Style and Electronic Communication: The Accommodation of Scientific Risks in the Sierra Magazine

This thesis focuses on how style accommodates scientific risks for public audiences in Magazine articles. Language has previously been unexplored in risk communication; in accommodation research, style has not been investigated. Responding to these gaps in research, this study combines two unexplored dimensions--risk communication and accommodation--to show how syntax, diction, and metaphor resituate technical language and ideas in scientific risk studies for readers. First, interviews with editors and writers will provide a rich understanding of how their editing and composition practices influence accommodation processes. From there, an electronic communication analysis will illustrate how this medium can accommodate beyond text to give readers active roles and responsibilities to learn about and engage with scientific risks. Finally, Gibson\u27s Style Machine will determine the style writers and editors use to address their implied readers, while diction and metaphor analyses will demonstrate how style shapes technical knowledge around these readers\u27 values, needs, and interests

Criminal Justice in the 21st Century: Allegheny County Jail

Criminal Justice in the 21st Century: Allegheny County Jail looks into the history, purposes, and structure of the Allegheny County Jail. This report outlines national and local data trends within jails and discusses the historic and current purposes of jails. It also highlights innovative programs and challenges within the county’s jail and potential best practices to address them

Criminal Justice in the 21st Century: Allegheny County Courts and Probation

Criminal Justice in the 21st Century: Allegheny County Courts and Probation examines the structure, responsibilities, successes, and opportunities within Allegheny County's courts and probation department. The report highlights initiatives and innovations implemented by the Fifth Judicial District’s Criminal Division and key local data indicators. It also identifies current challenges within the county’s court and probation system and potential national best practices to address these challenges

Criminal Justice in the 21st Century: Allegheny County Law Enforcement

Criminal Justice in the 21st Century: Allegheny County Law Enforcement examines the role of the police both nationally and in Allegheny County. The report identifies local law enforcement agencies and their role within the county criminal justice system. This report also highlights key local data trends and discusses the impact of law enforcement on the criminal justice system. It also highlights national best practices in policing

Criminal Justice in the 21st Century: Allegheny County Pretrial Decisions

Criminal Justice in the 21st Century: Allegheny County Pretrial Decisions examines the pretrial procedures and decisions made within the county criminal justice system. The report examines how pretrial decisions are made and national standards for pretrial services. The report highlights innovative practices occurring within the county and key local data. It also outlines national best practices in pretrial decisions

Criminal Justice in the 21st Century: Allegheny County Prosecution and Defense

Criminal Justice in the 21st Century: Allegheny County Prosecution and Defense examines the roles of prosecution and defense nationally and within the county including the offices of the district attorney and public defender. The report looks at key local data and opportunities within criminal court procedures to reduce the county jail population and the number of people under correctional control. The report highlights innovation national best practices in the area of prosecution and defense

Criminal Justice in the 21st Century: Improving Incarceration Policies and Practices in Allegheny County

Criminal Justice in the 21st Century: Improving Incarceration Policies and Practices in Allegheny County examines the dramatic growth of national and local incarceration rates in recent decades even as crime rates have fallen. One key contributor to this dramatic rise in the county jail population is the large number of people being detained prior to trial through the setting of monetary bonds, which often keep low-risk defendants behind bars. The criminal justice system currently also has disproportionate impacts on Black and Latino populations and on people living in poverty. Building upon improvements that criminal justice professionals in Allegheny County have already accomplished, the task force put forth recommendations to create a fairer and more equitable system and to utilize taxpayer dollars efficiently and effectively, without compromising public safety

Validation of Diffuse Correlation Spectroscopic Measurement of Cerebral Blood Flow Using Phase-Encoded Velocity Mapping Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Diffuse correlation spectroscopy (DCS) is a novel optical technique that appears to be an excellent tool for assessing cerebral blood flow in a continuous and non-invasive manner at the bedside. We present new clinical validation of the DCS methodology by demonstrating strong agreement between DCS indices of relative cerebral blood flow and indices based on phase-encoded velocity mapping magnetic resonance imaging (VENC MRI) of relative blood flow in the jugular veins and superior vena cava. Data were acquired from 46 children with single ventricle cardiac lesions during a hypercapnia intervention. Significant increases in cerebral blood flow, measured both by DCS and by VENC MRI, as well as significant increases in oxyhemoglobin concentration, and total hemoglobin concentration, were observed during hypercapnia. Comparison of blood flow changes measured by VENC MRI in the jugular veins and by DCS revealed a strong linear relationship, R = 0.88, p \u3c 0.001, slope = 0.91 ± 0.07. Similar correlations were observed between DCS and VENC MRI in the superior vena cava, R = 0.77, slope = 0.99 ± 0.12, p \u3c 0.001. The relationship between VENC MRI in the aorta and DCS, a negative control, was weakly correlated, R = 0.46, slope = 1.77 ± 0.45, p \u3c 0.001

RNAi dynamics in juvenile Fasciola spp. liver flukes reveals the persistence of gene silencing in vitro

Fasciola spp. liver fluke cause pernicious disease in humans and animals. Whilst current control is unsustainable due to anthelmintic resistance, gene silencing (RNA interference, RNAi) has the potential to contribute to functional validation of new therapeutic targets. The susceptibility of juvenile Fasciola hepatica to double stranded (ds)RNA-induced RNAi has been reported. To exploit this we probe RNAi dynamics, penetrance and persistence with the aim of building a robust platform for reverse genetics in liver fluke. We describe development of standardised RNAi protocols for a commercially-available liver fluke strain (the US Pacific North West Wild Strain), validated via robust transcriptional silencing of seven virulence genes, with in-depth experimental optimisation of three: cathepsin L (FheCatL) and B (FheCatB) cysteine proteases, and a σ-class glutathione transferase (FheσGST).Robust transcriptional silencing of targets in both F. hepatica and Fasciola gigantica juveniles is achievable following exposure to long (200-320 nt) dsRNAs or 27 nt short interfering (si)RNAs. Although juveniles are highly RNAi-susceptible, they display slower transcript and protein knockdown dynamics than those reported previously. Knockdown was detectable following as little as 4h exposure to trigger (target-dependent) and in all cases silencing persisted for ≥25 days following long dsRNA exposure. Combinatorial silencing of three targets by mixing multiple long dsRNAs was similarly efficient. Despite profound transcriptional suppression, we found a significant time-lag before the occurrence of protein suppression; FheσGST and FheCatL protein suppression were only detectable after 9 and 21 days, respectively.In spite of marked variation in knockdown dynamics, we find that a transient exposure to long dsRNA or siRNA triggers robust RNAi penetrance and persistence in liver fluke NEJs supporting the development of multiple-throughput phenotypic screens for control target validation. RNAi persistence in fluke encourages in vivo studies on gene function using worms exposed to RNAi-triggers prior to infection