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We report a new measurement of transverse single-spin asymmetries for dijet production in collisions of polarized protons at s = 200     GeV . Correlations between the proton spin and the transverse momenta of its partons, each perpendicular to the proton momentum direction, are probed at high Q 2 ≈ 160     GeV 2 . Evidence for nonzero Sivers effects is measured for the first time in dijets from proton-proton collisions, but only when the jets are sorted by their net charge, which enhances the otherwise canceling opposite-sign u - or d -quark contributions to separate data samples. The resulting asymmetries are compared to recent theoretical calculations. Separately, the associated Sivers observable ⟨ k T ⟩ , the average parton transverse momentum, is extracted using a simple kinematics approach which further enables a determination of the individual partonic contributions to the observed asymmetries.

When elementary-aged children read unknown polysyllabic words, they must parse the orthographic input in order to decode it. Prior studies have not shown clearly whether syllables—as opposed to letters or morphemes—are perceptual units, particularly in children. Children in second, third, and fourth grade ( N  = 123) with and without reading difficulty (RD) were asked to read polysyllabic pseudowords ( N  = 98), and their accuracy, response time (onset latency), and response length (fluency) were recorded. In explanatory item-response analyses, the number of syllables in a word was negatively associated with pronunciation accuracy, latency, and fluency, even when accounting for the number of letters and morphemes. A syllable-by-grade interaction for onset latency showed that the syllable effect was smaller in higher grades, suggesting ongoing development of automaticity with syllabic features. A syllable-by-RD interaction for onset latency and fluency showed a smaller syllable effect for students with RD, suggesting that polysyllabic word processing is challenging for these students at all syllable lengths. The presence of negative syllable effects when accounting for the number of letters and presence of morphemes suggests that syllables are unique sublexical units that require reader attention when pronouncing unfamiliar written words. The mechanisms posited to explain these large negative effects include the need to parse printed words into orthographic syllables, inconsistency in the pronunciation of vowels in polysyllabic words, and the need to assign lexical stress. Overall, the results provide strong evidence that words’ syllabic features require processing that makes words with more syllables harder for elementary-age readers, regardless of the number of letters in the words, and that the degree to which syllabic features impact student performance depends on their age and reading ability.

Abstract We discuss the most recent observations made with the Southern Connecticut Stellar Interferometer, which is a three-station stellar intensity interferometer located on the campus of Southern Connecticut State University, in New Haven, Connecticut. Two different kinds of observations are presented. We first analyze observations of Vega taken in a three-telescope mode. (Previously, the instrument had only two operational stations.) We show that, while the efficiency remains nearly identical to that reported in our last paper, the addition of the third station allows more photon data to be recorded simultaneously, and therefore we can build up the photon-bunching peak in the data stream in fewer hours on sky for an unresolved source. In the second part of the paper, we report our observations to date of the nearby red giant star Arcturus, most of which occurred in the first half of 2025. These show that, as a partially resolved source at the baselines we used, we detect fewer correlations in the photon-bunching peak than for an unresolved source of comparable brightness. Combining the data with speckle imaging observations taken at Apache Point Observatory, we derive a new measurement of Arcturus’ diameter that extends the temporal baseline of interferometric observations of the star and is consistent with previous analyses made by other investigators.

What ethical values and principles should guide and govern AI entities? This is just one of many AI-related questions facing the world today. Another question—perhaps even more important—is Can ethical values and principles be instilled into AI entities to guide and govern them? The present essay addresses the question of whether Flourishing Ethics is potentially a global ethical framework that prioritizes human flourishing while, at the same time, accommodating cultural diversity. It focuses upon possible use of LLMs to create moral advisers; and it is intended to support current worldwide efforts to keep AI developments within the bounds of universal ethical principles.

Public health outcomes can be heavily influenced by the landscape of public opinion; hence, it is important to understand how that landscape changes over time. For one, opinions on public health issues are responsive to official pronouncements, whether from the governmental or professional medical establishments. Additionally, in today’s world of high speed communication, opinion can also be highly responsive to the broadcast opinions of “influencers” whose large numbers of followers assure them of a broad reach. To understand the opinion landscape in a general sense, we develop an ordinary differential equation model for opinion change that is based primarily on attraction to prominent sources whose opinions are independent of the opinions of others. The individual opinion change model is then used to develop a Fokker–Planck-type partial differential equation model for the overall opinion landscape. This model is shown to have a stable equilibrium solution, and the dependence of the equilibrium solution on key model parameters is illustrated with examples based on opinion regarding vaccination. Eigenvalues and eigenfunctions for the associated Sturm–Liouville problem are determined numerically by two methods, one by using numerical solutions of the partial differential equation and the other by applying a shooting method directly to the eigenvalue problem.

The global ocean is an invaluable resource, upon which many communities rely, yet little is understood about the complexity of human-ocean relationships, and why we maintain the relationships with the ocean that we do. Ocean identity (OI) is an emerging construct which can be used to understand these relationships and can serve as a mechanism for improved human–ocean interactions. In order to explore OI, three focus groups were held with ocean outreach, engagement, and education experts (n = 12×) from several organizations in Connecticut, USA. The 40–60 min online focus groups were balanced between two areas of inquiry. © 2026 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

We report the first measurement of one- and two-point energy correlators within jets in transversely polarized proton-proton collisions at s = 200     GeV , using the STAR detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. These observables quantify the energy-weighted angular distribution of single hadrons and hadron pairs within jets, respectively. Sizable spin-dependent asymmetries are observed for π + , π − , and π + π − pairs, revealing the onset of nonperturbative dynamics at specific angular scales. By projecting the fragmentation dynamics onto Mellin moments, these measurements provide sensitivity to the nucleon’s transversity while minimizing uncertainties from nonperturbative fragmentation functions. These results establish energy correlators as a novel and precise probe of nucleon structure and open a promising avenue for three-dimensional nucleon tomography at the future Electron-Ion Collider.

Graduate business students at public urban universities are typically working professionals with limited time and uneven preparation for scholarly research. This exploratory case study analyzes 49 library instruction interactions and corresponding business database usage statistics across four academic years at a New England public university. Engagement closely tracked faculty partnership: when course-integrated instruction lapsed, instructional reach and database usage contracted sharply. The data also support a hypothesis worth testing: that research-oriented DBA programs may offer a more receptive environment for library integration than practice-oriented MBA programs. Findings have implications for liaison librarians at access-focused urban institutions.

Click to launch & play an online audio visual presentation by Dr. Bogdan Zamfir on Technology for individuals with autism spectrum disorders, part of a collection of multimedia lectures.

Completely Automated Public Turing tests to tell Computers and Humans Apart (CAPTCHAs) are widely used mechanisms for protecting websites against automated bot attacks. In this paper, we investigate the trade-off between usability and security in CAPTCHA design using a Stackelberg game-theoretic framework. Based on empirical evaluation data on CAPTCHA solving time and accuracy, we incorporate expected solving time into the defender's utility function to jointly capture usability and security. We propose two models: a discrete-strategy game, in which different CAPTCHA types and difficulty levels form the strategy space, and a continuous-strategy game, in which CAPTCHA hardness is represented as a continuous decision variable. For the discrete model, we derive a stepwise solution characterizing transitions in the defender's optimal strategy. For the continuous model, we analyze a threshold-based attacker response and obtain equilibrium solutions under deterrence and accommodation regimes. The proposed framework is adaptable to other CAPTCHA evaluation datasets.

When elementary-aged children read unknown polysyllabic words, they must parse the orthographic input in order to decode it. Prior studies have not shown clearly whether syllables—as opposed to letters or morphemes—are perceptual units, particularly in children. Children in second, third, and fourth grade (N = 123) with and without reading difficulty (RD) were asked to read polysyllabic pseudowords (N = 98), and their accuracy, response time (onset latency), and response length (fluency) were recorded. In explanatory item-response analyses, the number of syllables in a word was negatively associated with pronunciation accuracy, latency, and fluency, even when accounting for the number of letters and morphemes. A syllable-by-grade interaction for onset latency showed that the syllable effect was smaller in higher grades, suggesting ongoing development of automaticity with syllabic features. A syllable-by-RD interaction for onset latency and fluency showed a smaller syllable effect for students with RD, suggesting that polysyllabic word processing is challenging for these students at all syllable lengths. The presence of negative syllable effects when accounting for the number of letters and presence of morphemes suggests that syllables are unique sublexical units that require reader attention when pronouncing unfamiliar written words. The mechanisms posited to explain these large negative effects include the need to parse printed words into orthographic syllables, inconsistency in the pronunciation of vowels in polysyllabic words, and the need to assign lexical stress. Overall, the results provide strong evidence that words’ syllabic features require processing that makes words with more syllables harder for elementary-age readers, regardless of the number of letters in the words, and that the degree to which syllabic features impact student performance depends on their age and reading ability.