Gauge singlet renormalisation in softly-broken supersymmetric theories

We consider the renormalisation of a softly-broken supersymmetric theory with singlet fields and a superpotential with a linear term. We show that there exist exact beta-functions for both the linear term in the superpotential and the associated linear term in the Lagrangian. We also construct exact renormalisation group invariant trajectories for these terms, corresponding to the conformal anomaly solution for the soft masses and couplings.Comment: 13 pages, Plain TeX, uses Harvmac. Typos corrected and minor clarification adde

Snowmass Benchmark Points and Three-Loop Running

We present the full three-loop beta-functions for the MSSM generalised to include additional matter multiplets in 5, 10 representations of SU(5). We analyse in detail the effect of three-loop running on the sparticle spectrum for the MSSM Snowmass Benchmark Points. We also consider the effect on these spectra of additional matter multiplets (the semi-perturbative unification scenario).Comment: 28 pages, TeX, 4 figures, 10 tables. Uses Harvmac and eps

Comment on "Critical Dynamics of a Vortex-Loop Model for the Superconducting Transition"

Recently, Aji and Goldenfeldt [Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 197003 (2001), cond-mat/0105622] put forward an explanation for the value of the dynamic critical exponent z observed in certain Monte Carlo simulations of the superconducting phase transition in zero magnetic field. In this Comment, we point out that their analysis is based on incorrect assumptions regarding the scaling dimension of the vortex density.Comment: 1 page, no figure

Three loop soft running, benchmark points and semi-perturbative unification

We consider three-loop $\beta$-function corrections to the sparticle spectrum in the MSSM, with particular emphasis on Snowmass Benchmark points. The three loop running has little effect on the weakly interacting particle spectrum, but for the squark masses the effect can be comparable to, or greater than, that of two loop running. We extend the analysis to the semi-perturbative unification scenario, where the impact of the three loop corrections becomes even more dramatic.Comment: 12 pages, TeX, Uses Harvmac (big) and epsf. Added references (v2). More emphasis on magnitude of three loop corrections (v3

When Basketball was Jewish

Philosopher-novelist Rebecca Newberger Goldstein, writing in Jewish Jocks: An Unorthodox Hall of Fame, describes Barney Tiny Sedran, born Bernard Sedransky on the Lower East Side of New York, as a quintessential Jewish basketball player: manically energetic, compulsively alert, upending expectations, and compensating for short—really short—comings (17). Sedransky was the shortest player ever inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, she writes, who excelled at a time when Jews ruled basketball — and lest you think those last three words are a misprint, let me repeat: Jews ruled basketball (17). Indeed, in the modern era it is easy to forget who the great boxers and basketball players were, for these city sports have changed, just like the neighborhoods that stimulated their growth. Previous books have explored the topic of Jewish exceptionalism in sport from a broad historical-sociological perspective. Peter Levine\u27s Ellis Island to Ebbets Field: Sport and the American Jewish Experience (1993) chronicles how sport helped transform Jewish immigrants into citizens in full. Allen Bodner\u27s When Boxing Was a Jewish Sport (1997) focuses on boxing\u27s golden era in the 1920s and 1930s, when Jewish fighters vied for ring dominance against Italian- and Irish-American opponents. Each of these writers provide a specific historic context for their subjects. The header of Goldstein\u27s essay, for instance, contains the title, the subject, and dates: Tiny Baller, Barney Sedran, (1891-1964) (17). [excerpt

The Effect of Tommy John (UCL) Reconstructive Surgery on a Pitcher’s Arm and Career Progression

Injuries have plagued professional athletes since their sports have been in existence. The examination of how teams can diminish the side effects of the injuries en route to a speedy recovery remains an evolving process and a topic of concern for all. Injury preventative tactics have been implemented by coaching staffs and various training personnel. Major League Baseball (MLB) pitchers are noticing an increase in the number of surgeries performed each year. The tearing of the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in the elbow has become a predominant injury among pitchers in the MLB. Reconstructive surgery, also known as Tommy John surgery, has been a necessity for any pitcher wishing to return to the mound. The goal of this research is to examine performance of players who elect to undergo Tommy John surgery. The development of a predictive model can only go so-far to include factual statistical data to determine the stress of pitchers’ arms. However, the byproducts of teams acquiring this knowledge has a large impact on their decision making abilities. The research includes analytical techniques to predict future outcomes of MLB pitchers as well as an avenue to provide statistical evidence of the before and after effects on their arms

Forecasting the Progression of Alzheimer's Disease Using Neural Networks and a Novel Pre-Processing Algorithm

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease in older people. Despite considerable efforts to find a cure for AD, there is a 99.6% failure rate of clinical trials for AD drugs, likely because AD patients cannot easily be identified at early stages. This project investigated machine learning approaches to predict the clinical state of patients in future years to benefit AD research. Clinical data from 1737 patients was obtained from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) database and was processed using the "All-Pairs" technique, a novel methodology created for this project involving the comparison of all possible pairs of temporal data points for each patient. This data was then used to train various machine learning models. Models were evaluated using 7-fold cross-validation on the training dataset and confirmed using data from a separate testing dataset (110 patients). A neural network model was effective (mAUC = 0.866) at predicting the progression of AD on a month-by-month basis, both in patients who were initially cognitively normal and in patients suffering from mild cognitive impairment. Such a model could be used to identify patients at early stages of AD and who are therefore good candidates for clinical trials for AD therapeutics.Comment: 10 pages; updated acknowledgement

Would Wage Concessions Help the Steel Industry?

[Excerpt]The American steel industry is dying. 150,000 steelworkers are laid off, and thousands of them will never work in steel again. The steel companies will report losses of some $2 billion for 1982, and Wall Street analysts predict— advocate—that as much as 20 per cent of the industry\u27s primary capacity will be eliminated. The loss of steel jobs threatens more than a dozen local and regional economies with decades of Depression-like conditions. And the worst is not likely to be over soon. Even though most people recognize that the primary cause of this situation is the misguided and mean-spirited policies of the Reagan administration, public opinion seems to have accepted a simple logic: If the industry is in such trouble, steelworkers should help it by granting concessions on wages and work rules

Anonymous

A dust-off pilot in Vietnam recalls the tragedy of the war seen through his eyes, his rescue missions. Articles, stories, and other compositions in this archive were written by participants in the Mighty Pen Project. The program, developed by author David L. Robbins, and in partnership with Virginia Commonwealth University and the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond, Virginia, offers veterans and their family members a customized twelve-week writing class, free of charge. The program encourages, supports, and assists participants in sharing their stories and experiences of military experience so both writer and audience may benefit