Effect of a sport vision training programme on the batting performance and predictive judgment of high school level cricketers

Abstract: Vision plays a crucial role in sport as it is the primary source of external information and provides 85 – 90% of the sensory input during athletic performance (Vickers, 2007; Kluka & Knudson, 1997). The study aimed to investigate the effect of sports vision training on the batting performance and predictive judgement on high school cricket players. The sample included male, high school level cricketers ranging in ages 13 – 18 (14.8 ± 1.2) with at least two years playing experience in cricket. Three high schools were invited to participate in the study. The participants were non-randomly assigned to two groups, 15 participants to a sports vision training group (n=15) and 15 participants to a regular practice group (n=15). Each group was assessed according to the tasks of visual skills, fitness, batting performance, predictive judgement and fitness. The visual skills testing included eye hand coordination, central peripheral awareness and visual response. The fitness assessment was a multistage fitness test. The batting performance test assessed the quality of interception and the predictive judgment assessed the ability to judge the length bowled. The results showed that the intervention group showed significant improvement within the visual skills, batting performance and judgment test conducted (p 0.05). Although there were improvements in certain parameters tested, a larger sample may produce better results

Optical and microwave spectroscopy of Rydberg excitons in Cu2_2O

An experiment was developed to create and study excitonic energy levels in cuprous oxide at 4 K. Excitons were excited using both one-photon and two-photon excitation schemes. A variety of methods were used to characterise the resulting emission, including time-resolved single photon counting and high-resolution spectroscopy. Additionally, microwave antennae were developed to apply microwave fields to the sample with the aim of driving electric dipole transitions between excitonic energy levels. The main result presented in this thesis are: (1) A comparative study of synthetic and natural material revealed the presence of copper vacancies in the synthetic material, which was responsible for limiting the Rydberg series. (2) Narrowband second harmonic generation spectroscopy was used to study Rydberg excitons up to n=12 and allowed the lineshape of the high n even-parity exciton states to be studied. (3) The addition of a microwave field significantly modified the exciton absorption lineshape. In the two-photon regime, applying a microwave field demonstrated coherent modulation of the second harmonic, with sidebands observed. The results were modelled based on microwave-driven electric dipole transitions between Rydberg states. With a simple microwave antenna it was possible to reach a regime where the microwave coupling (Rabi frequency) was comparable to the non-radiatively broadened linewidth of the Rydberg excitons. These result demonstrate the first coupling of Rydberg excitons and microwave fields, provide a new way to manipulate excitonic states, and open up the possibility of a cryogenic microwave to optical transducer based on Rydberg excitons

2003, “Dynamic Almost Ideal Demand Systems: An Empirical Analysis of Alcohol Expenditure

Abstract This paper presents a dynamic form of the Almost Ideal Demand System (AIDS). We employ three versions of the static AIDS model to determine the preferred long-run equilibrium model and represents the short-run dynamics by an error correction mechanism. This estimation procedure is then applied to alcohol expenditure in Ireland. The estimated point elasticities are consistent with previous studies and a priori expectations. Beer and spirits are found to be price inelastic in both the short and long run. While wine is price inelastic in the short run and price elastic in the long run. Dynamic Almost Ideal Demand Systems: An Empirical Analysis of Alcohol Expenditure in Ireland Abstract: This paper presents a dynamic form of the Almost Identical Demand System (AIDS). We employ three versions of the AIDS model to determine the preferred long-run equilibrium model to use in a dynamic specification, that has similar characteristics to an error correction mechanism. This estimation procedure is applied to the demand for alcohol in Ireland. Beer is found to be price inelastic in both the short and long run. Spirits is price elastic in the short run and price inelastic in the long run. Wine is price elastic in the both the short and long run

Risk of death and cardiovascular outcomes with thiazolidinediones: a study with the general practice research database and secondary care data.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the likely extent of confounding in evaluating the risks of cardiovascular (CV) events and mortality in patients using diabetes medication. METHODS: The General Practice Research Database was used to identify inception cohorts of insulin and different oral antidiabetics. An analysis of bias and incidence of mortality, acute coronary syndrome, stroke and heart failure were analysed in GPRD, Hospital Episode Statistics and death certificates. RESULTS: 206,940 patients were identified. The bias analysis showed that past thiazolidinedione users had a lower mortality risk compared to past metformin users. There were no differences between past users of rosiglitazone and pioglitazone (adjusted RR of 1.04; 95% CI 0.93-1.18). Current rosiglitazone users had an increased risk of death (adjusted RR 1.20; 95% CI 1.08-1.34) and of hospitalisation for heart failure (adjusted RR of 1.73; 95% CI 1.19-2.51) compared to current pioglitazone users. Risk of mortality was increased two-fold shortly after starting rosiglitazone. Excess risk of death over 3 years with rosiglitazone was 0.3 per 100 in those aged 50-64 years, 2.0 aged 65-74, 3.0 aged 75-84, and 7.0 aged 85+. The cause of death with rosiglitazone was more likely to be due to a disease of the circulatory system. CONCLUSIONS: Higher risks for death (overall and due to cardiovascular disease) and heart failure were found for rosiglitazone compared to pioglitazone. These excess risks were largest in patients aged 65 years or older. The European regulatory decision to suspend rosiglitazone is supported by this study

Does convertible arbitrage risk exposure vary through time?

We model the returns of the convertible arbitrage strategy using a non-linear framework. This strategy has generated long periods of positive returns and low volatility, followed by shorter periods of extreme negative returns and high volatility, associated with market upheaval. We specify a smooth transition regression model to assess performance, a class of model particularly suited to this type of strategy as it allows gradual transition between risk regimes. We show that in alternate regimes, the strategy exhibits relatively high (low) exposure to risk factors and alpha is high (low). The evidence reported can account for abnormal returns demonstrated in previous studies

Development and Validation of a Rapid Multi-class Method for the Confirmation of Fourteen Prohibited Medicinal Additives in Pig and Poultry Compound Feed by Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry

A confirmatory method has been developed to allow for the analysis of fourteen prohibited medicinal additives in pig and poultry compound feed. These compounds are prohibited for use as feed additives although some are still authorised for use in medicated feed. Feed samples are extracted by acetonitrile with addition of sodium sulphate. The extracts undergo a hexane wash to aid with sample purification. The extracts are then evaporated to dryness and reconstituted in initial mobile phase. The samples undergo an ultracentrifugation step prior to injection onto the LC-MS/MS system and are analysed in a run time of 26 minutes. The LC-MS/MS system is run in MRM mode with both positive and negative electrospray ionisation. The method was validated over three days and is capable of quantitatively analysing for metronidazole, dimetridazole, ronidazole, ipronidazole, chloramphenicol, sulfadiazine, sulfamethazine, dinitolimide, ethopabate, carbadox and clopidol. The method is also capable of qualitatively analysing for tylosin, virginiamycin and avilamycin. A level of 100 μg kg-1 was used for validation purposes and the method is capable of analysing to this level for all the compounds. Validation criteria of trueness, precision, repeatability and reproducibility along with measurement uncertainty are calculated for all analytes