Who\u27s Trending: #NBA vs #NHL

Many professional athletes across a wide variety of sport have obtained celebrity status and as a result, have become human brands much greater than themselves (Carlson and Donavan, 2013). Previous research analyzed specific cases, individual strategies, and consumer behaviors. However, this study has furthered new knowledge by obtaining a comprehensive description of the differing approaches set in place by the National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League with regard to branding of individual athletes on Twitter. The purpose of this study was to determine in which ways do different sport leagues contrast in how they brand athletes on Twitter. A cross-sectional design was employed to adequately collect data needed with a population that consisted of Twitter accounts of MLB and NBA teams. Six teams from both of leagues were sampled and obtained through stratified random sampling based on number of followers to accurately represent the greater population. Secondary quantitative data was collected and analyzed via an independent t-test. Overall, NBA accounts maintained a significantly higher degree of focus on individual athletes than the NHL on Twitter. Because of this, NBA teams maintain a greater connection between fans and players, communicate more information about players’ personal lives, and have taken advantage of their ability to become the new gatekeeper

Getting What You Deserve: A Philosophical and Sociological Analysis of Punishment in America

The U.S. Penal System is known to be one of the most punitive punishment systems in the world. Many discussions around the system\u27s approach to punishment have often used either a sociological framework or philosophical one, but rarely use both. The purpose of this thesis is to use philosophical theories of punishment and sociological observations of the current U.S. penal system to appropriately analyze the system and determine what kind of approach to punishment the system uses and what approach it should use. To do so, the thesis lays the groundwork for such analysis by establishing that the purposes of laws are to ensure social order and equal protection of all people. This thesis also establishes the distinction between law and morality. Next, the purposes of laws and the sociological function of deviance are used to determine how punishment should simultaneously reflect the purposes of laws while acknowledging when deviance is necessary. With these conditions, an assessment of deterrence, rehabilitation, and retributivism as justified theories of punishment is conducted with the conclusion that retributivism is the only justified approach to punishment. Then, the history of the U.S. Prison System, the current conditions of U.S. prisons, and societal treatment of offenders after they leave prison are all presented. Using this information, my thesis comes to 3 conclusions: the U.S prison system is historically callous towards prisoners, perpetuates inequality, and uses a vengeful approach to punishment

A extinção do princípio trabalhista da contribuição sindical obrigatória?

O Direito do Trabalho pode ser identificado pela existência de objeto, institutos, teorias e, especialmente, princípios próprios, que são responsáveis por estabelecer o seu arcabouço, a base de sustentação que o define. Insta salientar que vários juristas publicaram trabalhos sobre princípios trabalhistas, mas verificamos, especialmente na obra da autora Vólia Bomfim Cassar, intitulada ‘Princípios trabalhistas, novas profissões, globalização da economia e flexibilização das normas trabalhistas’, o princípio da contribuição sindical obrigatória. Este sucinto estudo, utilizando a metodologia de pesquisa bibliográfica, propõe investigar se o princípio trabalhista da contribuição sindical obrigatória se mantém no ordenamento jurídico após a edição da lei 13.467/17, chamada reforma trabalhista, que alterou dispositivos da Consolidação das Leis do Trabalho – CLT e outros diplomas legais

Produção de gramíneas do gênero Brachiaria sob níveis de sombreamento.

O trabalho foi realizado com o objetivo de avaliar a produção de B. decumbens cv. Basilisk e B. brizantha, cultivares Marandu e Xaraés, sob diferentes níveis de sombreamento. Utilizou-se delineamento em blocos casualizados com esquema de parcelas subdivididas, considerando os níveis de sombreamento (0, 50, 70%) como parcela e as espécies ou cultivares como subparcelas. Sementes das gramíneas foram postas a germinar em bandejas e transplantadas (três plântulas por vaso). Foram realizados quatro cortes em cada subparcela. Antes de cada corte, mediram-se a altura de planta e a área foliar de quatro folhas em cada planta e quantificou-se o número de perfilhos vivos por vaso. Após a colheita, as plantas foram separadas em lâmina, colmo + bainha e material morto para determinação da produção de matéria seca. Para produção de matéria seca total, calcularam-se a produção média em cada um os cortes e a produção total. No último corte, avaliou-se a massa seca de raízes. As interações significativas foram desdobradas adequadamente. O fator qualitativo foi submetido à comparação de médias pelo teste Tukey e o quantitativo à análise de regressão linear. À exceção da produção média em quatro cortes e da produção de colmos e de material morto, observou-se interação significativa para todas as outras variáveis. Independentemente do nível de sombreamento, o cultivar Xaraés destacou-se positivamente na maioria das características analisadas, enquanto, no nível de 50% de sombreamento, o capim-braquiária apresentou maior produtividade, em porcentagem de produção a pleno sol. Na avaliação da porcentagem de folhas, destacou-se o capim-xaraés, seguido do capim-marandu. Independentemente da forrageira, o nível de sombreamento teve efeito direto sobre o número de perfilhos/planta, a produção de MS do sistema radicular, a área foliar e o valor SPAD

Genotypic stabilization of agronomic traits in Panicum maximum (Jacq.) hybrids.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the genotypic stability of agronomic traits in hybrids of Panicum maximum. Hybrids originating from the crosses between two sexual parents and cultivars Mombasa and Tanzania were evaluated in an incomplete-block design. Evaluated traits were total dry matter, leaf dry matter, stem dry matter, percentage of leaves, and leaf:stem ratio. These traits were evaluated in six harvests. Overall, higher repeatability was observed for the traits total dry matter and leaf dry matter, especially when harvests 4, 5, and 6, occurring in spring and summer, were evaluated. The leaf dry matter was the trait that provided the greatest repeatability and determination. The repeatability of stem dry matter, percentage of leaves, and leaf:stem ratio had a low magnitude, even when the coefficient was estimated based on the harvests of better stabilization for the other variables. The hybrids achieved genotypic stabilization in the harvests made in the second rainy season. Harvests made in the rainy season provide greater repeatability and determination, and the inclusion of the dry-season harvest is detrimental to the process of selection of low-repeatability traits such as percentage of leaves

­Genotypic value in hybrid progenies of Panicum maximum Jacq.

Genetic breeding of forage plants has increasingly contributed to the release of more productive plants. In this regard, evaluating the genotypic value is essential when aiming to rank genotypes based on the mean free of environmental factors. Therefore, this study aimed to predict the genotypic value of agronomic and nutritive value characters of three progenies of Panicum maximum. Hybrids were evaluated in a clonal test in an incomplete-randomized design with three treatments (progenies 1, 2, and 3) and two replications (clones). Six harvests were performed at 25cm from the ground level throughout one year. Progeny 2 provided better results for total and leaf dry mass yield, regrowth, and height, and lower incidence of leaf spot. Progenies 1 and 3 had a better response for qualitative characters such as higher crude protein and digestibility and lower lignin and fiber content. Hybrid progenies of P. maximum have forage characters of interest for breeding, and when using ?Mombaça? grass as parents, the progeny stands out for leaf production and resistance to leaf spot and for ?Tanzania? grass as parent has resulted in better forage quality

Genetic parameters of agronomic characters in Panicum maximum hybrids.

This study was carried out with the objective of estimating the genetic parameters of agronomic traits in Panicum maximum hybrids. Genotypes obtained from the crosses between the sexual plants S10 and S12 and cultivars Tanzania and Mombasa were evaluated. The design was an incomplete blocks design with two replicates (clones) and 33 blocks. Each block was constituted by three lines or plots with nine plants each, which were evaluated in six harvests. All the characters presented low broad sense heritabilities for both the individual harvest and for the mean of harvests and a large difference between the heritability and the individual repeatability coefficient, which may be due to the high permanent environmental variance, mainly for forage dry matter and leaf dry matter. On the other hand, the percentage of leaves also presented low repeatability and permanent environmental variance. The genotypic coefficients of variation were high, except for leaf percentage, but they were also associated with high residual coefficients of variation. Both the broad sense heritabilities per harvest and for the mean of harvests were of moderate magnitude for the agronomic traits evaluated in hybrid individuals of P. maximum. On the other hand, there is variability for selection of important characters such as total and leaf dry matter yields and selection for leaf percentage needs a greater number of harvests to improve selection efficiency. The genotypes presented great variability for Bipolaris maydis leaf spot incidence and this character can be included in the P. maximum breeding program

Genetic parameters of agronomic characters in Panicum maximum hybrids.

This study was carried out with the objective of estimating the genetic parameters of agronomic traits in Panicum maximum hybrids. Genotypes obtained from the crosses between the sexual plants S10 and S12 and cultivars Tanzania and Mombasa were evaluated. The design was an incomplete blocks design with two replicates (clones) and 33 blocks. Each block was constituted by three lines or plots with nine plants each, which were evaluated in six harvests. All the characters presented low broad sense heritabilities for both the individual harvest and for the mean of harvests and a large difference between the heritability and the individual repeatability coefficient, which may be due to the high permanent environmental variance, mainly for forage dry matter and leaf dry matter. On the other hand, the percentage of leaves also presented low repeatability and permanent environmental variance. The genotypic coefficients of variation were high, except for leaf percentage, but they were also associated with high residual coefficients of variation. Both the broad sense heritabilities per harvest and for the mean of harvests were of moderate magnitude for the agronomic traits evaluated in hybrid individuals of P. maximum. On the other hand, there is variability for selection of important characters such as total and leaf dry matter yields and selection for leaf percentage needs a greater number of harvests to improve selection efficiency. The genotypes presented great variability for Bipolaris maydis leaf spot incidence and this character can be included in the P. maximum breeding program