A Reexamination of the Agency Doctrine of Election

The Restatement (Second) of Agency and several states provide that a third party suing an undisclosed principal and his agent must elect to take judgment against one, releasing the other from further liability. In contrast, when the existence of a principal but not his identity is disclosed at the time of agreement, a court may enter judgment against both the partially disclosed principal and his agent, releasing neither until the judgment is satisfied. The authors examine the theories and case law supporting the election doctrine in the light of public policy favoring complete disclosure. The authors conclude that a rule of release upon satisfaction of judgment should be applied to undisclosed principals and their agents. In the context of a partially disclosed principal, however, courts should consider applying a rule of election to encourage full disclosure

Upgrading IT101 With Handheld Computers

This study examines the impact of handheld computers on students in a first year Information Technology course (IT101), measuring IT attitudes, skills, and performance. Students in standard sections used their laptop computers and traditional textbooks. Students in intensive sections used both handheld computers and laptop computers, that is, multiple platforms. Both standard and intensive sections covered the same topics. Although students in both standard and intensive sections became more skilled during the semester, students in the intensive sections improved more in programming and Microsoft Excel skills. Students in intensive sections also scored significantly better than students in the standard sections on the common portion of the final exam. Finally, according to anecdotal evidence, students in the intensive sections gained significantly more skill-based confidence in IT unrelated to handheld computers compared to students in the standard sections. Seven of our ten expectations were supported. While students benefited from the intensive version of IT101, several factors could account for the improvements: a self-selection factor, an active learning vs. textbook learning factor, and possibly an instructor factor. Future research should shed light on the relative weights of these factors

Design and Evaluation of Heterobivalent PAR1–PAR2 Ligands as Antagonists of Calcium Mobilization

A novel class of bivalent ligands targeting putative protease-activated receptor (PAR) heteromers has been prepared based upon reported antagonists for the subtypes PAR1 and PAR2. Modified versions of the PAR1 antagonist RWJ-58259 containing alkyne adapters were connected via cycloaddition reactions to azide-capped polyethylene glycol (PEG) spacers attached to imidazopyridazine-based PAR2 antagonists. Initial studies of the PAR1–PAR2 antagonists indicated that they inhibited G alpha q-mediated calcium mobilization in endothelial and cancer cells driven by both PAR1 and PAR2 agonists. Compounds of this novel class hold promise for the prevention of restenosis, cancer cell metastasis, and other proliferative disorders

Temperature Dependence of Blue Phosphorescent Cyclometalated Ir(III) Complexes

The photophysical properties for a series of facial (fac) cyclometalated Ir(III) complexes (fac-Ir(C^N)_3 (C^N = 2-phenylpyridyl (ppy), 2-(4,6-difluorophenyl)pyridyl (F2ppy), 1-phenylpyrazolyl (ppz), 1-(2,4-difluorophenyl)pyrazolyl) (F2ppz), and 1-(2-(9,9′-dimethylfluorenyl))pyrazolyl (flz)), fac-Ir(C^N)_2(C^N′) (C^N = ppz or F2ppz and C^N′ = ppy or F2ppy), and fac-Ir(CC′)_3 (C^C′ = 1-phenyl-3-methylbenzimidazolyl (pmb)) have been studied in dilute 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (2-MeTHF) solution in a temperature range of 77−378 K. Photoluminescent quantum yields (Φ) for the 10 compounds at room temperature vary between near zero and unity, whereas all emit with high efficiency at low temperature (77 K). The quantum yield for fac-Ir(ppy)_3 (Φ = 0.97) is temperature-independent. For the other complexes, the temperature-dependent data indicates that the luminescent efficiency is primarily determined by thermal deactivation to a nonradiative state. Activation energies and rate constants for both radiative and nonradiative processes were obtained using a Boltzmann analysis of the temperature-dependent luminescent decay data. Activation energies to the nonradiative state are found to range between 1600 and 4800 cm^−1. The pre-exponential factors for deactivation are large for complexes with C^N ligands (1011−1013 s^−1) and significantly smaller for fac-Ir(pmb)_3 (109 s^−1). The kinetic parameters for decay and results from density functional theory (DFT) calculations of the triplet state are consistent with a nonradiative process involving Ir−N (Ir−C for fac-Ir(pmb)_3) bond rupture leading to a five-coordinate species that has triplet metal-centered (^3MC) character. Linear correlations are observed between the activation energy and the energy difference calculated for the emissive and ^3MC states. The energy level for the ^3MC state is estimated to lie between 21700 and 24000 cm^−1 for the fac-Ir(C^N)_3 complexes and at 28000 cm^−1 for fac-Ir(pmb)_3

QCD and QED dynamics of the EMC effect

Applying exact QCD sum rules for the baryon charge and energy-momentum we demonstrate that if nucleons are the only degrees of freedom of nuclear wave function, the structure function of a nucleus would be the additive sum of the nucleon distributions at the same Bjorken x = AQ^2/2(p_Aq)< 0.5 up to very small Fermi motion corrections if x>0.05. Thus the difference of the EMC ratio from one reveals the presence of non-nucleonic degrees of freedom in nuclei. Using exact QCD sum rules we show that the ratio R_A(x_p,Q^2) used in experimental studies, where x_p = Q^2/2q_0 m_p deviates from one even if a nucleus consists of nucleons with small momenta only. Use of the Bjorken x leads to additional decrease of R_A(x,Q^2) as compared to the x_p plots. Coherent contribution of equivalent photons into photon component of parton wave function of a nucleus unambiguously follows from Lorentz transformation of the rest frame nucleus Coulomb field. For A~200 photons carry ~0.0065 fraction of the light momentum of nucleus almost compensates the difference between data analysis in terms of Bjorken x and x_p. Different role of higher twist effects for Q^2 probed at electron and muon beams is emphasized. Direct observations of large and predominantly nucleonic short-range correlations in nuclei pose a serious challenge for most of the models of the EMC effect for x>0.6. The data are consistent with a scenario in which the hadronic EMC effect reflects fluctuations of inter nucleon interaction due to fluctuations of color distribution in the interacting nucleons. The dynamic realization of this scenario is the model in which the 3q (3qg) configurations with x > 0.5 parton have a weaker interaction with nearby nucleons, leading to suppression of such configurations giving a right magnitude of the EMC effect. The directions for the future studies and challenging questions are outlined.Comment: The sign in the relation of x_Bj and x_p is corrected and the following discussion is adjusted accordingly. Discussion of the higher twist effects is adde

Silsesquioxane polymer as a potential scaffold for laryngeal reconstruction

Cancer, disease and trauma to the larynx and their treatment can lead to permanent loss of structures critical to voice, breathing and swallowing. Engineered partial or total laryngeal replacements would need to match the ambitious specifications of replicating functionality, outer biocompatibility, and permissiveness for an inner mucosal lining. Here we present porous polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane-poly(carbonate urea) urethane (POSS-PCUU) as a potential scaffold for engineering laryngeal tissue. Specifically, we employ a precipitation and porogen leaching technique for manufacturing the polymer. The polymer is chemically consistent across all sample types and produces a foam-like scaffold with two distinct topographies and an internal structure composed of nano- and micro-pores. Whilst the highly porous internal structure of the scaffold contributes to the complex tensile behaviour of the polymer, the surface of the scaffold remains largely non-porous. The low number of pores minimise access for cells, although primary fibroblasts and epithelial cells do attach and proliferate on the polymer surface. Our data show that with a change in manufacturing protocol to produce porous polymer surfaces, POSS-PCUU may be a potential candidate for overcoming some of the limitations associated with laryngeal reconstruction and regeneration

Pre-Exposure to Moving Form Enhances Static Form Sensitivity

Background: Motion-defined form can seem to persist briefly after motion ceases, before seeming to gradually disappear into the background. Here we investigate if this subjective persistence reflects a signal capable of improving objective measures of sensitivity to static form. Methodology/Principal Findings: We presented a sinusoidal modulation of luminance, masked by a background noise pattern. The sinusoidal luminance modulation was usually subjectively invisible when static, but visible when moving. We found that drifting then stopping the waveform resulted in a transient subjective persistence of the waveform in the static display. Observers' objective sensitivity to the position of the static waveform was also improved after viewing moving waveforms, compared to viewing static waveforms for a matched duration. This facilitation did not occur simply because movement provided more perspectives of the waveform, since performance following pre-exposure to scrambled animations did not match that following pre-exposure to smooth motion. Observers did not simply remember waveform positions at motion offset, since removing the waveform before testing reduced performance. Conclusions/Significance: Motion processing therefore interacts with subsequent static visual inputs in a way that can improve performance in objective sensitivity measures. We suggest that the brief subjective persistence of motion-defined forms that can occur after motion offsets is a consequence of the decay of a static form signal that has been transiently enhanced by motion processing

Association of snRNA genes with coiled bodies is mediated by nascent snRNA transcripts

AbstractBackground: Coiled bodies are nuclear organelles that are highly enriched in small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNPs) and certain basal transcription factors. Surprisingly, coiled bodies not only contain mature U snRNPs but also associate with specific chromosomal loci, including gene clusters that encode U snRNAs and histone messenger RNAs. The mechanism(s) by which coiled bodies associate with these genes is completely unknown.Results: Using stable cell lines, we show that artificial tandem arrays of human U1 and U2 snRNA genes colocalize with coiled bodies and that the frequency of the colocalization depends directly on the transcriptional activity of the array. Association of the genes with coiled bodies was abolished when the artificial U2 arrays contained promoter mutations that prevent transcription or when RNA polymerase II transcription was globally inhibited by α-amanitin. Remarkably, the association was also abolished when the U2 snRNA coding regions were replaced by heterologous sequences.Conclusions: The requirement for the U2 snRNA coding region indicates that association of snRNA genes with coiled bodies is mediated by the nascent U2 RNA itself, not by DNA or DNA-bound proteins. Our data provide the first evidence that association of genes with a nuclear organelle can be directed by an RNA and suggest an autogenous feedback regulation model