Digital Commons Network^™

Stable Solution To L 2,1-Based Robust Inductive Matrix Completion And Its Application In Linking Long Noncoding Rnas To Human Diseases, Ashis Kumer Biswas, Dongchul Kim, Mingon Kang, Chris Ding

Faculty Articles

Backgrounds A large number of long intergenic non-coding RNAs (lincRNAs) are linked to a broad spectrum of human diseases. The disease association with many other lincRNAs still remain as puzzle. Validation of such links between the two entities through biological experiments are expensive. However, a plethora lincRNA-data are available now, thanks to the High Throughput Sequencing (HTS) platforms, Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS), etc, which opens the opportunity for cutting-edge machine learning and data mining approaches to extract meaningful relationships among lincRNAs and diseases. However, there are only a few in silico lincRNA-disease association inference tools available to date, and …

Agency Theory And Corporate Governance In China: A Meta-Analysis, Canan C. Mutlu, Marc Van Essen, Mike W. Peng, Sabrina F. Saleh

Faculty Articles

Do agency theory-based “good corporate governance” principles indeed apply to China? A straightforward answer to this question is lacking, because evidence is inconclusive across studies. We endeavor to fill this gap by conducting the first meta-analysis on the China literature with two focuses. First, we assess the impact of (i) board independence, (ii) board leadership structure, and (iii) managerial incentives on firm performance, as these elements have been central to both agency theory as well as to Chinese corporate governance reforms. Second, we extend current theorizing by showing support for the temporal hypothesis, which states that over time, with the …

Search For Light Tetraquark States In Υ ( 1 S ) And Υ ( 2 S ) Decays, S. Jia Et Al., David Joffe, Ratnappuli L. Kulasiri

Faculty Articles

We search for the JPC=0−− and 1+− light tetraquark states with masses up to 2.46 GeV/c2 in Υ(1S) and Υ(2S) decays with data samples of (102±2) million and (158±4) million events, respectively, collected with the Belle detector. No significant signals are observed in any of the studied production modes, and 90% credibility level (C.L.) upper limits on their branching fractions in Υ(1S)and Υ(2S) decays are obtained. The inclusive branching fractions of the Υ(1S) and Υ(2S) decays into final states with f1(1285) are measured to be B(Υ(1S)→f1(1285)+anything)=(46±28(stat)±13(syst))×10−4 and B(Υ(2S)→f1(1285)+anything)=(22±15(stat)±6.3(syst))×10−4. The measured χb2→J/ψ+anything branching fraction is measured to be (1.50±0.34(stat)±0.22(syst))×10−3, and 90% …

Ombuds As Nomads? The Intersections Of Dispute System Design And Identity, Tim Hedeen

Faculty Articles

Whether providing requested information, careful attention, informal coaching, impartial mediation, or upward feedback, ombuds operate within an “oscillating space” occasioned by contending purposes of their work. Their relationships to both their visitors and their host organization confer a dynamic identity, as they are at once supporting the visitor and supporting the organization. With which does an ombudsman identify, their organization or their visitor? Can the answer be both? This article will explore the opportunities and challenges arising from this tension.

Students' Perceptions Of Interactive Technology As A Learning Tool In Legal Studies Courses, Cristen W. Dutcher, Sonia J. Toson

Faculty Articles

This article attempts to further the literature on technology in the classroom by performing an initial investigation on an innovative new textbook technology in an undergraduate legal studies course, such as the Legal Environment of Business. First, we discuss the traditional methods of teaching the law at both the law school and undergraduate levels. We also review the history and effectiveness of using technology in law school and legal studies classrooms. Next, we look the use of textbooks in legal education. Then, we introduce LearnSmart, an adaptive and interactive textbook technology and compare it to other electronic texts in the …

Learning Outcomes For Cyber Defense Competitions, Amy B. Woszczynski, Andrew Green

Faculty Articles

Cyber defense competitions (CDCs) simulate a real-world environment where the competitors must protect the information assets of a fictional organization. These competitions are becoming popular at the high school and college levels, as well as in industry and governmental settings. However, there is little research to date on the learning outcomes associated with CDCs or the longterm benefits to the participants as they pursue future educational, employment, or military goals. For this exploratory research project, we surveyed 11 judges and mentors participating in a well-established high school CDC held in the southeastern United States. Then, we developed a set of …

Effect Of Actigraph's Low Frequency Extension For Estimating Steps And Physical Activity Intensity, Yuri Feito, Lyndsey M. Hornbuckle, Lauren A. Reid, Scott E. Crouter

Faculty Articles

This study examined the effects of the ActiGraph’s (AG) low-frequency extension (LFE) filter on steps and physical activity classification in the free-living environment. Thirty-four African-American women (age, 24.5±5.2 years; BMI, 24.9±4.5 kg/m2) had daily activity measured simultaneously with an AG-GT3X+ accelerometer and a New Lifestyles NL-800 pedometer for seven days. Steps per day (steps/day) and time (minutes/day) spent in sedentary, light, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) were examined with and without the LFE filter (AG-LFE and AG-N, respectively). The AG-LFE recorded more total steps (13,723±4,983 steps/day) compared to AG-N and NL-800 (6,172±2,838 and 5,817±3,037 steps/day, respectively; p<0.001). Compared to the AG-N, the AG-LFE estimated less time in sedentary behaviors (518.7±92.1 vs. 504.2±105.4 min/day, respectively; p<0.001), and more time in light (247.7±70.4 vs. 279.1±74.7 min/day, respectively; p<0.001) and MVPA (18.9±16.9 vs. 21.5±18.2 min/day, respectively; p<0.001), respectively. These data suggest that steps and physical activity classifications will be affected when using the ActiGraph with and without the LFE filter. Future research should investigate the accuracy of these measures using the LFE filter.

Evidence For Isospin Violation And Measurement Of C P Asymmetries In B → K ∗ ( 892 ) Γ, T. Horiguchi Et Al., D. Joffe, Ratnappuli L. Kulasiri

Faculty Articles

We report the first evidence for isospin violation in B→K∗γ and the first measurement of the difference of CP asymmetries between B+→K*+γ and B0→K*0γ. This analysis is based on the data sample containing 772×106B¯B pairs that was collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB energy-asymmetric e+e− collider. We find evidence for the isospin violation with a significance of 3.1σ, Δ0+=[+6.2±1.5(stat)±0.6(syst)±1.2(f+−/f00)]%, where the third uncertainty is due to the uncertainty on the fraction of B+B− to B0¯B0 production in Υ(4S) decays. The measured value is consistent with predictions of the standard model. The result for the difference of CP asymmetries …

Measurement Of The Decays B → Η ℓ Ν ℓ And B → Η ′ ℓ Ν ℓ In Fully Reconstructed Events At Belle, C. Beleño Et Al., D. Joffe, Ratnappuli L. Kulasiri

Faculty Articles

We report branching fraction measurements of the decays B+→ηℓ+νℓ and B+→η′ℓ+νℓ based on 711 fb−1 of data collected near the Υ(4S) resonance with the Belle experiment at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e+e− collider. This data sample contains 772 million B¯B events. One of the two Bmesons is fully reconstructed in a hadronic decay mode. Among the remaining (“signal-B”) daughters, we search for the η meson in two decay channels, η→γγ and η→π+π−π0, and reconstruct the η′meson in η′→ηπ+π− with subsequent decay of the η into γγ. Combining the two η modes and using an extended maximum likelihood, the B+→ηℓ+νℓ branching fraction …

Examination Of The Qm Process: Making A Case For Transformative Professional Development Model, Radwan Ali, James Wright

Faculty Articles

Distance learning has altered the landscape of higher education, and the rapid proliferation of online courses and programs present new challenges for both faculty and administrators. The literature suggests that faculty must have a wide range of technical and pedagogical skills to be successful online teachers (Betts, 2009; Koehler, Mishra, & Yahya, 2007; Puzziferro & Shelton, 2009). To ensure quality and consistency of online courses, many universities have adopted an industry-standard, quality assurance review framework. In this case, faculty members are required to attend a basic professional development seminar outlining the parts of the rubric and the submission and review …

Differential Toxicity And Venom Gland Gene Expression In Centruroides Vittatus, Thomas C. Mcelroy, C. Neal Mcreynolds, Alyssa Gulledge, Kelci R. Knight, Whitney E. Smith, Eric A. Albrecht

Faculty Articles

Variation in venom toxicity and composition exists in many species. In this study, venom potency and venom gland gene expression was evaluated in Centruroides vittatus, size class I-II (immature) and size class IV (adults/penultimate instars) size classes. Venom toxicity was evaluated by probit analysis and returned ED50 values of 50.1 μg/g for class IV compared to 134.2 μg/g for class I-II 24 hours post injection, suggesting size class IV was 2.7 fold more potent. Next generation sequencing (NGS and qPCR were used to characterize venom gland gene expression. NGS data was assembled into 36,795 contigs, and annotated using BLASTx …

Recognizing Taxpayers As Stakeholders In Municipal Bankruptcies, Diane Lourdes Dick

Faculty Articles

No abstract provided.

Search For Cp Violation And Measurement Of The Branching Fraction In The Decay D0 → K0 Sk0 S, N. Dash Et Al., D. Joffe, Ratnappuli L. Kulasiri

Faculty Articles

We report a study of the decay D0→K0SK0S using 921  fb−1 of data collected at or near the Υ(4S) and Υ(5S) resonances with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric energy e+e− collider. The measured time-integrated CP asymmetry is ACP(D0→K0SK0S)=(−0.02±1.53±0.02±0.17)%, and the branching fraction is B(D0→K0SK0S)=(1.321±0.023±0.036±0.044)×10−4, where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second is systematic, and the third is due to the normalization mode (D0→K0Sπ0). These results are significantly more precise than previous measurements available for this mode. The ACP measurement is consistent with the standard model expectation.

The Duke Model: A Performance-Based Solution For Compensating College Athletes, David A. Grenardo

Faculty Articles

The time has long come for the NCAA, its member institutions, and college athletes to sit down and discuss compensating college athletes for playing. Rather than continue a war of words with increasing animosity between college athletes and the NCAA, the parties should take advantage of the existing infrastructures to begin a discussion that would lead to the abandonment of the prohibition on compensating athletes and the adoption of a model for payment. Once the parties begin that conversation about compensation for college athletes above their scholarship amounts, this article sets forth a proposal, the "Duke Model," that serves as …

Survey Of Recent Halakhic Periodical Literature: A Rainproof Sukkah/ Reading The Shema In Latin/ Oral Obligations Unsupported By Kinyan, J. David Bleich

Faculty Articles

No abstract provided.

The Ecclesiastical Tribunals Field Hospital For Wounded Marriages: The New Matrimonial Processus Brevoir, Roberto Rosas

Faculty Articles

This article will focus on explaining the new marriage annulment processes of the Latin Church, which are found in the Motu proprio Mitis ludex Dominus lesus, although the same processes apply to the processes in the Eastern Churches. Any differences that exist between the two processes are due to the distinct ecclesiastical structure between one Church and another.

This explanation will advance the following points: (1) marriage; (2) reasons for a new matrimonial process; (3) guiding principles for the new process; (4) pastoral footprint of service to the faithful in ecclesiastic tribunals; (5) actualization of the ecclesiastic structure; (6) the …

Strategies To Promote Health In North American French Jewish Immigrants, Balkys L. Bivins, Rosemary F. Hall

Faculty Articles

Anti-Semitism in the form of violent acts is on the rise in France and throughout Europe. These incidents and the looming threat of targeted violence are leading to the outmigration of Jewish individuals in France to Israel, Canada, and the United States. The health impact of this migration on individuals of the French Jewry who are now residing in the United States has not been studied. This paper will propose and address the need for culturally tailored nursing strategies to make a positive impact on the health, well-being, and lives of these individuals. Additionally, the writers will discuss the challenges …

Charged Higgs Production With A W Boson Via B-Quark Annihilatiom, Nikolaos Kidonakis

Faculty Articles

I present theoretical calculations for charged Higgs production in association with a W boson via bottom quark annihilation. I discuss higher-order radiative corrections from collinear and soft gluon emission and show that they are important. I present theoretical results for total cross sections, and for transverse-momentum and rapidity distributions of the charged Higgs boson at LHC energies.

Top-Pair And Tw Production At Approximate N3lo, Nikolaos Kidonakis

Faculty Articles

I present approximate N3LO theoretical results for top-antitop pair production, and for single-top production in association with a W boson. The higher-order corrections are from soft-gluon radiation, which is dominant near partonic threshold. I present results for total cross sections as well as transverse-momentum and rapidity distributions of the top quark, and compare with data at LHC energies.

Charged Higgs Production With A W Boson Or A Top Quark, Nikolaos Kidonakis

Faculty Articles

I present theoretical results for charged Higgs production in association with a W boson or a top quark at the LHC. I calculate higher-order threshold corrections and show that they are very significant. I present detailed results for total cross sections as well as transverse-momentum and rapidity distributions for various LHC energies.

Search For Λ + C → Φ P Π 0 And Branching Fraction Measurement Of Λ + C → K − Π + P Π 0, B. Pal Et Al., D. Joffe, Ratnappuli L. Kulasiri

Faculty Articles

We have searched for the Cabibbo-suppressed decay Λ+c→ϕpπ0 in e+e− collisions using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 915 fb−1. The data were collected by the Belle experiment at the KEKB e+e− asymmetric-energy collider running at or near the Υ(4S) and Υ(5S)resonances. No significant signal is observed, and we set an upper limit on the branching fraction of B(Λ+c→ϕpπ0)<15.3×10−5 at 90% confidence level. The contribution of nonresonant Λ+c→K+K−pπ0 decays is found to be consistent with zero, and the corresponding upper limit on its branching fraction is set to be B(Λ+c→K+K−pπ0)NR<6.3×10−5 at 90% confidence level. We also search for an intermediate hidden-strangeness pentaquark decay P+s→ϕp. We see no evidence for this intermediate decay and set an upper limit on the product branching fraction of B(Λ+c→P+sπ0)×B(P+s→ϕp)<8.3×10−5 at 90% confidence level. Finally, we measure the branching fraction for the Cabibbo-favored decay Λ+c→K−π+pπ0; the result is B(Λ+c→K−π+pπ0)=(4.42±0.05(stat)±0.12(syst)±0.16(norm))%, which is the most precise measurement to date.

Study Of Η And Dipion Transitions In Υ(4 S) Decays To Lower Bottomonia, E. Guido Et Al., D. Joffe, Ratnappuli L. Kulasiri

Faculty Articles

We study hadronic transitions between bottomonium states using 496 fb−1 data collected at the Υ(4S)resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric energy e+e− collider. We measure B(Υ(4S)→π+π−Υ(1S))=(8.2±0.5(stat)±0.4(syst))×10−5, B(Υ(4S)→π+π−Υ(2S))=(7.9±1.0(stat)±0.4(syst))×10−5, and B(Υ(4S)→ηΥ(1S))=(1.70±0.23(stat)±0.08(syst))×10−4. We measure the ratio of branching fractions R=B(Υ(4S)→ηΥ(1S))/B(Υ(4S)→π+π−Υ(1S))=2.07±0.30(stat)±0.11(syst). We search for the decay Υ(13D1,2)→ηΥ(1S), but do not find significant evidence for such a transition. We also measure the initial-state radiation production cross sections of the Υ(2S,3S) resonances and we find values compatible with the expected ones. Finally, the analysis of the Υ(4S)→π+π−Υ(1S)events shows indications for a resonant contribution due to the f0(980) meson.

Identification And Characterization Of Preferred Dna-Binding Sites For The Thermus Thermophilus Transcriptional Regulator Fadr, Minwoo Lee, Hyejin Um, Michael W. Van Dyke

Faculty Articles

One of the primary transcriptional regulators of fatty acid homeostasis in many prokaryotes is the protein FadR. To better understand its biological function in the extreme thermophile Thermus thermophilus HB8, we sought to first determine its preferred DNA-binding sequences in vitro using the combinatorial selection method Restriction Endonuclease Protection, Selection, and Amplification (REPSA) and then use this information to bioinformatically identify potential regulated genes. REPSA determined a consensus FadR-binding sequence 5´-TTRNACYNRGTNYAA-3´, which was further characterized using quantitative electrophoretic mobility shift assays. With this information, a search of the T. thermophilus HB8 genome found multiple operons potentially regulated by FadR. …

Data Collection And The Regulatory State, Hillary Green, James Cooper, Ahmed Ghappour, Felix Wu

Faculty Articles

The following remarks were given on January 27, 2017 during the Connecticut Law Review's symposium, "Privacy, Security & Power: The State of Digital Surveillance."

Breaking In And Busting Out: Cell-Penetrating Peptides And The Endosomal Escape Problem, Julia C. Lecher, Scott J. Nowak, Jonathan Mcmurry

Faculty Articles

Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) have long held great promise for the manipulation of living cells for therapeutic and research purposes. They allow a wide array of biomolecules from large, oligomeric proteins to nucleic acids and small molecules to rapidly and efficiently traverse cytoplasmic membranes. With few exceptions, if a molecule can be associated with a CPP, it can be delivered into a cell. However, a growing realization in the field is that CPP-cargo fusions largely remain trapped in endosomes and are eventually targeted for degradation or recycling rather than released into the cytoplasm or trafficked to a desired subcellular destination. This …

Evolution Of Water Institutions In The Indus River Basin: Reflections From The Law Of The Colorado River, Daniel Mccool, Jason Anthony Robison, Erum Sattar

Faculty Articles

Transboundary water institutions in the Indus River Basin can be fairlycharacterized as broken in key respects International relations between India andPakistan over the Indus Waters Treaty as well as interprovincial relations withinPakistan over the 1991 Water Accord speak to this sentiment Stemming fromresearch undertaken by the authors for the Harvard Water Federalism Project andthe United States Agency for International Development USAID this Articleseeks to spur the evolution of the Indus River Basin's water institutions by offeringa comparative perspective from North America's most ÔÇ£institutionallyencompassedÔÇØ basin the Colorado River Basin Mindful of the importance ofcontext for comparative water law and policy scholarship …

A Security And Privacy Framework For E-Learning, Radwan Ali, Humayun Zafar

Faculty Articles

Prior research in the e-learning area has appeared with a focus on its adoption aspects. Limited research has been carried out solely on the interplay between e-learning and security and privacy. Considering the wide acceptance of e-learning, and a plethora of cybersecurity breach incidents, it is surprising that the two topics have not been discussed together. An effective e-learning environment depends on stakeholders who understand the importance of security and behave responsibly within it. In this paper, we present a conceptual model that looks at some of the information security and privacy factors related to e-learning.

A Comparison Of Student Behavior And Performance Between An Instructor-Regulated Versus Student-Regulated Online Undergraduate Finance Course, Victor Wakeling, Patricia R. Robertson

Faculty Articles

In a study conducted at a large, public university, the authors collected data to measure the relationship between student behavior and performance in an online undergraduate finance class based on two different course formats: instructor-regulated versus student-regulated. The quantitative study indicated significant differences in student behavior when given the self-regulated option, which correlated with deterioration in overall student performance. The study found that when students were given the flexibility to fully control course pacing, there was a statistically significant difference in their pattern of taking quizzes, especially missing quizzes entirely. Also, these students collectively exhibited statistically significant lower overall exam …

Civility Is Needed In College Classroom—Now More Than Ever, Robert W. Hill

Faculty Articles

No abstract provided.

Soft-Gluon Corrections For T W Production At N 3 Lo, Nikolaos Kidonakis

Faculty Articles

I present approximate results that include third-order soft-gluon corrections for the associated production of a single top quark with a W boson. The calculation uses expressions from soft-gluon resummation at next-to-next-to-leading-logarithm (NNLL) accuracy. From the NNLL resummed cross section, I derive approximate next-to-next-to-next-to-leading-order ( a N 3 LO ) cross sections for the process b g → t W − at LHC and Tevatron energies. The a N 3 LO top-quark transverse-momentum and rapidity distributions in t W production are also presented.