A
bstract
In the general Two-Higgs Doublet Model it has been shown that the Higgs potential can be expressed in terms of gauge-independent quantities that transform covariantly under unitary mixing ...of the doublets. In particular, stability, electroweak symmetry breaking, and CP symmetry can be understood in a concise way, avoiding unphysical gauge degrees of freedom. We complete this program and show how all the masses, the trilinear and quartic scalar interactions, the gauge-boson-Higgs interactions, as well as the Yukawa couplings in the general THDM can be expressed in a gauge-invariant way.
The optimal performance of scaffolds for tissue engineering relies on a proper combination of their constituent biomaterials and on the design of their structure. In this work, composite scaffolds ...with a core-shell architecture are realized by grafting a gelatin-chitosan hydrogel onto a 3D-printed polylactic acid (PLA) core, aiming in particular at bone regeneration. This hydrogel was recently found to sustain osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stromal cells, leading to new bone tissue formation. Here, the integration with rigid PLA lattice structures provides improved mechanical support and finer control of strength and stiffness. The core is prepared by fused deposition modeling with the specific aim to study several lattice structures and thereby better tune the scaffold mechanical properties. In fact, the core architecture dictates the scaffold strength and stiffness, which are seen to match those of different types of bone tissue. For all lattice types, the hydrogel is found to penetrate throughout the entire core and to present highly interconnected pores for cell colonization. By varying the void volume fraction in the core it is possible to significantly change the bioactive shell content, as well as the mechanical properties, over a wide range of values. Looking for design guidelines, relationships between stiffness/strength and density are here outlined for scaffolds featuring different lattice parameters. Moreover, by acting on the core strut arrangement, scaffolds are reinforced along specific directions, as evaluated under compressive and bending loading conditions.
Aim of the research is the development of biodegradable polymeric materials based on hydrolyzed proteins, derived from waste products of the leather industry. Particular attention has been devoted to ...evaluate the application of such biobased materials in the agricultural practice of mulching. Biobased mulching films were generated in situ by low-pressure spraying of polymeric water dispersion on the soil; the mulches were tested in an ornamental cultivation carried out inside a greenhouse. The innovative spray films based on biodegradable components lasted in the field up to 12 months, keeping their mulching effect, thus guarantying weed suppression and preserving soil aggregates.
Research suggests that females are vastly under-represented in the upper echelons of sport organizations. As such, the purpose of the current article was to apply a symbolic interactionist ...perspective to the lacking presence of women in leadership positions of sport organizations. The model proposes that gender-role meanings and stereotypes associated with social and sport ideology may function to limit the capacity of females within the sport context. Specifically, in response to the lower levels of societal power and status afforded to women, females within sport organizations may fail to view themselves as adequate and appropriate leaders and/or coaches thus preventing them from acting as such (i.e., self-limiting behavior). Identity theory and the identity control process are applied to support the linking of these macro and micro processes, respectively. The proposed model also suggests the presence of a moderator; one's self-concept, that may provide a protective mechanism to the potential detrimental affects of ideological meanings, identity formation, and subsequent self-limiting behaviors. Additionally, suggestions for future research are offered.
The lesbian label exists within sport's heterosexist and heteronormative context as a means to subvert women's status, power, influence, and experiences. As such, there exists a lesbian stigma that ...contributes to sport's documented gender disparities. While acknowledged that some women may manage their gender and sexual identities to evade prejudice and discrimination related to this stigma, research has yet to fully address the full breadth of the stigma and its potential consequences. The purpose of this paper is to provide an integrative model that identifies specific components of the lesbian stigma and its potential consequences as they pertain to women in sport. Further, as a great deal of previous literature has focused on the lesbian woman, an additional purpose of this paper is to extend the literature to women of all sexual orientations. The authors present implications for the proposed model and offer avenues for future inquiry.
•A conceptual work advocating for ecocentric management is proposed.•Systems thinking provides a deeper understanding of sport organization practices.•Sport organizations can better recognize their ...relationship with the natural environment.•Sport organizations can adopt principles of ecocentric management.
Recognizing the shared responsibility all entities with a vested interest in keeping the Earth habitable possess, the authors propose ways in which sport organizations can take action by incorporating ecocentric management principles within their organizational practices and thus become more ecologically just. First, by drawing upon the tenets of the systems thinking paradigm and the four levels of thinking model, the underlying beliefs and values guiding current practices within sport organizations are identified. Next, the authors offer a series of propositions to suggest that by adopting an equity-based perspective, recognizing the interdependent relationships between humans and the natural environment, and acknowledging the manner in which sport organizations hinder the opportunities of the natural environment to thrive, sport organizations can contribute to the health of the planet and all of its inhabitants through their own organizational practices. Additionally, sport organizations can also serve as ecologically just exemplars for organizations in other industries to emulate.
