cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nonlinear Stability Analysis Methods for Guided Artillery Projectiles

It is well-known that the dynamics of spinning artillery projectiles are highly nonlinear, and that nonlinear effects can induce instability in some projectiles given certain flight conditions. In this paper, a new simplified nonlinear formulation of the angle of attack dynamics for gun-launched projectiles is formulated. Analysis of this reduced-order dynamic model may be used during the design process to identify instabilities that occur due to nonlinearities which may not be apparent from standard linear stability analysis, and to suggest improvements in the design. In addition, the flexibility of the angle of attack dynamic model allows for the consideration of a wide range of projectile systems. Following derivation of the reduced-order dynamic model, an example is provided illustrating the ability of this system to account for nonlinear aerodynamic terms and predict the stability of a given projectile design. A comparison is shown between the prediction of the reducedorder nonlinear system and experimental results from a test projectile.
Age-Structured Epidemic Models

This chapter introduces chronological age-structured models. The linear McKendrick age-structured model is derived and studied. Population reproduction number and growth rate are derived in the context of age-structured models. Probability of survival is explained and fitted to data. Separable solutions are studied. The chapter also introduces and studies an SIS age-structured model. Intracohort, intercohort, and mixed incidence are discussed. The reproduction number in the age-structured case is derived. Numerical methods for age-structured models are included.
Observation of initial postoperative radiolucent lines using a modern pegged-glenoid design.

Purpose: Glenoid component loosening remains a common mode of failure for total shoulder arthroplasty and has inspired improvements in implant design, instrumentation, and surgical technique. The purpose of this manuscript was to evaluate the incidence of radiolucent lines and glenoid seating on initial postoperative radiographs using a modern pegged-glenoid design, instrumentation, and surgical technique. Materials and Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of a consecutive series of 100 pegged-glenoid total shoulder replacements. In cases of excessive glenoid version, the glenoid was asymmetrically reamed to recreate more normal version. Initial postoperative radiographs were evaluated for the presence of radiolucent lines and completeness of glenoid seating. The preoperative glenoid version measured on axial computed tomography (CT) scans was used to compare differences in version among those with complete and incompletely seated glenoids. Results: The rate of radiolucent lines observed on postoperative radiographs was 0%. Complete glenoid seating (Grade A) was observed in 81 patients (observer 1) and 82 patients (observer 2). Measurements of preoperative CT scans found a higher percentage of abnormal glenoid version for incompletely seated glenoids (47%) than completely seated glenoids (34%) but no significant difference (P = 0.327). The mean preoperative glenoid retroversion for incompletely seated glenoids was 12.1° and 9.1° for completely seated glenoids (P = 0.263). Conclusions: Modern surgical techniques, surgical instrumentation, and peg glenoid design have facilitated the ability to eliminate radiolucent lines on initial postoperative radiographs with high rates of complete seating of glenoid components. Incomplete seating may be related to incomplete correction of glenoid version. Level of Evidence: IV, case series.
Describing the Uniform Crime Report and the National Crime Survey

Much of the discussion that follows assumes some knowledge of the organization and procedures of the Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) and the National Crime Survey (NCS). For readers not familiar with these data collection systems, this chapter provides a brief description of each. The origin and history of each system are reviewed. We describe the organization of the systems as well as the procedures used to collect the data. Special attention is given to recent changes in each series that could affect series comparisons and to substantial redesigns that both systems have undergone.
Reference Governor Strategies for Vehicle Rollover Avoidance

This paper addresses the problem of vehicle rollover avoidance using reference governors (RGs) applied to modify the driver steering input in vehicles with an active steering system. Several RG designs are presented and tested with a detailed nonlinear simulation model. The vehicle dynamics are highly nonlinear for large steering angles, including the conditions where the vehicle approaches a rollover onset, which necessitates RG design changes. Simulation results show that RG designs are effective in avoiding rollover. The results also demonstrate that the controllers are not overly conservative, adjusting the driver steering input only for very high steering angles.
IV tPA for acute ischemic stroke: Times are changing.

Based on evidence that the administration of IV tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) improved the outcomes of selected patients with acute ischemic stroke, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved its use for this purpose in 1996, leading to a revolution in stroke care.1 Following its introduction into routine clinical practice, stroke began to be viewed as a medical emergency, similar to myocardial infarction, with effective treatment dependent or early symptom recognition and patient transport to facilities capable of conducting rapid evaluations and IV tPA administration. There were, however, considerable barriers that slowed adoption; even 8 years after FDA approval, IV tPA was being given to only about 1%–2% of stroke patients.2
644. In Vivo Expression of Functional DNA Monoclonal Antibodies Targeting IL-6 and CD126

Pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) and its receptor (CD126) are multi-faceted immune therapy targets. IL-6 plays a substantial role in innate inflammation and sepsis. Elevated levels of IL-6 are clinically linked to poor cancer prognoses; numerous studies demonstrate an association between IL-6 signaling and tumor development in multiple myeloma, lung cancer, colorectal cancer, renal cell carcinoma, cervical cancer, breast cancer, and ovarian cancer. Currently, therapeutic antibodies targeting IL-6 (Siltuximab) and CD126 (Tocilizumab) are approved for treatment of multicentric Castleman disease and rheumatoid arthritis, respectively. Manufacture and delivery of these purified protein antibodies are cost-prohibitive. Furthermore, anti-IL-6 and anti-CD126 protein antibodies must be re-administered weekly-to-monthly, an especially challenging consideration in treatment of chronic conditions such as cancer and auto-immune disease. Use of gene therapy to deliver antibodies, with enhanced potency and long-term expression in vivo, provides an economical and practical alternative to protein-based therapy. DNA is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, has an excellent safety profile, and lacks complications of pre-existing serology associated with some viral vectors.Here, we demonstrate functional DNA monoclonal antibodies (DMAb) targeting IL-6 and CD126 are expressed in vivo. We constructed codon-optimized variable region DNA sequences from four anti-IL-6 and two anti-CD126 monoclonal antibodies on the human IgG1 constant domain. Plasmid DNA encoding each antibody was delivered intramuscularly with electroporation to nude and immune-competent mice. We optimized multiple aspects of DMAb delivery - including antibody sequence, plasmid heavy and light chain arrangement, and formulation - to enhance in vivo expression.Anti-IL-6 and anti-CD126 DMAb were expressed in serum with levels ranging from 1.5 µg/mL to 7.1 µg/mL in BALB/c mice. We also observed long-term DMAb expression in nude mice. Serum DMAb retained functional binding to purified IL-6 and CD126. Serum DMAb also blocked downstream IL-6 cell signaling in vitro. Studies are underway to investigate anti-IL-6 and anti-CD126 DMAb for their role in controlling sepsis, limiting inflammation during acute viral infection, and slowing tumor progression. These studies not only provide a novel method to further define the role of in vivo IL-6 signaling in immune pathologies, but also define DMAb as an alternative to protein antibody therapies.
Making Everyday Microaggressions: An Exploratory Experimental Vignette Study on the Presence and Power of Racial Microaggressions

The term “microaggression” has experienced a lively existence in the field of psychology since its introduction in 1970s. Sociology has recently come to study microaggressions, yet serious gaps remain in the study of microaggressions. In particular, sociological analysis has not taken into account how exposure to microaggressive interactions may affect racial attitudes, how variations in microaggressive interactions have different effects, and what racial and gender positions render one more or less likely to engage in, or fail to oppose, microaggressions. Based on a GSS-based survey and an experimental vignette design, we address the following two questions: First, how might the presence of racial microaggressions affect racial attitudes? Second, what is the power of specific types of interactional microaggression? Results indicate that both exposure to microaggressions and the type of microaggressions are correlated with changes in specific racial attitudes associated with the marginalization, problematization, and symbolic and physical repression of people of color.
Training for the Intraspinal Drug Delivery System Reservoir Refill Procedure Highly Variable: A Nationwide Survey of Health Care Professionals.

Objectives This study describes the training, experience with pocket fills, and life-long learning behaviors in a national sample of health care professionals who perform the reservoir refill procedure and compares results with intraspinal drug delivery morbidity and mortality clinical practice guidelines to demonstrate the need for standardized training. Methods Using a cross-sectional, descriptive design and a 23-item questionnaire administered via social media, 65 health care professionals who performed the reservoir refill procedure within the last year were surveyed. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for analysis. Results Our results showed: 1) training varied widely and lacked supervision and mentoring for the inexperienced clinician, 2) the highest number of pocket fills was reported by the most experienced clinicians, and 3) there was limited participation in professional meetings where intraspinal therapy is discussed. The use of intraspinal drug delivery clinical practice guidelines significantly increased in current practice compared to use during training. Conclusion Training for the reservoir refill procedure was highly variable, inconsistent with intraspinal drug delivery clinical practice guidelines' training recommendations with a high number of pocket fills, and low participation in national intraspinal drug delivery meetings. Standardized training is needed to reduce variability and minimize the risk for human error during the reservoir refill procedure.
HISTOPATHOLOGY AND PHYSIOLOGICAL ACTION OF VENOM FROM THE BROWN RECLUSE SPIDER, LOXOSCELES RECLUSA

ABSTRACT Experiments with Loxosceles reclusa venom upon invertebrate hosts have revealed both localized and systemic manifestations. Bioassays have yielded LD50 values of 0.42 μg/g ( Acheta domesticus ); 0.33 μg/g ( Galleria mellonella ) and 0.26 μg/g ( Musca domestica ). Evidence for a lytic effect on fat and muscle tissue of Heliothis virescens larvae, hemolymph proteins ( H. virescens ) and hemocytes ( H. virescens, A. domesticus ) has been demonstrated. Observations histochemically showed stronger reactions of protease, lipase, esterase and alkaline phosphatase activity in envenomized H. virescens and M. domestica. L. reclusa venom was separated by gel filtration into three 280 nm absorbing peaks two of which contained components lethal to insects. Peak 1 (high molecular weight) and peak 2 (low molecular weight) produced above control mortality in M. domestica ; whereas, only whole venom and peak 2 aliquots induced increases in the endogenous activity of the ventral nerve cord in Periplaneta americana . When maximally lethal samples of peaks 1 and 2 were combined, observed mortalities were 88% greater than predicted, suggesting either synergism or dependent joint action.
Examining the Effect of Proctoring on Online Test Scores.

Online education continues to grow, bringing opportunities and challenges for students and instructors. One challenge is the perception that academic integrity associated with online tests is compromised due to undetected cheating that yields artificially higher grades. To address these concerns, proctoring software has been developed to address and prevent academic dishonesty. The purpose of this study was to compare online test results from proctored versus unproctored online tests. Test performance of 147 students enrolled in multiple sections of an online course were compared using linear mixed effects models with nearly half the students having no proctoring and the remainder required to use online proctoring software. Students scored, on average, 17 points lower [95% CI: 14, 20] and used significantly less time in online tests that used proctoring software versus unproctored tests. Significant grade disparity and different time usage occurred on different exams, both across and within sections of the same course where some students used test proctoring software and others did not. Implications and suggestions for incorporating strategic interventions to address integrity, addressing disparate test scores, and validating student knowledge in online classes are discussed.
Turning the world to glass*: poetic sensibility and the decolonization of imagination

ABSTRACTThe rupture between event and meaning has shown itself to be a key issue plaguing collective psychology. This rupture requires as remedy a poetic sensibility that can imagine the central images or root metaphors which make experience qualitatively intelligible, an imaginal literacy that reads images while also making new images from that which is presented. Bachelard’s [(1988). Air and dreams: An essay on the imagination of movement] notion of images as liberatory, disentangling one from superficial impressions by transmuting surface to depth, and Hillman’s [(1975). Re-visioning psychology] move of ‘seeing through’ the archetypal images expressed in events will serve as foundational ideas for the author’s description of poetic sensibility as the capacity to read and make images through ‘deform[ing] what we perceive’ (p. 1). The author will highlight the central function of poetic sensibility as an essential engagement of imagination required by any movement resisting the neocolonial policies and ‘...
Against Savings: A Suggested Exposition of the Markets for Money and Credit

The notion of savings in economics has a variety of mutually incompatible meanings. This paper goes through various interpretations of the term and argues that, for the sake of clarity, it can and should be replaced with more precise terms. In order to show the significance of doing so, the paper then offers an “augmented” loanable funds model. Unlike the standard model, which was developed in the context of unintermediated lending, our mode: 1) does not identify the supply of loanable funds with “savings”, and 2) explicitly connects the banking sector to the supply of money with something more theoretically robust than a simple money multiplier. The resulting construction clarifies the relationship between the markets for money and credit, and is more faithful to the image of banks as creators of credit, while still retaining the pedagogical simplicity of the original loanable funds model.
Physical origins of current and temperature controlled negative differential resistances in NbO 2

Negative differential resistance behavior in oxide memristors, especially those using NbO2, is gaining renewed interest because of its potential utility in neuromorphic computing. However, there has been a decade-long controversy over whether the negative differential resistance is caused by a relatively low-temperature non-linear transport mechanism or a high-temperature Mott transition. Resolving this issue will enable consistent and robust predictive modeling of this phenomenon for different applications. Here we examine NbO2 memristors that exhibit both a current-controlled and a temperature-controlled negative differential resistance. Through thermal and chemical spectromicroscopy and numerical simulations, we confirm that the former is caused by a ~400 K non-linear-transport-driven instability and the latter is caused by the ~1000 K Mott metal-insulator transition, for which the thermal conductance counter-intuitively decreases in the metallic state relative to the insulating state. The development of future computation devices will be aided by a better understanding of the physics underlying material behaviors. Using thermoreflectance and spatially resolved X-ray microscopy, Kumar et al. elucidate the origin of two types of negative differential resistance in NbO2 memristors.
The effects of motivation and memory on the weighting of reference prices

Abstract This laboratory study explores how decision makers weigh candidate reference prices for a stock differently depending on two contextual variables: (1) the motivation to adopt a high reference price as a potential seller versus a low reference price as a potential buyer, and (2) the availability of information about past prices versus reliance on memory alone. In our experiment, participants observed 60 sequences of stock prices, and after each, reported a neutral trading price at which they would be indifferent about buying or selling. We manipulated both motivation and memory in a 2 × 2 between-subjects design, yielding four separate conditions where participants were assigned to the role of either buyer or seller, and had to rely more or less on memory. We tested how these variations in context affected the weight that participants put on each previously observed price in determining their neutral trading price. Our results show that the weighting of reference prices depends a great deal on contextual variables. Specifically, participant assignment to the role of buyer (rather than seller) and reliance on memory (rather than having access to historical prices) similarly increase the weighting of intermediate and recent prices, but decrease the weighting of early and high prices. This provides evidence for motivated information processing depending on role, as well as recency but not primacy memory effects.
LARGE DEFLECTIONS OF CANTILEVER BEAMS

In this research a method is presented to study the alternate equilibrium configurations of a cantilever beam subjected to a uniform gravitational distributed load. The prismatic cantilever beam is...
Towards the human, after the child of Man: Seeing the child differently in teacher education

Sylvia Wynter’s wide-ranging intellectual contributions contain a poetics of being and becoming human that serve to counter the hegemony of developmental psychology and its articulation of the chil...
Reducing university air handling unit energy usage through controls-based energy efficiency measures

Abstract With heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) consuming the largest share of commercial building energy usage in the U.S., identifying HVAC energy efficiency measures can have a large impact. Thus, this research provides results from a University of Dayton case study of twelve total air handling units (AHUs) in five diverse buildings – academic, athletics, administrative, place of worship, and library – that were analyzed for energy savings through three energy efficiency measures: reducing AHU static pressure (SP), scheduling AHUs off overnight, and identifying and fixing economizer controls. First, variable air volume (VAV) damper position distributions were created to identify over-pressurized AHUs and step down their SP accordingly. Eleven of the twelve AHUs were determined to be over-pressurized and lowering their SP to final setpoints ranging 0.8 – 1.2 inches water-gauge resulted in average fan energy savings of 33%. Next, nine of the twelve AHUs were found to be serving unoccupied zones overnight and were in turn scheduled off for seven to twelve hours per night depending on building usage, resulting in 35% average energy savings. Lastly, AHU fraction outdoor air was calculated and compared to ideal economizer fraction outdoor control. All economizers were identified as fully or partially malfunctioning and if fixed could result in an average of 17% cooling savings.
Cholesteric and Nematic Structures of Poly-γ-Benzyl-L-Glutamate

Fifteen years ago it was observed by Doty et al.1 that synthetic polypeptides, (—NH—CHR—CO—)n, in solution can exist in a rigid rodlike α-helical conformation, in contrast with the random coil shape assumed by most other synthetic polymers in solution. This observation has stimulated a large body of investigation of the dilute solution properties of this class of polymers. In more concentrated polypeptide solutions (in the range of ten to fifty per cent polymer), Elliott and Ambrose2 found that poly-γ-benzyl-L-glutamate (PBLG; R = CH2CH2CO—O—CH2C6H5), a readily available synthetic polypeptide, forms a lyotropic liquid crystal. Robinson3 extensively characterized the molecular arrangement in the liquid crystalline phase of PBLG and found it to be similar to the helicoidal structure of the liquid crystalline phases of many esters of cholesterol. We shall refer to the structure found by Robinson as ‘cholesteric’. The structure is easily recognized with a polarizing microscope. The birefringent PBLG solutions present an image very reminiscent of a finger print. [As shown in Figure 1 (a)]. The spacing between the alternating bright and dark retardation lines, S, is equal to one-half of the pitch of the ‘cholesteric’ structure. The solutions that Robinson studied were quite fluid as are the liquid crystalline phases of smaller molecules whether thermotropic or lyotropic. The unusual arrangement of the molecules in these concentrated polypeptide solutions gives rise to properties heretofore not obtainable with polymeric systems.
Catalytic conversion of CO2 to propylene carbonate over Pt-decorated Mg-substituted metal organic framework

Abstract Porous coordination polymers of Mg (II) dihyroxyterephtalate (Mg-MOF-74) at various Ptx loadings (x = 0–10 wt%) were synthesized, characterized and tested for the catalytic cycloaddition reaction between CO2 and propylene oxide (PO). The reaction was studied over a range of temperatures between (100–170 °C), pressures (9.1–19.5 bar) and reaction times (4–15 hours) to produce propylene carbonate (PC). The results show that the Pt loading on the catalyst surface improves the selectivity toward PC in the presence of dimethylformamide (DMF) and dichloromethane (DCM) which serve as solvents and promoters for the reaction. Pt loading is shown to be concomitantly related to the number of uncoordinated MgO defect sites produced during synthesis. As Pt loading increases, the number of uncoordinated MgO sites in the Mg-MOF-74 framework structure also increases. During reaction, PO conversion and PC selectivity were shown to systematically increase with Pt loading and the number of uncoordinated MgO defect sites. A synergistic effect is observed where the combined use of Ptx/Mg-MOF-74, DMF and DCM exhibit performance benefits beyond their use individually. The catalysts we characterized before and after reaction using XRD, EDX, ICP, BET, SEM and TGA. The catalysts show a relatively high stability and reusability as confirmed by reaction studies, XRD and FE-SEM.
2337. Health Outcomes in Congenital Cytomegalovirus, a Systematized and Unbiased Approach in the Electronic Medical Record Era

Background There is limited data on the indirect and non-medical costs associated with congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV). Attempts to predict the economic impact of disease often rely on secondary analyses of large private databases, and may not capture the full spectrum of a disease. The granularity of billing codes in the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) make it possible to track health outcomes over time, however, with over 80,000 unique codes in ICD-10, selecting the appropriate codes requires specific content knowledge and can lead to bias in categorization. The Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine—Clinical Terms (SNOMED-CT)® provides physicians a tool to find specific ICD-10 on the basis of semantic terms. These terms can be used to build disease state-specific clusters of ICD-10 codes by which to study the economic impact of any disease, including this potentially devastating congenital infection.
Implementing Domestic Violence Policy: When Accountability Trumps Mission:

Nonprofit and governmental relations become increasingly formidable with a nonprofit’s number of public funding streams. Complexity of conflicting funding regulations traps the nonprofit in a state...
Warning: Hegemonic Masculinity May Not Matter as Much as You Think for Confidant Patterns among Older Men

Previous scholarship shows that cisgender women are more likely to have confidants than cisgender men and that the latter are more likely to have confidants outside the family and keep spheres (e.g., friends versus family) separate. Growing evidence shows these confidant patterns shift in older age. A common though untested explanation for these patterns is that gender ideologies preconfigure how people seek confidants. We address the lack of direct tests by analyzing a cohort of 5487 U.S. older women and men from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Survey, which administered the Hegemonic Masculinity for Older Men Scale. We find that men have significantly lower odds than women do of having any confidant and of having both friends and family members as confidants. Among men, greater endorsement of hegemonic masculinity significantly lowered both odds. Of those with only one confidant type, women were more likely than men to nominate a family member over a friend. Among men, their endorsement of hegemonic masculinity was unrelated to their likelihood of nominating a family member over a friend. Findings show support for, but also the limitations of, assuming gender ideology explains confidant patterns. Future scholarship can work toward addressing how hegemonic masculinity inhibits social relations, particularly in older age.
Fibroblast Growth Factors

This chapter focuses on the fibroblast growth factors which are members of a family of proteins that affect the growth, migration, differentiation and survival of mesoderm and neuroectoderm- derived cells. There are usually nine members of this family that are related by amino acid sequence similarities as well as activities. Along with their structural similarities and activities, these growth factors adhere to heparin, a property that greatly facilitates their purification. Heparin and heparan sulfate both modulate the activities of fibroblastic growth factors (FGFs), sometimes stimulating and sometimes inhibiting their activities. The biological activities of these growth factors require that they bind to specific cell surface receptors. Cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans usually mediate the biological activities of the FGFs. This chapter examines the heparin-binding properties of these growth factors and their receptors, and the influence of heparinoid binding on the growth factor activities. It is impossible to mimic heparan sulfate structures with heparin or any other derivatives that can be prepared from it.
Ride-Share Analysis in Boston City: A Comparison Between Uber and Lyft

Taxi transportations play an important role in most of the big cities in USA. Ride-sharing companies like Uber and Lyft started to offer competitive and affordable services in recent years. In this paper, we show case the practical usage of data analytics in IT educations by a ride-share analysis. More specifically, we analyze the taxi rides data for the city of Boston, compare the services offered by Uber and Lyft, and discover interesting findings in the shared rides and ride prices.
New Vistas: Small-Pain-Fibers Method of Testing for Spinal Cord Assessment in Pain States

Patients present to pain clinics for a variety of problems. In fact, overall, the number one complaint in any physician office is pain. At times, the diagnosis and treatment of a given pain syndrome can be challenging. In any physical examination involving a chronic pain patient, sensory neurological examination is important. It is important to know the evolution of nerve testing and to differentiate small-pain-fibers method of testing from previous techniques. In the 1940s, a logical approach to the sensory examination was identified with defined surface areas highly correlated with specific anatomic dermatomes. These dermatomes are associated with specific nerve roots and are very useful for the clinician attempting to ascertain the source of a pain generator. The concept of current perception threshold was later developed to measure the level of sensory deficit. There was significant variability associated with this diagnostic technique, which involved changing skin resistance. These limitations led to further evolution and development of sensory conduction testing.
A ruthenium oxide thermometer for dilution refrigerators operating down to 5 mK

Abstract At the lowest temperatures achieved in dilution refrigerators, ruthenium oxide resistance thermometers often saturate and therefore lose their sensitivity. In an effort to extend the range of such temperature sensors, we built a thermometer which maintains sensitivity to 5 mK. A key component of this thermometer is an in situ radio frequency filter which is based on a modern rf absorption material. We show that the use of such a filter is only effective when it is encased in the same rf-tight enclosure as the ruthenium oxide sensor. Our design delivers an attenuation level that is necessary to mitigate the effects of parasitic heating of a fraction of pW present in our circuit. Furthermore, we show that the likely origin of this parasitic heating is the black body radiation present within the experimental space of the refrigerator. We found that the equilibration time of the thermometer increases rapidly as the temperature is lowered; below 5 mK this thermometer becomes impractical because of the prohibitively long equilibration times.
Student Learning Assessment in the Social Sciences: Establishing A National Baseline for Criminal Justice Programs

STUDENT LEARNING ASSESSMENT IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES: ESTABLISHING A NATIONAL BASELINE FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROGRAMS By Jennifer N. Jenkins, Ph.D. A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2006 Major Director: Laura J. Moriarty, Ph.D. Acting Associate Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Office of the Provost This dissertation focuses on student learning outcomes assessment in criminal justice programs in American colleges and universities. Particularly, this research sought to establish a baseline understanding about how criminal justice programs are measuring student achievement toward learning outcomes. The baseline does not include what students should be learning or how that learning should be assessed; it includes only what is actually happening in criminal justice programs in terms of how student learning is being assessed. The baseline data were then compared to the results from two studies that focused on student learning assessment in political science departments and public relations programs in institutions of higher education. X The population for this research included 834 twoand four-year accredited institutions of higher education that offer a degree in criminal justice/criminology. A total of 369 criminal justice programs were included in the randomly-generated sample, and 44 percent of these programs completed the online questionnaire. The online survey instrument used for this research consists of 30 questions that are aligned with the "ideal type" of learning assessment model where a set of learning objectives are developed, assessment instruments are created and implemented, data are regularly collected and analyzed, and changes are made to improve the curriculum/instruction. The major findings of this research indicate that a large majority of criminal justice programs are assessing student learning to some degree, but many are using instruments that are documented as ineffective measures of assessment (e.g., grades, surveys, and Major Field Test). Also, a substantial number of criminal justice programs are located in institutions that place a high priority on learning assessment, but a small percentage of the programs reported that adequate resources are available for assessment purposes. Regardless of these factors, many criminal justice programs seem to be following the ideal type of learning assessment model where the process is completed by making changes to the curriculum and instruction to improve student learning and development. When compared to political science and public relations, it appears that criminal justice as an entire discipline is up to par in terms of its overall involvement in student learning assessment. Appendix A Initial IRB A ~ ~ r o v a l 183
Stairway Uniformity Measurement: What Lateral Location Should Be Measured?

An experimental study sought to extend understanding of the nosing-to-nosing method for measuring dimensions of steps in a stairway. A human factors expert retained to assist an attorney in a case ...
Erratum to “Financial disruption and bank productivity: The 1994 experience of Turkish banks”

1. In Fig. 1, page 301, on the Y-axis, the Y1 and Y2 should change the places. The correct figure is attached. 2. In page 300, Section 4. Methodology, second paragraph, third line: CRSt:0GP or CRSt+1:OATFR should be replaced with CRSt:0ATGP or CRSt+1:0BFR. 3. In page 301, last line, “0 for no efficiency change” should be replaced with “1 for no efficiency change.” In page 302, first line, “0 for technical stagnation” should be replaced with “1 for technical stagnation.”
Identification, Biosynthesis, and Function of 1,3,4,6-Hexanetetracarboxylic Acid in Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum ΔH

An unusual compound, 1,3,4,6-hexanetetracarboxylic acid, was identified by 1H and 13C two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry as one of the major components of the small-molecule pool in Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum ΔH under optimal conditions of cell growth. Incorporation of 13C- and 2H-labeled acetates was consistent with the biosynthesis of this tetracarboxylic acid from α-ketoglutarate, two molecules of acetyl-coenzyme A, and one molecule of CO2, as established for the tetracarboxylic acid moiety of methanofuran. 13CO2 pulse- 12CO2 chase methodology was used to establish the turnover rate for this compound. In contrast to the two other major solutes in this bacterium, cyclic 2,3-diphosphoglycerate and glutamate, which are key metabolic intermediates, this free tetracarboxylic acid was metabolically inactive, with a half-life that exceeded the cell doubling time. Hence, this molecular pool cannot serve as a metabolic intermediate in cell biosynthesis. The functional role of free tetracarboxylate as a conservative part of a system that maintains high positive internal osmotic pressure in this bacterium is proposed.
RICH: Automatically Protecting Against Integer-Based Vulnerabilities.

We present the design and implementation of RICH (Run-time Integer CHecking), a tool for efﬁciently detecting integer-based attacks against C programs at run time. C integer bugs, a popular avenue of attack and frequent programming error [1–15], occur when a variable value goes out of the range of the machine word used to materialize it, e.g. when assigning a large 32-bit int to a 16-bit short. We show that safe and unsafe integer operations in C can be captured by well-known sub-typing theory. The RICH compiler extension compiles C programs to object code that monitors its own execution to detect integer-based attacks. We implemented RICH as an extension to the GCC compiler and tested it on several network servers and UNIX utilities. Despite the ubiquity of integer operations, the performance overhead of RICH is very low, averaging about 5%. RICH found two new integer bugs and caught all but one of the previously known bugs we tested. These results show that RICH is a useful and lightweight software testing tool and run-time defense mechanism. RICH may generate false positives when programmers use integer overﬂows deliberately, and it can miss some integer bugs because it does not model certain C features.
Adaptive Hypermedia for Education and Training

Adaptive hypermedia (AH) is an alternative to the traditional, one-size-fits-all approach in the development of hypermedia systems. AH systems build a model of the goals, preferences, and knowledge of each individual user; this model is used throughout the interaction with the user to adapt to the needs of that particular user (Brusilovsky, 1996b). For example, a student in an adaptive educational hypermedia system will be given a presentation that is adapted specifically to his or her knowledge of the subject (De Bra & Calvi, 1998; Hothi, Hall, & Sly, 2000) as well as a suggested set of the most relevant links to proceed further (Brusilovsky, Eklund, & Schwarz, 1998; Kavcic, 2004). An adaptive electronic encyclopedia will personalize the content of an article to augment the user's existing knowledge and interests (Bontcheva & Wilks, 2005; Milosavljevic, 1997). A museum guide will adapt the presentation about every visited object to the user's individual path through the museum (Oberlander et al., 1998; Stock et al., 2007). Adaptive hypermedia belongs to the class of user-adaptive systems (Schneider-Hufschmidt, Kuhme, & Malinowski, 1993). A distinctive feature of an adaptive system is an explicit user model that represents user knowledge, goals, and interests, as well as other features that enable the system to adapt to different users with their own specific set of goals. An adaptive system collects data for the user model from various sources that can include implicitly observing user interaction and explicitly requesting direct input from the user. The user model is applied to provide an adaptation effect, that is, tailor interaction to different users in the same context. In different kinds of adaptive systems, adaptation effects could vary greatly. In AH systems, it is limited to three major adaptation technologies: adaptive content selection, adaptive navigation support, and adaptive presentation. The first of these three technologies comes from the fields of adaptive information retrieval (IR) and intelligent tutoring systems (ITS). When the user searches for information, the system adaptively selects and prioritizes the most relevant items (Brajnik, Guida, & Tasso, 1987; Brusilovsky, 1992b).
Chapter 75 The Econometrics of Data Combination

Economists who use survey or administrative data for inferences regarding a population may want to combine information obtained from two or more samples drawn from the population. This is the case if there is no single sample that contains all relevant variables. A special case occurs if longitudinal or panel data are needed but only repeated cross-sections are available. In this chapter we survey sample combination. If two (or more) samples from the same population are combined, there are variables that are unique to one of the samples and variables that are observed in each sample. What can be learned by combining such samples, depends on the nature of the samples, the assumptions that one is prepared to make, and the goal of the analysis. The most ambitious objective is the identification and estimation of the joint distribution, but often we settle for the estimation of economic models that involve these variables or a subset thereof. Sometimes the goal is to reduce biases due to mismeasured variables. We consider sample merger by matching on identifiers that may be imperfect in the case that the two samples have a substantial number of common units. For the case that the two samples are independent, we consider (conditional) bounds on the joint distribution. Exclusion restrictions will narrow these bounds. We also consider inference under the strong assumption of conditional independence.
A critic for LISP

Our goal is to establish the conceptual foundations for using the computational power that is or will be available on computer systems. Much of the available computing power is wasted, however, if users have difficulty understanding and using the full potential of these systems. Too much attention in the past has been given to the technology of computer systems and not enough to the effects of that technology, which has produced inadequate solutions to real-world problems, imposed unnecessary constraints on users, and failed to respond to changing needs. We have designed and implemented a critic for LISP as a prototype of an intelligent support system. Critics enhance incremental learning of a system and support learning strategies such as learning on demand. Our LISP-CRITIC has knowledge about how to improve LISP programs locally, following a style as defined by its rules. The advice given is based on the hypothesized knowledge of the user contained in the system's model of the user. Additional tools (e.g., a knowledge browser and visualization support) are available to explain and illustrate the advice. The LISP-CRITIC has been used by intermediate and expert LISP programmers and has proven to be a valuable tool for incremental learning of LISP and for improving programs.
Evaluation of Gastric Fundus Invagination for Weight Loss in a Porcine Model

Gastric fundus compliance allows stomach volume increase in response to food intake. Absence of this postprandial relaxation alters hormonal signals and induces early satiety and weight loss. This study demonstrates the effect of gastric fundus invagination on the growth rate of juvenile pigs. After institutional animal care and use committee approval, 15 juvenile pigs were divided into two groups. In the first group, six pigs were anesthetized, weighed, and submitted to laparotomy, stomach manipulation, and short gastric vessel ligation. This is the control group and is referred to as "Sham". In the second group, gastric fundus invagination was added by using a circular stapler. This is the procedure group and is designated as "GFI". Postoperatively, body weight and food intake were measured for 5 weeks. Pigs were euthanized and the stomachs examined. Growth patterns were compared. Three animals were excluded from the analysis. At the end of the 5-week study period, six GFI pigs had intact anastomosis with an invaginated fundus. The mean percent growth rate for the GFI group (54.2 ± 2.8 %) was significantly less than the Sham group (77.7 ± 4.9 %). Gastric fundus invagination significantly decreases the growth rate in juvenile pigs.
Prevalence of serum IgE to storage mites in a southwestern Ohio population.

Background Storage mites of the families Chortoglyphidae, Glycyphagidae, Echimyopodidae, and Acaridae are commonly found in agricultural and nonagricultural environments. The prevalence of sensitization to these storage mites in the general population in the United States is unknown. Objective To determine the prevalence of serum IgE to the storage mites Lepidoglyphus destructor and Acarus siro and to evaluate the degree of co-sensitization to various other astigmatid mites in a population in southwestern Ohio. Methods Serum samples from 600 people randomly selected from a 1-day submission of approximately 3,000 samples to a clinical diagnostic laboratory were screened for IgE to allergens of L destructor and A siro . Proteins in the extracts of each mite were electrophoretically separated, transferred to membranes, and incubated in the serum samples, and the slot blots were probed for IgE binding using radiolabeled anti-human IgE and autoradiography. Results Thirty-two (5.3%) of the 600 serum samples screened had IgE to allergens from at least 1 of the 2 mite species; 14 (2.3%) and 20 (3.3%) had serum IgE to proteins of the mites A siro and L destructor , respectively. Additional analysis revealed that most serum samples also had IgE that bound to proteins in extracts prepared from a variety of other astigmatid mite species, but IgE binding profiles suggested little crossreactivity. Conclusions Sensitization to the mites L destructor and A siro is significant in this region of southwestern Ohio. Further studies are needed to determine the importance of these and other storage mites in occupationally exposed and urban populations of the United States.
System development for size exclusion chromatography of starch hydrolysates

A system for the aqueous size exclusion chromatography (SEC) of starch hydrolysates has been developed. Sepharose CL is the chromatographic support material, and aqueous sodium hydroxide solution is the eluent. Various factors affecting the resolution of the proposed system are discussed. Support materials having small particle size and narrow particle size distribution are necessary for maximizing separation efficiency. The ionic strength of the eluent, however, has a negligible effect on separation efficiency. The fractionation range of the system has been broadened by connecting in series columns containing two different Sepharose-CL gel types according to the bimodal pore size distribution concept. Well-characterized sodium polystyrene sulfonate and dextran standards are used to calibrate this SEC system. The Coll–Prusinowski calibration procedure leads to a linear calibration curve over a wide molecular weight domain.
Neuro-ophthalmologic dilemma: Chronic optic neuritis?

A patient with an 8-month history of chronic progressive visual loss was referred to the Neuro-ophthalmology Consult Office of Washington University with a diagnosis of chronic optic neuritis. Previous diagnostic studies, including CAT scan, had been negative. Because chronic progressive visual loss is considered a hallmark of mass lesion, more vigorous investigation, including repeat CAT scans, was undertaken, leading to the diagnosis and removal of a 2 cm meningioma.
Rate of crosslinking of gelatin in aqueous solution

The rate of crosslinking of concentrated gelatin solutions in water has been measured by means of a gelation timer. Some effects of temperature, pH, crosslinking agent, and gelatin concentration have been measured. The crosslinking agents have varied from fast-acting chrome alum, glutaraldehyde, and a carbodiimide to slow-acting mucobromic acid and dialdehyde starches. Detailed crosslinking mechanisms are discussed for dimethylol urea, mucobromic acid, and several dialdehyde crosslinking agents. Some effects of urea and other additives on the dimethylol urea crosslinking rate are described.