01.30.08
Posted in Jacob Canon, The Oscar Show, UVa College of Arts & Sciences, University of Virginia, elections, ethics, technology, voting machines at 5:50 pm by Jacob Canon
In today’s show, adapted from an article published on the Oscar web site written by Andrea Arco, Director of Marketing for U.Va’s Engineering School, we examine the work of Bryan Pfaffenberger, associate professor at the University of Virginia’s School of Engineering and Applied Science and his study of mechanical-lever voting machines, their history and understanding the interaction between technology and culture that has been going on for more than a century.
History of Voting Machines [6:13m]:
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For more than a century, voting machines have helped shape American political history. The chaos of the 2000 presidential election in Florida and the alleged election fraud in Ohio during 2004, which led to testimony before congress about computer programs that could rig an election, demonstrate the crucial role that voting machines play in shaping the outcome of an election. Bryan Pfaffenberger, a historian of science and an associate professor at the University of Virginia’s School of Engineering and Applied Science, believes there is value in understanding that the interaction between technology and culture has been going on for more than a century.
His ongoing study is part of a larger Democracy and Technology program that he and colleagues are developing within UVa’s Department of Science, Technology and Society. Pfaffenberger said, “this initiative that has already sparked several cross-University collaborations and additions to the curriculum. It’s fitting that this initiative is underway at the university Thomas Jefferson founded. Jefferson strongly believed that engineers need to be good citizens; today, the need is greater than ever, so it’s important for science and engineering students indeed, students throughout the University to reflect on how technologies shape our democracy.”
Throughout most of the nineteenth century, U.S. voters got their ballots from political parties, who printed and distributed them at polling places. Voters would then hand their ballots to election clerks in full view of the public. This led to widespread vote-buying, because the vote buyers could see whether corrupted voters fulfilled their end of the bargain.
Beginning in 1888, a movement favoring the Australian secret ballot system swept the country. In this system, the government prints the paper ballots and voters mark them behind a privacy curtain. This cut down vote buying, but election fraud moved inside the polling place as corrupt officials learned other ways to swing an election. This was especially true in large cities, where political machines such as New York City’s Tammany Hall ran the show.
Because of this, and since New Yorks electoral votes often determined the outcome of presidential elections, these voting machines proved attractive because they kept paper out of the hands of election officials. The machines recorded votes directly on odometer-like counters. Still, not everyone liked the machines. For example, voters could not tell whether their votes were recorded as they had intended — or whether they were recorded at all. Paper ballots might have flaws, but at least there was a record of how people voted
Pfaffenberger said, “there’s an almost exact parallel between the debate we’re having today concerning electronic voting machines and the equally divisive, but completely forgotten, debate that greeted first-generation voting machine technology in the 1890s.” One side says, “trust machines, not people.” The other side says, “trust people, not machines.” Electronic “touch-screen” voting machines are today’s version of 1890s machines — they try to keep paper away from biased, partisan, or overworked human counters.
But voters are concerned that their votes aren’t recorded properly. The verified voting movement wants to put paper back in the process by requiring states to equip electronic voting machines with a printed audit trail. But some voting experts worry that, if the machines and paper continue to come up with different numbers, which has already happened in some municipal and state elections, we could see another presidential election meltdown that might make Florida 2000 look mild in comparison.
Happily, there’s a growing national consensus toward the use of optical scan voting machines, in which voters fill out a paper ballot by filling in bubbles next to candidates’ names. They then feed their ballot into a scanner, which tells them if they’ve made a mistake — and lets them have another chance. Voters can see that their votes were properly counted, and the ballots are kept in case machine malfunction is suspected. Dr. Pfaffenberger said, “After more than a century, the war between those who trust machines and those who trust people seems to be ending, finally. But it’s the voter who’s winning.”
You’ve been listening to the Oscar Show, I’m Jacob Canon. Join us next week as we again delve into the election season, when our topic will be the work of U.Va. cognitive psychologist Dennis Proffitt whose research focuses on creating computer interfaces to help make life more bearable for patients with ALS and other diseases that are the cause of locked-in syndrome.
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01.23.08
Posted in Atherosclerosis, Cardiology, Jacob Canon, MRI, Skalak, The Oscar Show, UVa College of Arts & Sciences, Uncategorized, University of Virginia, biomedical engineering, pharmaceutical, physical health at 12:12 pm by Jacob Canon
A new device invented by researchers at the University of Virginia could save pharmaceutical companies significant time and money in screening potential new drug compounds. Brett Blackman, an assistant professor in biomedical engineering and Brian Wamhoff, assistant professor in the department of medicine; cardiovascular division, teamed up to create a novel system, the HemoShear 2.0, which, for the first time, offers researchers the ability to observe the behavior patterns of human vascular cells under a variety of blood flow conditions that occur inside the body’s cardiovascular system.
The HemoShear 2.0 [6:29m]:
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Dr. Blackman said, “We want to help the pharmaceutical industry identify effective therapeutic compounds by allowing them to fail early, fail fast and fail cheap before going to very expensive animal studies.”
Atherosclerosis, hardening or narrowing of the arteries, is considered the most important underlying cause of heart attack or stroke. The HemoShear 2.0 models the early indicators of atherosclerosis by placing actual human endothelial cells, the cells lining the interior of blood vessels, and smooth muscle cells, the cells found in the wall of blood vessels, in an environment that mimics an artery with blood flowing through it. Data from these exposures are recorded and measured to help test the efficacy of therapeutic compounds and aid in early stage toxicity studies. Instead of testing drug compounds on isolated cells, which can produce false negatives, drug companies can use the device to test compounds in a more realistic environment.
This kind of modeling offers unique opportunities to observe the cells and their interaction. This interaction is important because the cells lining the interior of the blood vessels recognize different blood flow patterns imposed upon them and respond by expressing or repressing genes. This, in turn, influences their interactions with the cells found in the walls of blood vessels. The researchers found these cell interactions may lead to the onset of early-inflammation-associated atherosclerosis in certain arteries.
MRI’s were used by researchers to determine the rhythmic pattern that blood flows through different arteries in human subjects. Blackman said, “We are then able to simulate the same flow patterns in those areas that are more or less susceptible to atherosclerosis and observe how the cells respond to these flow patterns in HemoShear.”
Using a synthetic elastic layer that is similar to a real blood vessel wall, endothelial cells are plated on the top surface and smooth muscle cells on the bottom surface. Then, the different blood flow patterns modeled from human circulation are applied to the endothelial cells through rotation of a motor-driven cone system. The findings: the blood flow can influence both endothelial and smooth muscle cell behaviors.
When subjected to atheroprotective blood flow patterns, the endothelial cells aligned with the direction of the blood flow, and the smooth muscle cells aligned perpendicularly to the flow as is true in a healthy blood vessel. In stark contrast, the atheroprone type of flow caused the endothelial cells to move away from their parallel structure while smooth muscle cells moved away from their perpendicular structure.
This remodeling mimics the early phases of the diseased state of the artery; the blood flow pattern associated with atheroprone areas resulted in inflammation in both cells reminiscent of early hallmarks of atherosclerosis. This was confirmed through evaluating gene and protein expression profiles in both cell types.
Thomas Skalak, professor and chair of the U.Va. Department of Biomedical Engineering said, “the results of this study validate the use of this novel co-culture system as a relevant biomimetic vascular model for studying early atherosclerotic events. The cells’ responses to these carefully controlled models of blood flow can now be used to develop therapeutic interventions for detection and treatment of vascular diseases. It has the potential to be revolutionary.”
You’ve been listening to the Oscar Show, I’m Jacob Canon. Join us next week as we again delve into the election season, when our topic will be the work of Bryan Pfaffenberger, associate professor at the University of Virginia’s School of Engineering and Applied Science and his study of mechanical-lever voting machines, their history and understanding the interaction between technology and culture that has been going on for more than a century…
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01.19.08
Posted in Magnetic therapy, Skalak, The Oscar Show, UVa College of Arts & Sciences, Uncategorized, University of Virginia, biomedical engineering, physical health at 3:45 pm by Jacob Canon
In today’s show, adapted from an article published this month on the Oscar web site written by Melissa Maki, we examine the continuing studies of UVa professor and chair of biomedical engineering Thomas Skalak and his efforts to develop real scientific evidence about the effectiveness of magnetic therapy.
Magnetic therapy, touted for healing properties since ancient Greece, is still widely used today as an alternative method for treating a number of conditions, from arthritis to depression. Yet, in spite of no scientific proof that magnets can heal, a lack of regulation and widespread public acceptance based on anecdotal evidence, hopeful consumers have created a $5 billion world market as they buy bracelets, knee braces, shoe inserts, mattresses and other products embedded with magnets, hoping for a non-invasive and drug-free cure to what ails them.
Magnetic Therapy [6:05m]:
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Thomas Skalak, professor and chair of biomedical engineering at U.Va., has carefully studied magnets for a number of years in order to develop real scientific evidence about the effectiveness of magnetic therapy. His lab leads the field in the area of micro-circulation research - the study of blood flow through the body’s tiniest blood vessels. With a five-year, $875,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Skalak and Cassandra Morris, former Ph.D. student in biomedical engineering, set out to investigate the effect of magnetic therapy on micro-circulation.
Initially, they sought to examine a major claim, that magnets increase blood flow, made by the companies that sell magnet. They first found evidence to support this claim in their initial research with laboratory rats. Magnets of 70 milliTesla (mT) field strength - about 10 times the strength commonly found on a refrigerator - were placed near the rat’s blood vessels. Measurements of blood vessel diameter were taken both before and after exposure to the force created by the magnets. They effect found was significant. The vessels that had been dilated constricted, and the constricted vessels dilated, implying that the magnetic field could induce vessel relaxation in tissues with constrained blood supply, ultimately increasing blood flow.
Since dilation of blood vessels is often a major cause of swelling at sites of trauma to soft tissues such as muscles or ligaments, the prior results on vessel constriction led Morris and Skalak to look closer at whether magnets, by limiting blood flow in such cases, would also reduce swelling. Their most recent research, published in the November 2007 issue of the American Journal of Physiology, yielded affirmative results.
In this study, the hind paws of anesthetized rats were treated with inflammatory agents in order to simulate tissue injury. Magnetic therapy was then applied to the paws. The research results indicate that magnets can significantly reduce swelling if applied immediately after tissue trauma.
Since muscle bruising and joint sprains are the most common injuries worldwide, this discovery has significant implications. Skalak said, “if an injury doesn’t swell, it will heal faster - and the person will experience less pain and better mobility.” This means that magnets could be used much the way ice packs and compression are now used for everyday sprains, bumps and bruises, but with more beneficial results.
A key to the success of magnetic therapy for tissue swelling is careful engineering of the proper field strength at the tissue location, a challenge in which most currently available commercial magnet systems fall short. The new research should allow Skalak’s biomedical engineering group to design field strengths that provide real benefit for specific injuries and parts of the body.
The ready availability and low cost of this treatment could produce huge gains in worker productivity and quality of life. Skalak, who plans to continue testing magnet effectiveness through clinical trials and on elite athletes, envisions the magnets being particularly useful to high school, college and professional sports teams, as well as school nurses and retirement communities.
Skalak said, “we now hope to implement a series of steps, including private investment partners and eventually a major corporate partner, to realize these very widespread applications that will make a positive difference for human health.”
You’ve been listening to the Oscar Show… I’m Jacob Canon. Join us next week when continue with the topic of biomedical engineering by examining the work of two University of Virginia professors who have created a system, the HemoShear 2.0, which offers researchers the ability to observe the behavior patterns of vascular cells under a variety of blood flow conditions.
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01.09.08
Posted in Biology at the University of Virginia, Body Clock, Nocturnin, The Oscar Show, UVa College of Arts & Sciences, University of Virginia, biology, circadian rhythms, evolution, hypothalamus, metabolism, physical health at 12:15 pm by Jacob Canon
In today’s show, adapted from an article published on the Oscar web site written by Fariss Samarrai, we discuss the research of Carla Green, associate professor of biology at the University of Virginia, and a study she headed which says that the gene Nocturnin, working within the network of the body’s circadian clock, appears to be particularly important in the control of metabolism.
The body’s biological clock has been shown to regulate life’s activity/rest cycles by controlling energy levels, alertness, growth, moods and the effects of aging. Further study has revealed that these internal clocks are controlled by circadian rhythms. Rhythms that were established early in the history of life on the planet and evolved associated with the astronomical cycles that effect Earth’s environment such as the rise and setting of the sun and the passing of seasons. What is now being discovered is that certain elements, already known to be part of the body’s circadian network, may have a broader influence on the life of an individual.
In a study published in the journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Associate Professor of Biology at the University of Virginia Carla Green and her colleagues discovered that the gene Nocturnin, which participates in the regulation of the body’s biological rhythms, may also be a major control in regulating metabolism. The study showed that mice lacking the gene were resistant to weight gain when put on a high fat diet and also were resistant to the accumulation of fat in the liver.
Professor Green, said, “It’s been known for some time that there are many links between the circadian clock and various aspects of physiology and metabolism. This study suggests that Nocturnin is part of the network that the circadian clock uses to control important aspects of metabolism.”
In the study, Green and her colleagues, Nicholas Douris, a U.Va. graduate student who designed the study, U.Va. post-doctoral fellow Shihoko Kojima and Joseph Besharse of the Medical College of Wisconsin, used regular mice and genetically altered mice in which the Nocturnin gene was not present. The Nocturnin-deficient mice were divided into two groups; one group fed a normal diet, the other a very high fat diet. A group of normal mice were also fed a high fat diet.
The researchers found that both groups of genetically altered mice maintained normal weight and activity levels, and, of particular interest, the ones fed the high fat diet exhibited only slight weight gains, even over long periods of time. However, the normal mice on the high fat diet ballooned, gaining more than twice the weight of the Nocturnin-deficient mice. And, when the mice were dissected, the researchers found that the normal mice had, as expected, large concentrations of fat in their livers, whereas the altered mice had normal levels of fat.
Green said, “We were quite amazed at what we found. We thought that over time, as we continued to feed the mutant mice the high fat diet that they would eventually gain weight at some expected rate, but it never happened. These mice continued to stay slim while the normal mice nearly doubled in weight and developed fatty livers.”
Clock genes in the body’s organs operate in conjunction with a central time keeper in the brain, the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus, but also work somewhat independently, resulting in a complex system of oscillators regulating various functions of the body. Scientists are working to better understand how the genes and proteins of the circadian clock in mammals affect not only activity cycles but also rates of metabolism, which are tied to feeding cycles. Green said it is possible that, “A better understanding of Nocturnin’s function could eventually lead to medical treatments that could counteract the problems of obesity, which has become a major issue in modern society.”
We look forward to the continued study of this important new finding in the hope that its potentially far reaching health benefits will be realized in our lifetime.
You’ve been listening to the Oscar Show… I’m Jacob Canon. Join us next week when our topic will be UVa professor and chair of biomedical engineering Thomas Skalak and his efforts to develop real scientific evidence about the effectiveness of magnetic therapy.
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01.02.08
Posted in Jacob Canon, National Science Foundation, Physics, The Oscar Show, U.S. Department of Energy, U.Va. Patent Foundation, UVa College of Arts & Sciences, University of Virginia, crude oil, electricity, fuel costs, hydrogen, hydrogen fuel cells, natural gas at 1:08 pm by Jacob Canon
This episode is from an article published on the Oscar web site written by Morgan Ellen Estabrook, we welcome in the promise of the new year as we discuss the efforts of two University of Virginia physicists who discovered a new class of efficient hydrogen storage materials that could make storage and transportation of this alternative energy source a much more affordable reality.
Alternative Energy [4:37m]:
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With fuel costs soaring and crude oil hovering at or near $100 per barrel, the need for new fuel sources is more paramount than ever. University of Virginia Physicists, Bellave S. Shivaram and Adam B. Phillips, have discovered a new class of hydrogen storage materials that could make the storage and transportation of this form of energy much more efficient — and affordable — through higher-performing hydrogen fuel cells.
They presented their findings at the International Symposium on Materials Issues in a Hydrogen Economy during November in Richmond, Va. Their research was supported by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy.
Phillips said, “In terms of hydrogen absorption, these materials could prove a world record. Most materials today absorb only 7 to 8 percent of hydrogen by weight, and only at extremely low or cryogenic temperatures. Our materials absorb hydrogen up to 14 percent by weight at room temperature.”
By absorbing a much higher percentage of hydrogen than previous materials, while exhibiting faster kinetics at room temperature and much lower pressures, they are inexpensive and simple to produce. He went on to say, “the new materials could help make the dream of a hydrogen economy come true.” In the quest for alternative fuels, this discovery could potentially provide a highly affordable solution to energy storage and transportation problems with a wide variety of applications.
Shivaram said, “These materials are the next generation in hydrogen fuel storage materials, unlike any others we have seen before, they have passed every litmus test that we have performed, and we believe they have the potential to have a large impact.” The inventors believe the novel materials will translate to the marketplace and are working with the U.Va. Patent Foundation to protect their discovery.
Chris Harris, senior licensing manager for the U.Va. Patent Foundation said, “The U.Va. Patent Foundation is very excited to be working with a material that one day may be used by millions in everyday life, Dr. Phillips and Dr. Shivaram have made an incredible breakthrough in the area of hydrogen absorption.” With the ever expanding energy needs in this country as well as the rest of the world, I’m sure most all of our listening community look forward to the day when we will realize the benefits of these discoveries.
Next week’s show will feature the work of Carla Green, associate professor of biology at the University of Virginia and her research concerning the circadian clock and various aspects of physiology and metabolism.
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