Stranded at Sea: The Seventh Circuit and the Rule 11 “Safe Harbor” Rule

When lawyers pursue frivolous claims, they invite sanctions. Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure requires attorneys to certify that the pleadings and motions they submit are meritorious. Since 1993, attorneys have been required to serve opposing counsel with a motion—to fire a warning shot—when they intend to file for sanctions. This provides attorneys an opportunity to seek “safe harbor” and avoid sanctions by withdrawing or amending actions brought for an improper purpose

High-order-harmonic generation from dense water microdroplets

We report on high-order-harmonic generation from micrometer-sized liquid water droplets. In pump-probe experiments, the influence of the time delay onto the emission of harmonic radiation is systematically studied. Phase-matching aspects are observed by controlling the focal position and the intensity of the probe pulse. The spatiotemporal dynamics of the droplet during interaction with intense laser pulses are studied by controlling the intensity of the pump pulse. We find transient phase-matching conditions and the expansion dynamics of the droplet to be of major influence on the harmonic yield. © 2013 American Physical Society.DFG/EXC/QUESTDFG/KO 3798/1-

Extraction of antioxidant compounds from dovyalis: mixtures of ethanol and water

Ethanol/water 80/20 has been the most suitable solvent mixture for the extraction of antioxidant compounds from fruits. However, the efficiency of the extraction solvent varies with the polar affinity of the different chemical compounds found in plant species. The objective of this work was to determine the efficiency of extraction of antioxidant compounds from the pulp and peel of dovyalis using ethanol/water mixtures as extracting solvent. Dried and ground pulp and peel were extracted with mixtures of ethanol/water solvents 100/0, 75/25 and 50/50 (v/v). Antioxidant activity (DPPH, ABTS and FRAP), total phenolic compounds and total flavonoids of the extracts were determined. The results showed that the 50% and 75% ethanol/water mixtures showed more efficient extraction of total phenolic compounds from the pulp and peel than 100% ethanol. The same trend was observed in the determinations of the antioxidant activities DPPH in the peel, ABTS in the pulp and FRAP in both fractions of the fruits, where the solvents 50% and 75% ethanol were superior to the 100% ethanol. In the extraction of flavonoids from the pulp and skin of the fruits, 50% ethanol was more efficient compared to the other solvent mixtures. The same was verified in the determination of the DPPH antioxidant activity in the pulp and ABTS in the peel of dovyalis fruits, that is, 50% ethanol was also superior to the other solvents. The 50% ethanol/water mixture was the most efficient solvent in the extraction of antioxidant compounds from the pulp and bark of dovyalis

Tracking of unpredictable moving stimuli by pigeons

Despite being observed throughout the animal kingdom, catching a moving object is a complex task and little is known about the mechanisms that underlie this behavior in non-human animals. Three experiments examined the role of prediction in capture of a moving object by pigeons. In Experiment 1, a stimulus moved in a linear trajectory, but sometimes made an unexpected 90o turn. The sudden turn had only a modest effect on capture and error location, and the analyses suggested that the birds had adjusted their tracking to the novel motion. In Experiment 2, the role of visual input during a turn was tested by inserting disappearances (either 1.5 cm or 4.5 cm) on both the straight and turn trials. The addition of the disappearance had little effect on capture success, but delayed capture location with the larger disappearance leading to greater delay. Error analyses indicated that the birds adapted to the post-turn, post-disappearance motion. Experiment 3 tested the role of visual input when the motion disappeared behind an occluder and emerged in either a straight line or at a 90o angle. The occluder produced a disruption in capture success but did not delay capture. Error analyses indicated that the birds did not adjust their tracking to the new motion on turn trials following occlusion. The combined results indicate that pigeons can anticipate the future position of a stimulus, and can adapt to sudden, unpredictable changes in motion but do so better after a disappearance than after an occlusion