Ethnic Disparities in Sentencing and the Washington Sentencing Reform Act: The Case of Yakima County

An important issue confronting the criminal justice system is sentencing disparity. Sentencing disparity involves inequitable sanctions imposed on individuals who have committed similar offenses. These inequalities in sentencing patterns have allegedly centered on group differences and may reflect an ethnic or racial bias

Changing perceptions of archaeology in post-Katrina New Orleans: a geographic information perspective

Hurricane Katrina had a significant impact on the number and distribution of known archaeological sites in New Orleans, Louisiana. Due to government mandated investigation in heavily damaged areas, many archaeological sites were recorded in geographic locations where there were previously none recorded. This thesis examined the spatial distribution of sites in the context of archaeological predictive modeling to determine the impact of disaster recovery on site location. In addition, decision making processes that led to the discovery of sites were examined to determine how they contributed to spatial bias in the distribution of sites recognized by the Louisiana Division of Archaeology. Sites were categorized based on the types of investigations that led to their discovery: academic research, development or disaster recovery. They were then subjected to spatial and statistical analysis methods to demonstrate geographic differences between categories. Differences in mean elevation and distance to water between site categories were found to be statistically significant. Spatial clusters were identified that were unique to each site category indicating that they were also spatially different. This study indicated that clusters of sites observed within the known site distribution were the result of biased survey methods rather than an accurate representation of the varying density of archaeological deposits throughout New Orleans. As a result, the use of known sites for predictive modeling in New Orleans is highly problematic and needs to be evaluated further. A different conceptual model of New Orleans archaeology was then proposed that considers the city as a single site that can be modeled as having varying degrees of archaeological sensitivity across geographic space

A Performance evaluation of rounded and backed books vs. square backed books

The purpose of this research is to evaluate the performance of rounded and backed books against books left square backed. The variables which are introduced into the study will enable the results to provide needed information on the performance of the many different binding constructions librarians and library binders are confronted with. Rounding and backing is an optional operation when binding a book, an operation which is sometimes by-passed on smaller books. A book that is not rounded and backed is square backed. It is suspected that rounding and backing a book will indeed enhance its performance and durability, therefore guaranteeing more circulations and a longer life. The books were tested in the Dudley A. Weiss Book Testing Laboratory at Rochester Institute of Technology. The testing procedures used, the Tumble Tester and the Universal Book Tester, were designed to accelerate simulated book usage. During the destructive testing, visual observations were made at progressive time intervals to determine the effects of rounding and backing versus square backed, thus answering all the questions stated in the objectives section in Chapter 2. Upon the completion of all testing, the observations were summarized to determine what effect rounding and backing had on the performance of the books. Many very interesting observations were made. When rounding and backing a book, the ridge that is formed when bending the pages or signatures over one-another, does indeed provide added support to the joint strength and the binding. However ; to assure the best possible performance of a rounded and backed book, it is important that a uniform layer of joint adhesive is applied. A book lacking good joint adhesion will destruct much faster than a book guaranteed to have optimum joint adhesion, whether rounded and backed or square backed

Selective Laser Sintering of Zirconia with Micro-Scale Features

Recent work in Selective Laser Sintering of ceramics at the University of Texas at Austin demonstrates the capability to produce zirconia parts with fine features. Zirconia powder was pre-processed into spherical particles, laser sintered with a sacrificial polymer binder, infiltrated and post-sintered to higher density. Optical micrographs show that hole sizes of 180 /-tm are possible in fully ceramic components.Mechanical Engineerin

The average magnetic field draping and consistent plasma properties of the Venus magnetotail

A new technique has been developed to determine the average structure of the Venus magnetotail (in the range from −8 Rv to −12 Rv) from the Pioneer Venus magnetometer observations. The spacecraft position with respect to the cross-tail current sheet is determined from an observed relationship between the field-draping angle and the magnitude of the field referenced to its value in the nearby magnetosheath. This allows us statistically to remove the effects of tail flapping and variability of draping for the first time and thus to map the average field configuration in the Venus tail. From this average configuration we calculate the cross-tail current density distribution and J × B forces. Continuity of the tangential electric field is utilized to determine the average variations of the X-directed velocity which is shown to vary from −250 km/s at −8 Rv to −470 km/s at −12 Rv. From the calculated J × B forces, plasma velocity, and MHD momentum equation the approximate plasma acceleration, density, and temperature in the Venus tail are determined. The derived ion density is approximately ∼0.07 p+/cm³ (0.005 O+/cm³) in the lobes and ∼0.9 p+/cm³ (0.06 O+/cm³) in the current sheet, while the derived approximate average plasma temperature for the tail is ∼6×106 K for a hydrogen plasma or ∼9×107 K for an oxygen plasma

Magnetospheric plasma pressures in the midnight meridian: Observations from 2.5 to 35 RE

Plasma pressure data from the ISEE 2 fast plasma experiment (FPE) were statistically analyzed to determine the plasma sheet pressure versus distance in the midnight local time sector of the near-earth (12–35 RE) magnetotail plasma sheet. The observed plasma pressure, assumed isotropic, was mapped along model magnetic field flux tubes (obtained from the Tsyganenko and Usmanov [1982] model) to the magnetic equator, sorted according to magnetic activity, and binned according to the mapped equatorial location. In regions (L ≳ 12 RE) where the bulk of the plasma pressure was contributed by particles in the energy range of the FPE (70 eV to 40 keV for ions), the statistically determined peak plasma pressures vary with distance similarly to previously determined lobe magnetic pressures (i.e., in a time-averaged sense, pressure balance normal to the magnetotail magnetic equator in the midnight meridian is maintained between lobe magnetic and plasma sheet plasma pressures). Additional plasma pressure data obtained in the inner magnetosphere (2.5 \u3c L \u3c 7) by the Explorer 45, ATS 5, and AMPTE CCE spacecraft supplement the ISEE 2 data. Estimates of plasma pressures in the “transition” region (7–12 RE), where the magnetic field topology changes rapidly from a dipolar to a tail-like configuration, are compared with the observed pressure profiles. The quiet time “transition” region pressure estimates, obtained previously from inversions of empirical magnetic field models, bridge observations both interior to and exterior to the “transition” region in a reasonable manner. Quiet time observations and estimates are combined to provide profiles of the equatorial plasma pressure along the midnight meridian between 2.5 and 35 RE

Gene Expression and Profiling of Human Islet Cell Subtypes

The endocrine pancreas contains multiple cell types co-localized into clusters called the islets of Langerhans. The predominant cell types include alpha and beta cells, which produce glucagon and insulin, respectively. The regulated release of these hormones maintains whole body glucose homeostasis, essential to prevent complications from diabetes (e.g. blindness, kidney failure, and cardiovascular disease). In type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune reaction destroys the beta cells and patients must monitor their blood sugar levels and inject insulin in order to maintain euglycemia. In type 2 diabetes, the beta cells fail to produce sufficient insulin to overcome the individual’s decreased insulin sensitivity. Most studies to date have focused on whole islets, which are very heterogeneous. Recent focus has shifted to studying the individual islet cell subsets (i.e. alpha, beta, delta, PP, and other cell types). Unlike immunological cells, surface molecule reagents do not yet exist to specifically distinguish beta from alpha cells. We have successfully isolated pure populations of insulin producing beta cells and glucagon producing alpha cells by using intracellular hormone staining and fluorescence activated cell sorting. We present data that describe the ratio of beta cells to alpha cells across gender, age, and BMI. Further, we have characterized the miRNA profiles of alpha and beta cells and have begun to investigate the unique gene expression patterns of the two cell types. By developing the ability to profile multiple characteristics of alpha and beta cells, we hope to determine how gene, miRNA, and protein profiles change under environmental conditions that lead to beta cell failure, and others that may promote beta cell health or stimulate beta cell growth and proliferation