Crossed Signals in a Wireless World: The Seventh Circuit’s Misapplication of the Complete Preemption Doctrine

As the number of wireless telephone users continues to proliferate, so does the number of lawsuits against wireless service providers. While consumers seek to utilize various consumer-friendly state law causes of action, the wireless industry continues to push for a uniform federal regulatory regime. Ambiguous language in the Federal Communications Act of 1934 ( FCA ) and disagreement among the federal circuits has led to much confusion over whether state law claims affecting wireless rates and market entry are removable to federal court by way of complete preemption. This iBrief argues that FCA\u27s preemption power is limited by its savings clause, failure to establish a comprehensive regulatory scheme, and provision of a significant role for state regulation. Accordingly, the Seventh Circuit erred in Bastien v. AT&T Wireless Services, Inc. when it concluded that the FCA completely preempts certain state law claims against wireless service providers and thereby requires their removal to federal court

When the Public Does Not Have a Right to Know: How the California Public Records Act Is Deterring Bioscience Research and Development

Many bioscience firms collaborate with public research universities to conduct innovative research through sponsored research agreements. Companies sponsoring this research usually require strict confidentiality from their academic partners in order to protect sensitive information that, if revealed, could put them at a competitive disadvantage and threaten their ability to obtain future patents. Yet, ambiguous disclosure requirements in the California Public Records Act preclude California\u27s public research universities from guaranteeing that proprietary information provided in connection with sponsored research agreements will remain confidential. Entering into such agreements with public universities in California is therefore a risky proposition for the sponsors. This iBrief argues that unless this is corrected, many of these public/private partnerships, which often lead to significant advances in science and medicine, may be deterred

Performance of Textured Metallized Teflon Coverings with High Diffuse Reflectance Coefficient in Low Earth Orbit on ISS

Процес модифікації поверхні текстуруванням був розроблений для лицьових поверхонь тефлоновим теплозахисних покриттів напиляних з тильного боку металізованим покриттям Silver-Inconel. Ці теплозахисні покриття приклеювалися на наружні стінки корпусів які містять фотокамери та світлове обладнання на Міжнародній космічній станції. Розроблена технологія, що включає процес текстурування поверхонь іонним пучком, який міняв морфологію поверхні з дзеркально-гладенькою до світло-розсіювання і молочно-білою, значно знизила дзеркальність терморегулювальних плівок, не надавши істотного впливу на їх термооптичні властивості. Космічна апаратура, покрита таким текстурированним тефлоном, піддавалася впливу факторів відкритого космосу в період з червня 2002 року по червень 2006 року і була повернута на Землю приблизно в листопаді 2006 року. Текстурований тефлон, що пробув у космосі 4 роки, продемонстрував стабільні робочі характеристики, зі значеннями коефіцієнта сонячної абсорбції (α) і коефіцієнта випромінювання (ε) і їх відносин α / ε які збереглися близькими до початкових значень, виміряних до польотів.A texturing surface modification process was developed for Silver- Inconel coated Teflon thermal protection coverings that were applied to a camera and light equipment on the International Space Station using an adhesive. The developed treatment that involves an ion-beam texturing process that changes the appearance of the surface in a controlled manner from a metallic-like and shiny to complete milky-white appearance reduced dramatically the specularity of Silver-Teflon thermal control films without significantly affecting their thermal optical properties. The space hardware covered with the textured back metallized Teflon was exposed to the open space environment between June 2002 and June 2006 and delivered back to earth around November 2006. Remarkable performance was demonstrated by the treated metallized Teflon with the solar absorptance and total emittance values and the α/ε ratio remaining very close to the original values as measured before the flights.Процесс модификации поверхности текстурированием был разработан для лицевых поверхностей тефлоновых теплозащитных покрытий напылённых с тыльной стороны металлизированным покрытием Silver-Inconel. Эти теплозащитные покрытия приклеивались на наружные стенки корпусов содержащих фотокамеры и световое оборудование на Международной космической станции. Разработанная технология, включающая процесс текстурирования поверхностей ионным пучком, который менял морфологию поверхности с зеркально-гладкой и блестящей до свето-рассеивающей и молочно-белой, значительно снизила зеркальность терморегулирующих пленок, не оказав существенного влияния на их термооптические свойства. Космическая аппаратура, покрытая таким текстурированным тефлоном, подвергалась воздействию факторам открытого космоса в период с июня 2002 года по июнь 2006 года и была возвращена на Землю примерно в ноябре 2006 года. Текстурированный тефлон, пробывший в космосе 4 года, продемонстрировал стабильные рабочие характеристики, со значениями коэффициентов солнечной абсорбции ( α) и коэффициента излучения ( ε) и их отношения α/ε сохранившимися близкими к исходным значениям, измеренным до полетов

Assessing Consistency and Fairness in Sentencing: A Comparative Study in Three States

Summarizes a study of sentencing guidelines in Michigan, Minnesota, and Virginia comparing levels of predictability and judicial discretion under different guideline systems, effectiveness in limiting discriminatory disparities, and lessons learned

Analysis of the effectiveness of industrial R and D

The criteria used by private industry in evaluating and selecting proposed research and development projects for implementation, and also in determining which R and D facilities are to be acquired were investigated. Conceptual and practical issues inherent in any quantitative analysis of the contribution of R and D to economic growth were identified in order to assist NASA in developing approaches for analzying the economic implication of its own R and D efforts

Heat Transfer Mechanisms in Porous Materials and Contemporary Problems in Thermophysical Properties Investigations: Analyses and Solutions

This article is an overview of the topical problems in the investigation of thermophysical properties and the development of a database for porous materials. Determination of both apparent/measured and true thermophysical properties is discussed taking into account combined heat and mass transfer, latent heat effects during chemical and physical transformations, as well as structural changes. The approaches to the solution of these problems are demonstrated for a number of different classes of materials: Industrial refractories, ceramics, highly porous insulation; Moist materials and materials undergoing phase, chemical and structural transformations; Materials semitransparent for heat radiation. The approaches being used in the development of a thermophysical properties database consist in a combination of theoretical and experimental methods. The analysis, generalization, and extrapolation of available reference data can be conducted based on the models for classical (conduction, heat radiation, gas convection) and additional (novel) mechanisms and processes affecting the apparent thermophysical properties. The novel heat transfer mechanisms include: Heterogeneous heat and mass transfer processes occurring in pores existing at grain boundaries and in cracks, in particular, surface segregation and diffusion of impurities on pore surfaces and transport of gases produced from chemical reactions, evaporation, and sublimation. Microstructure changes due to non-uniform thermal expansion of particles and grains. These changes are caused by the mismatch of thermal expansion coefficients of different phases in the material and anisotropic thermal expansion of crystals

The cone of pseudo-effective divisors of log varieties after Batyrev

In these notes we investigate the cone of nef curves of projective varieties, which is the dual cone to the cone of pseudo-effective divisors. We prove a structure theorem for the cone of nef curves of projective $\mathbb Q$-factorial klt pairs of arbitrary dimension from the point of view of the Minimal Model Program. This is a generalization of Batyrev's structure theorem for the cone of nef curves of projective terminal threefolds.Comment: 15 pages. v2: Completely rewritten paper. Structure theorem for the cone of nef curves proved in arbitrary dimension using results of Birkar, Cascini, Hacon and McKernan. To appear in Mathematische Zeitschrif

Nonlinear Micromechanical Casimir Oscillator

The Casimir force between uncharged metallic surfaces originates from quantum mechanical zero point fluctuations of the electromagnetic field. We demonstrate that this quantum electrodynamical effect has a profound influence on the oscillatory behavior of microstructures when surfaces are in close proximity (<= 100 nm). Frequency shifts, hysteretic behavior and bistability caused by the Casimir force are observed in the frequency response of a periodically driven micromachined torsional oscillator.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures; added and rearranged references; added comments on sensitivit

Inclusion-exclusion and Segre classes

We propose a variation of the notion of Segre class, by forcing a naive `inclusion-exclusion' principle to hold. The resulting class is computationally tractable, and is closely related to Chern-Schwartz-MacPherson classes. We deduce several general properties of the new class from this relation, and obtain an expression for the Milnor class of a scheme in terms of this class.Comment: 8 page

Making Continuous Improvement a Reality: Achieving High Performance in the Ottawa County, Michigan, Circuit and Probate Courts

Today, a well-functioning court is expected to resolve large volumes of work in a fair and orderly way within demanding time frames. The overall goal is quality administration in all phases of court operations, yet achieving this goal in practice means navigating the shoals of tight budgets, workplace politics, and the heavy press of daily business. Courts are under enormous stress these days, and as a result it should come as no surprise that too many courts are infected with pessimistic court leadership. Winston Churchill is often reported to have said, “The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity, the optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”1 A high-performance court makes the effort to reject pessimism as it looks to improve its administrative practices, even in tough times. To seize the opportunity for continuous improvement and rally support throughout the court, though, takes coordinated planning and follow-through. The bottom line is that court leaders need to work together at organizational change. In two recent articles in Court Review, we emphasized the necessity of judicial involvement and commitment if administrative improvement is to take hold and thrive. One point was that developing shared, court-wide agreement among judges on how court personnel should work together requires accepting two primary responsibilities: the role each judge has in making decisions and the administrative role judges have in making the system work. Judges benefit from orderly and stable court administration because it helps enhance preparation of all parties, augments the understanding of outstanding issues, and clarifies future procedural events necessary to bring final resolution. However, in any courthouse, making effective administrative practices a reality is a team effort; it requires conscious effort to organize work processes in a way that clarifies and engages the joint contributions of judges and court staff.