Neutrino Masses from Neutral Top Partners

We present theories of `Natural Neutrinos' in which neutral fermionic top partner fields are simultaneously the right-handed neutrinos (RHN), linking seemingly disparate aspects of the Standard Model structure: a) The RHN top partners are responsible for the observed small neutrino masses, b) They help ameliorate the tuning in the weak scale and address the little hierarchy problem, and c) The factor of $3$ arising from $N_c$ in the top-loop Higgs mass corrections is countered by a factor $3$ from the number of vector-like generations of RHN. The RHN top partners may arise in pseudo-Nambu-Goldstone-Boson (pNGB) Higgs models such as the Twin Higgs, as well as more general Composite, Little, and Orbifold Higgs scenarios, and three simple example models are presented. This framework firmly predicts a TeV-scale seesaw, as the RHN masses are bounded to be below the TeV scale by naturalness. The generation of light neutrino masses relies on a collective breaking of lepton number, allowing for comparatively large neutrino Yukawa couplings and a rich associated phenomenology. The structure of the neutrino mass mechanism realizes in certain limits the Inverse or Linear classes of seesaw. Natural Neutrino models are testable at a variety of current and future experiments, particularly in tests of lepton universality, searches for lepton flavor violation, and precision electroweak and Higgs coupling measurements possible at high energy $e^+ e^-$ and hadron colliders.Comment: 18 pages, 5 figures; v2: references added, additional discussion of proton deca

Go Green for the Home Team: Sense of Place and Environmental Sustainability in Sport

The sport industry has a tremendous impact on the natural environment. As a result, sport organizations have implemented ways to reduce their impact ranging from energy upgrades, waste management programs, and fan engagement. However, fan engagement efforts have received mixed results to increase participation in sustainability initiatives. This paper proposes that sense of place can be leveraged using fan identification to increase participation in such initiatives, thereby decreasing the environmental impact of the sport organization and individual fans. A conceptual model is presented and practical examples are provided for the use and reference of sport management and sustainability educators or researchers

Older Adults’ Engagement with Further and Higher Education in the West of Scotland: Tracking Educational Journeys

In this qualitative study, the motivations and trigger events for learning of West of Scotland older adults are explored. The range of purposes for formal learning in later adulthood is broader than most conventional typologies would suggest and work-related motives are shown to be very strong, linked to on-going vocational aspirations

Differential Effects of Internal and External Constraints on Sustainability Intentions: A Hierarchical Regression Analysis of Running Event Participants by Market Segment

There are immediate calls to action across all business sectors to address the adverse effects of climate change. The sport industry is not immune to these calls—practitioners have engaged participants to further the environmental initiatives of their events through creative messaging campaigns with mixed success. We examine the differential effects of internal and external constraints on sustainability intentions by market  segment of a running event’s participants. This furthers our understanding of how to engage sport participants in sustainable behaviors at a sport event and improves the sustainable behavior outcomes of messaging campaigns. Our results support the principles of constraint theory and that internal constraints need to be addressed before external constraints are relevant. Internal constraints, such as lack of knowledge and lack of worth, predict variance in intentions to act sustainably (i.e., to dispose of waste correctly). After controlling for internal constraints, the external constraints of lack of interest by others to act sustainably, and lack of access and time, explain additional variance in sustainability intentions. We also found that each market segment varies on the impact of constraints that inhibit sustainability intentions, with the amount of variance in sustainability intention explained by such constraints varying from as low as 11.4% in one segment to as high as 33.1% in another. We then provide specific recommendations for future research and discuss how practitioners can use these results to ameliorate these constraints and increase sustainability intentions

Sport Ecology: Conceptualizing an Emerging Subdiscipline Within Sport Management

The relationship between sport and the natural environment is bidirectional and critical to the production of sport products, events, and experiences. Researchers have studied sport and the natural environment within the various subdisciplines of sport management. However, given the changing climate and mounting public concern for the environment, there is pressure to reconsider the relevance and significance of the natural environment, which is taken for granted in managerial contexts. Reflecting the importance of the natural environment, the robustness of the current literature, and the potential for the future, we propose a new subdiscipline of sport management called sport ecology. Thus, we proposed, in this paper, a definition for sport ecology, (re)introduced key concepts related to this subdiscipline (e.g., sustainability, green), and highlighted the leading research that serves as the foundation for sport ecology.We concluded with a discussion on the ways sport ecology can inform— and be informed by—other subdisciplines of sport management

Considering the social impact of sustainable stadium design

As the environmental movement continues to grow steadily around the world, sports organizations are facing an increasing number of calls to reduce the negative impacts of their facilities and events on the natural environment. Given the wide popularity of professional sport across cultures, the adoption of pro-environmental initiatives by prominent teams also has the potential to inspire positive social change among spectators and fans. For organizations, perhaps the most visible symbol of environmental stewardship is the construction (or retrofitting) of proenvironmental arenas, ballparks, and stadiums. Despite their growing popularity, eco-friendly sports facilities represent less than 40% of new stadium constructions in North America, a figure likely to disappoint environmental activists. To provide insight into the decision to adopt proenvironmental facility designs, we investigated the link between social change and sustainable design. Interviews with 13 stadium architects revealed the broad environmental movement has influenced decision-making in sport, and vice versa to a lesser extent. This general consensus could empower advocates hoping to persuade owners to adopt sustainable facility designs in the future. In addition to in-depth analysis of the interviewees’ testimonies, implications and directions for future research are provided

Formation and Function of a Collegiate Athletics Sustainability Committee

Institutions of higher learning may be considered dual-identity organizations because of the perceived distinctiveness between universities’ academic and athletic missions. One way in which these barriers can be weakened is through cross-sector social partnerships (CSSPs), a form of collaborative engagement aimed at achieving a common societal goal. In this study, we examine the formation of a university-directed CSSP focused on enhancing environmentally sustainable initiatives within the Athletic Department. Interviews with 11 members of a so-called Green Team illustrate the processes of boundary spanning and boundary blurring. As demonstrated in the article, boundary spanning occurred under the leadership of a “champion” that assembled a team of stakeholders to assist with the major renovation of a pro-environmental football stadium. Though the sustainability committee has a common goal, not all experiences of Green Team members have been the same. In light of these differences, we identify key barriers and prescribe solutions that can lead to the realization of a new organizational form

Pollution, health, and the moderating role of physical activity opportunities

Cunningham GB, Wicker P, McCullough BP. Pollution, health, and the moderating role of physical activity opportunities. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2020;17(17): 6272.Air and water pollution have detrimental effects on health, while physical activity opportunities have a positive relationship. The purpose of this study was to explore whether physical activity opportunities moderate the relationships among air and water pollution, and measures of health. Aggregate data were collected at the county level in the United States (n = 3104). Variables included the mean daily density of fine particle matter (air pollution), reported cases of health-related drinking water violations (water pollution), subjective ratings of poor or fair health (overall health), the number of physically and mentally unhealthy (physical and mental health, respectively), and the percentage of people living in close proximity to a park or recreation facility (access to physical activity). Air and water pollution have a significant positive effect on all measures of residents' poor health, while physical activity opportunities only have a negative effect on overall health and physical health. Access to physical activity only moderates the relationship between air pollution and all health outcomes. Since physical activity behavior can be more rapidly changed than some causes of pollution, providing the resident population with better access to physical activity can represent an effective tool in environmental health policy