Executive Secrets: Covert Action and the Presidency

A frank and refreshing evaluation of several Chief Executives, their Directors of Central Intelligence, and even some lower in the hierarchy, Executive Secrets shines light on the development and execution of foreign policy through the understanding of the tools available, of which covert action may be least known and understood. This book is a great tool for the press, the public, and many political appointees in the National Security System. A History Book Club Selection with a foreword by Mark Bowden, author of Black Hawk Down. [Daugherty] gives a frank and refreshing evaluation of several Chief Executives, their Directors of Central Intelligence, and even some lover in the hierarchy. Anyone interested or involved in the development and execution of foreign policy must know the tools available, of which covert action may be least known and understood. This understanding is also pertinent to a wider audience: the press, the public, and many political appointees in the National Security system. This book should help. -- Air Power History A most informative study of covert action.... This well-researched, thoughtful book is a valuable work that will be treasured by scholars and professionals in the field. Highly recommended. -- Choice A hard-hitting, balanced and highly successful effort to deal with the issue of presidential responsibility for covert action. -- John Stempel, Patterson School of Diplomacy, University of Kentucky Daugherty has done us all a tremendous service by attempting to rescue the Agency from the myths, both well-meaning and malevolent, that shape our understanding of it. . . . This book ought to dispel some of the fog that obscures our understanding of the C.I.A. and that prompts the gigantic mood swings in our attitude toward intelligence gathering and covert actions. -- Mark Bowden, from the foreword There are some interesting and carefully drawn vignettes of covert operations here that demonstrate a skillful blending of declassified documents, investigative reports, and secondary sources. It is these case studies that make this one of those essential works for specialists in intelligence policy. -- Register of the Kentucky Historical Society If you are a keen observer of the agency, this one will interest and instruct you. -- Rockland (ME) Courier-Gazette Offers a richly textured book that clears up some common misconceptions of the CIA, as well as an insider\u27s perspective on how covert action really works, or fails. -- Savannah (GA) Morning News Readers of this timely and occasionally revelatory account may be surprised to learn that President Carter approved a covert action program to attack the internal legitimacy of the Soviet system, and that he repeatedly relied on covert action to achieve his foreign policy aims. -- Zbigniew Brzezinski Named a 2005 Choice Outstanding Academic Title. [Daugherty] has done a great service for those wanting to seriously understand the realistic capabilities of the organization. This is not an easy task, for the CIA has been the subject of many books, movies, and certain mindsets in the population. --Foreign Area Officer Journalhttps://uknowledge.uky.edu/upk_political_science_american_politics/1038/thumbnail.jp

Factors Determining Success In Practice

There are certain tangible, and many intangible factors which determine whether or not we become known as a successful practitioner. Of the tangible factors, professional knowledge and our particular practice territory are paramount. Professional knowledge, while it is not easy to acquire, is certainly made available to us while we are attending veterinary college. Experience is naturally an important adjunct to formal education, but this comes only with time. Formal education is merely a means by which we can take advantage of the experiences others have had. As far as professional knowledge is concerned, we usually have sufficient for successful practice

Spatial variation analysis of salinity to determine fluid flow pathways and reservoir compartmentalization in a deepwater Gulf of Mexico field

Variations in salinity have been documented in previous studies onshore Louisiana in the Wilcox group (Funayama and Hanor 1995) as well as offshore Louisiana on the continental shelf (Bruno and Hanor 2003 and Steen et al. 2011). These studies were conducted using various methods to estimate pore water salinity and make inferences about possible fluid flow pathways and compartmentalization of reservoirs in order to better understand the complex hydrogeology of the Gulf of Mexico. Similar variations in salinity were documented in this study located in a deepwater salt withdrawal minibasin located on the upper slope of the Gulf of Mexico. Data that supported this study included digital well logs, 2D seismic lines and whole core analysis.Using a dual conductance model outlined in Revil et al. (1998) this study was able to calculate salinity from digital gamma ray, deep resistivity and density porosity well logs. This technique allowed for the estimation of salinity where there was well log coverage creating a salinity well log similar to standard well logs used in industry. Variations in salinity were documented between each section of the study area as well in each wellbore and correlated to structures such as salt and faults in order to make inferences about possible fluid flow pathways. Two hydrogeologic regimes, a hydropressured and overpressured regime, were described in each wellbore and illustrated the vertical and lateral variations in salinity across the study area. The hydropressured regime exhibited salinities that were approximately equal to normal marine salinity and the overpressured regime had multiple variations in salinities within each well. These hydrogeologic regimes and their associate salinity profiles are the result of complex fluid migration pathways associated with salt structures and faulting in the Gulf of Mexico

F-106B airplane active control landing gear drop test performance

Aircraft dynamic loads and vibrations resulting from landing impact and from runway and taxiway unevenness are recognized as significant factors in causing fatigue damage, dynamic stress on the airframe, crew and passenger discomfort, and reduction of the pilot's ability to control the aircraft during ground operations. One potential method for improving operational characteristics of aircraft on the ground is the application of active control technology to the landing gears to reduce ground loads applied to the airframe. An experimental investigation was conducted on series-hydraulic active control nose gear. The experiments involved testing the gear in both passive and active control modes. Results of this investigation show that a series-hydraulic active control gear is feasible and that such a gear is effective in reducing the loads transmitted by the gear to the airframe during ground operations

TESTING OF TMR SAND MANTIS FINAL REPORT

Screening tests of Sand Mantis candidate materials selected for erosion resistance have been completed. The results of this testing identified that over a relatively short period of operation (<1 hour), measurable erosion will occur in each of the candidate zoom tube materials given equal operating exposure. Additionally, this testing has shown that erosion of the rubber discharge hose directly downstream of the vehicle could be expected to limit the service life of the discharge hose. On the basis of these test results, SRNL recommends the following; {lg_bullet} redesign of critical system components (e.g., zoom tube, discharge hose) should be conducted to improve system characteristics relative to erosion and capitalize on the results of this testing, {lg_bullet} continued efforts to deploy the Sand Mantis should include testing to better define and optimize operating parameters, and gain an understanding of system dynamics, {lg_bullet} discontinue wear testing with the selected materials pending redesign of critical system components (1st recommendation) and inclusion of other candidate materials. The final selection of additional candidate materials should be made following design changes, but might include a Stellite alloy or zirconia

Positive predictive value of a case definition for diabetes mellitus using automated administrative health data in children and youth exposed to antipsychotic drugs or control medications.

We developed and validated an automated database case definition for diabetes in children and youth to facilitate pharmacoepidemiologic investigations of medications and the risk of diabetes. The present study was part of an in-progress retrospective cohort study of antipsychotics and diabetes in Tennessee Medicaid enrollees aged 6–24 years. Diabetes was identified from diabetes-related medical care encounters: hospitalizations, outpatient visits, and filled prescriptions. The definition required either a primary inpatient diagnosis or at least two other encounters of different types, most commonly an outpatient diagnosis with a prescription. Type 1 diabetes was defined by insulin prescriptions with at most one oral hypoglycemic prescription; other cases were considered type 2 diabetes. The definition was validated for cohort members in the 15 county region geographically proximate to the investigators. Medical records were reviewed and adjudicated for cases that met the automated database definition as well as for a sample of persons with other diabetes-related medical care encounters. The study included 64 cases that met the automated database definition. Records were adjudicated for 46 (71.9%), of which 41 (89.1%) met clinical criteria for newly diagnosed diabetes. The positive predictive value for type 1 diabetes was 80.0%. For type 2 and unspecified diabetes combined, the positive predictive value was 83.9%. The estimated sensitivity of the definition, based on adjudication for a sample of 30 cases not meeting the automated database definition, was 64.8%. These results suggest that the automated database case definition for diabetes may be useful for pharmacoepidemiologic studies of medications and diabetes

Life in Hot Carbon Monoxide: The Complete Genome Sequence of Carboxydothermus hydrogenoformans Z-2901

We report here the sequencing and analysis of the genome of the thermophilic bacterium Carboxydothermus hydrogenoformans Z-2901. This species is a model for studies of hydrogenogens, which are diverse bacteria and archaea that grow anaerobically utilizing carbon monoxide (CO) as their sole carbon source and water as an electron acceptor, producing carbon dioxide and hydrogen as waste products. Organisms that make use of CO do so through carbon monoxide dehydrogenase complexes. Remarkably, analysis of the genome of C. hydrogenoformans reveals the presence of at least five highly differentiated anaerobic carbon monoxide dehydrogenase complexes, which may in part explain how this species is able to grow so much more rapidly on CO than many other species. Analysis of the genome also has provided many general insights into the metabolism of this organism which should make it easier to use it as a source of biologically produced hydrogen gas. One surprising finding is the presence of many genes previously found only in sporulating species in the Firmicutes Phylum. Although this species is also a Firmicutes, it was not known to sporulate previously. Here we show that it does sporulate and because it is missing many of the genes involved in sporulation in other species, this organism may serve as a “minimal” model for sporulation studies. In addition, using phylogenetic profile analysis, we have identified many uncharacterized gene families found in all known sporulating Firmicutes, but not in any non-sporulating bacteria, including a sigma factor not known to be involved in sporulation previously

Synergistic drug combinations from electronic health records and gene expression.

ObjectiveUsing electronic health records (EHRs) and biomolecular data, we sought to discover drug pairs with synergistic repurposing potential. EHRs provide real-world treatment and outcome patterns, while complementary biomolecular data, including disease-specific gene expression and drug-protein interactions, provide mechanistic understanding.MethodWe applied Group Lasso INTERaction NETwork (glinternet), an overlap group lasso penalty on a logistic regression model, with pairwise interactions to identify variables and interacting drug pairs associated with reduced 5-year mortality using EHRs of 9945 breast cancer patients. We identified differentially expressed genes from 14 case-control human breast cancer gene expression datasets and integrated them with drug-protein networks. Drugs in the network were scored according to their association with breast cancer individually or in pairs. Lastly, we determined whether synergistic drug pairs found in the EHRs were enriched among synergistic drug pairs from gene-expression data using a method similar to gene set enrichment analysis.ResultsFrom EHRs, we discovered 3 drug-class pairs associated with lower mortality: anti-inflammatories and hormone antagonists, anti-inflammatories and lipid modifiers, and lipid modifiers and obstructive airway drugs. The first 2 pairs were also enriched among pairs discovered using gene expression data and are supported by molecular interactions in drug-protein networks and preclinical and epidemiologic evidence.ConclusionsThis is a proof-of-concept study demonstrating that a combination of complementary data sources, such as EHRs and gene expression, can corroborate discoveries and provide mechanistic insight into drug synergism for repurposing

Prospectus, May 10, 1983

s fashions; Lack of experience causes motorcycle accidents; Park District kicks off summer season; Park Districts begin new Life campaign; Summer brings quality; Graduation 1983 -- Tears and Laughter!; When were The Good Old Days?; Gayle Wright: Parkland\u27s early morning fisherman; Classified; D.J.\u27s honored; Return of the Jedi worth standing in line for; Blue Thunder: the ultimate weapon; MTD announces Roadeo winnerhttps://spark.parkland.edu/prospectus_1983/1016/thumbnail.jp