterinarians also contribute to public health through the FDA, CDC, USDA, and numerous other government agencies at the federal, state, and local levels. Issues of primary concern include food safety, biosecurity, and the numerous emerging (and re-emerging) infectious diseases that are zoonotic in nature. Finally, veterinarians have an additional impact through their research contributions. Virtually all of the laboratory animals used in research are raised, housed, and managed under the care of veterinarians, and veterinary researchers regularly provide valuable contributions to the knowledge base in the biomedical sciences. This study was designed to assess the general trends in pet and veterinary expenditures as well as factors associated with pet ownership and expenditures on veterinary medical services. Providing such key information on the sector of greatest economic importance will enhance the probability of sustained economic viability in the veterinary medical profession as a whole.Health Economics and Policy,
A Miniature Robot for Isolating and Tracking Neurons in Extracellular Cortical Recordings
This paper presents a miniature robot device and control algorithm that can autonomously position electrodes in cortical tissue for isolation and tracking of extracellular signals of individual neurons. Autonomous electrode positioning can significantly enhance the efficiency and quality of acute electrophysiolgical experiments aimed at basic understanding of the nervous system. Future miniaturized systems of this sort could also overcome some of the inherent difficulties in estabilishing long-lasting neural interfaces that are needed for practical realization of neural prostheses. The paper describes the robot's design and summarizes the overall structure of the control system that governs the electrode positioning process. We present a new sequential clustering algorithm that is key to improving our system's performance, and which may have other applications in robotics. Experimental results in macaque cortex demonstrate the validity of our approach
A determination of the spin-orbit alignment of the anomalously dense planet orbiting HD 149026
We report 35 radial velocity measurements of HD 149026 taken with the Keck Telescope. Of these measurements, 15
were made during the transit of the companion planet HD 149026b, which occurred on 2005 June 25. These velocities
provide a high-cadence observation of the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect, the shifting of photospheric line profiles that occurs when a planet occults a portion of the rotating stellar surface. We combine these radial velocities with previously published radial velocity and photometric data sets and derive a composite best-fit model for the star-planet system. This model confirms and improves previously published orbital parameters, including the remarkably small planetary radius, the planetary mass, and the orbital inclination, found to be Rp/RJup = 0.718 ± 0.065, Mp/MJup = 0.352 ± 0.025, and I = 86.1° ± 1.4°, respectively. Together the planetary mass and radius determinations imply a mean planetary density
of 1.18(-0.30)(+0.38)g cm(-3). The new data also allow for the determination of the angle between the apparent stellar equator and the orbital plane, which we constrain to be λ = -12° ± 15°
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