Regularity of Bound States

We study regularity of bound states pertaining to embedded eigenvalues of a self-adjoint operator $H$, with respect to an auxiliary operator $A$ that is conjugate to $H$ in the sense of Mourre. We work within the framework of singular Mourre theory which enables us to deal with confined massless Pauli-Fierz models, our primary example, and many-body AC-Stark Hamiltonians. In the simpler context of regular Mourre theory our results boils down to an improvement of results obtained recently in \cite{CGH}.Comment: 70 page

Coach and Athlete Perceptions of an Athlete Monitoring and Strength and Conditioning Program

Purpose: The purpose of this investigation was to assess athlete perceptions of an athlete monitoring program throughout an academic year and coach perceptions throughout a competitive season. The secondary purpose was to develop a questionnaire designed to assess coach and athlete perceptions of the monitoring program. Methods: Athletes and coaches participating in the athlete monitoring program at East Tennessee State University’s (ETSU) Sport Performance Enhancement Consortium (SPEC) were invited to participate. Reliability for the coach and athlete questionnaires and principle components analysis (PCA) of the athlete questionnaire was completed after initial development of the questionnaire (11 questions for athletes and 20 for coaches) in the spring of 2013. To analyze changes throughout the academic year, 4 additional questionnaires were administered at the beginning and end of the fall 2013 and spring 2014 semesters. Results: Both athlete and coach questionnaires were considered reliable (athletes = 0.842, coaches = 0.919). PCA revealed a 3 component model (KMO = 0.798, Bartlett’s test of Sphericity = p \u3c 0.001) with eigenvalues over one explaining 68.88% of total variance. Statistical differences between the pre and all other time points were noted for athlete’s perceptions of the SPEC programs influence on overall performance, skill, strength, speed, power, and understanding of the SPEC monitoring protocols. Coachs’ perceptions were statistically different from pre-to postseason only for skill. Conclusion: The questionnaire was shown reliable and can be considered for future use. The first component of the PCA revealed that perceptions of overall performance are influenced by perceptions of strength, skill, and power and agreement that testing data reflects performance, while the second showed that aerobic and anaerobic endurance as well as speed are all highly correlated and, finally, the third revealed that athletes’ understanding of the SPEC program monitoring increased with return of data. Overall, perceptions of the SPEC programs ability to influence the components assessed by the questionnaire were positive ranging from no different to much better for coaches and athletes. In conclusion, the SPEC athlete monitoring program seems to be a beneficial model for enhancing athletes’ and coaches’ perceptions of certain aspects of performance

The Role of Narrative in Constructing an Advocacy Coalition: The Case of Sao Paulo's Non-discrimination Policy

The Brazilian LGBT movement has transformed in role from a social movement fragmented by diverse interests to a policy actor with a clear agenda. To understand this transition, we study the case of non-discrimination policy 10.948 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. We combine insights from scholars working in the tradition of narrative policy analysis (NPA) with the empirical lens of the advocacy coalition framework (ACF). We hypothesize that coalition interaction in policymaking facilitates the construction of narratives that shape, and are shaped by, core beliefs and policy core beliefs. We find that, consistent with ACF, non-discrimination policy results in the development of a distinct advocacy coalition held together by a shared belief system. Importantly, and unforeseen to ACF, this belief system is discursively produced as a shared narrative by the advocacy coalition. The narrative is characterized by a deep core belief commitment to equality and several policy core beliefs. Our findings suggest that narrative plays an important and overlooked role in strengthening the glue of advocacy coalitions

The impacts of colloidal material on the fate and transport of 17 B-estradiol in three Iowa soils

Estrogens such as 17 B-estradiol (E2) and estrone (E1) have been detected in surface waters at concentrations considered to have a biological impact on fish and amphibians. Many pathways of estrogens to surface waters have been investigated, but those through soil (leaching to karsts, shallow groundwater, or agricultural drains) represent some challenges. Previous research has shown that estrogens preferentially sorb to soil organic matter (SOM), and that they are rapidly degraded in aerobic conditions. Consequently we usually expect little or no leaching and transport of estrogens in soil, but E2 and E1 are still detected in unexpected places. Explanations for this require the influence of preferential flow paths and possibly colloidal materials. Colloids may enhance estrogen transport through soil. This study was designed to investigate the impacts of colloidal material on the interactions of E2 and E1 with soil, highlighting the ability of colloids to sorb E2 and E1, the rate of sorption and degradation, and any effect of suspended colloids on the transport of E2 and E1. Our results show estrogen sorption to soil and colloidal material is dominated by soil organic carbon as the sorbent (hydrophobic partitioning), and organic carbon more concentrated in colloidal material meaning that colloids can sorb more estrogen than soil, by mass. The kinetics of sorption show a rapid phase and a slower phase, with similar rates between the different materials measured. Degradation of estrogens is rapid in soil under aerobic conditions, but can slow, cease, or even reverse under anaerobic conditions. If preferential flow pathways are present, colloidal material can carry estrogens through soil. The presence of colloids and preferential flow paths during transport decreased the time of first detection, and increased both the concentration at peak delivery, and the total estrogen mass fraction transported

Strategic Audit of MLS

Major League Soccer (MLS) is the highest caliber soccer league in the United States. The league, formed in 1995, has grown from just ten teams to twenty-four, with more on the way. The league has rebounded from a period of losses in the early 2000s and has established new fan bases through the usage of the designated player rule. This paper analyzes the current situation of MLS, as of the spring of 2019, and proposes a strategic recommendation. The current situation of MLS is evaluated using SWOT and PEST tools, and the strategic recommendation is created based on MLS’s competitive advantages and resources. MLS gets its revenue in different ways, including the sale of broadcasting rights, merchandise sales, ticket sales, expansion fees, and brand sponsorship deals. It has a comparative advantage with United States soccer talent, and a distinctive competency at establishing lasting brand sponsorship deals. This has pushed MLS into a position to compete not only with United States sporting leagues, but also international soccer leagues. Some of the weaknesses the MLS has are its low salary caps, which restrict clubs from recruiting the best talent, and its reliance on the standard United States talent progression system, which sees athletes move from club teams or high school teams into college teams and finally to a draft. With the 2026 World Cup being hosted in the Americas, the MLS is in a great position to capitalize on growing interest in soccer in the United States. They face heavy threats from international soccer organizations like the English Premier League, who have secured broadcasting deals to United States viewers. The strategic recommendation for MLS is to capitalize on youth soccer talent in the United States by investing heavily in the academy teams under each MLS team. This will allow the MLS to gain revenue by selling youth talent to foreign clubs, and then use this new revenue to increase the salary cap and draw more talent. This strategy is easy to monitor, since players from academies will either have more playing time than previous college players or not. This will translate to higher profile sales, but if it doesn’t there is a backup plan for MLS to pursue

The M-Superfamily of Conotoxins: A Review

Throughout the world there exist both predator and prey. This distinction is apparent though sometimes misleading. Take for example marine snails of the genus Conus that are present across the oceans of the southern hemisphere [1]. These snails are slow moving animals that appear more prey than predator. However, they have evolved into effective predators through the development of venom consisting of biologically active peptides. The venom is loaded into a hollow harpoon that the snail injects into the intended prey: fish, worms, or other snails [2]. The categories of cone snails based on prey preference are piscivorous (fish eating), molluscivorous (mollusk eating), and vermivorous (worm eating) [3]. The cone snail venom contains myriad peptide components significant to the survival of the organism with respect to hunting and defense against being eaten [4]. Interest by researchers in snails of the genus Conus began in the early nineteen seventies as evidence of their involvement in numerous human fatalities mounted [5]. Dr. Alan Kohn, an early pioneer in the study of hunter/prey relationship of cone snails, recognized that the venom of cone snails may possess therapeutic components [6]. During that time, Dr. Robert Endean and coworkers in Australia demonstrated that the venom of dissimilar species of cone snail contained a diversity of biologically active components. Dr. Baldomero (Toto) Olivera and coworkers at the University of Utah became the primary innovators of successful laboratory techniques in the study of venom components extracted from cone snails [7]. Foremost among these innovations was an avant-garde method of bio-assay using intracranial rather than intraperitoneal injection of toxin into subject mice. This new delivery method revealed greater sensitivity to individual peptides in fish and mouse studies than those from standard M-superfamily intraperitoneal injections [8]. This early research revealed the disulfide rich nature of the majority of peptide components from Conus snail venom. The disulfide rich peptides became broadly defined as conotoxins [9]

Utah Accessible Tutorials: Creating a Collaborative Project between a Public and Academic Library

This article describes collaboration between a research librarian and application developer at the University of Utah with a teen services librarian at Salt Lake County Libraries. Our group came together as part of the Innovative Librarians Explore, Apply, and Discover-Utah (ILEAD Utah) program. We discuss how we worked together to create and develop a project, the opportunities and difficulties we faced, and offer suggestions for how to build similar partnerships successfully