On Gauge Invariance and Minimal Coupling

The principle of minimal coupling has been used in the study of Higgs boson interactions to argue that certain higher dimensional operators in the low-energy effective theory generalization of the Standard Model are suppressed by loop factors, and thus smaller than others. It also has been extensively used to analyze beyond-the-standard-model theories. We show that in field theory, and even in quantum mechanics, the concept of minimal coupling is ill-defined and inapplicable as a general principle, and give many pedagogical examples which illustrate this fact. We also clarify some related misconceptions about the dynamics of strongly coupled gauge theories. Many arguments in the literature on Higgs boson interactions that use minimal coupling, particularly in pseudo-Goldstone Higgs theories, are inherently flawed.Comment: 25 pp, 2 figures v2: refs added, JHEP version, conclusions unchange

Renormalization Group Scaling of Higgs Operators and \Gamma(h -> \gamma \gamma)

We compute the renormalization of dimension six Higgs-gauge boson operators that can modify \Gamma(h -> \gamma \gamma) at tree-level. Operator mixing is shown to lead to an important modification of new physics effects which has been neglected in past calculations. We also find that the usual formula for the S oblique parameter contribution of these Higgs-gauge boson operators needs additional terms to be consistent with renormalization group evolution. We study the implications of our results for Higgs phenomenology and for new physics models which attempt to explain a deviation in \Gamma(h -> \gamma \gamma). We derive a new relation between the S parameter and the \Gamma(h -> \gamma \gamma) and \Gamma(h ->Z \gamma) decay rates.Comment: 20 pp. 2 fi

A Change of Heart: Animality, Power, and Black Posthuman Enhancement in Malorie Blackman’s Pig-Heart Boy

As cardiac xenotransplantation moves from labs into hospitals, this chapter asks what Malorie Blackman’s young adult novel Pig-Heart Boy reveals about power, race, and identity in relation to the experimental therapy. Common heart metaphors are analyzed to ask how the xenograft shapes the teenage protagonist’s developing selfhood, challenges species boundaries, and conceptualizes a move to the posthuman. While a greater appreciation of biological correspondences between creatures has the potential to challenge anthropocentrism, this can be disrupted by power imbalance, producing not empathy but the development of bioresources. Pig-Heart Boy’s protagonist is a Black British boy who understands that power is inherent to ethical debates about xenotransplantation, and he draws parallels between racism and speciesism. While the novel’s opportunities to fully critique shared power structures are not taken, this chapter suggests that this Black child’s agency in choosing to be the first to receive cutting-edge treatment reimagines histories of abusive experiments on Black bodies and positively speculates on a society without structural health inequities. Acknowledging the complexities in Black posthumanism, this chapter argues that Pig-Heart Boy shows the potential for Black enhancement within posthumanist futures

Closed form solution for a double quantum well using Gr\"obner basis

Analytical expressions for spectrum, eigenfunctions and dipole matrix elements of a square double quantum well (DQW) are presented for a general case when the potential in different regions of the DQW has different heights and effective masses are different. This was achieved by Gr\"obner basis algorithm which allows to disentangle the resulting coupled polynomials without explicitly solving the transcendental eigenvalue equation.Comment: 4 figures, Mathematica full calculation noteboo

Leading for the long haul: A mixed-method evaluation of the Sustainment Leadership Scale (SLS)

© 2018 The Author(s). Background: Despite our progress in understanding the organizational context for implementation and specifically the role of leadership in implementation, its role in sustainment has received little attention. This paper took a mixed-method approach to examine leadership during the sustainment phase of the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, Sustainment (EPIS) framework. Utilizing the Implementation Leadership Scale as a foundation, we sought to develop a short, practical measure of sustainment leadership that can be used for both applied and research purposes. Methods: Data for this study were collected as a part of a larger mixed-method study of evidence-based intervention, SafeCare®, sustainment. Quantitative data were collected from 157 providers using web-based surveys. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to examine the factor structure of the Sustainment Leadership Scale (SLS). Qualitative data were collected from 95 providers who participated in one of 15 focus groups. A framework approach guided qualitative data analysis. Mixed-method integration was also utilized to examine convergence of quantitative and qualitative findings. Results: Confirmatory factor analysis supported the a priori higher order factor structure of the SLS with subscales indicating a single higher order sustainment leadership factor. The SLS demonstrated excellent internal consistency reliability. Qualitative analyses offered support for the dimensions of sustainment leadership captured by the quantitative measure, in addition to uncovering a fifth possible factor, available leadership. Conclusions: This study found qualitative and quantitative support for the pragmatic SLS measure. The SLS can be used for assessing leadership of first-level leaders to understand how staff perceive leadership during sustainment and to suggest areas where leaders could direct more attention in order to increase the likelihood that EBIs are institutionalized into the normal functioning of the organization