Writing For Publication

In writing an unsatisfactory fitness report on Alfred Thayer Mahan, a critical senior used this blunt statement: It is not the business of naval officers to write books. Yet today there are numerous reasons why naval officers should write for publication. Perhaps the most important is the preservation of one\u27s knowledge and wisdom in a particular area

Book Reviews

Reviews of the following books: A History of Livermore by Reginald H. Sturtevant; Wake of the Coasters by John F. Leavit

Book Reviews

Reviews of the following books: A History of Lumbering in Maine: 1861-1960 by David C. Smith; Edward Preble: A Naval Biography: 1761-1807 by Christopher McKee; New England and the Sea by Robert G. Albion, William A. Baker, Benjamin W. Larabee and Marion V. Brewington; Naval and Maritime History: An Annotated Bibliography by Robert G. Albio

A Multi-wavelength Study of the Host Environment of SMBHB 4C+37.11

4C+37.11, at z=0.055 shows two compact radio nuclei, imaged by VLBI at 7mas separation, making it the closest known resolved super-massive black hole binary (SMBHB). An important question is whether this unique object is young, caught on the way to a gravitational in-spiral and merger, or has `stalled' at 7pc. We describe new radio/optical/X-ray observations of the massive host and its surrounding X-ray halo. These data reveal X-ray/optical channels following the radio outflow and large scale edges in the X-ray halo. These structures are promising targets for further study which should elucidate their relationship to the unique SMBHB core.Comment: To appear in the Astrophysical Journa

Filling in the Gaps in the 4.85 GHz Sky

We describe a 4.85 GHz survey of bright, flat-spectrum radio sources conducted with the Effelsberg 100 m telescope in an attempt to improve the completeness of existing surveys, such as CRATES. We report the results of these observations and of follow-up 8.4 GHz observations with the VLA of a subset of the sample. We comment on the connection to the WMAP point source catalog and on the survey's effectiveness at supplementing the CRATES sky coverage.Comment: 13 pages, 3 figures, 2 tables. Accepted for publication in the Astronomical Journal. Tables available in electronic form: http://astro.stanford.edu/gaps

G55.0+0.3: A Highly Evolved Supernova Remnant

Multi-frequency analysis has revealed the presence of a new supernova remnant, G55.0+0.3, in the Galactic plane. A kinematic distance of 14 kpc has been measured from HI spectral line data. The faint, clumpy half-shell is non-thermal and has a physical radius of 70 pc. Using an evolutionary model, the age of the remnant is estimated to be on the order of one million years, which exceeds conventional limits by a factor of five. The remnant may be associated with the nearby pulsar J1932+2020, which has a spin-down age of 1.1 million years. This work implies that the radiative lifetimes of remnants could be much longer than previously suggested.Comment: 27 pages, 7 figures in 9 files (figures 1 and 2 require 2 files each), Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal (Jan. 20, 1998 volume

The Portable Dynamic Fundus Instrument: Uses in telemedicine and research

For years ophthalmic photographs have been used to track the progression of many ocular diseases such as macular degeneration and glaucoma as well as the ocular manifestations of diabetes, hypertension, and hypoxia. In 1987 a project was initiated at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) to develop a means of monitoring retinal vascular caliber and intracranial pressure during space flight. To conduct telemedicine during space flight operations, retinal images would require real-time transmissions from space. Film-based images would not be useful during in-flight operations. Video technology is beneficial in flight because the images may be acquired, recorded, and transmitted to the ground for rapid computer digital image processing and analysis. The computer analysis techniques developed for this project detected vessel caliber changes as small as 3 percent. In the field of telemedicine, the Portable Dynamic Fundus Instrument demonstrates the concept and utility of a small, self-contained video funduscope. It was used to record retinal images during the Gulf War and to transmit retinal images from the Space Shuttle Columbia during STS-50. There are plans to utilize this device to provide a mobile ophthalmic screening service in rural Texas. In the fall of 1993 a medical team in Boulder, Colorado, will transmit real-time images of the retina during remote consultation and diagnosis. The research applications of this device include the capability of operating in remote locations or small, confined test areas. There has been interest shown utilizing retinal imaging during high-G centrifuge tests, high-altitude chamber tests, and aircraft flight tests. A new design plan has been developed to incorporate the video instrumentation into face-mounted goggle. This design would eliminate head restraint devices, thus allowing full maneuverability to the subjects. Further development of software programs will broaden the application of the Portable Dynamic Fundus Instrument in telemedicine and medical research

High Temperature, Wireless Seismometer Sensor for Venus

Space agency mission plans state the need to measure the seismic activity on Venus. Because of the high temperature on Venus (462? C average surface temperature) and the difficulty in placing and wiring multiple sensors using robots, a high temperature, wireless sensor using a wide bandgap semiconductor is an attractive option. This paper presents the description and proof of concept measurements of a high temperature, wireless seismometer sensor for Venus. A variation in inductance of a coil caused by the movement of an aluminum probe held in the coil and attached to a balanced leaf-spring seismometer causes a variation of 700 Hz in the transmitted signal from the oscillator/sensor system at 426? C. This result indicates that the concept may be used on Venus

Diagnostic omission errors in acute paediatric practice: impact of a reminder system on decision-making

BACKGROUND: Diagnostic error is a significant problem in specialities characterised by diagnostic uncertainty such as primary care, emergency medicine and paediatrics. Despite wide-spread availability, computerised aids have not been shown to significantly improve diagnostic decision-making in a real world environment, mainly due to the need for prolonged system consultation. In this study performed in the clinical environment, we used a Web-based diagnostic reminder system that provided rapid advice with free text data entry to examine its impact on clinicians' decisions in an acute paediatric setting during assessments characterised by diagnostic uncertainty. METHODS: Junior doctors working over a 5-month period at four paediatric ambulatory units consulted the Web-based diagnostic aid when they felt the need for diagnostic assistance. Subjects recorded their clinical decisions for patients (differential diagnosis, test-ordering and treatment) before and after system consultation. An expert panel of four paediatric consultants independently suggested clinically significant decisions indicating an appropriate and 'safe' assessment. The primary outcome measure was change in the proportion of 'unsafe' workups by subjects during patient assessment. A more sensitive evaluation of impact was performed using specific validated quality scores. Adverse effects of consultation on decision-making, as well as the additional time spent on system use were examined. RESULTS: Subjects attempted to access the diagnostic aid on 595 occasions during the study period (8.6% of all medical assessments); subjects examined diagnostic advice only in 177 episodes (30%). Senior House Officers at hospitals with greater number of available computer workstations in the clinical area were most likely to consult the system, especially out of working hours. Diagnostic workups construed as 'unsafe' occurred in 47/104 cases (45.2%); this reduced to 32.7% following system consultation (McNemar test, p < 0.001). Subjects' mean 'unsafe' workups per case decreased from 0.49 to 0.32 (p < 0.001). System advice prompted the clinician to consider the 'correct' diagnosis (established at discharge) during initial assessment in 3/104 patients. Median usage time was 1 min 38 sec (IQR 50 sec – 3 min 21 sec). Despite a modest increase in the number of diagnostic possibilities entertained by the clinician, no adverse effects were demonstrable on patient management following system use. Numerous technical barriers prevented subjects from accessing the diagnostic aid in the majority of eligible patients in whom they sought diagnostic assistance. CONCLUSION: We have shown that junior doctors used a Web-based diagnostic reminder system during acute paediatric assessments to significantly improve the quality of their diagnostic workup and reduce diagnostic omission errors. These benefits were achieved without any adverse effects on patient management following a quick consultation

Time-Dependent Simulations of Fast-Wave Heated High-Non-Inductive-Fraction H-Mode Plasmas in the National Spherical Torus Experiment Upgrade

30 MHz fast-wave heating may be an effective tool for non-inductively ramping low-current plasmas to a level suitable for initiating up to 12 MW of neutral beam injection on the National Spherical Tokamak Experiment Upgrade (NSTX-U). Previously on NSTX 30 MHz fast wave heating was shown to efficiently and rapidly heat electrons; at the NSTX maximum axial toroidal magnetic field (BT(0)) of 0.55 T, 1.4 MW of 30 MHz heating increased the central electron temperature from 0.2 to 2 keV in 30 ms and generated an H-mode plasma with a non-inductive fraction (fNI) ∼ 0.7 at a plasma current (Ip) of 300 kA. NSTX-U will operate at BT(0) up to 1 T, with up to 4 MW of 30 MHz power (Prf). Predictive TRANSP free boundary transport simulations, using the TORIC full wave spectral code to calculate the fast-wave heating and current drive, have been run for NSTX-U Ip = 300 kA H-mode plasmas. Favorable scaling of fNI with 30 MHz heating power is predicted, with fNI ≥ 1 for Prf ≥ 2 MW