DEFENSE BUDGETING DYNAMICS: THE RELATIONSHIPS AMONG LATE BUDGETS AND LATE APPROPRIATIONS AND THE CONTENT OF CONTINUING RESOLUTIONS

To better prepare the Department of Defense (DOD) against the negative effects of late appropriations and their resultant continuing resolutions (CRs), our research covers three primary areas: 50 years of Presidential Budget (PB) submissions, Congressional Budget Resolutions (BR), and DOD Authorization and Appropriation Act data. First, our research conducts a historical trend analysis intended to highlight positive, negative, and neutral tendencies. Second, our research aims to determine which federal budgetary deliverable has the strongest correlation to appropriation timeliness. Finally, our research examines how CRs have evolved over time across six basic characteristics: frequency of CRs, CR anomalies, supplemental appropriations and anomalies, CR duration, CR page length, and funding rates. Our research indicated significant evidence to support that budgetary deliverable timeliness is getting worse, that political variables are both strongly correlated and highly influential throughout the data, and that CRs have dynamically shifted in funding structure, length, and frequency throughout the years covered by this research.Captain, United States ArmyLieutenant Commander, United States NavyApproved for public release. Distribution is unlimited

Identification and Mitigation of Conducting Package Losses for Quantum Superconducting Devices

Low-loss superconducting microwave devices are required for quantum computation. Here, we present a series of measurements and simulations showing that conducting losses in the packaging of our superconducting resonator devices affect the maximum achievable internal quality factors (Qi) for a series of thin-film Al quarter-wave resonators with fundamental resonant frequencies varying between 4.9 and 5.8 GHz. By utilizing resonators with different widths and gaps, we sampled different electromagnetic energy volumes for the resonators affecting Qi. When the backside of the sapphire substrate of the resonator device is adhered to a Cu package with a conducting silver glue, a monotonic decrease in the maximum achievable Qi is found as the electromagnetic sampling volume is increased. This is a result of induced currents in large surface resistance regions and dissipation underneath the substrate. By placing a hole underneath the substrate and using superconducting material for the package, we decrease the ohmic losses and increase the maximum Qi for the larger size resonators

An open-label multi-center phase 1 safety study of BXQ-350 in children and young adults with relapsed solid tumors, including recurrent malignant brain tumors

BACKGROUND: BXQ-350 is a novel anti-neoplastic agent composed of saposin C (SapC) and phospholipid dioleoylphosphatidyl-serine sodium (DOPS) that selectively binds tumor cell phosphatidylserine (PS), inducing apoptosis. BXQ-350 has demonstrated preclinical antitumor effects in high-grade gliomas (HGG) and clinical activity in adult patients with recurrent HGG. METHODS: A phase 1 study was conducted in pediatric patients with relapsed/refractory solid tumors, including recurrent brain tumors. Primary objectives were to characterize safety and determine maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and preliminary antitumor activity. Sequential dose cohorts were assessed up to 3.2 mg/kg using an accelerated titration design. Each cycle was 28 days; dosing occurred on days 1-5, 8, 10, 12, 15, and 22 of cycle 1, and day 1 of subsequent cycles, until disease progression or toxicity. RESULTS: Nine patients, median age 10 years (range: 4-23), were enrolled. Seven patients (78%) had central nervous system (CNS) and two (22%) had non-CNS tumors. Eight patients completed cycle 1. No dose limiting toxicity (DLT) or BXQ-350-related serious adverse events (SAEs) were observed. Six patients experienced at least one adverse event (AE) considered possibly BXQ-350-related, most were grade ≤2. One patient with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma experienced stable disease for 5 cycles. The study was terminated after part 1 to focus development on the frontline setting. CONCLUSION: No DLTs or BXQ-350-related SAEs were reported, and the maximal planned dose of 3.2 mg/kg IV was tolerable. Limited safety and efficacy data support continued BXQ-350 development in pediatric HGG; however, early discontinuations for progression suggest novel therapies be assessed at earlier disease stages

The Academics Athletics Trade-off: Universities and Intercollegiate Athletics

This analysis focuses on several key issues in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). The intrinsic benefits of athletic programs are discussed in the first section. Trends in graduation rates and academic performance among athletes and how they correlate with the general student body are discussed in the second section. Finally, an overview of the revenues and expenses of athletic department budgets are discussed in an effort to gain a better understanding of the allocation of funds to athletics. In spite of recent growth in revenues and expenses, the athletic department budget comprises on average only 5 percent of the entire university budget at an FBS school, though spending and revenues have increased dramatically in recent years. In the grand scheme of things, American higher education faces several other, arguably more pressing, areas of reform. However, athletics is a significant and growing dimension of higher education that warrants in-depth examination

FIRE Arctic Clouds Experiment

An overview is given of the First ISCCP Regional Experiment (FIRE) Arctic Clouds Experiment that was conducted in the Arctic during April through July, 1998. The principal goal of the field experiment was to gather the data needed to examine the impact of arctic clouds on the radiation exchange between the surface, atmosphere, and space, and to study how the surface influences the evolution of boundary layer clouds. The observations will be used to evaluate and improve climate model parameterizations of cloud and radiation processes, satellite remote sensing of cloud and surface characteristics, and understanding of cloud-radiation feedbacks in the Arctic. The experiment utilized four research aircraft that flew over surface-based observational sites in the Arctic Ocean and Barrow, Alaska. In this paper we describe the programmatic and science objectives of the project, the experimental design (including research platforms and instrumentation), conditions that were encountered during the field experiment, and some highlights of preliminary observations, modelling, and satellite remote sensing studies

First narrow-band search for continuous gravitational waves from known pulsars in advanced detector data

Spinning neutron stars asymmetric with respect to their rotation axis are potential sources of continuous gravitational waves for ground-based interferometric detectors. In the case of known pulsars a fully coherent search, based on matched filtering, which uses the position and rotational parameters obtained from electromagnetic observations, can be carried out. Matched filtering maximizes the signalto- noise (SNR) ratio, but a large sensitivity loss is expected in case of even a very small mismatch between the assumed and the true signal parameters. For this reason, narrow-band analysis methods have been developed, allowing a fully coherent search for gravitational waves from known pulsars over a fraction of a hertz and several spin-down values. In this paper we describe a narrow-band search of 11 pulsars using data from Advanced LIGO’s first observing run. Although we have found several initial outliers, further studies show no significant evidence for the presence of a gravitational wave signal. Finally, we have placed upper limits on the signal strain amplitude lower than the spin-down limit for 5 of the 11 targets over the bands searched; in the case of J1813-1749 the spin-down limit has been beaten for the first time. For an additional 3 targets, the median upper limit across the search bands is below the spin-down limit. This is the most sensitive narrow-band search for continuous gravitational waves carried out so far

Mechanical quantum sensing in the search for dark matter

Numerous astrophysical and cosmological observations are best explained by the existence of dark matter, a mass density which interacts only very weakly with visible, baryonic matter. Searching for the extremely weak signals produced by this dark matter strongly motivate the development of new, ultra-sensitive detector technologies. Paradigmatic advances in the control and readout of massive mechanical systems, in both the classical and quantum regimes, have enabled unprecedented levels of sensitivity. In this white paper, we outline recent ideas in the potential use of a range of solid-state mechanical sensing technologies to aid in the search for dark matter in a number of energy scales and with a variety of coupling mechanisms

Effects of steroids and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibition on circumferential strain in boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy: a cross-sectional and longitudinal study utilizing cardiovascular magnetic resonance

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Steroid use has prolonged ambulation in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and combined with advances in respiratory care overall management has improved such that cardiac manifestations have become the major cause of death. Unfortunately, there is no consensus for DMD-associated cardiac disease management. Our purpose was to assess effects of steroid use alone or in combination with angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) or angiotension receptor blocker (ARB) on cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) derived circumferential strain (ε_cc).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We used CMR to assess effects of corticosteroids alone (Group A) or in combination with ACEI or ARB (Group B) on heart rate (HR), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), mass (LVM), end diastolic volume (LVEDV) and circumferential strain (ε_cc) in a cohort of 171 DMD patients >5 years of age. Treatment decisions were made independently by physicians at both our institution and referral centers and not based on CMR results.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Patients in Group A (114 studies) were younger than those in Group B (92 studies)(10 ± 2.4 vs. 12.4 ± 3.2 years, p < 0.0001), but HR, LVEF, LVEDV and LVM were not different. Although ε_ccmagnitude was lower in Group B than Group A (-13.8 ± 1.9 vs. -12.8 ± 2.0, p = 0.0004), age correction using covariance analysis eliminated this effect. In a subset of patients who underwent serial CMR exams with an inter-study time of ~15 months, ε_ccworsened regardless of treatment group.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>These results support the need for prospective clinical trials to identify more effective treatment regimens for DMD associated cardiac disease.</p