Private Justice: Losing Our Day in Court

In the early days of the dispute resolution movement—the ‘80s and ‘90s—the concern was often expressed that we were developing a system of “second‐class justice” for those who couldn't afford the courts. The wealthy, of course, would continue to have access to the “first‐class justice” that the public courts provided.     

Solution structure of the origin DNA-binding domain of SV40 T-antigen

The structure of the domain from simian virus 40 (SV40) large T-antigen that binds to the SV40 origin of DNA replication (T-ag-OBD131-260) has been determined by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The overall fold, consisting of a central five-stranded antiparallel beta-sheet flanked by two alpha-helices on one side and one alpha-helix and one 3(10)-helix on the other, is a new one. Previous mutational analyses have identified two elements, termed A (approximately 152-155) and B2 (203-207), as essential for origin-specific recognition. These elements form two closely juxtaposed loops that define a continuous surface on the protein. The addition of a duplex oligonucleotide containing the origin recognition pentanucleotide GAGGC induces chemical shift changes and slows amide proton exchange in resonances from this region, indicating that this surface directly contacts the DNA.     

Stimulus-elicited behavior in rapid eye movement sleep without atonia.

Alert wakefulness (W) and rapid eye movement sleep (REM) are remarkably similar on several measures of brain activity, but 2 differences in REM are reduced sensory responsiveness and atonia in postural muscles. Pontine tegmental lesions create REM without atonia (REM-A), releasing motor behavior. In 9 cats, we studied the acoustic startle reflex (ASR), orienting (OR), and ponto-geniculo-occipital waves (PGOE) elicited by tones during W, REM, REM-A, and non-REM (NREM). OR occurred in W and REM-A, being most complete in cats with the most elaborate spontaneous behavior. ASR occurred in W, NREM, and REM-A in lesioned cats. In normal cats, ASR rarely appeared in NREM and REM. PGOE had similar characteristics in both groups. The similarity of REM to W is particularly obvious when cats lack motoneuronal inhibition. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF THE PRIMARY FROTH FROM ATHABASCA OIL SAND EXTRACTION: CRYOGENIC SAMPLING AND MICROSCOPIC OBSERVATION OF PILOT PLANT FROTHS

Significant incentives remain for decreasing the mean solids and water content and their variability in combined extraction froth from Athabasaca oil sands, both in the hot water processes now commercially implemented, and in projected processes typically operating at lower temperatures. The oil sand can be conditioned in different ways to generate aerated bitumen droplets which can be recovered as a froth by flotation. The froth formation processes determine the quantities of entrained water and solids, and hence froth quality is related to the vertical progression of physical structures in the froth layer. A sampling method was developed to take frozen samples simultaneously from different depths in the froth layer, for the first time, and applied in pilot plant extractions of Athabasca oil sands, operating in either the commercial (Clark) or a development (OSLO) configuration at various temperatures. The patterns of froth structures were rather similar, with minor differences more related to the process temperature than to the oil sand conditioning procedure. The froth structure progressed from loosely packed aerated bitumen droplets at the bottom to bitumen-continuous at the top with an extensive water-continuous middle region containing distorted aerated bitumen droplets and comprising approximately 70% of the total froth depth. An abrupt phase inversion had been expected but was clearly absent. A key factor determining the froth quality appears to be the ability of the bitumen droplets to distort without coalescing, and so to pack more closely allowing continued drainage of the aqueous phase. Implications for froth quality improvement are discussed.     

Rapid and precise scanning helium ion microscope milling of solid-state nanopores for biomolecule detection

We report the formation of solid-state nanopores using a scanning helium ion microscope. The fabrication process offers the advantage of high sample throughput along with fine control over nanopore dimensions, producing single pores with diameters below 4 nm. Electronic noise associated with ion transport through the resultant pores is found to be comparable with levels measured on devices made with the established technique of transmission electron microscope milling. We demonstrate the utility of our nanopores for biomolecular analysis by measuring the passage of double-strand DNA.     

Competency assessment models.

This article describes characteristics of alternative assessment models deployed in the measurement of professional competencies across the professional life span based on the work of the American Psychological Association Task Force on the Assessment of Competence in Professional Psychology. Assessments of knowledge, decision making, performance and personal attributes, as well as integrated practice-based skills and tasks are described and compared on the basis of their validity, feasibility and practicality, fidelity, and relevance at difference stages of professional development. It is acknowledged that no single assessment can evaluate all competencies and that assessments can be combined in complementary ways. Assessments deployed in the nursing, dental, and medical professions are reviewed and contrasted with current practices in psychology. At the licensure level, differences in the assessments deployed among the 4 healthcare professions are described, and their candidate fees and number of candidates assessed annually are documented. Ideas for developing new assessments in psychology are discussed on the basis of the needs and financial resources available to psychology and the experiences of other healthcare professions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Activation of a distinct arousal state immediately after spontaneous awakening from sleep

In contrast to the many neural studies into the mechanisms of sleep onset and maintenance, few studies have focused specifically on awakening from sleep. However, the abrupt electrographic changes and large brief cardio-respiratory activation at awakening suggest that a distinct, transiently aroused, awake state may exist compared to later wakefulness. To test this hypothesis we utilized the acoustic startle reflex, a standard un-conditioned reflex elicited by a sudden loud noise. This reflex is modulated under specific conditions, one being a diminution of startle when a quieter pre-stimulus is presented immediately before the loud stimulus. This pre-pulse inhibition (PPI) is used as a measure of sensorimotor gating, with smaller PPI indicating less filtering of sensory inputs and increased responsiveness to external stimuli. Eight rats with electrodes for recording sleep-wake state were studied. An accelerometer measured startle responses. The startle reflex was elicited by 115 dB, 40 ms tones. PPI was produced by 74 dB, 20 ms tones preceding the 115 dB tone by 100 ms. Responses within 100 ms were measured. Stimuli were applied either 3-10 s after spontaneous awakenings, or in established wakefulness (> 30 s). Responses to the startle stimuli alone were similar in the different awake states (P = 0.821). However, PPI was smaller at awakening from non-REM sleep compared to established wakefulness (45.4 +/- 7.5% vs. 74.3 +/- 6.1%, P = 0.0002). PPI after awakening from REM sleep (52.8 +/- 17.9%) was not significantly different than established wakefulness (P = 0.297). Reduced PPI of the startle reflex at awakening from non-REM sleep supports the hypothesis that wakefulness immediately after spontaneous sleep episodes is neurophysiologically distinct from later wakefulness and associated with reduced gating of motor responses to sensory inputs. Spontaneous activation of this distinct, transiently aroused, state upon awakening may serve a protective function, preparing an animal to respond immediately to potentially threatening stimuli.     

Dual-polarized array for signal-processing applications in wirelesscommunications

A novel dual-polarized antenna array designed for a spatial division multiple access (SDMA) system working in the 1850-1990-MHz band is designed and built. The antenna is designed to have similar element patterns, and measurements of S-parameters and radiation patterns are presented. The array signal processing performance of the array using all elements and with no compensation for mutual coupling or differences in element patterns is studied through direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation using total least squares estimation of signal parameters via rotational invariance techniques (TLS-ESPRIT). The results show that the accuracy of the DOA estimates is quite acceptable for wireless communication applications     

Oscillating cascade unsteady aerodynamics including separated flow effects

A mathematical model is developed to predict the effect of flow separation on the unsteady aerodynamic lift and moment acting on a two-dimensional flat plate cascade which is harmonically oscillating in a subsonic flow field. The unsteady flow is considered to be a small perturbation to the uniform steady flow, with the steady flow assumed to separate at a specified fixed position on the airfoil suction surface. This formulation does not require the difference in the upwash velocity across the airfoil in the separated flow region to be determined before calculating the unsteady pressure difference across the chordline of the airfoils, thereby eliminating the assumption that the upwash difference is zero at the trailing edge when the steady flow is separated. Results obtained demonstrate that although flow separation decreases bending mode stability, it does not result in bending mode flutter. However, flow separation can result in torsion mode flutter, with this instability being a function of the location of both the separation point and the elastic axis.     

Economic Analysis of Establishing Regional Transmission Organization and Standard Market Design in the Southeast

With the issue of its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Standard Market Design (SMD NOPR) in July 2002, the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) took a major step to ensure consistency in wholesale electricity markets. The SMD NOPR contains the Commission's most definitive guidelines regarding its vision of future competitive wholesale electric markets, their structure, and scope. Regional transmission organizations (RTOs) are at the heart of the order-providing the structure and institutions to support wholesale electricity trade and the management of the nation's transmission grid. Locational marginal pricing (LMP) and congestion revenue rights (CRRs) will be used to manage the operation of the transmission grid. As the geographics of these RTOs will expand across many states and one or more independent system operators (ISOs), the state regulators and ISOs, affected by FERC orders, are particularly interested in the assessment of economic impact in their states and ISO market areas, if these orders were adopted. While one can easily conceptualize the steps required to characterize the economic impact of implementing RTOs and SMD, the modeling and analytical methodology is extremely complex and requires that numerous "reasonable assumptions" be made to approximate the operations of the electric system. Results from a case study are used to illustrate the impact of key assumptions and the inherent imprecision in this type of analysis. These types of issues, modeling, and analytical considerations are relevant for evaluating the impact of changing electricity market structures throughout the world