Cytoskeletal protein Flightless I inhibits apoptosis, enhances tumor cell invasion and promotes cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma progression

This work was supported by grant from DEBRA Australia to AJC and ZK. AJC is supported by the NHMRC Senior Research Fellowship (#1002009). ZK is supported by the NHMRC Early Career Fellowship (#1036509)

The Evolution Of U.S. Corporate Logos A Semiotic Analysis

The purpose of this study is to examine the evolution of six U.S. corporate logos – Apple, McDonald‟s, Nike, Pepsi, Shell, and Starbucks – from each logo‟s inception until the newest version of the graphic emblem today. The objective is to determine the meanings that logos have for a corporation‟s identity, mission, and relationships, as well as the messages that logos convey to viewers (i.e., mostly customers). By “evolution” of logos here, the researcher means “ongoing transformation” of logos. The semiotic model used in this analysis is Charles Sanders Peirce‟s (1958 [1931]) semiotic framework. Peircean semiotics is made up of a three-part paradigm of signification: the representamen (or the sign itself), the object (or “referent” – what the sign refers to), and the interpretant (the effect on the viewer, or the viewer‟s interpretation). Based on the semiotic data on logo evolution, the researcher found six main themes that emerged across the analyses of U.S. corporate logos. These themes are (1) Direction toward the Future, (2) Identity with Viewers, (3) Instant Recognition and Distinctiveness, (4) Consistency throughout Evolution, (5) Invocation of Change, and (6) True Representation of Corporate Identity. The ultimate conclusion of this analysis is that the communicative intent of a company, through its logo, tends to take a long time to develop. A successful logo is one that portrays the true objectives and principles of a company. For this reason, the ideal identity of a corporation tends to be built over a long period of time, which makes logo improvement “evolutionary” in nature. In all six cases, communication plays a major part in logo improvement

The behavior of adaptive bone-remodeling simulation models

The process of adaptive bone remodeling can be described mathematically and simulated in a computer model, integrated with the finite element method. In the model discussed here, cortical and trabecular bone are described as continuous materials with variable density. The remodeling rule applied to simulate the remodeling process in each element individually is, in fact, an objective function for an optimization process, relative to the external load. Its purpose is to obtain a constant, preset value for the strain energy per unit bone mass, by adapting the density. If an element in the structure cannot achieve that, it either turns to its maximal density (cortical bone) or resorbs completely.\ud \ud It is found that the solution obtained in generally a discontinuous patchwork. For a two-dimensional proximal femur model this patchwork shows a good resemblance with the density distribution of a real proximal femur.\ud \ud It is shown that the discontinuous end configuration is dictated by the nature of the differential equations describing the remodeling process. This process can be considered as a nonlinear dynamical system with many degrees of freedom, which behaves divergent relative to the objective, leading to many possible solutions. The precise solution is dependent on the parameters in the remodeling rule, the load and the initial conditions. The feedback mechanism in the process is self-enhancing; denser bone attracts more strain energy, whereby the bone becomes even more dense. It is suggested that this positive feedback of the attractor state (the strain energy field) creates order in the end configuration. In addition, the process ensures that the discontinuous end configuration is a structure with a relatively low mass, perhaps a minimal-mass structure, although this is no explicit objective in the optimization process.\ud \ud It is hypothesized that trabecular bone is a chaotically ordered structure which can be considered as a fractal with characteristics of optimal mechanical resistance and minimal mass, of which the actual morphology depends on the local (internal) loading characteristics, the sensor-cell density and the degree of mineralization

Is That Appropriate?: Clarifying the IDEA\u27s Free Appropriate Public Education Standard Post-Endrew F.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires schools to provide all students who qualify for special education services with a free appropriate public education (FAPE). However, the IDEA does not specify how much substantive educational benefit students must be afforded in order to receive a FAPE, leaving this question for the courts. For over thirty years, courts split over the amount of educational benefit that school districts must provide to their special education students, leading to significant confusion and anxiety among parents and school officials regarding their legal rights. The Supreme Court sought to clarify this standard in Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District RE-1 by ruling that special education students must receive an education that would allow them to make “appropriate progress” based on their individual circumstances. Unfortunately, the Court’s new standard created additional ambiguity and left lingering questions among stakeholders within the education community regarding school districts’ obligations to these students. This Note addresses these questions by identifying the implications of the Court’s appropriate progress standard for students, teachers, and school operations, and proposes that courts adopt a two-part test for applying the new standard that evaluates both the procedures of particular institutions and the substantive value of students’ individualized curricula. Defining the FAPE requirement this way would clarify the standard and provide stability in an area of law plagued by inconsistency

On Well-Posedness for Non-Linear Problems in the Theoryof Elastic Materials with Voids

In the context of a well known theory for finite deformations of porous elastic materials, some theorems on uniqueness and continuous dependence on data are proved for both the dynamic and the static (nonlinear) problems. A possibly unbounded domain of the physical space is considered for the material in concern

Carol’s Portrait: The Lasting Effects of Early Career Mentoring

Through portraiture (Lawrence-Lightfoot & Davis, 1997), the author creates a word portrait of a veteran teacher’s beginning career mentoring experiences. The portrait illuminates long-term effects of the teacher’s early career mentoring experiences on her teaching practice as a now veteran teacher. The study concludes that the teacher’s early career mentoring experiences helped shape her 25 year teaching career. Three themes emerged from the portrait and may offer insights for current mentors in developing mentoring practices and programs: (a) an invitation to develop a mentoring relationship, (b) supportive mentoring actions, and (c) mentors as models. The study concludes with recommendations for mentoring practices and for teacher education and school district mentoring programs

Wound Repair and Regeneration

Wounds are a largely unrecognized, spiraling epidemic that affect millions of people world-wide. They are complex and involve temporal and spatial involvement of many different cell types and tissue processes. Recent advances in our understanding of wound repair and regeneration, as well as the many novel and exciting approaches aimed at healing chronic/acute wounds and reducing scar formation, make this a pertinent time for a Special Issue aimed at overviewing this important field. The goal of this book is to provide a summary of the field, describe its impact, as well as introduce the recent advances in understanding the mechanisms that underpin wound healing and scar formation. The articles include in this book highlight new developments in therapeutic approaches for wound repair including the use of nanomedicine and biomaterials to deliver cells and/or drugs to promote healing. Cellular responses that underpin angiogenesis, inflammation, proliferation and remodeling, as well as advances in cytoskeletal interactions in keratinocytes and fibroblast cell functions. Wound remodeling and scar formation including the roles of growth factors, cytokines and stem cells are included

Chapter 20- Facilitating Leadership Learning Using Co-Mentoring Circles

Time for mentoring aspiring school leaders moving from their roles as veteran teachers, instructional coaches, or deans of students to their new role as K–12 principal certification interns is in short supply in today’s complex schools. Over the past 7 years, 76 interns have participated in co-mentoring circles. Co-mentoring circles offer educators a safe, supportive community in which to learn with others who are uniquely situated to understand the challenges present in today’s K–12 schools. Co-mentoring circles can provide a ready group of co-mentors one can call on without waiting for a specific mentor to be available. These circles are usually comprised of fewer than 12 participants. The focus is to create trusting and supportive developmental relationships among co-mentoring circle members. The initial processes in the circle’s formation and development are highlighted in this chapter: using group agreements; holding confidentiality; developing trust; self-assessment of one’s communication styles and skills; giving and receiving feedback; reflection and reflective practice; activities called “hopes and concerns,” “professional timeline,” and “the self-portrait;” and assessment of the circle’s work. Once group agreements, confidentiality, and effective communication are established, trust can begin to grow among the members. Co-mentoring circle participants are overwhelmingly positive in their assessment of the mentorship provided in co-mentoring circles