“Users United”: The Civil Justice Reform Act of 1990

The implementation of the Civil Justice Reform Act of 1990, a law designed to improve the management of the civil justice system, is discussed. The substantive components of the law and the process that led to its enactment are addressed

INVESTIGATION OF FRP STABILIZATION OF PLASTIC BUCKLING BEHAVIOR OF SLENDER STEEL SECTIONS

An innovative use of fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composite materials, to control the manifestation of local buckling in a flanged steel section, is proposed. In this method, the high stiffness and linear behavior of FRP materials are utilized to provide "bracing" against web or flange local buckling in a manner that strategically leverages the unique mechanical properties of each material in an efficient application domain. The experimental research reported is aimed at demonstrating the feasibility of using small quantities of FRP to provide cross-sectional stability through the bonding of FRP strips to flange elements of the cross-section, thereby increasing the critical load of the member; constraining plastic flow in the cross-sectional flange elements; and facilitating the manifestation of a well-formed and stable hysteretic response of the member under cyclic loading. The member becomes, in effect, an FRP stabilized steel section.An experimental program investigating the inelastic buckling behavior of FRP stabilized members is reported. In all cases, WT 6x7 steel sections were used. Unretrofit control specimens and four retrofit scenarios were investigated using either high strength (HS) carbon FRP (CFRP) strips or ultra-high modulus (UHM) glass FRP (GFRP) strips. For each material two cases were considered: a single 2 in. (50.8 mm) wide strip applied to the WT stem; and two 1 in. (25.4 mm) wide strips placed on top of each other at the same location. The FRP strips were applied to each side of the WT stem. The two FRP configurations used result in the same area of FRP materials having the same centroid applied to the steel section. Fifteen 14 in. (356 mm) long WT sections were tested in concentric compression to failure. Three specimens of each detail were tested. The specimen length was selected to ensure local buckling of the WT stem with no lateral torsional buckling of the section. Each specimen was dominated by web (stem) local buckling (WLB) behavior. No evidence of flange local buckling or lateral torsional buckling was observed. The presence of the FRP increased the axial load carrying capacity of the WT section between 4% and 14%. The bifurcation loads were increased as much as 17%. In these tests, the CFRP specimens exhibited a more pronounced improvement in behavior. Similarly, the specimens having two 1 in. wide FRP strips performed better that those with one 2 in. strip. Debonding of the FRP strips was a post-peak phenomenon in all tests. Generally debonding occurred at an applied load of about 75% of the peak load on the descending branch of the load curve

The Pre-First Transition Room Program

The pre-first transition room program was studied. Characteristics, philosophies, testing procedures, and reading programs were described. Twenty schools in Educational Service District 171 were surveyed to determine attitudes and the type of pre-first programs available in the Educational Service District. Twenty pre-first students were observed throughout the 1986-87 school year to determine social, emotional, and academic growth. Results indicated similar immature characteristics were displayed by developmentally young children. Pre-first programs are similar in philosophy, goals, and curriculum design. Pre-first programs can provide developmental activities which meet individual needs of pre-first children

Cell wall protection by the Candida albicans class I chitin synthases

Open Access funded by Medical Research Council Acknowledgments We thank Kevin Mackenzie in the Microscopy and Histology Core Facility (Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen), and Donna MacCallum for helpful statistical advice. This work was supported by grants from the Wellcome Trust (0868827 and 080088) including a Wellcome Trust Strategic Award (097377) and an Investigator Award to NG (101873), an MRC New Investigator Award to ML (MR/J008230/1) and a PhD scholarship awarded to KP from the Ministry of Sciences and Technology and Chiang Mai University, Thailand. Author contributions are as follows: KP constructed strains, performed the majority of the experiments, analyzed the data and contributed to the preparation of the manuscript. JA produced Fig. S1 using the data from the phosphoproteomic analysis conducted by SP and AB. NG conceived and designed experiments, analyzed data and commented on drafts of the manuscript. ML constructed strains, conceived, designed and performed experiments, analyzed data and wrote the manuscript.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Quantification of Dynamic Model Validation Metrics Using Uncertainty Propagation from Requirements

The Space Launch System, NASA's new large launch vehicle for long range space exploration, is presently in the final design and construction phases, with the first launch scheduled for 2019. A dynamic model of the system has been created and is critical for calculation of interface loads and natural frequencies and mode shapes for guidance, navigation, and control (GNC). Because of the program and schedule constraints, a single modal test of the SLS will be performed while bolted down to the Mobile Launch Pad just before the first launch. A Monte Carlo and optimization scheme will be performed to create thousands of possible models based on given dispersions in model properties and to determine which model best fits the natural frequencies and mode shapes from modal test. However, the question still remains as to whether this model is acceptable for the loads and GNC requirements. An uncertainty propagation and quantification (UP and UQ) technique to develop a quantitative set of validation metrics that is based on the flight requirements has therefore been developed and is discussed in this paper. There has been considerable research on UQ and UP and validation in the literature, but very little on propagating the uncertainties from requirements, so most validation metrics are "rules-of-thumb;" this research seeks to come up with more reason-based metrics. One of the main assumptions used to achieve this task is that the uncertainty in the modeling of the fixed boundary condition is accurate, so therefore that same uncertainty can be used in propagating the fixed-test configuration to the free-free actual configuration. The second main technique applied here is the usage of the limit-state formulation to quantify the final probabilistic parameters and to compare them with the requirements. These techniques are explored with a simple lumped spring-mass system and a simplified SLS model. When completed, it is anticipated that this requirements-based validation metric will provide a quantified confidence and probability of success for the final SLS dynamics model, which will be critical for a successful launch program, and can be applied in the many other industries where an accurate dynamic model is required

Response Prepared to White House Analysis of Judge Bork’s Record (Biden Report)

Originally published as a Report to the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Joseph Biden, on the nomination of Robert H. Bork to the United States Supreme Court

Phenotypic diversity in an international Cure VCP Disease registry

BACKGROUND: Dominant mutations in valosin-containing protein (VCP) gene cause an adult onset inclusion body myopathy, Paget\u27s disease of bone, and frontotemporal dementia also termed multisystem proteinopathy (MSP). The genotype-phenotype relationships in VCP-related MSP are still being defined; in order to understand this better, we investigated the phenotypic diversity and patterns of weakness in the Cure VCP Disease Patient Registry. METHODS: Cure VCP Disease, Inc. was founded in 2018 for the purpose of connecting patients with VCP gene mutations and researchers to help advance treatments and cures. Cure VCP Disease Patient Registry is maintained by Coordination of Rare Diseases at Sanford. The results of two questionnaires with a 5-point Likert scale questions regarding to patients\u27 disease onset, symptoms, and daily life were obtained from 59 participants (28 males and 31 females) between June 2018 and May 2020. Independent of the registry, 22 patients were examined at the Cure VCP Disease annual patient conference in 2019. RESULTS: In the questionnaires of the registry, fifty-three patients (90%) reported that they were with inclusion body myopathy, 17 patients (29%) with Paget\u27s disease of bone, eight patients (14%) with dementia, two patients (3%) with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and a patient with parkinsonism. Thirteen patients (22%) reported dysphagia and 25 patients (42%) reported dyspnea on exertion. A self-reported functional rating scale for motor function identified challenges with sit to stand (72%), walking (67%), and climbing stairs (85%). Thirty-five (59%) patients in the registry answered that their quality of life is more than good. As for the weakness pattern of the 22 patients who were evaluated at the Cure VCP Disease annual conference, 50% of patients had facial weakness, 55% had scapular winging, 68% had upper proximal weakness, 41% had upper distal weakness, 77% had lower proximal, and 64% had lower distal weakness. CONCLUSIONS: The Cure VCP Disease Patient Registry is useful for deepening the understanding of patient daily life, which would be a basis to develop appropriate clinical outcome measures. The registry data is consistent with previous studies evaluating VCP patients in the clinical setting. Patient advocacy groups are essential in developing and maintaining disease registries

Optimizing Hybrid Plate Fixation with a Locked, Oblique End Screw in Osteoporotic Fractures

Background The end screw in a fracture plate creates the greatest resistance to bending. For osteoporotic fractures treated with plates, there is some question as to the optimal screw insertion technique for the screw farthest from the fracture. A locked, oblique end screw was previously shown to increase resistance to periprosthetic fracture. It is unknown, however, how this end screw configuration would resist pullout when subjected to bending. Methods Narrow, low contact 3.5 mm locking compression plates with 6 and 12 holes were anchored to simulated bone material with material properties representing osteoporotic bone. Four configurations were evaluated for the end screw: perpendicular and angulated 30 degrees away from the fracture for both non-locked and locked screws (n=6 per group). The constructs were subjected to 3 point bending until the peak load and finally total construct failure was achieved. Results Peak force, stiffness, energy to peak load, and the failure mode of each construct were determined. All four 12-hole construct groups failed by gross plastic bending deformation of the plate at the fulcrum past a previously established clinically relevant limit for failure (15°). All 12-hole plate constructs failed at statistically higher loads and energy than any of the 6-hole plate constructs, with the exception of the 6-hole locked, oblique construct. Conclusion The locked, oblique end screw provides equivalent pull out strength for 3.5 mm low contact plates regardless of plate length. Combined with its resistance to periprosthetic fracture, this end screw configuration appears to be the best option for the construct integrity of hybrid plating for osteoporotic fractures. Clinical Relevance Osteoporotic fractures are challenging to treat. The current study and the existing literature show that resistance to both bending loads and refracture at the end of a plate are minimized with a locked screw angled away from the fracture

Influence of Riding Experience on Glance Behavior, Brake Response Time and Deceleration Rates by Drivers and Motorcyclists

The focus of the research was to address the crash avoidance behaviors of drivers versus motorcyclists. Avoidance tasks include, attention maintenance and hazard anticipation measured with glance behaviors, and hazard mitigation measured with response times and deceleration. Specifically, where might the driver behavior be similar or different than that of a motorcyclist? The performances of 23participants were analyzed while they drove a car and rode a motorcycle over the same low-volume, open roads. Participants wore eye-tracking equipment used to record eye-glance information while the motorcycle and car were instrumented with an on-board accelerometer and GPS apparatus. Operators also responded by braking quickly to a stop when an LED, mounted in front of them, was illuminated. Motorcyclists spent less time glancing toward the road ahead and made fewer last-glances toward the direction of most threatening traffic before turning when riding the motorcycle, as opposed to when driving a car. Additionally, motorcyclists’ response times were similar to those when driving, yet motorcyclists decelerated less sharply compared to drivers. These results suggest that riders may be exposing themselves to unnecessary risk. Specifically, motorcyclists frequently failed to make proper glances and practice optimal riding techniques. The implication of these results relative to a training curriculum is discussed