Higgs Spin Determination in the WW channel and beyond

After the discovery of the 126 GeV resonance at the LHC, the determination of its features, including its spin, is a very important ongoing task. In order to distinguish the two most likely spin hypotheses, spin-0 or spin-2, we study the phenomenology of a light Higgs-like spin-2 resonance produced in different gluon-fusion and vector-boson-fusion processes at the LHC. Starting from an effective model for the interaction of a spin-2 particle with the SM gauge bosons, we calculate cross sections and differential distributions within the Monte Carlo program Vbfnlo. We find that with specific model parameters such a spin-2 resonance can mimic SM Higgs rates and transverse-momentum distributions in $\gamma \gamma$, $WW$ and $ZZ$ decays, whereas several distributions allow to separate spin-2 from spin-0, independently of the spin-2 model parameters.Comment: 14 pages, 7 figure

Higgs Spin Determination and Unitarity of Vector-boson Scattering at the LHC

After the discovery of a new particle at the LHC, it is crucial to verify or disprove whether it is the SM Higgs boson. Thus, its features, including its spin, have to be determined. In order to distinguish between spin-0 and spin-2, light spin-2 resonances are studied. Since the SM Higgs boson ensures the unitarity of vector-boson scattering, another topic is to investigate if other particles are able to perform the same task. Furthermore, heavy spin-2 resonances at the LHC are studied

A2J AUTHOR, LEGAL AID ORGANIZATIONS, AND COURTS: BRIDGING THE CIVIL JUSTICE GAP USING DOCUMENT ASSEMBLY

Because there is a huge justice gap in the United States, millions of Americans are eligible for legal aid. With few attorneys working in legal aid organizations nationwide, low-income people, by necessity, are becoming self-represented litigants. This article discusses the history of document assembly and A2J Author®, an interactive interviewing tool for self-represented litigants within the legal aid context; makes the argument for why document assembly can help to close the justice gap; shows that over the past decade, this technology has repeatedly proven itself to be cost effective, efficient, and well received by self-represented litigants; and finally, discusses the next wave of technological advances A2J Author is making to keep itself relevant and useful to self-represented litigants

Micromobility evolution and expansion: Understanding how docked and dockless bikesharing models complement and compete – A case study of San Francisco

Shared micromobility – the shared use of bicycles, scooters, or other low-speed modes – is an innovative transportation strategy growing across the United States that includes various service models such as docked, dockless, and e-bike service models. This research focuses on understanding how docked bikesharing and dockless e-bikesharing models complement and compete with respect to user travel behaviors. To inform our analysis, we used two datasets from February 2018 of Ford GoBike (docked) and JUMP (dockless electric) bikesharing trips in San Francisco. We employed three methodological approaches: 1) travel behavior analysis, 2) discrete choice analysis with a destination choice model, and 3) geospatial suitability analysis based on the Spatial Temporal Economic Physiological Social (STEPS) to Transportation Equity framework. We found that dockless e-bikesharing trips were longer in distance and duration than docked trips. The average JUMP trip was about a third longer in distance and about twice as long in duration than the average GoBike trip. JUMP users were far less sensitive to estimated total elevation gain than were GoBike users, making trips with total elevation gain about three times larger than those of GoBike users, on average. The JUMP system achieved greater usage rates than GoBike, with 0.8 more daily trips per bike and 2.3 more miles traveled on each bike per day, on average. The destination choice model results suggest that JUMP users traveled to lower-density destinations, and GoBike users were largely traveling to dense employment areas. Bike rack density was a significant positive factor for JUMP users. The location of GoBike docking stations may attract users and/or be well-placed to the destination preferences of users. The STEPS-based bikeability analysis revealed opportunities for the expansion of both bikesharing systems in areas of the city where high-job density and bike facility availability converge with older resident populations

Looking Through the Webcam Lens: Reflections on Moving Assessment Courses from Face-to-Face to Online

This article presents one university’s transition from a traditional face-to-face graduate program of special education with certification as an educational diagnostician to an online format. More specifically, the authors describe the development of assessment courses when teaching norm-referenced instruments in online environments. Strengths and weaknesses are presented and recommendations for other faculty members are discussed

Testing a global city hypothesis : an assessment of polarization across US cities

Social polarization is perhaps most evident within the world's large cities where we can easily observe stark contrasts between wealth and poverty. A world city theoretical perspective has emerged that associates large cities importance in a global network of cities to the degree of internal polarization within these cities. The research reported here locates 57 large US cities within this world city hierarchy and then empirically examines the hypothesized positive association between global centrality and social polarization using a multivariate, cross-city analysis. The findings are mixed, with some evidence that global centrality increases income polarization, but only in the context of higher levels of immigration. There is no evidence that a city's centrality affects occupational polarization. We conclude by suggesting implications for the world city literature and future research

Orange is the News Blackout: The First Amendment and Media Access to Jails

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You Have the Duty to Remain Silent: How Workplace Gag Rules Frustrate Police Accountability

This Article traces the First Amendment caselaw that, for more than half a century, has sided with speakers facially challenging overbroad workplace policies that forbid sharing information with the press and public. The Article then reports on the results of a nationwide survey of police and sheriff’s department policies by the Brechner Center for Freedom of Information, concluding that well over half of the nation’s biggest law enforcement agencies have rules on the books that resemble—or are identical to—those struck down as unconstitutional when challenged, at times in defiance of binding circuit-level precedent. The Article examines why these legally dubious policies persist in spite of overwhelming precedent and identifies a handful of narrowly tailored agency policies taking a balanced approach toward employee speech that can serve as models. Ultimately, the Article concludes, it will take legislative action to unshackle the voices of America’s law enforcement officers, since litigation alone has done little to deter persistent enforcement of “gag rules” that deprive the public of the benefit of candid information about how the ultimate governmental power—police power—is being used

Audit Team Communication and Risk in Trustworthy Digital Repository Certification

This paper aims to investigate the Trustworthy Repositories Audit & Certification (TRAC) process by examining the communication practices and risk communication dynamics among auditors during the audit. Through an in-depth, qualitative analysis of the audit process and the interactions between auditors, this paper provides valuable insights into the importance of diverse backgrounds, effective communication, and consensus building in the assessment of TRAC checklist requirements. Furthermore, the paper highlights potential areas of improvement within the audit process, addressing concerns related to disagreements, reliance on leadership, and the comprehensiveness of risk identification and communication