The Increasingly Complicated World of International Mediation

Book review of "Herding Cats: Multiparty Mediation in a Complex World" (Chester A. Crocker et al. eds.). Washington D.C.: United States Institute of Peace Press, 1999.Published in cooperation with the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolutio

Automated Cryocooler Monitor and Control System

A system was designed to automate cryogenically cooled low-noise amplifier systems used in the NASA Deep Space Network. It automates the entire operation of the system including cool-down, warm-up, and performance monitoring. The system is based on a single-board computer with custom software and hardware to monitor and control the cryogenic operation of the system. The system provides local display and control, and can be operated remotely via a Web interface. The system controller is based on a commercial single-board computer with onboard data acquisition capability. The commercial hardware includes a microprocessor, an LCD (liquid crystal display), seven LED (light emitting diode) displays, a seven-key keypad, an Ethernet interface, 40 digital I/O (input/output) ports, 11 A/D (analog to digital) inputs, four D/A (digital to analog) outputs, and an external relay board to control the high-current devices. The temperature sensors used are commercial silicon diode devices that provide a non-linear voltage output proportional to temperature. The devices are excited with a 10-microamp bias current. The system is capable of monitoring and displaying three temperatures. The vacuum sensors are commercial thermistor devices. The output of the sensors is a non-linear voltage proportional to vacuum pressure in the 1-Torr to 1-millitorr range. Two sensors are used. One measures the vacuum pressure in the cryocooler and the other the pressure at the input to the vacuum pump. The helium pressure sensor is a commercial device that provides a linear voltage output from 1 to 5 volts, corresponding to a gas pressure from 0 to 3.5 MPa (approx. = 500 psig). Control of the vacuum process is accomplished with a commercial electrically operated solenoid valve. A commercial motor starter is used to control the input power of the compressor. The warm-up heaters are commercial power resistors sized to provide the appropriate power for the thermal mass of the particular system, and typically provide 50 watts of heat. There are four basic operating modes. "Cool " mode commands the system to cool to normal operating temperature. "Heat " mode is used to warm the device to a set temperature near room temperature. "Pump " mode is a maintenance function that allows the vacuum system to be operated alone to remove accumulated contaminants from the vacuum area. In "Off " mode, no power is applied to the system

Two Test Level 4 Bridge Railing and Transition Systems for Transverse Timber Deck Bridges

The Midwest Roadside Safety Facility, in cooperation with the Forest Products Laboratory, which is part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service, and FHWA, designed two bridge railing and approach guardrail transition systems for use on bridges with transverse glue-laminated timber decks. The bridge raging and transition systems were developed and crash tested for use on higher-service-level roadways and evaluated according to the Test Level 4 safety performance criteria presented in NCHRP Report 350: Recommended Procedures for the Safety Performance Evaluation of Highway Features. The first railing system was constructed with glulam timber components, whereas the second railing system was configured with steel hardware. Eight full-scale crash tests were performed, and the bridge railing and transition systems were acceptable according to current safety standards

Continuous Reproductive Surveillance

The Dobbs opinion emphasizes that the state’s interest in the fetus extends to “all stages of development.” This essay briefly explores whether state legislators, agencies, and courts could use the “all stages of development” language to expand reproductive surveillance by using novel developments in consumer health technologies to augment those efforts

Femtechnodystopia

Reproductive rights, as we have long understood them, are dead. But at the same time history seems to be moving backward, technology moves relentlessly forward. Femtech products, a category of consumer technology addressing an array of “female” health needs, seem poised to fill gaps created by states and stakeholders eager to limit birth control and abortion access and increase pregnancy surveillance and fetal rights. Period and fertility tracking applications could supplement or replace other contraception. Early digital alerts to missed periods can improve the chances of obtaining a legal abortion in states with ever-shrinking windows of availability or prompt behavioral changes that support the health of the fetus. However, more nefarious actors also have interests in these technologies and the intimate information they contain. In the wrong hands, these tools can effectuate increased reproductive control and criminalization. What happens next will depend on whether we can improve efficacy, limit foreseeable privacy risks, and raise consumer awareness. But the current legal and regulatory landscape makes achieving these goals far from a straightforward proposition, further complicated by political influence and a conservative Supreme Court. Thus, this Article concludes with multiple solutions involving diverse stakeholders, offering that a multifaceted approach is needed to keep Femtech’s dystopian future from becoming a reality

Two Test Level 4 Bridge Railing and Transition Systems for Transverse Timber Deck Bridges

The Midwest Roadside Safety Facility, in cooperation with the Forest Products Laboratory, which is part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service, and FHWA, designed two bridge railing and approach guardrail transition systems for use on bridges with transverse glue-laminated timber decks. The bridge raging and transition systems were developed and crash tested for use on higher-service-level roadways and evaluated according to the Test Level 4 safety performance criteria presented in NCHRP Report 350: Recommended Procedures for the Safety Performance Evaluation of Highway Features. The first railing system was constructed with glulam timber components, whereas the second railing system was configured with steel hardware. Eight full-scale crash tests were performed, and the bridge railing and transition systems were acceptable according to current safety standards

Acceptability and Results of Dementia Screening Among Older Adults in the United States

OBJECTIVES: To measure older adults acceptability of dementia screening and assess screening test results of a racially diverse sample of older primary care patients in the United States. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study of primary care patients aged 65 and older. SETTING: Urban and suburban primary care clinics in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 2008 to 2009. PARTICIPANTS: Nine hundred fifty-four primary care patients without a documented diagnosis of dementia. MEASUREMENTS: Community Screening Instrument for Dementia, the Mini-Mental State Examination, and the Telephone Instrument for Cognitive Screening. RESULTS: Of the 954 study participants who consented to participate, 748 agreed to be screened for dementia and 206 refused screening. The overall response rate was 78.4%. The positive screen rate of the sample who agreed to screening was 10.2%. After adjusting for demographic differences the following characteristics were still associated with increased likelihood of screening positive for dementia: age, male sex, and lower education. Patients who believed that they had more memory problems than other people of their age were also more likely to screen positive for dementia. CONCLUSION: Age and perceived problems with memory are associated with screening positive for dementia in primary care