On Estimating the Ability of NBA Players.

This paper introduces a new model and methodology for estimating the ability of NBA players. The main idea is to directly measure how good a player is by comparing how their team performs when they are on the court as opposed to when they are off it. This is achieved in a such a way as to control for the changing abilities of the other players on court at different times during a match. The new method uses multiple seasons' data in a structured way to estimate player ability in an isolated season, measuring separately defensive and offensive merit as well as combining these to give an overall rating. The use of game statistics in predicting player ability will be considered. Results using data from the 2008/9 season suggest that LeBron James, who won the NBA MVP award, was the best overall player. The best defensive player was Lamar Odom and the best rookie was Russell Westbrook, neither of whom won an NBA award that season. The results further indicate that whilst the frequently-reported game statistics provide some information on offensive ability, they do not perform well in the prediction of defensive ability

On the problem of large-scale magnetic field generation in rotating compressible convection

Mean-field dynamo theory suggests that turbulent convection in a rotating layer of electrically-conducting fluid produces a significant alpha-effect, which is one of the key ingredients in any mean-field dynamo model. Provided that this alpha-effect operates more efficiently than (turbulent) magnetic diffusion, such a system should be capable of sustaining a large-scale dynamo. However, in the Boussinesq model that was considered by Cattaneo&Hughes (2006) the dynamo produced small-scale, intermittent magnetic fields with no significant large-scale component. In this paper, we consider the compressible analogue of the rotating convective layer that was considered by Cattaneo&Hughes (2006). Varying the horizontal scale of the computational domain, we investigate the dependence of the dynamo upon the rotation rate. Our simulations indicate that these turbulent compressible flows can drive a small-scale dynamo but, even when the layer is rotating very rapidly (with a mid-layer Taylor number of Ta=10^8), we find no evidence for the generation of a significant large-scale component of the magnetic field on a dynamical timescale. Like Cattaneo&Hughes(2006), we measure a negligible (time-averaged) alpha-effect when a uniform horizontal magnetic field is imposed across the computational domain. Although the total horizontal magnetic flux is a conserved quantity in these simulations, the (depth-dependent) horizontally-averaged magnetic field always exhibits strong fluctuations. If these fluctuations are artificially suppressed within the code, we measure a significant mean electromotive force that is comparable to that found in related calculations in which the alpha-effect is measured using the test-field method, even though we observe no large-scale dynamo action.Comment: 25 pages, 10 figures, to appear in J. Fluid Mec

The Microbiota and Health Promoting Characteristics of the Fermented Beverage Kefir

peer-reviewedKefir is a complex fermented dairy product created through the symbiotic fermentation of milk by lactic acid bacteria and yeasts contained within an exopolysaccharide and protein complex called a kefir grain. As with other fermented dairy products, kefir has been associated with a range of health benefits such as cholesterol metabolism and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition, antimicrobial activity, tumor suppression, increased speed of wound healing, and modulation of the immune system including the alleviation of allergy and asthma. These reports have led to increased interest in kefir as a focus of research and as a potential probiotic-containing product. Here, we review those studies with a particular emphasis on the microbial composition and the health benefits of the product, as well as discussing the further development of kefir as an important probiotic product.The authors are funded through the Teagasc Walsh Fellowship Scheme(2014025)and internal Teagasc funding(RMIS6486). BW is supported by the Canada Research Chairs Program and research in the Cotter laboratory is funded by SFI through the PI award “Obesibiotics”(11/PI/1137)and in the form of a center grant (APC Microbiome Institute Grant Number SFI/12/RC/2273)

The Deacon: Ministry through Words of Faith and Acts of Love

From the moment the 1996 General Conference of The United Methodist Church reordered its ministry and adopted the new Order of Deacon, there has been much speculation on the meaning of the new Order, how it should be developed, and what difference it should make. (Some saw no reason for the new Order or could not grasp the reason for such an Order, and others thought they knew all the answers and have judged the establishment of the deacon on their understandings.) The Section of Deacons and Diaconal Ministries in the Division of Ordained Ministry has the responsibility of resourcing the church in the establishment of the deacon and was very conscious of these varied responses to the new Order. They decided that an appropriate way to assist the church would be to develop a vision statement and then lead toward that vision. After much study and struggle, the following vision statement was adopted as a work in progress. The ministry of the deacon (diaconate) distinctively embodies and gives leadership to servant ministry of compassion, mercy, and justice. Laity and clergy are transformed through worship which connects faith and daily life so that the people of God serve a hurting world as faithful disciples. The section was aware that if the new Order of Deacon was to develop appropriately, enhanced understandings of how the Order connected to church traditions were needed. Much study, work, and reflection on the purpose and work of the deacon must take place. It was realized that one of the most important groups of teachers would be the present ordained deacons in full connection. Their work and the fact that each one is appointed to a local church makes them crucial as interpreters and teachers on the new order. The Deacon: Ministry Through Words of Faith and Acts of Love, is a resource for the deacon and for the church. It will assist with the dialogue and reflection on the Order and help the church be more effective as a lay-centered, lay-led body that is missional at its very core. Carefully studied, the work will help the reader reflect on biblical images related to the ministry of the deacon. The relationship of worship and service, so distinctly linked to this new Order, is prominent in the scripture study. In addition, the authors have amplified the images with models from the lives and ministries of deacons at work today. Paul Van Buren and Ben Hartley have produced a superb work by providing insights on how the United Methodist deacon can relate to a world in need and provide a needed flexibility in ministry similar to that of the early days of Methodism on the frontier of the United States. I believe one of the most significant elements of this booklet is the scriptural visions of the deacon. The writers have effectively enhanced the church’s dialogue by sharing scriptures that reflect servant leadership. This book will be useful if deacons, elders, and all church leaders will study it for understandings that will shape the day-to-day work and relationships of the deacon. That study and dialogue will assist the church in solidifying a paradigm of leadership

Molecular Dynamics Simulation of Coherent Interfaces in Fluorite Heterostructures

The standard model of enhanced ionic conductivities in solid electrolyte heterostructures follows from a continuum mean-field description of defect distributions that makes no reference to crystalline structure. To examine ionic transport and defect distributions while explicitly accounting for ion-ion correlations and lattice effects, we have performed molecular dynamics simulations of a model coherent fluorite heterostructure without any extrinsic defects, with a difference in standard chemical potentials of mobile fluoride ions between phases induced by an external potential. Increasing the offset in fluoride ion standard chemical potentials across the internal interfaces decreases the activation energies for ionic conductivity and diffusion and strongly enhances fluoride ion mobilities and defect concentrations near the heterostructure interfaces. Non-charge-neutral "space-charge" regions, however, extend only a few atomic spacings from the interface, suggesting a continuum model may be inappropriate. Defect distributions are qualitatively inconsistent with the predictions of the continuum mean-field model, and indicate strong lattice-mediated defect-defect interactions. We identify an atomic-scale "Frenkel polarisation" mechanism for the interfacial enhancement in ionic mobility, where preferentially oriented associated Frenkel pairs form at the interface and promote local ion mobility via concerted diffusion processes

Exogenous Leukemia Inhibitory Factor Stimulates Oligodendrocyte Progenitor Cell Proliferation and Enhances Hippocampal Remyelination

New CNS neurons and glia are generated throughout adulthood from endogenous neural stem and progenitor cells. These progenitors can respond to injury, but their ability to proliferate, migrate, differentiate, and survive is usually insufficient to replace lost cells and restore normal function. Potentiating the progenitor response with exogenous factors is an attractive strategy for the treatment of nervous system injuries and neurodegenerative and demyelinating disorders. Previously, we reported that delivery of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) to the CNS stimulates the self-renewal of neural stem cells and the proliferation of parenchymal glial progenitors. Here we identify these parenchymal glia as oligodendrocyte (OL) progenitor cells (OPCs) and show that LIF delivery stimulates their proliferation through the activation of gp130 receptor signaling within these cells. Importantly, this effect of LIF on OPC proliferation can be harnessed to enhance the generation of OLs that express myelin proteins and reform nodes of Ranvier in the context of chronic demyelination in the adult mouse hippocampus. Our findings, considered together with the known beneficial effects of LIF on OL and neuron survival, suggest that LIF has both reparative and protective activities that make it a promising potential therapy for CNS demyelinating disorders and injuries