Nonperturbative Vertices in Supersymmetric Quantum Electrodynamics

We derive the complete set of supersymmetric Ward identities involving only two- and three- point proper vertices in supersymmetric QED. We also present the most general form of the proper vertices consistent with both the supersymmetric and U(1) gauge Ward identities. These vertices are the supersymmetric equivalent of the non supersymmetric Ball-Chiu vertices.Comment: seventeen pages late

Development of the Nebraska Department of Transportation Winter Severity Index

Adverse weather conditions are responsible for millions of vehicular crashes, thousands of vehicular deaths and billions of dollars in economic and congestion costs. Many transportation agencies utilize a performance or mobility metric to assess how well they are maintaining road access. This research focuses on the development of a winter severity index for the State of Nebraska (NEWINS). NEWINS is an event-driven index that was derived for the Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) and its districts across the state. The NEWINS framework includes a categorical storm classification framework and climatological aspect to capture atmospheric conditions more accurately across the diverse spatial regions of Nebraska. A ten-year (2006-2016) winter season database of meteorological variables for Nebraska was obtained from the National Centers for Environmental Information. Meteorological parameters were grouped into categories that subsequently provided a storm classification database. The NEWINS is based on a weighted linear combination to the collected database to measure severity statewide and across NDOT individual districts. The NEWINS results were compared to other meteorological variables, many used in other agencies’ winter severity indices. This comparison verified the NEWINS robustness for the observed events for the ten year period. For example, an assessment of the difference between days with observed snowfall versus days with accumulated snowfall revealed a 39% average reduction in days. Furthermore, the NEWINS results highlight the greater number of events during the 2009-2010 winter season, and the lack of events during the 2011-2012 drought year. The NEWINS also shows strong differences monthly and among NDOT districts across the state with a general decrease in events from the western to eastern NDOT districts. In addition, NEWINS storm classifications were compared to NDOT winter maintenance operations performance data for a sample winter season. Last, the 2016-17 winter season was computed to provide a testbed for the NEWINS procedure. It is expected that the NEWINS could help transportation personnel to efficiently allocate resources during adverse weather events, while balancing safety, mobility, and available budget. Further, the theoretical and practical contributions provided by the NEWINS can be used by other agencies to assess their weather sensitivity

Development of the Nebraska Department of Transportation Winter Severity Index

Adverse weather conditions are responsible for millions of vehicular crashes, thousands of vehicular deaths and billions of dollars in economic and congestion costs. Many transportation agencies utilize a performance or mobility metric to assess how well they are maintaining road access. This research focuses on the development of a winter severity index for the State of Nebraska (NEWINS). NEWINS is an event-driven index that was derived for the Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) and its districts across the state. The NEWINS framework includes a categorical storm classification framework and climatological aspect to capture atmospheric conditions more accurately across the diverse spatial regions of Nebraska. A ten-year (2006-2016) winter season database of meteorological variables for Nebraska was obtained from the National Centers for Environmental Information. Meteorological parameters were grouped into categories that subsequently provided a storm classification database. The NEWINS is based on a weighted linear combination to the collected database to measure severity statewide and across NDOT individual districts. The NEWINS results were compared to other meteorological variables, many used in other agencies’ winter severity indices. This comparison verified the NEWINS robustness for the observed events for the ten year period. For example, an assessment of the difference between days with observed snowfall versus days with accumulated snowfall revealed a 39% average reduction in days. Furthermore, the NEWINS results highlight the greater number of events during the 2009-2010 winter season, and the lack of events during the 2011-2012 drought year. The NEWINS also shows strong differences monthly and among NDOT districts across the state with a general decrease in events from the western to eastern NDOT districts. In addition, NEWINS storm classifications were compared to NDOT winter maintenance operations performance data for a sample winter season. Last, the 2016-17 winter season was computed to provide a testbed for the NEWINS procedure. It is expected that the NEWINS could help transportation personnel to efficiently allocate resources during adverse weather events, while balancing safety, mobility, and available budget. Further, the theoretical and practical contributions provided by the NEWINS can be used by other agencies to assess their weather sensitivity

Core Competency-Related Professional Behaviors During Patient Encounters: A Report From the Association for Athletic Training Education Research Network

Context: To enhance the quality of patient care, it is important that athletic trainers integrate the components of the core competencies (CCs; evidence-based practice [EBP], patient-centered care [PCC], health information technology [HIT], interprofessional education and collaborative practice [IPECP], quality improvement [QI], professionalism) as a part of routine clinical practice. In what ways, if any, athletic training students (ATSs) are currently integrating CCs into patient encounters (PEs) during clinical experiences is unclear. Objective: To describe which professional behaviors associated with the CCs were implemented by ATSs during PEs that occurred during clinical experiences. Design: Multisite panel design. Setting: A total of 12 professional athletic training programs (5 bachelor\u27s, 7 master\u27s level). Patients or Other Participants: A total of 363 ATSs from the athletic training programs that used E*Value software to document PEs during clinical experiences participated. Main Outcome Measure(s): During each PE, ATSs were asked to report whether professional behaviors reflecting 5 of the CCs occurred (the professionalism CC was excluded). Summary statistics, including means ± SDs, counts, and percentages were tabulated for the professional behaviors of each CC. Results: Data from 30 630 PEs were collected during the study period. Professional behaviors related to EBP were the most frequently incorporated during PEs (74.3%, n = 22 773), followed by QI (72.3%, n = 22 147), PCC (56.6%, n = 17 326), HIT (35.4%, n = 10 857), and IPECP (18.4%, n = 5627). Conclusions: It is unsurprising that EBP and PCC behaviors were 2 of the most frequently incorporated CCs during PEs due to the emphasis on these competencies during the past several years. However, it is surprising that ATSs did not incorporate behaviors related to either HIT (in 65% of PEs) or IPECP (in 82% of PEs). These findings suggest that directed efforts are needed to ensure that ATSs are provided opportunities to incorporate professional behaviors related to the CCs during clinical experiences

Probing the central black hole in M87 with gamma-rays

Recent high-sensitivity observation of the nearby radio galaxy M87 have provided important insights into the central engine that drives the large-scale outflows seen in radio, optical and X-rays. This review summarizes the observational status achieved in the high energy (HE;<100 GeV) and very high energy (VHE; >100 GeV) gamma-ray domains, and discusses the theoretical progress in understanding the physical origin of this emission and its relation to the activity of the central black hole.Comment: Invited compact review to be published in Modern Physics Letters A; 19 pages, 4 figure

The latent stem cell population is retained in the hippocampus of transgenic Huntington's disease mice but not wild-type mice

The demonstration of the brain's ability to initiate repair in response to disease or injury has sparked considerable interest in therapeutic strategies to stimulate adult neurogenesis. In this study we examined the effect of a progressive neurodegenerative condition on neural precursor activity in the subventricular zone (SVZ) and hippocampus of the R6/1 transgenic mouse model of Huntington's disease (HD). Our results revealed an age-related decline in SVZ precursor numbers in both wild-type (WT) and HD mice. Interestingly, hippocampal precursor numbers declined with age in WT mice, although we observed maintenance in hippocampal precursor number in the HD animals in response to advancement of the disease. This maintenance was consistent with activation of a recently identified latent hippocampal precursor population. We found that the small latent stem cell population was also maintained in the HD hippocampus at 33 weeks, whereas it was not present in the WT. Our findings demonstrate that, despite a loss of neurogenesis in the HD hippocampus in vivo, there is a unique maintenance of the precursor and stem cells, which may potentially be activated to ameliorate disease symptoms