Electroweak Sudakov Corrections and the Top Quark Forward-Backward Asymmetry

The Standard Model (SM) prediction of the top quark forward backward asymmetry is shown to be slightly enhanced by a correction factor of 1.05 due to electroweak Sudakov (EWS) logarithms of the form (\alpha/sin^2 \theta_W)^n log^{m< 2n} (s/M_{W,Z}^2). The EWS effect on the dijet and t \bar{t} invariant mass spectra is significant, reducing the SM prediction by ~20, 10 % respectively for the highest invariant masses measured at the LHC, and changing the shape of the high-mass tail of the spectrum. These corrections significantly affect measurements of the top quark invariant mass spectrum and the search for an excess of events related to the top quark forward-backward asymmetry.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figure

A Data-driven Approach Towards Human-robot Collaborative Problem Solving in a Shared Space

We are developing a system for human-robot communication that enables people to communicate with robots in a natural way and is focused on solving problems in a shared space. Our strategy for developing this system is fundamentally data-driven: we use data from multiple input sources and train key components with various machine learning techniques. We developed a web application that is collecting data on how two humans communicate to accomplish a task, as well as a mobile laboratory that is instrumented to collect data on how two humans communicate to accomplish a task in a physically shared space. The data from these systems will be used to train and fine-tune the second stage of our system, in which the robot will be simulated through software. A physical robot will be used in the final stage of our project. We describe these instruments, a test-suite and performance metrics designed to evaluate and automate the data gathering process as well as evaluate an initial data set.Comment: 2017 AAAI Fall Symposium on Natural Communication for Human-Robot Collaboratio

Particle escape into extra space

We focus on escape of a spin integer particle the challenge for which is of course that the corresponding field equation contains the second order time derivative and, in general, may be problematic for interpreting the extra-dimensional part of the field as a wave function for the KK modes as it is usually regarded.Comment: 3 page

Metagenomic-based Surveillance of Pacific Coast tick Dermacentor occidentalis Identifies Two Novel Bunyaviruses and an Emerging Human Ricksettsial Pathogen.

An increasing number of emerging tick-borne diseases has been reported in the United States since the 1970s. Using metagenomic next generation sequencing, we detected nucleic acid sequences from 2 novel viruses in the family Bunyaviridae and an emerging human rickettsial pathogen, Rickettsia philipii, in a population of the Pacific Coast tick, Dermacentor occidentalis in Mendocino County sampled annually from 2011 to 2014. A total of 250 adults of this human-biting, generalist tick were collected from contiguous chaparral and grassland habitats, and RNA from each individually extracted tick was deep sequenced to an average depth of 7.3 million reads. We detected a Francisella endosymbiont in 174 ticks (70%), and Rickettsia spp. in 19 ticks (8%); Rickettsia-infected ticks contained R. rhipicephali (16 of 250, 6.4%) or R. philipii (3 of 250,1.2%), the agent of eschar-associated febrile illness in humans. The genomes of 2 novel bunyaviruses (&gt;99% complete) in the genera Nairovirus and Phlebovirus were also identified and found to be present in 20-91% of ticks, depending on the year of collection. The high prevalence of these bunyaviruses in sampled Dermacentor ticks suggests that they may be viral endosymbionts, although further studies are needed to determine whether they are infectious for vertebrate hosts, especially humans, and their potential role in tick ecology

Development of a Statistical Model to Predict Australian Flight Students’ Valuation of Aviation Safety

This study was a quantitative approach to explore whether certain demographic factors, exposure to safety training, flight experience, and engagement could be used to develop a predictive model for how Australian flight students and early career pilots valued safety. Participants were given an online Likert-scale survey to determine their valuation of safety based on SMS safety sub-cultures, safety training, engagement, as well as provided basic demographic metrics including age, flight experience, gender. In addition, a second group of participants representing local Australian culture were given a survey to determine their safety valuation. Linear regression was used to develop the best model to predict safety valuation. Based on correlations between age, gender, flight experience, engagement, and safety training, only engagement had a significant correlation at the .05 significance level. As such, results found that a model containing engagement alone had the best predictive quality among the factors used in this study. Additionally, analysis of safety valuation between flight students/early career pilots and local Australians using ANOVA found that, although both groups highly valued safety, no significant difference in safety valuation could be found, despite the aviation group having specific safety training. The study concludes with a discussion of the apparent importance of engagement, cultural considerations with safety research, and the role of safety training, as well as suggestions for further research into the relationship between individual safety valuation and safety culture at the group level