Maximizing Wins or Profit: Designated Players in Major League Soccer

This paper seeks to add to the existing literature regarding sports teams and whether they follow a win-maximizing or profit-maximizing strategy. Specifically, this paper seeks to analyze Designated Players (DPs) in Major League Soccer (MLS) and see if DPs contribute more toward a team’s on-field success, measured as win percentage, or overall revenue. Prior studies have analyzed soccer leagues across Europe and found that most teams follow win-maximizing strategies over profit-maximizing strategies. This analysis has not yet been carried over to MLS, which is not the most prevalent sports league in its home country and features a unique DP structure. Match-specific and DP data was collected over the span of four MLS seasons from 2014 to 2017, while financial data was compiled from annual reports published by Forbes. The data was analyzed through a series of linear regressions. The results showed that DPs have a positive effect on both win percentage and team revenue, and that DPs can explain a larger amount of the variation in team revenues than the variation in win percentage. The results imply that teams in MLS may be signing DPs in order to maximize short-term profits over long-term on-field successes

Qualitative Analysis of the Career Transition Experiences of Intercollegiate Athletes with High Athletic Identity: A Comparison of Athletes with High or Low Religiosity

There is some evidence that athletes with high athletic identity experience psychological difficulties with organizing their life following competitive athletic retirement (Erpič et al., 2004). The purpose of this qualitative study was to better understand the transition experiences of intercollegiate athletes with above average athletic identity and to also compare transition experiences between athletes with high religious faith (HRF) and low religious faith (LRF). Participants included 72 former intercollegiate athletes (69.4% female; Mage = 22.6 years; 84.7% White), who completed online surveys of athletic identity and religious faith, as well as open-ended questions about athletic transition. Inductive thematic analysis led to two higher-order categories for the transition experience (losses; difficulties) and for coping methods utilized during transition (e.g., filling the void; managing mental/emotional challenges). Additionally, five themes conveyed athletes’ purpose of prayer during transition. Loss of Sport was the most commonly reported loss theme during transition for both the HRF and LRF groups. However, the most frequently reported coping method differed between the HRF group (Physical Activity) and the LRF group (Maintaining Sport/Competitor Identity). Two loss themes reported more frequently by HRF participants were Loss of Sport Relationships (HRF = 35%, LRF = 15%) and Loss of Identity (HRF = 24%, LRF = 0%). In conclusion, the findings support previous literature that athletes report several losses and difficulties post-retirement (Alfermann et al., 2004). Results are discussed in terms of recommendations for practitioners and suggestions for future research

Camper Conversion

The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020-2021 has seen hundreds of thousands sequestered in quarantine for long periods of time. When quarantined in an urban setting, many cannot leave their respective apartment buildings which only adds to the strain of isolation. In the context of isolation, the design team of Hafler, Nicholas, Owen, Willis, and Zehentbauer personally sought to incorporate their individual enthusiasm for nature with the benefits of living off-grid. After initial research and deliberation, the team discovered the “Skoolie” community and the plans for a mobile tiny home began production. The team outlined the design project as the full design, purchase, and construction of a 54-passenger bus transformed into a mobile tiny home. The team highlights the terms “sustainable” and “off-grid” in the problem statement, this was done intentionally to ensure that all decisions made in the project were centralized back to these two main themes. By completing this project, the team will make a point to include all living amenities of an average student’s apartment such as hot water shower, fridge storage, living and recreation area, sleeping area for 4-5 adults

The PY4 Mission: A Low-Cost Demonstration of CubeSat Formation-Flying Technologies

The PY4 mission aims to enable autonomous swarms of small spacecraft by both reducing the manufacturing cost and integration effort required for individual spacecraft, and by advancing guidance, navigation, and control algorithms that increase autonomy and reduce or eliminate the need for expensive sensor, actuator, and propulsion hardware. PY4 consists of four 1.5U CubeSats, and builds on the PyCubed open-source avionics platform and the previous V-R3x mission. To date, PY4 has successfully demonstrated high-data-rate mesh networking, precise inter-satellite ranging, range-based relative orbit determination, and magnetorquer-only sun pointing. A drag-based formation-flying experiment is also planned for an extended mission

Encouraging healthier grocery purchases online: a randomised controlled trial and lessons learned

Online supermarket platforms present an opportunity for encouraging healthier consumer purchases. A parallel, double-blind randomised controlled trial tested whether promoting healthier products (e.g. lower fat and lower calorie) on the Sainsbury's online supermarket platform would increase purchases of those products. Participants were Nectar loyalty membership scheme cardholders who shopped online with Sainsbury's between 20th September and 10th October 2017. Intervention arm customers saw advertisement banners and recipe ingredient lists containing healthier versions of the products presented in control arm banners and ingredient lists. The primary outcome measure was purchases of healthier products. Additional outcome measures were banner clicks, purchases of standard products, overall purchases and energy (kcal) purchased. Sample sizes were small due to customers navigating the website differently than expected. The intervention encouraged purchases of some promoted healthier products (spaghetti [B = 2.10, p < 0.001], spaghetti sauce [B = 2.06, p < 0.001], spaghetti cheese [B = 2.45, p = 0.001], sour cream [B = 2.52, p < 0.001], fajita wraps [B = 2.10, p < 0.001], fajita cheese [B = 1.19, p < 0.001], bakery aisle products (B = 3.05, p = 0.003) and cola aisle products [B = 0.97, p < 0.002]) but not others (spaghetti mince, or products in the yogurt and ice cream aisles). There was little evidence of effects on banner clicks and energy purchased. Small sample sizes may affect the robustness of these findings. We discuss the benefits of collaborating to share expertise and implement a trial in a live commercial environment, alongside key learnings for future collaborative research in similar contexts

Embryogenic cell suspensions for high-capacity genetic transformation and regeneration of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.)

Background Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), a North American prairie grassland species, is a potential lignocellulosic biofuel feedstock owing to its wide adaptability and biomass production. Production and genetic manipulation of switchgrass should be useful to improve its biomass composition and production for bioenergy applications. The goal of this project was to develop a high-throughput stable switchgrass transformation method using Agrobacterium tumefaciens with subsequent plant regeneration. Results Regenerable embryogenic cell suspension cultures were established from friable type II callus-derived inflorescences using two genotypes selected from the synthetic switchgrass variety ‘Performer’ tissue culture lines 32 and 605. The cell suspension cultures were composed of a heterogeneous fine mixture culture of single cells and aggregates. Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain GV3101 was optimum to transfer into cells the pANIC-10A vector with a hygromycin-selectable marker gene and a pporRFP orange fluorescent protein marker gene at an 85% transformation efficiency. Liquid cultures gave rise to embryogenic callus and then shoots, of which up to 94% formed roots. The resulting transgenic plants were phenotypically indistinguishable from the non-transgenic parent lines. Conclusion The new cell suspension-based protocol enables high-throughput Agrobacterium-mediated transformation and regeneration of switchgrass in which plants are recovered within 6–7 months from culture establishment

Sustainable Design for Oyster Reef Restoration

Due to over harvesting and habitat destruction 85% of oyster reef populations have been lost globally over the past several decades. Apart from being a keystone species, oysters provide many ecosystem services that make them near perfect for living shorelines; a recent ecological engineering design strategy that naturally stabilizes the shoreline as well as provides protection for intertidal environments. Oyster reefs increase wave attenuation protecting the shoreline environment from intense wave action in addition to the reef\u27s ability to cause sediment accretion; not just protecting shoreline environments but expanding them as well. Oysters produce baby oysters called spat that require a substrate to attach to in order to grow. Ordinarily, other oysters in the reef provide such substrate but with reef populations being over-harvested, much of the spat doesn\u27t have an appropriate surface to bind to. In the ACE Basin area a lack of substrate rather than spat is hindering oyster reef development. In an attempt to protect coastal shorelines as well as rehabilitate oyster reef populations within the ACE Basin area lightweight, biologically-compatible structures have been designed and implemented to provide the necessary substrate for oyster spat attachment

Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infection due to contaminated hematopoietic stem-cell graft

To the Editor—The Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy and the American Association of Blood Banks publish guidelines to ensure the quality and safety of hematopoietic stem-cell (HSC) products. These HSC products are generally cultured after procurement by the collection facility and following processing at the transplant center. Reported contamination rates of HSC grafts range from 1% to 45%. The clinical significance of infusion of contaminated HSC products is unclear. When fresh products are used, contamination is often not identified prior to HSC infusion. Bacterial contamination is not an absolute contraindication to HSC infusion, as options are limited following a myeloablative preparative regimen. In a review of 12 studies, 91% of contaminated grafts contained bacterial species of low pathogenicity (eg, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Propionibacterium acnes). Of 26 patients who received grafts contaminated with highly pathogenic bacteria (eg, S. aureus), none developed symptoms or had a positive culture matching an organism found in the HSC graft. In prior reports of infections putatively caused by graft contamination, confirmation that the graft was the source of infection was based solely on the finding of identical species. Contrary to these prior reports, we present a case of catheter-related bloodstream infection with methicillin-susceptible S. aureus due to a contaminated HSC graft in which pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) confirmed that the graft and patient isolates were identical

Convalescent Plasma Therapy in Four Critically Ill Pediatric Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Case Series

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 is a pandemic with no specific therapeutic agents or vaccination. Small published case series on critically ill adults suggest improvements in clinical status with minimal adverse events when patients receive coronavirus disease 2019 convalescent plasma, but data on critically ill pediatric patients are lacking. We report a series of four critically ill pediatric patients with acute respiratory failure who received coronavirus disease 2019 convalescent plasma as a treatment strategy for severe disease. Case Summary:  Patients ranged in age from 5 to 16 years old. All patients received coronavirus disease 2019 convalescent plasma within the first 26 hours of hospitalization. Additional disease modifying agents were also used. All patients made a full recovery and were discharged home off of oxygen support. No adverse events occurred from the coronavirus disease 2019 convalescent plasma transfusions. Conclusion: Coronavirus disease 2019 convalescent plasma is a feasible therapy for critically ill pediatric patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Well-designed clinical trials are necessary to determine overall safety and efficacy of coronavirus disease 2019 convalescent plasma and additional treatment modalities in pediatric patients