Building a Soccer Dynasty

The soccer world operates as a free market. Buying, selling, and trading of players is vital to the success of a club. A successful soccer club brings a great deal of revenue and growth to a local economy. Therefore, clubs ought to be prudent when signing players. In this paper, we use ordinary least squares regressions on Major League Soccer player data from 2015-2018 to determine the effect strikers and goalkeepers have on team success. In other words, what is the marginal impact of a good striker relative to a bad one? A good goalkeeper relative to a mediocre one? Finally, we include salary data to determine if clubs are paying strikers and goalkeepers according to their performance and production over the course of a season

Fault detection and tolerance of electrical machines in automotive applications

This project explores the drive for further electrification in the automotive industry and the challenges that this brings. Specifically this thesis focuses on the demands of safety and reliability; highlighting the subtle difference between the two concepts, explaining how legislation is forcing designers to consider the ways in which a system could fail and requiring them to create methods to detect and safely handle these failures, many of which can never be completely eliminated by design. With this motive in mind, the research within this thesis is focused on fault detection and condition monitoring. A novel method of rotor magnet condition monitoring is developed, an investigation into the effects of stator impedance variation is carried out to identify opportunities to develop diagnostic algorithms and sensorless control is considered as a back-up control method should a traditional position sensor fail. This thesis shows how current research and new techniques could be applied in the modern automotive industry; highlighting the demand for ever safer electronic systems as the world strives for greater levels of autonomy on the roads

Fault detection and tolerance of electrical machines in automotive applications

This project explores the drive for further electrification in the automotive industry and the challenges that this brings. Specifically this thesis focuses on the demands of safety and reliability; highlighting the subtle difference between the two concepts, explaining how legislation is forcing designers to consider the ways in which a system could fail and requiring them to create methods to detect and safely handle these failures, many of which can never be completely eliminated by design. With this motive in mind, the research within this thesis is focused on fault detection and condition monitoring. A novel method of rotor magnet condition monitoring is developed, an investigation into the effects of stator impedance variation is carried out to identify opportunities to develop diagnostic algorithms and sensorless control is considered as a back-up control method should a traditional position sensor fail. This thesis shows how current research and new techniques could be applied in the modern automotive industry; highlighting the demand for ever safer electronic systems as the world strives for greater levels of autonomy on the roads

Low density lipoprotein cholesterol is inversely correlated with abdominal visceral fat area: a magnetic resonance imaging study

Background: Visceral Fat Area (VFA) is an independent predictor of coronary disease. While low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is used to determine risk and guide therapy, its accuracy fails in obese patients who may have low LDL-C despite high VFA. Objective: We sought to describe the relationship between VFA, LDL-C and to describe shifting cholesterol metabolism with increasing VFA

Word ID – Intuitive representations of object identifiers

This disclosure describes a system and a method for mapping the numeric/alphanumeric identifiers of objects to words/phrases/sentences for the purpose of increasing memorability and/or human interactions

Assessing the effect of organic residue quality on active decomposing fungi in a tropical Vertisol using 15N-DNA stable isotope probing

15N-DNA stable isotope probing (15N-DNA-SIP) combined with 18S rRNA gene-based community analysis was used to identify active fungi involved in decomposition of 15N-labeled maize and soybean litter in a tropical Vertisol. Phylogenetic analysis of 15N-labeled DNA subjected to 18S rRNA gene-based community fingerprinting showed that organic residue quality promoted either slow (i.e. Penicillium sp., Aspergillus sp.) or fast growing (i.e. Fusarium sp., Mortierella sp.) fungal decomposers in soils treated with maize or soybean residues, respectively, whereas Chaetomium sp. were found as dominant decomposers in both residue treatments. Therefore, we have clear evidence that specific members of the fungal community used 15N derived from the two different organic resources for growth and stimulated early decomposition of maize or soybean decomposition. In conclusion, our study showed that 15N-DNA-SIP-based community analyses cannot only follow the flow of N from organic resources into bacteria, but also into the actively decomposing fungal communities of soils

Self-management for obesity and cardio-metabolic fitness: Description and evaluation of the lifestyle modification program of a randomised controlled trial

Background: Sustainable lifestyle modification strategies are needed to address obesity and cardiovascular risk factors. Intensive, individualised programs have been successful, but are limited by time and resources. We have formulated a group-based lifestyle education program based upon national diet and physical activity (PA) recommendations to manage obesity and cardio-metabolic risk factors. This article describes the content and delivery of this program, with information on compliance and acceptability. Methods: Overweight/obese adults (n = 153) with metabolic syndrome were recruited from the community and randomly allocated to intervention (INT) or control (CON). Written copies of Australian national dietary and PA guidelines were provided to all participants. INT took part in a 16-week lifestyle program which provided a curriculum and practical strategies on 1) dietary and PA information based on national guidelines, 2) behavioural self-management tools, 3) food-label reading, supermarkets tour and cooking, 4) exercise sessions, and 5) peer-group support. Compliance was assessed using attendance records and weekly food/PA logs. Participants' motivations, perceived benefits and goals were assessed through facilitated discussion. Program acceptability feedback was collected through structured focus groups. Results: Although completion of weekly food/PA records was poor, attendance at information/education sessions (77% overall) and exercise participation (66% overall) was high, and compared with CON, multiple markers of body composition and cardio-metabolic health improved in INT. Participants reported that the most useful program components included food-label reading, cooking sessions, and learning new and different physical exercises, including home-based options. Participants also reported finding self-management techniques helpful, namely problem solving and short-term goal setting. The use of a group setting and supportive 'peer' leaders were found to be supportive. More frequent clinical assessment was suggested for future programs. Conclusion: This group-based lifestyle program achieved improvements in body composition and cardio-metabolic and physical fitness similar to individualised interventions which are more resource intensive to deliver. It confirmed that active training in lifestyle modification is more effective than passive provision of guidelines. Such programs should include social support and self-management techniques. Continued clinical follow up may be required for long-term maintenance in individuals attempting lifestyle behaviour change. Program facilitation by peers may help and should be further investigated in a community-based model.Tahna L Pettman, Gary MH Misan, Katherine Owen, Kate Warren, Alison M Coates, Jonathan D Buckley and Peter RC How

Predictable patterns in stacking and distribution of channelized fluvial sand bodies linked to channel mobility and avulsion processes

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Funding from the American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund (ACS PRF 50310-DNI8), the University of New Orleans (Louisiana, USA), and a Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant (no. 707404) is thankfully acknowledged. We thank Martin Gibling, Mike Blum, and Jeffrey Nittrouer for constructive and critical reviews.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Consensus Head Acceleration Measurement Practices (CHAMP): Origins, methods, transparency and disclosure

The use of head kinematic measurement devices has recently proliferated owing to technology advances that make such measurement more feasible. In parallel, demand to understand the biomechanics of head impacts and injury in sports and the military has increased as the burden of such loading on the brain has received focused attention. As a result, the field has matured to the point of needing methodological guidelines to improve the rigor and consistency of research and reduce the risk of scientific bias. To this end, a diverse group of scientists undertook a comprehensive effort to define current best practices in head kinematic measurement, culminating in a series of manuscripts outlining consensus methodologies and companion summary statements. Summary statements were discussed, revised, and voted upon at the Consensus Head Acceleration Measurement Practices (CHAMP) Conference in March 2022. This manuscript summarizes the motivation and methods of the consensus process and introduces recommended reporting checklists to be used to increase transparency and rigor of future experimental design and publication of work in this field. The checklists provide an accessible means for researchers to apply the best practices summarized in the companion manuscripts when reporting studies utilizing head kinematic measurement in sport and military settings