Dismiss, Distort, Distract, and Dismay: Continuity and Change in Russian Disinformation IES Policy Brief Issue 2016/13•May 2016

Russian disinformation is not new. It demonstrates more continuity than change from its Soviet antecedents. The most signi cant changes are the lack of a universal ideology and the evolution of means of delivery. Putin’s Russkii mir (Russian World) is not as universal in its appeal as Soviet communism was. On the other hand, Russia has updated how it disseminates its disinformation. The Soviet experience with disinformation can be divided into two theatres: offensive disinformation, which sought to in uence decision-makers and public opinion abroad and defensive, which sought to in uence Soviet citizens. This study will examine Soviet offensive and defensive disinformation and compare it to Russian offensive and defensive disinformation

Halos around edge-on disk galaxies in the SDSS

We present a statistical analysis of halo emission for a sample of 1047 edge-on disk galaxies imaged in five bands by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). Stacking the homogeneously rescaled images of the galaxies, we can measure surface brightnesses as deep as mu_r~31 mag/arcsec^2. The results strongly support the almost ubiquitous presence of stellar halos around disk galaxies, whose spatial distribution is well described by a power-law $\rho\propto r^{-3}$, in a moderately flattened spheroid (c/a~0.6). The colour estimates in g-r and r-i, although uncertain, give a clear indication for extremely red stellar populations, hinting at old ages and/or non-negligible metal enrichment. These results support the idea of halos being assembled via early merging of satellite galaxies.Comment: 15 pages, 9 figures. Accepted for publication on MNRAS. Version with full resolution images available at http://www.mpa-garching.mpg.de/~zibetti/papers/halos_edgeon.pd

Statistical Forecasting Models Used to Predict Daily Patient Volumes in the Emergency Department: A Proposal for a Systematic Review

Background: The existing and projected worldwide shortage of nurses requires numerous distinct solutions to prevent a healthcare crisis. Proposed solutions typically address the situation from different angles, including identifying ways to add new nurses to the workforce, or finding new ways to work with limited resources. This review examines the efficacy of forecasting demand in one area of the hospital, understanding the potential of its uses for short-term resource balancing and projection of need. This systematic review will provide a current synopsis of the research published since the fall of 2007, expanding on Wargon and colleagues’ A systematic review of models for forecasting the number of emergency department visits, published in 2009. Purpose: Systematic review of the literature surveying statistical forecasting models used to predict daily patient volumes in the emergency department. Design / Methods / Plan: A current survey of published studies designed to predict patient visits to the emergency department will be produced. Wargon and colleagues’ 2009 review will be used as a template. The PubMed database was searched for English language studies published between 23 September 2007 and 30 June 2017, using the criteria “emergency service[mh] AND (forecasting[all] OR scheduling) AND (simulation OR models, theoretical[mh])”. Accessed 20 July 2017, this search retrieved 446 results. Excluded from the results were articles not considered research; research that was not forecasting emergency department visits; research that was not specific to models of forecasting; research of models forecasting admissions or using admission-related criteria; research of models forecasting surge and related events; long-term forecasting of trends used for strategic purposes; forecasting focused on a specific population (i.e., pediatrics); and forecast models that focus solely on external events or data such as holidays, weather, etc. This resulted in a selection of 20 published research articles to include in the review. The reference lists of these selected articles were then scanned for research that was not previously discovered and which did not meet the aforementioned exclusion criteria. This resulted in the addition of four more review articles. Results: TBD Timeframe: TBD. Completion ideally in summer/fall of 2018, dependent on recruitment of required team members. Proposed team includes minimum of one, preferably two statisticians, along with one additional registered nurse or ‘functional expert’. This team will comprise the group who will complete the systematic review for publication

Empirical Analysis of Aerial Camera Filters for Shoreline Mapping

Accurate, up-to-date national shoreline is critical in defining the territorial limits of the Unites States, updating nautical charts, and managing coastal resources. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) delineates the interpreted shoreline photogrammetrically using tide-coordinated stereo photography acquired with black-and-white infrared emulsion. In this paper, we present the results of a two-phased study aimed at quantifying the effect of camera filter selection on the interpreted shoreline when utilizing this method of shoreline mapping

An Augustinian analysis of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty

Applying the Christian principles of depraved human nature, expectation of detrimental behavior from irrational actors, and rational attempts to limit the destructiveness of war, Augustine would conclude that the declared nuclear weapons states have a moral obligation to prevent proliferation of nuclear weapons. Laws suitable to the needs of the times are the appropriate method for accomplishing this. The pending Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) is one such law. Because the CTBT bans all nuclear explosions and establishes an intrusive inspection scheme, it will have an impact on the U. S. Department of Energy (DoE). DoE should respond by participating in the new inspection organization, by interpreting findings resulting from inspections, and by continuing management of the Nevada Test Site. The CTBT may be efficacious in preventing nuclear weapons proliferation in the short term. Considering a longer-term perspective, a frightening prospect emerges as a result of an Augustinian assessment of human nature

Boeing: Arc Jet Exposure of Ablative Non-Oxide CMC TPS for Planetary Probe and Sample Return Applications

NASA Game Changing Development (GCD) provided Boeing support under a Space Act Agreement (SAA) for arc jet sample design, CFD support and arc jet test time of stagnation and shear models for 3 Boeing TPS materials: BLA (Boeing Lightweight Ablator, 18, 21 and 22 densities), BPA (Boeing Phenolic Ablator, standard, graded density, or without reinforcement) and Non-oxide high temperature ceramic composite for structurally integrated TPS (SITPS). Results: For BLA, tested successfully to 500 W/cm heat flux and heat loads up to 12 kJ/cm with shear loads up to 370 Pa. The BPA 2017 formulation tested successfully to 1500 W/cm and 80 kJ/cm, with shear loads up to 250 Pa. For SITIPS, Boeing fabricated C/SiC laminate materials survived testing in shear

Theoretical investigation on potential of zero free charge of (111) and (100) surfaces of Group 10 and 11 metals

The potential of zero free charge (PZFC) value is a crucial parameter in electrochemistry. However, the evaluations of PZFC have traditionally been difficult. To overcome this challenge, we applied a hybrid solvation method that incorporates, both an explicit water layer next to the metal surface and an implicit water layer, combined with density functional theory (DFT) to simplify the PZFC evaluation. Using the (111) and (100) surfaces of Group 10 and 11 metals as model systems, we calculated their PZFC values, which showed excellent agreement with the reported data. This great match validates the accuracy and reliability of our theoretical approach. Notably, we observed that the surface structure and the orientation of water molecules have a significant influence on the PZFC values of the metals. Our study, therefore, paves the way for efficiently and accurately calculating the PZFC values of materials, which can greatly benefit their practical applications.Comment: 26 pages, 7 figures, paper contribution to thesi