Application of expert systems in project management decision aiding

The feasibility of developing an expert systems-based project management decision aid to enhance the performance of NASA project managers was assessed. The research effort included extensive literature reviews in the areas of project management, project management decision aiding, expert systems technology, and human-computer interface engineering. Literature reviews were augmented by focused interviews with NASA managers. Time estimation for project scheduling was identified as the target activity for decision augmentation, and a design was developed for an Integrated NASA System for Intelligent Time Estimation (INSITE). The proposed INSITE design was judged feasible with a low level of risk. A partial proof-of-concept experiment was performed and was successful. Specific conclusions drawn from the research and analyses are included. The INSITE concept is potentially applicable in any management sphere, commercial or government, where time estimation is required for project scheduling. As project scheduling is a nearly universal management activity, the range of possibilities is considerable. The INSITE concept also holds potential for enhancing other management tasks, especially in areas such as cost estimation, where estimation-by-analogy is already a proven method

Agricultural Best Management Practices and Treatment Wetlands in the Gabilan Watershed: Project Asessment and Evaluation Plan

Several local groups have come together for this project to addresses water quality concerns in the Gabilan Watershed – also known as the Reclamation Ditch Watershed (Fig. 1.1). These are Moss Landing Marine Laboratories (MLML), the Resource Conservation District of Monterey County (RCDMC), Central Coast Watershed Studies (CCoWS), Return of the Natives (RON), Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF), and Coastal Conservation and Research (CC&R). The primary goal is to reduce non-point source pollution – particularly suspended sediment, nutrients, and pesticides – and thereby improve near-shore coastal waters of Moss Landing Harbor and the Monterey Bay. (Document contains 33 pages

Social emanations: Toward a sociology of human olfaction.

Within the discipline of sociology human olfaction is rich with social significance yet remains a poorly charted frontier. Therefore, the following discourse is aimed toward the development of a foundation for the sociological study of olfaction. It is formed by the dual goals of unearthing the social history of olfaction and of providing a viable sociological account of the manner in which smells affect human ontology. From these goals arise the following research questions: (1) Have the meaning and social relevance of odors and the olfactory sensorium changed throughout different periods of history?; (2) How have those in the lineage of eminent sociological thinkers addressed the phenomenon of human olfaction during these periods?; and (3) What is the process by which aromatic stimuli are transformed from simple chemical compounds, drifting in the atmosphere, into sensations in a sensory field and then on to perceived objects, to subjects of judgment and interpretation, and finally to bases of knowledge which form and continually reform individuals in the world? The weaving of the sociohistorical tapestry of smell is undertaken to provide examples from thousands of years lived experiences as to the fluid and sociologically complex nature of individuals' olfactory senses. This historical information is presented in a narrative format and is synthesized from data gleaned from books, advertisements, articles in popular non-scientific magazines, as well as from the findings of studies published in medical/neurological, psychological, anthropological, and sociological scholarly journals. Regarding theoretical aim of this discourse, insights are drawn from Maurice Merleau-Ponty's phenomenological theory of human perception for the generation of a framework for the sociological study of olfaction. Merleau-Ponty's theoretical notions are modified, modernized, and refitted to more specifically fit the subject of human olfaction and to include all that has been discovered about the biological specifics of olfactory perception since the time of his writing. Taken in sum, this effort is an access point to the understanding of how olfactory sensory perceptions flow toward the ontological unfolding of individuals

Association of Body Mass Index of HIV-1-Infected Pregnant Women and Infant Weight, Body Mass Index, Length, and Head Circumference: The NISDI Perinatal Study.

This study assessed the relationship between the body mass index (BMI) of HIV-1-infected women and their infants' perinatal outcomes. The study population consisted of women enrolled in the NICHD International Site Development Initiative (NISDI) Perinatal Study with data allowing calculation of the BMI adjusted for length of gestation (adjBMI), who delivered singleton infants. Outcome variables included infant growth parameters at birth (weight, BMI, length and head circumference) and gestational age. Of 697 women from Argentina, the Bahamas, Brazil and Mexico who were included in the analysis, the adjBMI was classified as underweight for 109 (15.6%), normal for 418 (60.0%), overweight for 88 (12.6%) and obese for 82 (11.8%). Median infant birth weight, BMI, birth length and head circumference differed significantly according to maternal adjBMI (P</=0.0002). Underweight mothers gave birth to infants with lower weight, lower BMI, shorter length and smaller head circumference, while infants born to normal, overweight and obese mothers were of similar size

Same-Sex Harassment - The Next Step Up in the Evolution of Sexual Harassment Law under Title VII Comment.

Women sexually harassed by male co-workers are protected by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. Yet, men are not protected because the federal courts in the Fifth Circuit do not protect men who are sexually harassed by other men. Male victims of sexual harassment are protected if they live in another district which does offer Title VII protection to same-sex victims. But should geography dictate protection? The federal courts are currently split as to whether a claim of sexual harassment between members of the same gender is actionable under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. In the absence of legislative guidance or direction by the United States Supreme Court, the federal district courts have struggled with the question of whether a claim is actionable when the parties to a sexual harassment lawsuit are of the same gender. Texas federal judges have explained that sexual harassment is discriminatory because it deprives the victim of the right to participate in the workplace on equal footing with others similarly situated. Regardless of whether the offending harasser is motivated by the sexual orientation of the victim, nonconformity to gender stereotypes, or to police gender in the workplace, the victim is placed on unequal footing. In sexual harassment situations, sexual conduct is just another way an employee exerts power over another employee. Such conduct is another way of discriminating against employees in a way which has nothing to do with job performance. Labeling discriminatory conduct as homosexual harassment, does not change the character of the prohibited conduct or its purpose. Such conduct should be no more tolerated by the law than other forms of discrimination because it perpetuates gender stereotypes. Courts should focus on the misconduct of the harasser instead of their genders, thus rendering the genders irrelevant

Regulation of Hyphal Morphogenesis and the DNA Damage Response by the \u3ci\u3eAspergillus nidulans\u3c/i\u3e ATM Homolog \u3ci\u3eAtmA\u3c/i\u3e

Ataxia telangiectasia (A-T) is an inherited disorder characterized by progressive loss of motor function and susceptibility to cancer. The most prominent clinical feature observed in A-T patients is the degeneration of Purkinje motor neurons. Numerous studies have emphasized the role of the affected gene product, ATM, in the regulation of the DNA damage response. However, in Purkinje cells, the bulk of ATM localizes to the cytoplasm and may play a role in vesicle trafficking. The nature of this function, and its involvement in the pathology underlying A-T, remain unknown. Here we characterize the homolog of ATM (AtmA) in the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans. In addition to its expected role in the DNA damage response, we find that AtmA is also required for polarized hyphal growth. We demonstrate that an atmA mutant fails to generate a stable axis of hyphal polarity. Notably, cytoplasmic microtubules display aberrant cortical interactions at the hyphal tip. Our results suggest that AtmA regulates the function and/or localization of landmark proteins required for the formation of a polarity axis. We propose that a similar function may contribute to the establishment of neuronal polarity

Two interacting diffusing particles on low-dimensional discrete structures

In this paper we study the motion of two particles diffusing on low-dimensional discrete structures in presence of a hard-core repulsive interaction. We show that the problem can be mapped in two decoupled problems of single particles diffusing on different graphs by a transformation we call 'diffusion graph transform'. This technique is applied to study two specific cases: the narrow comb and the ladder lattice. We focus on the determination of the long time probabilities for the contact between particles and their reciprocal crossing. We also obtain the mean square dispersion of the particles in the case of the narrow comb lattice. The case of a sticking potential and of 'vicious' particles are discussed.Comment: 9 pages, 6 postscript figures, to appear in 'Journal of Physics A',-January 200