bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Partisan Effects of Voter Turnout in Presidential Elections
Authors: NAGEL JACK H. , McNULTY JOHN E.
Published: March 2007

Previous studies of turnout effects in U.S. elections have reported perplexingly different results for presidential as opposed to major statewide (senatorial and gubernatorial) contests. By justifying and applying a consistent methodology, the authors find that results for both types conform to the pattern previously reported by Nagel and McNulty for senatorial and gubernatorial races. Outside the South, higher turnout helped Democratic presidential candidates from 1928 through 1964. In 1968 through 1996, however, the impact of turnout in straight two-party contests was insignificant, except in the South, where Democrats benefited from higher turnout. In the earlier period, high turnout helped Democrats most in states where Republicans usually prevailed. Its effects became weaker or even pro-Republican in the most strongly Democratic states. All of these findings uphold DeNardo's mathematical model, which provides an empirically supported theory of the partisan effects of turnout in U.S. presidential, senatorial, and gubernatorial elections.
Office Ambitions and Voting Behavior in the U.S. Senate
Authors: Van Der Slik Jack R. , Pernacciaro Samuel J.
Published: March 2007

Joseph Schlesinger's ambition theory of political behavior argues that differing oppor tunities and the aspirations of politicians for them cause politicians to make political choices today in terms of the office or status they aspire to gain in the future. We have looked at the behavior of continuing members of the Senate from 1967-1972 to establish norms of roll call behavior among southern and nonsouthern Democrats and Republicans on major dimensions of policy. We have looked specificially at the behavior of several subsets of senators: aspirants for party leadership positions and nominations to the U.S. presidency and the committee leaders of each party for the prestigious committees. The data rather clearly show that behavior conforms to hypotheses based upon ambition theory. The theory has applied significance for possible legislative reforms.
The U.S. Supreme Court
Authors: Jaros Dean , Roper Robert
Published: March 2007

Legitimacy exists when citizens comply with governmental edicts despite substantive disapproval. Attribution of legitimacy may proceed from at least three antecedents: subscription to a "judicial myth," diffuse supportive orientations, and approval of past specific decisions. Survey research on both black and white students, however, fails to support any of the three. Instead, the disadvantaged (especially blacks) demonstrate the greatest propensity to obey. This, coupled with the fact that these same persons are the least integrated with the polity (e.g., they exhibit lower levels of myth subscription and diffuse support), leads to a tentative interpretation of legitimacy in terms of vulnerability.
The Personal Electoral Advantage of House Incumbents, 1936-1976
Authors: Payne James L.
Published: March 2007

This study explores two aspects of the personal electoral advantage of House incumbents. First, a comprehensive measure of this advantage from 1936 to 1976 confirms the findings of others that the personal electoral advantage of House incumbents has increased substantially in recent years. Second, an exploration of the individual correlates of electoral advantage supports the theory that a particular type of congressman enjoys an unusually large electoral edge. The congressman highly successful in building up a personal electoral following tends to be the ambitious, publicity oriented type. One explanation of the recent increase in electoral advantage of incumbents, the author suggests, is the increasing proportion of these ambitious, electorally energetic members in the House.
Matters of Life and Death
Authors: Baker Ross K. , Epstein Laurily K. , Forth Rodney D.
Published: March 2007

This article investigates the structure of attitudes toward abortion, using several demographic, political, and religious variables. The analysis is based on a 1978 survey of New Jersey's voting age population. Responses to questions on three aspects of the abortion issue—a constitutional ban on abortion, abortion on demand, and government funding of abortions—are combined to form a scale of support and opposition to abortion. We find that support for abortion is related to youth, high socioeconomic status, a liberal ideology, opposition to right-to-die legislation, and support for the Equal Rights Amendment. Additionally, we find that approval for abortion is not a function of religious preference, rather, attitudes on abortion are a function of intensity of religious adherence, regardless of specific religions.
Legislative Goals and Information Use
Authors: Scicchitano Michael J.
Published: March 2007

This study examines the use of analytical information by major House committees. The committees are differentiated according to Fenno's classification of members' legislative goals-reelection, making good public policy, or influence in the House. The study demonstrates that policy committees are more likely to use analytical information than the other committee types. This suggests that legislators' goal orientations are an important determinant of information use.
Presidential Support Among Senatorial Leaders and Followers
Authors: Hayes Stephen L. , Shull Steven A. , Howell Susan E. , Flaxbeard John M.
Published: March 2007

This research examines the differences between Senate party leaders and rank and file party members on a measure of support for the president of their party. The expectation is that party leaders give presidents of their party greater support than do nonleaders. Only floor leaders and whips exhibited higher presidential support than other types of leaders or the rank and file. Foreign policy elicited support from both parties' leaders, and the Democratic leadership and rank and file differences were eliminated when controlling for ideology.
National Factors in Gubernatorial Elections
Authors: Holbrook-Provow Thomas M.
Published: March 2007

This paper explores the determinants of gubernatorial election outcomes at the national level. Gubernatorial elections are found to be sensitive to swings in the national economy and presidential popularity. Somewhat surprisingly, gubernatorial elections are not found to be sensitive to the type of midterm election phenomenon found in congressional elections. Also, incumbency is a very important determinant of gubernatorial election outcomes.
Fairness and Vote Choice in the 1984 Presidential Election
Authors: Rasinski Kenneth A. , Tyler Tom R.
Published: March 2007

Two images of the voter are examined for factors explaining vote choice. The first image suggests that the voter operates as a consumer in the political environment. In this view, the voter shops for the best personal "value" in candidates based on judgments of short-term economic self-interest. The second image suggests that the voter is concerned about fairness. Results from two surveys suggest that vote choice in the 1984 election for president depended upon citizens' judgments of the fairness of the candidates as well as concerns about each candidate's ability to benefit them. Two types of fairness concerns, concerns about distributions and concerns about procedures, were investigated for their impact on vote choice. Of the two, procedural fairness significantly affected vote choice while distributive fairness did not. The results are discussed with respect to the relationship between procedural and distributive fairness, on the one hand, and American political values, on the other.
The Structure of Southern Electoral Behavior
Authors: Prysby Charles L.
Published: March 2007

The distinctiveness of southern electoral behavior has been a well-studied aspect of politics in the region. While distinctiveness can refer to absolute differences in attitudes and behavior, it also can refer to the structure of electoral behavior, and that is the focus of this article. Developments in the region and in the nation suggest that the structure of electoral behavior may no longer be different in the North and the South. This possibility is examined using data from several recent General Social Surveys, merged to yield large Ns for the regions. The analysis results show little difference between the regions in both the social and the attitudinal sources of partisan choice.
Partisanship and Group Support, 1952-1988
Authors: Stanley Harold W. , Niemi Richard G.
Published: March 2007

The article updates the authors' multivariate analysis of group support for political parties through 1988 and expands it to new groups, midterm election years, and Republican identifiers. Shown in detail are the changes in long-term components of the party coalitions and the partisan tendencies of newly prominent groups such as Hispanics and religious fundamentalists. There are three general findings. First, the greatest movement is away from the New Deal Democratic coalition but not into the Republican coalition; Republicans have yet to find a strong basis of group support. Second, and of more theoretical import, is that changes in party support occur slowly, suggesting that group realignments have been characterized by secular decline and advance rather than by abrupt, "critical" elections. Finally, the newest groups tend not to be so closely aligned to parties as are the older groups, perhaps both a cause and consequence of the present candidate-centered party system.
Putting It on Paper
Authors: Mooney Christopher Z.
Published: March 2007

What kinds of information do state legislators consider in their legislative deliberations? This article examines four dimensions of the content of the written information state representatives in Indiana, Massachusetts, and Oregon used in 1989: whether it was policy or political information, one-sided or multisided, in agreement or disagreement with the position of the legislator using it, and whether it had any hard or soft scientific content. Legislators are found to use information heavily dosed with political preferences, and they tend to look only at one side of an issue - the one with which they agree. However, they also use a substantial amount of scientific information.
The Demography of Interest Organization Communities
Authors: Gray Virginia , Lowery David
Published: March 2007

Using population data on six state populations of interest organizations from 1980 and 1990, the authors find that (a) organized interests frequently exit the lobbying community; (b) institutions exit at a higher rate than associations or membership groups; (c) exit rates potentially have great influence on the composition of interest organization populations; and (d) exit, but not entry, rates are greatly influenced by the density of interest organization populations. On the basis of these findings, the authors make a number of suggestions for the further study of the demography of interest organization communities.
Electoral Strength and the Emergence of Group Influence in the Late 1800s
Authors: Ainsworth Scott
Published: March 2007

In this article, the author uses probit models to test the hypothesis that the strength at the state level of a Union veterans group was correlated to legislators'votes on proposals to extend pension benefits. Results indicate that the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), the veterans group in question, affected legislators' votes on both the Arrears Act of 1879 and the Disability Pension Act of 1890. The GAR was one of the first broadly based groups able to provide voters with an alternative, group-based linkage to their legislators. Within Congress, parties were surprisingly unorganized, allowing the GAR to strengthen its independence from strictly partisan coalitions. The author draws parallels between results here and results from other scholars' analyses of more recent group activity.
Context and the Court
Authors: Lee Emery G. , Sandstrum Frances U. , Weisert Thomas C.
Published: March 2007

The Rehnquist Court is a conservative court. A number of scholars, however, have found a surprisingly stable level of support for liberal outcomes in civil liberties cases despite important changes in membership that should have made the Court even more conservative. We offer an explanation for this stability based on changes in the Court's context as measured by the direction of lower court decisions reviewed by the Supreme Court. The relative liberalism of the Rehnquist Court is explained by its reversals of conservative lower court decisions, reversals that have constituted a larger proportion of the Court's decisions in recent years. These findings present a more complex and accurate picture of the conservatism of the Rehnquist Court.
The Future in Forecasting
Authors: Lewis-Beck Michael S. , Tien Charles
Published: March 2007

Presidential election forecasting models may miss the mark, sometimes grossly, as the 1992 contest demonstrated. The reason for this, we argue, is specification error. The models include irrelevant variables and exclude relevant ones. In particular, prospective voting variables have been ignored. When prospective economic and political evaluations are added, alongside traditional retrospective evaluations, forecasting quality improves sharply. These full-time forecasting models that tap voter onentations toward the future, as well as toward the past, promise long-run accuracy gains.
Temporal Horizons and Presidential Election Forecasts
Authors: Wlezien Christopher , Erikson Robert S.
Published: March 2007

In this article we present a simple forecasting model that has been successful at predicting past presidential elections. The two variables included in the model are cumulative per capita income growth and presidential approval. These "fundamental" variables predict the vote especially well when measured shortly in advance of the election, when the outcome is already becoming clear in the polls. Their predictive power drops quite quickly as one steps back from the election, however; readings of income growth and approval taken early in the election year only modestly predict readings of the same variables just prior to the election. Thus we turn to leading economic indicators that allow us to forecast presidential elections by giving advance indication of changes in the economy and approval during the election year. For 1996, our model offers a cautious prediction of a Clinton victory.
The Politics of Black Evangelicals
Authors: Calhoun-Brown Allison
Published: March 2007

Despite the fact that African Americans hold evangelical beliefs, belong to evangelical denominations, and show high levels of religiosity, Black Evangelicals do not mobilize with the Christian Right. By evaluating two major theories of evangelical mobilization, the data demonstrate that the major reason for this is not primarily a lack of conservative positions on family values issues but major differences in affect toward highly visible groups that provide much of the content of symbolic political attitudes.
Statutory Construction and Congressional Response
Authors: Ignagni Joseph , Meernik James , Lynn King Kimi
Published: March 2007

To understand why Congress is prompted to react to Supreme Court federal statutory construction decisions, we examine two different explanations of this phenomenon. The first focuses on the role that political actors, such as the president, the public, and interest groups, and salient issues play in the legislative process. The second explanation is based on the work of scholars who argue that ideological differences between the Supreme Court and Congress are important in provoking legislative reactions to Court rulings. The results of our analysis indicate that public opinion, salient cases, and Court invitations to Congress to revise its rulings are statistically significant predictors of some minimal level of congressional reaction, whereas the position of the president and partisan control of government help determine when the Congress is able to pass decision modification legislation. Ideological differences between the High Court and congressional committees and the full chambers are generally statistically insignificant factors.
The Mobilization of Campaign Activists By the Party Canvass
Authors: WIELHOUWER PETER W.
Published: March 2007

This research examines the role of the personal contacting activities of the political parties as mobilizing forces in what Verba and Nie termed campaign activities. A reformulated rational choice model is discussed in which parties seek to reduce certain avoidable and unavoidable costs associated with political participation. Using data from the 1952 through 1994 American National Election Studies, it is shown that the party contact has been and continues to be a major factor in mobilizing campaign activists. Its influence is remarkably robust, maintaining statistical and substantive significance even after controlling for other important factors usually associated with political behavior.
Can You Teach Medical and Nursing Students About Spirituality?
Authors: Sierpina Victor S. , Boisaubin Eugene
Published: March 2007

Spirituality is a central principle in complementary and alternative medical prac tice. Important spiritual issues, which are personal to the patient as well as to the practitioner, can be taught and modeled. This article describes a lecture and small group-based curriculum that can be adapted to teach spirituality. Medical and nursing students were jointly taught using this curriculum. They learned to take a spiritual history using one of three models, to reflect on clinical and personal situations involving spirituality, and to present evidence on the clinical relevance of spirituality. Samples from the syllabus including cases and references are presented.
Treadmill Training with Partial Body Weight Support in Hemiparetic Patients—Further Research Needed
Authors: Hesse Stefan
Published: March 2007

Treadmill training with partial body weight support is a promising new therapy in gait rehabilitation of hemiparetic subjects. As a task-specific training it enables the repetitive practice of complex gait cycles at a very early stage. Initially two or even three therapists assist the movement so that the subjects train gait not only repeti tively but also in a correct manner. Several controlled studies have documented its effectiveness in gait rehabilitation of acute and chronic stroke patients and have shown that hemiparetic patients walked in a more dynamic, symmetric, and less spastic fash ion on the treadmill with body weight support as compared with ground-level walk ing. Nevertheless, to meet the criteria of evidence-based medicine, further compara tive studies will be needed, supplemented by research in basic neurophysiology to explain its effects and technology to alleviate the strenuous effort of therapists during the training. Possible solutions are functional electrical stimulation (FES) in combi nation with treadmill training and a mechanized gait trainer.
Air Ring Selection for Blown Packaging Film
Authors: Dowd Laurence E.
Published: March 2007

Blown film air rings are used primarily to stabilize the bubble and secondarily to cool the melt. They can affect maximum output, size range, or blow up ratio (BUR), gauge uniformity and range, optical properties and strength properties.

We have evaluated nine air rings for performance in production of general purpose clarity and high molecular weight, low density polyethylene (HMW LDPE) packag ing film. We find that selection of an air ring can affect the balance of optical and physical properties. We evaluated the air rings with five different resins, and found that the selection of an air ring should depend upon the resin to be used, and the properties to be emphasized.
The Use of Polybutene in Polyolefin Cling Film
Authors: Turke Richard M.
Published: March 2007

Polyolefin stretch films are increasingly being used to secure pallet loads. A new method of applying these films results in the films being stretched about 200 % and thus causes them to lose much of their cling property. This paper describes the effects of using polybutene additives in two types, butene-1 and octene-1, of linear low den sity polyethylene (LLDPE) films made by the blown film and cast film processes. Data shows that the polybutene incorporation can provide adequate cling properties after stretching the film by 200 % ; these films also show improvement in several other properties including tear resistance, haze, and Spencer impact.
Effect of Retorting On the Barrier Properties of Evoh
Authors: Tsai Boh C. , Jenkins Becky J.
Published: March 2007

The effect of retort processing and storage conditions on the oxygen permeability of ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH) in multilayer packaging was studied. Immediately after retort processing, the oxygen permeability of EVOH increases due to plasticization by moisture. An irrecoverable effect of retorting on permeability is also seen though. This increase in permeability is attributed to the creation of excess free volume. Based on these experimental results, mathematical models were devel oped to predict EVOH oxygen permeability given the retort history and storage con ditions. It is also found that incorporating desiccant in the multilayer structure over comes the moisture effect and greatly reduces the retort path dependence.
Recent Developments in Testing the Permeability of Good Barriers
Authors: Demorest Robert L.
Published: March 2007

Today's better barriers require a precision in permeation testing not available even as recently as 1985. New processes such as coextrusion, new materials such as EVOH, and new uses for barriers, such as controlled at mosphere packaging, have placed new requirements on the method and preci sion for testing good barriers. This paper outlines the basic parameters which affect permeation, the ASTM and TAPPI Methods which are currently in use, and the apparatus which is required. The current state-of the-art in the most accurate methods for testing oxygen and water vapor available today is ex plored, along with an analysis of expected precision of measurements.
The Politics of Disability and Feminism: Discord or Synthesis?
Authors: Lloyd Margaret
Published: March 2007

Early formulations of the social model of disability have been subject to critical amendment by disabled women. Disabled women activists have, however, been equally critical of the failure of mainstream feminism to recognise the disability perspective. This article continues the approach taken by the author in an earlier paper in which she proposed the development of a model which understands the concerns of disabled women as central to both feminism and disability politics. It explores some of the complexities of a feminist agenda for disabled women in the linked arenas of sexuality, reproduction and motherhood, considering the contribution of a disability rights perspective to these core areas of feminist debate. It moves on to examine the potential contribution of a feminist disability perspective to the reconceptualisation of informal caring, where the experience of disabled women might help to untangle some of the dilemmas experienced by both men and women in the critical issues of caring and dependence.
Some Social and Physical Correlates of Intergenerational Social Mobility: Evidence from the West of Scotland Collaborative Study
Authors: Blane David , Smith George Davey , Hart Carole
Published: March 2007

Mainstream sociological studies of intergenerational social mobility have emphasised social factors such as education and the material and cultural resources of the family of origin as the main influences on the chances and direction of social mobility. Medical sociology in contrast has been more interested in its physical correlates such as height and health status. Data from the West of Scotland Collaborative study allow an examination of the relationship between social mobility and both social and physical factors. Height, education and material circumstances in the family of origin, indexed as the number of siblings, were each independently associated with the chances of both upward and downward social mobility in this dataset. In each case the net effect of this social mobility was to constrain the social distribution of these variables. Any role which these factors may play in indirect health selection, it is argued, cannot account for social class differences in adult health.
Understanding Anti-Catholicism in Northern Ireland
Authors: Brewer John D. , Higgins Gareth I.
Published: March 2007

Anti-Catholicism is part of the dynamics of Northern Ireland's conflict and is critical to the self-defining identity of certain Protestants. However, anti-Catholicism is as much a sociological process as a theological dispute about doctrine. It was given a Scriptural underpinning in the history of Protestant-Catholic relations in Ireland, and wider British-Irish relations, in order to reinforce social divisions between the religious communities and to offer a deterministic belief system to justify them. This article examines the socio-economic and political processes that have led to theology being used in social closure and stratification. It describes the various forms of contemporary anti-Catholicism, and highlights two further sociological features of the process, the common-sense reasoning process which reproduces it and how, in its language, it operates as a `discursive formation'.
Intimacy Transformed? A Critical Look at the `Pure Relationship'
Authors: Jamieson Lynn
Published: March 2007

It has recently been claimed that a particular form of intimacy, `the pure relationship' is increasingly sought in personal life. For a couple, `the pure relationship' involves opening out to each other, enjoying each other's unique qualities and sustaining trust through mutual disclosure. Anthony Giddens (1992) postulates a transformation of intimacy in all personal relationships with radical consequences for the gender order. Popular discourse supports the view that heterosexual couples are more equal and intimate. However, stories of everyday lives told to researchers paint a very qualified picture. Much of personal life remains structured by inequalities. Gendered struggles with the gap between cultural ideals and structural inequalities result in a range of creative identity and relationship-saving strategies. More, perhaps much more, creative energy goes into sustaining a sense of intimacy despite inequality than into a process of transformation. Moreover, the rhetoric of `the pure relationship' may point people in the wrong direction both personally and politically. It feeds on and into a therapeutic discourse that individualises personal problems and down-grades sociological explanations. In practice, intimacy remains multi-dimensional and for the contenders for successful heterosexual equality, acts of practical love and care have been more important than a constant dynamic of mutual exploration of each other's selves.
From Banana Time to Just-in-Time: Power and Resistance at Work
Authors: May Tim
Published: March 2007

Following debates within this journal regarding the absence of adequate studies of resistance in the contemporary fields of industrial sociology and organisational behaviour, this paper seeks to understand its reasons and consequences. Through an examination of the history of approaches to the study of power and resistance at work, the grounds for this debate are considered and illuminated. The paper then suggests how this debate might be taken forward through developing the ideas of tactics and strategies and episodic and dispositional power.
Seeking Effective Public Space: Chinese Media at the Local Level?
Authors: Zhang Xiaoling
Published: March 2007

This article explores a hitherto neglected aspect of the contemporary Chinese communication network: media outlets at the county level, the lowest level of the media hierarchy in China. It considers whether county level media outlets constitute more autonomy from the state and thus serve as more effective channels for participation and representation. The findings suggest that although official media outlets at the county level enjoy a relatively more relaxed political environment, their institutional and structural nature, combined with the reporting systemfrom the Mao era and the strong local social network powerfully inhibit them from developing into an arena for critical debate.
Homeland Security: Political and Domestic Economy in Hannah More's Coelebs in Search of a Wife
Authors: Cleere Eileen
Published: March 2007

While conduct books like Hannah More's 1808 Coelebs in Search of a Wife have become standard documents of feminist cultural studies, they are most often used as methodological tools for uncovering the domestic ideologies of more canonical fictions, or for charting broad patterns of literary and cultural development across decades or even centuries. Instead, this essay regards Coelebs as a text with its own politically conservative agenda, and argues that the novel endorses a contemporary economic program of home trading that inscribes women within a patriotic system of agricultural management for the purpose of homeland defense.
A Return to Normal: Lois Lowry's The Giver
Authors: Stewart Susan Louise
Published: March 2007

Stewart suggests that as innovative as The Giver might be, it is nonetheless a "return to normal." Rather than offering something different, the text ideologically undermines itself by returning most readers to a familiar subject position. She claims, for instance, that Jonas and The Giver, two light skinned, pale eyed characters, replicate contemporary cultural assumptions in that they serve as the decision makers and saviors. She also claims that choice, which seems to be one of the most important issues confronted by the text, disappears with the publication of interviews with Lowry and Messenger, the last novel associated with The Giver.
S.F. voters back measure mandating treatment for some aid recipients
Authors: Enos Gary
Published: March 2024

Residents of San Francisco have joined city leaders in taking a decided turn toward a more punitive approach to combating the city's drug use crisis, convincingly approving a ballot measure that will link city welfare benefits to mandated drug screening and participation in treatment.
Pull‐Out Testing of Electrochemically Etched NiTi Shape Memory Alloy Wires in Shape Memory Alloy Hybrid Composites
Authors: Gapeeva Anna , Jungbluth Julia , Zeller‐Plumhoff Berit , Moosmann Julian , Beckmann Felix , Bruns Stefan , Kunzler Manuel , Carstensen Jürgen , Adelung Rainer , Gurka Martin
Published: March 2024

This study presents an experimental characterization of the interface strength of the shape memory alloy hybrid composite (SMAHC) consisting of the two‐way effect NiTi shape memory alloy (SMA) wire structured by electrochemical etching and the surrounding thermoset matrix. Mechanically induced, in situ thermally induced, and cyclic load‐increase pull‐out tests consistently reveal that SMAHC with structured SMA wires outperforms those with as‐delivered SMA wires by a substantial factor of 2.6–2.7 in interfacial strength — the critical factor governing the overall performance and functionality of the composite. Analyzing the force–displacement curves from mechanically induced pull‐out tests demonstrates that structuring the SMA wire surface leads to a significantly increased elastic energy to initiate a crack and achieve complete failure. SMA wires with structured surfaces continue transferring load even after the initial interfacial failure due to the presence of intact mechanical interlocking sites. The cyclic load‐increase pull‐out test confirms that SMA wires with structured surfaces exhibit a significantly higher load‐bearing capacity, withstanding more load levels and demonstrating greater force of the first failure. Furthermore, in thermally induced pull‐out tests with structured SMA wires, a re‐initiation of failure from the lower side follows an initial failure progression at the SMA wire entry point.
Study of an Active Heat‐Dissipating Liquid Metal Wire with Electrical‐Material Cotransmission Characteristics and Its Applications
Authors: Wang Qing , Zhou Zhou , Xu Manman , Tao Lifang , Qian Wenjie , Shi Wei , Sun Daoheng
Published: March 2024

In the field of precision motors, there is a growing demand for higher power density, requiring wires to withstand elevated current density and resulting,in significant heating of the motor. This study investigates various properties of liquid metal conductors and evaluates their potential for enhancing the heat dissipation performance in a motor armature system. The results demonstrate that liquid metal conductors can be successfully applied to a motor armature system. Their characteristics, such as electrohydraulic coupling and decoupling, fulfill the requirements of fluid field circulation and unidirectional electrical conduction in the armature system. With a current density of 176.8 mA cm−2, the maximum temperature decreases from 35.2 to 30.9 °C, achieving a temperature reduction of 12%. This article details the specific methods for manufacturing motor armatures using liquid metal conductors, including the structures of different types of armature systems. Additionally, the article also presents a study on some performance aspects of this armature system, showing a decrease in the maximum temperature from 54.9 to 50.9 °C, corresponding to a 7.3% temperature reduction. Thus, a novel approach is provided to the thermal management system of motors, which can be further extended to the field of bioelectrodes in future research.
Aerogel‐To‐Sol‐To‐Aerogel (ASA) Process for Recycling, Repairing, Reprogramming of High‐Performance Organic Aerogels
Authors: Wang Changlin , Eisenreich Fabian , Tomović Željko
Published: March 2024

With rising energy demands and costs, the significance of thermally insulating materials is on a constant upward trajectory. While they offer impressive performance, their sustainability is increasingly becoming an essential design feature. The study thus develops an unprecedented strategy that enables recycling, repairing, and reprogramming of superinsulating polyimine aerogels. The principle at play involves the decomposition of polyimine aerogels into a solution of oligomers through transimination reactions with additional amines. This solution can be utilized to create new aerogels with virtually identical properties to the original ones. This aerogel‐to‐sol‐to‐aerogel (ASA) process is also applicable to mixed waste streams and damaged aerogels. Moreover, this method allows to alter the aerogel properties post‐synthetically through careful selection of amines. Since the ASA process is highly reproducible and selective, omits purification steps, and conserves 100% of the initially embedded chemical resources, it presents an innovative tool for the sustainable management of superinsulating aerogels.
An In Situ Near‐Surface Reconstruction Strategy Endowing Lithium‐Rich Oxides with Li/O Dual Vacancies and Spinel‐Carbon Dual Coating Layers Toward High Energy Density Cathode
Authors: Ouyang Yuguo , Zhang Ying , Wang Gongrui , Wei Xiaofei , Zhang Anping , Sun Junwei , Wei Shiqiang , Song Li , Dai Fangna , Wu Zhong‐Shuai
Published: March 2024

Li‐rich cathode materials (LRMs) are regarded as the key cathode candidates for next‐generation lithium‐ion batteries(LIBs) because of their high specific capacity and environmental friendliness. However, LRMs encounter poor cyclability and low initial coulombic efficiency (ICE) hindering their practical application. Herein, a general near‐surface in situ reconstruction strategy is proposed of constructing the Li/O dual vacancies and spinel‐carbon dual coating layers on the surface of LRMs concurrently to improve Li+ storage performance. The as‐prepared LRMs exhibit a greatly strengthened specific capacity of 283 mAh g−1 with an enhanced ICE of 94% and long‐term cyclability of 91% retention after 200 cycles compared with the pristine LRMs (212 mAh g−1 with an ICE of 65%, 76% retention after 200 cycles). Furthermore, it is theoretically revealed that O vacancies (Ov) prefer to occur at the interface of the C2/m and Rm phases to mitigate lattice stress, rather the O sites in individual C2/m or Rm phase with more coordinated atoms. Besides, Li ions exhibit lower migration energy from C2/m phase to Rm phase with the Ov located at the lattice interface. Therefore, this strategy opens a new avenue in the design perspective of the LRMs’ near‐surface for high‐energy‐density LIBs.
The H2O2 Self‐Sufficient 3D Printed β‐TCP Scaffolds with Synergistic Anti‐Tumor Effect and Reinforced Osseointegration
Authors: Wang Qing , Chiu Chingyen , Zhang Hang , Wang Xuan , Chen Yanzheng , Li Xiang , Pan Jinsong
Published: March 2024

Tumor recurrence and massive bone defects are two critical challenges for postoperative treatment of oral and maxillofacial tumor, posing serious threats to the health of patients. Herein, in order to eliminate residual tumor cells and promote osteogenesis simultaneously, the hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) self‐sufficient TCP‐PDA‐CaO2‐CeO2 (TPCC) scaffolds are designed by preparing CaO2 or/and CeO2 nanoparticles (NPs)/chitosan solution and modifying the NPs into polydopamine (PDA)‐modified 3D printed TCP scaffolds by rotary coating method. CaO2 NPs loaded on the scaffolds can release Ca2+ and sufficient H2O2 in the acidic tumor microenvironment (TME). The generated H2O2 can further produce hydroxyl radicals (·OH) under catalysis effect by peroxidase (POD) activity of CeO2 NPs, in which the photothermal effect of the PDA coating enhances its POD catalytic effect. Overall, NPs loaded on the scaffold chemically achieve a cascade reaction of H2O2 self‐sufficiency and ·OH production, while functionally achieving synergistic effects on anti‐tumor and bone promotion. In vitro and in vivo studies show that the scaffolds exhibit effective osteo‐inductivity, induced osteoblast differentiation and promote osseointegration. Therefore, the multifunctional composite scaffolds not only validate the concept of chemo‐dynamic therapy (CDT) cascade therapy, but also provide a promising clinical strategy for postoperative treatment of oral and maxillofacial tumor.
Hierarchically Biomimetic Scaffolds with Anisotropic Micropores and Nanotopological Patterns to Promote Bone Regeneration via Geometric Modulation
Authors: Wei Xin , Chen Jiaxin , Shen Hui‐Yuan , Jiang Kai , Ren Haohao , Liu Yao , Luo En , Zhang Jin , Xu Jia‐Zhuang , Li Zhong‐Ming
Published: March 2024

Structural engineering is an appealing means to modulate osteogenesis without the intervention of exogenous cells or therapeutic agents. In this work, a novel 3D scaffold with anisotropic micropores and nanotopographical patterns is developed. Scaffolds with oriented pores are fabricated via the selective extraction of water‐soluble polyethylene oxide from its poly(ε‐caprolactone) co‐continuous mixture and uniaxial stretching. The plate apatite‐like lamellae are subsequently hatched on the pore walls through surface‐induced epitaxial crystallization. Such a unique geometric architecture yields a synergistic effect on the osteogenic capability. The prepared scaffold leads to a 19.2% and 128.0% increase in the alkaline phosphatase activity of rat bone mesenchymal stem cells compared to that of the scaffolds with only oriented pores and only nanotopographical patterns, respectively. It also induces the greatest upregulation of osteogenic‐related gene expression in vitro. The cranial defect repair results demonstrate that the prepared scaffold effectively promotes new bone regeneration, as indicated by a 350% increase in collagen I expression in vivo compared to the isotropic porous scaffold without surface nanotopology after implantation for 14 weeks. Overall, this work provides geometric motifs for the transduction of biophysical cues in 3D porous scaffolds, which is a promising option for tissue engineering applications.
Versatile Mechanically Tunable Hydrogels for Therapeutic Delivery Applications
Authors: Sun Qiyao , Tao Siyuan , Bovone Giovanni , Han Garam , Deshmukh Dhananjay , Tibbitt Mark W. , Ren Qun , Bertsch Pascal , Siqueira Gilberto , Fischer Peter
Published: March 2024

Hydrogels provide a versatile platform for biomedical material fabrication that can be structurally and mechanically fine‐tuned to various tissues and applications. Applications of hydrogels in biomedicine range from highly dynamic injectable hydrogels that can flow through syringe needles and maintain or recover their structure after extrusion to solid‐like wound‐healing patches that need to be stretchable while providing a selective physical barrier. In this study, a toolbox is designed using thermo‐responsive poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) polymeric matrices and nanocelluloses as reinforcing agent to obtain biocompatible hydrogels with altering mechanical properties, from a liquid injectable to a solid‐like elastic hydrogel. The liquid hydrogels possess low viscosity and shear‐thinning properties at 25 °C, which allows facile injection at room temperature, while they become viscoelastic gels at body temperature. In contrast, the covalently cross‐linked solid‐like hydrogels exhibit enhanced viscoelasticity. The liquid hydrogels are biocompatible and are able to delay the in vitro release and maintain the bioactivity of model drugs. The antimicrobial agent loaded solid‐like hydrogels are effective against typical wound‐associated pathogens. This work presents a simple method of tuning hydrogel mechanical strength to easily adapt to applications in different soft tissues and broaden the potential of renewable bio‐nanoparticles in hybrid biomaterials with controlled drug release capabilities.
The Combination of Membrane Disruption and FtsZ Targeting by a Chemotherapeutic Hydrogel Synergistically Combats Pathogens Infections
Authors: Wei Xianyuan , Guo Jintong , Geng Xiaorui , Xue Bin , Huang Shaohui , Yuan Zhen
Published: March 2024

The emergence of multidrug‐resistant (MDR) bacteria poses a significant challenge to global health. Due to a shortage of antibiotics, alternative therapeutic strategies are urgently needed. Unfortunately, colistin, the last‐resort antibiotic, has unavoidable nephrotoxicity and hepatotoxicity, and its single killing mechanism is prone to drug resistance. To address this challenge, a promising combinatorial approach that includes colistin, a membrane‐disrupting antimicrobial agent, and chelerythrine (CHE), a FtsZ protein inhibitor is proposed. This approach significantly reduces antibiotic dose and development of resistance, leading to almost complete inactivation of MDR pathogens in vitro. To address solubility issues and ensure transport, the antimicrobial hydrogel system LNP‐CHE‐CST@hydrogel, which induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) and apoptosis‐like cell death by targeting the FtsZ protein, is used. In an in vivo mouse skin infection model, the combination therapy effectively eliminated MDR bacteria within 24 h, as monitored by fluorescence tracking. The findings demonstrate a promising approach for developing multifunctional hydrogels to combat MDR bacterial infections.
Manipulating Stacking Fault Energy to Achieve Crack Inhibition and Superior Strength–Ductility Synergy in an Additively Manufactured High‐Entropy Alloy
Authors: Niu Pengda , Li Ruidi , Gan Kefu , Fan Zhiqi , Yuan Tiechui , Han Changjun
Published: March 2024

Additive manufacturing (AM) is a revolutionary technology that heralds a new era in metal processing, yet the quality of AM‐produced parts is inevitably compromised by cracking induced by severe residual stress. In this study, a novel approach is presented to inhibit cracks and enhance the mechanical performances of AM‐produced alloys by manipulating stacking fault energy (SFE). A high‐entropy alloy (HEA) based on an equimolar FeCoCrNi composition is selected as the prototype material due to the presence of microcracks during laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) AM process. Introducing a small amount (≈2.4 at%) of Al doping can effectively lower SFE and yield the formation of multiscale microstructures that efficiently dissipate thermal stress during LPBF processing. Distinct from the Al‐free HEA containing visible microcracks, the Al‐doped HEA (Al0.1CoCrFeNi) is crack free and demonstrates ≈55% improvement in elongation without compromising tensile strength. Additionally, the lowered SFE enhances the resistance to crack propagation, thereby improving the durability of AM‐printed products. By manipulating SFE, the thermal cycle‐induced stress during the printing process can be effectively consumed via stacking faults formation, and the proposed strategy offers novel insights into the development of crack‐free alloys with superior strength–ductility synergy for intricate structural applications.
Musculoskeletal Organs‐on‐Chips: An Emerging Platform for Studying the Nanotechnology–Biology Interface
Authors: Wang Yuwen , Yung Patrick , Lu Gang , Liu Yuwei , Ding Changhai , Mao Chuanbin , Li Zhong Alan , Tuan Rocky S.
Published: March 2024

Nanotechnology‐based approaches are promising for the treatment of musculoskeletal (MSK) disorders, which present significant clinical burdens and challenges, but their clinical translation requires a deep understanding of the complex interplay between nanotechnology and MSK biology. Organ‐on‐a‐chip (OoC) systems have emerged as an innovative and versatile microphysiological platform to replicate the dynamics of tissue microenvironment for studying nanotechnology–biology interactions. This review first covers recent advances and applications of MSK OoCs and their ability to mimic the biophysical and biochemical stimuli encountered by MSK tissues. Next, by integrating nanotechnology into MSK OoCs, cellular responses and tissue behaviors may be investigated by precisely controlling and manipulating the nanoscale environment. Analysis of MSK disease mechanisms, particularly bone, joint, and muscle tissue degeneration, and drug screening and development of personalized medicine may be greatly facilitated using MSK OoCs. Finally, future challenges and directions are outlined for the field, including advanced sensing technologies, integration of immune‐active components, and enhancement of biomimetic functionality. By highlighting the emerging applications of MSK OoCs, this review aims to advance the understanding of the intricate nanotechnology–MSK biology interface and its significance in MSK disease management, and the development of innovative and personalized therapeutic and interventional strategies.
Recent Progress in Haloalkene Synthesis by Hydrohalogenation (HX=HCl, HBr, HI) of Alkynes
Authors: Iwai Kento , Nishiwaki Nagatoshi
Published: March 2024

Hydrohalogenation of alkynes is one of the fundamental reactions in organic chemistry, as described in textbooks that begins from old time as Reppe's chemistry. This method, which directly affords haloalkenes in a single step, is attractive from both industrial and academic viewpoints. Despite the long history of this reaction, novel efficient catalysts and regioselective and/or stereoselective controlled reactions are still a challenging topic. This review addresses the recent (past decade) advances in this field of organic chemistry.